were more First Beings eternally co-exift ing, we must grant that existence would be equally effential to them all, and confe quently that there could be no effentiál difference among them. Neither could it poffibly be, that they should in any fort accidentally differ, because their Extence be ing effential (and fo of neceffity the very fame thing throughout with the whole fub ftantial thing exifting) would have no room, or place, for any accident in them whatfoever. And if there were neither effential, nor accidental difference, there could be none at all; for a meer numerical difference without either, is here impoffible becaufe, in that, Existence is effential to the First Being,it dif fers not from pure formal Existence, and what differs not from pure formal Exiffence muft of neceflity comprehend all existence, or whatever doth or can exift; and coufe quently, if any thing exilt, or have a Being, which is not within the fame, it must unvoidably receive it from theiice; fo that it is plainly impoffible there (hould be more first Beings fave one alone. it be galo di ne (~7. That there is then one only First Being, which is comprehenfive of alling, is evidentio And that the fame is infinite in Efiduce and Perfection of Being, is no lefs evidently

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7.

evidently certain, for in cafe it were of a finite Nature, it must by fome means or o ther be limited, for what has no limitation or bounds, is infinite. And if the First Being be limited, it muft of neceffity be limited by it felf, by reafon it alone being before all other Beings, there could not poffibly be any thing befides it self to limit it. And that it fhould either voluntarily limit it felf; or be neceffarily limited by its own intrinfic Na ture, is impoffible; for the former cannot be, becaufe Exiftence being effential to it (par. 5.) makes it neceffarily to be, whatever it is, eternally; nor can the latter be, because its effence being pure formal exist, ence, (par. 6.)cannot be intrinfecally limited or reftrain'd, by its own Nature, to this or that,or any determinate Mode,ör Meafure of Existence whatfoever. The First being therefore is infinite in Being, a Perfection of Effence (which again farther fhews, that there is one alone First Being, for being infi pite in Being and Perfection of Effence, it has all poffible Being and Perfection within it felf; and if it have all, there is none befides has any but what it receives from it.)

8. The firft Being then is neceflarily in fiture in Being and Perfection of Effence: and what is neceffarily fo, cannot poffibly

either acquire, or lofe any thing whereby its Perfection can, in any refpect whatfoever be either augmented, or diminished; and what cannot, in any refpect whatever, receive either augmentation, or diminution, is wholly immutable, the Firft Being therefore is Immutable.

9. Whatfoever is Immutable has nothing either of Potentiality, or Paffibility, at all belonging to it, for otherwise it would not be impoffible (as implying no Contradiction) that it should be changed from Power to Act, from Acting to Suffering. And what has nothing at all of Potentiality, or Pallibility belonging to it, muft of neceffity be a pure effential Act; the Firft Being therefore is a pure effential Act, sonok

10. That which is a pure effential Act, is void of all manner of Compofition, for else it would have a mixture of fome ingredient with it. And what is void of all manner of Compofition is abfolutely Simple; the Firft Being therefore is abfolutely and altogether Simple.

II.That which is abfolutely fimple, has no parts at all, and by confequence, whatever is contained in it, the fame is its whole entire Self andBeing,and thence one pure Formality; the First Being therefore is one pureFormality. B 4 12. And

12. And what is one pure Formality, has no formally diftin&t Parts,and therefore neither Power, nor Wifdom, nor Goodness, nor Mercy, nor Juftice, nor any Attribute whatever, are formally diftinct in the first Being, either from one another,or from its felf. (But fince the prime Being eminently contains whatever excellency is intended by the Attributes we usually, for expreffing our narrow Thoughts by, give unto it, 'tis not incongru ous nor unufeful, to afcribe them thereunto.)

13.And what is so abfolutely fimple, that it has not fo much as formally diftinct Parts, muft neceffarily be without Parts really exclufive of one another;and what is fo cannot be corporeal,becaufe a Body confifts of Parts really exclufive of one another; and what is not corporeal, is immaterial; and an immaterial Being or Subftance we call a Spirit ; the First Being therefore is a Spirit.

The total then of all contain'd in this Section fumm'd up together amounts to this that there neceffarily is an abfolutely Perfect Being, which is felf-exiftent, Eternal, only One, Infinite, Immutable, a pure effential A&t, entirely Simple, one Formality, and a Spirit which we ufually call by the name o GOD.

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SECT.

SECT. II.

In the Unity of the Divine Effence there necef farily is a Trinity of Perfons.

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T1

Hat there is only one God, has been fhewn, Sect.1.Par.6.whofe Existence because it is effential to him (fect. 1. par. 5.) by the Effence of God is to be understood: the Eternal Nature, or Being, or Thing exifting, which is God. For effentially to exift, is to be neceffary to exift and to be neceffary to exist, is to be impoffible not to exift; and for a thing to be impoffible not to exift, is to be a thing whofe Effence is, pure Existence, or a direct contradiction(to Non-Existence. The Divine Effence there-ˆ fore is a Thing, Subftance or Being, which is a perfect contradictory Repugnancy, to Non-Entity, and is God alone himself, or the Divine Nature eternally existing of it felf.

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2. What is meant by the Divine Effence: being explain'd, we muft next confider, what the Word Perfon, attributed to God, is intended to denote; and we find it to be this, An incommunicable Subftance of an intelligent Nature. 3. Effence