Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 45:179 (Jul 1888)
Article: The Divine Immanency
Author: James Douglas

BSac 45:179 (July 1888) p. 487

The Divine Immanency

Rev. James Douglas

The Divine Immanency In Relation To Materialism

Before entering directly upon the subject of the relation of the doctrine of the divine immanency to materialism, I propose to answer the question, How does the doctrine of immanency as here propounded differ from that of Spinoza? Spinoza traces phenomena to substance, and affirms that substance, as the ground of phenomena, is all there really is of the universe; that this substance has two fundamental qualities, thought and extension, cognizable to us; that there is only one substance, and that is God. God is the immanent cause, but a cause not passing out of itself.1

BSac 45:179 (July 1888) p. 488

With this theory transcendency is impossible. Substance cannot be transeunt and still be substance, that which stands under. It is only as we extend our analysis into substance, and unfold its nature, that we can reach the true solution.

In Spinoza’s day, scientific thought and investigation had not discovered what it is that stands under matter; that it is force which constitutes the substratum of matter. Now the question arises. What is the source of force? The science that limits itself and its investigations to matter, both in its phenomena and substance, may affirm that we do not and cannot go beyond force, as the substance of matter, in our investigations; because into the airy regions of metaphysical speculations lying back of the physical we cannot go and apply the tests of science. But we answer: There is a science of mind, as well as of matter, a science of intellectual intuitions and moral consciousness, as well as of sentient feeling; for, all knowledge resolves itself into consciousness, and it is by this science of mind, we have revealed to us the source of force in mind itself, so that we reach, by a process of investigation thoroughly scientific, the discovery that the ultimate in the universe is not substance, but mind, as absolute spirit. And thus it is, that while we cannot affirm the transcendency of substance, for that would be an evident misuse of the term in its true significance, yet of spirit, not held to the limitations of substance, we can affirm transcendency, as well as immanency.

The whole solution of the subject lies in the doctrine of absolute spirit, rather than substance, being the ultimate principle, the principium, of the universe.

Spinoza’s pantheistic doctrine of substance is essentially materialistic. In his doctrine of substance as the only reality, he really affirms only the existence of matter with its attributes. The term “matter” must include substance, as well as phenomena. Both conjoined...