V. Of the Holy Ghost. "THE Holy Ghost, 'proceeding from the Father Q. What believest thou of the Holy Ghost? A. I confess that he is the third Person of the most holy Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son before all beginning, equal with them both, and of the very same substance, and together with them both to be honoured and called upon. Nowell, p. 62. The Holy Ghost is a spiritual and divine substance, the third Person in the Deity, distinct from the Father and the Son, and yet proceeding from them both. Which thing to be true, both the Creed of Athanasius beareth witness, and may be also easily proved by most plain testimonies of God's holy word. When Christ was baptized of John in the river Jordan, we read that the Holy Ghost came down in form of a dove; and that the Father thundered from heaven, saying, "This is my dear and well-beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. iii. 17.) Where note three divers and distinct Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: which all notwithstanding are not three Gods, but one God. Likewise, when Christ did first institute and ordain the sacrament of Baptism, he sent his disciples into the whole world, willing them to baptize all nations, "in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." (Matt. xxviii. 19.) And in another place he saith, "I will pray unto my Father, and he shall give you another Comforter." (John xiv. 16.) Again, "When the Comforter shall come, whom I will send from my Father," &c. (John xv. 26.) These and such other places of the New Testament do so plainly and evidently confirm the distinction of the Holy Ghost from the other Persons in the Trinity, that no man possibly can doubt thereof, unless he will blaspheme the everlasting truth of God's Word. Hom. xxviii. 1. Q. Why is he called holy? A. Not only for his own holiness, which yet is the highest holiness, but also for that by him the elect of God and the members of Christ are made holy. For which cause the holy Scriptures have called him the " Spirit of sanctification." Q. In what things dost thou think that this sanctification consisteth? A. First, we are by his divine instinct and inspiration newly begotten, and therefore Christ said that we must be born again of water and the Spirit. Also by his heavenly breathing on us, God the Father doth adopt us his children, and a Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matt. xxviii. 19. There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. 1 John v. 7. b Jesus said, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and therefore he is worthily called the Spirit of adoption. By his expounding, the divine mysteries are opened unto us; by his light, the eyes of our souls are made clear to understand them; by his judgment sins are either pardoned or reserved; by his strength, sinful flesh is subdued and tamed, and corrupt desires are bridled and restrained. At his will manifold gifts are distributed among the godly, in the manifold and divers discommodities, molestations, and miseries of this life, the Holy Ghost with his secret consolations, and with good hope, doth assuage, ease, and comfort the griefs and mourning of the godly, which commonly are in this world most afflicted, and whose sorrows do pass all human consolation: whereof he hath the true and proper name of Paraclete, or the Comforter. Finally by his power our mortal bodies shall rise alive again. Briefly whatsoever benefits are given us in Christ, all these we understand, feel, and receive by the work of the Holy Ghost. Nowell, p. 63. It is he which inwardly worketh the regeneration and new birth of mankind. Hom. xxviii. 1. He proceedeth from the Father and the Son. Nicene Creed. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created, but proceeding. Athan. Creed. Our Saviour Christ, departing out of the world unto his Father, promised his disciples to send down another Comforter, that should continue with them for ever, and direct them into all truth. (John xiv. 16; xv. 26.) Which thing to be faithfully and truly performed, the Scriptures do sufficiently bear witness. Neither must we think that this Comforter was either promised, or else given, only to the Apostles; but also to the universal Church of Christ, dispersed through the whole world. For, unless the Holy Ghost had been always present, governing and preserving the Church from the beginning, it could never have sustained so many and great brunts of affliction and persecution, with so little damage and harm as it hath. Hom. xxviii. 2. come unto him, and make our abode with him. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John xiv. 23, 26. When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. John xv. 26. When he (ixsivos To Ivμa) 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. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shew it unto you. John xvi. 13, 14, 15. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts. Gal. iv. 6. e God hath revealed them unto glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. As he promised he sendeth down his Holy Spirit from heaven into our hearts, as a most sure pledge of his good will, by which Spirit he brings us out of darkness and mist into open light; he giveth sight to the blindness of our minds; he chaseth sorrow out of our hearts, and healeth the wounds thereof; and with the divine motion of his Spirit he causeth, that looking up to heaven, we raise up our minds and hearts from the ground, from corrupt affections and from earthly things, upward to the place where Christ is at the right hand of his Father, that we, thinking upon and beholding things above and heavenly, and so raised up and of upright mind, contemn these our base things, life, death, riches, poverty, and with lofty and high courage despise all worldly things. Nowell, p. 56. Let us, as we are most bound, give hearty thanks to God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, for sending down this Comforter into the world; humbly beseeching him so to work in our hearts by the power of his Holy Spirit, that we being regenerate, and newly born again in all goodness, righteousness, sobriety, and truth, may in the end be made partakers of everlasting life in his heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. Hom. xxviii. 