PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 3
John Owen · 363,303 words · 345 reading sections
Section 61
104 PECULIAR WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ETC. [BOOK L was an instituted sign of the communication of the gifts of the Holy Gliost for government unto them. See Isa. xlv. 1-4 ; and other in- stances of the hke kind might be given. Thus, when the church was to have a blessed restoration of the worship of God, after the r…
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I. God's disposal of the Spirit unto his work is five ways expressed » in the Scripture : for he is said, — 1. To give or bestow him ; 2. To send \ him; 3. To minister him; 4. To pour him out; 5. To put him on us. And his own application of himself unto his work is likewise five ways expressed : for he is said, — 1. To…
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1. Authority. He that gives any thing hath authority to dispose of it. None can give but of his own, and that which in some sense he hath in his power. Now, the Father is said to give the Sf)irit, and that upon our request, as Luke xi. 13. This, I acknowledge, wants not some difficulty in its explication ; for if the H…
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3. This is such a gift as in God proceeds from bounty; for God is / said to give him unto us " richly," Tit. iii. G. This will be spoken unto in the fourth way of his communication: only I say at present, the 110 WAT AND MANNER OF THE DIVINE [BOOK I. greatness of a gift, the free mind of the giver, and want of desert…
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' " Etenim si de loco procedit Spiritus et ad locum transit, et ipse Pater in loco inve- nietur et Filius : si de loco exit quern Pater mittit aut Filius, utique de loco transiens Spiritus et progediens, et Patrem sicut corpus secundum impias intei-pretationes re- linquerc videtur et Filium. Hoc secundum eos loquor qui…
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rifthl}^, God is said to pour him out, and that frequently : Prov. / I 23, 'n^"i i33^ ny^ax npn^—.'^ Behold, I will pour out my ^Spirit unto ' you." V^l signifies " ebullire more scaturiginis," — " to bubble up as a fountain."^ Hence, the words are rendered by Theodotion, ' " Quid igitur Spiritus Saiicti operatiouc di…
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116 WAY AND MANNER OF THE DIVINE [BOOK I. dvoai, tlie same thing doubly expressed; and, therefore, mention is ■ made only of the " Holy Ghost/' John i. 33. But the Holy Ghost Avas, in his dispensation, to purify and cleanse them as fire doth gold and silver. And on the same account is he compared to water, Ezek. xxxvi…
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1 " Spiritus Sanctus qui a Patre et Filio procedit, nee ipse ccepit ; quia processio ejus continua est, et ab eo qui non ccepit." — Ambros. in Symbol. Apostol., cap. 3. " Spii'itus quiclem Sanctus nee ingcnitus est nee genitus alicubi dicitur, ne si ingenitus diceretur sicut Pater, duo Patres in Sancta Trinitate intel…
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Fifthly, He is said to deioart from some persons. So it is said of t Saul, 1 Sam. xvi. 14, " The Spirit of the Lord departed from him." i And David prays that God would not " take his Holy Spirit from j him," Ps. Ii. 11. And this is to be understood answerably unto what we have discoursed before about his coming and hi…
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Neither is it only what concerns sjnritual desertions, whose nature, causes, and remedies, are professedly and at large handled by all the casuistical divines, even of the Roman church, but the whole work of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of men, with all the effects produced in them with respect unto sin and grace,…
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All, therefore, that is pleaded for the division of the Holy Ghost from this place is built on the supposition that we have before re- jected,— namely, that he is not a divine person, but an arbitrary emanation of divine power. And yet neither so can the division of the Holy Ghost pleaded for be with any tolerable sens…
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Now, the works of the Spirit, in reference unto the new creation, are of two sorts: — First, Such as were preparatory unto it, under the Old Testament ; for I reckon that the state of the old creation, as unto our living unto God, ended with the entrance of sin and giving 126 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II. t…
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' "^niitiuffn V u; Tiva fiiv Uf/jrai §/' ahi'y/u.aretiv, Tiva oi (pavipeaTifov. Ta (/.it oiiv S/' i-rix- fv^ta; {lyodf/.ai tmv ik •xtpirofit.y,; 'iv-y.a, x-iKzXXvf/.fi'svu; a.V.oiOocrSai, oia. ra S-tfT^/^s^sva KUT avTuv trxvSfio'jro'.. Ai' a-Trip ilxo; ;;v xai dipaviirai aurovg t'/jv ypa^nv, it ix. tou ^po^cc- vou; T-/…
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And this prophecy, as to its exercise, is considered two ways: — First, precisely for the prediction or foretelling things to come ; as the Greek word, and the Latin traduced from thence, do signify. So prophecy is a divine prediction of future things, proceeding from di- O; di Tou 01OU avSiwffoi 'Pfvivfia'reipc.oi •j…
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Secondly, The immediate effects of this inspiration were, that those 132 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II. inspired were moved or acted by the Holy Ohost : " Holy men of God spake," i/TTo Hviv/jbarog ' Aykv fspofisvoi, 2 Pet. i. 21, — "moved" or acted " by the Holy Ghost." And two things are intended hereby : —…
