main to

Christian.

Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. vi. 19. And that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor. iii. 16. Without this the apostle reckoneth no man a Christian. If any man (saith he) have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. These words immediately follow those above-mentioned out of the epistle to the Romans, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be the Spirit of God The Spirit dwell in you. The context of which showeth, that the within, the apostle reckoneth it the main token of a Christian, ken of a both positively and negatively: for in the former verses he showeth how the carnal mind is enmity against God, and that such as are in the flesh cannot please him. Where subsuming, he adds concerning the Romans, that they are not in the flesh, if the Spirit of God dwell in them. What is this but to affirm, that they in whom the Spirit dwells are no longer in the flesh, nor of those who please not God, but are become Christians indeed? Again, in the next verse he concludes negatively, that If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his; that is, he is no Christian. He then that acknowledges himself ignorant and a stranger to the inward inbeing of the Spirit of Christ in his heart, doth thereby acknowledge himself to be yet in the carnal mind, which is enmity to God; to be yet in the flesh, where God cannot be pleased; and in short, whatever he may otherways know or believe of Christ, or however much skilled or acquainted with the letter of the holy scripture, not yet to be, notwithstanding all that, attained to the least degree of a Christian; yea, not once to have embraced the Christian religion. For take but away the Spirit, and Christianity remains no more Christianity, than the dead carcase of a man, when the soul and spirit is departed, remains a man; which the living can no more abide, but do bury out of their sight, as a noisome and useless thing, however acceptable it hath been when actuated and moved by the soul. Lastly, Whatsoever is ex

alid nota

Deen and

are per

formed by the Spirit in all ages.

cellent, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is worthy, whatsoever is desirable in the Christian faith, is ascribed to this Spirit, without which it could no more subsist than the outward world without the sun. Hereunto have all true Christians, in all ages, attributed their strength and life. It is by this Spirit that they avouch themselves to have been converted to God, to have been redeemed from the world, to have been strengthened in their weakness, comforted in their afflictions, confirmed in their temptations, imboldened in their sufferings, and triumphed in the midst of all their persecutions. Yea, the writings of all true Christians are full of Tae great the great and notable things which they all affirm ble acts themselves to have done, by the power, and virtue, t'nat have and efficacy of this Spirit of God working in them. It is the Spirit that quickeneth, John vi. 63. It was the Spirit that gave them utterance, Acts ii. 4. them utterance, Acts ii. 4. It was the Spirit by which Stephen spake, That the Jews were not able to resist, Acts vi. 10. It is such as walk after the Spirit that receive no condemnation Rom. viii. 1. It is the law of the Spirit that make s free, ver. 2. It is by the Spirit of God dwelling in us, that we are redeemed from the flesh, and from th ve carnal mind, ver. 9. It is the Spirit of Christ dwellir in us that quickeneth our mortal bodies, ver. 11. It is through this Spirit that the deeds of the body a re mortified, and life obtained, ver. 13. It is by tl is Spirit that we are adopted, and cry ABBA, Father, ver. 15. It is this Spirit that beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, ver. 16. It is this Spirit that helpeth our infirmities, and maketh in itercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered, ver. 26. It is by this Spirit that the glorious things which God hath laid up for us, which neither outward ear hath heard, nor outward eye hath seen, nor the heart of man conceived by all his reasonings, are revealed unto us, 1 Cor. ii. 9, 10. It is by this Spirit that both wisdom and knowledge, and faith,

Calvin of

the neces

sity of the

and miracles, and tongues, and prophecies, are obtained, 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9, 10. It is by this Spirit that we are all baptized into one body, ver. 13. In short, what thing relating to the salvation of the soul, and to the life of a Christian, is rightly performed, or ef fectually obtained, without it? And what shall I say more? For the time would fail me to tell of all those things which the holy men of old have declared, and the saints of this day do themselves enjoy, by the virtue and power of this Spirit dwelling in them. Truly my paper could not contain the many testimonies whereby this truth is confirmed; wherefore, besides what is above-mentioned out of the fathers, whom all pretend to reverence, and those of Luther and Melancthon, I shall deduce yet one observable testimony out of Calvin, because not a few of the followers of his doctrine do refuse and deride (and that, as it is to be feared, because of their own non-experience thereof) this way of the Spirit's in-dwelling, as uncertain and dangerous; that so, if neither the testimony of the scripture, nor the sayings of others, nor right reason can move them, they may at least be reproved by the words of their own master, who saith in the third book of his Institutions, cap. 2. on this wise:

