ing the majority of the unlearned chriftians among the Gentiles, befides the whole body of the Jewish chriftians, who did not believe in any divinity except that of the Father) and this is never objected to them by their adverfaries, who do cenfure them for not admitting the divinity of the Son, it is evident that the divinity of the Spirit had not been acknowledged even by thofe who had been deemed orthodox.

Even after the rife of the Arian controverfy, many perfons expreffed themselves concerning the Spirit as if it had no proper divinity, at least of a personal nature, without cenfure, which could not have been the cafe, if it had been the uniform doctrine of the orthodox, that the Holy Spirit was a proper divine perfon, equal to the Son, or the Father. We may conclude, therefore, that it was the doctrine of the divinity of the Son which prepared the way for that of the Holy Spirit. But to enable us to judge from facts, I fhall produce paffages relating to the Holy Spirit from a confiderable number of chriftian writers, in the order of time in which they wrote.

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CHAPTER IX.

Of the Controverfy relating to the Holy Spirit.

IT is pretty remarkable, that, notwithftanding the doctrine concerning the perfon of Christ, had been the great subject. of controversy ever fince the promulgation of chriftianity, there is no mention made of any difference of opinion concerning the Holy Spirit, that attracted any notice, till after the commencement of the Arian controverfy, and even till after the council of Nice. Bafil obferves, that "the doctrine

concerning the Holy Spirit, which made "fo much noife in his time, had not been agitated by the ancients; and because they had been all of the fame opinion about "it, it had not been fettled*.' Now, as in all this period, it will appear that there were great numbers of unitarians (they be

* Επειδη δε το νυν ανακύψαν παρα των αει τι καινόλομειν επιχει ρενίων ζήλημα, παρασιωπηθεν τοις παλαι, δια το αναντιρρήΐον, αδιαρ πρωτον καλελειφῶν, (λεγω δη το περι το αγιο πνευματος). Epift. 387. Opera, vol. 3. p. 382.

ing the majority of the unlearned chriftians among the Gentiles, befides the whole body of the Jewish chriftians, who did not believe in any divinity except that of the Father) and this is never objected to them by their adversaries, who do censure them for not admitting the divinity of the Son, it is evident that the divinity of the Spirit had not been acknowledged even by those who had been deemed orthodox.

Even after the rife of the Arian controverfy, many perfons expreffed themselves concerning the Spirit as if it had no proper divinity, at least of a perfonal nature, without cenfure, which could not have been the cafe, if it had been the uniform doctrine of the orthodox, that the Holy Spirit was a proper divine perfon, equal to the Son, or the Father. We may conclude, therefore, that it was the doctrine of the divinity of the Son which prepared the way for that of the Holy Spirit. But to enable us to judge from facts, I fhall produce paffages relating to the Holy Spirit from a confiderable number of chriftian writers, in the order of time in which they wrote.

SEC

Opinions concerning the Holy Spirit before the Council of Nice.

THE fentiments of the Gnoftics, with refpect to the Holy Spirit, were never, that we find, much complained of. But indeed, we do not know very diftinctly what they were, except that, from their general fyftem, it may be concluded, that if they fuppofed him to be a perfon at all, he must have been one of their æons, derived, mediately, or immediately, from the Supreme Being; and this agrees with Athanafius's faying, that "Valentinus thought "the Holy Spirit to be of the fame rank "with the angels *.”

* Επειδη τον θεον και τον χρισον ωνόμασεν είδα τες αγγελος, αναγκη τοις αγγελοις συναριθμείσθαι το πνευμα, της τε αύλων είναι συνοιχίας αυτο και αγγελον είναι μεζονα των αλλων • προϊον μεν εν της ασεβείας εσιν Ουαλενλινε τελο εύρημα· και εκ έλαθον ελοι τα εκεινε φθείρομενοι . εκείνος γαρ φησι· οτι πεμφθέντος το παρακλῆς, συναπετάλησαν αυτά οι nuınıwlaı aile ayyɛña. Epift. Ad. Serapion, Opera, vol. 1: p. 185.

We

We can have no dependence, as I have fhewn, upon any arguments from the writings of the apoftolical Fathers, except that of Clement, who makes no particular mention of the Holy Spirit. In the book afcribed to Hermas, he is made to say, "do not offend the Holy Spirit, left he "intreat God, and depart from thee* According to this, the Holy Spirit must have been thought to be a creature, dependent upon God...

"

Ignatius, if his epiftle to the Ephefians be genuine, confidered the Holy Spirit as a power, rather than as a perfon. For he fays, aukwardly enough, "We are raised upwards by the machine Jesus Christ, which "is his crofs, ufing the Holy Spirit as a rope +."

Juftin Martyr, to whom we are indebted for the first rudiments of the doctrine of the divinity of Chrift, fays but little concerning the Holy Spirit; and from that

* Noli offendere fpiritum fanctum qui in te, habitat ne roget dominum, et recedat a te. Mand. 10. fect. 3. p. 97. † Αν φερομενοι εις τα ύψη δια της μηχανης Ιησε χρισ8, ο εσιν ταυρος, σχοίνω χρωμενοι τω πνεύματι τω αγίω.

Sect.

9. p. 14.