Avoiding The Extremes Of His Attributes of His Essence

The LORD reigns,

He is clothed 

with majesty;

The LORD is clothed,

He has girded Himself

with strength. 

Surely the world 

is established, so that it 

cannot be moved.

Your throne is established

from of old;

Your are from everlasting.

Psalm 93:1-2

     Extremes to be avoided are first, we must not represent God as a composite being, that is having a composition of different elements. Secondly, we must not confound the attributes, making them all mean the same thing because that is nothing more than making them all together to be equivalent. Those who have and do hold to a realistic theory, that is that general terms express not merely thoughts or abstract conceptions, rather that the terms point to a real or substantive, objective existence. Therefore to the Realist God's attributes differed fro each other as one thing differs from another. It was the Nominalist who held to the theory that the general terms are mere words that give answers to the mind that has abstract thoughts in regards to God's attributes. Therefore, to the Nominalist words only speak of different attributes by different words to describe one and the same thing.  The Lutherans and the Reformed theologians taught that the unity and simplicity of the divine essece precludes not only all physical composition of constituent elements but also of all metaphysical distinction such as act and power, essence and existence, etc. 

     Theologians were accustomed to say that the attributes of God differ from His essence and and that which is determined to be rational. That is to say that things differ from their nature therefore God's attributes operated on things separately from Himself and are essentially different as is the soul and the body. The sun is often used to illustrate this by saying that from the sun are rays and the rays operate objects as to their diversity making the force the same, but the effects are different. A problem with type of thinking is that there is a denying that the relation of attribute and essence in God is analogous to the relation of intelligence and will to the essence of the soul in man and as the old Schoolmen would admit that God is acting with freedom from any action but this caused the attributes to be resolved into a mere causality. It was Schleiermacher (A German liberal theologian) who took this theory further and defined holiness of God to be that causality in Him which produces conscience in us.
     This theology that has permeated into the Church must be addressed and that is what shall be done. It is tough at first to follow the thinking and rationale that is given but the answer(s) will be easy to understand if one takes the time to ponder of what is written. The attempt will be to convey and correct the false representations which are so often made on the subject. 


But go and learn
     what this means:
"I desire mercy and 
     not sacrifice. 
For I did not come
    to call the righteous,
but sinners, to repentance.
                       Matthew 9:13


We Are The Sheep Of His Pasture


Richard L. Crumb