(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

UNITY AND DISTINCTIVENESS OF THE PERSONAGES OF THE GODHEAD (Continued).

SPECIAL TEXT: "Whoso believeth in me, believeth in the Father also, and unto him will the Father bear record of me; for he will visit him with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. And thus will the Father bear record of me, and the Holy Ghost will bear record unto him of the Father and me: for the Father and I and the Holy Ghost are one." (III Nephi xi:35, 36.)

DISCUSSION.

1. The Separate and Individual Existence of the Holy Ghost: The proofs which set off the Father and Son as separate and distinct personalities, which present them to us as two separate individuals, also presents the Holy Ghost as a separate and distinct personality. For whether we contemplate these divine personages when the three are represented together, as at the baptism of the Christ,^[A] in the vision of St. Stephen,^[B] in the baptismal formula,^[C] or in the apostolic benediction,^[D] they are always presented in a manner that implies distinctiveness as persons, however closely united in purpose.

[Footnote A: Matt. iii:16, 17.]

[Footnote B: Acts vii:54-56.]

[Footnote C: Matt. xxviii:19.]

[Footnote D: II Cor. xiii:12, 14.]

Jesus clearly ascribes to the Holy Ghost a distinct personality. He represents the Holy Ghost as proceeding from the Father;^[A] as sent forth in the name of the Son;^[B] as abiding;^[C] as teaching and as bearing witness;^[D] as reproving the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment;^[E] as guiding into all truth, and revealing the things of God to men.^[F]

[Footnote A: St. John xvi:26.]

[Footnote B: St. John xiv:26.]

[Footnote C: St. John xiv:16.]

[Footnote D: St. John xiv:26 and xv:26, 27.]

[Footnote E: St. John xvi:8.]

[Footnote F: Ibid, verses 13-15.]

The apostles also refer to the Holy Ghost in much the same manner: Peter represents the Holy Ghost as speaking by the mouth of David concerning the treachery of Judas;^[A] he also represents Ananias as having lied to the Holy Ghost;^[B] also he represents the Holy Ghost as bearing witness with himself and his fellow apostle, John, to the divinity of the Christ;^[C] also the Holy Ghost is represented as sending forth men to the ministry: "The Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them * * * so they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia."^[D]

[Footnote A: II Acts i:16, 17; c. f. Psalms xli:9.]

[Footnote B: Acts v:3.]

[Footnote C: Acts v:29-32.]

[Footnote D: Acts xiii:2-4.]

The Holy Ghost is represented as forbidding Paul and Timothy preaching in Asia, and Bithynia.^[A]

[Footnote A: Acts xvi:6-8: "After they were gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach in Asia, after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered them not."]

The fruit of the Spirit (the Holy Ghost) is said to be "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;" and as these things can only proceed from a being possessed of attributes that produce them, we must needs think of the Holy Ghost as loving, as merciful, as patient, as meek, as temperate, as gentle. All which with the other things preceding here said of him, clearly established personality for the third person of the Godhead.

2. The Holy Spirit Distinct from the Father and the Son, Both in Substance and Personal Action: On this subject Elder Orson Pratt has the following very valuable passage: "That the substance of the Holy Ghost is not identical with that of the Father and the Son, is evident from the whole tenor of scripture." Jesus says, "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."^[A] This Comforter could not be the Father, because he "proceedeth from the Father." He could not be the Son, because he is sent by the Son. Again, he could not be the Father, because it is contrary to the order of heaven for Jesus to send the Father. And furthermore, he could not be the Son, because he is represented as "another Comforter," to be with the disciples, in the absence of Jesus. "If I go not away," says our Savior, "the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you."^[B] The persons of the Father and Son were to be in one place while the Comforter was to be in another, and therefore, the Comforter must necessarily be a distinct substance from the Father and Son."

[Footnote A: John xv:26.]

[Footnote B: John xvi:7.]

