highly difficult and important nature of the subject will permit.

1. The great body of modern theologians admit the numerical unity of the divine essence or substance. They deny that there are three ovoia or substances in the Godhead; they admit only that there are three voorάots or persons. They deny that there are three ovoiat, because the admission of this, as they concede, would inevitably lead at least to real theoretical Tritheism.

2. The great body of the more acute and discerning theologians admit that the substance or essence of the second and third persons of the Trinity is not derived from the Father, but is self-existent, inasmuch as it is numerically one with his substance. The older divines of modern times take much pains to distinguish between essence or substance and subsistence. Essence or substance (ovoia, quois, essentia, substantia, natura, and sometimes vnooraois) are two different names of the same thing, given in consequence of apprehending it in a somewhat different light or point of view. Essence, (if we may trust that great master of definitions-that truly original thinker and powerful reasoner, as well as distinguished Christian, F. Turretin), is the quidditas rei, i. e. that which constitutes the very nature of a thing and is indispensable in order to make it such a thing as it is. Substance means, as theologically employed, that which exists in and by itself. In reference to the Divinity, both terms would mean the same thing which we mean by essence or substance, in the language of philosophy or even of common parlance at the present day. Quaest. 23. 3 seq. Tom I.

Subsistence (ὑπόστασις, ὕπαρξις, ὑφιστάμενον, τρόπος υπάρ Eeos, subsistentia, suppositum) Turretin defines by modus existendi proprius substantiis. Subsistence moreover, as he says, is divided into two kinds; "alia quâ constituitur subtantia in esse substantiae, alia quâ constituitur substantia in esse suppositi ;" which I must leave the reader to explain. From the whole of what he says, however, on the words subsistence and hypostasis, it is plain that he refers the sense of these to designating the modus of existence, in distinction from existence itself, i. e. substance or essence in itself considered. And in much the same way do most of the theologians of the metaphysical school define substance and subsistence in respect to the Godhead.

We come now to our main object. Personality, (vnóoraois

persona, rooлos vndows) is the point to which, according to most modern representations of the doctrine of the Trinity, we are to direct our attention, when we think of the generation of the Son, or of the procession or neμnois of the Holy Spirit. Not the essence of the second and third persons of the Trinity is to be considered as being derived from the Father; but their modus existendi, their hypostasis, their personality, is what we must consider to be derived. To the Father belong paternitas and dyevvnoia; to the Son, filiatio or generatio passiva; and to the Spirit, processio or exлeμлois.

3. Some difficulties that attend this view will be noticed in the sequel. My object under the present head, is more fully to state, how widely this mode of representation differs from that which the ancient advocates of the Nicene Council usually employed. For this purpose I might appeal to the Nicene Creed itself as stated above, where ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ πατρός is evidently designed to convey the idea, that the substance (not merely the modus existendi or subsistence) of the Father is communicated to and produces the Son, in his divine nature. I will however select a passage from one of the most orthodox, able, consistent, and eloquent, of all the ancient fathers who have written upon the doctrine of the Trinity, in order to illustrate the ancient views. It is found in Hilary de Trinitate, Lib. II. § 6 seq.

"It is the Father, from whom every thing that exists came into being. He, in Christ and by Christ, was the origin of all things. His it is to exist in and of himself; not deriving from any other source that which he is, but obtaining it in and of himself. Infinite, because he is contained in nothing else, and all things are in him; not confined to any space, because he can have no limits; eternally existing before all time, for time is derived from him. . . This is the truth of the mystery of God, this is the name of the incomprehensible nature in the Father. God is invisible, indescribable, infinite; speech is reduced to silence in speaking of him; reason becomes confounded in searching him out; the understanding is straitened in endeavouring to comprehend him. He has, as we have said, the name of his nature in Father; but he alone is Father. He derives it from no source, nor in a human manner, that he is Father. He is unbegotten, eternal, having in himself the ground of perpetual existence. He is known to the Son only; because no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the

Son shall reveal him. Nor does any one know the Son, except the Father; they have a mutual knowledge; each has a perfect cognizance of the other. And because no one knows the Father except the Son, we embrace in our thoughts the Father together with the Son who reveals him, who is the only faithful witness.

"These things, however, I think rather than describe, respecting the Father; for I know well that all language is inadequate to the description. He is to be thought of as invisible, incomprehensible, eternal. But this very thing, that he is in and of himself and by himself; that he is invisible and incomprehensible and immortal; in all this, indeed, there is a profession of honour, and a designation which has some meaning, and a certain circumscription of opinion; but still language is not competent for the designation of his nature, and words cannot explain the matter as it is. For when we say, that he is in himself, an explanation can not be given by human reason; for there is a difference between containing and being contained, and that is one thing which is, and that another in which it is. If we say again, that he is of himself, no one is at the same time his own giver and also the gift. If we say that he is immortal; then it seems to be implied that there is something besides himself, to which thing he is not exposed; nor can he be the sole being, who by the word [immortalis] is declared to be free from the power of another, [viz. from the power of death]. If we say he is incomprehensible; then how can he be any where, of whom it is denied that he is accessible? if we say that he is invisible; whatever cannot be seen, must be wanting in itself.

