question arose which we are discussing, when the Son was casting out devils, He yet said,
“If I in the Holy Spirit cast out devils, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.”2431
26. And here perhaps one may say, “That the Holy Spirit is rather given by the Father
and the Son, than that He worketh anything by His own will, and that this is the scope of
the words, “In the Holy Spirit I cast out devils,” because not the Spirit Himself, but Christ
in the Spirit, did it; so that the expression, “I cast out in the Holy Spirit,” might be understood
as if it were said, “I cast out by the Holy Spirit.” For this is the usual style of the Scriptures,
“They killed in the sword,” that is, by the sword. They “burnt in the fire,”2432 that is, by the
fire. “And Joshua took knives of flints, in which to circumcise,” that is, by which to circumcise,
“the children of Israel.”2433 But let those who on this account take from the Holy Spirit His
proper power, look to that which we read to have been spoken by the Lord, “The Spirit
bloweth where It listeth.”2434 And as to what the Apostle says, “But all these worketh that
one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will;”2435 it might be
feared, lest one imagine that the Father and the Son do not work them: whereas amongst
these works he has expressly mentioned both the “gifts of healings,” and the “workings of
miracles,” in which surely is included also the driving out of devils. But when he adds the
words, “Dividing to every man severally as He will;” does he not clearly show also the Power
of the Holy Spirit, yet as plainly inseparable from the Father and the Son? If then these things
are so expressed, as that notwithstanding the operation of the Trinity is understood to be
inseparable: so that when the operation of the Father is spoken of, it is understood that He
does not exercise it without the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and when the operation of the Son
is spoken of, it is not without the Father and the Holy Spirit; and when the operation of the
Holy Spirit is spoken of, it is not without the Father and the Son; it is sufficiently clear to
those who have a sound faith, or who even understand as they best can, both that the words,
“He doeth the works,”2436 are spoken of the Father, in that from Him is also2437 the first
principle of the works, from whom is the existence of the Persons who co-operate in working:
for that both the Son is born of Him, and the Holy Spirit proceedeth from Him, as the First
Beginning, of whom the Son is born, and with whom He hath one Spirit in common; and
again that when the Lord said, “If I had not done among them the works which none other
did,”2438 He did not speak in reference to the Father and the Spirit, as that They did not co-
2431 Matt. xii. 28.
2432 Ps. lxxiii. 7, Sept. (lxxiv. 7, English version).
2433 Josh. v. 3.
2434 John iii. 8.
2435 1 Cor. xii. 11.
2436 John xiv. 10.
2437 Origo.
2438 John xv. 24.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xii. 32, ‘Whosoever shall speak a word…