individual Spirit seduce all the wicked by himself If you dare not say so why is this example alledged yea and by your own silence your cause is lost I dare tell you that the holy Spirit sanctifieth with his gracious presence all the Saints that are in the world Nor is the reason alike betwixt those four hundred and all the wicked men in the world for they were assembled together in one place and all of them of one Spirit but suppose these four hundred had been severed and placed in so many remote Kingdoms will you have the forehead to say that one Spirit could seduce them all at once The former I grant may bee done by a creäted Spirit but not possible the later Argum. 4 Maj. Hee that is simply superior to Christ as man is God Min. The holy Ghost is so Concl. Ergò hee is God The Major is clear by the confession of the Adversarie for hee ranketh Christ in the second order next under God and the holy Ghost below Christ in the third rank and rightly if his supposition had been true for the humane nature simply considered beeing assumed into the person of the Son of God is neerest the cause and fountain of all greatness and is thereby exalted far above the state and condition of the highest Angels but hee is said to bee made lower then they are onely for a short time in regard of his sufferings Hebr. 2. from which those blessed Spirits were exempted The Minor is proved by those very Arguments whereby you endeavor to prove the holy Ghost to bee inferior to God First because Christ in this notion is sent of the holy Ghost The Lord God sent mee and his holy Spirit Esa 48. 16. I know som of ours do expound this of the Prophet Esay the Spirit sent him and so do the Hebrews suddenly change the Person saith Oecolampadius without any necessitie because they do abhor the mysterie of the Trinitie but wee saith hee with Catholiques do avouch that these are the words of Christ as the whole context evinceth But let that text bee meant so or otherwise It 's clear by Fsa 61. 1. applied to Christ Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord hath sent mee to binde up the broken hearted to preach the Gospel Secondly hee that receiveth of another is inferior to him of whom hee receiveth and dependent on him these are your own expressions but the humane nature of Christ receive's from the Spirit it's beeing for hee was conceived by the holy Ghost Matth. 1. and was anointed by him with abundant gifts without measure Luke 4. 18. To these I add that the holy Spirit by his mighty power raised Christ corporally from death Rom. 8. 11. as hee doth his people spiritually from the death of sin Lastly because it is a greater sin which is committed against the holy Ghost then that is which is committed against the Son Mat. 12. 31 32. this is pardonable the other shall never bee forgiven Advers To this last objected place you frame this Answer The sin against the holy Ghost is unpardonable not because the holy Ghost is God but because hee that sinneth against the holy Ghost doth in the same act sin against God with an high hand against his conscience renouncing the truth as the Renegadoes did Hebr. 10. 25 26. which things are the greatest affronts that can bee offered to God who useth the Spirit in none but in things of greatest importance Answ I grant the sin against the holy Ghost is not therefore simply unpardonable because it is simply against God for so are all sins and yet are they not the unpardonable sin and they are in a proper and true sense against the holy Ghost even the sins of his own people and hee is said to bee grieved for them Ephes 4. 30. and the sins of the wicked for which hee will bee revenged on them Esa 63. 10. But yet this I do peremptorily avouch unless the holy Ghost were God and equal to the Father and the Son of God it could not bee the greatest sin that was committed against him as the immediate and ultimate object thereof I will on your own principles argue against you for the fuller confirmation of this point I take this for a granted Maxim that the unpardonable sin is a sin and of necessitie must bee a sin against the holy Ghost This Assertion cannot with reason be denied Upon this supposition of yours that the holy Ghost is a creature I argue thus That the unpardonable sin may bee committed and yet the holy Ghost not at all sinned against First because the first and universal cause can immediatly of himself without the intervening of any creature so far enlighten a reprobate that this sin maliciously committed against this light shall bee for nature the very same every way as heinous and as unpardonable and yet not all against the holy Ghost It is true instruments are God's hands and as they can do nothing without God so God ordinarily will not work without them but is Gods hand shortened Can you give any reason why hee cannot do the same work without the creatures which is instrumentally produced by them Secondly suppose the Lord will not work thus immediatly by himself cannot hee imploy an Angel inferior to the holy Ghost about this work of illumination Cannot hee so far elevate this blessed creature above it self touching the former state and actuate his abilities that hee shall as a means under God so far enlighten man as is don at other times by the holy Ghost And the blessed Spirit in the mean time according to your profane opinion reside in one place and not intermeddle at all either to command or have any influence on this Angel in this imployment or if there should bee a deficiencie still in this creature which is very unreasonable to imagine cannot the great God supply the defect thereof In this case wee have the unpardonable sin committed and yet not at all committed against the holy Ghost Thirdly I confute you from this Scripture Matth. 12. on which our Argument is grounded The holy Ghost say you is God's Messenger and hee is sent as God's servant to enlighten men at the same time this great God send 's his Son also as his Messenger for so hee is often called but the holy Ghost is never called his Son this Son of God as you grant is next unto God himself higher and greater then the holy Ghost and besides which is another advantage to strengthen the Argument the holy Ghost is invisible the Son of God present's himself visible to them and his Person is directly and purposely scorned and abused by them and 't is not easie to bee proved that they had the like mischievous intentions and malicious purposes against the Person of the holy Ghost Judg now impartially whether is the greater sin and which in likelihood is the sin most unpardonable Whether the Lord will bee more offended
unus Deus Trinitas quaecunque dixi in hoc libro de tuo agnoscant tui si quae de meo tu agnosce tui Amen ARGUMENT 1. 1 Argum. of M. Bidle HEe that is distinguished from God is not God The holy Spirit is distinguished from God Ergò The Major is evident for if hee should both bee God and bee distinguished from God hee would bee distinguished from himself which implieth a contradiction The Minor is confirmed by the whole current of the Scripture which calleth him the Spirit of God and saith that hee is sent by God and searcheth the depths of God c. Neither let any man here think to flie to that ignorant refuge of making a distinction between the Essence and Person of God saying that the holy Spirit is distinguished from God taken Personally not Essentially For this wretched distinction to omit the mention of the Primitive Fathers is not onely unheard of in the Scripture and so to bee rejected it being presumption to affirm any thing of the unsearchable nature of God which hee hath not first affirmed of himself in the Scripture but is also disclaimed by Reason For first it is impossible for any man if hee would but endeavor to conceive the thing and not delude both himself and others with emptie terms and words without understanding to distinguish the Person from the Essence of God and not to frame two beeings or things in his minde and consequently two Gods Secondly If the Person be distinct from the Essence of God then it is either somthing or nothing if nothing how can it bee distinguished since nothing hath no accidents If somthing then either some finite or infinite thing if finite then there will be somthing finite in God and consequently since by the confession of the Adversaries themselvs every thing in God is God himself God will bee finite which the Adversaries themselves will likewise confess to bee absurd If infinite then there will bee two infinites in God to wit the Person and Essence of God and consequently two Gods which is more absurd then the former Thirdly to talk of God taken onely Essentially is ridiculous not onely because there is no example thereof in Scripture but because God is the name of a Person and signifieth him that ruleth over others and when it is put for the most high God it denoteth him who with soveraign and absolute authoritie ruleth over all but none but a person can rule over others all actions being proper to persons wherefore to take God otherwise then Personally is to take him otherwise then hee is and indeed to mistake him ANSWER Answ Major Hee that is distinguished from God say you is not God To this Proposition I answer by clearing the meaning of it thus Hee that is that person which is distinguished that is really separated from and substantially divided from God is not God In this sense this Major is undoubtedly true Let no man look upon the Proposition thus limited as a forced evasion to elude the Argument for it hold's forth fully the minde of the Adversarie His opinion is the holy Ghost and God do differ as much as a finite creature differ's from the infinite Creätor Minor Your Minor run's thus The holy Spirit is distinguished from God for hee is the Spirit of God To this I answer both by denial and concession First by denial if the term distinguished be taken in the assumption as it is intended and explicated in the Proposition for the Spirit of God is not so distinguished from God as a creature is distinguished from the Creätor Secondly I assent to the Minor if it bee taken in an Orthodoxal sense for albeit the blessed Spirit is not so distinguished as to bee separated from God yet is hee distinguished from God taken personally as of necessitie it must be taken in this place as appear's by the proofs of the Minor for the third person of the Trinitie is neither the first nor the second person Further let us take a distinct view of the Syllogism and I avouch it is either a false Syllogism or it prove's nothing First it is a false Syllogism and consist's of four terms if the term God be taken in a different sense as essentially in the Proposition and Conclusion and personally in the Assumption it is a fault parallel to this reasoning Shee that is distinguished from man is not man A woman is distinguished from man Ergò a woman is not a man The word Man is a comprehensive word and in the learned languages and in common use in Scripture and amongst Philosophers is all one with animal rationale a reasonable creature Take man thus in the Major and take man in another sense in the Minor as a term to distinguish the sex and so the Syllogism consist's of four terms Secondly I answer if the term God be taken as it ought to bee in all the axioms in one sense then the Syllogism conclude's nothing for the Adversarie for this must bee the meaning of it Hee that is distinguished from God viz. from God the Father or God the Son is not God viz. not God the Father or God the Son The holy Ghost is distinguished from God viz. from God the Father and God the Son Ergò Hee is not God the Father or God the Son This Syllogism thus explicated is readily assented to by the unanimous consent of the Churches There is a fallacious homonymie of the word God which hee make's frequent use of to abuse his Reader which like corrupt blood run's thorow the veins of all his Arguments If hee knoweth not the meaning of it his ignorance is to bee pitied if hee know's it and yet presume's to seduce the unwarie his impietie is to bee detested Hee well fore-saw the usual distinction of God taken somtimes essentially and somtimes personally in the word of God would cut the sinews and strength of his reasons and therfore this as a great block must bee removed out of the way This hee cal's an ignorant refuge and a wretched distinction Behold brethren the modestie of the man whereby hee discover's the bitterness and arrogancie of his spirit a weak and wilful man who never took degree in Divinitie nor ever was a Professor of that highest and best learning magisterially condemneth millions of professed eminent Divines in this and former ages for flying to an ignorant refuge and for denying the truth by the help of a wretched distinction But what I pray is this ignorant distinction It is for making a distinction betwixt the Essence and Person of God I intreat the Reader to take notice of the palpable darkness which hee discover's even in the same place where hee accuseth his betters of ignorance of making a distinction betwixt the Essence and the Person of God But my friend was it your task to prove this Do but review the parts of your Syllogism and you shall finde that they drive on this design
the minde or will of the Spirit for hee maketh intercession for the Saints according to or conformably to the will of God Your other Argument annexed to this whereby you would prove the holy Ghost to bee inferior to God hath been examined in its due place Argum. 9. ANSWER Answ The Major Hee that hath a will distinct from that of God is not God I grant the Proposition to bee true if it bee taken in your sense for a distinct and separate will for two such wills do necessarily require two distinct substances to which they do relate I denie your Minor The holy Ghost hath not a will distinct from that of God First I say this text doth not clearly hold forth to us any thing touching the will of God's Spirit The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in our new translation is turned not the will but the minde of the Spirit Som render it the intention of the Spirit and others the spiritual sense and you know very well that the primarie signification of the word is thus to bee translated God know's the intention of the Spirit or act of the minde Secondly let us grant what you cannot prove that it is to bee translated what is the will or what is the desire of the Spirit To this I answer that the Spirit willeth and desireth as hee praieth it is a Metonymie hee is said to will and desire because hee inableth us to will and desire according to the will of God God know's the intention of the Spirit even as the Mother knoweth the crying and sobbing of her Infant and so our secret sighs which are infused into us are known of God our sighs indeed cannot bee expressed by us but the Spirit which work 's them in us direct's them unto God Apparent it is you were hard put to it to make up a ful dozen of Arguments out of an ambiguous text to prove a distinct will of the Spirit from the will of God the Father by a place where there is no convincing proof that there is any mention of the will of the Spirit at all Grant further that this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee the will or what the Spirit of God desire 's by those groans yet will it not follow that there bee two distinct wills of God the Father and the Spirit What I have written touching the understanding of God and of the Spirit is by paritie of reason to bee applied to this Argument there is as I asserted but one will of God the Father and God the holy Ghost but yet this one will is otherwise in the Father otherwise in the holy Ghost in the Father of and from himself but in the holy Ghost by eternal communication of the Deitie to him Fourthly whereas you talk of conformitie and agreeableness which is alwaies betwixt two at the least I have answered the substance of this in the former Argument This agreeableness is not properly betwixt the will of the holy Ghost and of God the Father but betwixt the will of man acted to pray by the Spirit of God and the will of God and these must needs bee two To draw to a conclusion I denie not but agreeableness and equalitie are asscribed to the Persons of the Trinitie for the Jews collected and that justly too because the Son of God called God his Father hee made himself equal to God John 5. Nor did the Son of God think hee robbed God of his honor when hee made himself equal to his Father Phil 2. And what is spoken of the Son is true likewise of the holy Ghost and it is the general resolution of the Church that the holy Ghost is consubstantial co-equal co-omnipotent and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son Now because equalitie is properly understood of quantitie and agreeableness in qualitie it will not bee amiss to explicate briefly in what sense similitude and equà litie are asscribed to the sacred Persons It is to bee observed that in regard of substance things are said to bee the same or divers If the substance bee one things are said to bee one in substance but if not the same substance they are said to bee divers in substance In regard of qualitie things are said to bee like which do agree in qualitie and unlike when they have not one qualitie In regard of quantitie they are said to bee equal or unequal Now because in God to speak properly there is neither qualitie nor quantitie for how should a finite qualitie or quantitie reside in an infinite substance or how is it possible that these should bee many infinites therefore it follow 's undeniably that these three viz. identitie similitude and quantitie are all one in God and one God because there is the same essence and substance of the three Persons and yet there is similitude and identitie betwixt the Persons founded not on the relation betwixt them but on the essence and therefore because there is no dissimilitude betwixt the essence there is no dissimilitude absolutely in the Persons yet it is so founded on the essence that it doth insinuate to us the pluralitie of the Persons The Persons are said to bee like as touching qualities because they do agree in the same perfection of qualities as in wisdom power goodness and such like these are really distinguished in the creatures but relating to God they neither amongst themselvs nor from the divine essence do differ really The Persons in Trinitie are said to bee equal because they do so agree in the same perfection that one Person doth not in the least degree exceed another for there are no degrees in that which is infinite that is said to bee better in quantitie that is better and hath a higher degree of excellencie then another as in Logick the degree of qualitie is quantitie so that greatness in God is nothing else but the excellencie of God in every perfection If the first Person was more potent and wiser then the holy Ghost there would bee likeness betwixt them but not equalitie there must of necessitie bee a distinction betwixt things like and equal for nothing is equal or like to it self The Father is not the holy Ghost and therefore when the Father Son and holy Ghost are said to bee one in essence goodness wisdom there is not in such an attribution a distinction of Persons but when wee say the Persons are like or equal as touching every imaginable perfection as in goodness wisdom power c. such an attribution necessarily require's a distinction of the Persons amongst themselvs I have now as I conceive fully answered your twelve Arguments I have set down all and concealed nothing which in your Arguments carrieth with it any shew of strength there remaineth yet one Argument in your Epistle by which you would countenance your Heresie in these words ARGUMENT 13. 13 Argum. of M. Bidle I beleeve say you the holy Ghost to bee the chief all ministring Spirits and I
do place him both according to Scriptures and the Primitive Christians and by name Justin Martyr in his Apologie in the third rank after God and Christ giving him a preheminence above all the rest of the heavenly host ANSWER I do willingly grant that since there is a Trinitie of Persons there must of necessitie bee acknowledged an order amongst them But how Not in regard of time as though the holy Ghost should bee in time after the Father and the Son of God for they are co-eternal nor 2ly in order of nature as if the holy Ghost should bee in nature after God the Father and God the Son for in this sense that is said to bee after another which depend's upon the nature of another which hath no place in this subject because the three Persons have but one undivided nature Neither in the third place is the holy Ghost to speak properly after the Father in dignitie for there is but one Deitie and there is equal glorie equal majestie of the three Persons The order then is in regard of original and principle as it is called the Father as Father is the principle of the Son and the Father and the Son are the principle of the holy Ghost In this regard it is that wee commonly say the Father is the first Person of the Trinitie as being of none The Son is the second Person of the Trinitie from his Father The holy Ghost is the third Person being from eternitie both from the Father and the Son This concession is not answerable to your opinion for if you would speak out of the Son as you do of the holy Ghost you hold as appear's by many of your Arguments both God's Son and the holy Ghost to bee creatures after God in time in nature and in dignitie Whereas you say this in your sense is according to Scriptures the texts which you have alledged I have discussed and made it clear both by my positive Arguments in proof of the point and by my answers to your Scriptures that your tenet is directly against Scriptures But say you this is agreeable to the Fathers this say I is very falsly and impudently spoken I am now upon the defensive part and will not set down a catalogue of their testimonies in their several ages as I might do and those that are not learned may clearly see how falsly you do boast of the Fathers by the Apostolical as it is called the Nicene Constantinopolitane and Athanasian Creeds Advers But yet say you Justin Martyr placeth the holy Ghost in the third rank Answ The blessed Martyr which wrote his Apologies about the year of our Lord 162. placeth the holy Ghost in his second Apologie in the third order not in your sense but in that meaning which is unanimously acknowledged by Orthodoxal Divines and this I prove by Justin Martyr himself who positively assert's in his first Apologie that the Son of God placed by him the second in order was alone properly the Son of God that hee was with his Father before the world was made Now as the Son of God the second in order was truly God so may wee argue by proportion that the holy Ghost who is the third in order is likewise God And this you might have learned by the words which do immediatly follow in Justin for when hee had said Wee have the Prophetical Spirit in the third place hee immediatly subjoin's these words Wee teach that hee is rightly to bee worshipped which honor agree's well to God not to a creature And in the same Apologie afterwards hee would prove the Trinitie of the Persons out of Plato And this of the third Person that it is written by Moses of him that hee moved in the begining of the creation upon the waters And in the same Apologie hee relate's the custom of the Church in his daies both touching Baptism that the person is washed with water not in the names but in the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost And likewise touching the Eucharist as hee call's it when the Minister had taken bread and wine hee giv's the praise and glorie of all things to the Father Son and holy Ghost And after the receiving the Sacrament and giving relief to the poor the assembly is dismissed and saith hee in all things which wee use wee praise God the Father of all by his Son Jesus Christ through the holy Ghost And in his exposition of the Faith touching the holy Trinitie there is one saith hee truly the God of all and hee is known and understood in the Father Son and holy Ghost and saith they are of one essence and one divinitie and much more to this effect But this is enough Go now and boast of the Fathers in general and of Justin Martyr in particular and blush for shame if there bee any modestie left in you for your intolerable wrong offered to the holy Fathers and for fathering on them that abominable Heresie which they did detest A Post-script to the Readers THis Paper may fall into the hands both of the unknowing and skilfull Readers and is liable to various censures I do fore-see that those which are little versed in these points will complain that I affect obscurities and that they cannot understand my writing I desire them to consider that I do treat about the highest mysteries of Faith and that it is neither fit nor safe for mee to change the terms which are in common use amongst the learned the danger hereof is apparent by this memorable example Gregor Nazianz in an Oration of the praises of great Athanasius shew's the rents betwixt the Eastern and Western Churches occasioned by the use of these terms Hypostasis and Persona the Eastern Churches used the word Hypostasis and utterly disliked the name Person On the other side the Western Churches adhered to the name Person and could not endure the name Hypostasis The Eastern Churches judged the Western Churches to bee Sabellians i e. that they held but one Person called by three names And the Western Churches judged the Eastern to bee Tritheites and Arians maintaining three substances Athanasius apprehended the mistake and that both sides were sound in the faith though they differed in terms and so reconciled them I do intreat these Readers if they meet with difficulties that they would not presently cast the Book out of their hands but to take pains to know the meaning pray read perpend the text the context and parallel places of Scriptures meditate and where your endeavors fail you have recourse to the learned which will if it bee needfull for you to know resolve your doubts and somwhat clear your judgments and to encourage you I dare promise that you shall not repent of your labors but better understand som texts of Scriptures and humane Authors which handle this subject then formerly you have don I do fore-see also that the judicious Reader will accuse mee for frequent repetitions which are little better
