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the Divine Being itself.-Never was reasoning more clear; never were conclusions more accurate: the law of the Divine Nature being the premises of the whole.*

* See Note K. on the preceding Proposition.

PROPOSITION XI.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE BY SOME OF THE POWERS

OF THE HUMAN SOUL, WHICH ARE CALLED SOCIAL, AND IN PARTICULAR THE POWER OF EXPRESSING A COMMAND.

[Distinction between the social and the solitary powers of the soul-A human being created at full stature could not exercise the powers of its own soul, in particular the social, were there no other human being in the universe but itself—The transition from the moral to the social powers is natural and easy-The social powers more immediately enumerated, are those by which the soul can give a command-express a promise-bear witness-There must be perfections corresponding to these, necessarily inhering in the Divine Essence-If not, the creature is more perfect than the Creator, which is impossible---The Divine Being cannot give a com→ mand, or express the divine will, according to its own nature, if there be but one mode of subsistence, or person, in the Divine Essence-There must therefore be a Trinity of persons in the Divine Essence-As is the nature, so is the power; and is the power, so is the will, of every being-The divine will is the same in each of the three divine persons-If this be not so, there can be no image of the divine perfections, in consistency with the Divine Nature---Some objections answered.]

1. BESIDES the foregoing reasoning and demonstrations, founded upon the nature of the essence and perfections of the Divine Being, there are others equally cogent and convincing,

which clearly support the foregoing doctrine, and which are founded upon some of the perfections or powers bestowed by the Divine Being upon created moral agents. Some of these may be taken from the nature of man, as a moral agent, and they refer directly to some of the essential powers of the human soul.

The powers to which we immediately refer, are some of those which metaphysicians call the SOCIAL. An extensive and accurate investigation of the various powers and faculties of the soul of man, will enable even an ordinary capacity to discover the difference between the solitary and the social powers. That the social powers of the human soul are constitutionally original and primary, and not subordinate or secondary, will appear evident from this, that the powers of every being, whatever they are, must partake of the nature of that being, and must be derived from it. Therefore, as is the nature, so is the power, or powers, of every being. Now the nature of man is social, and therefore that nature must have social powers necessarily inhering in it.

A human being created in full perfection, and at full maturity, might have the use of the external senses, in a certain degree, and, as a rational being, might think, reason, and will, in some degree, though very imperfectly. Were there no other human beings in the universe but itself

alone, it might know that it was alive, but it could not provide for itself, nor support its own existence. However, were there no other, it is allowed by the ablest metaphysicians and reasoners on the subject, that such a human being never would exercise its social powers, or speak. The social powers of the human soul are not independent of one another, any more than the solitary. They cannot be separated, but they may be distinguished. And had the soul of man no social powers in its original constitution, it would be absolutely impossible for him to speak; so that we may, upon the fairest principles of reason and argument, affirm, that the social powers, and speech, infer each other, and yet they are distinct; but they are so closely united with one another, and so constitutionally connected in their essence, that they cannot be separated from it, nor from one another; yet they may be distinguished, and therefore require our attention and consideration distinctly.

2. As the connection between the moral and social powers of the human soul is so very intimately interwoven, and so constitutionally entwined together, the transition from the moral to the social, is natural and easy, and will afford additional stability, strength, and consistency, to the doctrine already advanced.

As the social powers of the human soul are both necessary and essential to its original con

stitution, as well as the solitary, the arguments which they afford are equally strong, by the light of reason and demonstration, and equally powerful and convincing, from philosophical investigation, to support the doctrine of a Trinity of persons in the Divine Essence; therefore they are legitimate, and pertinent to our present purpose. We only mean to consider some of them.

3. The social powers of the human soul, on which the present train of reasoning and argument is founded, are those by which it can express a command, make a promise, and bear witness. Now, the nature of each of these, respectively, proves distinctly, by its own native force and evidence, that it supposes some other rational and intelligent human being or beings, to whom, in social intercourse, a command is or may be given--a promise made-a testimony addressed.

Now, if the powers of the soul, necessary to perform these and other social acts, be in reality considered as necessary and essential to its original constitution and present state, then we may affirm, with certainty, that they contribute to the consummation of its perfection, and are in reality essential perfections; and without them, it would be imperfect and defective in its present state.

4. Taking these things for granted, and supposing the social powers as contributing to the perfections of the soul, and in themselves perfections respectively, then we may infer, with safety,

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