Page:Catechismoftrent.djvu/75

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Son; [1] thus signifying, in unequivocal terms, that he proceeds alike from the Father and the Son. " He," says St. Paul, who has not the Spirit of Christ belongs not to him." [2] In his epistle to the Galatians, he also calls the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ: " God," says he, " hath sent the Spirit of his Son into^your hearts, crying: Abba, Father." [3] In the Gospel of St. Matthew, he is called the Spirit of the Father: " It is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you;" [4] and our Lord himself said, at his last supper: " When the Paraclate cometh, whom I will send you, the Spirit of Truth, who proceedeth from the Father, he shall give testimony of me." [5] On another occasion, he declares, that he is to be sent by the Father: " whom," says he, " the Father will send in my name." [6] Understanding by these words, the pro cession of the Holy Ghost, we come to the inevitable conclusion, that he proceeds from the Father and the Son. This exposition embraces the doctrine to be taught with regard to the Person of the Holy Ghost.

It is, also, the duty of the pastor to teach that there are certain admirable effects, certain exalted gifts of the Holy Ghost, which are said to originate and emanate from him, as from a perennial fountain of goodness. Although the extrinsic works of the most Holy Trinity are common to the three Persons, yet many of them are attributed, specially to the Holy Ghost; giving us to understand that they arise from the boundless love of God towards us: for as the Holy Ghost proceeds from the divine will, inflamed, as it were, with love, we can comprehend that these effects which are referred, particularly, to the Holy Ghost, are the result of the boundless love of God towards us.

Hence it is, that the Holy Ghost is called A GIFT; for by a gift we understand that which is kindly and gratuitously be stowed, without reference to anticipated remuneration. What ever gifts and graces, therefore, have been bestowed on us, by Almighty God, and " what have we," says the Apostle, " that we have not received from God?" [7] we should piously and gratefully acknowledge, as bestowed by the grace and gift of the Holy Ghost.

These gifts are numerous: not to mention the creation of the world, the propagation and government of all created beings, as noticed in the first Article; we proved, a little before, that the giving of life is, particularly, attributed to the Holy Ghost, and the propriety of this attribution is further confirmed by the testimony of the prophet Ezekiel: " I will give you spirit and you shall live." [8] The prophet Isaias, however, enumerates the effects peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost: " The spirit of wisdom, and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord:" [9] effects which are called the gifts of the Holy

  1. John xv. 26.
  2. Rom. viii. 9.
  3. Gal. iv. 6.
  4. Matth. x. 20.
  5. John xv. 26.
  6. John xiv. 26.
  7. 1 Cor. iv. 7.
  8. Ezek. xxxvii. 6.
  9. Isaias xi. 3.