We are therefore in the next place to manifest that the same, or the like testimony, is given unto the Deity of the Holy Spirit; that is, that he is revealed and declared in the Scripture, as the object of our faith, worship, and obedience, on the account, and for the reason of those divine excellencies, which are the sole reason of our yielding religious worship unto any, or expecting from any the reward that is promised unto us, or to be brought by them to the end for which we are. And herein lies, as was shewed, the concernment of faith. When that knows what it is to believe as on divine revelation, and is enabled thereby to regulate the soul in its present obedience and future expectation, seeing it is its nature to work by love and hope, there it rests. Now this is done to the utmost satisfaction in the revelation that is made of the divine existence, divine excellencies, and divine operations of the Spirit, as shall be briefly manifested.

But before we proceed, we may, in our way, observe a great congruency of success in those who have denied the Deity of the Son, and those who have denied that of the Holy Spirit. For as to the Son, after some men began once to disbelieve the revelation, concerning him, and would not acknowledge him to be God and man in one person, they could never settle nor agree, either what or who he was, or who was his Father, or why he was the Son. Some said he was a phantasm or appearance; and that he had no real subsistence in this world; and that all that was done by him was an appearance, he himself being they know not what elsewhere That proud beast Paulus Samosatenus, whose flagitious life, contended for a pre-eminence in wickedness with his prodigious heresies, was one of the first after the Jews, that positively contended for his being a man and no more, who was followed by Photinus and some others. The Arians perceiving the folly of this opinion, with the odium of it amongst all that bare the name of Christians, and that they had as good deny the whole Scripture as not grant unto him a pre-existence in a divine nature, antecedent to his incarnation, they framed a new Deity which God should make before the world, in all things like himself, but not the same with him in essence and substance; but to be so like him, that by the writings of some of them, ye can scarce know one from the other; and that this was the Son of God

also who was afterward incarnate. Others in the meantime had more monstrous imaginations; some that he was an angel, some that he was the sun, some that he was the soul of the world, some the light within men. Departing from their proper rest, so have they hovered about, and so have they continued to do, until this day.

In the same manner it is come to pass with them who have denied the Deity of the Holy Ghost. They could never find where to stand or abide; but one hath cried up one thing, another another. At first they observed that such things were every where ascribed unto him in the Scripture, as uncontrollably evidence him to be an intelligent voluntary agent. This they found so plain and evident, that they could not deny, but that he was a person or an intelligent subsistence. Wherefore seeing they were resolved not to assent unto the revelation of his being God, they made him a created spirit, chief and above all others. But still whatever else he were, he was only a creature. And this course some of late also have steered.

The Socinians on the other hand, observing that such things are assigned and ascribed unto him, as that if they acknowledge him to be a person, or a substance, they must upon necessity admit him to be God, though they seemed not at first at all agreed what to think or say concerning him positively, yet they all concurred peremptorily in denying his personality. Hereon, some of them said he was the gospel, which others of them have confuted; some that he was Christ. Neither could they agree whether there was one Holy Ghost or more; whether the Spirit of God and the good Spirit of God, and the Holy Spirit, be the same or no. In general now they conclude that he is 'vis Dei,' or 'virtus Dei,' or 'efficacia Dei;' no substance, but a quality that may be considered either as being in God, and then they say it is the Spirit of God; or as sanctifying, and conforming men unto God, and then they say, it is the Holy Ghost. Whether these things do answer the revelation made in the Scripture, concerning the eternal Spirit of God, will be immediately manifested. Our Quakers, who have for a long season hovered up and down like a swarm of flies, with a confused noise and humming, begin now to settle in the opinions lately by them declared for. But what their

thoughts will fall in to be, concerning the Holy Ghost, when they shall be contented to speak intelligibly, and according to the usage of other men, or the pattern of Scripture, the great rule of speaking or treating about spiritual things, I know not; and am uncertain whether they do so themselves or no. Whether he may be the light within them, or an infallible afflatus, is uncertain. In the meantime, what is revealed unto us in the Scripture to be believed concerning the Holy Ghost, his Deity, and personality, may be seen in the ensuing testimonies.

