Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/351

 ophers taught  Pantheism,  and  the  wise  men  of God,  guided  by  divine  inspiration,  came  to  a  knowledge of  the  mystery  of  the  Trinity. But when  Christ came He  announced  this  truth  in  plain  terms,  and men began  to  see  why  God  in  creating  said:  "  Let us  make  man  to  our  own  image  and  likeness." For Christ taught  that  Himself,  the  Father  and  the  Spirit, though three,  are  still  one;  that  He  went  to  the Father and  would  send  the  Holy  Ghost. He commanded men  to  be  baptized  in  the  name  of  God — the Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost;  and  finally  He said,  by  John,  "  There  are  three  in  heaven  who  give testimony — the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy Ghost,  and  they  are  one." So plain  are  these  words that for  every  Christian,  and  more  especially  for every Catholic,  the  existence  of  a  triune  God  must  be a  fact  beyond  dispute. Now it  is  one  thing  to  know the existence  of  a  truth,  and  it  is  another  thing  to  be able  to  explain  it. That I  move  my  hand  is  certain, but how  I  move  it,  not  all  the  philosophers  that ever lived  know  or  will  be  able  to  explain. Hence, that God  is  at  the  same  time  one  in  nature  and  threefold in  person  we  are  certain  of,  relying  on  the  word of an  infallible  God  and  His  infallible  Church. But when we  ask  how  this  can  be,  we  can  only  lift  up our  eyes  to  God  and  adore  His  incomprehensible perfections and  exclaim  with  St.  Paul:"0  the depth  of  the  riches  of  the  wisdom  and  of  the  knowledge of  God!"

Brethren, the  first  and  greatest  object  of  our faith must  ever  be  this  great  truth,  that  God  exists;