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^ Thought ? on the Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit . Sir , Conceiving the opinions corajnonly entertained of the blasphemy against the holy spirit , mentioned Matt . xii . 31 , 32 . Mvrk iii . 2 Q » Luke xii . 10 . to be
erroneous , I beg leave , through the medium of your valuable Repository , to communicate my thoughts on the subject . It is commonly supposed to have consisted
in the Jews ascribing the miracles of Jesus to demoniacal agency , and jthat they had committed this act of blasphemy when he addressed them on the subject : this supposition I deem unfounded ,
far the following reasons : 1 . In Mo of the above passages , Jesus distinguishes between speaking against him , the Son of man , and blaspheming the spirit ; but in ascribing his miracles to demoniacal agency , they spoke against
lira , defining that he was sent of God , or that the power of God was with him ; his person and character they . evidently meant to traduce , by representing him as in league with demons , and aided by Beelzebub , the supposed chief of them . Unless this be
admitted , to what could Jesus refer when he mentioned their speaking against the son of man ? If this be admitted then , the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit must mean something else , 2 .
God hath never proceeded against bis creatures on the ground of a Retrospective law , the penalties of which could not be apprehended till after the crime to which they attach was committed ; but if the Jews had committed the blasphemy against the spirit , before Je&Uft declared that it excluded
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them from the possibility of obtaining forgiveness , he uttered the sentence of such a retrospective law , hi £ words were not a merciful
warning , but an awful denunciation of utter exclusion from mercy and pardon . 3 . If the Jews had at the time committed this blasphemy , theit condemnation was sealed , the persons who had sq
actfed had filled up the measure of their iniquity , the gates of mercy were henceforth shut against them , repentance and forgiveness were to them become impossible- ; but to suppose all ' . this is clearly
contrary to the New Testament . While hanging on the cross , Jesus implored forgiveness for his enemies without any exceptions . After he was raised from the dead , he commissioned his apostles to
preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to the Jews indiscriminately ^ but would he pray that those might be forgiven , and send a proclamation of forgiveness to those for whom , according to his
own words , there was no forgiveness ? It was by crucifyirfg the Lord Jdsus , rejecting the gospel when preached by the apoStles , with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven , and opposing the
preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles , they filled up the measure of their iniquity , and brought wrath upon themselves ip the utmost , 4 . According to the New
Testament use of the expression , though Jesus had the spirit and power of God with him so far as was necessary to qualify hjm for his personal ministry , the Holy Spirit was not given until Christ
was glorified , John vii . 39 . Acts ii . 33 . nor thfe gospel preached with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven until the day of Pep-
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Thoughts on the Blasphemy against the Holy Spwit . . Jgf .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1811, page 39, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2412/page/39/
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