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A TREATISE OF THE HOLY GHOST IN WHICH The God-head of the third Person of the Trinitie is strongly asserted by Scripture-Arguments And defended against the Sophisticall subtleties of JOHN BIDLE BY Mr. Nicolas Estwick B. D. somtime Fellow of Christ-Colledg in Cambridg and now Pastor of Warkton in the Countie of Northampton LONDON Printed by William Du-gard for Ralph Smith and are to bee sold at the Sign of the Bible in Corn-hill neer the Royal-Exchange 1648. THE PREFACE THe sublime Argument touching the unitie of the God-head and the Trinitie of the Persons is of that high concernment that it obligeth Christians to lay themselvs out to the uttermost in the search of the means in the which it hath pleased the Lord to reveal himself that wee might have right apprehensions of him partly because it is very dangerous and attended with sad consequences to have erroneous conceptions in this to-bee-adored subject and partly because no subordinate truths can bee more profitably learned whether wee respect the information of our judgments the reformation of our lives or our sound consolation in every condition In this licentious age wherein Heresies with more boldness the more is the pitie are not onely privately vented but printed and exposed to publick view then in former ages whereby many unwary and ungrounded Readers are infected with leprosie in their heads and their judgments are corrupted as other wicked phancies for want of humilitie knowledg in Scripture Arts and Tongues and due respect to the word of God and the testimonie of ancient and modern Divines have been broached so hath the fundamentall Article touching the Deitie of the holy Ghost been questioned yea plainly contradicted Many months passed before I had a sight of Mr. Bidle's abhorred lines nor did I so much as desire to read them but when I heard by the relation of a very learned man and of much observation touching these times that those twelve Reasons did a great deal of hurt I then used the means to get a sight of the Book and I saw it was Sophistically penned and plausibly contrived to do much mischief and when I could not hear that any of the learned which have far better abilities more leasure and encouraging accommodations then I have would spend their precious time in convincing this Adversarie of God I resolved by the grace of the Spirit of God to vindicate what lie's in mee his honor in shewing partly the weakness partly the blasphemie of his twelve Reasons to shew him if it may bee the danger of his Heresie and to clear the alledged Scriptures from his Sophistrie and to hold forth that little light which the blessed Spirit hath freely imparted to mee to the bettering of the understanding of the simple Readers There have been many erroneous opinions no fewer then six in my knowledg and 't is not unlike but there are many more touching the blessed Spirit the holy Ghost it is not fit nor safe for mee to set down a Catalogue of them lest unawares which is far from my intention som vain and unsound Christians in these unsettled daies should take an occasion to err from the beaten way of truth and others which have tender consciences should bee offended with the stinch of these rotten Heresies when they are presented to them yet necessary it is that I should set down my Adversaries tenet that the Reader may know it and that I may more punctually address myself to answer him and this hee hold's That the holy Ghost is a creature a finite person the prime and chief of all the good Angels as the Divel by an unhappy excellencie is called the chief of all the evill Spirits An ancient Heresie this is in the Church of Christ condemned both by the single testimonie of many famous Doctors and by a generall Synod at Constantinople which hath been alwaies honored and was held by the Summons of Theodosius the first more then twelve hundred and threescore years ago O blessed God! bee not angry with mee I beseech thee who am but sinfull dust and ashes for adventuring to speak of thy glorious Majestie Pardon I humbly pray for my Saviors sake all my sinfull apprehensions of thine unconceivable Greatness accept graciously my sincere intentions to promote thy glorie and guide mee O my God! that I may alwaies as a weak and sinfull creature ought to do both think and speak and write of thy glorious Majestie with holy fear and lowly reverence and instruct mee O thou blessed Spirit of Truth that I may readily untie the Sophistical knots of carnal and humane reason which in pretence are grounded on the truth of thy Word and yet there is no truth in them nor any divine word for them And enable mee to maintain thy Greatness against a wretched man which dare's stand up and both boldly and publickly argue against thine ever to bee adored Deitie The Deitie of the holy Ghost proved by Scripture and Argument True Arguments grounded on the Word of God whereby the Deitie of the holy Ghost is fully proved and such passages of Scriptures which are excepted against by the Adversarie are examined and clearly refuted Argum. 1 Maj. HEe that hath the names of God absolutely attributed to him is God Min. The Holy Ghost hath the names of God absolutely attributed to him Concl. Ergò the holy Ghost is God The Major is clear for albeit the name of God bee given to Angels Psal 8. 6. Heb. 2. 7. and to Magistrates they are Gods to whom the Word of God came Psal 82. 7. that is to whom by divine vocation the office of Magistracie is committed yet either this is not spoken in the singular number I said yee are Gods whereas the true God without contradiction is but one or when it is spoken singularly it is not without limitation Moses I have made thee a God to Pharaoh Exod. 7. 1. Every man may readily conceive that a made God is is not a true God or with such an affixed limitation that a simple man can hardly mistake I have said yee are Gods yet they are but mortal Gods for as is threatned there They must die like mortal men but the true God is immortal So that in all the Scriptures wee shall not finde the names of God asscribed to any creatures without addition limitation or correction of speech nor is this denied by the Adversarie The Minor is proved first more obscurely Gen. 1. 1. God creäted A word not of the singular or dual but plural number and that is also with a word of the singular number God creäted because God is but one in nature but in regard of the manner of beeing there are three Persons And in verse 26. of the same Chapter God saith Let Vs make man after Our image that is in the image of the holy Trinitie these and many like to these are alledged out of the old Testament and justified to bee pertinent to prove this
the express name of the Father the Son or the holy Ghost or when it is not limited by som circumstances in the text which do infallibly lead us thereunto And thus most frequently in the Scriptures it is taken but then it is taken personally or secundùm quid in regard of a certain proprietie which point's out a certain Person which is somtimes God the Father somtimes God the Son and somtimes God the holy Ghost or else wee are guided to such a limitation by perpending the text or places of Scriptures parallel to it For instance John 1. 1. the Word was God and that Word was with God In the first place it must bee taken essentially in the second personally with God viz. his Father thus Christ is said to bee the Son of God the image of God viz. the Father To the second I might take exception to your rule in many particulars which is not true in any creäted acting things which are not persons no nor in the soul of man which hath many immanent actions both in and when separated from the bodie which are not actions of a person But let your rule bee granted as it relate's to this particular actions are of persons and not of the nature consideredin the abstract So barbarous School-men say it is a man which doth dispute not homeïtas It is a horse that carrie's a man not equina natura or equeïtas this is onely suppositum But then I must tell you to abate your mirth that you give through your ignorance a false interpretation of the meaning of Orthodoxal Divines touching that distinction as though they thought that Gods nature generally absolutely and essentially considered as abstracted from God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost did rule the world this is but a figment of your own brain But when they say God worketh this or that God is taken essentially they mean nothing else but God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost and the government of the world the particular instanced in being a work ad extra relating to the creatures belong's to all the Persons joyntly this is a received Maxim of all Divines Thus much of this Argument ARGUMENT 2. 2 Argum. of M. Bidle If hee that gave the holy Spirit to the Israëlites to instruct them bee Jehovah alone then the holy Spirit is not Jehovah or God But hee that gave the holy Spirit to the Israëlites to instruct them is Jehovah alone Ergò The sequele of the Major is plain for if hee that gave the holy Spirit bee Jehovah alone and yet the holy Spirit that was given bee Jehovah too the same will bee Jehovah alone and not Jehovah alone which implieth a contradiction The Minor is evidenced by Nehem. 9. 6 20. ANSWER Answ I denie the consequence of this hypothetical Syllogism which is not necessarily inferred as it should bee from the antecedent I will not question the truth of your assumption but suppose that the first Person is evidently meant Nehem. 9. 6. who is said to bee Jehovah alone yet wil it not by the rules of Divinitie bee a necessarie sequele that the holy Ghost is not Jehovah or God nor is there so much as a shadow of contradiction as shall bee evidenced and they do know this well that are versed in these points When you say Jehovah or the first person is Jehovah alone there is in the words a fallacie of composition and division as the Logicians speak And that I might fortifie your Argument and make it advantageous to you if the exclusive particle had been added to the antecedent thus onely the Father is Jehovah yet were not your cause confirmed thereby for it is a rule in the Logician Kecker lib. 2. cap. 4. exclusiva particula subjecti non excludit concomitantia and hee instanceth in this very example Onely the Father is true God whereby saith hee the Son of God and the holy Ghost are not excluded from beeing God but creatures onely And profound Zanchius add's another example Onely Christ is the Savior of the world taken inclusively all creatures are excluded but neither the Father nor the holy Ghost are to bee excluded from the great work of our redemption Nor do wee want examples in the Scriptures to this purpose None know the Son but the Father nor doth any know the Son but the Father Matth. 11. 27. that is onely the Father know's the Son and onely the Son know's the Father And again No man know's the things of God but onely the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. that is onely the Spirit know's the things of God as in the former place the holy Ghost is not to bee excluded so in the later both Father and Son of God are to be included Thus our blessed Savior is described to have eies like a flame of fire and to have many crowns on his head and a name which none knew but hee himself Revel 19. 12. let the mysterie bee what it wil bee which is intended by this name yet certainly the Father and Spirit are not to bee denied the knowledg of it and many the like * 1 Tim. 6. 16. The King of kings onely hath immortalitie none but the Father know's the day and hour of judgment expressions wee may reade in Scripture by which exclusive particle onely such things are to bee excluded which are not one and the same in a Tertul. saith of the Son of God hee is individâ—â—â— inseparatus à Patre in Patre â—â—putandâ—â— et si non nominatus advers Praâ—eum So of the holy Ghost essence with the subject to which the exclusive particle is annexed As if one should say I beleeve in God the Father who alone made the world wee must not conceive that hee exclude's God the Son and God the holy Ghost from that great work of creätion but onely the creatures which had no hand at all therein This which I have spoken seem's to carrie som probabilitie with it and that one may not without cause suspend his judgment from concurrence with those Divines which do commonly judg this proposition thus enunciated to bee false onely the Father is Jehovah To the substance of your Argument as it is propounded by you the answer is easie Alone both in the cited text and in your argument is referred to the later part of the axiom Thus the first person of the Trinitie is Jehovah alone this I grant is a very true Proposition if it bee rightly understood and yet make's nothing at all for your advantage because the particle alone doth not exclude any thing in respect of the subject but onely of the predicate and therefore is clearly true both of the Father Son and of the holy Ghost Thus the Father is alone Jehovah the Son is alone Jehovah and God the holy Ghost is alone Jehovah and the reason is plain and unanswerable because albeit the Father is Lord the Son is Lord and the holy Ghost is
a commandement of his Father as one equal doth of another and that was nothing else but Gods counsel and decree to send his Son to undertake as hee did and execute the office of a Mediator Secondly if by command is meant what a superior require's of his inferior then I deny your Minor true it is that it is spoken of Jesus Christ that hee received a command of his Father because in regard of the humane nature and as our Mediator hee was inferior to him the Father saith hee is greater then I am But it is no where asserted in the Scriptures that the holy Ghost was commanded by the Father shew us a text for this purpose which if it could bee don I can readily have recourse to the former Answer I may therefore retort your own words Let no man think what is spoken of Christ as hee is man and Mediator is to bee applied to the holy Ghost unless hee can first prove hee is not God ARGUMENT 7. 7 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that is the gift of God is not God The holy Spirit is the gift of God Ergò The Minor is plain by Act. 11. 17. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift meaning the Spirit as hee did unto us who have beleeved on the Lord Jesus Christ was I one that could withstand God The Major though of it self sufficiently clear is further evidenced thus Hee that is not the giver of all things is not God hee that is the gift of God is not the giver of all things Ergò The Major is apparent from Acts 17. 25. God giveth to all life breath and all things The Minor is proved thus Hee that is himself given is not the giver of all things hee that is the gift of God is himself given Ergò The Major is undeniable for otherwise the same would bee the giver of all things and yet not the giver of all things inasmuch as hee himself a principal thing is given which implieth a contradiction The Minor needeth no proof Moreover a gift is in the power and at the disposal of the giver but it is gross and absurd to imagine that God can bee in the power or at the disposal of another Neither let any man here think to evade by saying That not the holy Spirit himself but onely his gifts are imparted to men since both the more learned Adversaries themselves confess that the Person of the holy Spirit is given together with his gifts and the Scripture putteth the matter out of doubt if you consult Nehem. 9. 20. and Rom. 5. 5. In both which places the holy Spirit is said to bee given contra-distinctly from his gifts and operations in the first contra-distinctly from the instruction flowing from him in the other contra-distinctly from the love of God diffused in our hearts by him Whence wee may draw this Corollarie that if the Person of the holy Spirit bee out of favor given to certain men as the aforesaid places testifie then hee was not personally present with them before and consequently by the concession of the Adversaries themselves cannot bee God since they will not deny that God is alwaies personally present with all alike But I fore-stall the following Argument ANSWER Answ This Argument might well have been spared which is brought in to increase the number and to make up a full dozen of Reasons To give and to send to bee given and to bee sent are I confess different much but mark what I say God's giving the Spirit and God's sendiug the Spirit are really one and the same God never send 's the Spirit but hee give 's the Spirit and hee never give 's the Spirit but hee freely send 's him to his servants That respective difference betwixt them make's this Argument of giving the Spirit to bee much weaker then the other of sending him as will appear by the examination of it Advers Hee that is the gift of God say you is not God because God is the giver of all things The holy Spirit is the gift of God Act. 11. 17. Sol. The Proposition if it bee generally extended to every gift of God as if you will logically dispute it ought to bee for if one were able to make an induction of every singular gift of God and if there were one particular excepted it would bee virtually false Hee that is the gift of God viz. of God the Father or God the Son is God for it is not unusual in the Scripture I must often put you in mind hereof for the name God to bee taken for the first Person of the Trinitie the second Person is called the Son of God the third Person is called the Spirit of God and the first Person is often so called not because hee is a higher God then God the Son or God the holy Ghost for they are equal but first because hee is the first in order and secondly because hee is the Person by whom the God-head is communicated to the Son c. Hence it is because the Father hath original from no other and is the principle of the Deitie hee is simply called God not the God of another God for if the Father had begot the divine essence hee might bee called not onely God but the Father of God but because hee doth not beget that essence which is communicated to the Son of God but the Son therefore hee is not called the Father of God but the Father of his Son And in proportion the like is to bee spoken concerning God the holy Ghost and the same order is to bee observed of the works wrought in time God the Father by the Son and thorough the holy Ghost bestoweth ordinarie extraordinarie gifts as it pleaseth him and these three Persons are co-eternal and coessential If your Proposition bee virtually particular it prove's nothing Som gift of God is not God It 's true in this sense no creäted gift of God is God himself but the holy Ghost is no such gift hee is a gift indeed but an uncreäted gift not lesser but equal to the Father or Son that give 's him And though I yield the holy Ghost is a gift yet your proof Act. 11. 17. is not convincing for to say nothing that som render the same grace by gift may very well bee understood the miraculous gifts of the holy Spirit which then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were bestowed upon the Gentiles And wee reade 1 Cor. 12. 6 7 8. that the gift and the Spirit the Giver are plainly distinguished But let that pass Advers Whereas you would prove the Proposition because hee is not the giver of all things that is given himself Answ In this there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing sound in it for I told you there was a difference betwixt these two to bee given and to bee sent to give and to bee given is of larger extension then to send and to bee sent for whosoever is sent is given but whosoever
is given is not sent for even God the Father who is never sent and who give 's all things as you will grant yet give 's himself in covenant to his children hee is their Father and all his glorious Attributes are set a work for their good for though one and the same Person cannot bee the sender and the Person that is sent yet may the same Person bee the Giver and the Gift There is no difference in the thing it self but in the different consideration of it the Giver so called as freely imparting himself som way to them to whom hee is given And the Gift in relation of the Terminus ad quem yea and wee ourselvs likewise as wee are bound may give ourselvs to God to bee disposed of and ruled by him according to his pleasure Further I say by limitation of your words hee that is not the Creätor Preserver and Giver of all things viz. which are creäted hee is not God This is true but is this any thing for your purpose Nothing at all Nay it make's strongly against you for the holy Ghost is the Creätor Preserver and Giver of all things hee give 's life and breath and all things to the creatures Hee is such a Gift that hee give 's all other gifts and so by this reason you might have soundly concluded that the holy Ghost is God for that text Act. 17. 25. speak's of God's blessings bestowed on the creatures And you ought not blasphemously to have made use of it to rob the blessed Spirit of the glorie of his Deitie Apply now what I have related of the several respects of the Giver and the Gift and you will easily discern that your advantage which you would gather from a seeming contradiction to bee a gift and not a gift to bee given and not to bee given is as good as nothing Advers A gift say you is in the power and disposal of another it 's absurd to think that God should bee so Answ There are three words of neer signification munus praemium and donum The two former munus and praemium are absolutely in the power of the Giver and do imply that they are a separate thing from him That the Giver hath a proprietie in them and that they are inferior to the Giver See Dan. in Lomb. l. 1. d. 18. Censura But it is otherwise of a Gift a thing is said to bee given which is either had or possessed from another when either simply or in a certain respect it was not so had or possessed before And so it doth not necessarily import any authoritie which the Giver hath over the gift but it signifie's onely a free communication of that which is given for hee give 's that make's this gift to bee had of another whether hee bee the author or original of it or not Hence is it as I said that God the Father when hee come's to us graciously and communicate's himself to us by his gifts is said to give himself And God the Son is said to bee given and to give himself for us and to us yea and the holy Spirit also doth give himself to us because it is an act of his free will and absolute power to communicate his gifts to whom hee pleaseth so saith the Scripture The Spirit blow's where it will John 3. And the Spirit divide's to every one his gifts as hee pleaseth 1 Cor. 12. And this is further evidenced because a righteous man hath God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost for hee is a Temple of the whole Trinitie and therefore hee hath received this best gift of all as given to him by the most sacred Trinitie Quest A scruple may here arise since the holy Ghost is given and that in time onely for it is a name of God which actually belong's to him not from eternitie but in time as do many other Creätor Preserver Lord the power indeed was from eternitie in God and these do belong to him ab aeterno in habitu Hal. because hee is habilis dominari creäre praeservare donabilis ab aeterno But the actual denomination to bee Creätor Preserver Lord Gift was not from eternitie when there was no creature no servant none to whom God was given Doth not this concession may some say prove a change in God Answ No it 's onely in the creatures which in time have a beeing and had none before that instant or som new work wrought in them by the unchangeable God and as for the relations which are betwixt the immutable God and the mutable creatures they are on the creatures part real relations on Gods part they are not real but in solâ ratione consistunt This is illustrated by these similitudes Wee say this is the right side and that is the left side of a pillar the right side or left side of the Equator and by the death of a son there is no change in the pillar the Equinoctial line or the father but in the man that turn's himself this way or that way to the pillar that cut 's the line and in the childe that die's and yet wee truly say this is the right side of the pillar of the Equator the man ceaseth to be a father when his childe is dead The like is to bee said of the holy Spirit when hee is given to us there is no change in him but the change is in us The decree that the Spirit should bee given to the elect was before all time yet the real execution of this decree as of all others was don in time Advers To prevent a solution of his Argument hee saith that not onely the gifts of the holy Ghost but himself is given Nehem. 9. 20. Rom. 5. 5. If hee was given out of his favor hee was not personally there before and consequently not God Answ To this I answer divers waies First ad hominem if hee come's personally to every Saint where hee was not before and is in this Saint in England in that Saint in Germanie c. Either the holy Ghost is divided from himself which cannot bee or else beeing in all Saints hee must needs bee infinite for you no where in all your reasons hint that there are many holy Ghosts and it is a strange creature to admiration which can bee in this place and not in that which is contiguous to it and in that which is far removed from it This I do mention that I might give an occasion to you plainly to discover yourself in such particulars as these are Secondly the weakness of this exception appear's because if it were convincing it would prove God the Father not to bee God for hee give 's himself to his children Why then should God the holy Ghost on this ground bee no God Thirdly I grant in a good sense that the holy Ghost and not onely the gifts of the holy Ghost are given Luke 11. 13. And albeit many Divines do varie in their
