(26) Perhaps there will
be many who will be unable to see the force of this proof, inasmuch as
they are accustomed only to consider those things which flow from external
causes. (27) Of such things, they see that those which quickly come to
pass, that is, quickly come into existence, quickly also disappear;
whereas they regard as more difficult of accomplishment, that is, not so
easily brought into existence, those things which they conceive as more
complicated.
(11:28) However, to do away with this misconception, I need not here show
the measure of truth in the proverb, "What comes quickly, goes quickly,"
nor discuss whether, from the point of view of universal nature, all
things are equally easy, or otherwise: I need only remark, that I am not
here speaking of things, which come to pass through causes external to
themselves, but only of substances which (by [vi] ) cannot be produced by
any external cause. (29) Things which are produced by external causes,
whether they consist of many parts or few, owe whatsoever perfection or
reality they possess solely to the efficacy of their external cause, and
therefore their existence arises solely from the perfection of their
external cause, not from their own. (11:30) Contrariwise, whatsoever
perfection is possessed by substance is due to no external cause;
wherefore the existence of substance must arise solely from its own
nature, which is nothing else but its essence.
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