The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 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 p — Plato — John Shaqi
The six books of Proclus, the Platonic successor, on the theology of Plato (vol. 2 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 p
Plato · en
Again, that we may consider this affair in a different mode, since
there is one demiurgus of the universe, but many demiurgic Gods, who
revolve round the heavens, it is proper to place in the midst of these
the mundane administration of the sun. Besides, the fertile power of
life is copious and redundant in intelligibles, and the world is full
of the same prolific life. Hence it is evident that the fertile life of
the sovereign sun is a medium between the two, as the mundane phænomena
perpetually evince. For with respect to forms, some he perfects, and
others he fabricates; some he adorns, and others he excites; nor is
any thing capable of advancing into light and generation without
the demiurgic power of the sun. Add too, that if we attend to the
unmingled, pure and immaterial essence of intelligibles, to which
nothing extrinsical flows, and nothing foreign adheres, but which is
full of its own appropriate simplicity, and afterwards consider the
defecated nature of that pure and divine body which is conversant
with mundane bodies revolving in an orb, and which is free from all
elementary mixture, we shall find that the splendid and incorruptible
essence of the royal sun, is a medium between the immaterial purity of
intelligibles and that which in sensibles is unmingled and remote from
generation and corruption.
The greatest argument, however, for the truth of this is derived from
hence, that the light which flows from the sun upon the earth will not
suffer itself to be mingled with any thing; nor is it polluted by any
sordid nature, or by any contagion; but it abides every where pure,
undefiled, and impassive. Again, if we consider not only immaterial and
intelligible forms, but such as are sensible, subsisting in matter,
the middle intellectual situation of forms about the mighty sun will
be no less certain and clear. For these afford continual assistance to
forms merged in matter: so that they could neither exist, nor preserve
themselves in existence, unless this beneficent deity co-operated with
their essence. In short, is he not the cause of the separation of forms
and the concretion of matter? From whom we not only possess the power
of understanding his nature, but from whom our eyes are endued with the
faculty of sight? For the distribution of rays throughout the world,
and union of light, exhibit the demiurgic separation of the artificer.