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14.

20, 21.

either are not fo repugnant as is objected; or if they be, they belong unto the Spirit, as it fignifieth nota Perfon.

First then, the Holy Ghoft, or good Spirit of God, is clearly and formally opposed to those evil Spirits, which are and must be acknowledged Perfons of a 1 Sam. xvi. spiritual and intellectual fubfiftence. As, The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him. Now, what thofe evil Spirits from the Lord were, is apparent from the fad example of Ahab, concerning whom we read, 2 Chr.xviii. There came out a Spirit and food before the Lord and faid, I will entice him; and the Lord faid unto him, Wherewith? And he faid, I will go out and be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his prophets; and the Lord faid, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt alfo prevail; go out and do even fo. From whence it is evident, that the evil Spirits from God were certain Perfons, even bad Angels, to which the one good Spirit as a Perfon is oppofed, departing from him to whom the other cometh.

Again, The New Teftament doth defcribe the Holy Ghoft by fuch perfonal difpofitions, and with fuch operations, as are as evident marks and figns of a Person as any which are attributed to the Father or the Son, which are unquestionable Perfons; and whatfoever terms are fpoken of the Spirit by way of quality, are fpoken as well of thofe which are acknowledged Perfons. We are exhorted by the Eph. iv. 30. Apoftle not to grieve the Spirit of God; but grief is certainly a personal affection, of which a quality is not capable. We are affured that the fame Spirit maketh interceffion for us with groanings that cannot be uttered; and we can understand what are interceding Perfons, but have no apprehenfion of interceding or groaning qualities. The operations of the Spirit are manifeft, and as manifeftly perfonal: for he fearcheth all things, yea even the deep things of God; and fo he knoweth all things, even the things

Rom. viii.

26.

J Cor. ii. 10, 12,

of

of God, which can be no defcription of the power of God: He worketh all the fpiritual gifts, dividing to every man feverally as he will; in which the operation, difcretion, diftribution, and all these voluntary, are fufficient demonftrations of a Perfon. He revealeth the will of God, and speaketh to the Sons of Men, in the nature and after the manner of a Person; for the Spirit faid unto Peter, Behold three men feek thee. Acts x. 19. Arife therefore and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have fent them: and the Holy Ghoft faid unto the Prophets and Teachers at Antioch, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work Acts xiii. 2. whereunto I have called them. We cannot better understand the nature of the Holy Ghost than by the description given by Chrift which fent him: and he faid thus to his Difciples, The Comforter, (or, the John xiv. Advocate) which is the Holy Ghoft, whom the Father will fend in my name, he shall teach you all things; he xv. 26, 27. fhall testify of me and ye alfo fhall bear witness. If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. And when he is come he will reprove the world, and he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatfoever he fhall hear, that shall be speak, and he will fhew you things to come. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall fhew it unto you. All which words are nothing elfe but fo many descriptions of a Perfon, a Perfon hearing, a Perfon receiving, a Perfon teftifying, a Perfon fpeaking, a Perfon reproving, a Perfon inftructing.

26.

xvi. 7, 8,

13,

14.

The () Adverfaries to this truth acknowledging all these perfonal expreffions, anfwer, that it is ordinary in the Scriptures to find the like expreffions, which are proper unto Perfons, given unto those things which are no Perfons: as when the Apoftle faith, Charity fuffereth long and is kind, charity envieth 1 Cor. xiii. not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itfelf unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not eafily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity,

Hh3

but

4, 5, 6, 7.

20.

