Certainty, God, Mathematics

In #3 of the pre-Meditations Rules for the Directions of the Mind, Descartes offers a potentially clearer explanation for the priority of God over Mathematics than the problematic, as has been previously discussed, one of the later work.  In the earlier one, he conceives Mathematics to be an object of "intuition", a mode of Knowledge that is certain, plus, he allows that valid deduction is a certainty-preserving procedure.  Furthermore, he also recognizes the possibility of divine revelation, which is "more certain than our surest knowledge", i. e. knowledge of God is superior to that of Mathematics.  However, a problem with this scheme, that might have led to the eventual abandonment of it, is that it is unclear where in the hierarchy the Cogito is, and another is that in it, Certainty is conceived as admitting of varying degrees, and, hence, might be unsuitable to function as an absolute criterion in a formal Method.  Still, its flexibility accommodates the elevation of God over Mathematics, without the implausible doubt of the latter that he resorts to in the Meditations.