PROPOSITION XIV.

PROVING THE DOCTRINE FROM THE NATURE OF THE POWER OF SPEECH.

[No animal except man has the power of speech-Speech consummates the perfections of all the other faculties of the human soul-Except moral purity, it is the highest perfection of the soul-Something corresponding to it must be found as a perfection in the Divine Being-If so, there must be a plurality of persons in the Divine Essence-If not, it is impossible that the Divine Being can have such a perfection--It is necessary to the perfection and happiness of the Divine Being.]

1. BESIDES the foregoing arguments contained in the Propositions discussed, which, it is hoped, are conclusive, and demonstratively evident, and prove, clearly and satisfactorily, the doctrine of the Trinity, another, equally cogent and convincing, and also taken from the powers of the human soul, presents itself. This is the power of speech. That speech is a power or faculty of the human soul, cannot be denied; and that it is a power, ennobling, distinguishing, and peculiar to human beings, is perfectly clear and manifest; and that it dignifies and exalts the human soul, even above that which the power of reasoning does, will appear very certain, by a little consi. deration and reflection upon the nature of it.

Something like reasoning is found in the tribes and classes of the animated irrational creation; but nothing can be found in them that approaches to articulate speech, or continued language. No one truly articulate sound, as such, ever was, or ever can be uttered, except by the human organs. No animal that ever existed, ever uttered so much as a single word of four syllables, with distinct and perfect articulation, so as to be understood by another animal, except man alone.Speech, then, being a power of the human soul, inhering in it by its original constitution, raises man farther above the level of other animals, than any other power of the human soul does. The other powers and faculties are all subservient to it, so that we plainly perceive it may be considered as that power which raises man nearer to the resemblance and image of the Divine Being, than any other power or faculty either of his body or mind.

2. A brief survey of these perfections and attributes of the Divine Being, already treated of in this work, will set this argument in a clear and conspicuous light. We know, that a particular modification, and faint resemblance, of the divine goodness, love, knowledge, wisdom, power, holiness, and veracity, as they are perfections of the Divine Being, are found respectively in man; so are the social powers already treated of: And we know, from fair investigation, that all these,

and every one of them in particular, are subservient to speech in the human soul. Nay, not one of them can be exercised or manifested by the human soul, to the utmost of its capacity, without speech. How could one human being communicate all the goodness which it possesses, to the very utmost extent of its nature, in a social way, to another, without speech? It is clear this is impossible. Without speech, something of this goodness, in the perfection of its communication, by one human being to another, is and must be imperfect. The same thing may be affirmed of love. How imperfect would love in the human creature be, without speech, in comparison with what it is by that power? Look at the exercise of all the benevolent affections between parent and child,-between the sexes, -between one human being and another, in their friendly and social intercourse,-and see how imperfect and defective the whole would be, without the power of speech.

As for knowledge, we need scarcely make mention of the argument. What attainments could human beings make in knowledge, without the power of speech? We may venture to answer, None, that would be of general utility to society. The very same thing may be affirmed concerning wisdom. Without the exercise of the power of speech, the wisdom of man would appear little above the level of some of the brute creation.

Where would the wisdom of practical jurisprudence, practical religion, practical arts and sciences, and practical industry of every kind, be discovered, without the power of speech? To what purpose would power itself, considered abstractedly, be to the human soul without speech? As for the social powers already investigated, they could be of no advantage whatever to human beings, without the exercise of the power of speech.

3. If, then, speech really be the consummation of the perfection of goodness, love, knowledge, wisdom, power, judgment, reasoning, and the social powers, as well as of every other power and faculty of the human soul, it plainly follows, that the power of speech is the very highest, the most distinguishing, the most exalted ornament, next to the moral principle, to moral purity, and to immortality, bestowed by the Divine Being upon man. Hence it farther appears, that speech is the grand and finishing social perfection of human nature; and that there is something corresponding to it in angelic nature, there is no doubt, because it is the highest social perfection in moral beings. Now, if it be such a glorious perfection in human nature, may we not presume, on fair grounds of reasoning and argument, that there must be a perfection corresponding to, or agreeing with it, in the Divine Nature. It is surely natural and fair to conclude, that what is

so high and distinguishing a perfection in the rational intelligent being, must also be found in the Divine Being; in a degree as much higher, and as far surpassing that in the creature, as the Divine uncreated Being excels the created. And this perfection must inhere in the Divine Essence, in a manner becoming all the other divine perfections, both natural and moral.

4. We have all along reasoned, on the fairest and soundest principles, that there may be a perfection in the Divine Essence, which is not bestowed upon the rational creature in the original constitution of its essence; but we still argue as confidently, that no necessary and essential perfection can inhere in the original constitution of the human soul, which does not, necessarily and essentially, inhere in the Divine Essence, in a way becoming the majesty, and glory, and nature, of the Divine Being. The Divine Being may withhold from the rational moral creature a perfection which the Divine Essence may necessarily possess, but cannot bestow upon the creature the modification of any necessary and essential perfection, which does not, necessarily and essentially, inhere in the Divine Essence itself. And the idea that man is created according to the divine image, after a particular modification, establishes this beyond dispute.

Therefore, if the Divine Being has communicated to the human soul the power of speech, as