336 TII1ì ARIAN II«1T$p TO OttTnODOX FAITI1. In the Old Testament, the influence of(l)is divine power was exerted on Rezaleel and Almliab : They were filled with the Spirit of God ; the divine power influenced them to devise curi- ons works, to work in silver and gold, Sfc. for the tabernacle; Ex. xxxi. 2, 3, 6. and xxxv. 31, &c. So the Spirit of the Lord began to move Samson, at times in the camp of .Dan, to perform works of strength or courage ; Judgesxiii. 25. that is, the divine principle of efficience wrought in him, or on him, for these pur- poses:. So the Spirit of thé Lord came upon Ezekiel and lifted filin up, which is called the hand of the Lord in several other places. See Ezek. i. 3. and iii. 12, 14, 22. and viii. 1, 3. where these words seem to be used promiscuously. In the language of the apostles, the conversion of sinners, the assistance of ministers, the support of the afflicted, the preservation of the saints, &c. are sometimes expressly attributed to the power of God, which yet are the peculiar offices, or works of the blés- sed Spirit, and in other parts of the sacred writings are attri- buted to him. I do not explain the term Spirit, as I said before, to signify that attribute of God, called power, or omnipotence, but rather, something in the divine nature which we may conceive of after the manner of men, by way of a power or faculty, represented in the various exercises or influences thereof towards creatures, and that freduently for their instruction, sanctification, comfort or assistance to any peculiar services, or miraculous operations. This seems to be the most common sense of it in the New Tes- tament, and often in the Old. Upon this account it is called the Spirit of knowledge; Is. xi. 2. the Spirit ofwisdom and vn- derslanding ; lil1h. i. 17. the Spirit of holiness ; Rom. i. 4. and the Spirit of grace and supplication; Zech. xii. 10. with regard to its varions effects. And herein appears a very plain difference between the So- cinian doctrine, and the scheme which I here propose ; Socinus, Schlictiugius, Crellius, and others of them, make the Spirit of God to signify the mere efficacy, or influence of God's power on creatures : And therefore, they roundly and unanimously deny the holy Spirit to be the true God. But as Bisterfeld justly this- tinguishes in answer to (2rellins, " the Spirit of God is indeed the power of God, rictus Dei, yet not that accidental power, which is the mere influence, or, effect of divine agency upon the creatures, but that essential, or substantial power, which is cal- led a person in the divine nature." And though it is liard to determine in every single text, whether the Spirit of God, mean the divine agent himself', or his influences, yet there are several scriptures wherein it implies truc. and proper godhead, or a prin -. ciple of action in the divine nature, and not merely the influence of that principle, or the effects of that power, as will plainly ap- pear in the following parts of the discourse :
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