Part 25 (1/2)

PROP. XXVIII. The endeavour or desire to know things by the third kind of knowledge cannot arise from the first, but from the second kind of knowledge.

Proof.--This proposition is self--evident. For whatsoever we understand clearly and distinctly, we understand either through itself, or through that which is conceived through itself; that is, ideas which are clear and distinct in us, or which are referred to the third kind of knowledge (II. xl. note. ii.) cannot follow from ideas that are fragmentary and confused, and are referred to knowledge of the first kind, but must follow from adequate ideas, or ideas of the second and third kind of knowledge; therefore (Def. of the Emotions, i.), the desire of knowing things by the third kind of knowledge cannot arise from the first, but from the second kind. Q.E.D.

PROP. XXIX. Whatsoever the mind understands under the form of eternity, it does not understand by virtue of conceiving the present actual existence of the body, but by virtue of conceiving the essence of the body under the form of eternity.

Proof.--In so far as the mind conceives the present existence of its body, it to that extent conceives duration which can be determined by time, and to that extent only has it the power of conceiving things in relation to time (V. xxi. II. xxvi.). But eternity cannot be explained in terms of duration (I. Def. viii.

and explanation). Therefore to this extent the mind has not the power of conceiving things under the form of eternity, but it possesses such power, because it is of the nature of reason to conceive things under the form of eternity (II. xliv. Coroll.

ii.), and also because it is of the nature of the mind to conceive the essence of the body under the form of eternity (V.

xxiii.), for besides these two there is nothing which belongs to the essence of mind (II. xiii.). Therefore this power of conceiving things under the form of eternity only belongs to the mind in virtue of the mind's conceiving the essence of the body under the form of eternity. Q.E.D.

Note.--Things are conceived by us as actual in two ways; either as existing in relation to a given time and place, or as contained in G.o.d and following from the necessity of the divine nature.

Whatsoever we conceive in this second way as true or real, we conceive under the form of eternity, and their ideas involve the eternal and infinite essence of G.o.d, as we showed in II. xlv. and note, which see.

PROP. x.x.x. Our mind, in so far as it knows itself and the body under the form of eternity, has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of G.o.d, and knows that it is in G.o.d, and is conceived through G.o.d.

Proof.--Eternity is the very essence of G.o.d, in so far as this involves necessary existence (I. Def. viii.). Therefore to conceive things under the form of eternity, is to conceive things in so far as they are conceived through the essence of G.o.d as real ent.i.ties, or in so far as they involve existence through the essence of G.o.d; wherefore our mind, in so far as it conceives itself and the body under the form of eternity, has to that extent necessarily a knowledge of G.o.d, and knows, &c. Q.E.D.

PROP. x.x.xI. The third kind of knowledge depends on the mind, as its formal cause, in so far as the mind itself is eternal.

Proof.--The mind does not conceive anything under the form of eternity, except in so far as it conceives its own body under the form of eternity (V. xxix.); that is, except in so far as it is eternal (V. xxi. xxiii.); therefore (by the last Prop.), in so far as it is eternal, it possesses the knowledge of G.o.d, which knowledge is necessarily adequate (II. xlvi.); hence the mind, in so far as it is eternal, is capable of knowing everything which can follow from this given knowledge of G.o.d (II. xl.), in other words, of knowing things by the third kind of knowledge (see Def. in II. xl. note. ii.), whereof accordingly the mind (III. Def. i.), in so far as it is eternal, is the adequate or formal cause of such knowledge. Q.E.D.

Note.--In proportion, therefore, as a man is more potent in this kind of knowledge, he will be more completely conscious of himself and of G.o.d; in other words, he will be more perfect and blessed, as will appear more clearly in the sequel. But we must here observe that, although we are already certain that the mind is eternal, in so far as it conceives things under the form of eternity, yet, in order that what we wish to show may be more readily explained and better understood, we will consider the mind itself, as though it had just begun to exist and to understand things under the form of eternity, as indeed we have done hitherto; this we may do without any danger of error, so long as we are careful not to draw any conclusion, unless our premisses are plain.

PROP. x.x.xII. Whatsoever we understand by the third kind of knowledge, we take delight in, and our delight is accompanied by the idea of G.o.d as cause.

Proof.--From this kind of knowledge arises the highest possible mental acquiescence, that is (Def of the Emotions, xxv.), pleasure, and this acquiescence is accompanied by the idea of the mind itself (V. xxvii.), and consequently (V. x.x.x.) the idea also of G.o.d as cause. Q.E.D.

Corollary.--From the third kind of knowledge necessarily arises the intellectual love of G.o.d. From this kind of knowledge arises pleasure accompanied by the idea of G.o.d as cause, that is (Def. of the Emotions, vi.), the love of G.o.d; not in so far as we imagine him as present (V. xxix.), but in so far as we understand him to be eternal; this is what I call the intellectual love of G.o.d.

PROP. x.x.xIII. The intellectual love of G.o.d, which arises from the third kind of knowledge, is eternal.

Proof.--The third kind of knowledge is eternal (V. x.x.xi. I.

Ax. iii.); therefore (by the same Axiom) the love which arises therefrom is also necessarily eternal. Q.E.D.

Note.--Although this love towards G.o.d has (by the foregoing Prop.) no beginning, it yet possesses all the perfections of love, just as though it had arisen as we feigned in the Coroll.

of the last Prop. Nor is there here any difference, except that the mind possesses as eternal those same perfections which we feigned to accrue to it, and they are accompanied by the idea of G.o.d as eternal cause. If pleasure consists in the transition to a greater perfection, a.s.suredly blessedness must consist in the mind being endowed with perfection itself.

PROP. x.x.xIV. The mind is, only while the body endures, subject to those emotions which are attributable to pa.s.sions.

Proof.--Imagination is the idea wherewith the mind contemplates a thing as present (II. xvii. note); yet this idea indicates rather the present disposition of the human body than the nature of the external thing (II. xvi. Coroll. ii.).

Therefore emotion (see general Def. of Emotions) is imagination, in so far as it indicates the present disposition of the body; therefore (V. xxi.) the mind is, only while the body endures, subject to emotions which are attributable to pa.s.sions. Q.E.D.

Corollary.--Hence it follows that no love save intellectual love is eternal.

Note.--If we look to men's general opinion, we shall see that they are indeed conscious of the eternity of their mind, but that they confuse eternity with duration, and ascribe it to the imagination or the memory which they believe to remain after death.

PROP. x.x.xV. G.o.d loves himself with an infinite intellectual love.

Proof.--G.o.d is absolutely infinite (I. Def. vi.), that is (II.

Def. vi.), the nature of G.o.d rejoices in infinite perfection; and such rejoicing is (II. iii.) accompanied by the idea of himself, that is (I. xi. and Def. i.), the idea of his own cause: now this is what we have (in V. x.x.xii. Coroll.) described as intellectual love.