A treatise of the Holy Trinunity [sic]. In two parts. The first, asserting the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, in the unity of essence with God the father. The second, in defence of the former, containeth answers to the chiefest objections made against this doctrine. By Isaac Marlow.

CHAP. V.

Wherein are answered some Objections infer∣red by our Adversaries from divers Texts of Scripture, to disprove the Deity of the Ho∣ly Ghost.

OBjection from Matth. 11.27. All things are delivered unto me of my Fa∣ther, and no Man knoweth the Son but the Fa∣ther; neither knoweth any Man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. How could this be true, were the Holy Spirit a Divine Person distinct from the Father and the Son, and in all things equal unto both? for some other besides the Father would have known the Son, and some other besides the Son would have known the Father, namely the Holy Spirit.

Answer. First, We must not understand this Text in the strictest sense, as if Christ the Son of God was not known at that time by any besides the Father.

1. He was known as Man, John 7.27. We know this Man whence he is.

2. He was known as the Son of God, John 1.41, 49. Said Andrew to Simon Pe∣ter, We have found the Messias.—Natha∣niel answered and said unto him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. His Disciples believed on him, chap. 2.11. and others, chap. 4.53.

Secondly, Neither is this Scripture to be considered, as though Christ's Disci∣ples and others then had not some Know∣ledg of God the Father; for in John 6.44, 45. it is said, No Man can come to me, except the Father draw him.—Every Man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. So that no Man could come to Christ without some Knowledg and Teachings of God the Father.

Thirdly, It then follows that if this Text is not to be understood totally to exclude all Men from some Knowledg of the Fa∣ther and the Son, until afterwards they should be revealed; then it intends only

to exclude them from some special and peculiar Knowledg which they have, and in reference to their revealing of each other.

The Father knoweth the Son, and the Son the Father, in a different manner from all Creatures, in that they know each other perfectly of their own Self-Knowledg: Yet the Words of Christ are not to be taken simply of that peculiar Knowledg, but with reference to the Revelation which the Father makes of the Son, and Christ of the Father, as ap∣pears in ver. 25. where Christ saith, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, because thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent, and hast revealed them unto Babes. And now it follows that Christ tells us, No Man knoweth the Son [but] the Father; neither knoweth any Man the Father [save] the Son, and he to whom∣soever the Son will reveal him: As if he had said, No Man knoweth the Son, so as to re∣veal him savingly [but] the Father, nei∣ther doth any Man (after the same manner) know the Father [save] the Son only. And this suits with the following Invitation for burthened Souls to come to Christ, as to one that can reveal and open the Father's

Heart, wherein they may (through him) have rest for their weary Souls. ver. 28, &c. chap. 1.18. ch. 6.41.

Fourthly; Having opened the Text, and shewed that it must not be positively understood, I shall now answer directly to what is objected concerning the Holy Spirit. And,

First, I shall note, that if Men who are named, (and only intended) are but in part excluded, then the Holy Ghost, who is not named (neither intended) cannot from these words be excluded from the knowledg of the Father and the Son.

Secondly, We must not conceive that the Holy Spirit is excluded from the Fel∣lowship of this Knowledg which the Fa∣ther and the Son have of each other, be∣cause he is not mentioned; for the Mini∣stration of the Spirit was not yet come. I said before that here we are not to un∣derstand Knowledg simply, but with re∣ference to Revelation; and this was now ministred by the Father and the Son more secretly through the Spirit, but apparently (to assure his Disciples, and convince the Sons of Men that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God, that was sent forth from

the Bosom of the Father, to declare his Will) by such sensible, visible and exter∣nal Testimonies, as would leave all Men without excuse: The Father bearing witness to the Son, twice by a Voice from Heaven, and the Son by the mighty Works he wrought in the Father's Name, bore witness of him, and gave undeni∣able proof of his special Mission from God, and that he was the Messiah that was to come. John 1.18. chap. 5.17, 36, 43. chap. 14.10. 2 Pet. 1.17, 18. Matth. 3.17. And this was the very reason that so little mention was made of the Holy Ghost, the Mystery of God being left more fully to be opened and revealed af∣ter Christ's Ascension, by that Divine Person, whose proper Work it was to confirm the Testimony of the Father and the Son, that went before. So that the Holy Ghost was not omitted by Christ, because he was not in the Unity of that Knowledg••; but because the time for the great work of his ministerial Revelation was not yet come. So that no Foundati∣on can be laid on this Scripture in oppo∣sition to the Deity of the Holy Ghost.

Objection from 1 Cor. 2.12. Now we have received not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God. The Spirit which is of God is God's Effect, and de∣pends upon him, and so is inferiour to him.

Answer. 1 Cor. 2.10, 11, 12. But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit — For what Man knoweth the things of a Man save the Spirit of a Man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no Man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have recei∣ved the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

First, The Apostle useth this Compa∣rison not to demonstrate the Being of God, but to shew that we cannot know the things of God till the Spirit of God reveals them to us.

Secondly, They cannot from thence conclude that the Spirit of God is God's Effect, and so is inferiour to him, any more than that the Spirit of Man is also the Effect of Man, and so inferiour to Man: But if they will run the Compari∣son to demonstrate the Being of God, we must then conclude, that as the Spirit or

Soul of Man (being the most excellent part of his Nature) is essential to his Be∣ing; so by this Rule is the Spirit of God also, which proves his Deity.

Objection from John 1.32. And John bare Record, saying, I saw the Spirit de∣scending from Heaven like a Dove, and it abode upon him. The Spirit is not God, because he changed place, and descended in a bodily Shape.

