firm nothing with certainty about its existence because the order of
causes is concealed from us, that thing can never appear to us either as
necessary or impossible, and therefore we call it either contingent or
possible.

From what has gone before it clearly follows that things have been
produced by God in the highest degree of perfection, since they have
necessarily followed from the existence of a most perfect nature. Nor
does this doctrine accuse God of any imperfection, but, on the contrary,
His perfection has compelled us to affirm it. Indeed, from its contrary
would clearly follow, as I have shown above, that God is not absolutely
perfect, since, if things had been produced in any other fashion,
another nature would have had to be assigned to Him, different from that
which the consideration of the most perfect Being compels us to assign
to Him. I do not doubt that many will reject this opinion as ridiculous,
nor will they care to apply themselves to its consideration, and this
from no other reason than that they have been in the habit of assigning
to God another liberty widely different from that absolute will which
(Def. 7) we have taught. On the other hand, I do not doubt, if they were
willing to study the matter and properly to consider the series of our
demonstrations, that they would altogether reject this liberty which
they now assign to God, not only as of no value, but as a great obstacle
to knowledge. Neither is there any need that I should here repeat those
things which are said [above][12].

But for the sake of those who differ from me, I will here show that
although it be granted that will pertains to God's essence, it follows
nevertheless from His perfection that things could be created in no
other mode or order by Him. This it will be easy to show if we first
consider that which my opponents themselves admit, that it depends upon
the decree and will of God alone that each thing should be what it is,
for otherwise God would not be the cause of all things. It is also
admitted that all God's decrees were decreed by God Himself from all
eternity, for otherwise imperfection and inconstancy would be proved
against Him. But since in eternity there is no _when_ nor _before_ nor
_after_, it follows from the perfection of God alone that He neither can
decree nor could ever have decreed anything else than that which He has
decreed; that is to say, God has not existed before His decrees, and can
never exist w