the active economy of the Divine Essence and perfections, can account for the necessary, absolute, and full manifestation, in a way becoming the Divine Being. And without such a communication, we cannot account for the whole of the divine efficiency being manifested, from everlasting to everlasting, necessarily, essentially, eternally, immensely, and immutably, within the Divine Essence itself.

At the same time, this manifestation must be conceived or imagined without multiplication, division, composition, or confusion of the Divine Essence and perfections. And, supposing these two modes of subsistence to be distinct, not separate, and necessarily to continue in an incommunicable relation the one to the other, we are able to follow out a rational demonstration of the necessary and absolute perfection of the Divine Being, within itself, and that by carefully following up and investigating the divine perfections and essence, power and will, according to their active, energetic, operative, and influential nature.

Farther proof of the proposition by comparison,

12. The same doctrine admits of demonstration by a comparison of the human soul with the Divine Being, as far as lawful to compare the creature with the Creator. It is undeniably evident to metaphysicians, that there is a distinction, though no separation, between the essence and

the essential perfections and properties of the human soul and from this we argue, with submissive reverence and caution, that there must be a distinction between the essence and perfections of the Divine Being.

Now, as our knowledge of the perfections and properties of the human soul is clear and evident to a certain extent, notwithstanding we know nothing at all of its essence; this ignorance of the essence arises entirely from the subsistence of the human soul in one mode only. Were it so constituted, in its original formation by the Creator, that it could subsist in three distinct modes, and could see itself within itself, and discover itself to itself, by three distinct subsistences of its own essence and perfections, entirely within itself, it would then be more independent than it is with respect to its intelligence: its intellectual perfection would be far greater than it is; its knowledge would be more correct; its perfection more invariable; its happiness unimpaired; and its standing in the favour of its Creator firmly secured.

From this we may fairly argue and infer, that it is as necessary and essential to the Divine Being to subsist in distinct modes of personality in the Divine Essence, as it is for the Divine Being to exist; and that, from these distinct modes of the Divine Essence and perfections, taken in connection with the law of the activity,

energy, operation, and influence of the divine nature, will, and power, arises the necessary, essential, and absolute consummation, of the perfection and happiness of the Divine Being within itself, by communication. And by these distinct modes of subsistence, or persons, in the same uncreated Essence, the Divine Being knows itself by itself; loves itself by itself; is perfect in itself by itself; has each of its own perfections, natural and moral, in necessary, full, and perfect discovery to itself by itself; and thereby has a necessary and essential image of itself within itself. And, by consequence, it can acquire no perfections; for all are necessarily, essentially, and absolutely, inherent in its own essence, and underived within itself.

It can experience no necessary, essential addition or diminution in any of its perfections, natural or moral; and all this must be without multiplication, division, alienation, separation, composition, or confusion in any way whatever.Hence we may infer, that it absolutely possesses within itself its own existence, perfection, and happiness, altogether independently of creation. and providence. And as there must necessarily be a distinction, though not a separation, in the subsistence of the modes and persons in the Divine Essence, as has been fully proved, this distinct subsistence arises, naturally and necessarily, from the peculiar law of the activity, energy,

operation, and influence of the divine perfections, essence, power, and will, exercising or manifesting themselves, by their own economy, from everlasting to everlasting, by the eternal, immense, and immutable communication of the Divine Essence and perfections, by one mode of subsistence, so that they may subsist distinctly in another; and all this in a certain mysterious order, constituted by a certain incommunicable relation of one mode to the other: so that one distinct. mode possesses naturally, without beginning and without end, all the Divine Essence and perfections, natural and moral, as well as the other; and is, in all respects, the very same in nature as the other, except distinct subsistence in an incommunicable relation to the other. Now if these things be not so, then the Divine Essence, perfections, power, and will, can never, from everlasting to everlasting, in one instance, act according to their nature. For if it be granted that it is possible they ever can, in any point of duration and space, the argument is gained.— And if the Divine Essence and perfections can never, in any one instance, act according to their nature, the Divine Being must be imperfect; and if we affirm that the Divine Being is imperfect, we destroy all correct notions of Deity; which is contrary to reason, and absurd in the highest degree. These things, therefore, must be as we have argued.

13. If, then, the divine efficiency must be exerted or manifested to the very utmost of its own nature, as eternal, immense, and immutable, in order to establish the existence, perfection, and happiness of the Divine Being; and if this efficiency must be eternally, immensely, and immutably exerted or manifested within the Divine Essence itself; and if the divine efficiency be everliving, spiritual, and intelligent,-it must be exerted or manifested consistently with the divine and perfect intelligence, and that within the Divine Essence itself. This view of the divine efficiency, according to the law of the foregoing premises, brings us at once to the conclusion, that there must be in the Divine Essence, more distinct modes of subsistence of this divine intelligent efficiency than one; or, in other words, from the law of the constitution and economy of the Divine Essence and perfections, there must be more distinct modes of subsistence in the Divine Essence than one. For, as we have already proved, upon the supposition that the Divine Essence and perfections must subsist in one mode only, and can subsist in no more than one, then the divine efficiency never could, nor ever can, in any one instance, throughout eternity, be exerted or manifested to the very uttermost, according to its own active and operative nature, and if it cannot, neither can any of the divine energetic perfections; and the contrary has been re