hat is, universal, which makes the
statement applicable to every subject or thing which is in degrees of
this kind.

197. This can be applied to all those things which have been enumerated
in the preceding chapter, to the muscles, the nerves, the matters and
parts of both the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, to the organic
substances that are the subjects of thoughts and affections in man, to
atmospheres, to heat and light, and to love and wisdom. In all these,
the first is singly supreme in the subsequent things; yea, it is the
sole thing in them, and because it is the sole thing in them, it is the
all in them. That this is so is clear also from these well-known truths;
that the end is the all of the cause, and through the cause is the all
of the effect; and thus end, cause, and effect are called first, middle,
and last end. Further, that the cause of the cause is also the cause of
the thing caused; and that there is nothing essential in causes except
the end, and nothing essential in movement excepting effort [conatus];
also, that the substance that is substance in itself is the sole substance.

198. From all this it can clearly be seen that the Divine, which is
substance in itself, that is, the one only and sole substance, is the
substance from which is each and every thing that has been created; thus
that God is the All in all things of the universe, according to what has
been shown in Part First, as follows. Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are
substance and form (n. 40-43); Divine Love and Divine Wisdom are
substance and form in itself, therefore the Very and the Only (n. 44-46);
all things in the universe were created by Divine Love and Divine Wisdom
(n. 52-60); consequently the created universe is His image (n. 61-65);
the Lord alone is heaven where angels are (n. 113-118).

199. ALL PERFECTIONS INCREASE AND ASCEND ALONG WITH DEGREES AND ACCORDING
TO THEM.

That degrees are of two kinds, degrees of breadth and degrees of height
has been shown above (n. 185-188); also that degrees of breadth are like
those of light verging to shade, or of wisdom verging to ignorance; but
that degrees of height are like end, cause and effect, or like prior,
subsequent and final. Of these latter degrees it is said that they ascend
or descend, for they are of height; but of the former that they increase
or decrease for they are of breadth. These two kinds of degrees differ so
much that they have nothing in common; they should therefo