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xlviii. 11.

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SERM. he will not impart his glory to another,) fhould be alXXXIV. lowed to any creature, to march in even rank, to seem Ifa. xlii. 8. advanced to an equal pitch of dignity with himself, is nowife credible, or agreeable to reafon. (What communion can there be between a creature and his Creator? Why Should that which is made be numbered together with his Maker, in the performing of all things? faith St. Athanafius well m.) Moreover, what dignity belongs to the Holy Spirit, what reverence is due to him, appears clearly from that the blafphemy against him is peculiarly unpardonable, whenas the faults committed against God the Father, and obloquy against the Son, are capable of remiffion for the nature of things doth scarce bear, that to detract from a creature should be a crime so capital, or receive fuch aggravation; it cannot well be conceived that the honour of a creature fhould in fuch a manner be preferred to the honour of God himself. (How, faith St. Ambrofe, can any one dare to reckon the Holy Ghost among creatures? or who doth fo render himself obnoxious, that if he derogate from a creature, he may not fuppofe it to be relaxable to him by fome pardonn?

5. Again, whereas Christ, even as a man, is elevated in Phil. ii. 9. dignity and eminence above all creatures, (above every Eph. i. 21. name, far above all principality, authority, and power, as the Apostle teaches us,) he is yet in that refpect inferior, and gives place to the Holy Spirit. For as fuch he did Matt. i. 20. receive his nature from the Holy Spirit; That which is

conceived in her is of the Holy Ghoft, faith the EvanHeb. iii. 3. gelist; and, More honour than the house hath he that made it, faith the Apostle to the Hebrews. Chrift was fent by

m Ποία γὰρ κοινωνία τῷ κτίσματι πρὸς κτιστήν; διά τι τὸ πεποιημένον συναριθ μεῖται τῷ ποιήσαντι εἰς τὴν τῶν πάντων τελείωσιν; Ath. Orat. in Ar.

̓Ασεβὲς ἦν ἐστι λέγειν κτιστὸν, ἢ ποιητὸν τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὁπότε πᾶσα γραφὴ παλαία τε καὶ καινὴ μετὰ πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ συναριθμεῖ αὐτὸ, καὶ δοξάζει. 14. περὶ ἐνσάρκου ἐπιφ. tom. i. p. 600.

n Quomodo inter creaturas audet quifquam Spiritum S. computare? aut quis fic fe obligat, ut fi creaturam derogaverit, non putet fibi hoc aliqua venia relaxandum? Ambrof.

• Quomodo creatura dicitur, qui Domini Creator ex Maria comprobatur? Aug. Serm. vi. Matt. i. de Temp.

John xiii.

12.

Luke iv. 18.

John iii. 34.

the Luke iv. 1.

the Holy Spirit; The Lord God, faith the Prophet of him, SERM. and his Spirit hath fent me. But, The Apoftle, faith he XXXIV. himself, is not greater than he that fent him; the sent is Ifa. xlviii. not greater, that is, (by a λiróτns, or μeiwois, the figure of 16. diminution,) he is inferior to the fender. Christ was con- 16. fecrated and inaugurated into his offices by the Holy Spirit; The Spirit of the Lord (foretold Ifaiah of Chrift, Ifa. Ixi. 1, as the Evangelifts interpret) is upon me, because he hath anointed me: but, Without controverfy, the leffer is blessed Heb. vii. 7. by the greater, faith the Apostle. Chrift was by Holy Ghost endowed with excellent gifts abundantly beyond measure; but, It is more blessed to give than receive, is an aphorifm out of our Lord's own mouth in 28. fine, our Lord did by virtue of the Holy Spirit perform Rom. i. 4. miracles; by the eternal Spirit he offered himself to God; by the Spirit he was raised from the dead: which things are manifeft arguments that the Holy Spirit doth excel Christ as man: wherefore seeing befide God only, nothing is in worth or dignity fuperior to Christ, it neceffarily follows that the Holy Spirit is God.

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and ii. 40, 52.

Acts xxi.35.

to Matt. xii.

Heb. ix. 14.

viii. 11.

recited 148, &c. among 22.

1 Pet. iii.

Col. i. 16.

Rom. viii.

38.

6. I add, that whereas upon divers occafions the ranks and orders of creatures are mentioned in Scripture, (as where all the quire of them is fummoned and cited to fing the praises of God; namely, the angels, the heavens, the Pfal. ciii. earth, men, beafts, plants; when catalogues are of things made by Chrift, and fubject to him, which angels, thrones, dominations, dignities, and powers Eph. i. 21. are mentioned,) it is ftrange, that this top of creatures, (if a creature he be,) this leader of the quire, should wholly be pretermitted. It is very probable, that if the Prophets had known, or the Apostles had thought this, they would have not been filent about it; they would, as reafon had required, have fet him in the head of all; which if they had done, they would have exempted us from these fcruples and errors in fo high a point: but they could not do it, because indeed the Holy Spirit is not in the order of creatures: the which we do feem fufficiently to have proved.

To all the premised points no small acceffion of weight

SERM. doth come from the authority of fo many holy fathers XXXIV. and councils; and from the confent of the Church, run

III.

ἐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶ

λαλήσει.

John xvi.

13.

ning down through fo many ages; to oppofe which, without very weighty and manifest reasons, doth as much recede from prudence, as it is far from modesty.