expressions yet all agree in the main point against you that the holy Ghost was with all them to whom hee is given before hee was a gift to them as touching his natural and powerful presence and thus hee is also with the very devils reprobates the elect uncalled and all other creatures which are uncapable of this gift of holiness and of happiness Yet the holy Ghost when hee is given hee is with the Saints in a new way in such a manner as hee was not present before in this regard it is that the Saints are called the Temples of the holy Ghost and a Temple is Gods peculiar hee dwell's in the Saints and is graciously present with them they have him present by faith and other graces when hee is known and beloved of man And this is not onely understood of the gifts of God but of God himself whom wee know by faith and love by charitie Nor is it any marvel that God should bee present without any change on his part for the bodily Sun as wee know without any mutation in the Sun at all is present to him that will open his eies to look upon it This is then your palpable fallacie à dicto secundùm quid ad dictum simpliciter The holy Ghost was not graciously present with the elect before their calling Ergò hee is not God or was not essentially present with them before I abhor the consequence ARGUMENT 8. 8 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that changeth place is not God The holy Spirit changeth place Ergò The Major is plain for if God should change place hee would cease to bee where hee was before and begin to bee where hee was not before which everteth his Omnipresence and consequently by the confession of the adversaries themselves his Deitie The Minor is ocularly apparant if following the * advice of the adversaries you will but go to Jordan for there Abi Ariane ad Jordanem Trinitatem videbis you shall have the holy Spirit in a bodily shape descending from heaven which is the terminus à quo alighting upon Christ which is the terminus ad quem Luke 3. 21 22. Neither let any man alledg that as much is spoken of God Exod. 3. and chap. 20. and Gen. 18. For if you compare Acts 7. 30 35 38 53. Gal. 3. 19. Heb. 2. 2 3. and chap. 13. 2. with the fore-said places you shall finde that it was not God himself that came down but onely an Angel sustaining the Person and Name of God which hath no place in the history touching the descent of the holy Spirit ANSWER Answ I except not against your Major nor against the explication and confirmation of it that God is every-where is religiously and unanimously acknowledged because the essence of God is most simple and infinite absolutely and so is the vertue of working infinite also and if it was not every-where it would be limited It 's a memorable expression used by Hermes Trismegistus a Heathen hee compare 's God to a perfect Sphere whose centre is every-where and circumference no where As the soul is in the bodie wholly in the whole bodie and wholly in every part of the bodie albeit it 's said to bee chiefly in the heart or brain because in and by those parts it perform's the most excellent operations so is our great God wholly in heaven wholly on the earth wholly every-where in a divine and spiritual manner not included in any place nor excluded out of it although hee is frequently said to bee in heaven because there most conspicuously hee manifest's his glorie and his goodness to the holy Angels and blessed Saints I denie your Minor for although the holy Ghost is said to descend from heaven yet was hee in heaven then and every-where else And there are divers circumstances in the text to convince what you from thence would denie that hee is God who descended and that the holy Ghost was not personally contained within the compass of a Dove real or in representation because hee did not assume into the unitie of his Person this Dove and if hee had don so yet would not hee have been definitively or circumscriptively therein nor can hee bee said to descend on Christ in regard of sanctification because Christ even from the instant of his incarnation was full of grace Nor was there any addition of holiness to Christ by the descent of a Dove upon him but hee represented himself in the shape of a Dove as in his sign and 't is not obscurely made out by the text that hee is God for what was the scope of the Evangelist why doth hee relate this storie was it not to manifest that Jesus Christ both by the voice of his Father and this descent of a Dove was publickly authorised to exercise his prophetical sacerdotal and regal offices to redeem the elect and to reconcile them to God The circumstance of the time may leade us to such a consideration hee is first inaugurated to this office and then hee begin's to put it in execution and so wee see that the Father by his voice and the holy Ghost by his visible descent upon him did call him to this great work None can send any Prophet but God alone much less is it in the power of any creature to send Jesus Christ to redeem the world Deut. 18. 15. See Luke 4. 18. Esa 61. 1. Moreover it is never spoken of any Angel or pure creature that the heaven was rent and opened as it is said hereof Mar. 1. 10. this was a symbol of the singular presence of God whereby wee may learn that this Spirit was God's Spirit yea God himself Add that it is somthing that this Spirit whereof you do speak descended on Jesus and remained on him John 1. 33. but where do wee reade that creäted spirits descended on and abode on him It is their office wee know to minister as servants unto him and to worship him Hebr. 1. 6. Lastly the same Spirit that descended on Jesus did also lead him into the wilderness to bee tempted of the Divel Matth. 4. 1. Is it in the power of any creature to lead Jesus Christ up and down especially into solitarie deserts and to this end to bee tempted by the Divel Well if this circumstance fail yet by other circumstances in the text it 's clear enough that S. Austin with good reason did say Go thou Arian to Jordane and there thou shalt see the Trinitie I add if there bee any sense of the Deitie in you consider I pray of your shall I call it extreme blindness or rather abominable impietie which you discover by this your Argument Why so the Prophet David saith that hee could not go any where from the presence of God's Spirit Psal 139. But if you say true suppose wee that you could have taken the wings of the morning and remove as the light of the Sun doth as it were transfuse it self from East to West
know when hee make's others know Now saith hee to Abraham I know that thou fearest mee Gen. 22. 12. Advers None say you can intercede for himself but this action require's a third person Many Scrip heaped up Answ I denie this assertion To intercede is a general word and of that latitude that somtimes a man intercede's for himself and somtimes for others as the occasion or text will hold out the meaning either to the later or to the former And thus the Spirit interpellat orat or as others translate the word postulat clamat when hee make's us intercede pray and crie to God and those three words as som say are but one thing called by different names 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praiers when wee lay open to God our wants the same praiers are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by our praiers wee testifie the desires of our hearts to God and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intercessions because wee do not pray diffidently and fearfully but in an humble familiaritie wee speak to God and do go boldly to the throne of grace Com. in locum The praiers which 1 Tim. 2. are intended Rom. 8. 26. are of that nature that whether they bee directed to God for ourselvs or for others as wee are bound to pray both for our selvs and others are intercessions interpellations or appellations but yet they are not formally as School-men speak the praiers of the holy Ghost but they are his as an efficient cause thereof they are the praiers which the holy Ghost enableth his servants to make both for themselvs and others Touching the many Scriptures which you have unconscionably heaped up together to prove that intercession is alwaies for another I briefly answer by freely yielding that in those places which you have recited The praiers are made or intreated to bee made for other men but will it therefore follow that in all other texts which mention praier the Scripture is to bee so expounded Nothing less And if by virtue of those words in the texts fore-named a Christian had no ground to pray for himself hee must not then follow that maxim and approved rule Charitie begin's at home hee must onely pray for others never for himself for in som texts you have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 15. 30. Colos 4. 12. and in som other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 2 Corinth 1. 11. Ephes 6. 18. which is such a dotage as never entred into the brains of an advised Christian Advers Albeit say you the Scripture speake's many things after the manner of men yet never what argueth inferioritie and dependencie on another Answ I grant this is a truth when rightly expounded it 's but a begging of the question or but a vain supposition to take for granted that the holy Ghost doth truly pray which is constantly denied Your Conclusion is proved by a false medium although it cannot bee denied but the Lord not out of any power of ours but out of a gracious condescension to us out of his free goodness doth somtimes in the Scripture speak as if wee base and feeble creatures were able to encounter with God yea and to overcom him as Jacob wrastled with God and hee could not prevail over him Gen. 32. Jacob as a Prince had power not onely with men but with God and let mee alone saith the Lord to Moses that I may consume transgressing Israël Exod. 32. The praiers of Moses did as it were binde the hands of the Almightie that hee could not smite his people and that is yet a higher expression Esa 45. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord is as it were at the command of the praiers of his servants and many the like gracious expressions might bee named so that neither head nor foot neither Argument nor Inference hath any soundness in it ARGUMENT 10. 10 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee in whom men have not beleeved and yet have been Disciples and Beleevers is not God Men have not beleeved in the holy Spirit and yet have been so Ergò The Major is plain for how can any bee Disciples Beleevers according to the phrase of Scripture and yet not beleeve in him that is God The Minor is proved thus Men have not so much as heard whether there were an holy Spirit and yet have been Disciples and Beleevers Ergò They have not beleeved in the holy Spirit and yet have been Disciples and Beleevers The Antecedent is apparant from Acts 19. 2. The Consequence is grounded on that of the Apostle Rom. 10. 14. How shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard Now if any man to decline the dint of this Argument shall say that by holy Spirit in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meant not the Person but the Gifts of the holy Spirit Hee besides that hee perverteth the plain and genuine meaning of the words and speaketh without example doth also evacuate the emphasis of the Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imply that these Disciples were so far from having received the Gifts of the holy Spirit whereof wee may grant that the question made mention that they had not so much as heard whether there were an holy Spirit or not Again that the holy Spirit is not God doth further appear by this very instance since the Apostle when there was so ample an occasion offered to declare it if it been so doth quite decline it For it is incredible that hee who was so intent and vigilant in propagating the Truth as that casually seeing an Altar at Athens inscribed to the unknown God hee presently took a hint from thence to preach unto the Heathens the true God yet here being told by Disciples that they had not so much as heard whether there were an holy Spirit or not should not make use of the opportunity to discover unto them and in them to us the Deitie of the holy Spirit but suffer them to remain in ignorance touching a point of such consequence that without the knowledg thereof if wee beleeve many now adaies men cannot bee saved Certainly the Apostle had greater care both of the truth of God and the salvation of men then to do so ANSWER Answ This Argument as the rest is so captiously and ambiguously propounded that I judg it expedient before I do punctually answer it to put down as I take it three undeniable Conclusions the one of them is touching the predicate or later part the other two touching the subject or antecedent of the Proposition Conclus 1 The first Conclusion wee are to consider of God absolutely as hee is plainly revealed in the Word and accordingly acknowledged by all those which are in outward covenant with him that hee is true God the ever-living God the onely wise and powerful God c. Thus in the Chaldean language in Jer. 10. 10 11. both for a caution and instruction to the Jews when they should bee captives there 't is said The gods that
office Saul and the Messengers of Saul prophesied amongst the Prophets 1 Sam. 19. And that hee is yet more fully revealed in the New Testament you cannot denie although you do boldly and wickedly denie his Deitie Well then if these Ephesians never heard of the holy Ghost either it was because they never had sufficient means to instruct them in that profound mysterie and do you think that this is very probable for they had or might have had the writings of the Prophets and if they were baptized by John doth not hee expresly speak of the holy Ghost Christ saith hee should baptize with the holy Ghost Matth. 3. 11. Or might they not have repaired to som Christians in som place or other for a further instruction in the faith Or if they never heard of the holy Ghost it is else because albeit they had som means of knowledg this way yet did they not regard them or sufficiently profit by them Take it which way you will and in neither of the waies is there any strength in the Argument to prove your odious assertion but it argue's clearly that you are given up by the just judgment of God to strong delusions to beleeve lies How could it else have entred into your heart to think that the ignorance of a few untaught Christians should bee a sound proof to overthrow a truth which was unanimously imbraced by sounder Christians Shall God's truths bee no truths because som sinfull and ignorant persons do not know them Nay rather you should thus have reasoned since this was a divine truth preached by John the Baptist and afterward more fully taught by Christ and his Apostles therefore without wavering much more without contradicting them I will submit to their better judgment The Argument by this which is already spoken is fully answered yet I will follow the Adversaries steps and gather up his mistakings for the better satisfaction of the Reader Advers If any shall say by the holy Spirit is meant not the Person but the gifts of the Spirit besides that hee speak's without example hee evacuate's the emphasis wee are so far from receiving the holy Ghost that wee have not heard whether there bee an holy Ghost or not Answ First let the Reader observe how the Adversarie is possessed with the spirit of giddiness in contradicting himself It 's without example saith hee to say the Spirit is taken for the gifts of the Spirit and yet within three lines after hee saith wee may grant that this question Have you received the holy Ghost may bee meant of the gifts of the holy Ghost And with the same breath hee saith strangely forgetting himself that it is without example to take the holy Ghost for the gifts of the holy Ghost I add further that it is clearly prophesied that extraordinarie gifts as of prophesying and tongues are called the holy Ghost Joël 2. 28. Acts 2. 17. and in this Chapter Acts 19. 6. the holy Ghost came upon them How this is to bee understood the words following do expound They spoke with tongues and prophesied Ver. 6. So Acts 2. 4. thus John 7. 39. the holy Ghost was not yet you cannot denie but hee was in Person before that time and that hee was as touching sanctifying graces before How then is it said the holy Ghost was not yet Of necessitie it must bee meant as touching miraculous operations which were not yet bestowed on the Disciples What can bee more plainly spoken Nor doth this overthrow the Ephesians arguing and the emphasis of the words for however the holy Ghost bee taken yet your Argument is not good this onely can bee soundly inferred from their words Wee are so far from receiving the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost that wee have not so much as heard whether there bee any such miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost or not And if the question moved to them was not touching the Person and sanctifying graces of the holy Ghost but onely touching miraculous gifts as 't is most probable for they being Disciples might bee presumed not to bee ignorant that there was an holy Spirit and that hee was a Sanctifier of his servants then either their answer is impertinent to the question or else they must needs return their answer in effect thus Wee have not heard whether there bee such miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost or not Advers S. Paul would have taken the hint which hee did not to have instructed them in the Deitie of the holy Ghost Answ 1 First to this I say that this your pleading make's as strongly against your self as against the truth for do not you also put a difference betwixt that prime creäted Spirit as you do blaspheme and his gifts What then do you say against us which make's not as much against your self also Secondly how prove you that the holy Apostle did not instruct these Ephesians touching the holy Ghost Is not this your pleading It is not written therefore it was not don this is say I inconsequent All that hee preached is not written and do not you see that by this reasoning you wound your own cause For can you shew that S. Paul taught these Ephesians such a doctrine touching the holy Ghost which you do maintain that hee was a creature Thirdly it is not to bee doubted but that hee opened to them the doctrine of the holy Ghost that hee was God and that hee taught them that holy graces are fruits of the holy Spirit which none but God can give Advers Yet now say you wee are made to beleeve that a man is damned that beleeve's not the Deitie of the holy Ghost And so saying you think to aggravate our error Answ To this I answer you are to know that wee make a great difference of times and persons wee do not despair of their salvation which were in the state of these Ephesians or of others now in the like condition if beleeving in one God and that Jesus Christ is a Savior and seeing their own sins and miseries should relie on him for eternall life And then as the converted thief on the Cross presently die though they never heard of the holy Ghost I would charitably judg of them and conceive that God intended mercie to them by these gracious discoveries of himself to them at this time but if God will graciously wink at such ignorance and have mercie on them this will yield no comfort at all to you who have been bred up in the Church of Christ and in our Schools and have read the word of God for you have wilfully shut your eies against the truth which is as clear touching the holy Ghost as if it had been written with the Sun beams and you have stretched your wits to the uttermost to pervert the plain meaning of the Scripture as appear's by your endeavoring to answer Matth. 28. and Acts 5. I may say to you as S. Cyprian de Sacram. Dom. calicis saith of som which
great without quantitie God is good and just without qualitie God is merciful without passion God is every where present without place the first and the last without time nor is hee compounded of Nature and Person because the Essence of God is most simple most infinite most immense and the same thing is both the Nature and the Person nor is this overthrown because there are three Persons for they are not three by composition of parts for the Persons are not many things they are but one thing though distinguished by relative properties for the divine relation in God is not properly an accident but a substantial attribute and make's no real composition in God but a distinction of our reason which crosseth not the absolute simplicitie of God no more then the same distinction of reason opposeth the absolute unitie of God because this denomination is extrinsecal arising from our manner of conceiving of it Suarez Thus is hee Deus trinus by co-existencie of Persons but the Catholick Faith teacheth us that in creatures the nature may bee really divided from the person thus the Son of God did assume the nature but not the person of man Advers The holy Spirit say you hath an understanding distinct from that of God because hee heareth from God and is taught of God Answ I denie your Minor if you mean distinct really as you ought to do if you intend thereby to prove your Assertion And your first reason because hee heareth from God and is taught of God is but an idle repetition of the fourth Argument For answer hereto that I may not bee charged with needless tautologies I refer you thither for your satisfaction Advers This say you is deducible from the words of the Apostle none can search his own understanding 1 Corinth 2. 10. Answ 1 If this bee true as you say why are wee then commanded to trie and to prove our own hearts to speak to our hearts to examine our hearts to consider our waies yea to search ourselvs How should wee comfortably know that wee are enriched with saving graces but by a reflexed act of the understanding whereby wee know that wee have them And are not our hearts deceitfull and wicked above all things Is there not great need then that wee should search them Or do you mean hereby that the Spirit hath a distinct understanding from the Father and the Son of God because hee searcheth the deep things of God what doth this else import but an ignorance till that is found which is searched out Not so nor will this help you for God who exactly and perfectly know's all things yet do you cite a text Rom. 8. 27. which sheweth that hee searcheth the heart of the Spirit yea further it is his peculiar honor to search the hearts and reins of men which import's thus much and no more that there is nothing so secret in man but the Lord both can and doth see the same most perfectly For the clearing of the main doubt know assuredly that there is the same understanding of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost nor can wee truly say that the understanding of the Father is superior or equal to the understanding of the holy Ghost for these do alwaies presuppose a comparison betwixt divers which doth not agree to the unitie of the God-head Advertite Fratres for as wee cannot say the power of the Persons is equal nor the goodness of the Persons is equal but the same power the same goodness no more can wee say the understanding of the Father is equal to the understanding of the holy Ghost But thus may wee say the Persons of the Father of the Son and of the holy Ghost are equal in power and equal in goodness so are they likewise equal in understanding and albeit the divine understanding is but one and the same beeing yet is it considered of us in a common way as referred to the essence but singularly in regard of the Persons And hence is it also that such phrases are spoken of the Son of God and they are also truly verified of the holy Ghost that hee is a Principle of a Principle very God of very God light of light a fountain of a fountain when taken not essentially but personally so that the Son is a Principle true God a light and a fountain and so is the holy Ghost yet the Father is considered first in order and the Son from the Father and the holy Ghost from them both I add that this text 1 Corinth 2. 10. is so far from evincing that the holy Ghost is a creature that it strongly prove's his Deitie First because that hee must needs bee God that know's whatsoever the Father know's for how should a smite creature by search attain to the unsearchable depths of God's knowledg As of many other things so were the Angels without sin ignorant of God's counsels Revel 5. 13. and of the time when the day of Judgment shall bee Secondly the Apostle compare 's the Spirit of God to mans spirit and the Spirit of God is in God the Father and God the Son There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 circumincessio as the Latines speak whereby is signified the unitie of the God-head in the distinct Persons that the Persons are so distinguished betwixt themselvs that they are altogether and most intimately one and the same thing and further hereby is noted a peculiar manner of the original of one Person from another distinguished from that procession of creatures as the Son from the Father which is sejunct from the Father and therefore it is called processio ad extra but here it is otherwise the Son from the Father and the holy Ghost from them both by a procession ad intra because hee doth intimè continue and is not another thing from the Person from whom hee proceed's Singula sunt in singulis omnia in singulis singula in omnibus omnia in omnibus unum omnia Hence may wee conclude that as the spirit of a man and a man are not two men so the Spirit of God and God viz the Father are not two separated substances but one God ARGUMENT 12. 12 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that hath a will distinct in number from that of God is not God The holy Spirit hath a will distinct in number from that of God Ergò The Major is irrefragable The Minor is asserted thus Hee that willeth conformably to the will of God hath a will distinct in number from that of God The holy Spirit so willeth Ergò The Major is plain for conformitie must bee between two at least else it will not bee conformitie but identitie The Minor is confirmed by Rom. 8. 26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to pray for as wee ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groans unutterable but hee that searcheth the heart knoweth what is
