not the thoughts of the writers of the Bible. The reader of Mrs. Eddy's literature often finds “good” as a synonym for God. She says: “God is good” and “Good is Mind”; and explains that the statements may be reversed.[1] Do not imagine that Mrs. Eddy has the conception of God as a being having this moral quality or any of the qualities suggested by the synonyms. She is rather identifying God with the principle of goodness. So she can say: God “is represented only by the idea of goodness.”[2] Plotinus makes this distinction very sharp. Though the one is denominated the good it must not be said, he affirms, that “he is good.”[3]
It is as illogical to conclude from the Scripture statement, “God is love,”[4] that God and love are identical, as to conclude from the statement, “God is light,”[5] that God and light are identical. The conception that God and the good are identical cannot be found in the Bible. But it is found often in Plato and his followers. Plato identified God and the good[6] and Plotinus identified God and mind.[7] The Neoplatonists talked much about the “one” and the “good”, which with them are synonyms for God. They are not thinking of a personal being but of the primary principle, which
- ↑ S. and H. p. 113. cf. p. 52 and p. 76. cf. No and Yes. p. 45.
- ↑ S. and H. p. 119.
- ↑ Cf. 6. 7. 38.
- ↑ 1 John 4:8.
- ↑ 1 John 1:5.
- ↑ Cf. Ueberweg's Geschichte der Philosophie. Vol. I, p. 356.
- ↑ Cf. Windelband's Hist. of Phil. 2. 2. 20. 7.