The next point we fhall confider is the original of the Holy Spirit; the which we do affert to be in way of proceffion jointly from God the Father and God the Son; meaning hereby, that to this divine Perfon in a peculiar manner (incomprehenfible indeed, and ineffable, but which in fome manner by this term proceffion may be fignified) the divine effence which he hath is communicated from the Father and the Son.

laur That the Holy Spirit is not from himself, as the Father is, is plain; for that being supposed, there would be more first principles than one, and confequently more Gods than one; which is contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture: neither did any ever affirm fo much.

Novat. de

Trin. 31.

That he proceedeth from the Father, appeareth from that the Father is the fountain and first principle of all effence; John xv.16. and by our Saviour the Spirit is faid exлogeúsσdui, to go out from the Father ; and he is called τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, 1 Cor.ii. 12. The Spirit that is out of God (the Father) by St. Paul: and this is generally confeffed.

Matt. x. 20.
Gal. iv. 6.

That alfo he doth proceed from the Son (which is by the modern Greeks denied) may be proved.

1. Because as he is called the Spirit of the Father, fo Rom. viii.9. he is also often styled the Spirit of the Son; which figni1 Pet. i. 11. fies he is in a like manner related to the Son as to the Father; and that both therefore in a like manner conspire to his production.

Phil, i. 19.

2. He is faid to be fent, as from the Father, so also from the Son. But miffion and proceffion do not feem to differ, except in manner of speech, (one more especially denoting the name whence, the other the act or effect of the fame thing;) nor doth it agree to the Holy Spirit, who (as we have fhewed) is God, to go out, or be fent, otherwise than by reception of effence.

3. The Son faith of the Holy Spirit, έx toũ éμoũ λýVETOY,

XXXIV.

He fhall take of mine, and shall fhew it unto you; and, to SERM. the fame purpose, Whatsoever he shall hear, he shall speak ; by which faying it is intimated that the Holy Spirit doth John xvi. receive knowledge from the Son; the which, being God, 13, 14. he cannot otherwise do, than by receiving his effence from the Son.

4. The Holy Spirit is a Perfon third in order: feeing then the Son before him in order (in order, I fay, not in time) obtaineth the divine nature, fo that when the Holy Spirit doth proceed, it is common to both Father and Son, he cannot receive it from the Father separately, or without also deriving it from the Son. Thus our Lord himself feemeth to have argued, when he faith, All John xvi. things that the Father hath are mine: therefore faid I, that 15. xvii. 10. he fhall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

5. Laftly, our Saviour, as St. Auguftine and Cyril conceive, did fignify this proceffion from himself, when breathing on his disciples he faid, Receive ye the Holy John xx.22. Ghoft.

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6. To these arguments may be added the confentient Deus Pater authority of the Latin Fathers, Hilary, Ambrofe, Austin, num fibi. and the reft; which explicitly teach this doctrine. Also the more ancient Greeks, Athanafius, Bafil, both Gregories, Epiphanius, Cyrillus Alexandrinus, do though feldom exprefsly in terms, yet equipollently, and tom. i. p. according to fenfe) fay the fame.

(al

We proceed now to the peculiar offices, functions, and operations of the Holy Spirit: many fuch there are in an efpecial manner attributed or appropriated to him; which, as they respect God, feem reducible to two general ones; the declarations of God's mind, and the execution of his will: as they are referred to man, (for in regard to other beings, the Scripture doth not fo much confider what he performs, it not concerning us to know it,) are especially the producing in us all qualities and difpofitions, the guiding and aiding us in all actions requifite or conducible to our eternal happiness and falvation: to which may be added the interceffion between God and man, which jointly respecteth both.

Athan. con tra Apol.

601.

IV.

Rev.xix.10.

SERM. I. First, it is his especial work to declare God's mind XXXIV. to us; whence he is styled the Spirit of truth, the Spirit John xv.26. of prophecy, the Spirit of revelation; for that all supernaEph. i. 17. tural light and wisdom have ever proceeded from him. Veritas ubi- He inftructed all the prophets that have been fince the cunque eft, world began to know, he enabled them to speak, the mind Sancto eft. of God concerning things present and future. Holy men Luke i. 70. (that have taught men their duty, and led them in the 2 Pet. i. 21. way to bliss) were but his inftruments, Speaking as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft.

a Spiritu

16.

13.

By his inspiration the holy Scriptures (the most full and 1 Tim. iii. certain witnefs of God's mind, the law and teftimony by which our life is to be directed and regulated) were conJohn xvi. ceived. He guided the Apofiles into all truth, and by them inftructed the world in the knowledge of God's gracious intentions toward mankind, and in all the holy Eph. iii. 5. mysteries of the Gospel; That which in other ages was not made known unto the fons of men, as it is now revealed 1 Cor. ii. 10. unto his holy apoftles and prophets by the Spirit: Eye

Matt. xii.

28.

6.

hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him but God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit, faith St. Paul. All the knowledge we can pretend to in these things doth proceed merely from his revelation, doth wholly rely upon his authority.

2. To him it especially belongs to execute the will of God, in matters transcending the ordinary power and Luke i. 35. Course of nature. Whence he is called the power of the χείν. 49. Moft High, (that is, the substantial power and virtue of Luke xi. 20. God,) the finger of God, (as by comparing the expreffions of St. Matthew and St. Luke may appear;) and whatever Pfal. xxxiii. eminent God hath defigned, he is faid to perform by him. By him he framed the world, and, as Job speaketh, garnifhed the heavens. By him he governeth the world, fo that all extraordinary works of providence, (when God befide the common law and ufual courfe of nature doth interpofe to do any thing,) all miraculous performances, are attributed to his energy. By him our Saviour, by him the Apostles, by him the Prophets are expressly

Gen. i. 1. Job xxvi.

13.

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