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134 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK 11. came. Much more was there such an evidence in it unto them who enjoyed its original inspiration. Secondly, He acted and guided them as to the very organs of their bodies whereby they expressed the revelation which they had received by inspiration from him. They spake as they…
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KKTayo/jLivov, no,) (rvft.TXiKeifiivi>v tv -^u^ii, Sia Tpiayofnutniuv raTs XoivccT; if/v^^^a'} to Ktxfuft- fiiivov iv^yyiiXi — Tatian. Assyr. Contra. Grascos. 136 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II. diate internal work of the Spirit of God upon them. Witliout tliis the prophets might liave been imposed on by ext…
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1 " Propheta Deum, qui corporaliter invisibilis est, non coi-poraliter sed spiritualiter videt. Nam multa genera visionis in Scripturis Sanctis inveniuntur. Unum secun- dum oculos corporis, sicut vidit Abraham tres vires siib ilice Mambre ; alterum secun- dum quod imaginamur ea quK per corpus sentimus. Nam et pars ipsa…
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And these are some of those accidents of prophetical revelations which are recorded in the Scripture; and it is jDossible that some other instances of the like nature may be observed. And all these belong to the '^roXvrpo'Tria rrig ^uag sTiXuffsug, or manifold variety of divine revelations, mentioned Heb. i. 1. But he…
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' E" Ti; fjt-iv ovv n.aifjjTJij Iff'r; ^avrais ^rpo^riTiuir il Vt ri; ^rpolfnTivil ev iranTi/f lirri Upo- <pr,Ty,; 'Ex Sf tmv Vlfi tov Ka/ai^av diiie'yiypix/j.//i'ivcdv, vpo^yirtvcccvrec Vipi Tou oruTti' pi;, itrnv oTi K.'ti fitp^^na "^u^h i-jriVi^irai tori to ^pa^tirivuv. — Origen. Corainent. m Jolian. sect. 30. 142…
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1 "Saul invidiaj stimulo suscit.atus et malo spiritu ssepe arreptus, cum David occi- dere vellet, ct ipse David tunc cum Samuele et cEeterorum prophetarum cuneo prophe- taret, misit Saul nuncios et ipsum interficiendum de medio prophetarum rapere jubet. — Sed et ipse cum inter prophetas venerat prophetabat. — Quoniam S…
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o. The third sort of the immediate extraordinary operations of the Holy Ghost, absolutely exceeding the actings and compliance of human faculties, are 'miracles of all sorts, which were frequent under the Old Testament. Such were many things wrought by Moses and ■ Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, w^ith some others; those by …
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1 48 OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIIIIT [BOOK 11. Ps, Ixxxii. 6, and not tlie prophets, who had neither power nor rule. And on them the Spirit of God that was in Moses rested ; that is, wrought the same abilities for government in them as he had re- ceived,— that is, wisdom, righteousness, diligence, courage, and the like…
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2, We may add hereunto those especial endowTQients with some i moral virtues, which he granted unto sundry persons for the accom- plishment of some especial design. So he came upon Gideon and upon Jephthah, to anoint them unto the work of delivering the peo- ple from their advei'saries in battle. Judges vi. 34, xi. 29.…
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But we must shut up this discourse. It is a common saying among the Jewish masters that the gift of the Holy Ghost ceased under the second temple, or after the finishing of it. Their mean- ing must be, that it did so as to the gifts of ministerial jDrophecy, of miracles, and of writing the mind of God by inspiration fo…
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2. The ministry of the gospel, whereby we are begotten again, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures unto God, is from his promised presence with it and work in it, called the ministry of the Spirit, even of the Spirit that giveth life, 2 Cor. iii. 8; and it is so in opposition to the " ministration …
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156 DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT [BOOK II. by the word, our prayers are to be regulated by what God hath en- joined us to ask and what he hath promised to bestow. 5. What was before mentioned may here be called over again and farther improved, yea, it is necessary that so it should be. This is, the solemn liromise…
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' " Gratias ago tibi clement issimc Deus, quia quod quECsivi mane prior ipse donasti." — Cjpr. de Baptism. Christi. 153 DISPENSATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ETC. [BOOK II. ra])ly above what they were in the creation of all things in the be- ginning. I say, therefore, in the contrivance, projection, production, carrying o…
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The dispensation and work of the Holy Ghost in this new crea- tion respect, first. The Head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ, in his liuman nature, as it was to be, and was, united unto the person of the Son of God. Secondly, It concerns the members of that mystical body in all that belongs unto them as such. And u…
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4. The Holy Ghost, as we have proved before, is the immediate, Ijeculiar, efficient cause of all external divine operations: for God worketh by his Spirit, or in him immediately applies the power and ^ A^Xov Iffriv on y.a.) t'^v rev -ravri; riXov; iifccv, as /wsv t^oyos yivuffxii, oii o\ uvSfta'rc; &yvoiT. 'Av^ftu^ou …