cause against the exceptions of such as have opposed them and the rather is the phrase to bee marked because as is observed it is not said one Elohim unus as one Jehovah unus in all the Scripture W. in 1. praec Decal but because they meet with contradiction of learned friends I pass them over Secondly and more particularly King David in his last words saith The Spirit of the Lord spake by mee and his word was in my tongue 2 Sam. 23. 2. and then verse 3. by way of explication hee add's the God of Israël said the rock of Israël spake to mee And yet more fully Esa 6. 3. that Person that is called the Lord of hosts and after that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord which is the proper name of God ver 9. is by Saint Paul an infallible Interpreter expounded of the holy Ghost Well spake the holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet unto our Fathers Act. 28. 25. hearing yee shall hear and not understand and this is further proved because what God promised Levit. 26. 12. I will dwell in them and walk in them that is verified of all faithful Christians when the holy Ghost dwell's in them hence are they called the Temples of God and that is expounded by the holy Ghosts dwelling in them 1 Corin. 3. 16. and 1. 6. 20. 19. what can bee more plain The virtue of God is never separated from his Essence God is there where hee work 's and Gods working in a creature and dwelling in them differ much God work 's in all things and is with them according to his essence presence and power but hee work 's in his own and dwell's in them as in his Temple according to his singular and gracious presence Refut Adv. It is true indeed wee have the Spirit from God the Father and God the Son hee is the gift of God but this concession weakneth not our Argument but add's very much to our comfort and honor To conclude this Argument Acts 5. 3. Peter by the revelation of the blessed Spirit discover's the fraud the distrustful covetousness and gross hypocrisie of Ananias in that this wretched man beeing overcom with divelish perswasion with-held part of the money which hee had promised to God to bee dispensed by the Apostles to pious and charitable uses and to demonstrate the height and heinousness of this offence hee avoucheth that hee sinned and told a lie against the holy Ghost and by way of explication it 's added in the next verse thou hast not lied to men but to God Advers To this clear Scripture you make two Answers First to lie to the holy Ghost is to lie to men endued with the Spirit so Piscator yet will it not presently follow that the holy Ghost is God for one may lie to God and yet neither men nor the Spirit in them bee God but onely the Messengers of God what is don to Messengers redound's to him that send 's them 1 Thessal 4. 8 13. John 20. Luc. 10. 16. Answ I grant that Ananias did lie to men endued with the Spirit though not onely or principally against them for so S. Peter acknowledgeth you have not lied to men but to God and yet the holy Ghost is not to bee excluded as you have don from the beeing an object against whom this lie is told And well had it been for you if you had had the eyes of Piscator when you alledg what doth without wavering soundly conclude the Deitie of the holy Ghost out of this text I add grant that to lie against the holy Ghost is to lie against God speaking by his Spirit in his servants will this follow that the holy Ghost is not God dwelling in his servants nay rather the contrary may be concluded for the words import thus much Think not O Ananias because I said thou sinnedst against the holy Ghost that I intended onely that thou usedst dissimulation against mee and my brethren the rest of the Apostles in whom are the extraordinary gifts of the holy Ghost or as if the Spirit that is in us was a meer creäted Spirit thou art deceived if thou thinkest so thou shouldest then directly have sinned but against a creature but in this thy fact which is against the holy Ghost thou hast not lied to man but to God Who see 's not if hee will seriously perpend the text what it is to lie against the holy Ghost that it is to lie against God the holy Ghost and bee it granted that the despite don to the servants of God redound's to God which no man will deny yet touching the holy Ghost these texts are not fitly alledged for shew mee any place of Scripture where the holy Ghost is called the Messenger of God Search as long as you will you shall never finde such an expression in Gods Book Besides this concession abat's not the strength of our Argument for wrong don to the servants of God as they are his servants it 's against them as acted by the Spirit which dwell's in them and is no accidental gift nor creäted person but the holy God and so it tend's to the dishonor of the holy Ghost and this may further appear by these circumstances in the text How came Peter to know this lie of Ananias It 's not a man not a creature that can search the heart was it not then God that revealed this sin and the intentions of Ananias and of his wife to Peter even the blessed Spirit that enlightned sanctified and enriched him with extraordinary gifts And doth not the punishment inflicted on the man and his wife thew the severity and power of the holy Ghost in that hee can so instantly destroy his enemies And for further proof and confirmation of the Deitie of the holy Ghost out of this Scripture ver 9. for the sin was one and agreed on betwixt the husband and the wife and both of them are charged for their hypocritical and bold tempting the Spirit of God This fact of Ananias and Saphirah proclaimed evidently that whereas they had heard that the Spirit know's all sins is just to punish for sins which hee doth know is true and faithful to perform his threatnings and powerful and able to punish as hee had threatned yet they wretchedly against the clear light and check of their consciences in thus sinning against him would yet put God to it and make a trial and experiment whether God knew the infidelitie of their hearts and could discover it whether his patience mercie and love to mankinde would not spare them and avert that vindicative justice albeit hee had threatned often to punish them that doe commit this sceleratissimum genus tentationis as Peter Martyr phraseth it and whether hee had power to punish them for their dissembling hypocrisie Lay all these things together and they will amount to a full demonstration of the point in hand Advers If any man say you look more narrowly into the words hee shall
finde that the translation is not true for the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 3. is construed with an Accusative case and with a Dative ver 4. and so it is to bee translated to bely and counterfeit the holy Ghost which is to bear us in hand that thou laidest down the money at the motion of the holy Ghost herein thou hast not lied to men but to God Answ The Adversarie would perswade the Reader that hee by his observation of the text had found out a fault in our common translations whereof the Authors out of their ignorance or inadvertencie took no notice if so hee think's hee is utterly mistaken for all translators ancient and of later days had the text before their eyes and saw the difference which is here noted by this Author and yet did purposely translate the words thou hast lied to the holy Ghost as holding forth the genuine meaning of the Spirit of God som excepted which yet for the point of controversie in hand proved out of this very Scripture are professed Adversaries to you Beza after hee had rendred the words to deceive or mock i. e. endeavor to deceive the holy Ghost I might add what others say hee retract's and go's in the steps of common translators Why I might say from others It 's not unusual amongst the Grecians to understand a preposition which is not expressed Hee saith because the 4th ver where the Dative case is used is an explication of the 3d. ver Besides the Hebrews do somtimes confound these whence these expressions benedico te evangelizo te which the Grecians derived from the Hebrews and the Latine Authors from the Grecians Besides in one manuscript I found the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so have the Syrian and Arabian Interpreters read it Lastly because this interpretation which is followed by Erasmus to say they counterfeited the holy Ghost seem's to mee not to bee full They were indeed notorious hypocrits but Peter by the sequele accuseth them of a far higher crime that when as by the motion of the Spirit they had sold a parcel of ground and consecrated it to the Church they afterward kept back a part thereof as if in that case they had not to deal with God but with men which could not discover this their sacriledg and so they are in this regard said to tempt the Spirit of God Further were it granted that your translation were sound and that the words ought to bee so interpreted as you have don this neither hinder's us nor further's you none ever dreamed by the common translation to correct the meaning of the text that they might have an Argument thence to confute the Adversaries of the holy Ghost hee needeth not our lie to defend his cause But the strength of the Argument is not from the words singly taken ver 3. but from them and the explication of them in the fourth and ninth verses you counterfeit the holy Ghost to bee the Author of this fact and this is expounded to bee a lying to God viz. to God the holy Ghost whom you have counterfeited hee speaking in us and discovering this hypocrisie of your heart which you litle dreamed off And your exposition of the words as they stand in your Book is of that nature that albeit I have perpended it as exactly as I can yet do I conceive nothing in it but I may readily subscribe to it I am sure it nothing crosseth the Argument Thus much for the first Argument Argum. 2 Maj. Hee to whom religious worship is truly exhibited is God Min. The holy Ghost is hee to whom religious worship is exhibited Concl. Ergò The Major is not denied by the Adversarie and is evident of it self and strange it is to mee that any learned men which do acknowledge the Deitie of the holy Ghost should avouch as they do that there is neither precept to worship him nor any clear example in the Word that hee was worshipped 'T is a certain rule the sacred Persons of the Trinitie which are undivided in nature must bee likewise undivided in worship for any one to say the holy Ghost is God and with the same breath to profess their doubting whether hee is to bee worshipped is to speak contradictions and 't is all one as to acknowledg a King and to deny him honor and this is to make him a titular King and in truth no King at all The Minor is proved thus the holy Angels of God do worship him they worshipped the Lord of hosts Esa 6. 3. Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts Heb. 1. 6. Whether the Prophet Esay understood this mysterie or not 't is not material to the point in hand nor whether their thrice chanting out holy implied the sacred Trinitie Yet why might not that bee intended But the Angels beeing intellectual substances worshipped they knew what and beeing confirmed in holiness they onely worshipped a fit object of worship and had they or sinful men worshipped the highest creature with religious adoration would not hee as the Angel in the revelation have rejected it and said See you do it not I am your fellow-servant but the Angels worshipped the holy Ghost I prove the blessed Apostle and irrefragable Interpreter inform's us that the Lord of hosts who put words into the mouth of Esay was the holy Ghost Act. 28. 25. Well said the holy Ghost by Esaiah the Prophet and as the Son of God is directly prayed unto Lord Jesus said Stephen that blessed martyr receive my Spirit Acts 7. Lord Jesus com quickly Apocal. 22. So is likewise the holy Spirit Awake thou North-winde and com thou South blow upon my garden that the Spices thereof may flow out O blessed Spirit breathe into my heart that by the love of God and my neighbor it may send forth a sweet savor Cant. 4. 16. The blessed Spirit of God is compared to the winde that as the winde blow's where it list's so doth the Spirit of God blow where hee will regenerat's whom hee pleaseth John 3. 8. And to this intent it is that S. John prayeth grace and peace not onely from God the Father and from Jesus Christ but also from the seven Spirits Apocal. 1. 4. The Spirit is but one in nature but it is said to bee seven that is manifold in regard of the distribution of many gifts which are from the Spirit and more plainly 2 Corinth 13. 13. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost bee with you all And this Argument is asserted by Justin Martyr as I have shewed in answer to your thirteenth Argument and by Clemens Alexandrinus at the end l. 3. Paedag. used in the ancient Liturgies and practised by the reformed Churches Sancta Trinitas miserere O holy Trinitie have mercie To these I may add this consideration that wee are the Temples of the holy Ghost It 's God onely that hath a Temple and
so it 's necessarie saith S. Austin l. 1. de Trinitat c. 6. that wee should yield religious service to him that which is proper to God I shut up this Argument with the words of our Savior Matth. 28. 19. Go and baptize all Nations in the Name of the Father the Son and holy Ghost to bee baptized into the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost is to bee obliged to the Faith Worship and Obedience of God the Father Son and holy Ghost Adver You endeavor to elude this plain convincing testimonie touching the Deitie of the holy Ghost Baptize them into the holy Ghost that is into the guidance of the holy Ghost which may I deny not bee a part of the meaning of the text You add Thus all the Israëlites were baptized into Moses 1 Corinth 10. 2. These two texts are unequally matched and paralleled Answ 1 First it is not said 1 Corinth 10. 2. that the Israëlites were baptized into the Name of the Father Son of God and Moses which would have been a seeming advantage to you but yet not forcible enough to have shielded you from the dint of the Argument Secondly the Baptism into which the Israëlites were baptized was not such a Sacrament as ours of Baptism is it was not a spiritual Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace appertaining to eternal life as our Baptism is their passing through the Sea and under the Cloud was don without sprinkling them with or dipping them in water and did seal up and evidently confirm that Moses was by the Lord deputed to bee a Guid and a Leader of his people whose Ministerie was not fully spiritual but 't is termed carnal God made choice of him to bee a happy instrument to deliver them out of bondage Now such as the deliverance is such is the Baptism but consider wee their passing through the red Sea and by the guidance of the Cloud as types and figures of the benefits which wee receive from Christ our true and spiritual Mediator for servitude in Egypt was a type of spiritual servitude under the power of Satan and sin and deliverance out of Egypt was a type of our deliverance from the snares of the devil and the commanding power of our own sins In this regard it 's denied that they were baptized into Moses hence is it said that som were baptized into the Baptism of John Act. 19. 2. but they are not said to bee baptized into John the reason is because the Ministerie of John was meerly spiritual and not carnal And S. Paul doth take it as a very absurd thing to bee abhorred of Christians to bee baptized into the name of any man 1 Corinth 1. 13 15. were yee baptized into the name of Paul and yet would hee bee acknowledged to bee their Guid and Doctor and a Father who by his Ministerie begot them through the Gospel 1 Corinth 4. 15. Thirdly this will further appear if wee do consider the use and the end of Baptism it is a sign and a seal of the new Covenant the Covenant of Grace which is signified and ratified thereby now consider this on the one part the great God of heaven and earth God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost undertake's to bee the God of his people which is their happiness on the other part the confederates the parties baptized and sealed as Gods own by Baptism which Austin call's Regius Character a Kingly Character do solemnly profess and oblige themselves to the faith and service not of any Angel for where is there such a condition expressed in the Covenant to tie us to creatures but as I said to the Faith Service and Obedience of God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost That which you say is true in it self though not in your meaning that God the Father and the Son by the Spirit do guid govern sanctifie and endow the Church and whereas before conversion and the giving up their names to Christ they lived according to the Prince of this world they ought thenceforth beeing admitted into the Church resign up themselves to the guidance of the holy Ghost But your saying that the holy Ghost is our Advocate in your sense and a chief instrument under God is as a dead slie in precious ointment this is spoken but cannot bee proved by you and it hath been before and shall hereafter bee disproved yea and your own concession touching the benefits received from the holy Ghost stand's not with this assertion Advers You say in your Dedicatory Epistle that the holy Ghost is our Advocate If I go not away the Advocate will not com unto you John 16. 7 8. And you boldly avouch that it ought so to bee translated every where as ours have also don 1 Joh. 2. 1. Wee have an Advocate with the Father Answ Hereto I answer You should have plainly told us what you meant by Advocate Is it to plead our cause with God as Lawyers do their clients cause before the Judg Or do you mean an Advocate one that make's prayers for us the rule hold's A deceitful man speak's in generalities I am not ignorant that som learned men which are strong defenders of the Deitie of the holy Ghost do translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in som texts as you do Advocate and if you had rendred it so in their sense I would have passed it over in silence The holy Ghost may bee called an Advocate but not so an Advocate to God the Father as Christ is which is by the merit of his passion and intercession In this meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often used in the Scripture but the holy Ghost may bee called an Advocate because in doubtful cases and in straits hee help 's us with his counsel and teacheth us all things John 14. 26. and when his servants shall bee convened before persecuting Magistrates and they then know not how to speak to them nor how to pray to God the holy Ghost will enable them both to speak to men and pray to God as Christians ought to do And because the instilling of this heavenly doctrine into the hearts of Gods servants is usually accompanied with spiritual joy and comfort hence is it as Cam. guesseth that this word is translated by the Learned oftentimes the Comforter You say the holy Ghost is not ranked with the Father and Son of God as beeing equal to them as is evident by other punctual places of Scripture 1 Cor. 12. 3 4 5 6. Ephes 4. 4 5 6. and 1 Corinth 8. 5 6. the holy Ghost is emphatically excluded from beeing either God or Lord by beeing contradistinguished from them both Answ 1 I answer these places might have been more fitly and seasonably alledged as Arguments to prove your Position then introduced as shifts to disprove our Reasons Answ 2 I answer directly by granting that in those places which you alledg and many others the Father is called God whereas
the Second and Third Persons are not so called by the name of God nor is this concession to your advantage The Father is so called chiefly for these two reasons First because hee is God of himself and from no other Person hee is often stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without a principle of beeing so are not the Son and the holy Ghost Secondly because hee is the principle and the fountain communicating the Deitie to the Son and the holy Ghost and yet when it is said Wee have one God and it is immediatly subjoyned the Father this is not spoken by way of exclusion but inclusion of the Son and the holy Ghost for the Son is in the Father and so is the holy Ghost too All creatures and particularly Idol-Gods are excluded from beeing God for God is opposed to Idols in the later place and I suppose you will not take the Son of God and the holy Ghost to bee Idols Besides the text might have lead you to this construction for it is said Wee have one Lord Jesus Christ will you rashly exclude God the Father from beeing our Lord will you deny that hee hath dominion over us And if the Father bee included in this term Christ is our one Lord why should not the Son bee included in the former one God And as for the other places the works recited there do prove the holy Ghost to bee God the the 3d. Argument followeth Argum 3 Maj Hee that hath the incommunicable properties of God is God Min The holy Ghost hath the incommunicable properties of God Concl Ergò The Major is confessedly true and need 's no proof the Minor is confirmed by a few instances and if it can bee proved that but one of them belong's to him it 's virtually proved true of them all for all are but one in truth and nature and one is all First the holy Ghost is omniscient not onely in that hee lead's his servants into all truth Joh. 16. 13. Esa 40. 13. hee is true the Spirit of Truth and the Fountain of Truth but chiefly is this confirmed because hee searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Corin. 2. 10. which no creature can do Secondly because hee is essentially and powerfully present every where The holy Prophet took this as an undeniable truth Psal 139. 7. Whither shall I flee from thy Spirit This Interrogation as appeareth also by the enumeration of places most distant one from another heaven and hell implieth a peremptory assertion that hee could go no where no not in his thoughts but the Spirit of God was present there and yet is hee not included or circumscribed in any places as bodily creatures or limited as the nature of Angels is Basil de Spir. San. c. 22. Advers This beeing a pinching Argument and easily apprehended to bee very forcible by slender capacities must seemingly bee answered and the wound which his cause receive's thereby must have a skin drawn over it though it is not curable by the art of man Thus hee saith By this reason the devil is omnipresent for hee steal's the Word sowen in a thousand places at once hee dwell's in all wicked men Let them answer to these and then I will tell them how the Spirit though hee is not omnipresent may bee in all the faithful at once Answ 1 First I must tell this Disputant that though hee saith much and enough to prove our assertion yet it is not so full as it ought to bee for the Argument holdeth forth this truth That God's Spirit is not onely in the hearts of his children but there and it is their happiness that hee is essentially there where they shall never bee Hee is every where Answ 2 Secondly I observe that though many lines are penned in answer to the question yet positively doth hee assert nothing at all Hee leave 's us to guess at his meaning to prevent absurdities with which hee might have been pressed if hee had told us how the holy Ghost a creature is in all the faithful and how the chief Devil is in all the wicked now possibly hee hath a starting hole and may say hee hath no such meaning It became a plain dealing man desirous to have the truth revealed to him as hee pretend's to bee to have opened his minde clearly and not to have left the Beader in suspence touching this particular You tell us and this is all you say that what wee can answer against the Omnipresence of the Devil you will apply the same Answer to our Objection And will you so indeed Shew mee then out of the Word of God in any place that the holy Ghost hath his beeing by creätion and not by eternal procession I can plainly prove and this you will not deny that the Devil and his Angels were creäted of God and were good in the instant of their creätion Shew mee out of the Word of God that it is any where thus spoken the holy Ghost and his Angels as it is said expresly the Devil and his Angels Wee read indeed that Michaël and his Angels did fight with the Dragon and his Angels Revel 12. Whosoever is meant by Michaël and there are several interpretations thereof yet none did so much as dream of the holy Ghost whom you make the Prince of Angels Shew mee out of the Word of God that the Devil and his Angels are every where as it is said expresly of the holy Spirit If you mount up into heaven are they there Are they not thrust headlong from thence never to bee re-admitted to the pure and blessed place Are they in the bottom of the sea or in the places of the earth which are not inhabited unless by restraint If in an instant you were placed there you might truly say that you fled from the Devil's presence and could be som where and the Devil not there Shew mee out of the holy Word that inferior good Spirits which as Guardians and Protectors do lead the servants of God into all truth that they do sanctifie them and that in the Scripture phrase they dwell in them and that it is not one onely holy Ghost that doth all these and as you your self contend The Person of the holy Ghost is given together with his gifts Argum. 7. but I can shew you that it is not one individual Devil but they are innumerable principalities and powers against which God's servants must fight as against enemies with whom they must make no peace and which do damnably seduce guid and hold in woful captivitie all sinners A legion of Devils was cast out of one man every one of these wicked Spirits is a Devil a Satan hee is like a similar bodie as a bone every one is a Devil Advers Whereas you object that one lying Spirit seduced four hundred Prophets 1 King 22. 23. and add that there is the same reason of four hundred and four millions To this I say speak out man doth one wicked
for a sin against the servant against a Person inferior to the Son then for a sin against the greater and against his wel-beloved Son And if a man bee not bereft of common sense hee must need 's conclude against this Disputant and therefore since the sin against the holy Ghost is unpardonable but the sin against the Son of God is not unpardonable as the text sheweth it must of necessitie bee yielded that the holy Ghost is God and superior to Christ as hee is man as hee is Mediator Fourthly if the holy Ghost were not God the sin committed against him could not bee the greatest sin Can a sin immediatly committed against a creature bee greater then that which is directly against the Creätor Doth not the greatness of the Person against whom the sin is committed aggravate the offence and make the sin to be so much the more heinous as the Person wronged by it is the greater Is not a sin against God which is a breach of the first Table greater I mean of an equal comparison then a sin against the 2d Table as this sin whereof wee treat must bee if it bee a sin against the creature I deny not but they that sin against a creature do sin against God whose authoritie and law forbidding it are slighted but shall therefore an immediate sin against the workmanship of God bee as you contend the more heinous then that which is against the great God himself I might tell you that you do onely say that this sin through the holy Ghost doth strike at God himself as a superior object thereof You can never prove that this sin is not terminated in the holy Ghost but for Argument sake grant it At the Assises as I remember malefactors are indicted for sinning against our Soveraign Lord and his Laws but is it as great a sin as that which is immediatly against his Majestie Suppose supreme Authority send 's Ambassadors to a forain Prince and they are disgraced and killed 't is your own comparison Argum 4 this redound's I deny not very much to the wrong of the supreme Authority and 't is don and interpreted to bee don to them not for their own but for his sake Suppose again a King should send more honorable Ambassadors then the former as Balak did to Balaam and joyn in commission with them his chief favorites was not the same sin committed against these later servants greater then the former But suppose a King himself should go in his own Person about the same business and they should e-equally contemn him was not the affront now and sin committed of a deeper die Give me leave Christian Reader to endeavor to explicate in as few words as may bee how the sin is said to bee against the holy Ghost It is an undeniable truth that all the actions of the divine Persons those onely excepted which are ad intra of intrinsecal relation are the joynt and undivided works of the three Persons because there is not a multiplied but one divine essence and the unitie of their working depend's on the unitie of the power which is all one with the essence Gregor Nazianz. Orat. de Theolog. Yet the blessed God is described in Scripture by a gracious condescending to our dull capacities which are unable to conceive the distinction of the Persons in the unitie of the God-head but by a distinction of their operations to us-ward and hence it is that the great works of Redemption Creätion and Sanctification are severally attributed to the several Persons not in a way of opposition but distinction which the School-men call Appropriation Thus power is asscribed to the Father because hee is the principle of the Son and of the holy Ghost and therefore because the mightie power of God is manifested by Creätion the Father is frequently stiled the Creätor Wisedom is asscribed to the Son of God because hee is termed conceptus Sapientiae hence is it that Redemption wherein the manifold wisedom of God is seen is appropriated to the Son hee is called Redeemer Goodness is asscribed to the holy Ghost because hee proceed's from the Father and the Son per modum amoris hence the good things of God which are communicated to us are appropriated to him hee is called our Sanctifier And for the same reason are sins thus distinguished there is a sin of Frailtiness and that is said to bee against the Father who is Power there is a sin of Ignorance and that is said to bee against the Son who is the Wisedom of God and there is a sin of Wilfulness and Malice and that is said to bee against the holy Ghost who is Goodness Bonav p. 1. Quaest 39. Art 8. This is a reason why this sin is unpardonable it 's a sin by appropriation both against his Person and his Gifts 't is not a sin of weakness nor a sin of ignorance no nor every gross sin against knowledg no nor every apostasie from the truth against the known truth for som may fall away either out of fear of the loss of their goods or lives or for preferment nor a few of this kinde have bewailed their follies have obtained pardon and proved glorious Martyrs but this is a sin wittingly and willingly and out of cankred malice committed against God the Father Son and a I said by appropriation against God the holy Ghost and his great work in their hearts and whereby they offer contumelie and despite to the Spirit of Grace and so will hee never give them the grace to repent Adver You say that God useth the Spirit but onely in things of greatest importance By this your saying you give your Reader a hint to suspect that you think every sin committed against God's Spirit is that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost Speak out is not this your meaning if not so to what purpose should you say God never useth the Spirit but in matters of greatest importance If so I demand then who can be saved For every good man grieveth the blessed Spirit and sinneth against him I add this your Conclusion is such a Paradox which hath searce dropped from the pen of any Christian man You think belike that the Spirit is like to Arch-angels which are said to preside over Kingdoms and great Personages onely but the care of singular mean persons is under God committed to the Angels You think it seem's the Spirit work 's not but to bring forth a male-childe of whom the woman hath been long in travel to bee delivered for whom the Church hath sighed much and made many prayers to God to give her a Christian orthodoxal King or Emperor or to divert the rage of the persecutors of the Saints and to procure rest to the Church to raise up men of heroical spirits and parts to reform the Church or such like Belike then they that have but one talent or two talents or mean men which have but a low degree of sanctifying graces are not
