6. 16. You are the temples of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them We are temples of God in one place of the Holy Ghost in another If this will not satisfie as that will satisfie a blinde minde and a perverse spirit It 's proper to God to have a temple as it is proper to him to be worshipped especially for such a creature as man to be a temple to to whom can this belong but to the Creator of man The Adversary of the Holy Ghost talkes much of reason and wisdome c. It were to be wished that he would make a little use of it here Well what saith he to this clear place He is resolved to say something ne nihil dixisse videatur 1 He saith Indeed it would follow the Argument would hold if it could be proved that our body is so the temple of the Holy Ghost as to be his by interest and dedicated to his honour Well said but who ever did understand any thing else or how can any thing else be understood especially by him that pretends so much understanding What is it for a temple to be crected to one but for his honour worship and service was ever temple duly consecrated for other ends 2 He saith That God is here distinguished from the Spirit And did not B. know that we allow a distinction between the Persons though not in the Essence of the Sacred Trinity Also that we distinguish between the divine nature and a divine person But this will more fitly and fully be answered under his second Argument I might mention 2 Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberly and many other places but I study brevity Arg. 2. He to whom Religious worship is duly and truly exhibited is God But Religious Worship is duly and truly given to the Holy Ghost Therefore the Holy Ghost is God For the Maior one would think a few words would suffice to satisfie a man that cals himself a Protestant But when once men relinquish principles they rest no where And so B. laies down tâ—â—s aâ—â—ertion that the Holy Ghost is the intermediate object of worship and so may be worshipped But 1 Worship is an incommunicâ—ble propâ—rty God may assoon appoint that a creâ—tâ—â—e shall be Omnipotent which is a contradiction as that a creature shall be worshipped I mean with Religious worship for a civil I worship or respect we confess is due to many men and to Angels 2 It is quite contrary to expresse Scripture Deut. 6. compared with Matth. 4. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worshiping of Angels an errour Coloss 2. 18. So Revel 22. 8 9. observe Worship not me I am thy fellow-servant now so all the Angels are Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all Ministring spirits If then the Holy Ghost be an Angel or Ministring spirit as B. saith he is not to be worshipped Again worship God let him have all thy worship what can be more clear or pregnant So you have the Major confirmed But the Minor is principally to be proved And I shall prove it 1 By Isai 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne This Lord was worshipped by the Seraphims ver 3. they cried Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts This Lord sends a message by the Prophet vers 9 10. Go ye and tell this people c. Now go along with me to Act. 28. 25. 26 27. where you have the very same message Paul brings it in thus Well spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the Prophet Paul saith the Holy Ghost spake and in the sixth of Isaiah The Lord spake nor can it be said that the Lord spake by the Holy Ghost as being one of those Angels and that the same action may be attributed to severall persons as God is said to save men and Paul is said to save men For though that is a truth yet here it cannot be so understood as if the Holy Ghost were Gods Instrument in delivering this message as Paul was in the saving of souls for he that spake immediately is evidently distinguished from the Angels Vers 6 7. you read one of the Seraphims flew and touched the lips of the Prophet then vers 8. he passeth from the Angels and tells you he heard the voice of the Lord. The Lord that was upon his throne vers 1. that was worshipped vers 2. If it be yet said There is a difference in the textâ— for in the one the Lord speaketh these things to Isaiah i. e. in a vision in the other it is that the holy Spirit spake them by Isaiah to the Fathers I answer that alters not the case for the Scripture informs us that it was the same Authour that spake to the Prophets and by the Prophets to the people It was God that spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1. â— which is parallel to this place The Holy Ghost spake by Isaiah to the Fathers The meaning of it is onely this that the Holy Ghost sent this message by Isaiah to the Fathers Now he that sent that message was God immediately as we have proved 2 That worship is due to the Holy Ghost will appear from Psal 95. 8. It is said vers 6. O come let us worship and how down let us kneel before the Lord our Maker Vers 7. If you will hear his voice ver 8. Harden not your hearts But you will say How doth it appear that the Holy Ghost is here intended I answer by comparing this place with Heb. 3. 7 8 9. wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if you will hear his voice c. How did the Holy Ghost say it By the mouth of David Whospake by the mouth of David Why God Heb. 1. 1. And observe it Saint Paul or whoever was the Authour of that Epistle to the Hebrews brings in the Holy Ghost speaking thus of himself Your fathers tempted me and proved me and saw my works fourty years and so Vers 11. I sware they shall not enter into my rest Who was it whom they tempted They tempted the most High God Psal 78. 18. Who was it whose works they saw fourty years Who can do those marvellous works but God They are called Gods marvellous works Psal 105. 5. Who was it that sware it was the Lord Numb 3â— 10 11. The Lord sware saying None of them shall see the Land The word in the Original is Jehovah a name peculiar to God and never given to any Angel And that it was the Lord himself that sware immediately is beyond all contradiction especially if this place be compared with Numbers 14. And yet here all these things are attributed to the Holy Ghost 3 Swearing is a part of worship and we ought to swear by none bur God Now the Apostle swears by the Holy Ghost Rom. 9. 1. My conscience bearing me
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