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16 i "WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH RESPECT [BOOK II. creation, whereby, out of matter before made and prepared, things were made that which before thej were not, and which of themselves they had no active disposition unto nor concurrence in. So man was created or formed of the dust of the earth, and woman of a rib tak…
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' E" Ti; X'iyii -TTfuirov 'Tfi'TrXu.aic/A to cuy.a, tou xvpiou y,,uaJv V/icroZ XpurroV Iv -rr, finrfec Trii ay'ta; -zccpdvou, xa) fitrd Tccura. ivca^nvai auTa tov &sov Xoyov, xai rr,'j ipu^yiv as vpDU- !ra>|a(rav, dvdh/ua 'ia-Ta. — Concil. Constantinop. ad Origenistas. 166 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH RESPECT [BOOK II…
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168 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [BOOK II. CHAPTER IV. WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST. The actual sanctification of the human nature of Christ by the Holy Ghost — On what ground spotless and free from sin — Positively endowed with all grace — Original holiness and sanctification in…
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1. That the Lord Christ, as man, did and was to exercise all grace by the rational faculties and powers of his soul, his understand- ing, will, and affections; for he acted grace as a man, "made of a woman, made under the law." His divine nature was not unto him in the place of a soul, nor did immediately operate the t…
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E; roivuv h "c^fi, h ^tff'TTorix.h, to xvfiaxcv ■ir'ka.g (/.a,, a ^svoj av^fufro;, o ohfavta;, to viov fiXao-Tti/ica, TO aero rij; ^svjjf a^Tvo; av^^irav, oSto; Ka/iSiivii ro •ffnOf/.tt Uyiov, etC. — ClirysOSt. Homil. de Spir. Sane. 172 WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [EOOK II. the discharge of his prophetical off…
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174 ■ WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [BOOK II. as the same work is assigned uuto different persons in ihe Trinity on different accounts. Fifthly, It was in an especial manner by the power of the Holy Spirit he wrought those great and miraculous works whereby his ministry was attested unto and confirmed. Hence it i…
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176 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN AND ON [BOOK II. SeventUy, He offered himself iip unto God through the eternal Spirit, Heb. ix. 14. I know many learned men do judge that by the " eternal Spirit" in that place, not the third person is intended, but the divine nature of the Son himself; and there is no doubt but that als…
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(2.) That which principally acted him in the whole was his ^ln- ^ VOL. III. 12 178 AYOEK OF THE HOLY SPIEIT IN AND ON [BOOK II. speaJcahle zeal for, and ardency of affection unto, the glory of God. These were the coals which with a vehement flame, as it were, con- sumed the sacrifice. And there were two things that …
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Now, concerning these instances we may observe three things to our present purpose : — (1.) These and the like gracious actings of the soul of Christ were the ways and means whereby, in his death and blood-shedding, ■ — which was violent and by force inflicted on him as to the outward instruments, and was penal as to …
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* Our author must allude to a diflference in the vowel-points; Var:, as in Isa. Ixvi. 7, signifying jaams, and Vah, with the scghol instead of the tsere, being translated cord or rope. The word occurs also in composition with % under the meaning of " cords," or " fetters," as iu Job xxsvi. 8, "'sb-'Vaha . — Ed. 182 WO…
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And these are some of the principal instances of the operation of the Holy Spirit on the human nature of the Head of the church. The whole of them all, I confess, is a work that we, can look but little into ; only what is plainly revealed we desire to receive and embrace, considering that if we are his, we are predesti…
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And by these considerations may v\^e be led into that knowledge of and acquaintance with our Lord Jesus Christ, which is so neces- sary, so useful, and so much recommended unto us in the Scripture. And the utter neglect of learning the knowledge of Christ, and of the truth as it is in him, is not more pernicious unto t…
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First, That we may love him with a pure unmixed love. It is true, it is the person of Christ as God and man that is the proper and ultimate object of our love towards him ; but a clear distinct consideration of his natures and their excellencies is effectual to stir up and draw forth our love towards him. So the spouse…
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CHAP, v.] IN THE NEW CREATION. 189 tions towards the head of it, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the foun- dation-stone of this building, with seven eyes engraven on him, or filled with an absolute perfection of all the gifts and graces of the Spirit, Zech. iii. 9, which when he is exalted also as "the head- stone of the…
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Secondly, From the nature and order of this work of God it is, that after the Son was actually exhibited in the flesh, according to the promise, and had fulfilled what he had taken upon him to do in his own person, the great promise of carrying on and finishing the whole work of the grace of God in our salvation concer…
