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We are told by Herbert Spencer that there is an inscrutable Power of which 
we cannot know anything, but of which the universe contains manifestations. 
This being so, I want to know, if the universe is a manifestation of this 
power, how can it be said that we know nothing of this power ? (Hear, hear.) 
And if God is a Power operating in every manifestation of nature, or 
rather a force behind every operation of nature, then we clearly do get 
some knowledge of this unknowable Power, and it is absurd to say that it 
is otherwise. Consequently we may learn a great deal about God from 
these manifestations, and may also have a great many of our a priori pre- 
possessions about Him to unlearn. It is undoubtedly true, that the 
created universe is a revelation of God, and the human conscience is also 
a revelation of God, — God speaking to man as to what constitutes right. 
But Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the greatest moral manifestation of God. 
I wish to add, that the kind of philosophy we have been criticising has 
conferred on us great benefit in regard to the innumerable controversies of 
the past. The great controversies about the Trinity in the third, fourth, 
fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries touched points beyond the range of human 
intellect to fathom. Any person may satisfy himself of the inscrutable 
character of such controversies if he will read the discussions of the Council 
of Florence on the points which, even at this day, form the ground of 
separation between the Oriental and Occidental Churches. 
Professor S. E. O’Dell.— There is one question I should like to ask. 
Suppose we put this query to ourselves — Is it possible for us not to know 
God ? Is it possible for us, even if we bring all our intellectual capabilities 
to our aid, to put out of our minds the knowledge we have of God ? Is it 
possible for us to get even from an assemblage of children the answer that 
it is possible not to know God ? Suppose we went into an assemblage of 
savages, who have not been taught Christianity, and put the question to 
them, in the most minute and forcible manner — Would it be possible for 
them not to know God ? In each case you would find the reply you would 
get is— “All of us, more or less, do know God; all of us, more or less, 
acknowledge the existence of God.” With regard to how much we know 
God, that is another question. It is a matter of degree. There are many 
here, no doubt, who know God more than I do, and there are many outside 
who know Him less than I do. We are not discussing the degree of our 
knowledge, but rather the question of this paper reversed — Is it possible for 
us not to know God ? I think, with the rev. gentleman who has just 
spoken so intelligently, that it is a matter of impossibility for us not to 
know God ; but probably Herbert Spencer, and those of his school as it has 
now arisen, would, ©n self-examination, say : “We do know God, because we 
have been taught, in our infancy and youth, that there is such a Being, and 
the knowledge has come into our minds in that way ; but, beyond what we 
have thus been taught, we do not acknowledge God.” Through all nation- 
alities and people, whatever their language and tongue, there is a knowledge 
of God ; and this is shown by the reverence and worship they pay to Him, 
more or less, Ffow there is one other question I should like to put, and 
