Monologium, on the Being of God20 Chapter XX. It exists in every place and at every time.
Chapter XX. It exists in every place and at every time.
But, although it has been concluded above that this creative Nature exists everywhere, and in all things, and through all; and from the fact that it neither began, nor will cease to be, it follows that it always has been, and is, and will be; yet, I perceive a certain secret murmur of contradiction which compels me to inquire more carefully where and when that Nature exists.
The supreme Being, then, exists either everywhere and always, or merely at some place and time, or nowhere and never: or, as I express it, either in every place and at every time, or finitely, in some place and at some time, or in no place and at no time.
But what can be more obviously contradictory, than that what exists most really and supremely exists nowhere and never? It is, therefore, false that it exists nowhere and never. Again, since there is no good, nor anything at all without it; if this Being itself exists nowhere or never, then nowhere or never is there any good, and nowhere and never is there anything at all. But there is no need to state that this is false. Hence, the former proposition is also false, that that Being exists nowhere and never.
It therefore exists finitely, at some time and place, or everywhere and always. But, if it exists finitely, at some place or time, there and then only, where and when it exists, can anything exist. Where and when it does not exist, moreover, there is no existence at all, because, without it, nothing exists. Whence it will follow, that there is some place and time where and when nothing at all exists. But seeing that this is false — for place and time themselves are existing things — the supreme Nature cannot exist finitely, at some place or time. But, if it is said that it of itself exists finitely, at some place and time, but that, through its power, it is wherever and whenever anything is, this is not true. For, since it is manifest that its power is nothing else than itself, by no means does its power exist without it.
Since, then, it does not exist finitely, at some place or time, it must exist everywhere and always, that is, in every place and at every time.
Quanquam autem supra conclusum sit, quia creatrix haec natura ubique, et in omnibus, et per omnia sit: et ex eo, quia nec incoepit, nec desinet esse consequatur quia semper fuit, et est, et erit, sentio tamen quiddam contradictionis submurmurare; quod me cogit diligentius, ubi et quando illa sit, indagare. Itaque summa essentia, aut ubique et semper est, aut tantum alicubi et aliquando, aut nusquam et nunquam: quod dico, aut in omni loco et tempore; aut determinate in aliquo, vel in nullo. Sed quid videtur repugnantius, quam ut quod verissime et summe est, id nusquam et nunquam sit. Falsum est igitur nusquam vel nunquam illam esse. Deinde, quoniam nullum bonum, nec penitus aliquid est sine ea: si ipsa nusquam vel nunquam est, nusquam vel nunquam aliquod bonum est, et nusquam vel nunquam omnino aliquid est. Quod quam falsum sit, nec dicere opus est: falsum igitur est et illud, quod illa nusquam aut nunquam sit. Aut est ergo determinate alicubi et aliquando; aut ubique et semper. At si determinate est in aliquo loco vel tempore; ibi et tunc tantum, ubi et quando ipsa est, potest aliquid esse. Ubi vero et quando ipsa non est, ibi et tunc penitus nulla est essentia, quia sine ea nihil est: unde consequetur ut sit aliquis locus et aliquod tempus, ubi et quando omnino nihil est. Quod quoniam est falsum; ipse namque locus et tempus ipsum aliquid est; non potest esse summa natura alicubi, vel aliquando determinate. Quod si dicitur quod determinate ipsa per se alicubi et aliquando est; sed per potentiam suam est ubicunque, vel quandocunque aliquid est; non est verum: quoniam enim potentiam ejus nihil aliud quam ipsam esse manifestum est; nullo modo potentia ejus sine ipsa est. Cum ergo non sit alicubi vel aliquando determinate, necesse est ut sit ubique et semper, id est in omni loco et tempore.