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ceive, and capable of returning, the whole of the divine love; and this procession is necessary, according to the law of the nature of the Divine Essence, because all the creatures in the universe, however numerous we may suppose them to be, never were, can, nor will be, adequate to receive, or capable to return, the expression of the divine love, according to all the qualities of its own nature. Therefore, we continue to argue, that the Divine Essence and perfections are, necessarily and essentially, the same in the second person that they are in the first, but with this difference only, that they subsist in the second in a mode distinct from what they do in the first.

6. This at once presents us with the idea, that there must be a procession of the divine love, as well as of the Divine Essence, from one mode of subsistence to another, or from the first person to the second, in order that this love may be manifested or displayed in the Divine Essence, according to all the qualities of its own nature, and that it may operate consistently with its own nature. Now its own nature is living, intelligent, moral, and energetic therefore, according to the law of its own nature, so often referred to, it must proceed from one mode of subsistence to another, according to all the qualities of its own nature; and as the essence, perfections, and mode of subsistence, constitute personality, it must proceed so as to constitute divine personality, otherwise the Divine Nature

would be imperfect; and as this law is exactly according to the Divine Nature, this procession from one person to another, must, like the Divine Nature, be eternal, immense, and immutable: And as by this procession we discover a distinction of personality in the Essence, as well as in the love; and as the Divine Nature is exactly the same in each of these modes or persons, excepting only the distinct manner of subsistence; this nature must partake of the distinct modes of the subsistence of its own essence, and according to its own law immediately referred to, as it is equally active, energetic, and operative, in each of these modes of distinction, and at the same time partakes of each and of both these modes of distinction, in personality; it must, by the law of its own nature, proceed from each and from both these modes of distinction, and from each and from both alike, so as to constitute a third mode of distinct subsistence, in personality, according to all the qualities of its own nature, otherwise the Divine Nature is imperfect, which is impossible. Therefore it follows, with conclusive evidence, that as the Divine Being must necessarily exist, it must no less necessarily subsist according to its own nature; and its own nature being active, energetic, and operative, the law of its own nature pronounces, that it must subsist in a Trinity of personality,--first, in distinction, and, second, in union. And farther it

cannot proceed, and that merely because the procession must be according to personality; and if it proceed first to distinction of personality, and then to union of the very same personality, it is absolutely impossible there can be any farther procession; for that which is indivisible and distinguished, cannot be distinguished again, without multiplication and division; and that which is indivisible in union, can neither be united, nor distinguished again, without composition or confusion. Let any person, if he can, turn aside the force of this reasoning. For it is undeniably evident, that if the Divine Essence and perfections have proceeded, according to the law of the Divine Nature, from one mode of personality to another, it is absolutely impossible that it can proceed to a third, without respect to these two, unless multiplication take place in that which has no parts, which is impossible. And if the Divine Essence proceed, in one principle, from distinct personality in two modes, to distinct personality in one, it is impossible that it can proceed from this one, in union, to any other, without introducing multiplication or division into that which has no parts,-all of which prove a downright impossibility. The Divine Essence, therefore, cannot proceed to a fourth mode of subsistence, upon any principle of reasoning whatever. Therefore, there must be three, and can be neither more nor less than three, persons in

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the Divine Essence: And hence it is as neces

sary that the Divine Nature should exist in three distinct modes of personality, as that it should exist at all. So that the very existence of the Divine Being, when fairly followed out, proves undeniably the doctrine of the Trinity. The Divine Being must necessarily exist, and must necessarily exist in three distinct modes of subsistence.

And thus, taking a retrograde survey of the divine efficiency, intelligence, moral excellence, the powers answering to some of the social powers of the human soul, all taken in connection with the economy of the Divine Essence and perfections, and manifested in procession, prove, that the very nature of the Divine Being is to exist in three distinct modes of personality. The chain of proof forms links which run into one another naturally, and exhibit a combined view, consistent with reason, and the most accurate demonstration.*

* See Note P. on the preceding Proposition.

PROPOSITION XVI.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM THE NATURE OF THE PERFECTION OF THE DIVINE BEING.

[Exemplified by wisdom-First, negatively; second, positively-All the divine moral perfections may be exemplified in a similar way-The supposition of a moral perfection inhering in the Divine Essence infers the exercise of it-The exercise infers the procession of it from one mode to another-The procession infers the modes of distinct subsistence-The third mode infers the consummation of the Divine Essence and perfections-Nothing more nor less than a divine person can be constituted by the necessary procession of the Divine Essence and perfections from one mode, to subsist in another—Procession is for ever shut up in the third person.]

The Divine Being must exist in the perfect exercise of all its own moral perfections.

1. Now, having proved, it is hoped, that the Divine Being necessarily exists in three distinct modes of subsistence, or in three distinct persons, the argument assumes a new aspect, and attempts to prove, that the Divine Being must exist in the full and perfect exercise of all its moral perfections, without beginning and without end. This is equally as necessary as that the Divine Being should exist at all. And as we now assert that

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