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"But they allege, It is a bold presumption for any to pretend to an undoubted knowledge of Spirit's in- "God's will; which (saith he) I should grant unto dwelling in us. "them, if we should ascribe so much to ourselves "as to subject the incomprehensible counsel of "God to the rashness of our understandings. But "while we simply say with Paul, that we have receiv"ed not the spirit of this world, but the Spirit which is

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of God, by whose teaching we know those things "that are given us of God, what can they prate "against it without reproaching the Spirit of God? "For if it be an horrible sacrilege to accuse any "revelation coming from him, either of a lie, of un

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"certainty or ambiguity, in asserting its certain"ty wherein do we offend? But they cry out, That "it is not without great temerity that we dare so "boast of the Spirit of Christ. Who would believe "that the sottishness of these men were so great, "who would be esteemed the masters of the world, "that they should so fail in the first principles of religion? Verily I could not believe it, if their "own writings did not testify so much. Paul ac"counts those the Sons of God, who are actuated by "the Spirit of God; but these will have the children "of God actuated by their own spirits without the Spirit of God. He will have us call God Father, "the Spirit dictating that term unto us, which only "can witness to our spirits that we are the Sons of "God. These, though they cease not to call upon "God, do nevertheless dismiss the Spirit, by whose "guiding he is rightly to be called upon. He denies "them to be the Sons of God, or the Servants of "Christ, who are not led by his Spirit; but these feign a Christianity that needs not the Spirit of "Christ. He takes away the hope of a blessed resur"rection, unless we feel the Spirit residing in us; "but these feign a hope without any such a feeling; "but perhaps they will answer, that they deny not "but that it is necessary to have it, only of modesty "and humility we ought to deny and not acknowl"edge it. What means he then, when he commands "the Corinthians to try themselves, if they be in the "faith; to examine themselves, whether they have "Christ, whom whosoever acknowledges not dwelling in him, is a reprobate? By the Spirit which "he hath given us, saith John, we know that he abideth And what do we then else but call in question Christ's promise, while we would be "esteemed the servants of God without his Spirit, "which he declared he would pour out upon all his ? "Seeing these things are the first grounds of piety, "it is miserable blindness to accuse Christians of

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"in us.

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Without "pride, because they dare glory of the presence the Spirit's "of the Spirit; without which glorying, ChristianChristianity itself could not be. But by their example

presence,

ity

cease.

Query 3. What is the work

it!

Joan xvi. 13.and xiv. 26.

The Spirit the guide.

they declare, how truly Christ spake, saying, That "his Spirit was unknown to the world, and that "those only acknowledge it with whom it re"mains." Thus far Calvin.

If therefore it be so, why should any be so foolish as to deny, or so unwise as not to seek after this Spirit, which Christ hath promised shall dwell in his children? They then that do suppose the indwelling and leading of his Spirit to be ceased, must also suppose Christianity to be ceased, which cannot subsist without it.

Thirdly, What the work of this Spirit is, is partly before shown, which Christ compriseth in two or of the Spir- three things, He will guide you into all truth; He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance. Since Christ hath provided for us so good an instructer, why need we then lean so much to those traditions and commandments of men wherewith so many Christians have burthened themselves? Why need we set up our own carnal and corrupt reason for a guide to us in matters spiritual, as some will needs do? May it not be complained of all such, as the Lord did of old concerning Israel by the prophets, Jer. ii. 13. For my people have committed two evils, they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water? Have not many forsaken, do not many deride and reject, this inward and immediate guide, this Spirit that leads into all truth, and cast up to themselves other ways, broken ways indeed, which have not all this while brought them out of the flesh, nor out of the world, nor from under the dominion of their own lusts and sinful affections, whereby truth, which is only rightly learned by this Spirit, is so much a stranger in the earth?