How Many Spirits in the Godhead?

Signs of The Time JULY 25, 1878< recommended reading.

ALL trinitarian creeds make the Holy Ghost a person, equal in Substance, power, eternity; and glory with the Father and Son. Thus they claim three' persons in the trinity, each one equal with both the others. If this be so, then the Holy Spirit is just as truly an, individual intelligent person as is the Father or the Son. But this we cannot believe. The Holy Spirit is not a person. In all our prayers we naturally conceive of, God as a person, and of the Son as a person; but who ever conceived of the Holy Ghost as 'being a person, standing there beside the Father and equal with him ? Such a conception never enters any one's mind. If you say that it does, we ask of What form is the' Holy Ghost ? IS it like the Father and Son, in the form of a man ? Who can tell ? Again, the Father himself is said to be a spirit. Are there, then, two spirits, both divine, both God, both equal to each other, both alike ? Then how is one different from the other ? God is said to be a spirit ; and it is everywhere declared that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. IS it then the spirit of a spirit What kind of spirit would that be? Again, "God is a spirit." John. 4:24. Now if the Holy Ghost is a distinct person from the Father, here are two spirits. That the pre-existent Word, the Son, is another person, our opponents contend ; and that he 'has a spirit they will not deny. Here, then, are three spirits—the, son is a spirit, and the Holy Ghost is a spirit, and both equal in substance and power. Well, now the Son has a spirit, for ” God hath sent forth 'the Spirit 'of his Son into our hearts Crying, Abba, Father." Gal. 4 :6. Again, "If' any man not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his, Rom 8 : 9. This makes four spirits. God also ' has a spirit. " The Spirit of God." Gen. 1 : 2. And if the Holy Ghost be equal to the other two persons, then it must have a spirit too. Here are six spirits, and according to our trinitarian brethren, six persons.

How absurd ! The simple truth is that God is a real person, in bodily form ; and the Holy Spirit is truly the Spirit of God, a divine influence proceeding from the Father and also froth the Son, as their power, energy, etc. The Bible never in any case calls the ,Holy Spirit a person, though, it frequently does both the Father and Son. Another fact having an important bearing upon this question, one which shows the utter falsity of the trinitarian creed that makes, the Holy Ghost equal with the Father and Son is that the Holy Spirit has no throne, and is never worshiped. Many' times it is explicitly ;declared that both the Father and the Son have a throne, and are seated' upon that throne. Rev. 3 : 21. " But the throne of God and of the, Lamb shall be in it." Rev. 22 : 3. But where is the throne of the Holy Spirit ? Who ever heard of that ? How astonishing, if the 'Holy Spirit ii the same as the Father and the Son, and is one of the trinity, equal with them power, substance, and glory ! How is it, we ask, that it has no throne while the others have ? Then, again, as before stated, while worship is offered both to the Father and to the Son (see Rev. 5) in no single case is worship ever offered to the Holy Spirit. How can this be harmonized with the supposition that the Holy Ghost is equal with both the Father and the Son ? Also we are required to love, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ ; but no one is ever required to love the Holy Spirit. No such precept is given, nor is there any reference to it..for more go to the ST and dated where written. and go to the next one.

The Holy Spirit. AUGUST 8, 1878. Signs of The Times JAMES WHITE PRESIDENT J.N. Andrews and Uriah Smith as Editors. The Holy Spirit. THE HOLY SPIRIT NOT A PERSON, BUT AN INFLUENCE PROCEEDING FROM GOD. (Concluded.)