82 The Triunity of Man [CH. 



is radically true. Since, then, we find these three modes 

 or aspects in man's personality, we are bound to search 

 for their meaning, for we find that they do exist under 

 material conditions now, and it seems from our investi- 

 gation that they have an eternal meaning. 



It is natural that, arguing anthropomorphically from 

 his own nature, man should see three aspects in the 

 nature of God, even before the revelation of Christ. 

 And it is too late in the day for it to be necessary for us 

 to state at length that there is essential truth under- 

 lying anthropomorphism; the fact is so obvious 1 . The 

 existence of a triunity, in manhood then, if it is real, not 

 only gives a simple explanation of man's belief in the 

 triunity of the Godhead, but points also to the fact that 

 this belief is probably correct. It is natural that we 

 should see in ourselves a reflection of the nature of the 

 Godhead, and argue from our own nature to that of God ; 

 and if it be the fact that human personality would be 

 incomplete without these three aspects, we have a strong 

 argument for the triunity of the Godhead, if God be 

 indeed personal. 



Of the nature of the Godhead we have evidence in 

 revelation, but we also find it implicit in the phenomenal 

 universe. The creative function of the Father, with its 

 implied purpose, is deducible from the nature of what He 

 creates as well as other things which purpose is the 

 sharing of an experience whose character is love; the 

 necessary mediating function of the Son, which bridges 

 over the gap between time and eternity and makes the 

 union of the finite with the infinite possible (and in 

 passing we may remind ourselves that this mediation is 

 not necessary simply because of sin; its method was 

 modified by sin, that is all) ; the energising force of the 



1 Reference may be made to Jevons' Introduction to the Study 

 of Comparative Religion and his Idea of God in Early Religions for 

 justification of this statement. 



