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The question is whether concrete essential names can be
used as the subject of a proposition in place of the name
of any person, for example, can we say God generates as
we say the Father generates?
The difficulty arises from the fact that these concrete
essential terms seem to signify the essence, since Deity
and God are the same, and it is not the divine essence
that generates, but the Father. Thus we could also say
that God does not generate if "God" can be substituted
for "the Son."
The reply nevertheless is in the affirmative, with some
explanation. God in the concrete signifies Deity in the
suppositum and therefore God may express either the
principle of operation common to the three persons, for
example, God created heaven and earth, or one of the
three persons. The particular signification must be
determined by the exigencies of the predicate. Thus when
we say God created heaven and earth, "God" stands for
the three persons who have the same nature and
omnipotence. On the other hand when we say, God
generates, "God" stands for the Father alone because
He alone generates. But we cannot say the Deity
generates, as will be explained in article five.
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