esse

plural esses

1. Essence, essential nature.

   […]that is his proprium, since the esse of the life of man is his will;

   1801, Emanuel Swedenborg, Arcana Cœlestia: or, Heavenly Mysteries Contained in the Sacred Scriptures, or Word of the Lord, Manifested and Laid Open, volume X, London: […] J. Hodson, page 482

   4 more examples

   Hence it is that the Univerſe, which was created from his Eſſe, and which regarded as to Uſes is his Image, obtained theſe three in all and ſingular the Things appertaining to it.

   1788, Emanuel Swedenborg, The Wisdom of Angels Concerning Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, London: […] W. Chalklen, page 136

   In like manner Christians treading closely on the heels of Jews, notwithstanding all the divine miracles, which accompanied their first establishment, iu^([sic]) order to call them from the Deistical worship of a supreme esse, extended through all space, and to fix them in the exclusive acknowledgement of the one God in a divine human form, are equally guilty of idolatry, in worshipping Gods or persons, that have no real existence.

   1824–68, A[braham] J[ones] Le Cras, The Theological Contrast: or, Error Exposed, and Truth Elucidated, Being an Investigation into All the Systems of Religion, Now Propagated in the Whole World, London: […] Thomas Goyder, pages 95–97

   Essence is a being by an esse which the essence is. Substance is a being by an esse which the substance is. Ens is a being by an esse which the ens is.

   1961, Gerard Smith, Lottie H. Kendzierski, Philosophy of Being, The Macmillan Company, page 339

   Agreed, if there are as many esses in an individual as there are forms in that individual, then a plurality of substantial forms in an individual implies a plurality of substantial esses in that individual, just as a plurality of accidental forms in an individual implies a plurality of accidental esses in that individual.

   2015, Christopher Hughes, Aquinas on Being, Goodness, and God, Routledge, page 62