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nor to be engaged by the obligations of a filial relation to pay obedience to the Father, yet he must evidently be considered as inferior to both Father and Son, inasmuch as he is represented and declared to be subservient and obedient in all things; to have been promised, and sent, and given; to speak nothing of himself; and even to have been given as an earnest. There is no room here for any sophistical distinction founded on a twofold nature; all these expressions refer to the Holy Spirit, who is maintained to be the supreme God; whence it follows, that wherever similar phrases are applied to the Son of God, in which he is distinctly declared to be inferior to the Father, they ought to be understood in reference to his divine as well as to his human character. For what those, who believe in the Holy Spirit's co-equality with the Father, deem to be not unworthy of him, cannot be considered unworthy of the Son, however exalted may be the dignity of his Godhead. Wherefore it remains now to be seen on what grounds, and by what arguments, we are constrained to believe that the Holy Spirit is God, if Scripture nowhere expressly teach the doctrine of his divinity, not even in the passages where his office is explained at large, nor in those where the unity of God is explicitly asserted, as in John xvii. 3. 1 Cor. viii. 4, &c. nor where God is either described, or introduced as sitting upon his throne,―if, further, the Spirit be frequently named the Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit of God, Eph. iv. 30. so that the Spirit of God being actually and numerically distinct from God himself, cannot possibly be essentially one God with him whose Spirit he is, (except on certain strange and absurd hypotheses,

which have no foundation in Holy Scripture, but were devised by human ingenuity for the sole purpose of supporting this particular doctrine)-if, wherever the Father and the Holy Spirit are mentioned together, the Father alone be called God, and the Father alone, omitting all notice of the Spirit, be acknowledged by Christ himself to be the one true God, as has been proved in the former chapter by abundant testimony; if he be God who 'stablisheth us in Christ,' who 'hath anointed us,' who 'hath sealed us,' and 'given us the earnest of the Spirit,' 2 Cor. i. 22. if that God be one God, and that one God the Father; if, finally 'God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father,' Gal. iv. 6. whence it follows that he who sent both the Spirit of his Son and the Son himself, he on whom we are taught to call, and on whom the Spirit himself calls, is the one God and the only Father. It seems exceedingly unreasonable, not to say dangerous, that in a matter of so much difficulty, believers should be required to receive a doctrine, represented by its advocates as of primary importance and of undoubted certainty, on anything less than the clearest testimony of Scripture; and that a point which is confessedly contrary to human reason, should nevertheless be considered as susceptible of proof from human reason only, or rather from doubtful and obscure disputations.

First, then, it is usual to defend the divinity of the Holy Spirit on the ground, that the name of God seems to be attributed to the Spirit: Acts v. 3, 4. 'why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost ?....thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.' But if attention be paid to what has been stated be

fore respecting the Holy Ghost on the authority of the Son, this passage will appear too weak for the support of so great a doctrinal mystery. For since the Spirit is expressly said to be sent by the Father, and in the name of the Son, he who lies to the Spirit must lie to God, in the same sense as he who receives an apostle, receives God who sent him, Matt. x. 40. John xiii 20.* St. Paul himself removes all ground of controversy from this passage, and explains it most appositely by implication, 1 Thess. iv. 8. where his intention is evidently to express the same truth more at large he therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit.' Besides, it may be doubted whether the Holy Spirit in this passage does not signify God the Father;† for Peter afterwards says, v. 9. how is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ?' that is, God the Father himself, and his divine intelligence, which no one can elude or deceive. And in v. 32. the Holy Spirit is not called God, but a witness of Christ with the apostles, whom God hath given

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Clarke, as might be expected, gives the same explanation of the passage, (Scripture Doctrine, Part I. Sect 2. No. 66.) also quoting 1 Thess. iv. 8. He supports his opinion on the authority of Athanasius. Ωστε ὁ ψευσάμενος τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, τῷ Θεῷ ἐψεύσατο, τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν ἀνθρώποις διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ· ὅπου γάρ ἐστι τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐκεῖ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός. ἐν τούτῳ γάρ, φησί, γινώσκομεν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πνεύματος αὐτοῦ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν. De Incarnat. Verbi, et contra Arianos.

There is some error in this passage in the manuscript, where it is written thus: Quicquid incertum est annon hoc loco Spiritus Sanctus Deum Patrem significat: idem enim Petrus, &c.' Unless we suppose that some words have fallen out, the sentence may be corrected by a very slight alteration :—Quid, quod incertum est annon hoc loco Spiritus Sanctus Deum Patrem significet? idem, &c. I have followed this conjecture in the translation, as it is a form of sentence very frequently used in other parts of the treatise.

to them that obey him.' So also Acts ii. 38. 'ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost,' given, that is, by God. But how can the gift of God be himself God, much more the supreme God?

The second passage is Acts xxviii. 25. compared with Isai. vi. 8, 9. 'I heard the voice of the Lord, saying'-&c. ...... well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet,' &c. See also Jer. xxxi. 31. compared with Heb. x. 15. But it has been shewn above, that the names Lord and Jehovah are throughout the Old Testament attributed to whatever angel God may entrust with the execution of his commands; and in the New Testament the Son himself openly testifies of the Holy Spirit, John xvi. 13. that 'he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak.' It cannot therefore be inferred from this passage, any more than from the preceding, that the Holy Ghost is God.

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The third place is 1 Cor. iii. 16. compared with vi. 19. and 2 Cor. vi. 16. the temple of God'..... the temple of the Holy Ghost.' But neither is it here said, nor does it in any way follow from hence, that the Holy Spirit is God; for it is not because the Spirit alone, but because the Father also and the Son 'make their abode with us,' that we are called the temple of God.' Therefore in 1 Cor. vi. 19. where we are called the temple of the Holy Ghost,' Paul has added, which ye have of God,' as if with the purpose of guarding against any error which might arise respecting the Holy Spirit in consequence of his expression. How then can it be deduced from this passage, that he whom we have of God, is God himself? In what sense we are called the temple of the

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Holy Ghost,' the same apostle has explained more fully Eph. ii. 22. in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.'

The next evidence which is produced for this purpose, is the ascription of the divine attributes to the Spirit. And first, Omniscience; as if the Spirit were altogether of the same essence with God. 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God for what man knoweth the things of of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.' With regard to the tenth verse, I reply, that in the opinion of divines,* the question here is not respecting the divine omniscience, but only respecting those deep things which God hath revealed unto us by his Spirit'-the words immediately preceding. Besides, the phrase all things' must be restricted to mean whatever it is expedient for us to know not to mention that it would be absurd to speak of God searching God, with whom he was one in essence. Next, with regard to the eleventh verse, the essence of the spirit is not the subject in question; for the consequences would be full of absurdity, if it were to be understood that the Spirit of God was with regard to God, as the spirit of a man is with regard to man. Allusion therefore is made only to the intimate relationship and communion of the Spirit with God, from whom he originally proceeded. That no doubt may remain as to the truth of this interpretation, the following verse is of the same import: 'we have received.....the Spirit which is of God.' That

*So Beza and Grotius explain the passage.

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