so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.' 1 Cor. iii. 23. 'ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's.' Here, if any where, it might have been expected that Christ would have been designated by the title of God; yet it is only said that he is God's. The same appears even more clearly in what follows; xi. 3. 'I would have you know that....the head of Christ is God.' Eph. i. 17. the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 1 Cor. xv. 27.when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him: and when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.' Here the usual subterfuge of the opponents of this doctrine, that of alleging the mediatorial office of Christ can be of no avail; since it is expressly declared, that when the Son shall have completed his functions as mediator, and nothing shall remain to prevent him from resuming his original glory as only begotten Son, he shall nevertheless be subject unto the Father.

Such was the faith of the saints respecting the Son of God; such is the tenor of the celebrated confession of that faith; such is the doctrine which alone is taught in Scripture, which is acceptable to God, and has the promise of eternal salvation. Matt. xvi. 15-19. whom say ye that I am? and Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him; Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven....upon this rock I will

build my Church.'

Luke ix. 20.the Christ of God.' John i. 49, 50. Nathanael answered and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.' vi. 69. we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' ix. 35-38. dost thou believe on the Son of God? he answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? and Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee and he said, Lord, I believe; and he worshipped him.' xi. 22, 26, 27. I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die believest thou this? she saith unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.' xvi. 27, 30, 31. the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God now are we sure that thou knowest all things; by this we believe that thou camest forth from God.' xvii. 3, 7, 8, 21. this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent: now they have known that all things, whatsoever thou hast given me, are of thee; for I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.' XX. 31. these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name.' Acts viii. 37. ' if thou believest, thou mayest....I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' Rom. x. 9. if thou shalt

believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' Col. ii. 2. that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.' Philipp. iv. 6, 7. 'let your requests be made known unto God: and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.' 1 Pet. i. 21. who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.' 1 John iv. 15. whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.' v. 1. whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God.' v. 5. who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?' Finally, this is the faith proposed to us in the Apostles' Creed, the most ancient and universally received compendium of belief in the possession of the Church.

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

HAVING concluded what relates to the Father and the Son, the next subject to be discussed is that of the Holy Spirit, inasmuch as this latter is called the Spirit of the Father and the Son. With regard to the nature of the Spirit, in what manner it exists, or whence it arose, Scripture is silent; which is a caution to us not to be too hasty in our conclusions on the subject. For though it be a Spirit, in the same sense in which the Father and Son are properly called Spirits; though we read that Christ by breathing on his disciples gave to them the Holy Ghost, or rather perhaps some symbol or pledge of the Holy Ghost, John xx. 22.-yet in treating of the nature of the Holy Spirit, we are not authorized to infer from such expressions, that the Spirit was breathed from the Father and the Son.* The terms emanation and procession, employed by theologians on the authority of John xv. 26. do not relate to the nature of the Holy Spirit ; ' the Spirit of truth, ὃ παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκποgεúεraι, who proceedeth' or goeth forth from the

*This seems to be said in allusion to the controversies which arose between the Eastern and Western Churches on the subject of the spiration or procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son.

Father;' which single expression is too slender a foundation for the full establishment of so great a mystery, especially as these words relate rather to the mission than to the nature of the Spirit; in which sense the Son also is often said ¿§ελ0ɛiv, which in my opinion may be translated either to go forth or to proceed from the Father, without making any difference in the meaning, Nay, we are even said 'to live by every word (έxnogevoμévo) that proceedeth,' or 'goeth forth from the mouth of God,' Matt. iv. 4. Since therefore the Spirit is neither said to be generated nor created, nor is any other mode of existence specifically attributed to it in Scripture, we must be content to leave undetermined a point on which the sacred writers have preserved so uniform a silence.

The name of Spirit is also frequently applied to God and angels, and to the human mind.* When the phrase, the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit, occurs in the Old Testament, it is to be variously interpreted; sometimes it signifies God the Father himself, as Gen. vi. 3. my Spirit shall not alway strive with man ;' sometimes the power and virtue of the Father, and particularly that divine breath or influence by which every thing is created and nourished. In this sense many both of the ancient and modern interpreters understand the passage in Gen. i. 2. the

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*Sciunt, qui in Hebræis literis versati sunt, quam late pateat Spiritus nomen. Origine sua ventum significat; ob cujus subtilitatem, quæ visum fugit, ad alia transfertur; primum ad substantias; nam Deus, angeli boni malique, deinde ipse hominis animus eo vocabulo nuncupatur.'

Grotius ad Luc. ix. 55. See also Glocester Ridley's First Sermon on the Divinity and Personality of the Holy Ghost, where he cautions against those grosser errors which arise from a confusion of kind.