beholding to the Spirit for them God never sent his blessed Spirit to them how false and unsavory this expression is who seeth not And the follie thereof shall bee fully disproved in the next Reason When you wrote this you were half asleep or if deliberatly I will bee bold to say That your Sophistrie hath the upper hand of your Divinitie 5 Argum. Maj. Hee that produceth those works which God alone produceth is God Min. The holy Ghost doth so Concl. Ergò The Major is plain the Minor is proved by particular instances 1 Hee that create's the world is God The holy Ghost create's the world Ergò the holy Ghost is God The Major is proved both by Reason and Scripture First by Reason because to create is to make somthing of nothing or of that which to such a purpose is as good as nothing and this require's an infinite power which cannot no not by the absolute power of God bee communicated to a creature and by Scripture every where Gen. 1. 1. Jer. 10. 11. The true God the living God the everlasting God hath made the Earth the Heavens the Seas and the Fountains of water Apoc. 14. 7. The Minor is proved by Scripture the first verse in the Bible Elohim creäted Heaven and Earth and after in the same Chap. ver 26. Let Vs make man after Our Image hence it is said in the Original Where is God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my Makers and Psal 149. 2. Let Israël rejoyce in him that made him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Makers which denote's the Trinitie of the Persons More distinctly Psal 33. 6. By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the Spirit of his mouth that is God the Father by his Word i. e. his Wisedom which is Christ and by his Virtue which is the holy Ghost hath made all things and these three are but one God More clearly Psal 104. 30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit and they are creäted The Prophet sheweth how the orderly course of the creatures is wisely disposed off and the Antithesis betwixt the Spirits i. e. souls of the creatures which die and the Spirit of God which creäte's and renewe's them So Elihu in Job The Spirit of God hath made mee and the breath of the Lord hath given mee life Job 35. 10. And 't is said touching our Savior That which is conceived of Marie is of the holy Ghost creäting the body by his omnipotent power of the substance of the Virgin Marie in a way unheard off from the begining of the world and his soul immediatly of nothing 2 Hee that support's and uphold's all the creatures in their beeing is God The holy Ghost doth so Ergò The Major is confirmed because preservation of the creatures is a work equivalent to creätion and 't is rightly called a continued creätion hence is the Lord described to bee a God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the present stretching out the heavens Esa 40. 22. All means under the Sun are but dead instruments without God To bee of himself is proper to the Lord and incommunicable to any creature hence is it as Glass observe's Orat. de Hebr. lin Necess that the Lord is called Adonai of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee is the basis and the prop to uphold all the creatures in the world they all depend on him as artificial works do on natural substances What can a Carpenter do without wood What can a Mason do without stones Yea as the light in the aire depend's on the bodie of the Sun wee live and move and have our â—eeinâ— in God Acts 17. 28. The Minor is confirmed not onely because the holy Ghost is Adoâ—ai as is shewed in the first Reason but because this is particularly affirmed of one work and in paritie of reason it hold's true in all the rest Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God is said to move upon the face of the waters By the Spirit of God cannot bee meant the winde which is the moving of the air for there was no distinction of things below in the first day they were a confused mass without form and without any virtue or efficacie Nor could the air of winde if there had been any such creature at that time have had the cherishing effect which is there asscribed to the Spirit wee are then to understand no creäted Spirit but the Creätor and Cherisher of all The Lord would teach us that this confused lump of the Elements creäted in the begining could not consist of it self but as it was necessarie it should have a Creätor for its beeing so likewise that it should have a Protector a Conservator and a Quickner for the continuance of the same and the Spirit that upheld this mass was the Spirit of God The word used by the Spirit is very emphatical 't is a Metaphor taken from Birds which do sit upon their eggs wave over them to bring forth their young ones or â—o cherish them beeing hatched Deut. 32. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deuter. the Lord protected his Children as the Bird doth her young ones and brought them out of Egypt as hee did a beautiful world out of the Chaos so that in this place of Genesis is set forth the effectual comfortable motion of the Spirit on the indigested Chaos whereby hee sustained and as it were cherished that vast creature I might shew that this is not a singular exposition devised of late daies but asserted by many ancient Fathers yea and by som ancient Rabbins as P. Galatm l. 2. and H. Ainsworth on this text do witness but I omit them Hee that truly and properly work 's miracles is God The holy Ghost doth so Ergò The Major is proved even by one of the words which is used for a miracle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which like a beautiful creature hath an allureing nature to drawmen to beleeve in God and to obey him Ainsworth on Exod. 7. 9. Or as Schindler of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it demâ—nstrat's the truth and is as a divine seal thereof not imprinted in wax which will soon wear out but engraven as it were in brass and so is an indeleble Character Hereby did our Savior prove that hee was God Matth. 9. 5. as if hee had said it 's the same divine power to forgive sins and work miracles The Lord alone doth wondrous works Psal 78. 18. Somtimes hee work 's them for the prayers of his servants as hee did at and for the prayers of Elias 1 King 18. Somtimes by divine instinct and inspiration and then is the miracle said to be a miracle ex potestate Josuah said Sun stand thou still in the firmament And Peter to Aeneas Arise and this is a work so peculiar to God that the great School-man Aquin. cap. 2. quaest 14. 8. art 1. concludeth that that it cannot bee communicated to a creature no not to the
humane nature of Christ as properly and originally wrought by it The Deitie shined with miracles and the Humanitie was exposed to injuries The Minor is proved by the words of our Savior Luke 11. 20. Christ cast's out devils by the finger of God Hee hath reference as is probable to Exod. 8. 19. The Magicians of Pharaoh acknowledged that the miracle of â—ice was wrought by the finger of God the holding up of the singer argue's power and authoritie and is a kinde of threatning to desist from evil and this text is expounded in S. Matth. 12. 28. Christ cast's out devils by the Spirit of God and yet more plainly if any thing can bee more plain there is no servant of God which God hath graced with this honor to bee an instrument of working miracles But it is the blessed Spirit that give 's this gift unto them 1 Cor. 12. 10. 4 Hee that inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles and infallibly guided the Penners of the holy Scripture is God The holy Ghost hath don both these Ergò hee is God The Major is clear by Scripture Luke 1. 70. God spake by the mouth not of som but of all the Prophets since the world began and the whole Scripture and every clause of Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given by divine inspiration hence is it that the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is called the Word of God and to bee esteemed of us as if it had been written with Gods own hand as the Decalogue was it is chirographum Dei as Austin elegantly a writing under God's own hand The Minor is proved by evident Scripture Prophesies of old time saith S. Peter came not by the will of man but the Prophets spoke as they were moved both for the matter and the words by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. The Spirit which began by inspiration sat still moving on those soul-refreshing waters sweetly and wisely assisting his Pen-men according to their several stiles till there was a perfect production till the Canon of the Scripture was completed And this is further proved in that what God is said to speak in the old Testament to David to Esay c. that in the new which is a commentary of much in the old is asscribed to the holy Ghost Heb. 3. 7. Act. 28. 25. and in many other places Well said the holy Ghost by Esaias to your Fathers Ergò I conclude the holy Ghost is God Hee that rule 's and govern's the Church by his absolute power is God The holy Ghost doth so Ergo. The Major is plain and cannot with any color of reason bee denied for the Church is the Church of God Acts 20. 28. his own enclosure from the commons of the world and one inferior to God cannot by his absolute power govern it it is God's own propertie and peculiar not to bee claimed by any creature to command by his own authority over the whole Church The Minor is evidently proved by Scripture the holy Ghost instruct's Peter remove's his scruples and laie's a charge upon him Arise get thee down and go to Cornelius with the Messengers doubting nothing for I have sent them Act. 10. 20. Is this a language beseeming a creature Will a creature speak thus with authority a holy creature Acts 13. 2. Separate to or for mee Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them Hath any creature a good creature the boldness thus imperiously to command in God's house Certainly this is the voice of God and not of an Angel Consonant hereto is that profession of the holy Assemblie at Jerusalem Acts 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to Vs that is to us inspired by the holy Ghost Had this happy societie of Saints consulting for the rest and peace of the Church and by the blessing of the Lord making a happy conclusion most sutable to the state and condition of those times forgotten to acknowledg God the Author and resolve finally this great work into a creature's inspiration Lastly to name no more Acts 20. 28. Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers Words very emphatical belonging to the great God but too high to bee attributed to any creature Argum. 6 Hee that doth what hee will and disposeth his gifts as hee himself pleaseth is God The holy Ghost doth so Ergò The Major is plain our God is in the heavens and hee hath don whatsoever hee pleaseth Psal 115. 3. It 's blasphemie to conceive that God should bee like som Kings of Egypt which seem's to bee intimated by that speech of Pharaoh to Joseph and is asserted of these Caliphs in later times that they committed the whole Government of their Kingdom to their Vice-roys according to whose word and commandment all the people were ruled Gen. 41. 40. And they in the mean time enjoy themselvs and meddle not with the administration of the Kingdom Let Christians abhor such cogitations and firmly beleeve that there is nothing at all don by the creature but the Lord is the first efficient cause thereof and produceth it immediatly immediatione suppositi for hee is every where and immediatione virtutis suae infinitae Greg. de Val. tom 1. d. 8. q. 1. p. 2. And our Bradwardine laie's down these three Conclusions and prove's them First no creature at all can work without God Secondly no creature can make any thing at all unless God by himself and immediatly doth make the same thing Thirdly yea more immediatly then doth any working creature de causa Dei lib. 1. cap. 3. I may further confirm this Proposition by your own Arguments God give 's all things to all Argum. 5. And it is God that hath the power and disposition of all things Argum. 7. The Minor is confirmed Hebr. 2. 4. where the Apostle teacheth that several gifts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 distributions and parting of his gifts severally to men are according to his pleasure And 1 Cor. 12. 11. hee divide's not to som only but to every man as hee pleaseth all gifts not onely the greatest most admirable gifts but those also of the middle sort yea and the meanest are the gifts of the Spirit hee worketh all in all Heathens sottishly asscribed several gifts to several gods som to Jupiter som to Apollo Mercurie som to Juno Diana but wee have been better taught then so to asscribe all to God the holy Ghost who give 's all to all Whereby this Author is confuted who affirmeth in answer to Mat. 12. 31. the acts of the Spirit his ministrie is not used but in things of the greatest importance Seventhly I add another Argument as a choice specialtie under the general concluded in the former Argument Hee that is the Author of saving Graces is God The holie Ghost is the Author of saving Graces Ergò The Major is proved because conversion and regeneration not to spend time in runing
through particulars sanctification is Gods alone work None can wash away the filthiness of the minde but hee that made the minde Optat. Mil. l. 5. The Heathen shall know that the Lord doth sanctifie Israël Ezek. 37. 28. And is not this state compared to the raising up of the dead to life and to a new creätion Is not grace of a supernatural order and by it the Saints do regularly move to a supernatural end Every one of these of necessity require's the powerful work of a supreme Agent A creature hath no more power to make a Saint of a sinner then hee hath to make of a vile lump of earth a glorious star in heaven The Minor is proved hee is called the holy Ghost because holiness is from him per modum principii inhaerentis assistentis 1 Pet. 12. called the Spirit of holiness Rom. 1. 4. and wee are said to bee regenerated by the holy Ghost Joh. 3. 5. renewed by the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. to bee washed and sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. As there is but one soul in a man which quicken's all the members of the natural bodie so is there but onely one holy Ghost which animate's all the mystical members of Jesus Christ and as Christ our head was conceived by the holy Ghost so the mystical bodie is conceived by the Spirit of God Every Christian as hee is a Christian hath his conception and new birth by the holy Ghost I might shew this at large in the particular graces which are sanctifying a catalogue of many of them wee read Gal. 5. 22. and it is as true of the rest which are not there recited they are all of them the fruit of the Spirit The Arguments which I have already recited will I hope and conceive give ample satisfaction to the Christian Reader there remaineth another grounded on the Word of God to prove the Deitie of the holy Ghost which I will set down not onely because many eminent Protestants and men of note of the Church of Rome do relie on it but because the Adversarie hath upon som plausible pretences excepted against it I am perswaded that there is scarce a good cause maintained but it is proved by som weak and false mediums It is acknowledged by Mel. Canus and 't is not contradicted by any loc l. 6. c. ult that not onely sacred Synods but the Popes themselves may thus err som of whose proofs may bee so far from beeing necessarie that they are not fit nor probable to conclude infallible cathedral definitions of Faith If then this Argument which is in the rere and hind-most should bee cut off as the faint and feeble Israëlites were by the Amalekites Deut. 25. 18. yet even then were the people of God victorious over their enemies so do not I doubt albeit this Argument should bee unproper I do not say it is but if it could bee demonstrated to bee so but som of the former if not all are unanswerable and like invincible fortresses which cannot bee surprised Thus I frame the Argument Argum. 8 Hee that is a heavenly witness and one in nature with God the Father is God The holy Ghost is so Ergò The Major is evident of it self and not contradicted by the Adversarie the reason why I onely name God the Father and not God the Son is because Mr Bidle will not yeild that the Word is God The Minor is proved by those words of S. John 1 Epist chap. 5. ver 7. There are three that bear witness in heaven the Father the Word and the holy Ghost and these three are one an express place one would think for the distinction of three Persons and the Unitie of nature in the blessed Trinitie I do take for granted that the Person to whom this witness is given is that Jesus is the Son of God the Messiah The heavenly witnesses which give testimonie hereof are three the Father at his Baptism speaking from heaven This is my beloved Son The Son called the Word for three reasons The Son of God who is called the Word either because hee is the Person on whom the promises of God do run God the Father promised him so Beza or because hee reveale's the secret counsel of God touching our salvation as wee by our words do open the meaning of our mindes to others or because in a divine eminent and ineffable manner is expressed to us by a term agreeable to our capacitie that the Son of God so is and was from everlasting from God the Father as our first act and conceit which is our internal and mental Word is and issueth out of our understanding For these or som other reasons it is that the Son of God is called the Word and hee bear's record to himself that hee is the Messiah partly by his works Joh. 4. 26. partly by his Doctrine Joh. 5. 18. Joh. 6. 29. 6. 37 46. partly by bis miracles Joh. 10. 25. The holy Ghost bare record of him at his Baptism when hee in a visible shape asscended from heaven and alighted on him I argue from this text This is hinted from this text because the holy Ghost is joyned with God the Father in giving witness which is all one upon supposition that hee is a creature as to add a drop to the Ocean It is true that the Spirit is joyned with the creatures somtimes in witness bearing But Acts 15. 28. Rom. 8. speaking by his Prophets but those very texts do strengthen our faith touching the Deitie of the holy Ghost For the further confirmation let it bee considered that all the creatures were made by J. Christ and nothing was made without him It is never spoken in the Scripture that the holy Ghost was made by him Colos 1. 16. all things in heaven and in earth visible and invisible were creäted by him and it is there added for illustration that thrones dominations principalities and powers were creäted by him The holy Ghost had hee been a creature and the chief of all the creatures would not have been omitted but by name expressed the holy Ghost principalities powers c. The Reader if hee please may see more proofs of this point in the Answer to the 8th Argument These three do bear witness in heaven the meaning is not as if the place where this record was given is in heaven or to the heavenly Inhabitants but this is a record to men on earth nor is it a testimonie which is given by the Angels hence I draw a second Argument If by the holy Ghost was not meant a divine testimonie or the testimonie of God himself then there are not onely three which bear witness in heaven as the text hold's forth and must bee verified of three but there are many more that witness Jesus is the Messiah Before his birth to Joseph Mat. 1. 20. After his birth to the Shepherds Luke 1. 10. And a multitude of the heavenly host praising
God for this Messiah Glorie bee to God on high ver 13. At his resurrection to those that guarded the Sepulchre Matth. 28. 3 4. and to holy women ver 5. At his Asscension to the Disciples Acts 1. 10 11. and many the like These three saith the text are one these words afford another Argument To say nothing that if they had not intended unitie in nature but consent in witness bearing there was no necessitie of them and the former words would have carried that sense There are three that bear witness the Father the Son and the holy Ghost that Jesus is the Son of God In this record they all agree but because additions in Scripture are many times for explication or other purposes I add another ground The holy Ghost varying his language in this and the next verse saying in this verse that these are one and not as in the next verse that they do agree in one doth not this lead us by perpending the different language to a different interpretation of the words And to a more intimate an essential unitie in the former which as the phrase and common reason impart cannot agree to the later Advers To this the Adversarie take's a double exception First out of Beza that the Complutensian Bible prefixeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to both verses and the sense is the same in sense as appear's Matth. 19. 5 6. and ought to bee rendred alike in both verses Answ 1 To the first I answer Why should not wee rather think there might bee an addition in one Bible then an omission of any word which com's from God in all the rest that which is superfluous and not agreeable to the minde of God fully in the one must bee razed out by the concurrent testimonie of other Copies Answ 2 To the second I answer That you pour out Oracles and say the later is after the Hebrew idiome the former according to the ordinary phrase and tell us very magisterially both ought to bee rendred alike and yet you do not acquaint us how they ought to bee rendred and for your parallel place in Matth. 19. 5 6. to that I answer four things First albeit our English phrase is one in both yet the exact Translations in Latine are not the same in both places they religiously do in their Translations follow the Original in unam carnem or two shall bee in unâ carne Nor secondly is it so unanimously agreed on that the sense is one and the same in both places for the fifth verse may note out their state and condition before Marriage and the sixth verse after Matrimonie then are they one flesh and so this later will bee a consequent of the former Thirdly there is not the like reason betwixt these two texts for I need not say Ask the Scriptures ask the Learned but ask a very childe and hee will tell you that man and wife are two distinct and separated persons which may bee at a great distance in regard of place and likewise in regard of affection and none are so simple to think when man and wife are one flesh that they are one numerical and individual flesh But now ask the Scriptures and ask the Learned men and they will tell you that these three are one in nature and one in essence Lastly there is not a paritie because in Matthew there are the same subject persons meant in both verses but it is not so in John 7. 8. and therefore albeit in sense the verses there did intend one thing and no danger of translating both alike yet here in regard of this difference the case is altered thus then as you see besides the letter of the text there are many Arguments deduced from it which is not ordinary in other Scriptures to prove controverted points which do evidence this blessed truth The holy Spirit is God Advers It would have been hard if not impossible if men had not been pre-corrupted that it should ever com into any one's head to imagine that this phrase three are one did signifie have one essence for it is contrarie to common sense and to other places of Scripture wherein this kinde of speech perpetually signifie's an union in consent and agreement six times thus John 17. but never an union in essence Answ 1 To the first I answer That if I took any pleasure in invectives which I conceive never did any good you have ministred an opportune occasion for the dipping of my pen in gall but here and throughout my Book I have satisfied your desire I do forbear railings and reproachful terms and I onely say Christian Reader behold the Spirit of the man Answ 2 To the second whereas you say that our exposition is against common sense I say you write as if you were in a dream Cannot two bee one in essence That neer and intimate oneness that is betwixt the husband and the wife that neerness in consent doth necessarily presuppose the unitie of nature the same specifical though not the same individual nature and that oneness betwixt Christ and Christians The head and the members doth likewise necessarily presuppose the unitie of nature betwixt them both Heb. 2. 14. wee have flesh and blood and so hath Christ likewise took part of the same and hee took on him the seed of Abraham and well is it said in the Confession of Faith in the Synod of Chalcedon Christ is coëssential to his Father according to his Divinitie and hee is coëssential to us according to his Humanitie Is not water in the fountain in the river and that which is conveighed by pipes to houses one in essence Is not the light in the heavens in the air and in our houses one and the same beeing Answ 3 To the third I grant that unitie in consent is meant in part but this unitie of consent is in regard of the unitie of the divine operation and the unitie of divine operation argue's the unitie of the divine Essence I grant many things are said to bee one secundùm quid for as many consentanie Arguments as there bee of the first kinde and as many as there bee of the second kinde which do arise of the first orta Argumenta so many fountains there bee of unitie identitie and oneness There are som that are one as touching their understanding will work 's naturally one as all men are partakers of humane nature morally one as loving friends corporally one as husband and wife and spiritually one as Christ and Christians are No question of any of these but will it follow from hence that there is no other kinde of unitie an unitie simply more neer then any of the former You tell us to bee one is never taken to denote a union in essence Not to repeat what I have formerly written I say this is boldly spoken and contradicted by our blessed Savior John 10. 29. I and the Father saith hee are one how one In the former verses hee require's
