RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Good, The Highest Good Works
the same is true also of " goods " not. produced by human activity, of God and his dominion, in relation to the religious and social activities of the spirits, in which they are " blessed" (James i. 25). Now, the Christian faith knows of no capacity to produce these activities except through the Savior; and Schleiermacher says, " accordingly the redemption through Christ is itself the Highest Good," thus including in the term the element of the gift of grace. It is easy enough to avoid any identification of this with the real end.
There is, however, a distinction drawn by Thomas Aquinas (Summa, iii. 13) between " an end which is constituted by the action of an 5. The Sum agent " and " an end which is preof All True existent and to be acquired or ob- "Goods." tained by action or motion." Under the latter head come God and his gifts, the Savior and salvation, and the Holy Ghost who ministers salvation. These gifts are accepted by an act of the will, with which man's part, the " action," begins, that which constitutes the " end " in the former sense, without losing sight of the " preexistent end." In the religious and social activities produced in him by the eternal " goods " the Christian must perfect himself by daily repentance. The degree of perfection which must be attained by each in this world is not known to us; but we have firm confidence in the grace of God, and hope for moral perfection in the other world, which shall perfect also our moral happiness. Physical happiness, too, will be bestowed upon us by God's love, though of what nature this will be no one knows. While Christians already possess " eternal life," a life which is supramundane and heavenly, this is only a feeble beginning compared with the blessed perfection to be attained in the likeness of God in the world to come. It may therefore be doubted whether it is to be included in the idea of the (subjective) Highest Good. God's gifts, when he shall be all in all, will of course not be the same as his present gifts — redemption, forgiveness of sins, sanctification. And since in this life the blessings of civilization may be numbered among his gifts, it is possible to include them also in the conception of the Highest Good, which thus becomes the sum, the organism, the system, the totality of all true " goods." Karl Thieme.
Bibliography: The subject is treated from the historicphilosophical side in all works on the history of philosophy— e.g., F. Ueberweg, Geschichte der Philosophic, ed. M. Heinze, i. 184, 238, 272-273, Berlin, 1894 (giving references to other literature). It is also included within the scope of works on ethics and Christian ethics.
Consult: Palmer, in Jahrbiicher fur deutsche Theologie, v (1860), 436 sqq.; K. Werner, Geschichte der apologetischen und pokmischen IAteratwr der christlichen Theologie, i. 489-499, Schaffhausen, 1861; Heman, in Jahrbiicher fur deutsche Theologie, xvii (1872), 442 sqq. (on Schleiermacher); Arnoldt, in Altpreussische Monatsschrift, xi (1874), 193 sqq. (on Kant); S. Huber, Die Glilckseligkeitslehre des Aristoteles und heiligen Thomas von Aquinas, Freiaing, 1893; J. Kaftan, in Zeitschrift filr Theologie und Kirche, vii (1897), 13.
GOOD, JAMES ISAAC: German Reformed; b. at York, Pa., Dec. 31, 1S50. He was educated at Lafayette College (B.A., 1872) and Union Theological Seminary (1872-75). He was pastor of Heidelberg Reformed Church, York, Pa. (1875-
1877), Heidelberg Reformed Church, Philadelphia (1877-90); Calvary Reformed Church, Reading, Pa., (1890-05). He was connected with Ursinus College, Philadelphia, first as professor of church history from 1890 to 1893, and then as professor of dogmatics and pastoral theology and dean of the school of theology from 1893 to 1897- Since 1907 he has been professor of Reformed Church history in Central Theological Seminary, Tiffin, O. In theology his position is conservative and positive. He has written Origin of the Reformed Church of Germany (Reading, Pa., 1887); Rambles around Reformed Lands (1889); History of the Reformed Church of Germany (1894); History of the Reformed Church in the United States (1899); Famous Women of the Reformed Church (Philadelphia, 1902); and Famous Missionaries of the Reformed Church (1903).
GOOD TEMPLARS. See Total Abstinence. GOOD WORKS.
Ethnic and Jewish Conception (§ 1).
The Teaching of Jesus (§2).
Pauline Teaching (§3).
Patristic and Roman Catholic Doctrine (§ 4).
In the Eastern Church (§ 5).
The Teaching of Luther and Melanchthon (§ 6).
Modern Lutheran Teaching (§ 7).
Roman Catholic Doctrine Criticized (§ 8).
There are only faint traces among the Babylonians of the conception of a judgment of the dead, but Babylonian prayers contain peti-
1. Ethnic tions that the " table of good works " and Jewish might be written upon and the " table Conception, of sins " destroyed. The former table is identical with the " table of life " upon which Nebo registers man's length of life. In the Egyptian religion Thoth corresponds to this writing god, the heart of the dead is weighed in a scale and Thoth notes the result. The dead man puts in a claim, for example, for charity, " I have given bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the naked, and passage to those without ship." The Greek conception of the judgment of the dead was influenced by the Babylonians (cf. L. Ruhl, De mortuorum judicio, Giessen, 1903). 'In the Zoroastrian eschatology the conceptions, good thoughts, good words, good works, are important (see Zoroaster, Zoroastrianism). These accompany the soul in its flight to heaven. At the judgment of the dead good works are weighed against bad works. Here may be found the idea of a treasury of superfluous good works and that works of pity are decisive. These ideas probably had an influence upon the Jewish religion. Their influence upon Islam is well known. These parallel features are especially noteworthy: books of good and bad works, the weighing of them, and emphasis on works of pity. God accepts repentance. Faith and good works must follow in order to drive away former evil (J. B. Ruling, Eschatologie des Islam, pp. 18-25, Leipsic, 1895). In the Jewish religion ma'asim torim, "good works," are frequently mentioned along with mizwoth, " fulfilment of the law." Ma'aseh signifies the practical fulfilment of the law, and comes next to its study, and might include the conception of mizwoth. It was not limited to the giving of alms and acts of kindness. It can not be
Good Works