The Holy Ghost is variously termed in the Scriptures “The Spirit of God,” “The Holy Spirit,” “The Holy Spirit of God,” “The Holy Spirit of Promise,” “The Spirit of Truth,” “The Comforter;” and, as has already been shown in the case of Jesus Christ, is said to “proceed from The Father” alone. John xv. 26. “But 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.” Other passages exist which show that the Holy Ghost is sent by God. Thus, John xiv. 16, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of Truth.” And, again, at verse 26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom The Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things.”
Theologians, however, have, as usual, made a great blunder by confounding the two distinct acts—the origination or Birth (if I might so call it) of the Holy Ghost, and that of sending him as a Messenger from God to man. Only one passage in the Holy Scriptures is known to me as mentioning the origin of the Holy Spirit—viz., that quoted above, where it is distinctly averred that “The Spirit of Truth proceedeth from the Father” alone. There is not one passage that I can find in the Inspired word of revelation which, like the false Creeds which men have imposed on their fellow-men, says that the Holy Ghost proceeded from The Father and the Son. On the other hand, the Holy Ghost, like the Son himself, originated from The God alone, and was, like the Son, sent as a divine messenger to mankind. The procession of the Holy Ghost, therefore, from God The Father, of necessity constituted him a divine Spirit, and not a created being; and it was a necessity that this other divine Messenger, or Comforter, should possess a divine and not a finite nature, else he could never be present everywhere at the same moment of time, to aid, enlighten, strengthen, confirm, comfort, inspire, quicken, sanctify, and intercede for the worshipper. This argument is to my mind quite conclusive as to the Nature of the Holy Ghost, and is in direct harmony with the distinct revelation of God on the subject. It is impossible that a created Being could perform the duties assigned to the Holy Spirit; for every created Being, though the highest and holiest, is by its nature a finite being, and, therefore, cannot be present in more places than one at the same moment of time. It is this argument which must convince every thinking mind of the irrationality of addressing our prayers to any finite being, such as the Virgin Mary. No created Being, though the highest and holiest, could be present with me in Edinburgh to hear my prayer, and be at the same moment aiding and comforting my friend in New York. Therefore it follows, as a necessity, that if we believe in the existence of the Holy Ghost as one of the Agents appointed by God in Man's salvation, we are forced also to believe that he is a divine and not a created Spirit,—that he possesses that attribute or quality of God which we style “Omnipresence,” and that the Scriptures teach man the truth, and give him the right idea, when they say, “We have access by One Spirit to The Father.”
As, however, was proved by the quotation of innumerable passages from the Holy Scriptures relative to Jesus Christ, so with regard to the Holy Ghost there does not exist a single passage which gives the slightest intimation that the title of God is to be applied to the Holy Ghost, or that he forms a third part or person of “The only True God;” nor yet is there the slightest hint that worship of any kind is to be offered to the Holy Spirit. Everything which the Scriptures mention relative to the Holy Ghost shows that he is subordinate to The God. We are never told to pray to the Spirit; but, on the other hand, we are distinctly told that we must “worship The Father in Spirit;” to be “praying with all prayer in the Spirit;” to “live in the Spirit;” to “walk in the Spirit;” to be “led by the Spirit;” to “worship God in the Spirit,” etc.; so that we are breaking the express commands of God every time we address prayers or worship to the Holy Ghost, which ought to be addressed to God .The Father alone. It is only when we strictly follow the directions of the Holy Scriptures that we can expect the promises of God to be verified in our case, that “the Spirit will help our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. . . . Because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” Romans viii. 26–27.
The fact is, the Doctrine of the Trinity has done an immense deal of evil, in preventing us understanding the True word of God. It has perverted our judgments; it has prevented thousands of thinking minds from giving a cordial assent to the truths of Revelation, having proved to them a stumbling-block from its very irrationality, and has tended greatly to increase scepticism, inasmuch as, being one of the very first articles to which our belief is demanded, it has acted as a barrier to further inquiry, lest all the articles of Belief should be found to be equally irreconcilable with reason. Nay, I firmly believe that there is scarcely a minister of the gospel who has dared to examine the subject, but must have felt that the Doctrine of the Trinity, as taught in the creeds, confessions, and Articles of the Churches, was quite indefensible.
No comments:
Post a Comment