Lord yet are there not three Lords but one Lord saith the Athanasian Creed I am the Lord and there is none else there is no God besides mee and it shall bee known from East to West that there is none besides mee and there is none else Isa 45. 5 6. ARGUMENT 3. 3 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that speaketh not of himself is not God The holy Spirit speaketh not of himself Ergò The Minor is clear from John 16. 13. The Major is proved thus God speaketh of himself therefore if there bee any one that speaketh not of himself hee is not God The antecedent is of it self apparant for God is the primarie Author of whatsoever hee doth but should hee not speak of himself hee must speak from another and so not bee the primarie but secondarie author of his speech which is absurd if at least that may bee called absurd which is impossible The consequence is undeniable For further confirmation of this Argument it is to bee observed that to speak or to do any thing not if himself according to the ordinarie phrase of Scripture is to speak or do by the shewing teaching commanding authorising or enabling of another and consequently incompatible with the supreme and self-sufficient Majestie of God Vid. John 5. 19 20 30. ch 7. v. 15 16 17 18 28. ch 8. v. 28. 42. ch 11. v. 50 51. ch 12. v. 49. 50. ch 14. v. 10 24. ch 15. 4. ch 18. 34. Luke 12. 56 57. ch 21. 30. 2 Cor. 3. 5. ANSWER Answ Hee that speaketh not of himself say you is not God I denie this your Major Proposition for though in a sense the Spirit of God speaketh not of himself yet is hee truly and properly God nor will I content my self with a bare denial of it which is enough for an Answerer but I will give you the reason hereof nor need I go far for a proof this Verse in John alledged by you might have taught you this truth for the person here is called by an excellencie the Spirit of truth and which lead's the Apostles and the Faithful into all truth the heavenly truth of eternal salvation This leading into truth is all one for substance with that translation of others shall teach you all truth And that which is in the Hebrew Psal 86. 11. lead mee thy way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuag render it with the same word which the Evangelist useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now this is properly a work of the great God and that which was long before fore-told They shall bee all taught of God John 5. 45. Can any thing bee more plainly spoken It is not denied but one man is said to bee a teacher of others Matth. 28. Go and teach all Nations And this is don two waies principally if not onely vel proponendo auxilia Aq. 1. 117. q. either by proposing to scholars general helps whereby the scholar is led as it were by the hand to the knowledg of unknown truths as by general rules sensible examples lively similitudes and such like to help the understanding or else by strengthning the understanding of the learner by shewing him how hee should deduce conclusions from principles but when a creature hath don all that hee can to the utmost of his power hee cannot infuse light into his scholars and elevate their minds to apprehend divine truth Let the Sun shine never so bright yet a blind man cannot see it and wee are taught to call no man Master on earth Mat. 23. So God alone is the fountain of illumination hee sitteth in his chair in heaven who teacheth our hearts on earth Object Besides if wee consider the condition of the Apostles to speak onely of them though they bee not the onely persons on whom that promise run's they were to bee dispest over all the known Regions of the world and if so how should a creature bee with them all as you do hold the holy Ghost to bee and assist all their mouths and pens infallibly in every place Sol. Surely to do so require's not onely celeritie but ubiquitie which is a propertie of the true God but incompatible to the condition of a creature which is finite as in essence so likewise in place and operation Nor will that shift serve the turn which is used by this Author in answer as hee saith to that grand Objection touching the Omnipresence of the holy Ghost by comparing this with the Parable of the Sower where Satan is said to snatch the Word of the hearts of hearers in ten thousand places at once for this is fallacia non parium The holy Ghost which dwell's in all the godly and leadeth them into all truth is one individual Spirit but it neither is nor possibly can bee one individual Devil which acteth his wickedness in all the wicked ones at once for there are millions of them dispersed every where in this lower Region of the world full of malice and policie to do mischief and every one of them is a Satan Wee read of the Devil and his Angels but you do not read of the holy Ghost and his Angels though I grant they are his Angels as creäted and commanded by him but not so as the Devil's Angels are his as a superior creature having rule over fellow-creatures I will once again propound your Major Hee that speaketh not of himself is not God This Proposition is not universally true I grant in this sense it is true hee that speaketh not of himself but what hee learn's by revelation and in time and what hee did not know from all eternitie hee is not God but such a kinde of hearing from another hath no place in the holy Ghost and therefore the Proposition if it bee taken generally is denied and the reason of my denying it is this because it is a propertie of the Father as to bee of and from himself the Fountain and the Principle as Divines do usually speak though not properly the cause of the Son of God and of the holy Ghost for then they should bee effects which sound 's harshly the Father is I say of himself and communicate's the Essence and the essential properties to the Son and both Father and Son to the holy Ghost who is eternal infinite omnipotent and omnipresent Our learned Junius hath observed a three-fold consideration of a Person one common in essence as the Person is God the second consideration as it is singular and absolute in Person as saith hee it subsist's in the unitie of the Essence the third is relative in the distinction and order of one Person to another contra Bellar. Controv. 2. l. 1. Praefat. let the Learned judg of these the last is to my purpose Now as the Persons do differ in the manner and order of subsisting so likewise though the outward action bee the same and common to all the Persons yet in the manner of working wee must conceive a difference Give mee leave to clear this
received truth by solving the strongest Objections which are framed against it Objection 1 Neither the Father nor the holy Ghost but onely the Son of God did assume our nature and this is an outward work to this it is answered that onely the Son of God became man yet the whole Trinitie did frame and work to the assumption of the humane nature illustrated thus Three do weave cloth to bee worn of one of them onely inchoativè it belonged to all the Persons terminativè it was personal and proper to the Son of God Objection 2 If it bee said onely the Father spoke from heaven This is my welbeloved Son so it is said not because all the Persons did not frame that voice but because the words were uttered in his Person the Father alone is said to speak those words because they related to the Son of God the thing signified did alone appertain to the Person of the Father nor is this rule crossed by the apparition of a Dove Objection 3 The holy Ghost alone descended and appeared to the Apostles in fiery cloven tongues because those visible Symbols did onely signifie the Person of the holy Ghost which the three Persons by one undivided operation did produce Mark then albeit the work bee the same and 't is from all the Persons yet is there a difference in the manner of working the Father and the Son as they are the Fountain of the Person of the holy Ghost so likewise are they the Fountain of the operations of the holy Ghost When wee read this expression then the holy Ghost speak's not of himself wee must not conceive that phrase to import any diminution of the Majestie of the holy Ghost nor doth it implie that hee is not God that hee is inferior to the first Person of the Trinitie hereby our Savior would teach the Disciples for they are his own words in John that they should not think the holy Ghost to bee greater then the Son of God albeit his works in the hearts of his Apostles should bee greater then those which hee whiles hee visibly conversed with them had wrought in them Nor should they think that the holy Ghost should bring any new Doctrine but the truths taught by him are the truths of God the Father there is a plenary consent of the Doctrine of the holy Ghost and of God the Father that which the holy Ghost speak's from the Father hee had not in time but by eternal procession from the Father and the Son of God There is no diversitie at all in the work in it self considered but the order of externally working answer's to the order of the divine Persons thus is the holy Ghost said not to work from himself but from the Father and Son By this which hath been spoken his reasons are already answered yet a word of them Advers God speak's of himself The holy Ghost speak's not of himself Ergò hee is not God Answ There is nothing but homonymies in both Propositions but I answer to this Objection God essentially taken speak's of himself and thus the holy Ghost as hee is God speak's of and from himself but if you take it thus by a reduplication of the Subject by a specificative limitation the holy Ghost as the holy Ghost is not of himself in regard of his Person but from the Father and the Son and in this regard speak's not from himself yet is a holy true God blessed for ever Advers If God say you speaketh not from himself hee should not bee the primary Author of his speech but the secondary and this is absurd impossible Answ I deny the consequence which is true when wee speak of causes subordinate to superior causes or of instrumental causes but the holy Ghost is not an instrument either separate from or conjunct with the first Person Hee is not inferior in dignitie or power to God the Father and God the Son for there is but one divine Essence subsisting in the three Persons which are not the subject of the Deitie for they are one God in Essence and so the prioritie of the first Person is in regard of the order of working without inferioritie in the third Person whether wee regard the Persons relatively and considered or the work produced by them It is needless for mee to spend time in examining the many particular places alledged by him for som of them do directly speak of the creatures and those are impertinent for what call you this The holy Ghost that speak's not from himself is not God why Because the same phrase is used of a creature or else they speak of Christ as God and then they are already answered I add that som of those expressions are so far from proving Christ not to bee God that they do strongly evince the Deitie of the Son of God I conclude in S. Austin's words Whatsoever the Father is as hee is God as hee is a substance as hee is eternitie the same is the Son of God and the holy Ghost If you will say What riddles are these I answer How litle is it that wee conceive of God Wee can have better apprehensions of God then wee can make expressions of him and hee is transcendently above both our apprehensions and expressions of him ARGUMENT 4. 4 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that heareth from another what hee shall speak is not God The holy Spirit doth so Ergò The Minor is plain from the fore-cited place John 16. 13. The Major is proved thus Hee that is taught is not God Hee that heareth from another what hee shall speak is taught Ergò The Major is clear by Esay 40. 13 14. compared with Rom. 11. 34. 1 Cor. 2. 16. The Minor is evidenced by John 8. where our Savior having said in the 26. verse Whatsoever I have heard from him the Father these things I speak In the 28. verse hee expresseth the same sense thus According as the Father hath taught mee these things I speak Neither let any man go about to elude so pregnant an Argument by saying that this is spoken of the holy Spirit improperly for let him turn himself every way and scrue the words as hee please yet shall hee never bee able to make it out to a wise and considering man how it can possibly bee said that any one heareth from another what hee will speak who is the prime Author of his speech and into whom it is not at a certain time insinuated by another For this expression plainly intimateth that whatsoever the holy Spirit speaketh to the Disciples is first discovered and committed to him by Christ whose Embassador hee is it being proper to an Embassador to bee the Interpreter not of his own but of anothers will But it is contradictious to imagine that the most high God can have any thing discovered and committed to him by another ANSWER Answ I answer first in general by distinguishing of this word hearing which is the basis and ground
of your Argument and then will particularly applie it Somtimes the Superior heareth the Inferior thus God is frequently said to hear the praiers of his servants made in faith Somtimes the Inferior hear's the Superior and that is don many waies not onely by his bodily ears but by understanding what formerly was not known or when the judgment is more perfectly informed in a point before not fully known or beleeving what till that voice came was not beleeved or hearkning to the counsell or obeying the will and pleasure of God Somtimes an equall hear's an equall as common experience shew's If wee speak of the first acceptation God's hearing us and answering of us according to the tenor of our praiers then I appeal to your judgment and you must needs give sentence against your self that in this sense your Major is false If you speak of hearing in the second sense I grant your Major is true because so to hear argueth ignorance in whole or in part forgetfulness dulness slackness or plain neglect if not contempt of dutie which wee do all confess are inconsistent with the infinite knowledg and transcendent excellencie of the great God If you take it in the third sense an equal hearing an equal then I denie your Major for God the holy Ghost which heareth from God the Son is equal to him Advers The Minor say you is proved John 16. 13. Answ My answer is by advising that the words of the text may bee well observed the words run not thus Whatsoever the Spirit knoweth hee will speak but whatsoever hee heareth and this is likewise spoken of Christ John 8. 26. and 15. 16. Obj. This is not to bee understood as if the holy Ghost did hear any thing corporally and thus is hearing properly taken and for such a hearing I suppose you will not contend Sol. Nor secondly is it to bee taken of hearing viz. by revelation by which hearing hee should learn that which formerly hee knew not It 's indeed spoken that hee was that hee is and that hee shall bee if it had been onely said hee was one might have conceived that now hee is not If it had been said hee is onely it might have been thought that hee had not been alwaies If it had been onely said hee shall bee it might bee thought hee is not now Time past present and to come are asscribed to God yet not as to men to denote a beginning continuance and end of time for actions are said to have been which now are not and that they shall bee which now have no existence at all but when they are spoken of God there is no limitation of time at all God so hath been that hee is and shall bee hee shall bee yet so that hee is and hath been and this is to bee applied likewise to the hearing of the holy Ghost Hee hath alwaies heard and hee doth hear And in the future time it 's said in this place hee shall hear This hearing saith S. Austin Tractat. 99. in Joan. is everlasting Hee hath known hee doth know and hee will know His hearing is his knowing and his knowing is his beeing hee hath heard from him hee doth hear from him and hee will hear from him from whom hee proceed's so Austin And hee cal's the opening of this text John 16. arduam nimis arduam quaestionem This bee spoken to prevent that scruple in that it is said Hee shall hear Som of ours clear the words thus Whatsoever the holy Ghost shall hear that shall hee speak which import's thus much those things which the Father will have revealed to us those things and no other will hee reveal to us the truths which the Spirit shall reveal to us are truths received from God the Father the Spirit feign's nothing hee alter's nothing hee pervert's nothing The paraphrase of the text in the former Argument will dispell the foggie mists of this reason Advers The Major saith hee is proved thus Hee that is taught is not God Hee that heareth from another what hee shall speak is taught The Major is proved Esa 40. 13 14. Answ 1 To this I answer if you had not been infatuated you would have omitted that text in Esay for it directly overthroweth your assertion and expresly teacheth us that none have taught the Spirit of God But I answer Secondly hee that is taught properly that is learn's what hee formerly knew not is not God I readily assent for God's knowledg is infinite and cannot bee increased But how can you prove that the holy Ghost is taught by comparing say you John 8. 26 28 together Christ is taught by hearing This is but a very weak bul-rush it hath no strength at all in it This must needs bee your consequence in som places of Scripture and not onely so but even in common reason hee that heareth is taught therefore must it needs bee so taken John 16. 13. Is not this a wild inference That Scripture John 8. 26 28. speaketh not of the holy Ghost but expresly of Christ and then it must bee spoken of him either as God or Mediator man If in the former way then the text furthereth not but marreth your Argument if in the later then it is unfitly alledged for albeit a creäted substance by hearing another may properly bee taught yet far bee it from us to conceive that the Creätor the supreme God can learn what hee knew not Advers But saith hee let a man turn himself every way yet shall hee never bee able to make it out to a wise man that any can hear from another what hee will speak who is the prime Author of his speech Answ Well I see M. Bidle is a wise man in his own eies and all Christian men in the world besides himself and a handful of seduced ones are no better then fools but if hee had well perpended that text quoted by himself out of Esa 40. 13 14 15. hee would not have concluded the great God the three sacred Persons which are one Almightie God within the shallow compass of his brains I perceive hee is alwaies wrapped in the briars and cannot possibly extricate himself because hee apprehendeth not the meaning of that common distinction of God the holy Ghost as God for in this respect hee hath infinite knowledg of himself and of God the holy Ghost as hee is the holy Ghost for so doth hee receive knowledg and wisdom from God the Father and God the Son yet I pray let this bee remembred so as hee was never ignorant and life yet so as hee never wanted life and power yet so as hee was never weak because these persons communicating essence to the holy Ghost did communicate life power and knowledg So that the holy Ghost hath knowledg not by learning but by proceeding and all the creatures which hear and are taught they are taught by the holy Ghost And whereas hee illustrate's as hee think's his Assertion by a comparison taken from
Ambassadors which speak according to the will of the Prince that send 's them To this I say there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vast differences betwixt the holy Ghost and an Ambassador An Ambassador as such at least in this imploiment is a servant and a subject to his Prince inferior to him commanded by him personally separated from him capable of new instructions to be imparted in his name to forain Princes in his absence but none of these do belong or can possibly bee applied to the holy Ghost as hee is sent from the Father and Son ARGUMENT 5. 5 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that receiveth of another is not God The holy Spirit doth so Ergò The Minor is witnessed by the aforesaid place John 16. 14. The Major is proved thus God is hee that giveth all things to all wherefore if there bee any one that receiveth of anothers hee cannot bee God The antecedent is plain by Acts 17. 25. Rom. 11. 35 36. The consequence is undeniable for if God should give all things to all and yet receive of anothers Hee would both give all things and not give all things which implieth a contradiction The Major of the Prosyllogism is otherwise urged thus Hee that is dependent is not God Hee that receiveth of anothers is dependent Ergò The Major is unquestionable for to say that one is dependent and yet God is in effect to say hee is God and not God which implieth a contradiction The Minor also is evident for to receive of anothers is the very notion of dependencie ANSWER Answ The Major if it bee general as it ought to bee thus Whosoever receiveth of another is not God is false For to say no more yet the Lord receiveth the prayers of his praying servants hee receiveth the fruits of his vineyard Mar. 12. 2. hee receive's not the persons of men but sincere Christians Gal. 2. 6. hee receiveth the acknowledgment of his honor glorie and power Rev. 4. 11. And will you from hence infer that hee is not God If the Major bee particular in sense thus Somthing that receive's from another is not God I grant the Proposition is true in matter but asyllogistical and so is unwarrantable in the second explicate or first figure and justly to bee denied as not sorting to your purpose Secondly I answer first in general that these three Arguments viz. to hear from another to speak what hee heare's and to receive of another are multiplied words not Arguments they are like three dreams varied in forms yet for substance they are but one Yet I will say somthing in particular One thing or person may bee said to receive of another two manner of waies First by eternal procession to apply it to the holy Ghost and by eternal generation as doth the Son of God hee receive's the Essence and as they are called the essential properties from his Father who doth beget him as from an intrinsecal principle to him who is generated Thus is it in natural generation children receive from their parents their beeing and natural qualities i'ts evident hee that receive's his soul by infusion receiveth at the same instant the essential faculties of the soul and so wee may say the holy Ghost as the holy Ghost whatsoever hee is or whatsoever hee hath hee hath received from the Father and the Son of God not as from an external but intrinsecal principle and it may bee said of the holy Ghost as it is of the Son of God that hee hath life in himself given by the Father Joh. 5. 26. How did the Father and Son give life by active spiration How did the holy Ghost receive it by eternal procession And what is it to have life in himself but to have it essentially and to bee life it self The holy Ghost as hee is God simply considered as hee is the same Essence with the Father who is God is I grant of himself and hath from his Essence whatsoever hee hath but as this is communicated by eternal procession so hee hath it from the first and second Person of the Trinitie Wee may see a resemblance of this Mysterie in the creatures thus Peter as hee is a man 't is from his humane nature and so whatsoever in this consideration hee hath is natural to him but Peter as hee is a Son receive's all from his Parents by natural generation and thus albeit the holy Ghost receive's from another viz. from God the Father and God the Son yet is hee properly and truly God This is the first way of receiving from another Secondly a thing may bee said and it 's usual to receive in time and from an external principle as men do their beeing habits of knowledg c. to bee in potentia to receive and therefore is imperfect and in som wants Such a receiving as this is I grant belonge's not to God Advers Now to your Minor the holy Ghost thus receive's John 16. 14. Answ I answer if you will soundly prove this Minor you must produce som other Scripture for this holy text will not serve your turn it doth not say as you pretend the Spirit receiveth of mee which was to bee proved and yet if it had so expresly said it would not have supported your impious cause as I now have shewed the text onely saith hee receiveth of mine viz. what is testified of mee by the Prophets and that is don when by the powerful preaching of the Gospel hee give 's a clear testimonie that Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world and chiefly hee receive's of mine to speak after the manner of men when hee bring 's it home to the hearts of the elect by effectually calling and converting them by raising up their mindes to know the divine truths and their hearts by faith to embrace them by rectifying their disordered affections by enabling them to confess publish and magnifie the Lord Jesus with their tongues and to conform their lives to those heavenly directions which Christ hath left us on record Thus doth the holy Ghost glorifie Christ in that whatsoever the holy Ghost work 's in our hearts whether it bee touching doctrine remission of sins or sanctification hee receive's all from Christ and so dispenseth them to us The Spirit washeth us from our sins but by the blood of Christ hee hee mortifie's sins in us but it is by virtue of the death of Christ hee raiseth us up to newness of life but by virtue of the resurrection of Christ c. In this consist's the glorie of Christ And were you not blinded by Satan you would bee so far from perverting this Scripture to the dishonor of the holy Ghost that you would rather infer from thence both the Trinitie of the Persons and the Deitie of the holy Ghost All that the Father hath saith Christ are truly mine and what are mine the holy Ghost receive's not as a scholar from the directions of his Master as though thereby hee learned
