Inthenextplace, fromreflectingonthecircumstancethatIdoubted, andthatconsequentlymybeingwasnotwhollyperfect (forIclearlysawthatitwasagreaterperfectiontoknowthantodoubt), IwasledtoinquirewhenceIhadlearnedtothinkofsomethingmoreperfectthanmyself; , asofthesky, theearth, light, heat, andathousandmore, Iwaslessatalosstoknowwhencethesecame; forsinceIremarkedinthemnothingwhichseemedtorenderthemsuperiortomyself, Icouldbelievethat, iftheseweretrue, theyweredependenciesonmyownnature, insofarasitpossessedacertainperfection, and, iftheywerefalse, thatIheldthemfromnothing, thatistosay, -theideaofanaturemoreperfectthanmyself; fortoreceiveitfromnothingwasathingmanifestlyimpossible; and, becauseitisnotlessrepugnantthatthemoreperfectshouldbeaneffectof, anddependenceonthelessperfect, thanthatsomethingshouldproceedfromnothing, itwasequallyimpossiblethatIcouldholditfrommyself: accordingly, itbutremainedthatithadbeenplacedinmebyanaturewhichwasinrealitymoreperfectthanmine, andwhichevenpossessedwithinitselfalltheperfectionsofwhichIcouldformanyidea; thatistosay, inasingleword, , sinceIknewsomeperfectionswhichIdidnotpossess, Iwasnottheonlybeinginexistence (Iwillhere, withyourpermission, freelyusethetermsoftheschools); but, onthecontrary, thattherewasofnecessitysomeothermoreperfectBeinguponwhomIwasdependent, andfromwhomIhadreceivedallthatIpossessed; forifIhadexistedalone, andindependentlyofeveryotherbeing, soastohavehadfrommyselfalltheperfection, howeverlittle, whichIactuallypossessed, Ishouldhavebeenable, forthesamereason, tohavehadfrommyselfthewholeremainderofperfection, ofthewantofwhichIwasconscious, andthuscouldofmyselfhavebecomeinfinite, eternal, immutable, omniscient, all-powerful, and, infine, (whoseexistencehasbeenestablishedbytheprecedingreasonings), asfarasmyownnaturepermitted, IhadonlytoconsiderinreferencetoallthepropertiesofwhichIfoundinmymindsomeidea, whethertheirpossessionwasamarkofperfection; andIwasassuredthatnoonewhichindicatedanyimperfectionwasinhim, , inconstancy, sadness, andsuchlike, couldnotbefoundinGod, , Ihadideasofmanysensibleandcorporealthings; foralthoughImightsupposethatIwasdreaming, andthatallwhichIsaworimaginedwasfalse, Icouldnot, nevertheless, , becauseIhadalreadyveryclearlyrecognizedinmyselfthattheintelligentnatureisdistinctfromthecorporeal, andasIobservedthatallcompositionisanevidenceofdependency, andthatastateofdependencyismanifestlyastateofimperfection, IthereforedeterminedthatitcouldnotbeaperfectioninGodtobecompoundedofthesetwonaturesandthatconsequentlyhewasnotsocompounded; butthatiftherewereanybodiesintheworld, orevenanyintelligences, orothernaturesthatwerenotwhollyperfect, theirexistencedependedonhispowerinsuchawaythattheycouldnotsubsistwithouthimforasinglemoment.