1. Who art one God, one Lord: not one only person, but three persons in one substance. For that which we believe of the glory of the Father, the same we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, without any difference or inequality. Com. Service. As for his proper nature and substance, it is altogether one with God the Father, and God the Son; that is to say, spiritual, eternal, uncreated, incomprehensible, almighty: to be short, he is even God and Lord everlasting. Therefore he is called the Spirit of the Father; therefore he is said to proceed from the Father and the Son; and therefore he was equally joined with them in the commission that the Apostles had to baptize all nations. Hom. xxviii. 1. a I believe in the Holy Ghost. Apost. Creed. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life. Nicene Creed. 1 us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. ii. 10, 11. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. d As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. E The Catholic Faith is this, That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. Athan. Creed. I believe in the Holy Ghost:-who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets. Nicene Creed. The Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. And in this Trinity none is afore or after other: none is greater or less than another; but the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. Athan. Creed. Rom. viii. 14. Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.-In whom ye are also builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph. ii. 18, 22. Christ through the eternal Spirit offered himself, &c. Heb. ix. 14. God created man. Gen. i. 27. The Spirit of God hath made me. Job xxxiii. 4. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created. Ps. civ. 30. Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God? How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Acts v. 3, 4, 9. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them-They, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed. Acts xiii. 2, 4. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. John vi. 45. Isa. liv. 13. Jer. xxxi. 34. The Holy Ghost shall teach you all things. John xiv. 26. Ye are the temple of the living God: God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. 2 Cor. vi. 11. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. 1 Cor. iii. 16. God raiseth the dead. 2 Cor. i. 9. As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. John v. 21. Jesus Christ was quickened by the Spirit. 1 Pet. iii. 18. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. 2 Tim. iii. 16. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Pet. i. 21. VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for salvation. HOLY Scripture containeth all things ne a Unto a Christian man there can be nothing either more necessary or profitable, than the knowledge of holy Scripture, forasmuch as in it is contained God's true word, setting forth his glory, and also man's duty. And there is no truth nor doctrine necessary for our justification and everlasting salvation, but that is or may be drawn out of that fountain and well of truth. Hom. i. 1. In holy Scripture is fully contained what we ought to do, and what to eschew, what to believe, what to love, and what to look for at God's hands at length. Hom. i. 1. The holy Scriptures are God's treasure house, wherein are found all things needful for us to see, to hear, to learn, and to believe, necessary for the attaining to eternal life. Hom. xxii. 1. As the great clerk and godly preacher St. John Chrysostom saith, whatsoever is required to the salvation of man, is fully contained in the Scripture of God. He that is ignorant may there learn and have knowledge. He that is hard-hearted, and an obstinate sinner, shall there find everlasting torments, prepared of God's justice, to make him afraid, and to mollify or soften him. He that is oppressed with misery in this world shall there find relief in the promises of everlasting life, to his great consolation and comfort. He that is wounded by the Devil unto death shall find there medicine whereby he may be restored again unto health. If it shall be requisite to teach any truth, or reprove any false doctrine, to rebuke any vice, to commend any virtue, to give good counsel, to comfort or exhort, or to do any other thing requisite for our salvation, all those things, says St. Chrysostom, we may learn plentifully of the Scripture. Hom. i. 1. St. Chrysostom saith, that man's human or worldly wisdom or science is not needful to the understanding of Scripture, but the revelation of the Holy Ghost, who inspireth the true meaning there is no light in them. Isa. viii. 20. Preach the word; -for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.-And they shall turn away their ears from the truth. 2 Tim. iv. 2, 3, 4. We have a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed;-knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any pri |