The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 1 of 2) : $b translated from the Greek, to which a seventh book is added, in order to supply the deficiency of another book on this subject, which was written by Proclus, but since lost, also, a translation from the Greek of Proclus' Elements of theology, to which are added a translation of the treatise of Proclus, On providence and fate, a translation of extracts from his treatise, entitled, Ten doubts concerning — Plato — John Shaqi
The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 1 of 2) : $b translated from the Greek, to which a seventh book is added, in order to supply the deficiency of another book on this subject, which was written by Proclus, but since lost, also, a translation from the Greek of Proclus' Elements of theology, to which are added a translation of the treatise of Proclus, On providence and fate, a translation of extracts from his treatise, entitled, Ten doubts concerning
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analogy; but in the Parmenides establishing it as _the one itself_, he
unfolds the transcendency of it which is exempt from beings, through
negative conclusions. According to both these modes therefore, the
first principle transcends both gnostic powers, and the parts of
speech; but all other things afford us the cause of knowledge and of
appellation. And the first principle indeed unically gives subsistence
to all the unions and hyparxes of secondary natures; but the things
posterior to this cause participate of it in a divided manner. These
also, as we have before observed, become multiplied by abiding,
proceeding and returning; but _the one_ is at once perfectly exempt
from all the prolific progressions, convertive powers, and uniform
hypostases in beings. What the modes therefore are of the doctrine
about the first, and through what names Plato endeavours to indicate
it, and whence the names and the modes of this indication which is
unknown to all things are derived, is, I think, through what has been
said sufficiently manifest.
CHAPTER VII.
If, however, it be requisite to survey each of the dogmas about it
which are scattered in the writings of Plato, and to reduce them to
one science of theology, let us consider, if you are willing, prior
to other things, what Socrates demonstrates in the 6th book of the
Republic, conformably to the before mentioned mode, and how through
analogy he teaches us the wonderful transcendency of _the good_ with
respect to all beings, and the summits of the whole of things. In the
first place therefore, he distinguishes beings from each other, and
establishing some of them to be intelligibles, but others sensibles,
he defines science by the knowledge of beings. But he conjoins sense
with sensibles, and giving a twofold division to all things, he places
one exempt monad over intelligible multitude, and a second monad over
sensible multitude, according to a similitude to the former monad. Of
these monads also, he shows that the one is generative of intelligible
light, but the other of sensible light. And he evinces that by the
intelligible light indeed, all intelligibles are deiform, and boniform,
according to participation from the first God; but that by the sensible
light, according to the perfection derived from the sun, all sensible
natures are solarform, and similar to their one monad. In addition also
to what has been said, he suspends the second monad from that which
reigns in the intelligible. And thus he extends all things, both the
first and the last of beings, I mean intelligibles and sensibles, to
_the good_. Such a mode of reduction to the first as this, appears
to me to be most excellent, and especially adapted to theology; viz.
to congregate all the Gods in the world into one union, and suspend
them from their proximate monad; but to refer the supermundane Gods
to the intellectual kingdom; to suspend the intellectual Gods from