ss　an　idea　of　God　within　me；　whatever　in　the　end　be　the　cause　assigned　to　my　existence；　it　must　be　allowed　that　it　is　likewise　a　thinking　thing　and　that　it　possesses　in　itself　the　idea　of　all　the　perfections　which　I　attribute　to　God。　　We　may　again　inquire　whether　this　cause　derives　its　origin　from　itself　or　from　some　other　thing。　　For　if　from　itself；　it　follows　by　the　reasons　before　brought　forward；　that　this　cause　must　itself　be　God；　for　since　it　possesses　the　virtue　of　self…　existence；　it　must　also　without　doubt　have　the　power　of　actually　possessing　all　the　perfections　of　which　it　has　the　idea；　that　is；　all　those　which　I　conceive　as　existing　in　God。　But　if　it　derives　its　existence　from　some　other　cause　than　itself；　we　shall　again　ask；　for　the　same　reason；　whether　this　second　cause　exists　by　itself　or　through　another；　until　from　one　step　to　another；　we　finally　arrive　at　an　ultimate　cause；　which　will　be　God。　　　　　　And　it　is　perfectly　manifest　that　in　this　there　can　be　no　regression　into　infinity；　since　what　is　in　question　is　not　so　much　the　cause　which　formerly　created　me；　as　that　which　conserves　me　at　the　present　time。　　　　　　Nor　can　we　suppose　that　several　causes　may　have　concurred　in　my　production；　and　that　from　one　I　have　received　the　idea　of　one　of　the　perfections　which　I　attribute　to　God；　and　from　another　the　idea　of　some　other；　so　that　all　these　perfections　indeed　exist　somewhere　in　the　universe；　but　not　as　complete　in　one　unity　which　is　God。　　On　the　contrary；　the　unity；　the　simplicity　or　the　inseparability　of　all　things　which　are　in　god　is　one　of　the　principal　perfections　which　I　conceive　to　be　in　Him。　　And　certainly　the　idea　of　this　unity　of　all　Divine　perfections　cannot　have　been　placed　in　me　by　any　cause　from　which　I　have　not　likewise　received　the　ideas　of　all　the　other　perfections；　for　this　cause　could　not　make　me　able　to　comprehend　them　as　joined　together　in　an　inseparable　unity　without　having　at　the　same　time　caused　me　in　some　measure　to　know　what　they　are　＇and　in　some　way　to　recognise　each　one　of　them＇。　　　　　　Finally；　so　far　as　my　parents　＇from　whom　it　appears　I　have　sprung＇　are　concerned；　although　all　that　I　have　ever　been　able　to　believe　of　them　were　true；　that　does　not　make　it　follow　that　it　is　they　who　conserve　me；　nor　are　they　even　the　authors　of　my　being　in　any　sense；　in　so　far　as　I　am　a　thinking　being；　since　what　they　did　was　merely　to　implant　certain　dispositions　in　that　matter　in　which　the　self￥i。e。　the　mind；　which　alone　I　at　present　identify　with　myself￥is　by　me　deemed　to　exist。　　And　thus　there　can　be　no　difficulty　in　their　regard；　but　we　must　of　necessity　conclude　from　the　fact　alone　that　I　exist；　or　that　the　idea　of　a　Being　supremely　perfect￥that　is　of　God￥is　in　me；　that　the　proof　of　God's　existence　is　grounded　on　the　highest　evidence。　　　　　　It　only　remains　to　me　to　examine　into　the　manner　in　which　I　have　acquired　this　idea　from　God；　for　I　have　not　received　it　through　the　senses；　and　it　is　never　presented　to　me　unexpectedly；　as　is　usual　with　the　ideas　of　sensible　things　when　these　things　present　themselves；　or　seem　to　present　themselves；　to　the　external　organs　of　my　senses；　nor　is　it　likewise　a　fiction　of　my　mind；　for　it　is　not　in　my　power　to　take　from　or　to　add　anything　to　it；　and　consequently　the　only　alternative　is　that　it　is　innate　in　me；　just　as　the　idea　of　myself　is　innate　in　me。　　　　　　And　one　certainly　ought　not　to　find　it　strange　that　God；　in　creating　me；　placed　this　idea　within　me　to　be　like　the　mark　of　the　workman　imprinted　on　his　work；　and　it　is　likewise　not　essential　that　the　mark　shall　be　something　different　from　the　work　itself。　　For　from　the　sole　fact　that　God　created　me　it　is　most　probable　that　in　some　way　he　has　placed　his　image　and　similitude　upon　me；　and　that　I　perceive　this　similitude　（in　which　the　idea　of　God　is　contained）　by　means　of　the　same　faculty　by　which　I　perceive　myself￥that　is　to　say；　when　I　reflect　on　myself　I　not　only　know　that　I　am　something　＇imperfect＇；　incomplete　and　dependent　on　another；　which　incessantly　aspires　after　something　which　is　better　and　greater　than　myself；　but　I　also　know　that　He　on　whom　I　depend　possesses　in　Himself　all　the　great　things　towards　which　I　aspire　＇and　the　ideas　of　which　I　find　within　myself＇；　and　that　not　indefinitely　or　potentially　alone；　but　really；　actually　and　infinitely；　and　that　thus　He　is　God。　　And　the　whole　strength　of　the　argument　which　I　have　here　made　use　of　to　prove　the　existence　of　God　consists　in　this；　that　I　recognise　that　it　is　not　possible　that　my　nature　should　be　what　it　is；　and　indeed　that　I　should　have　in　myself　the　idea　of　a　God；　if　God　did　not　veritably　exist￥a　God；　I　say；　whose　idea　is　in　me；　i。