On this page
-
Text (1)
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
\ 1 answer most otyyiqusly is , thp spirit which God had given th ^ in , " But * " says Mr . Wardlaw , " to fte . to the Holy Spirit is to fee to God , therefore the Spirit is God . * How does he
come at this conclusion ? Is the Spirit auy where in the Scriptures called God , or ever said to be God } Never , any where j unfortunately for him , there is no such expression in the Kir ble as God the Spirit . Is it possible that God can be the Spirit of God ?
It is impossible , unless a person can be the spirit of himself : God therefore in this passage cannot be the Holy Spirit . Lying then to the Spirit , ( notwithstanding his assertion to the contrary , ) was lying to tliat , spirit , of inspiration , which God had given them , and consequently , to God by
whom it was given . If Go 4 cannot be the Spirit of God , which is a selfevident proposition , then the converse of the proposition must also be true , that is , the Holy Spirit , cannot be God : what then becomes of the argument for the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit founded on this
passage ? The next passage produced by Mr . Wardlaw in support of his hypothesis is Ephl . iv . SO : * " And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God 9 whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption . " 1
* ' Can any thing , * says he , ' * be the subject of the passion of grief , or can any thing , unless in the boldest flights of poetry be so represented , that is not a person , possessed of understanding and consciousness - ?"
It would appear almost ridiculous to attempt to refute such an argument as this upon this subject , when we consider that such modes of expression are of such frequent occurrence , and so well understood by every body , without connecting with spirit the idea of
personality , ** of understanding and consciousness . " Grief of spirit is a common expression . " They liearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit" Exod . vi . 9 . " A woman of
sorrowful spirit . " 1 Sarti . i . 15 . "A woman grieved in spirit . ' * Isa , jjiv .. 6 . " Why is thy spirit » o sadT * . \ Kings xxi . 5 . " They rebelled and yvexed In * Holy Spirit . " Isa . Jxiii . 10 . This , together ivith the words under con-! - - 7 " ' ¦ ' . ' .. t i , \ . j > ' f + ¦ ..-., T V ^^ ' I ~ l i }* ' - ¦ ¦ -
Untitled Article
sideration , is sppken after the manner of men * , and , if it b $ r so , it must be understood in the sense in which if is
used by them , that is of inward and great grief . Will Mr . Wardteiv say , that all the above expressions , if they are not a proof of the personality of spirit , are «« the boldest flights of poetry" ?
If Mr . Wardlaw contends , that the ascription of what he calls personal affections and actions to spirit is a p ^ oof of personality , it would be easy to prove that every man ' s spirit is another person distinct from himself " My spirit made diligent searehSl
u My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour . " " My spirit praytitk " . " They have refreshed my spirit /* " O my soul , ihou hast said unto the Lord thou art my , Lord . " ¦«* Thesp irit
is willingf but the flesh is we $ k »* But enough has been said to expose the , fallacy of this argument * We jiroceed to notice the only remaining passage on this subject . A ct * vii . 31 i * 4 t Ye stiff-necked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears , ye do always resist the Holy Spirit ; as your fathers did , so do ye . " " The Holy Spirit is here represented , " says Mr . Wardlaw , " as the object of resistance ; one whose testimony , and whose will and authority were scorned and violently striven against . "
Can then nothing be resisted but a person ; and is resistance of an object the proof of its personality ? Paul says , f , " So do these also resist the ti * uth" And the writer to the Hebrews says , % " Ye have not yet resisted unto blood , striving against sin "
And in the preceding chapter , § it is said , * ' They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake , " which at once shews the way in which they and their fathers resisted the Holy Spirit . The object * of resistance in these passages are , the truth , sin and the . wisdom , as well ; aft
the spirit with which Stephen spake : are each of these proper persons ? If they are ; not , then resistance is no proot of personality . But , says he , it was the resistance of " ont whose testimony and whose will and authority were scorned _ , ¦ ¦ . i ' - i ¦ ii ¦ i ... . ' * '* Pago 287 . t 2 Tim ; iii . S , t Chapterxii . 4 . * Vtwe IO- * *
Untitled Article
« ¦ ¦ ¦ ] &Marsm Wfa ^ 24 *
-
-
Citation
-
Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), April 2, 1818, page 247, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2475/page/23/
-