Obs. [ad. late L. subsistentia SUBSISTENCE.]
1. Theol. = SUBSISTENCE 6, HYPOSTASIS 5.
1592. trans. Junius on Rev. i. 4. This Spirit is one in person according to his subsistencie.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., Pref. One Essence, Three Subsistencies.
1707. Norris, Ideal World, I. v. 240. The second of those three subsistencies which the Catholic Faith teaches us to believe and adore in the one undivided essence of God.
2. A thing that has a substantial existence; = SUBSISTENCE 2.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., Author’s prayer 17. Eternal Principle of all substances, essential Being of all Subsistencies.
1665. Glanvill, Scepsis Sci., iii. 11. We know as little how the union is dissolved, that is the chain of the so differing subsistencies that compound us, as how it first commenced.
1768. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), I. 335. The ancients, holding the eternity of forms and ideas, supposed them subsistencies inexisting within the divine mind.
3. = SUBSISTENCE 4.
1628. T. Spencer, Logick, 17. A first, or individuall substance, may be taken two wayes: one way, for every thing that hath a substance; another way, for a compleat subsistency, in the nature of any species.
4. Continued existence; = SUBSISTENCE 5.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, II. III. iv. 21. Nor of well-being, nor subsistency Of our poor souls, when they do hence depart, Can any be assur’d.
1651. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., II. xiii. (1739), 69. Maintaining thereby their subsistency by the consistence of the Members together.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., v. 28. A great part of Antiquity contented their hopes of subsistency with a transmigration of their souls.
1682. trans. Erastus’ Treat. Excomm., 40. Whenever Christ made any new Institution, he omitted nothing that was requisite to its being and subsistency.
