Major I prove it 1 Because the Scripture attributes that word that was spoken and written by Prophets or Apostles unto God Heb. 1. 1. God spake in times past by the Prophets Here is the principal cause God the instrumental cause the Prophets To one of these the Holy Ghost must be referred Luke 1. 7â— And so 1 Thâ—ss 2. 13. Paul commends the Thâ—ssalonians for receiving his word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of God Hence all the Scripture is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of divine inspiration 2 Tim. â— 16. or inspired by God But so it could not be if it were inspired by any creature whether Angel or man and indeed it cannot be otherwise but that God should be the inspirer of it because the Scripture cannot be founded upon the authority of a meer creature for then it would not be infallible nor would our faith be a divine faith Let us suppose that the Holy Ghost were an Angel as B. affirmes I say we could not believe him with a divine faith nor look upon his Word as absolutely infallible which if I mistake not is fully proved from Gal. 1. 8. Though we or an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached let him be accursed Where evident it is the Apostle puts himself and Angels both into the same rank in that respect and supposeth that neither of then were simply in fallible and that we could not safely rely upon either of them with a divine faith But now we may safely rely upon the Word and authority of the Holy Ghost for that is called a fure Word yea more sure then a voice from Heaven as you may see 2 Pet. 1. 19. and therefore so sure because it was spoken by the H. Ghost V 2â— For the Minor it is proved 1 By that place fore-mentioned Acts 28. 25. The Hâ— Ghost spake by I saiâ—h 2 By 2 Peâ— 1. 21. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost Where the Deity of the Holy Ghost is not obscurely proved for he tels us Verse 20. Scripture is not of private interpretation that is it is not to be interpreted according to mens private pre-conceived opinions but according to the minde of the Holy Ghost who was the Arthour of it A parallel place you have Hâ—b 9. 8. The Holy Ghost this signifying c. where the minde of the Holy Ghost is made the genuine sense of the Scripture now Scripture is to be interpreted according to the minde of none but the Authour of it Many other places might be added but I do not desire to multiply places Whereas B. saith the H. Ghost is an Angel that cannot be for the Holy Ghostâ— you 〈◊〉 iâ— the Authour of the Scripture and doth fully understand all Scripture-mysteries but now the Angels are ignorant of them they knew not the day of judgement they are ignorant in great pair of Gospel-mysteries 1 Pet. 1. 12. The Apostles preached the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with or by the Holy Ghost which things the Angels desire to look 〈◊〉 Observe 1 The Angels are â—â—â—aly â—â—stinguished from the Holy Ghost 2 The Holy Ghost is the Dictator of Gospel-mystâ—ries the Angels are Students learners in them Arg. 6. He who is â—â—â— in natuâ—â— and essence with the Father is God But the Holy Ghost is one with the Father Therefore the Holy Ghost is God The Major will not be denied The Minor is proved from 1 John 5. 7. There are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the word and the Spirit and these are one Consider 1 If the Spirit were an Angel there were three thousand witnesses in Heaven 2 Again there is a clear variation of the phrase in the next Verse there it is they agree in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here it is not they agree in one but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are one it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the personal number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Neutral to note that though there is in the Trinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a person and a person yet there is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing and a thing though there are three Persons yet there is but one nature but one Essence Had the H. G. bin an Angel John had committed a wilful and gross offence in varying the phrase whereby just cause of suspition was given to think that he was one with God not only by consent for so the Water Spirit and Bloud are one they consent in their testimony but also in Essence 3 â—ook to Verse 9. If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater He takes notice only of two Witnesses the witness of God and the witness of men The witness of the Holy Ghost is not the witness of men nay the contrary is most clearly implied that it is the witness of God But this place is no better then its companions and therefore B. offers violence to it 1 He saith This phrase is never taken to signifie one in â—â—ssâ—ndâ— but always one in consent I answer This is false the contrary is evident from John 10. 