Monologium, on the Being of God3 Chapter III. There is a certain Nature through which whatever is exists, and which exists through itself, and is the highest of all existing beings.
Chapter III. There is a certain Nature through which whatever is exists, and which exists through itself, and is the highest of all existing beings.
Therefore, not only are all good things such through something that is one and the same, and all great things such through something that is one and the same; but whatever is, apparently exists through something that is one and the same. For, everything that is, exists either through something, or through nothing. But nothing exists through nothing. For it is altogether inconceivable that anything should not exist by virtue of something.
Whatever is, then, does not exist except through something. Since this is true, either there is one being, or there are more than one, through which all things that are exist. But if there are more than one, either these are themselves to be referred to some one being, through which they exist, or they exist separately, each through itself, or they exist mutually through one another.
But, if these beings exist through one being, then all things do not exist through more than one, but rather through that one being through which these exist.
If, however, these exist separately, each through itself, there is, at any rate, some power or property of existing through self (existendi per se), by which they are able to exist each through itself. But, there can be no doubt that, in that case, they exist through this very power, which is one, and through which they are able to exist, each through itself. More truly, then, do all things exist through this very being, which is one, than through these, which are more than one, which, without this one, cannot exist.
But that these beings exist mutually through one another, no reason can admit; since it is an irrational conception that anything should exist through a being on which it confers existence. For not even beings of a relative nature exist thus mutually, the one through the other. For, though the terms master and servant are used with mutual reference, and the men thus designated are mentioned as having mutual relations, yet they do not at all exist mutually, the one through the other, since these relations exist through the subjects to which they are referred.
Therefore, since truth altogether excludes the supposition that there are more beings than one, through which all things exist, that being, through which all exist, must be one. Since, then, all things that are exist through this one being, doubtless this one being exists through itself. Whatever things there are else then, exist through something other than themselves, and this alone through itself. But whatever exists through another is less than that, through which all things are, and which alone exists through itself. Therefore, that which exists through itself exists in the greatest degree of all things.
There is, then, some one being which alone exists in the greatest and the highest degree of all. But that which is greatest of all, and through which exists whatever is good or great, and, in short, whatever has any existence — that must be supremely good, and supremely great, and the highest of all existing beings.
Denique non solum omnia bona per idem aliquid sunt bona, et omnia magna per idem aliquid sunt magna; sed quidquid est, per unum aliquid videtur esse. Omne namque quod est, aut est per aliquid, aut per nihil; sed nihil est per nihil. Non enim vel cogitari potest ut sit aliquid non per aliquid. Quidquid igitur est, non nisi per aliquid est. Quod cum ita sit, aut est unum, aut sunt plura, per quae sunt cuncta quae sunt. Sed si sunt plura, aut ipsa referuntur ad unum aliquid, per quod sunt; aut eadem plura singula sunt per se; aut ipsa per se invicem sunt. At si plura ipsa sunt per unum, jam non sunt omnia per plura; sed potius per illud unum, per quod haec plura sunt. Si vero ipsa plura singula sunt per se, utique est una aliqua vis vel natura existendi per se, qua habent ut per se sint. Non est autem dubium quod per idipsum unum sint, per quod habent ut sint per se. Verius ergo per ipsum unum cuncta sunt, quam per plura, quae sine eo uno esse non possunt: ut vero plura per se invicem sint, nulla patitur ratio; quoniam irrationalis cogitatio est ut aliqua res sit per illud cui dat esse: nam nec ipsa relativa sic sunt per se invicem. Nam cum dominus et servus referantur ad invicem, et ipsi homines qui referuntur, omnino non sunt per invicem; et ipsae relationes quibus referuntur, non omnino sunt per se invicem, quia eaedem sunt per subjecta. Cum itaque veritas omnimodo excludat plura esse, per quae cuncta sunt, necesse est unum illud esse, per quod sunt cuncta quae sunt. Quoniam ergo cuncta quae sunt, sunt per ipsum unum; procul dubio et ipsum unum est per seipsum. Quaecunque igitur alia sunt, sunt per aliud et ipsum solum per seipsum. At quidquid est per aliud, minus est quam illud per quod cuncta sunt alia, et quod solum est per se. Quare illud quod est per se, maxime omnium est. Est igitur unum aliquid, quod solum maxime et summe omnium est: quod autem maxime omnium est, et per quod est quidquid est bonum vel magnum, et omnino quidquid aliquid est, id necesse est esse summe bonum, et summe magnum, et summum omnium quae sunt. Quare est aliquid quod sive essentia, sive substantia, sive natura dicatur, optimum et maximum est, et summum omnium quae sunt.