The objection has been made, that the words of St. John,
“The Spirit is God,” are to be referred to God the Father;
since Christ afterwards declares that God is to be worshipped in Spirit
and in truth. The answer is, first, that by the word Spirit is
sometimes meant spiritual grace; next, it is shown that, if they insist
that the Person of the Holy Spirit is signified by the words “in
Spirit,” and therefore deny that adoration is due to Him, the
argument tells equally against the Son; and since numberless passages
prove that He is to be worshipped, we understand from this that the
same rule is to be laid down as regards the Spirit. Why are we
commanded to fall down before His footstool? Because by this is
signified the Lord’s Body, and as the Spirit was the Maker of
this, it follows that He is to be worshipped, and yet it does not
accordingly follow that Mary is to be worshipped. Therefore the
worship of the Spirit is not done away with, but His union with the
Father is expressed, when it is said that the Father is to be
worshipped in Spirit, and this point is supported by similar
expressions.