167、必须先说一说目的。一切事物都有三个依次相随的三要素在里面，被称为最初目的、中间目的和最终目的；它们也被称为目的、原因和结果。这三者必共存于每一个事物中，以使它能成为某物。因为没有中间目的，同时也没有最终目的的最初目的是不可能的；或也可说，单单一个目的，没有一个原因和一个结果，是不可能的；单单一个原因，没有产生原因的目的和包含原因的结果同样是不可能的；或单单一个结果，即没有其原因和目的的一个结果也是如此。若能想到没有一个结果的目的，即脱离一个结果的目的是一种不存在的事物，因而无非是一个术语，或许能理解这一事实。为使目的能实实在在成为目的，它必须在某种事物中终结，并且在结果中终结；在结果中，它首次被称为一个目的，因为它就是一个目的。表面上看，工具性或有效的原因似乎自行存在；但这是由以下事实所产生的一个表象：它存在于结果中。不过，它若脱离结果，就会立刻消失。由此明显可知，这三要素，即目的，原因和结果必存在于每一个事物中，以使它成为某物。
167. The goal of creation--that everything should return to the Creator and that there should be a union--becomes manifest in outermost forms. First of all, I need to say something about "ends." There are three, which follow in sequence: They are called the first end, the mediate end, and the final end; and they are also called the purpose, the means, and the result. These three must all be present in anything in order for it to be something, since no first end occurs without an intermediate end and a final one at the same time. This is the same as saying that no purpose occurs apart from its means and result, or no means by itself, without a purpose as its source and a result that contains it, or no result by itself without a means and a purpose.
You can see the truth of this if you consider that a purpose apart from its result or separated from its result is nothing that in fact comes into being, so it is nothing but a word. For a purpose effectively to be a purpose, that is, it must be defined, and it finds its definition in its result. That is where it is first called a purpose, because this is its purpose. It looks as though the active or effective element arose spontaneously, but this is an appearance caused by the fact that it is in its result. If it is separated from its result, though, it promptly dissipates.
We can therefore see that this trio of purpose, means, and result needs to be in every entity if it is to be anything.
167. The end in creation finds expression in the lasts of it, which is for everything to return to the Creator and conjunction take place. We must first say something about ends. There are in everything three ingredients which follow in order, called the first end, the intermediate end, and the last end, and called also end, cause, and effect.
These three ingredients must exist concurrently in everything for it to be anything; for a first end without an intermediate end and at the same time a last end does not occur, or to say the same thing, an end without a cause and effect does not occur. By the same token, neither does a cause occur alone without an end producing it and without an effect containing it. So, too, neither does an effect occur alone, or an effect without a cause and its accompanying end.
The fact of this can be comprehended if one considers that an end without an effect or cut off from the effect is not anything having expression, so that it is nothing but a word. For to be an end in actuality, an end must end in something, and it ends in the effect, in which for the first time it is called an end because it is the end.
It appears as though an instrumental or efficient cause occurs by itself, but this is an appearance arising from the fact that it exists in the effect. But if it is cut off from the effect, it instantly disappears.
It is apparent from this that these three ingredients - end, cause and effect - must exist in everything for it to be anything.
167. THE END OF CREATION EXISTS IN ULTIMATES, WHICH END IS THAT ALL THINGS MAY RETURN TO THE CREATOR, AND THAT THERE MAY BE CONJUNCTION
First something will be said about ends. There are three things which follow in order and are called first end, middle end and last end. They are also called end, cause and effect. Those three must be together in everything in order that they may be anything. For a first end without a middle end and, at the same time, a last end, is not possible. Or what is the same, there cannot be end alone without cause and effect. Similarly, there cannot be cause alone without the end from which, and without the effect in which, it is; or an effect alone, that is, an effect without its cause and end. That this is so maybe comprehended if it be thought that an end without an effect, that is, separated from an affect, is not an existing thing, and so is nothing but a word. For in order that an end may actually be an end, it must be terminated, and it is terminated in an effect in which it is first called end because it is an end. It appears as if the agent or formative principle exists by itself, but this is an appearance from its being in the effect, but if it is separated from the effect, it is instantly sundered. From the foregoing it is clear that those three, end, cause and effect must be in every thing to make it anything.
167. THE END OF CREATION HAS FORM [existat] IN OUTMOSTS, WHICH END IS THAT ALL THINGS MAY RETURN TO THE CREATOR AND THAT THERE MAY BE CONJUNCTION.
In the first place, something shall be said about ends. There are three things that follow in order, called first end, middle end, and last end; they are also called end, cause, and effect. These three must be together in every thing, that it may be anything. For a first end without a middle end, and at the same time a last end, is impossible; or, what is the same, an end alone, without a cause and an effect is impossible. Equally impossible is a cause alone without an end from which and an effect in which it is, or an effect alone, that is, an effect without its cause and end. That this is so may be comprehended if it be observed that an end without an effect, that is, separated from an effect, is a thing without existence, and therefore a mere term. For in order that an end may actually be an end it must be terminated, and it is terminated in its effect, wherein it is first called an end because it is an end. It appears as if the agent or the efficient exists by itself; but this so appears from its being in the effect; but if separated from the effect it would instantly vanish. From all this it is evident that these three, end, cause, and effect, must be in every thing to make it anything.
167. QUOD FINIS CREATIONIS EXISTAT IN ULTIMIS, QUI EST, UT OMNIA REDEANT AD CREATOREM, AC UT SIT CONJUNCTIO. Primum aliquid dicetur de Finibus; sunt [in omni re] tria quae sequuntur in ordine, quae vocantur Finis primus, Finis medius et Finis ultimus; et quoque vocantur Finis, Causa et Effectus: illa tria simul erunt in omni re, ut sit aliquid, nam Finis primus absque Fine medio, et simul ultimo[,] non datur, seu quod idem est, Finis solus absque causa et effectu non datur; pariter nec datur Causa sola absque fine ex quo, et absque effectu in quo; pariter nec datur Effectus solus seu Effectus absque causa et ejus fine. Quod ita sit, potest comprehendi si cogitatur, quod Finis absque effectu seu separatus ab effectu non sit aliquid existens, quare non est nisi quam vox; nam Finis ut actualiter sit finis, erit terminatus, et terminatus est in effectu, in quo primum vocatur Finis quia est Finis: apparet sicut agens seu efficiens per se existat, sed hoc est apparentia ex eo quod sit in effectu, sed si separatur ab effectu, momento disparatur. Ex his patet, quod tria illa, Finis, Causa et Effectus erunt in omni re, ut sit aliquid.