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
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For that which is imparticipable having the relation of a monad, as
subsisting from itself, and not from another, and being exempt from
participants, generates things which are able to be participated.
For either[221] it remains of itself barren, and possesses nothing
honourable; or it gives something from itself. And that which receives
indeed from it participates, but that which is given subsists in a
participated manner. But every thing which is something belonging to
a certain thing by which it is participated,[222] is secondary to
that which is similarly present to all things, and which fills all
things from itself. For that which is in one thing is not in others.
But that which is similarly present to all things, in order that it
may illuminate all things, is not in one thing, but is prior to all
things. For it is either in all things, or in one of all, or it is
prior to all. But that indeed which is in all things being distributed
into all, will again require another thing which may unite that which
is distributed. And all things will no longer participate of the same
thing, but this of one thing, and that of another, the one being
divided. But if it is in one of all things, it will no longer be common
to all, but to one thing. Hence if it is common to things able to
participate, and is common to all, it will be prior to all. But this is
imparticipable.
PROPOSITION XXIV.
Every thing which participates is inferior to that which is
participated; and that which is participated is inferior to that which
is imparticipable.
* * * * *
For that which participates, being imperfect prior to participation,
but becoming perfect through participation, is entirely secondary to
that which is participated, so far as it is perfect by participating.
For so far as it was imperfect, it is inferior to that which it
participates, which makes it to be perfect. That however which is
participated since it belongs to a certain thing, and not to all
things, is again allotted an hyparxis subordinate to that which is
something belonging to all things, and not to a certain thing. For
the latter is more allied to the cause of all; but the former is less
allied to it.
The imparticipable, therefore, is the leader of things which are
participated; but the latter are the leaders of participants. For, in
short, the imparticipable is one prior to the many; but that which is
participated in the many, is one and at the same time not one; and
every thing which participates is not one, and at the same time one.
PROPOSITION XXV.
_Concerning the Perfect._
Every thing perfect proceeds to the generation of those things which it
is able to produce, imitating the one principle of all.
* * * * *