Omnipotency of God which is the same with God Exod. 8. 19. The Spirit of God was greater and stronger then Christ as man Again Rom. 15. 19. Mighty signes and wonders were wrought by the power of the Spirit Those Miracles which the Apostles wrought they professed they did not work by their own power Acts 4. 12. but by the power and strength of Christ And doubtlesse it had been as sacrilegious to say they wrought them by the power of an Angel or any other creature And therefore whereas sometimes they ascribe them to Christ Acts 4. 16. sometimes to the Holy Ghost as in the place now mentioned sometimes to God the Father Acts 5. 30. it hence cleerly follows that every one of these is God and because the Scripture tels us there is but one God Deut. 6. 4. therefore we conclude there are three persons and these three are one Again Rom. 8. 11. The Spirit of God raised up Christ from the dead and yet he raised himself I will raise up this temple John 2. 19. Hence also it follows that Christ and the Holy Ghost are God and are one God 3 It is proper to God to govern the Church I mean to govern it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to send Ministers and yet this is attributed to the Holy Ghost Acts 13. 2. The Holy Ghost said Separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Was this a comely dialect for a creature to use far different I am sure it is from the language of created Angels see Revel 22. 9. So Acts 20. 28. Take heed to the flock of God over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Over-seers and compare this with 1 Cor. 12. 28. and you shall finde that it was God that sets Officers in the Church Jesus Christ himself was sent by the Spirit Luke 4. 18. Again Acts 1â— â—8 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us that is to the Holy Ghost in us to decree You see the Holy Ghost is the Law-giver of the Church and yet God is the only Law givet Jam. 4. 12. 4 The Holy Ghost acteth according to his good pleasure according to the counsel of his own will which is the property of God Ephes 1. 11. 1 Cor. 12. 11. All these things worketh the Spirit dividing severally as he will All creatures must say Not my will but thy will Lord be done Jesus Christ himself who is far higher then all the Angels said it and the Angels in particular are said not to do their own will but to do Gods Commandements hearkening to the voice of his word Psal 103. 20. And again Paul would have gone and preached in Bithynia but the Spirit suffered him not Acts 16. 7. Who is this that undertakes whom he will to save and whom he will to destroy Non vox hominem sonat It is not the language of a Creature but of the great God Jesus Christ himself whom yet the Authour to the Hebrews proves at large to be better then all the Angels Chap. 1. and so according to B's supposition better then the Holy Ghost yet he did not dispense the Word according to his own pleasure as man but according to the pleasure of his Father Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel I might add that the Holy Ghost sanctifies us and it would easily amount to a Demonstration But I have said enough for the proof of a point so clearly expressed in the Scripture I have done with the Cataskeuastical part I now come to the An askeâ—astical I mean to detect the fallacies and cavils wherewith the enemy of the Holy Ghost endeavours to dispute him out of his Throne and Deity And truly one may rationally expect that he that comes to dispute a truth out of the Church that hath had so long possession to throw down a doctrine that hath so firm a foundation in the Scripture should write like Tertullian and have as many sentences as words as many argnments as senteÌ„ces But contrariwise I finde in this Pneumatomachist nothing but a heap of words a Jury of arguments that are neither good nor true bold dictates imperiously obtruded upon the World without any proof ancient Land-marks removed quia ipse dixit because the Schoolmaster would have it so and such things which Non sani esse hominis non sanus juret Orestes You will say Why then do you answer him Because of that of Solomon Answer a fool according to his folly lest he be wise in his own conceit Prov. 26. 5. Besides God hath in just judgement sent abroad a spirit of delusion and there are multitudes that will sooner comply with a new and erroneous opinion upon the appearance of one argument then embrace a truth though confirmed by several solid demonstrations and evident Scriptures even as one stroke will carry a man further with the tide then five against it And therefore that I may cut off an occasion from theÌ„ that seek an occasion to fall from the truth that I may leave those inexcusable that are resolved they wil not be convinced that I may lay up an evidence to justifie God and to be a witness against them who I perceive will not see against that dreadful day of judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I come to answer his arguments This only in the general There is one consideration that will utterly enervate all his Arguments It must needs be acknowledged and B. himself confesseth it That there are many things that are spoken of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of men and must be understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as it do not reflect dishonour upon God And therefore when he tels you The Spirit speaketh from God heareth from God receiveth from God is sent of God is the gift of God changeth place maketh intercession for us c. The answer in a word is this and it would suffice to stop the mouth of any sober-minded man that all these things are spoken of the Holy Ghost improperly and must be so expounded as may consist with the divine Majesty of the Holy Ghost which is so clearly asserted in other Scriptures as you have heard But I shall add one thing more in the general That we all confess there is an order though not an in equality among the divine Persons and so all that B. objects may be answered if one do apply it to his several Arguments But I come to particulars Object 1. His first Argument is this He that is distinguished from God is not God But the Holy Ghost is distinguished from God Ergo the Holy Ghost is not God Answ To the Major I answer He that is distinguished from God really and substantially is not God so your Major is true otherwise not for there is a modal distinction among the persons and then in your sense the Minor is false for the Holy Ghost is not substantially distinguished
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