e。　who　possesses　all　those　supreme　perfections　of　which　our　mind　may　indeed　have　some　idea　but　without　understanding　them　all；　who　is　liable　to　no　errors　or　defect　＇and　who　has　none　of　all　those　marks　which　denote　imperfection＇。　　From　this　it　is　manifest　that　He　cannot　be　a　deceiver；　since　the　light　of　nature　teaches　us　that　fraud　and　deception　necessarily　proceed　from　some　defect。　　　　　　But　before　I　examine　this　matter　with　more　care；　and　pass　on　to　the　consideration　of　other　truths　which　may　be　derived　from　it；　it　seems　to　me　right　to　pause　for　a　while　in　order　to　contemplate　God　Himself；　to　ponder　at　leisure　His　marvellous　attributes；　to　consider；　and　admire；　and　adore；　the　beauty　of　this　light　so　resplendent；　at　least　as　far　as　the　strength　of　my　mind；　which　is　in　some　measure　dazzled　by　the　sight；　will　allow　me　to　do　so。　　For　just　as　faith　teaches　us　that　the　supreme　felicity　of　the　other　life　consists　only　in　this　contemplation　of　the　Divine　Majesty；　so　we　continue　to　learn　by　experience　that　a　similar　meditation；　though　incomparably　less　perfect；　causes　us　to　enjoy　the　greatest　satisfaction　of　which　we　are　capable　in　this　life。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Meditation　IV。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Of　the　True　and　the　False。　　　　　　　　　　　　I　have　been　well　accustomed　these　past　days　to　detach　my　mind　from　my　senses；　and　I　have　accurately　observed　that　there　are　very　few　things　that　one　knows　with　certainty　respecting　corporeal　objects；　that　there　are　many　more　which　are　known　to　us　respecting　the　human　mind；　and　yet　more　still　regarding　God　Himself；　so　that　I　shall　now　without　any　difficulty　abstract　my　thoughts　from　the　consideration　of　＇sensible　or＇　imaginable　objects；　and　carry　them　to　those　which；　being　withdrawn　from　all　contact　with　matter；　are　purely　intelligible。　　And　certainly　the　idea　which　I　possess　of　the　human　mind　inasmuch　as　it　is　a　thinking　thing；　and　not　extended　in　length；　width　and　depth；　nor　participating　in　anything　pertaining　to　body；　is　incomparably　more　distinct　than　is　the　idea　of　any　corporeal　thing。　　And　when　I　consider　that　I　doubt；　that　is　to　say；　that　I　am　an　incomplete　and　dependent　being；　the　idea　of　a　being　that　is　complete　and　independent；　that　is　of　God；　presents　itself　to　my　mind　with　so　much　distinctness　and　clearness￥and　from　the　fact　alone　that　this　idea　is　found　in　me；　or　that　I　who　possess　this　idea　exist；　I　conclude　so　certainly　that　God　exists；　and　that　my　existence　depends　entirely　on　Him　in　every　moment　of　my　life￥that　I　do　not　think　that　the　human　mind　is　capable　of　knowing　anything　with　more　evidence　and　certitude。　　And　it　seems　to　me　that　I　now　have　before　me　a　road　which　will　lead　us　from　the　contemplation　of　the　true　God　（in　whom　all　the　treasures　of　science　and　wisdom　are　contained）　to　the　knowledge　of　the　other　objects　of　the　universe。　　　　　　For；　first　of　all；　I　recognise　it　to　be　impossible　that　He　should　ever　deceive　me；　for　in　all　fraud　and　deception　some　imperfection　is　to　be　found；　and　although　it　may　appear　that　the　power　of　deception　is　a　mark　of　subtilty　or　power；　yet　the　desire　to　deceive　without　doubt　testifies　to　malice　or　feebleness；　and　accordingly　cannot　be　found　in　God。　　　　　　In　the　next　place　I　experienced　in　myself　a　certain　capacity　for　judging　which　I　have　doubtless　received　from　God；　like　all　the　other　things　that　I　possess；　and　as　He　could　not　desire　to　deceive　me；　it　is　clear　that　He　has　not　given　me　a　faculty　that　will　lead　me　to　err　if　I　use　it　aright。　　　　　　And　no　doubt　respecting　this　matter　could　remain；　if　it　were　not　that　the　consequence　would　seem　to　follow　that　I　can　thus　never　be　deceived；　for　if　I　hold　all　that　I　possess　from　God；　and　if　He　has　not　placed　in　me　the　capacity　for　error；　it　seems　as　though　I　could　never　fall　into　error。　　And　it　is　true　that　when　I　think　only　of　God　＇and　direct　my　mind　wholly　to　Him＇；18　I　discover　＇in　myself＇　no　cause　of　error；　or　falsity；　yet　directly　afterwards；　when　recurring　to　myself；　experience　shows　me　that　I　am　nevertheless　subject　to　an　infinitude　of　errors；　as　to　which；　when　we　come　to　investigate　them　more　closely；　I　notice　that　not　only　is　there　a　real　and　positive　idea　of　God　or　of　a　Being　of　supreme　perfection　present　to　my　mind；　but　also；　so　to　speak；　a　certain　negative　idea　of　nothing；　that　is；　of　that　which　is　infinitely　removed　from　any　kind　of　perfection；　and　that　I　am　in　a　sense　something　intermediate　between　God　and　nought；　i。e。　placed　in　such　a　manner　between　the　supreme　Being　and　non…being；　that　there　is　in　truth　nothing　in　me　that　can　lead　to　error　in　so　far　as　a　sovereign　Be