29 I and my Father are one Had Christ meant only one in consent the Jews would never have been ready to stone him Again he gives this as a reason why none could pluck hiâ— sheep out of his hand because he had one and the same power and so the same Essence with God For if he had only been one in consent with the Father one might assoon have pluckt his sheep out of his hand as out of the hand of any of his Disciples for they also were one in consent with God But here lies the sorce of the argument My Father is greater then all and therefore none can pluck them out of his hand And I am as great as the Father for I and he are one and therefore it will be as hard a work to pluck them out of mine hand And it is observable when the Jâ—ws charge him with making himself God he doth not flie to B's refuge to say he meant onely one in consent which if true had been the fairest and best way but he argues from their own principles that they allow Magistrates to be gods and therefore he may be call'd God because lie hath aâ—tority from God as Magistrates have was in a more â—miâ—â—â—nt way sanctified by God and sent into the World by the way holding forth that he had another nature and being and was a person before he was sont into the World how could nothing be sanctified sent into the World and therefore had not onely the humane nâ—â—â— which he received from the Virgin after he was sent into the world but also a divine nature by which he was God But B. faith That it
Church that they are Ministring spirits to wait upon the heirs of salvation for so all the Angels are Heb. 1. 14. And observe it is one argument Paul there brings to prove Christ to be higher then all the Angels because he is the head and governour of the Church Verse 8. where as the Angels are but his Ministers Verse 7. and 14. strongly implying that the same person cannot be both a ministring Spirit and head of the Church Again It is wholly against the analogy of faith and indeed that common sense and reason that B. so much cries up that one of Gods servants should be joint commissioner with him in the appointment or honour of his ordinances that was the very reason why Paul would not endure the thoughts of it as we saw even now But indeed the very naming of this far fetcht fancy is enough to confute it Arg. 4. He to whom the Properties of God are communicated must needs be God But the Properties of God are communicated to the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God For the Major it is unquestionable The Minor I prove by particulars I shall instance only two 1 The Holy Ghost is Omniscient 2 He is Omnipresent 1 He is Omniscient 1 Cor. 2. 10. The Spirit searcheth all things yea even the deep things of God The very wayes of God are said to be unsearchable Rom. 11. 33. and his judgements past finding out that is by any creature and yet the Spirit searcheth even the deep secret things of God It is ridiculoâ—s that B. replies that this Omniscience will not prove the Holy Ghost to be God because if he have it he hath it not originally and from himself but communicated from God For it is impossible as all that understand any thing in Philosophy know that God should make a creature Omniscient or a creature that could search his deep things No finite being can possibly search or know the depths of an infinite being And the Argument is confirmed by the reason added Even as the spirit of man So that as the spirit of man is in man so the Spirit of God is in God and so is God for whatsoever is in God is God It matters not that that is not expressed in the text that the Spirit of God is in God for it is necessarily implied otherwise the Apostles reason were invalid and it might be replied Paul your instance is not to purpose for the spirit of a man is in him and so may know his depths but the Spirit of God is not in him and therefore may very well be ignorant of it The Son of man himself as he was man and every other creature was ignorant of the day of judgement but the Spirit of God knew it for that searcheth even the deep things of God it knew far greater mysteries then that much more did it know that If it be said It searches them that intimates that it was ignorant of them as in a search we look for something we want I answer even God himself is said to search I search the heart Jer. 17. 10. God and so the Spirit are said to search not in regard of thein former ignorance but because their knowledge is an intimate and piercing knowledge 2 The Spirit of God is Omnipresent Psal 139. 7. whither shall I go from thy Spirit c. The place is clear and full and will admit of no answer The Spirit is extended as far as the presence of God and therefore the Spirit is every where And it is worthy our observation how the Propher instances to prove the Omnipresence of Gods Spirit Verse 8. If I ascend into Heaven thou art there whereby it is fully implied that God and the Spirit have but one essence otherwise he could not argue from the presence of the one to the presence of the other But further to confirm it I lay down two Conclusions 1 There is one Spirit that dwels in all the people of God wheresoever they live Ephes 2. 18. Through Christ both they that are afar off and they that are near have access by one Spirit unto the Lord Ephes 4. 4. One body one Spirit 2 The Spirit dwels in all the Saints Their very bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost as is expresly asserted 1 Cor. 6. 19. And whereas B. is forced to thâ—â— shift that when the Spirit is said to be or dwell in us it is to be understood of the gifts of the Spirit there in forsaking his great Master Crellius meerly to avoid the dint of this argument This is false for the Spirit that is said to dwell in Believers is contradistinguished from his gifts John 14. 5 16. He will give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Hâ— dwelleth with you and shall be in you Then go to Verse 26. He shall teach you c. Here are the effects of the Spirit dwelling in them which you see are cleerly distinguished from his essence Rom. â— â— The love of God is shâ—d abroad c. thâ—re is the effâ—ct of the Spirit by the Holy Ghost which is given to us there is the Spirit it self So Rom. 8. 