thority"fee the Text, N°. 66."

And what text would you suppose this to be? why, it is no other than that of Acts V. 4. where he IS expressly filed God. The Doctor refers us to it, because he has added a long perplexed Comment, to help us to understand it, I fuppofe; though a child may fee the force of it without any Comment at all. The fubftance of all he has faid may be reduced to this "Ananias

lyed to God, because he lyed to the Apostles, "in whom God dwelt by his Spirit." Thus he has tried to evade it; even by producing one proof of the Holy Ghofts Divinity, as an answer to another. For if the Scripture affures us that God dwelleth in us, and our only argument for it, is, because the Spirit dwelleth in us; who can the Spirit be, but God himself? as it is proved in the following Article. But before we proeeed to it, I must beg the Reader to observe how he has used and reprefented Athanafius's opinion upon this text. Athanafius himself (fays "the Doctor") explains this text in the fame man"ner: He that lyed (faith he) to the Holy Ghost, lyed to GOD, WHO dwelleth in men by his Spirit. For where the Spirit of God is, there "is GOD." The Difference, then, between

C

a Part II. §. XXXII. Πνόύμα το θεό, εκεί έπν ο ΘΕΟΣ.

this author and St. Athanafius, is no more than this: the former takes occafion to deny that the Holy Ghoft is GOD, the latter to prove it, and both from one and the fame text; which, if you believe the Doctor, they have explained in the fame manner!

IX.

1 John III. 21.

Beloved if our heart

condemn us not then have we con

fidence toward GOD.

Ibid. v. 24. And hereby we know that HE abideth in us, by THE SPIRIT which he hath given us.

"The Spirit

The Apostle's reasoning is this "abideth in us; and hereby we know that He (God) abideth in us. But unless the Spirit be a perfon in the Unity of God, the conclufion is manifeftly falfe.

X.

I Cor. III. 16. The TEMPLE of GOD is holy, which temple are YE.

1 Cor. VI. 19. Know ye not, that YOUR BODIES are the TEMPLE of the HOLY

GHOST.

XI.

XI.

Matt. IV. 1. Then was Jefus LED Up (UT) BY THE SPIRIT, to be TEMPTED, &c.

Luke XI. 2-4. OUR FATHER which

up

art in heaven

TEMPTATION.

LEAD us not into

par

It is not my business in this place to fhew ticularly in what manner and for what end God leads us into temptation. That it is no way inconfiftent with the divine attributes, is plain from the cafe now before us: for Jefus was led into the wilderness to meet his adverfary and be tempted by him. And it is also plain from that petition in the Lords Prayer, that our Father which is in heaven would not lead us into temptation: it being needlefs and abfurd to pray that God would not do, what, by the neceffity of his nature, it is impoffible for him to do. In this cafe, God is not the tempter: he only introduces us to the trial; and always provides, if we have the grace and prudence to embrace it, a way for our efcaping that we may be able to bear it.

But when Jesus was tempted, the leading him into temptation was the act of the Holy Spirit.

There

Therefore, as often as we repeat the Lords Prayer, we address ourselves inclufively to the Perfon of the Spirit, under the one name of OUR FATHER: and certainly, he also is our Father, of whom we are begotten and born, even of the Spirit: and again, as many as are LED by the SPIRIT of God, they are the SONS of God. Rom. VIII. 14. See Art. I. of this Chapter.

XII.

2 Cor. I. 3. Bleffed be GOD, even the GOD of ALL COMFORT.

b

If all fpiritual Comfort (fent from heaven) be of God, how is it confiftent, that the Churches had reft walking in the COMFORT OF the HOLY GHOST, unless the Holy Ghost be a perfon in the Unity of God? and how can be be styled by way of Eminence, THE Comforter, if there be a God distinct from him, who claims that Title? for then he is not the Comforter, but one of the two; and two divine Comforters, like two Almighties, would make two Gods; which is not a principle of Christianity, but of heathen Idolatry. And the fame reasoning will hold good as to another of his titles.

a Alts IX. 3. bo on. John XIV. 26.

For

a

For the Holy Ghoft is called, by way of Eminence, THE SPIRIT, i. e. the true and principal, the head and Father of all other Spirits. Yet we are told that God is a Spirit: fo that unless the Spirit be alfo God, we must believe in two fupreme, diftinct, and independent Spirits. And thus we justly argue for the Divinity of Chrift; that because GOD is LIGHT, and Chrift is THE LIGHT. Therefore, he is and must be God; even the TRUE God, because he is the TRUE Light.

XIII.

1 Cor. II. II. For what man knoweth the things of a man, fave the SPIRIT of a man which is IN HIM? EVEN SO the things of GOD knoweth (des) none but the SPIRIT OF GOD.

The Spirit of a man knows the things of a man for this reason, because it is in him. For the fame reason, the Spirit of God knows the things of God, because it is in the Godhead; than which nothing farther need be defired to prove

a 1 John V. 6. b John IV. 24. d John I. 4. 7, 8. and VIII. 12.

c 1 John I. 5.

e Ibid. I. 9.

the