"That the Holy Spirit is something more than the mere power or influence exerted by the Father, is evident from his possessing an understanding, a will, and a power of distinct operation. Jesus says, concerning the Comforter, "Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak for himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."^[A] Here the Holy Spirit is represented as a hearer—a speaker—a guide, receiving and showing what is received. Now such acts can only be the acts of a substance, possessing understanding and a will. That this substance is distinct from the Father is evident from his not speaking of himself, but only speaking what he hears, which shows, most plainly, a separate individuality. If the Holy Spirit were the Father, would it be reasonable to say, that he does not speak of himself? Does not the Father speak of himself? If the Holy Spirit be only a power or influence from the Father, what absurdity would run through the whole of the above passage! What nonsense would it be to say a power or influence hears—a power or influence speaks—a power or influence receives and shows! Yet this is the absurdity embraced by the Socinians. We can only think of speaking, and hearing, and willing, as applicable to a perceptive substance, and not to a quality. Again, the Spirit is represented as making intercession for the Saints. "Likewise," says Paul, "the Spirit also helpeth 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."^[B] How could a power or influence of the Father intercede with the Father? How could a power or influence groan with groanings unutterable? Would the Father intercede with himself? The absurdity of supposing the Holy Spirit to be a mere property or influence of the Father, instead of being an intelligent agent of himself, is so great, that we do not feel disposed to bring further evidence or proof to establish the distinct identity of the two."^[C]

[Footnote A: John xvi:13, 14.]

[Footnote B: Rom. viii:26.]

[Footnote C: Mill. Star, Vol. XII, pp. 306-7.]

3. The Divinity of the Holy Ghost: There remains to be considered the question, Is the Holy Ghost God? Undoubtedly. The proof is in the fact that he is a member of the Holy Trinity.^[A] Also in the fact that Jesus makes blasphemy against the Holy Ghost a greater sin than blasphemy against himself.^[B] This could not be unless the Holy Ghost were Deity, and in some peculiar way so related to man that makes this sin of blasphemy against him especially heinous.

[Footnote A: This subject is to be worked out in greater detail in a subsequent lesson.]

[Footnote B: "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. * * * Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him, but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." (Matt. xii:31; also Mark iii:28, 29.)]

"Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost," said Peter to Ananias, when the latter had dealt deceitfully in the sale of his land and the gift he had made to the Church. "Thou hast not lied unto men," said the chief Apostle, "but to God!"^[A]

[Footnote A: Acts v:1-14.]

From which it is to be concluded that to lie to the Holy Ghost is to lie to God, because the Holy Ghost is God.

I may not more fittingly close this and the two preceding lessons on the Godhead than by quoting a passage upon the subjects of which they treat from the writings of the late venerable Apostle, Orson Pratt, who upon both the oneness and the distinctiveness of the three personages of the Holy Trinity made the following observations:

4. The Persons of the Godhead One Council: "The Godhead may be illustrated by a council, consisting of three men—all possessing equal wisdom, knowledge, and truth, together with equal qualifications in every respect. Each person would be a separate distinct person or substance from the other two, and yet the three would form but one council. Each alone possesses, by supposition, the same wisdom and truth that the three united or the one council possesses. The union of the three men in one council would not increase the knowledge or wisdom of either. Each man would be one part of the council when reference is made to his person; but the wisdom and truth of each man would be the whole wisdom and truth of the council, and not a part. If it were possible to divide truth, and other qualities of a similar nature into fractions, so that the Father should have the third part of truth, the third part of wisdom, the third part of knowledge, the third part of love, while the Son and the Holy Spirit possessed the other two-thirds of these qualities or affections, then neither of these persons could make 'one God, but only a part of a God.' But because the divisibility of wisdom, truth, or love is impossible, the whole of these qualities dwells in the Father—the whole dwells in the Son—the whole is possessed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one part of the Godhead in essence; but the whole of God in wisdom, truth, and other similar qualities. * * * The oneness of the Godhead, as described in the scriptures, never was intended to apply to the essence, but only to the perfections and other attributes."^[A]

[Footnote A: Orson Pratt's Works, "Absurdities of Immaterialism," p. 30.]