Dogmatic Theology Vol 1 - Shedd - XIV - Chapter 2 The Innate Idea and Knowledge of God

Required reading

Dogmatic Theology Vol 1 by William G.T. Shedd (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Chapter 2 The Innate Idea and Knowledge of God.

My summary

Today Shedd talks about the innate idea and knowledge of God amongst all of humanity.

Firstly he explains that there can be no syllogistic argument for the Divine existence.

Shedd then spends most of the chapter demonstrating that even the pagans are monotheists.

He also shows that such a knowledge of God is not inconsistent with human depravity and is consistent with a knowledge of self.

To finish the chapter, Shedd asserts natural religion is insufficient for salvation.

What grabbed me

An excellent and important chapter.

I particularly liked the rejection of syllogisms for God's existence: 'The reason why the Scriptures make no provision against speculative atheism by syllogistic reasoning is, that syllogistic reasoning starts from a premise that is more obvious and certain than the conclusion drawn from it, and they do not concede that any premise necessary to be laid down in order to draw the conclusion that there is a Supreme being, is more intuitively certain than the conclusion itself. To prove is, "e re certa incerta confirmare." "An argument is something clearer than the proposition to be maintained," says Charnocke. But the judgment, "There is a God," is as universal, natural, and intuitive as the judgment, " There is a cause." The latter judgment has been combated (by Hume, e.g.), as well as the former. And the principal motive for combating the latter is, the invalidation of the former. Men deny the reality of a cause, only for the purpose of disproving the reality of a First Cause.'

You can't prove God. He just is.  He is the first line of every syllogism.  Never the last.

Next week's reading

Read Chapter 3 Arguments for the divine existence.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.