15. If it be said The in-dwelling of the Spirit is the priviledge of Saints but by its essence it is in all men Answ Therefore that is not all though it be one thing that is required to make up this in-dwelling for so he is present not onely in all men but in all beasts all stones all things in whom yet no sober man will say he dwels But it is further required that he be there not onely by natural necessity but voluntary consent not onely by an essential presence but also by his gracious presence by his gracious communications And thus he is onely in his people Well what answers B. to this That if the Holy Ghost be Omnipresent then Satan is Omnipresent because he is where-ever the Word is preachâ—d Mark 4. And this answer he delivers with as muchconfidence as if he had made a knot that no man nor Angel could untie which makes me adore the wisdome of God that hath so far besotted him as that he plâ—câ—th so much confidence in that which any man that hath but a dram of sound reason in him will acknowledge to be the very weakest passage in all his Book though it is all weak enough I confess I fear sometimes in this especially he went against the light of his own conscience The answer in a word is this There is but one Holy Ghost which is Omnipresent but there are abundance of evil spirits Mark 5. 2 8. a legion was in one man observe it is called in the singular number an unclean spirit and yet there was a legion a legion among the Romanes ordinarily conteined above six thousand Arg. 5. He that dictated or was the Authour of the Scripture is God But the Holy Ghost was Author of the Scripture Ergo The Holy Ghost is God For the
the Angels yea Christ himself as man is Mark 13. 32. 3 God doth venture all his Godhead upon a lesse matter Isa 41. 22 23. Let them shew things to come what shall happen that we may know ye are gods And yet some men have been so bold as to dispute whether Angels might know things to come but no man before B. durst say that they knew the hearts of men Nor will any man say so that understands any thing either in Philosophy or Divinity But to return B. objects None can intercede for himself For that I answer Intercession is taken sometimes more strictly when the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then indeed it is most commonly understood of one that inrercedes as a Mediator between two parties but sometimes it is taken more largely and so is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft taken for interpellare or compellare to intreat whether for a mans self or for another In Thucydides Pars adversa adversae parti hostiluer dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that it notes onely compeltare whether supplicando or expostulandâ— So in the eighth Chapter of the wisdome of Solomon vers 21. Knowing saith he that I could never be wise and good except God gave it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I interceded or made request to God for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A like place is wisdome 16. 28. where the word is so used And though these places be Apochryphall yet it matters not for it shewes how that Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is sometimes used for a simple praying though for a mans self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was the thing to be shewn For the addition of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that may refer either to a person or a businesse Oro pro negotio aliquo as well as pro persona altera Nay not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but which is more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is applied to God himself in reference to man without any third party Heb. 6. 17. Deus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he established or confirmed with an oath but properly it signifies he mediated to himself or interceded to himself with an oath And therefore if the Spirit be said to intercede to God let not B. infer therefore it is not God for we see God intercedes to himself But he addes To intercede notes inferiority and though in Scripture some-things are spoken after the manner of men yet no where is any thing said that argues Gods inferiority to and dependance upon another I answer 1 This is very false God saith to Moses Let me alone Exod. 32. Doth not this expression argue inferiority and dependance too Yes surely B. cannot deny it but onely he must say it is improperly taken and must be so interpreted as may consist with Gods Majesty and Glory and so he will also enervate all his own Arguments 2 I observe hence that B. doth positively conclude that Christ because he intercedes is inferiour to God though he professed he would not meddle with that But alas we need not now run to consequences to prove that B. denies the Deity of Christ for that same wretched hand that lift up it self against the Holy Ghost hath in the same manner and with the same weaknesse too endeavoured to dethrone our Lord Iesus and written many leaves expresly against the divinity of our ever blessed Saviour who doubtlesse will plead his own cause and will one day shew how ill he takes it at the hands of those men that pretend to be bought by his blood and yet can quietly suffer every unworthy fellow to preach and write high treason against the King of heaven and earth and in the mean time prosecute even to the death those that do any way abet any treasonable designe against the State Object 10. His tenth Argument is this Some have been Disciples and Believers and yet have not so much as heard whether there be an Holy Ghost Act. 19. 