Q.E.D.
Prop. [XXXI] The third kind of knowledge depends on the mind,
as its formal cause, in so far as the mind itself
is eternal.
Proof.- (31:1) 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 ([xxix] ); that is, except in so far as it is eternal
([xxi] , [xxiii] ); therefore (by [xxx] ), in so far as it is eternal,
it possesses the knowledge of God, 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 God (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:[D.i] ), in so far as it is eternal, is the adequate or formal cause
of such knowledge. Q.E.D.
Note.- (31:2) In proportion, therefore, as a man is more potent in this
kind of knowledge, he will be more completely conscious of himself and
of God; in other words, he will be more perfect and blessed, as will
appear more clearly in the sequel. (3) 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.
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