any new thing formerly unknown But as the Son of God doth not speak from himself but what hee hear's from the Father no more doth the holy Ghost but what hee receive's from the Son all three Persons working the same work in our redemption Advers Hee that receive's is not God say you but God give 's all things to all to give all things and not to give all things is a contradiction Answ I answer hee that receive's in time by an external work of God is not God I grant it but so doth not the holy Ghost receive and the Scripture proofs which you do rely on are impertinently alledged for they do directly speak of God's creatures as every one that look's into them must needs confess Thus rather might you have argued for the Deitie of the holy Ghost Hee that give 's all things to the creatures is God The holy Ghost give 's all things to the creatures as I have proved in my Arguments Ergò Hee is God Else say you hee should give all things and not all things which is a contradiction I see you take a great deal of pleasure very frequently almost in every Argument to reduce us to absurdities by contradictions by such manner of arguing to discover your follie this once for all you may haply delude the simple and unwarie Readers But I do wonder if you do not write thus against the light of your own conscience for every one who is any whit versed in Logick know's this to bee a received rule of contradiction that it must bee meant of the same thing at the same time and in the same respect but now to receive in one regard viz. from all eternitie in reference to the Persons of the Trinitie and to give all viz. in time to the creatures is no contradiction for both parts are true but it is impossible it should bee so where there is a real contradiction Now because the ignorant Reader is onely in danger to be caught by this fallacie I will propound a like example to his which may serve as an antidote against it Hee that is taught is not a School-master M. Bidle is a School-master Ergò Hee is not taught This is true or else M. Bidle must bee a School-master and a School-master which implieth a contradiction Will not every one bee ready to say hee may bee both a School-master and not a School-master in several references a School-master in regard of his scholars and not a School-master but a husband to his wife a father to his children and a master to his servant I should have been ashamed to put down such trifies in writing had not the bold fallacies of the Adversarie forced mee thereunto Advers Lastly Hee that is dependent is not God Hee that receive's from another is dependent for this is the very notion of dependencie Answ I deny your Minor if it bee taken without exception for dependencie if wee speak not of that which is logical and notional which is mutual but of that which is real and theological as wee must for this note 's inferioritie subordination and reliance upon another in fieri as a house and a ship to bee built doth on the Carpenter and in facto esse when it is built on the materials artificially compacted together but to speak fully and properly all things do immediatly and totally depend on God they do depend on the holy Ghost who is God But this can have no place in your Argument where there is unitie of nature and equalitie of Persons Thus rather and more truly you might have argued Hee on whom all things depend is God The holy Ghost is a person on whom all things depend by him of nothing they were creäted and but for him as God they would bee annihilated and reduced to nothing And whereas you say it is the very notion of dependencie this wee must take it if wee will beleeve it on your own words for other proofs wee are not to expect from you In this I say you are mistaken the notion of receiving carrie's us to the consideration of giving to give and receive are relatives which doth not formally implie dependencie but relation Albeit I confess to receive in time as the creatures do which have their beeing from God denote's prodependencie on the Creätor But what doth this make against the Deitie of the holy Ghost Nothing at all ARGUMENT 6. 6 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that is sent by another is not God The holy Spirit is sent by another Ergò The Minor is plain from the fore-quoted place John 16. 7. The Major is evinced thus Hee that ministreth is not God hee that is sent ministreth Ergò The Major is undubitable it being dissonant to the supreme Majestie of God to minister and serve another for that were to bee God and not God to exercise soveraign dominion over all and not to exercise it The Minor is confirmed by Heb. 1. ult where the divine Author sheweth that the Angels are all ministring spirits in that they are sent forth as hee before intimated Christ to bee Lord because hee sitteth at the right hand of God Thus David Psal 2. declareth the Soveraigntie of God in saying that hee sitteth in heaven The Minor is further proved thus Hee that receiveth a command for the performance of somthing doth minister Hee that is sent forth receiveth a command for the performance of somthing Ergò The Major is evident to common sense since it suiteth with none but ministers and inferiors to receive commands The Minor is manifest by John 12. 49. The Father that hath sent mee hee gave mee a command what I shall speak Neither let any man here reply that this very thing is spoken also of Christ unless having first proved that Christ is supreme God hee will grant that whatsoever is spoken of him is spoken of him as God or can make good that to bee sent at least may agree to him as God The contrarie whereof I suppose I have clearly proved in this Argument shewing that it is unsutable to the divine Majestie ANSWER Answ It will not bee amiss to premise som considerations touching sending on which word the strength of the Argument depend's that so the point may bee more fully cleared and the Adversaries reason more distinctly answered A Person is said to be sent either properly or improperly To bee sent properly according to our vulgar acception of the word requireth these particulars First that the Person sent bee really divided from and actually separated from him that send 's him this is evidently seen by daily experience Secondly it 's required of him that is sent that hee move's from an ubi or from place to place which is a necessarie condition to expedite the emploiment about which hee is sent Thirdly it denote's that the Person sent is inferior to the sender either in nature or condition or both as when the Lord send 's Men or Angels about his service
in this sense Princes send their subjects Parents their children Masters their servants And thus bodies representative whether civill or ecclesiastical may send som of their members about publick affairs of Church or State because the whole is greater then the parts thereof And when an equal or superior act 's for an equal or inferior in points of wrong and justice charitie and mercie this is not don unless upon a compact and mutual consent by sending them but by a voluntarie condescension or by the prevalent persuasion of equals or inferiors But now when wee speak of divine sending in reference to the Persons of the blessed Trinitie wee must abandon all base and low conceptions and raise up our spirits by the light of other Scriptures to an apprehension of the excellencie of the nature thereof The mission of a divine Person may bee considered Divine Mission considered First negatively what it is not and then positively what it is First it denote's not a division or separation of the divine Persons for this would necessarily imply the multiplication of the 1. Negatively Deitie and destroy the unitie of the divine nature which is impossible Secondly it denote's not a moving from place to place a change of place for the third Person in regard of the essence is every-where and there is no place any where whither hee can com where hee was not alwaies present Thirdly nor doth it denote any inferioritie or inequalitie of the divine Person but in respect of the divine Person sending they are one in nature and co-equal and co-eternal touching their Persons But positively this mission argue's a distinction of the divine Persons 2. Positively The Father in Scripture phrase is no where said to bee sent but hee send 's the Son and the holy Ghost because hee is first in order The first Person of the Trinitie hee is of himself and from himself and the fountain of communicating the God-head to his Son and both the Father and the Son to the holy Ghost And as it denote's a distinction of Persons so is it properly an external personal operation for although mission quantum ad principale significatum is external yet ratione connotati it 's onely in time Halensis And so the whole is called temporal as when a necessarie thing is joyned with a contingent the whole is judged contingent so saith our Countriman plainly thus This mission is nothing else but a new manner of the manifestation of the presence of the holy Ghost by som effect And this is don either visibly by som visible Symbol and external representation of his presence as by descending from heaven on Christ in the likeness of a Dove or in fierie cloven tongues on the Apostles And this was extraordinarie or ordinarily God the Father or Son is said to send him into the hearts of his children by working saving graces in them when hee manifest's his presence by spiritual operations It 's not in the power of man thus to send him for all that hee can do is onely external disposing by administration of Sacraments obtaining by Prayer instructing and moving outwardly by preaching The holy Ghost is sent in the use of these Ordinances yet not by them but by reason of internal grace which God alone creätes in the soul These conclusions being laid down it will bee an easie task to untie the supposed knots of this Argument Advers Hee that is sent by another is not God the holy Ghost is sent The Major is proved because hee that is sent ministreth Hebr. 1. ult Answ I answer if the Major Proposition in sense bee general as it ought to bee thus whosoever is sent is less then hee is that sent him is false hee indeed that is sent by the command properly of another is inferior to the person that send 's him but the mission of the holy Ghost is as I said but a manifestation of his presence by som effect which was actually in the very same place invisibly and with the same persons to whom hee is sent it argue's the distinction of the persons not the multiplication of the natures or the diminution of the divine power state authoritie or honor Advers You would prove the Major because hee ministreth that is sent Answ I grant the Major to bee true if it bee properly taken if ministring bee taken for serving for the holy Ghost is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the servant of the first or second Person This to assert is I confess an odious error and though the phrase is strange and harsh and not to bee allowed no not to say that God is a Minister à ministrando gratiam not intending thereby to imply that hee is under God but above the faithful yet two of our eminent Divines do so speak And Ruffin in expos Symboli saith Deus justis ministrat ad perpetuitatem gloriae peccatoribus ad prolixitatem poenae confusionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exulet I grant your Major The Minor I denie for whosoever is sent ministred not Bee it granted that whosoever ministreth may bee said to bee sent yet it hold's not reciprocally whosoever is sent ministreth that proof out of Hebr. 1. is no proof at all It is your ordinarie fault to apply what is directly spoken of the creatures to the great God The Angels indeed which are ministring spirits are sent abroad for the benefit of the heires of salvation but you cannot solidly from thence infer that the holy Ghost which is sent is in the rank of ministring spirits It is true of the creature but you can never from thence conclude it to bee true of the Creätor If there bee any pertinencie in that which you alledg touching our Saviors sitting at the right of God it make's against you for notwithstanding his sitting there hee is said to bee sent and whereas you say Gods sitting in heaven note 's his soveraigntie implying that the holy Ghosts being sent from heaven 1 Pet. 1. 11. should note inferioritie this would bee much for your purpose if you could prove which you shall never bee able to do that the holy Ghost when hee is sent to his servants to dwell in them to sanctifie and to govern them did leave heaven God the Father Son and holy Ghost sit in heaven and rule by a general providence all the creatures in the world and shall hee bee said not to rule in heaven when by his Spirit which is there also hee by his special and admirable providence rule 's in the hearts of his own children Assuredly there can bee no good reason so to determine Advers Hee that receive's a commandement you say doth minister Hee that is sent receive's a commandement John 12. 49. Answ First I say an equal may receive a commandement from an equal by consent of both parties as a Prince of another Prince a brother of a brother one citizen of another so Christ as the eternal Son of God received
in the turning of a hand the Spirit of the Lord would bee no where with you in these inferior parts of the world and if you could have ascended into heaven have had a glorified soul have been able to view all those heavenly mansions when the holy Ghost descended down from heaven you could not if you say true have found him there Besides by this your reasoning there could not then have been one Saint on earth in whom the holy Spirit did dwell who was enlightned purified comforted strengthned and guided by the holy Ghost for if notwithstanding the descending of the holy Ghost in this likeness this admirable action was no hinderance why the holy Ghost should not bee in every Saint what reason can bee alledged why albeit hee thus descended from heaven hee should not bee still essentially in heaven Surely the divinitie which you would teach us is odious divinitie and if you literally press the very words against the ubiquitie of the holy Ghost might not an Atheist as strongly argue and with as good reason as you do that God is not on earth hee is confined within the circles of the heaven Why because the Father spoke from heaven This is my welbeloved Son But what shift can you make to elude the words of the Psalmist and bee true and constant to your own Argument God bowed the heavens and came down Psal 18. 9. Here is in your own language terminus à quo hee came from heaven and terminus ad quem hee came to the preservation of his children and the destruction of his enemies And if I sinfully would dally with Scripture I might press you sore with the next verse Hee rode upon a Cherub and did flie yea hee did flie upon the wings of the winde And doth the supreme Majestie remove from place to place Yea and the Lord himself said Bring the Officers to the Tabernacle of the Congregation and I will com down and talk with them there Numb 11. 16 17. What should I speak of that gracious promise of Christ If any man keep my words I and the Father will com unto him and abide with him John 14. 23. What mean's the Lord 's leaving of his children for a time and that threatning I will go to my place Hos 5. 15. These and many like expressions to these in Gods word might bee as strong to conclude as yours that the supreme Majestie changeth place which is transcendently absurd Nor do wee want in Scripture visible demonstrations of the like presence of God to this of the Dove Was not the pillar of fire to conduct the Israëlites in the wilderness which moved ocularly from place to place visible sign of the Lords presence what else was the meaning of the Lord 's threatning in his wrath that hee would give over the people to Moses and to the conduct of an Angel contradistinct from God himself that hee would withdraw the sign of his presence from them Exod. 32. 34. as after hee did Exod. 33. And what now doth the great God go from place to place And was it not the Lord that passed by and was not in the great winde nor in the earth-quake nor in the fire but in the soft voice that spoke to Elias the Prophet 1 Kin. 19. 15. Much more in this kinde might bee alledged but this is enough to shew the weakness and impietie of this Adversarie who denieth the Deitie of the holy Ghost by no better argument then what would prove the supreme Majestie by himself so acknowledged to bee no true God at all Advers Nor will that evasion serve your turn to say that when wee reade of Gods appearing it 's meant of an Angel as appeare's by comparing texts in the Old Testament which speak of God to bee meant of Angels Exod 3. with Acts 7. 30. Answ I answer first that hereby you have weakned your own Argument Do not you see that if you are right in this answer that by analogie wee also might retort your Argument against yourself in this manner that albeit the holy Ghost is said to descend in the shape of a Dove yet it was but a created Angel which represented his Person and appeared in the name of the holy Ghost Secondly if it were yielded to you that an Angel as God's messenger somtimes spoke in the name of God must it needs therefore bee so in all places of the Scriptures And if not in all your Argument is gone Thirdly nor will this follow it was an Angel that spoke to Moses out of the Bush Ergò it was not Jehovah the Lord. This consequence is as weak as water it was an Angel indeed but an uncreated Angel the Angel of the Covenant so called Mal 3. 1. that Angel which wrastled with Jacob and was invocated by Jacob Hos 12. 3 4. And are creatures in your divinitie the object of religious invocation That Angel which redeemed Jacob out of all evill and blessed him Gen. 48. 16. who can do so but God alone And why else should Moses mention the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Deut. 33. 16. And what was the meaning of that in S. Paul the stiff-necked Israëlites tempted Christ in the wilderness 1 Corinth 10. And the expressions there used do sitly agree to the Angel of the Covenant but not to a created Angel I am the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And hee sent Moses to deliver the Israëlites out of Egypt I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people And hee call's himself by the proper name of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will hee that I will bee It 's a name full of mysteries and note 's the eternal and immutable essence of God and that in time as great Clerks have from thence collected This eternal and immutable God would becom man and if there bee any strength in the testimonie of the ancient Fathers Justin. Apol. 2. ad Antonin Irenae adv Haeres l. 4. c. 11. Tertul. adver Praxeam they will give their suffrages for us To name no more Advers The three men Gen. 18. were three Angels which appeared to Abraham and hee entertained Angels Hebr. 13. 2. Answ Who would imagin if hee did not see it that any man would raise such a high structure upon so weak a foundation Two of them were created Angels the text saith so but it doth not say that all three were creatures they all appeared like men and so Abraham at first sight took them to bee but one of them was the Angel of the Covenant Jehovah for so hee is called Gen. 18. 13. God reveale's to Abraham what hee will do to Sodom Ver. 18. and Abraham acknowledged him to bee the Lord and Judg of all the earth which is not the office as you will grant of a created Angel but of the Son of God and that it was in his power to save and destroy Sodom Here then the Lord appeare's in the shape of a man
and this shape is moved from place to place which clearly overthroweth your Argument Advers Exod. 20. compared with Act. 7. 53. Galat. 3. 19. Hebr. 2. 2. an Angel spoke and yet God is said to speak Ergò the Angel spoke in the Person of God Answ First I answer by concession admit that your exposition touching the speaking of the Law by Angels bee sound by those texts in the New Testament yet there will bee enough remaining in the text to enervate your Argument for did not God com down then was there not a manifestation of Gods glorie and severitie Did not Moses speak with the Lord face to face insomuch that his face did glister and was glorious Did not God himself write the Law in the two Tables and give them to Moses Did not hee see the back parts of God a glimps of his glorie Sith these things cannot bee denied the Argument will remain strong against you albeit the holy Angels were Gods instruments of pronouncing the Law And why should it bee a thing incredible for any man to beleeve that God may visibly manifest his presence either in wrath or mercie for can an Angel appear in a visible form and frame a voice and shall this with any color of reason bee denied to God Almightie Nor is it clearly proved by those cited Scriptures that Angels spoke the words of the Law in the Person of God For first was it ever heard that any Embassador when hee hath audience of a forain Prince deliver's his embassage otherwise then in the third person hee saith not I say so but my Prince saith thus and thus And have not wee an evident testimonie hereof in the holy Prophets which deliver not their message to Gods people in their own names but thus saith the Lord. Yea and the holy Angels themselvs in their visions declare that they are sent Dan. 9. And they likewise by som circumstance or other make it appear that they speak in the Name of the Lord. And S. Paul saith to this purpose pertinently and expresly that when the Law was delivered it was the voice not of a creäted Angel but of Christ that did shake the earth and men on earth Hebr. 12. 26. Besides there is mention made of Angels in the promulgation of the Law the Word was spoken by Angels hee saith not by an Angel how this can bee verified in them sith there were not many speeches not many voices but one distinct audible voice is hard to bee conceived Particularly in the two first places it is not said that the Law was spoken by Angels but ordained by Angels and so it might bee because holy Angels were attendants on the great God and instruments to shake the earth to raise thunder and lightning c. because they were witnesses and approvers of the deliverie thereof in which sense it is said that the Saints shall judg the world not by pronouncing but by approving the sentence of Christ 1 Cor. 6. And for that place in the Hebrews might it not relate to the words of the Law uttered at some other time Or it may bee Gods voice in the deliverie of the Law was uttered and pronounced by the ministerie of Angels and they by an extraordinarie way thundred out the words which God spoke to them to speak to the people as a Scrivener may write and speak the words which are dictated to him by another in the person of that author the principal author as in marriage the persons to bee married speak the very words from the Ministers mouth but I had rather hear the judgment of another then peremptorily in this perplexed case set down mine own opinion ARGUMENT 9. 9 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that prayeth unto Christ to com to judgment is not God The holy Spirit doth so Ergo. The Major is granted The Minor is evident from Rev. 22. 17. compared with ver 12. Neither let any man think to elude this proof by saying that the Spirit is here said to pray onely because hee maketh the Bride to pray For when the Scripture would signifie the assistance of the holy Spirit in causing men to speak it is wont to affirm either that the holy Spirit speaketh in them as Matth. 10. 20. or that they speak by the holy Spirit as Rom. 8. 15. Wee have received the Spirit of adoption by whom wee crie Abba Father But there it is expresly said that the Spirit and the Bride say Com not the Spirit in the Bride nor the Bride by the Spirit I add what is pertinent to this head out of his 12th Reason Rom. 8. 27. The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groans unutterable and hee make's intercession for the Saints according to the will of God which prove's the holy Ghost to bee inferior to God inasmuch as hee is said to make intercession unto God with groans which is not so to bee understood as if the holy Spirit was here said to help our infirmities onely by suggesting petitions and groans unto us and making us to pray as is commonly but falsly affirmed for the very words of the context sufficiently refute such a gloss since they say that the Spirit himself not wee by the Spirit as wee have it in ver 15. of the same Chapter maketh intercession for us but to help others infirmities by making intercession for them is not to instill petitions into them but to pour out petitions apart in their behalf as is apparent both from the thing it self since none can intercede for himself all intercession requiring the intervening of a third Person and by the collation of ver 34. of the same Chapter and by the 30. verse of the 15. Chapter and by 2 Corinth 1. 11. Hebr. 7. 25. 1 Tim. 2. 1. Col. 4. 12. Ephes 6. 18. Neither let any man think to baffle off this Argument which is written with a beam of the Sun by saying that this is improperly spoken of the holy Spirit for besides that hee hath no other ground to say so but his own pre-conceived opinion touching the Deitie of the holy Spirit hee ought to know that the Scripture though it speak many things after the manner of men yet doth it no where speak any thing that argueth his inferioritie to and dependance on another But this passage of the Apostle plainly intimateth the holy Spirit to bee inferior to God and dependent on him otherwise what need had hee to intercede with God and that with groans unutterable on the behalf of the Saints ANSWER Answ The Major Proposition is undeniably true for religious invocation is an humble obsequiousness and an enjoyned dutie to bee performed to the great God and doth necessarily suppose in him that praie's first inferioritie of the nature of the partie that praie's to the object of invocation Secondly indigencie or want of that good thing which is praied for either in whole or in degree a defectibilitie or possibilitie not to have the good thing praied for