2. and so they could not believe in him Answ 1. The meaning of the Text is quite mistaken for they did not doubt whether there was an Holy Ghost or no they could not be ignorant of this John doubtlesse having instructed them before â—â— did baptize them and there being so mâ—ny clear testimonies of the Spirits existence in the Old Testament But the meaning then is this We have not heard whether the Holy Ghost be come and manifested in so eminent a manner as is promised for you must consider that the Iewes after the Babylonish Captivity had lost those glorious discoveries and the gracious presence of the Holy Ghost which once they had this being one of those five things wherein they used to complain the second Temple came short of the first And further they knew that God had promised the manifestation of the Spirit in an extraordinary manner Joel 2. Now that this is the reall meaning not a fancy I will prove 1 By a parallel place you have the very same phrase Jo. 7. 39. The Spirit was not yet given is not in the Original onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why the Spirit was and had descended upon Christ long before but this is the meaning the gifts of the Spirit were not so plentifully shed abroad as afterwards they were upon the Apostles and others 2 It appears from the Context that he speaks of the gifts of the Holy Ghost see vers 6. The Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with congues and prophesied So thâ—â— I cannot chuse but laugh at and pity the â—old and conceited ignorance of B. who saith It is without example to take the holy Spirit â—â— the gifts of the Spirit whereas you seâ— must needs be so taken in the places now mentioned and in many other places see Act. 2. 17. So Joh. 20. 22. He breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost The person of the Holy Ghost they had received before They were the Temples of the Holy Ghost before Nay B. himself that you may see errour doth not onely oppose the truth but it self also doth elswhere contradict this very assertion and tells us That when the Spirit is said to dwell in us the meaning is not that his person or essence dwell in us but that he dwelleth in us by his gifts or effects Well but what if B's interpretation were true nothing of moment followes What an Argument is this Some were ignorant of the Deity of the Holy Ghost therefore it is not God As if a man should argue B. is a Disciple and a Believer and he believes not that the Holy Ghost is God therefore it is not God But saith he Many now tell us that without the knowledge of this point of which they were ignoraat we cannot be saved Answ 1. They were not ignorant of it as hath been proved 2 But the times or states of the Churches wherein men live do much vary the case according as the means of knowledge are more or lesse an errour may be damnable or not To instance in the first infancy of the Church Circumcision was an errour winked at Act. 15. and 16. 3. but afterwards it proved no lesse then damnable Gal. 5. 2. If you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing So the Apostles word once ignorant of and did not believe the Death and Resurrection of Christ but if any man now doubt of them we may upon much better grounds doubt of his salvation So though God might wink at this errour in former times let not B. now think that God will hold him guiltlesse in times of so much light and meanes let him look to it God is very jealous of his honour and particularly of the honour of the Holy Ghost Matth. 12. 32. Object 11. Arg. 11. The Spirit of God hath an understanding distinct from the understanding of God for he heareth from God Ioh 16. 13 14 15. Answ This is the self-same Argument with the third and fourth as you see and therefore I pray you go back for an answer Onely one thing he addes That the Spirit is said to search the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. But to search the depths of one necessarily supposeth one understanding in him that searcheth and another in him whose depths are searched then which nothing is more false â—â—d foolish For 1 By searching there is meant nothing but knowing as appears from ver 11. where instead of searching is put knowing The things of God knoweth the Spirit of God and again God is said to search the heart Rom. 8. 29. that is to know it 2 Doth not God know himself nay cannot we search our selves cannot our understanding reflect upon it self and search its own nature are not we commanded to search try and examine our selves Object 12. His last Argument is this The Spirit of God willeth conformably to the will of God Rom. 8. 27. He maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God But this Argument is already answered under the ninth Objection the sum of what is there at large proved is this That the Spirit is said to pray intercede will becausâ— he maketh us so to do because he maketh us to pray according to the will of God And thus I have detected all the fallacies wherewith the Adversary laboured to oppose the Deity of the Holy Ghost and so notwithstanding all that he hath said iâ— remains a sure truth and will do so to eternity that the Holy Ghost is God And therefore Trinuni Deo Patri Filio Spirituâ— Sancto sit Laus Honor Gloria Amen FINIS