CONCERNING THE TRINITY. 371
CHAPTER XXIX.
Argument. — He next teachesus that the authorityof the
faith enjoins,after the Father and the Son, to believe
alsoon the Holy Spirit,whose operationshe enumerates
from Scripture.
Moreover, the orderof reason,and the authorityof the
faithin the dispositionof the words and in the Scriptures
of the Lord, admonish us afterthese thingsto believealso
on the Holy Spirit,once promised to the church,and in the
appointedoccasionsof times given. For He was promised
by Joel the prophet,but given by Christ. "In the last
days,"saysthe prophet," I willpour out of my Spiritupon
my servantsand my handmaids."1 And the Lord said,
" Receive ye the Holy Ghost : whose sinsye remit,they
shallbe remitted; and whose ye retain,they shallbe re
tained."2 But this Holy Spiritthe Lord Christ callsat
one time " the Paraclete,"at another pronounces to be the
" Spiritof truth."3 And He isnot new in the Gospel, nor
yet even newly given; foritwas He Himself who accused
the people in the prophets,and in the apostlesgave them
the appeal to the Gentiles. For the former deservedto be
accused,because they had contemned the law ; and they of
the Gentileswho believedeserveto be aided by the defence
of the Spirit,becausethey earnestlydesireto attainto the
Gospel law. Assuredlyin the Spiritthereare differentkinds
of offices,becauseinthetimesthereisa differentorderofocca
sions; and yet,on thisaccount,He who dischargestheseoffices
isnot different,nor isHe anotherin so acting,but He isone
and the same, distributingHis officesaccordingto the times,
and the occasionsand impulses of things. Moreover, the
Apostle Paul says," Having the same Spirit; asitiswritten,
I believed,and thereforehave I spoken; we alsobelieve,and
thereforespeak."4 He isthereforeone and the same Spirit
1 Joelii.28; Actsii.17. * Johnxx.22,23.
8 Johnxiv.16,17. 42 Cor.iv.13.