as it relate's to the person for whom the praier is made Thirdly a disabilitie either to enjoy or hold what is prayed for without the help of God for what can bee more foolish saith S. Austin agreeably to common reason then to pray to another for help to do or to have that which is in his own power to do and to have Epist 107. Now the holy Ghost is God almightie and according to the Scriptures give 's to every one his gifts as hee pleaseth To the objected place out of Revel 22. 17. there are many things which may bee said to infringe the strength thereof The Spirit saith Com. Ergò the blessed Spirit of which wee treat This follow 's not it is quasi à genere ad speciem affirmativè for how doth it appear in the text that this is meant of the holy Ghost Why may it not bee meant of an Angel that Angel which was mentioned Ver 16 For first you will not denie but an Angel is a Spirit express Scripture and sound reason do shew that Angels are spiritual substances Secondly nor can you denie that the holy Angels do desire the happiness of the Saints and their fellow-servants It may bee you will say then the text would have run in the plural number the Spirits say and not the Spirit To this I answer that S. John relate's onely what was don by that Angel which was sent by Jesus Christ to signifie this revelation to S. John Cha. 1. ver 1. and Chapt. 22. ver 16. particularly mentioned I would not have mentioned this answer which I apprehended as possible unless I had read it in Mr. Burroughs on Hos 2. lect 17. p. 606. as his own opinion Readers accept or reject this as you shall see cause Secondly there is another exposition of these words which you do conceal and it is of a singularly-pious and learned man in the opening of mystical divinitie Mr. Brightman on the place The Spirit saith hee signifie's single Christians in whom the Spirit dwel's and the Spouse signifie's the whole Church and multitude of beleevers Now it is the desire of them all singly and conjunctly that the Lord Jesus would com If this exposition hold's good the Argument as touching this place is of none effect but whether this bee the meaning of the text or not I leave it to the serious consideration of the judicious Reader Thirdly to adhere to that exposition which is most common and which you would disprove for wee shall finde that common answers are usually the truest The Spirit and the Spouse say Com. I answer there is in the words a Figure which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hendiadys and the meaning is The Spirit speaketh by the Spouse or the Spouse by the instinct of the Spirit saith Com that is the Spirit is the efficient cause why the Spouse praieth Com. Nor is this a singular example for such a Commentarie for the like phrase wee have in S. Paul Gal. 4. 6. it is the Spirit that crie's Abba Father It is said indeed that the Spirit is in their hearts but withall if you would play with these words as you do on those in the Revelation you might as fairly conclude your intent from them for it is not said that they by the Spirit but the Spirit in them crie's Abba Father Nor doth this text which you alledg affirm that the Spirit abiding without the Spouse doth say Com for then you might have some color for your gloss Besides this exposition ought not to seem strange because the very self-same expression is set down in the Scripture touching the holy Ghost Act. 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us assembled in a Synod the meaning is thus It seemed good to us by the instinct and suggestion of the holy Ghost thus to determine A place parallel to this in the Revelation and sound reason will evince that it must needes bee so because praier is the gift of the holy Ghost Jude 20. It is hee that give 's his children the Spirit of supplication and if you will separate the Spirit and the Spouse in this holy action you must needes confess that the Spouse of Christ without the assistance of the blessed Spirit of Christ doth pray if so and when shee doth so such a praier is a praier of no account with God Advers This Author in his 12. Reason alledgeth that text Rom. 8. 27. The Spirit make's intercession to God Method reduceth this Argument to this place Answ There are two expositions of this place and none of the Writers were so prophane to take the meaning of the text as you have don Name the ancient Father whom you do follow Chrys in loc S. Chrysostom by the Spirit understand's not the person of the Spirit of God but the extraordinarie gifts of the Spirit And they which had those gifts were called Spiritual men or Ministers of the Spirit and when in great anxietie and distress Christians knew not which way to turn themselvs nor how or what to pray then as the Spirit of God came upon Jahaziel in the midst of the Congregation hee delivered the minde of the Lord to their exceeding great comfort 2 Chron. 20. 14. So likewise in such a stress som one of the Christians indued with the Spirit of praier stood up and with much importunitie and with many sighs poured out effectual praiers to the God of heaven which were profitable to the Church this is a pious sentence in it self considered but not fitly agreeing to this text as our Junius against Bellar. acknowledgeth and Paraeus in his Commentarie on this place doth prove The other exposition which is the more common is the sounder and more consonant to the context The Spirit prayeth that is the Spirit enableth us and maketh us to pray And if it bee objected that praier is a gift not onely of the Spirit but of God the Father also and God the Son being an outward work and so is common to all the Persons yet is not the Father said to pray not because hee is not the Author of praier for so undoubtedly hee is but because hee so give 's the things praied for that hee being the fountain of the Deitie receive's of no other Est l. 1. d. 20. The reasons of this exposition are these Because by the Spirit wee crie Abba Father ver 15. And because it is said the Spirit helpeth us against our infirmities viz. of praying as wee ought c. and the very words of the text will make this good as S. Austin exhort's intellige c. understand the words of the Scripture and thou shalt bee kept from blasphemie The person that praieth sigheth and groaneth the holy Ghost blessed for ever groaneth not as hee groaneth so hee praieth Hee is said to groan because hee make's us to groan and so hee praieth for us because hee make's us to pray for our selvs Thus God is said to
made not the heavens and the earth they shall perish Or else wee may conceive of God relatively as distinctly to bee apprehended to bee God the Father God the Son God the holy Ghost The former was alwaies necessarily beleeved to salvation but not the later so peremptorily to avouch is to cover the graves of millions with a stone of despair For if the Sun shine's not on the mountains surely the vallies are not lightsom Bellarmine judging the Argument drawn from the word Elohim not sufficient to prove the Trinitie of the Persons amongst other things add's this In l. 2. de Chr. cap. 6. no. 7. that the Septuagints never turned it Dii To this our learned Junius answer's the reason hereof is either because they themselvs knew not the mysterie of the Trinitie or thought it not safe to propound it to them And yet I grant that God never heard any but for his Sons sake nor could ever any man make an acceptable praier to God but by the help and direction of the holy Ghost The former was clearly revealed in the Old Testament The Lord thy God is one Lord Deut. 6. 4. and in many other places not needful to bee recited but the mysterie of the Trinitie was not clearly revealed but mystically expressed and in great wisdom wee are sure And if wee will beleeve Theodoret and many others l. 2. ad Graecos it was so ordered partly because the people of God then were uncapable to understand that depth and partly to prevent Idolatrie to which sin the Israëlites were very prone for living amongst the Egyptians then with Cananites and other idolatrous people that did surround them and were worshippers of many gods if they had clearly and explicitely heard mention of God the Father of God the Son and God the holy Ghost here is the danger that they would have been Tritheïtes and have beleeved that there were three gods yet was this mysterie shadowed many waies in the Old Testament lest it being seen in the essentiall image of God and evidently preached in the Gospel should seem to Christians a new doctrine or repugnant to the Old Testament Conclus 2 The second Conclusion to bee called a Disciple of Jesus Christ and a Beleever on him I speak of actuall faith doth of necessitie require that hee should beleeve the promised Messiah was com into the world I do not say that it was alwaies necessarie to beleeve that hee was God the second Person of the blessed Trinitie for I take it for granted that in the infancie of the Church not onely ordinarie Christians but his choice Disciples apprehended not that divine truth Nor do I say that it was absolutely necessarie to salvation to beleeve that Christ was incarnated and that hee was crucified for the sins of the world for Cornelius Act. 10. And it might bee the case of many others then and before those daies was in a good condition for beleeving in the promised Messiah albeit then hee pitched not his faith on the Messiah as already com in the flesh and that was wee may well presume for want of sufficient instruction for virtually beleeving on the Messiah whom hee explicitely professed not yet I say that hee which is denominated a Beleever in Christ and a Disciple of the Lord Jesus doth not onely beleeve with his heart but hee doth also profess with his tongue that the Savior of the world was manifested in our flesh Conclus 3 The third Conclusion is Beleevers and Disciples are of two sorts Som there are that are thoroughly instructed in the Articles of faith and others there are which either for want of capacitie time to learn or means of learning and these make their ignorance to bee invincible or else for want of industrie or through their negligence to learn are ignorant of many main heads of our Christian religion which they might have known and whereof they are sinfully ignorant This is a received truth in the world all those who profess the Name of Christ which are distinguished from Jews Mahumetans and Pagans are usually and may in a general way bee called Disciples and Beleevers These Conclusions being thus premised the answer to the Argument will bee a very easie task Advers Hee in whom men have not beleeved is not God Answ I answer this Proposition if it bee restrainedly understood and meant of God taken personally viz. for an explicite belief of the third Person is not generally true as it ought to bee Many there are in the world which were not so far enlightned and yet were Beleevers and Disciples of Christ as is shewed in the third Conclusion But now if the Proposition bee meant thus as it is explained hee that doth not beleeve in him that is God taken absolutely and essentially can bee no Disciple or Beleever I readily grant this to bee a truth hee that doth not beleeve in one God hee is no Disciple nor do I think that any worthy the name of a Christian ever questioned the truth thereof Advers Many say you were Disciples which were so far from beleeving in God the holy Ghost to bee God that they never heard whether there were an holy Ghost or not Act. 19. 2. Answ To this I answer that those Ephesians were Disciples and Beleevers for so the text call's them but they were very children in knowledg at that time they were converts and baptized for so saith the text how ever Baptism is taken and if properly as it is most likely either by John the Baptist or one of his Disciples they were not tam tincti quà m sordidati saith S. Ambrose They then returned home to Ephesus and wanted means at home of further instruction as wee may charitably judg and probably gather because that Paul and Timothy were forbidden to preach the word of God in Asia Acts 16. 6. where Ephesus stood but afterwards as wee may read Acts 19. and 20. Chapters the glorious light did shine forth to idolatrous Ephesus by the long continued disputations and many Sermons of Saint Paul so that in what sense soever the holy Ghost bee taken in the question and answer these Ephesians were very much unlike to those Christians which according to that scomma propheticum Esa 65. 20. were children of an hundred years old And as Espencaeus out of his own knowledg saith of an ancient and noble Gentleman brought up in the Church and so his ignorance was unexcusable that hee did freely confess that hee never had heard whether there was an holy Ghost or not in 1 Tim. 3. cha digr 17. But I will reason with you Either this ignorance of the Ephesians was vincible or invincible either it was sinfull or sinless That there was an holy Spirit of God expresly revealed in the Old Testament and by the name of the Spirit of God yea and manifested by extraordinarie inspirations and raptures not onely by the holy Prophets but also to others which had not a standing calling to that high
used not wine but onely water in the Eucharist if any of our predecessors either out of simplicitie or ignorance did not practise what the Lord taught us by his example there may by the favor of God bee pardon granted to his simplicitie but if wee which are instructed in his will should transgress wee might not presume of the same favor And the very like passage wee finde in Bede used by Wilfride in a Synod or Conference at Stransholch disputing with Cotmay about a very trifle the time of the observation of Easter 3. lib. hist Eccles Anglic. cap. 25. And Luther make's an allegorie on Deut. 19. they which err ignorantly are like to those which imprudently and casually killed a man such have the priviledg of a Citie of refuge but they which hear and will not learn are like wilfull murtherers they shall bee dragged from the horns of the Altar and lose their lives ARGUMENT 11. 11 Argum. of M. Bidle Hee that hath an understanding distinct from that of God is not God The holy Spirit hath an understanding distinct from God Ergò The Major is clear for hee that hath an understanding distinct from that of another must needs likewise have a distinct Essence wherein that understanding may reside The Minor is proved thus Hee that heareth from God and that at the second hand what hee shall speak hath an understanding distinct from that of God The holy Spirit so heareth from God Ergò The Minor is evident from Joh. 16. 13 14 15. The Major is confirmed thus Hee that is taught of God hath an understanding distinct from that of God Hee that heareth from God is taught of God Ergò The Minor is manifest from John 8. where our Savior Christ having said in the 26th verse Whatsoever I have heard from him the Father these things I speak In verse 28. hee expresseth the same sense thus According as the Father hath taught mee these things I speak The Major is of it self clear for hee that is taught hath an unknowing understanding since none can bee taught what hee knoweth already and hee that teacheth hath a knowing understanding otherwise hee could not teach another somthing but it implyeth a contradiction that the same understanding should at the same time bee both knowing and unknowing of the same thing Besides that the holy Spirit hath an understanding distinct from that of God is easily deducible from the words of the Apostle 1 Corin. 2. 10. where hee affirmerb that the Spirit searcheth the depths of God as Rom. 8. 27. hee intimateth that God searcheth the heart of the Spirit but to search the depths of any one necessarily supposeth one understanding in him that searcheth and another understanding in him whose depths are searched as is evident not onely by collation of other places of the Scripture as 1 Pet. 1. 11. Rev. 2. 23. but even by common sense dictating to every man so much that none can without absurdity bee said to search the depths of his own understanding Whence the Apostle going about to illustrate what hee had spoken of the Spirit of God by a similitude drawn from the Spirit of a man doth not say that the Spirit of a man doth search but know the things of a man though his former words did seem to lead him thereunto ANSWER Answ Hee that hath an understanding distinct from the understanding of God is not God To this I answer by distinguishing and limiting the Proposition thus Hee that hath an understanding really distinct divided and separated from the understanding of God is not God if you take the Proposition in this sense it 's true and granted with an unanimous consent of all Secondly thus hee that hath an understanding not really distinct but vet distinguished modally and that is in regard of the manner of having the understanding Or thirdly thus Hee that hath an understanding not really distinct from that understanding of God the Father but in regard of our understanding which is blemished since Adam's fall with much blindness weakness and take it at the best it is but finite whereas God's understanding is infinite and so are those manifold essentiall properties in God as they are called which are many not onely in regard of the outward works to which they do directly relate but also in regard of their different respects and our apprehension of them and yet they are in truth all one even the divine essence God himself The Proposition taken in this second and third sense is not true and so it 's to bee denied Advers Now whereas you say in the proof of the Major that a distinct understanding must needs have a distinct essence wherein it reside's and so as it seem's you hold forth this as a truth that God's understanding is in God as an accident in a subject I would bee loth to father on you such a tenet which you will not own but this is either your opinion or else you are to bee charged for not writing so accuratly and warily to prevent mistakes as is required in this Argument especially a writer of controversies Touching your Assertion that the understanding reside's in an essence if wee speak of a creäted understanding you shall meet with contradiction to this opinion from the pens of most subtile Philosophers J. C. Scaliger and acute Divines Zanchius which will tell you that it become's the soul in regard of the dignitie thereof to perform its acts by its own essence without the help of any accident and that the several faculties of the soul as they are called are but as so many notions and formalities of the same thing The soul the understanding and the will are the same thing it 's called the soul in regard of the essence the same essence is called the understanding as it apprehend's an object the same thing is called the will as it extend's it self to enjoy the good thing which is apprehended convenient for it But I will not contend about this point which if it were granted will not weaken the Argument Bee it granted that a finite understanding is an accident and really distinguished from and necessarily depending on its subject yet will it not bee verified of the infinite understanding of God whose Essence is most simple without all kindes of composition from whence result's a thing compounded as a third thing of it self one truly and really distinguished from the parts thereof God hath neither integral nor essential parts hee is not as a species constituted of the genus and the difference for God is the first and highest beeing not the constitution of subject and accidents not of act and potentia for that would argue imperfection For God is a most pure act not of Esse and Essence for the Esse of God is his Essence and that Essence of God is his Esse God's greatness is God's Essence God's goodness is God's Essence God's justice is God's Essence and it 's true of the rest God is
then vain tautologies My Apologie is the course of my Adversaries Arguments lead mee thereunto for if I had not applied a particular answer to every one of them hee would have insulted over mee and judged them to bee unanswerable that I had been like a childe which skip's when hee cannot read and that I would not touch the coals which would have burn'd my fingers Secondly perhaps I shall bee blamed for tedious discourses and for excursions somtimes which are of neer kin to digressions I do confess that this was purposely don to clear up doubts and to make the discourse more profitable for the Reader for had I intended meerly to answer the Arguments in a Scholastical way a short distinction applied in a few lines might have served the turn for his longest Argument but then as I conceive I had missed of my end the information of the judgment of weaker Christians Thirdly I shall bee blamed for rudeness of language I denie it not my minde was so intent on the matter the bodie that I had little regard of the words to clothe it handsomly withall I do suspect that som of my learned brethren will bee displeased with mee for writing thus more then once The holy Ghost not as the holy Ghost yet as God is of himself I do confess the strength of my Adversaries reasons did not necessitate mee to use such an expression and had I timely considered of it both to prevent the seeming advantage to an enemie and the needless censure of friends I would have forborn it And albeit this term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 first used by Calvin as applied to the Son of God and the holy Ghost because hee confuted Valentinus Gentilis which said the Son and Spirit had not one and the self-same essence with the Father but were essentiall In this respect I say hee used the term which som of his Adversaries and som learned Protestants to speak the least disliked Yet they know full well that phrase is the usual language of our approved Authors and justified by eminent Divines and it is usual for one and the self-same subject to admit of divers respects and thereupon of divers attributions The essence of the Son of God and of the holy Ghost as it is the essence hath no principle but is of it self and so the holy Ghost according to essence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to personalitie or as the holy Ghost is from the Father and the Son And this is no error as Bellarmine himself no friend to Calvin acknowledgeth l. 2. de Christo c. 19. albeit hee dislike's his manner of speaking yet not his judgment And Gregorie de Valentia a learned Jesuit finde's fault with Genebrard for calling Calvin an Autothean for if hee bee attentively read saith hee his meaning will bee found that the Son of God as hee is God so hee is essentially is of himself but as a Person hee is of his Father and this is true The Fathers when they say hee is God of God they take the name of God personally but yet the Son as hee is essentially God i. e. that most simple thing which is God hee is not of another because in this respect hee is an absolute thing tom 1. dist 2. q. 1. sect 27. I do intreat the learned if they do discover any real faults herein which is not unlikely for another may sooner see mine errors then I can see them my self and so perhaps may I see another mans which the Author take's no special notice of that they would in a Christian manner with sound reasons reform my judgment For truly I am not in love of any error if known but do carrie a minde alwaies readie to renounce my judgment and to give place to the truth in any point when it shall bee manifested to mee Lastly I do earnestly beseech both kindes of Readers to bestow those spiritual alms upon mee which are both my due to demand and their dutie to afford mee that they would pray to God for mee that I may faithfully imploy that small talent which the Lord hath imparted to mee for his glorie mine own and others benefit All the glorie the riches the highest preferments and all imaginable perfections in this world are but unsatisfying shadows and meer pictures of happiness but happy thrice happy yea a thousand times happy is that man whose God is the Lord. I now address my speech to you Mr. Bidle I confess I can promise nothing to myself touching your conversion I fear you have hardned your heart and made it like an Adamant uncapable of any impression of this heavenly truth You glorie that you have disputed with many learned men and could not receive satisfaction from them no not so much as to one of your Arguments I do not doubt but you have heard from them the same answers which I have made and more forcibly urged upon you then I have don yet I do speak as loud as you do that I have examined them all and am in mine own judgment satisfied in mine answer touching every one of them and do confidently say there is no strength in any one of them to prove your detestable Heresie but they are a number of Sophistical fallacies which I have plainly detected It grieve's mee that any one should rake out of the grave old rotten Heresies to infect the world with their stink especially that my Countriman should to the joy of Adversaries and the great disadvantage of our Religion vent them in print Mee think's I see you Mr. Bidle struggling to extinguish that little light which is in you in that you set your wits awork to pervert plain Scriptures in the end of your Book by your forced answers to them which I have laid open in justifying of our Arguments and not so much as barely to mention our strongest reasons what may wee judg to bee your meaning herein but a conviction that you can give to them no probable answer at all Doth not the Christian world in the succession of many ages wherein your Heresie hath been cried down to the pit of hell strike terror into you Doth not the consent of the Reformed Churches which you have deserted lie as heavie as a mountain upon you Doth not your conscience check you for cleaving to a few rotten branches cut off from the Church and for striving in the stoutness of your spirit against the stream both of clear Scriptures and the unanimous judgment of the Church of Christ Can you think that wisdom should bee with you and follie with them all Consider I pray that you have set yourself against a strong Adversarie hee cannot bee resisted hee will prevail over you Yield up then your weapons in time unto him give glorie to his great Name and put forth all your strength for time to com to bring honor to his greatness as you have been a divelish instrument to defie supreme Majestie it is a happy victorie to bee conquered of Truth FINIS