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to the very existence, perfection, and happiness of the Divine Being, we may, therefore, safely affirm, upon the foregoing principles, that it is a necessary law of the Divine Nature, to be active, energetic, operative, and influential; without which, the Divine Being could not be entirely perfect and happy within itself. And this necessary law and economy, if we may so speak, shows, that the whole energy, activity, and influence of the divine efficiency, in the boundless and immeasurable extent of the Divine Essence and perfections, must be simply, uniformly, perfectly, unceasingly, and immutably exerted or manifested; and upon these foregoing principles, from the very nature, power, and will, of the Divine Being, we are led to conceive, that the Divine Essence and perfections must absolutely, necessarily, and essentially subsist in distinct, though not separate modes, or in distinct persons. persons. All that we understand by a divine person is, the Divine Essence and perfections subsisting in a distinct, moral, and incommunicable manner; which distinct, moral, and incommunicable manner of subsistence, we may call mode, or person, at pleasure. And therefore we perceive, that the economy of the Divine Essence and perfections constitutes the first person, not voluntarily, for then it might or might not be, but naturally and necessarily.

9. Now these distinct, peculiar, and incommu

nicable modes of the subsistence of the Divine Essence and perfections, within the Divine Being itself, discover to us how the Divine Being necessarily subsists in the full and perfect exercise of the divine efficiency, and of all the other divine perfections, through every point of eternity and immensity. And upon no other principle is it possible for created intelligence to have just and becoming conceptions and notions of the Divine Being, and of all the divine perfections, natural and moral.*

*See Note C. on the preceding Proposition.

PROPOSITION IV.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM THE ACTIVE, ENER GETIC, AND OPERATIVE INFLUENCE OF THE DI-. VINE EFFICIENCY, BY THE FIRST MODE, EXERTED OR MANIFESTED TO THE VERY UTMOST, ACCORDING TO THE ECONOMY, OR LAW, OF ITS NATURE, AS ETERNAL, IMMENSE, AND IMMUTABLE, NECESSARILY COMMUNICATING THE WHOLE OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE AND PERFECTIONS, AND THEREBY CONSTITUTING A DISTINCT, NOT SEPARATE, MODE, OR PERSON, IN THE DIVINE ESSENCE.

[Three great outlines of the subject—The first, a correct view of the Divine Essence-Second, a correct view of the necessary and essential perfections of that Essence -Third, the modes of distinct subsistence, or persons, in that Essence-The first can only be known in part -The second, subject of difference in opinion-Third, the great ground of difference between Trinitarians and Unitarians-This subject followed out and argued upon the theory of the Trinitarians—A great outline, and comprehensive view of the subject-The foregoing views brought more immediately to bear in the argumentation of the following part of the proposition-The explanation of the meaning of the word Mode-Explanation of the meaning of the word Subsistence-The subject brought to bear on these-Farther proof of the proposition by comparison-Another comparison, farther illustrative of the foregoing reasoning-A view of the order of the distinct modes of subsistence, or persons, in the Divine Essence-Of the order of the third mode of subsistence--Of the relation in which one mode, or per

son, stands to another-Proof that there can be neither more nor less than three modes of subsistence, or persons, in the Divine Essence-Recapitulation and conclusion.]

1. In entering upon the demonstration of this proposition, there are three great outlines of the subject to which our thoughts must be directed; sometimes more immediately to the one, and sometimes to the other. The first of these is the Divine Essence. The second, is the essential moral perfections of that Essence. The third, is the modes of distinct subsistence, or the persons, in that Essence.

2. Each of these can only be known in part by finite intelligence. With respect to the Divine Essence, all sober reasoning will discover to rational creatures their ignorance of what it really is: and in this there is a general agreement among all who study the subject metaphysically.

3. With respect to the divine perfections, some difference of sentiment will be found among those who study them abstractedly; and this difference, perhaps, arises, in a great degree, from the talents and capacity of the respective students of the subject.

4. With respect to the modes of distinct subsistence of the Divine Essence, which we call persons, or the personality of the Divine Being, it is, that the greatest difference and contention arise, among those who study the Divine Being.

And the difference is, whether the Divine Being necessarily and essentially must subsist in one mode of essence and perfections, and can subsist only in one; or whether the same glorious Divine Being must necessarily and essentially subsist in three distinct, not separate, modes, or persons, and can subsist in neither more nor less than three. It is to this point the whole of this Essay is directed.

5. When we use the word subsist in this Essay, we every where mean to signify by it, a necessary and unchangeable continuance of moral perfections, in the same mode of moral distinction, without beginning and without end.

6. In speaking of the Divine Being, we always keep in view the Divine Essence, the divine perfections, and the divine modes of subsistence, or the divine persons respectively. Thus, in beginning the thought from the views of duration and space, we consider the Divine Being as necessarily self-existent, necessarily possessing life, spirituality, intelligence, moral excellence, and efficiency; and we consider these as perfections which are inseparable: And though we may contemplate them distinctly, yet we must ever suppose them inseparable from the Divine Essence, and from one another, and necessarily possessing underived activity, energy, and operation. In speaking of the modes of distinct subsistence, after showing that the Divine Essence

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