but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. All which perfonal actions are attributed to Charity, which is no Perfon, as in (q) other cafes it is usual, but belonging to that Perfon which is charitable; because that Perfon which is fo qualified doth perform thofe actions according to, and by virtue of, that Charity which is in him. In the fame manner, (r) fay they, personal actions are attributed to the Holy Ghoft, which is no Perfon, but only the vir tue, power, and efficacy of God the Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, because that God the Father is a Perfon, and doth perform thofe perfonal actions, attributed to the Holy Ghoft, by that virtue, power, and efficacy in himself, which is the Holy Ghost. Afts x. 19, As when we read the Spirit faid unto Peter, Behold, three men feek thee. Arife therefore and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have fent them: we must understand that God the Father was the Perfon which spake those words, and which sent those men; but because he did fo by that virtue which is the Holy Ghoft, therefore the Holy Ghoft is faid to speak those words and fend thofe men. In the fame manner when we read, the Holy Ghost faid unto thofe at Antioch, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them; we must conceive it was God the Father who fpake, those words, who had called Barnabas and Saul, and to whom they were to be separated: but because God did all this by that power within him, which is his Spirit, therefore those words and actions are attributed to the Holy Ghost. This is the fum of their answer; and more than this I conceive cannot be faid in answer to that argument which we urge from those personal expreffions attributed to the Spirit of God, and, as we believe, as to a Perfon.

Acts xiii. 2.

But this answer is moft apparently infufficient, as giving no fatisfaction to the argument. For if all

the

the perfonal actions, attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit, might proceed from the perfon of God the Father, according to the power which is in him, then might this anfwer feem fatisfactory; but if these actions be perfonal, as they are acknowledged, and cannot be denied; if the fame cannot be attributed to the perfon of God the Father, whose Spirit it is; if he cannot be faid to do that by the power within him, which is faid to be done by the Holy Ghoft; then is that defence not to be defended, then must the Holy Ghost be acknowledged a Perfon. But I fhall clearly prove, that there are feveral perfonal attributes given in the facred Scriptures exprefsly to the Holy Ghoft, which cannot be ascribed to God the Father; which God the Father, by that power which is in him, cannot be faid to do; and confequently cannot be any ground why those attributes should be given to the Spirit if it be not a Perfon.

To make interceffion is a personal action, and this action is attributed to the Spirit of God, becaufe he Rom. viii. maketh interceffion for the faints according to the will 27. of God. But to make interceffion, is not an act which can be attributed to God the Father, neither can he be faid to intercede for us according to that power which is in him; and therefore this can be no Profopopoeia, the Holy Ghoft cannot be faid to exercise the personal action of interceffion for that reason, because it is the Spirit of that Person which intercedeth for us. To come unto men, as being fent unto them, is a perfonal action; and fo the Comforter, or Advocate, who is the Holy Ghost, did come, being fent; When the Comforter is come, Johnxv.26. whom I will fend unto you from the Father, faith Christ: and again, If I go not away, the Comforter will not John xvi. 7. come unto you; but if I depart, I will fend him unto you. But to come unto men, as being fent, cannot be ascribed to God the Father, who fendeth, but is never fent; especially in this particular, in which

Hh 4

the

13.

the Father is faid expressly to fend, and that in the name of the Son (whom the Father will fend in my name, faith our Saviour). When therefore the Holy Ghost cometh to the fons of men as fent by the Father in the name of the Son, and fent by the Son himself, this perfonal action cannot be attributed to the Father as working by the power within him, and confequently cannot ground a Profopopecia by which the virtue or power of God the Father fhall be faid to do it. To speak and hear are perfonal actions, and both together attributed to the Spirit, in fuch a manner as they cannot be ascribed to God the Father. John xvi. When be, faith Chrift, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that fall he Speak. Now to fpeak, and not of himself, cannot be attributed to God the Father, who doth all things of himself to speak what he heareth, and that of the Son; to deliver what he receiveth from another, and to glorify him from whom he receiveth by receiving from him, as Chrift fpeaketh of the Holy John xvi. Ghoft, He fhall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and fhall fhew it unto you, is by no means applicable to the Father; and confequently it cannot be true that the Holy Ghoft is therefore faid to do these perfonal actions, because that Person whofe Spirit the Holy Ghoft is, doth thofe actions, by and according to his own power, which is the Holy Ghoft. It r maineth therefore that the answer given by the adv.rfaries of this truth, is apparently infufficient, and confequently that our argument, drawn from the perfonal actions attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit, is found and valid.

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I thought this difcourfe had fully destroyed the Socinian Protopopia; and indeed, as they ordinarily propound their anfwer, it is abundantly refuted. But I find the fubtilty of Socinus prepared (s) another explication of the Profopopoeia, to fupply the rcom where he forefaw the former would not ferve.

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