532 TnE WORD OF GOD C JMPA RED To LIGHT, Book III. we are taught ro believe fo to be. So know we the Father to be a Perfon; as alfo the Son. For our Knowledge of Things is more by their Properties and Operations than by their effential Forms, efpecially is this fo with Refpet1 to the N ature, Being, aot! Exiftence of God which are in themfd ves abfolmcly incomprehenfible: Now J fhall not confirm the AJrumption of this Argument with reference unto the Holy Gho!t from this or that particular Teftimony, nor from the Aflignat iori of any fingle perfonal Property unto him, but from the conftant uniform Tenor of the Scriptures in afcrib– ing all thofe Properties unto him. And we may add hereunto that Things are fo or– dered in the Wifdom of God, that there is no perfona! Property that may be found in an infinite, divine Nature, but it is in one Place or other afcribed unto him. Firft, He is placed in the fame Rank and Order without any N ote of Difference or Diftin<'lion as to a diftinet lntereft in the divine Nature, that is, as we fhall fee, Perfo– nality, with other divine Perfons, jlfatt. xxviii. '9· Baptizing them in tbe Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft. 1 ] ohn v. 7· There be three that bear record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghoft, and thefe three are one, I Cor. xii. 3, 4, ~. 6. No Man can fay that Jefus is the L ord, but by the Holy Ghoft ; N ow there are Diverjities of Gifts, but the Jame Spirit, and thc1·e are Differences of Ad– miniflrations, but the fame Lord, and there are Diverjities of Operation, but it is the fame God wl>ich worketh in all. Neither cloth a Denial of his divine Being and diftin<'l Ex– iftence, leave any tolerable Senfe unto thefe Expreffions. For read the Words of the firft Place from the Mind of the Socinians, and fee what it is can be gathered from them ; Baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Virtue or Efficacy of the Father. Can any J'hing be more abfonant from Faith and Reafon, than this abfurd Expreffion? And yet it is the direCt Senfe, if it be any, that thofe .Men put upon the Words. To join a Izyality with acknowledged Perfons and that in fuch Things and Cafes, as wherein they are propofed under a perfonal Conftdera– tion, is a ftrange kind of Myftery, and the like may be manifeited concerning the other Places. Secondly, He alfo hath the Names proper to divine Perfons only. For he is exprefsl)' 'called God, A cts v. He who is termed the Holy Ghoft, Ver. 3· and the Spirit of the Lord, Ver. 9· is called alfo God, Ver. 4· Now this is the Name of a divine Perfon, on one account or other. The Socinians would not allowChrifl to be called God, ·were he not a divine Perfon, though not by Nature, yet by Office and Authority. And ·1 fuppofe they will not find out an Office for the Holy Ghoft whereunto he might be exalted, on the account whereof he might become God, feeing this would acknowledge him to be a Perfon which they deny. So he is called the Comforter, ]ohn xvi. 7· A ·perfonal Appellation this is alfo, and becauie he is the Comforter of all God's People, it can be the Name of none but a divine Perfon. In the fame Pla(:e alfo it is frequently affirmed that he}hall come, that he }hall and will do fuch and fuch Things, all of them declare him a Pcrfon. Thirdly, He hath perfonal Properties affigned unto him, as a Will, He divideth to every Man feverally as he will, 1 Cor. xii. 1 1. and U nderltanding, The Spirit fearcheth all Things, )'Cl' the deep Things ofGod, 1 Cor. ii. 10. As alfo the ACtings that are afcribed unto him are all of them fuch, as undeniably affirm perfonal Properties in their Prin– (iple and Agent. F or Fourthly, H e is the v oluntary Author of divine Operations; he of old cherijbed the Creation, the Spirit of God moved upo11 the Face of the Waters, Gen. i. 3· He formed and gamijbed the Heavens, he infpired, acted and fpake in and by the Prophets, W ell Jpake the Holy Gboft by Ifaiah the h ophet unto the Fathers, Afls xxviii. 25, 26. But holy M e11 of God fpake as they were mo·ved by the Holy Ghoft, 2 Pet. i. 2 I. l-Ie regenerateth, enlio lueneth, fm,'\ifieth, comforteth, inftru<'leth, leadeth, guideth, all the D ifciples of Chr'(ft, as the Scriptures every where teilify. Now all thefe are perfonal Operations, and cannot with any Pretence of Sobnety or Conliftency wllh R ealon be conltantly and unifotmly aOignecl unto afi!.!fality or Virtu_e. He is as the Father and Son, God, with 1 he Properties of Onuufctence and Ommpotence, of Ltfe, l.-! nJcrflandmg and Will; and by thefe Properties, works, aCts, and producetl1 E fre<'ls accordtng to Wif<lom, Choice, and Power. ·Ftfthly, The fame Regard is had to him i~ Faith, WorJhip, and Obedience, as unto the other Perfons of the Father and Son. l'· cur bewg baptized mto Jus Name IS OUr
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=