Answer. First, This Descension of the Holy Ghost disproveth not his Deity, because the like hath been said of God, in Gen. 11.5. And the Lord came down to see the City and the Tower. And in Gen. 18.21. I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it. And the Lord descended on Mount Sinai, Exod. 34.5.

Secondly, Although the most High God hath no shape, yet he appeared to Abraham in the Shape of a Man, repre∣senting his Assumption of that Nature, Gen. 18.2, 22. chap. 19.1. and therefore this Objection against the Deity of the Holy Ghost is of no weight; and not only from the aforesaid Example, but also because we find, that when the Holy

Ghost fell on the Disciples, that there were cloven Tongues, which was an out∣ward and visible sign of the Gifts and O∣peration of the Holy Spirit, and did nei∣ther betoken his corporal Substance, nor was a description of his Shape. In like manner the Holy Spirit's descending in the bodily shape of a Dove, did neither betoken his corporal Substance nor change of place; but like Noah's Dove, Peace and Glad-tidings towards Men. For Peter in his first Epistle, chap. 3.20, 21. makes the Waters of Noah a Type of Gospel-Baptism; and then, as after Noah's Ark did rest upon dry Ground, a Dove was the minister of glad-tidings to him and all his House: so God was pleased in answer to that Type (and as was fittest to represent the Innocency of Christ) after his Baptism and Salvation from the Wa∣ter, to send the Holy Ghost to him in the same shape: and afterwards to his Disciples, to minister such divine Power and Comfort as might strengthen, com∣fort, and incourage them to that work which God had appointed for them: so that there is not the least reason from this Scripture to deny the Deity of the Holy Spirit.

Objection from John 16.13. Howbeit, when He the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all Truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will shew you things to come. Ver. 14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. Ver. 15. All things that the Father hath, are mine: therefore, said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. The Holy Spirit is here said not to speak of himself, but what he hears, which sheweth that he receiveth those things by Commission from another, and therefore he is not God, for God can∣not be said to receive any thing from ano∣ther which he had not before.

Answer, First, The Holy Spirit must be two ways considered.

1. Essentially, as he is essentially God.

2. Personally, as he is a Divine Person in the Godhead.

First, As he is essentially God, he can neither receive Commission, or be under the direction of any other of what he should either do or speak.

2dly. As he is a Divine Person or Sub∣sistent in the Godhead, and proceedeth

from the Father and the Son, and hath his peculiar Office, he may be said to re∣ceive, to speak, and be sent by Comis∣sion from another; he may be inferiour in Office (though not in Nature) to the other Divine Persons. And hence it is, that some times the Holy Ghost is said to be sent in another's Name, and given to us, John 14.26. and at other times it is spoken, as of his Power in himself to work according to his Will, John 16.7, 8. 1 Cor. 12.11. Now each of these are proper to the Holy Ghost, viz. to be given, sent, to receive, and speak from a∣nother, or to have Power in himself to work as he will. The first they respect his Office, according to his Personal Sub∣sistence by procession from the Father and the Son, (and not that he had not the Knowledg of those things before;) and the other takes in the Divine Essence too.

Secondly, It may be further said, That the Disciples of our Lord, had much darkness on them, and were ignorant of many things contained in the Holy Scrip∣tures, till Christ did enlighten their Un∣derstandings; and therefore they might not have fully understood, and digested

this sacred Truth; for we read of some which said, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost, Luke 24.45. Acts 1.6. Acts. 19.2. This being premised, our Lord Jesus might speak this to assure them of the Holy Ghost's infallible Conduct into all Truth, not only because he is the Spirit of Truth himself, which cannot err; but also be∣cause he should not speak only as a single voluntary Act of his own, but with the mutual concurrence of the Father and the Son: So that whatsoever he should hear actually interceded for by Christ, and assented to by God the Father, which should be needful for us to know, that the Holy Spirit should shew unto us. So that this Scripture wherein the Holy Ghost is said not to speak of himself, but what he hears, &c. hath a peculiar relation unto his Ministerial Office, which cannot be repugnant to his Divine Nature; for one Person may be inferiour to another in Of∣fice, and yet of the same Nature, as hath been said.

Objection from Rev. 1.1, 13. ch. 2.7. where it appears that the Spirit which the seven Churches of Asia, were re∣quired

to hearken unto, was none other but the Angel that was sent to John, and did personate Jesus Christ; and therefore the Holy Spirit cannot be God equal with the Father.

Answer. The Angel that personated Je∣sus Christ, the same bid the Apostle John to write to the seven Churches of Asia: But in all the Epistles, he did not speak to him in his own Name or first Person, nor dictate the Epistles as from himself, but from the Person of Jesus Christ, say∣ing unto John, Write these things, saith he, (viz. the Son of God)—the First and the Last, which was Dead and is Alive, &c. So that when the Angel in the conclusive part of the Epistles saith to John, He that hath an Ear, let him hear what the [Spi∣rit] saith to the Churches; he speaks not of, and from himself, but of Jesus Christ who is that Spirit whom they are bid to hear. And this agrees with 2 Cor. 3.17. The Lord is that Spirit; and is farther con∣firmed and laid as a Foundation-Truth, in the Beginning of this Vision, viz. that what the Angel said must be referred to the Almighty Lord, ver. 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was,

and which is to come, the Almighty. And therefore this Scripture is so far from proving this erronious opinion, touching the Holy Spirit, that it confirms his Dei∣ty; for if Jesus Christ be of the Divine Essence, and the Holy Spirit is said to speak or say when Christ saith, then it is evident that Christ and the Spirit are Co∣essential.