*

"Our confession respecting him, therefore, is deficient as to appropriate language; and all words that may be adapted to this purpose, will not describe God as he is, nor his greatness. The perfection of knowledge is, so to know God, that you may know you are not to be ignorant of him, although you can never describe him. He is to be believed in, to be conceived of by the mind, to be adored; and by the performance of these duties he is to be described.

"We have launched forth from places where there is no harbour upon the swelling ocean, and can neither return nor go

* The meaning seems to be, that there is an implication that death cxists, independently of God; to which, however, he is not liable.

forward. There is more difficulty, however, as to our future than our past course. The Father is as he is; and as he is, he is to be believed in. As to the Son, the mind is in consternation when it undertakes to describe him, and speech trembles at disclosing itself. For he is the offspring of him who is unbegotten; one of one; the true one of the true one; living of the living; perfect of the perfect; the virtue of virtue; the wisdom of wisdom; the glory of glory; the image of the invisible God; the form of the unbegotten Father. What shall we think of the generation of the only begotten from the unbegotten? For the Father often says from heaven: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' Here is no abscission or division; for he is impassible who begets, and he is the image of the invisible God who is begotten; and he testifies that the Father is in him, and he in the Father. There is no adoption; for he is the true Son of God, and he says that he who has seen him has seen the Father. Neither was he ordered to exist, like other things; for the only begotten is of one, and has life in himself, as he has who begat him; for he says: As the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Nor is it that a part of the Father is in the Son; for the Son testifies, that all which the Father hath is his; and again, All mine are thine, and thine are mine; and whatsoever the Father hath, he hath given to the Son. The apostle also declares, that in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.... He is the perfect one of the perfect one; for he who has all things, gave all things. Nor is it to be supposed that he has not given, because he still possesses; nor that he does not possess, because he has given.

per

"Both understand the secret of this nativity. But if any one should impute it to his own understanding, that he cannot attain to the mystery of this generation, when the Father is fectly understood and the Son [mutually or by each other], he will be the more grieved to hear that I also am ignorant of it. I do not know; I do not seek to know; and still I console myself. Archangels are ignorant of it; angels do not understand it; ages and generations have not disclosed it; the prophet did not comprehend it; the apostle did not inquire after it; the Son himself did not declare it. Let all complaint be hushed. Whoever thou art, I do not call upon thee to ascend the height above; nor to traverse immeasurable space; nor will I lead thee down into the abyss. While thou art ignorant of the ori

gin of a creature, canst thou not bear it with equanimity to be ignorant of the nativity of the Creator? I ask this of you; You perceive that you are begotten, but do you understand how any thing is begotten by thee? I do not ask whence you derived your reason, how you obtained your life, whence you acquired your understanding, what that is in thee which is smell, feeling, sight, hearing. Certainly no one is ignorant of what he does. ask how you communicate these things to those whom you beget? How do you engraft the reason? How do you light up the eyes? How do you fix the heart in its station? Tell me these things, if you can. You possess, therefore, what you do not understand; and you give what you cannot comprehend. You bear it with equanimity that you are ignorant of your own matters, and behave with assuming insolence because you are unacquainted with the things of God.

"Hear, then, that the Father is unbegotten; hear that the Son is the only begotten; hear the declaration, The Father is greater than I; hear again, I and my Father are one; hear also, He who hath seen me, hath seen the Father; listen to this, I am in the Father and the Father in me; and to this, I came out from the Father; and this, Who is in the bosom of the Father; and this, All that the Father hath, he hath given to the Son; and this, The Son hath life in himself, even as the Father hath in himself. Hear again, that the Son is the image, wisdom, power, glory of God; and mark well the Spirit proclaiming, His generation who will declare? Then reprove the Lord himself who testifies, No one hath known the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal him. Thrust yourself now into this secret concerning the one God unbegotten, and the one God only begotten; plunge yourself into this mystery which surpasses all conception. Begin, go forward, persevere; although I am certain you will never come to the end of your course, yet I will rejoice that you are about to make some progress in it. For he who pursues objects that are infinite, although he can never fully attain them, yet he will be a gainer by making some progress. The true understanding of words on this subject will be brought about by such a course.* "The Son is from that Father WHO IS; only begotten from unbegotten; progeny from parent; living one from living one. As the Father hath life in himself, so is it given to the Son to

Stat in hoc intelligentia fine verborum. I am not sure that I have caught the sense. Qui rectius intelligit, corrigat. 37

VOL. V. No. 18.