and third modes, or persons; nor the least preeminence in time, dignity, nature, or causation; nor yet the idea of beginning and ending; nor any thing like separation, alienation, multiplication, or division, of the Divine Essence and perfections; but by the law of the life, intelligence, moral excellence, nature, power, and will, of the Divine Being, is as natural and necessary as the divine existence itself. So that these three distinct modes of subsistence, or persons, in the Divine Essence, are co-essential, co-eternal, coimmense, and co-immutable.

Proof that there can be neither more nor less than three distinct modes of subsistence, or persons, in the Divine Essence.

18. As the whole of the Divine Nature must be considered as absolutely perfect in the first mode of subsistence; and equally perfect in the second, and also in the third: And as the Divine Nature is simple, absolute, and indivisible, and equally perfect in each of these distinct modes, there being no difference in the Divine Essence, but that of the distinct modes of subsistence in the incommunicable relation in which the one stands to the other, and all this founded upon the necessary law of the constitution and economy of the Divine Essence and perfections ;-these three modes, considered in the incommunicable relation in which they stand to one another,

shut up all farther views of any other communication, or of any other mode of subsistence; because the Divine Essence and perfections are wholly and entirely, by the economy of their nature, constituted, in moral distinction of personality, in the first mode of subsistence; and the first mode, by the necessary law, already mentioned, communicating the whole of the Divine Essence and perfections eternally, immensely, and immutably, that they may subsist in a second, in order to the constitution of the perfection and happiness of the Divine Being within itself, the very same essence and perfections subsisting distinctly, not separately, in the second, and that in an absolute and incommunicable relation to the first, there is an absolutely perfect distinction, constituting an absolute and perfect personality by the law of the natural constitution and economy of the Divine Essence and perfections all exercised and manifested in full perfection. We perceive natural and necessary perfection in this distinction.

And as the Divine Nature is perfect in this distinction, so far as it goes, and being in itself simple and indivisible, and acting according to the law of the natural constitution and economy of its essence and perfections; and this active principle, exercised or manifested to the full by these two distinct modes, and thereby constituting a third mode of subsistence in union,-we

now perceive the same Divine Essence and perfections consummated in union, and discovering perfection in distinction, and perfection in union, by demonstration, it is both unnecessary and presumptuous to look for any more modes of distinct subsistence in the Divine Essence. Besides this distinction in union, it is absolutely impossible there can be any more distinct modes of subsistence in the Divine Nature. For, as the Divine Being could not be perfect without this distinction and union of personality in the Divine Nature, so it could not be perfect were there any more modes of subsistence, or persons, than three, in the Divine Essence. For if the Divine Nature subsist wholly in the first, and, by a necessary and absolute law of perfection, it be communicated wholly to constitute a second, without beginning and without end, eternally, immensely, and immutably; and subsisting wholly in the second, after a different manner; then the essence and perfections of these modes are coessential, co-equal, co-eternal, co-immense, and co-immutable. And by reason of the Divine Nature, necessarily and essentially, subsisting in each and in both, it must partake equally of each and of both, because it is equally perfect in both; and as both consist of personality, it must partake of personality, equally alike from each and from both. Therefore a third mode of personality is necessarily constituted; and because these three

modes necessarily subsist in a distinct and incommunicable relation to each other, the first necessarily communicating all; the second necessarily constituted by that communication; and again, the first and second necessarily communicating all, and the third necessarily constituted by that communication; it is absolutely impossible there can be any more, without composition or confusion of these distinct simple relations, For into however many more modes or persons we might suppose the active efficiency of the Divine Essence and perfections to operate by communication, we could never conceive or imagine any that would not be comprehended in distinction and union: this variety must ever circumscribe all that we could enumerate. Now this variety we have already found in absolute simplicity, consummating the perfection of the Divine Being. For we have clearly demonstrated simple distinction and union already; and any farther distinction would not be simple distinction; and any farther union would not be simple union; and compound distinction would destroy the simplicity of the distinction already demonstrated; and compound union would destroy the simplicity of the union already demonstrated; so that any farther distinction would have no other tendency than to eclipse, embarrass, and destroy the dis tinction and union already ascertained and demonstrated and this would introduce multipli

cation, division, composition, and final destruction, into the activity, energy, operation, and influence of the Divine Essence, perfections, power, and will; and, if so, a total annihilation of the Divine Being would naturally follow,—which is absurd in the extreme, and altogether impossible. There must, therefore, be three, and there can be neither more nor less than three, distinct modes of subsistence, or persons, in the Divine Essence. For here we discover the Divine Being necessarily complete in its own self-existence; necessarily perfect within its own essence; necessarily adequate to its own happiness and enjoyment, and altogether absolute, and entirely independent in itself, from everlasting to everlasting, without beginning and without end.-And as at the same time, this Divine Being is absolutely perfect and happy in itself, and this perfection and happiness consisting of the Divine Nature subsisting in three, and neither more nor less than three, and distinct, though not separate modes, or persons; revelation expresses these three distinct modes by three distinct terms, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, signifying thereby, the order of the subsistence of these distinct persons, as in Scripture the divine attributes and perfections are ascribed to each, without the least intimation of superiority or inferiority, or the least pre-eminence in time, in dignity, or in nature, but simply conveying the idea of order.