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/ Here lay the foundation of the Christian church : The Lord Christ had called his apostles to the great work of building his church, and the propagation of his gospel in the world. Of themselves, they were plainly and openly defective in all qualifications and abilities that might contribute any thing thereunto. But w…
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sending of the Holy Spirit. In and by him he is present with his disciples in their ministry and their assemblies. And whenever Christ leaves the world, the church must do so too ; for it is his presence alone which puts men into that condition, or invests them with that privilege : for so he saith, " I will dwell in t…
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196 THE GENEEAL WORK OF THE HOLY SPIEIT [BOOK II. of tlie Father. And, — 1. This I take to be the meaning of that expression, "He shall not speak of himself;" — " He shall reveal no other truth, communicate no other grace, hut what is in, from, and by myself" This was the Holy Spirit to do ; and this he did. And hereb…
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(1.) The extent of the things of Christ, which are to be showed unto believers by the Spirit; and they are, " All the things that the Father hath." "They are mine," saith our Saviour. And these " all things" may be taken either absolutely and personally, or with a restriction unto office. [1.] All things that the Fathe…
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200 THE GENERAL WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIEIT [BOOK IL with him. But we cannot address ourselves with any of them im- mediately unto him. " There is no going to the Father/' saith Christ, " but by rne," John xiv. 6. " By him we beheve in God," 1 Pet. i. 21. But yet neither can we do so unless we are enabled thereunto by the…
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Sixthly, It must be duly considered, with reference unto the whole work of the Holy Spirit, that in whatever he doth, he acts, Avorks, and distributes according to his oivn will. This our apostle expressly affirmeth. And sundry things of great moment do depend hereon in our walking before God; as, — 1. That the will a…
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But it may be said, " That if not only the working of grace in us, but also the effects and fruits of it, in all its variety of degrees, is to be ascribed unto the Holy Spirit and his operations in us according to his own will, then do we signify nothing ourselves; nor is there any need that we should either use our en…
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CHAP, v.] IN THE NEW CREATION. 205 the eternal welfare of liis soul is concerned in, on pretence of the efficacious aids of the Sjoirit, without which he can do nothing, and which he neither hath nor can have whilst he doth nothing. Here lies the ground and foundation of our exercising faith in particular towards him…
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All these things were necessary to be premised in general, as giv- ing some insight into the nature of the operations of the Holy Spirit in us and towards us ; and hereby we have made our way plain to the consideration of his especial works, in the calling, building, and carrying on the church unto perfection. Now, all…
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Hereof, then, or of this work, the Holy Spirit is the principal effi- cient cause ; whence he in whom it is wrought is said to be " born of the Spirit : " Verse 8, " So is every one that is born of the Spirit." And this is the same with what is delivered, chap. i. 13, "Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the…
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First, Although the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit was / wrought under the Old Testament, even from the foundation of the ! world, and the doctrine of it was recorded, in the Scriptures, yet the revelation of it was but obscure in comparison of that light and evi- dence which it is brought forth into by the go…
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Both regeneration and the doctrine of it were under the Old Tes- 21 2 WOEK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE [BOOK IIL lament. All the elect of God, in their several generations, were regenerate by the Spirit of God. But in that ampliation and en- largement of truth and grace under the gospel which came by Jesus Christ, who …
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^ " Fcfellit judicium raltestinum, propterea ibi videtur purgatus; Eomanam vcro ec- clcsiam, ubi eum esse notissimum scitis fallere usque quaque non potuit, quamvis et hoc fuerit utrumque conatus. Tanto judices fefellit occultius, quaiito expoiiit ista versu- tius." — August. Lib. de Peccat. Grig. cap. IG. 2 Samuel Pa…
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2. The state whereinto men are brought by regeneration is the same. Nor is it, in its essence or nature, capable of degrees, so that one should be more regenerate than another. Every one that is born of God is equally so, though one may be more beautiful than another, as having the image of his heavenly Father more evi…
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Secondly, Regeneration doth not consist in a moral reformation of life and conversation. Let us suppose such a reformation, to be extensive unto all known instances. Suppose a man be changed from sensuality unto temjDerance, from rapine to righteousness, from pride and the dominion of irregular passions unto humility a…
1,071 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.