IV. That the Holy Ghost is consubstantial, which means that he is one and the same true God with the Father and the Son, is proven; 1. Because he is the Spirit of the Father and the Son proceeds from both, and is the Spirit of God, in God, and from God. Therefore he has the same and the entire divine essence which belongs to the Father and the Son, communicated to him, inasmuch as it is impossible to multiply or divide the essence of God, or to create another divine essence. 2. There is but one Jehovah. The Holy Ghost is Jehovah: for the Scriptures apply to him those things which are spoken of Jehovah, as a comparison of the following passages will clearly show: Lev. 16:1, 34; and Heb. 9:7- 10. Also Lev. 26:11, 12; and 2 Cor. 6:16. Deut. 9:24, 25; and Is. 63:10, 11. Also Ps. 95:7; and Heb. 3:7. Also Is. 6:9; and Acts 28:5. 3. There is but one true God. The Holy Ghost is the true God, not less than the Father or the Son, because he is Jehovah, and is often called God in an absolute sense, as when it said of Ananias, “Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” (Acts 5:4.) Hence he is consubstantial with the Father and the Son.
Obj. Whosoever is of another, is not consubstantial with him, or is not the same with him from whom he is. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son. Therefore, he is not consubstantial with them. Ans. The major proposition is true when used in reference to creatures. There is, however, an ambiguity in the expression, to be of another. He who is of another in such a sense as not to have the same, nor the whole essence is not consubstantial, which, however, is not true of the Holy Ghost. Hence it merely follows that he is not the. same person. By inverting the argument then we may reply: because he is of the Father and the Son, he is at the same time consubstantial.