The sum of this revelation is, that the Holy Spirit is an eternally divine existing substance, the author of divine operations, and the object of divine and religious worship; that is, 'over all God blessed for ever;' as the ensuing testimonies evince. Gen. i. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.'

Psal. xxxiii. 6. vens made; and all mouth.'

By the word of the Lord were the heathe host of them by the Spirit of his

Job xxvi. 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens.'

Job xxxiii. 4.

Psal. civ. 30.

created.'

The Spirit of God hath made me.'
Thou sendest forth thy Spirit; they are

Matt. xxviii. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.'

Acts i. 16. That Scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake.'

Acts v. 3. Peter said to Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?' ver. 4. Thou hast not lied unto men but unto God.'

Acts xxviii. 25, 26. Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go unto this people and say,'

1 Cor. iii. 16. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.'

1 Cor. xii. 11. All these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man as he will ;' ver. 6. And there are diversities of operations; but it is the same God which worketh all in all.'

2 Cor. xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and

the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.'

Acts xx. 28. Take heed to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers.'

Matt. xii. 31. All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.'

Psal. cxxxix. 7. 'Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?'

John xiv. 26. But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things.'

Luke xii. 12. The Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.'

Acts xiii. 2. And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted; the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.'.

Ver. 4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed into,' &c.

2 Pet. i. 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.'

It is evident upon the first consideration, that there is not any thing which we believe concerning the Holy Ghost, but that it is plainly revealed and declared in these testimonies. He is directly affirmed to be, and is called, God; Acts v. 3, 4. Which the Socinians will not say is by virtue of an exaltation unto an office or authority, as they say of the Son. That he is an intelligent voluntary divine agent; he knoweth, he worketh as he will; which things if in their frequent repetition, they are not sufficient to evince an intelligent agent, a personal subsistence, that hath being, life, and will, we must confess that the Scripture was written on purpose to lead us unto mistakes and misapprehensions of what we are under penalty of eternal ruin rightly to appre hend and believe. It declareth also, that he is the author and worker of all sorts of divine operations requiring immensity, omnipotency, omnisciency, and all other divine excellencies, unto their working and effecting. Moreover, it is revealed, that he is peculiarly to be believed in; and may peculiarly be sinned against; the great author of all grace in believers, and order in the church. This is the sum of

what we believe of what is revealed in the Scripture concerning the Holy Ghost.

As in the consideration of the preceding head, we vindidicated one testimony in particular from the exceptions of the adversaries of the truth, so on this we may briefly sum up the evidence that is given us in the testimonies before produced, that the reader may the more easily understand their intendment, and what in particular they bear witness

unto.

The sum is, that the Holy Ghost is a divine, distinct person, and neither merely the power or virtue of God, nor any created spirit whatever. This plainly appears from what is revealed concerning him. For he who is placed in the same series or order with other divine persons, without the least note of difference or distinction from them, as to an interest in personality, who hath the names proper to a divine person only, and is frequently and directly called by them, who also hath personal properties, and is the voluntary author of personal, divine operations, and the proper object of divine worship, he is a distinct divine person. And if these things be not a sufficient evidence and demonstration of a divine, intelligent substance, I shall, as was said before, despair to understand any thing that is expressed and declared by words. But now thus it is with the Holy Ghost according to the revelation made concerning him in the Scripture. For,

First, He is placed in the same rank and order without any note of difference or distinction as to a distinct interest in the divine nature, that is, as we shall see, personality, with other divine persons: Matt. xxviii. 19. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost' 1 John v. 7. There be three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit; and these. three are one' 1 Cor. xii. 3-6. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.' Neither doth a denial of his divine being and distinct existence leave any tolerable sense unto these expressions. For read the words of the first place from the