 Prior to Holkot, a variety of distinctions had been proposed to modify the identity relation of the copula in such premises and to block the conclusion. But Holkot objected that the divine Essence was in no way “really,” “modally,” “formally,” “rationally,” “convertibly,” nor in any other way distinguished from the divine Persons or the divine relations of paternity, filiation and spiration. This put him back face to face with the dilemma.