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
Plato · en
For these men do not in any respect differ from those who
conceive the sails, the cables, and the anchor of a ship, to
be the pilot, the yarn and the web to be the weaver, and the
bowl, or the mead, or the ptisan, to be the physician. But
they also produce dire and atheistical opinions, by giving the
names of Gods to natures and things deprived of sense and soul,
and that are necessarily destroyed by men, who are in want of
and use them. For it is not possible to conceive that these
things are Gods; since, neither can any thing be a God to men,
which is deprived of soul, or is subject to human power. From
these things however, we are led to conceive those beings to be
Gods, who both use them and impart them to us, and supply them
perpetually and without ceasing. Nor do we conceive that the
Gods who bestow these, are different in different countries, nor
that some of them are peculiar to the Barbarians, but others to
the Grecians, nor that some are southern, and others northern;
but as the sun and moon, the heavens, the land, and the sea, are
common to all men, yet are differently denominated by different
nations; so the one reason that adorns these things, and the
one providence that administers them, and the ministrant powers
that preside over all nations, have different appellations and
honours assigned them according to law by different countries.
Of those also that have been consecrated to their service, some
employ obscure, but others clearer symbols, not without danger
thus conducting our intellectual conceptions to the apprehension
of divine natures. For some, deviating from the true meaning of
these symbols, have entirely slipt into superstition; and others
again flying from superstition as a quagmire, have unaware
fallen upon atheism as on a precipice. Hence, in order to avoid
these dangers, it is especially necessary that resuming the
reasoning of Philosophy as our guide to mystic knowledge, we
should conceive piously of every thing that is said or done in
religion; lest that, as Theodorus said, while he extended his
arguments with his right hand, some of his auditors received
them with their left, so we should fall into dangerous errors,
by receiving what the laws have well instituted about sacrifices
and festivals in a manner different from their original
intention.”