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 he first exhibits the peculiarity of his presence with secondary
natures, in himself; because he imparts himself to other things also
according to his own exuberant plenitude. For neither is deficiency
adapted to the Gods, nor fulness alone. For every thing deficient is
imperfect, and not being itself perfect, it is impossible it should
make another thing to be perfect. But that which is full is alone
sufficient to itself, and is not yet prepared to communicate. It is
necessary, therefore, that the nature which fills other things, and
which extends to other things the communications of itself should be
super-plenary or exuberantly full. Hence, if a divine nature fills all
things from itself with the good which it contains in itself, it is
exuberantly full. And if this be the case, establishing first in itself
the peculiarity which it imparts to others, it will extend to them the
communications of super-plenary goodness.
PROPOSITION CXXXII.
All the orders of the Gods are bound in union by a medium.
* * * * *
For all the progressions of beings are effected through similars;
and much more will the orders of the Gods possess an indissoluble
continuity, as subsisting uniformly, and being defined according to
_the one_, which is the principal cause of their existence. The
decrements, therefore, are produced unitedly, and alone according to
the similitude in beings of secondary to first natures. And this,
because the hyparxis of the Gods much more consists in union than the
subsistence of beings. All the divine genera, therefore, are bound
together by appropriate media; and first natures do not proceed into
progressions perfectly different without a medium, but through the
genera common to each, from which they proceed, and of which they are
immediately the causes. For these congregate the extremes into one
union, being spread under some things connascently, but proximately
exempt from others. And they preserve the well-ordered generation of
divine natures.
PROPOSITION CXXXIII.
Every God is a beneficent unity or an unific (ενοποιος) goodness; and
each, so far as a God, possesses this hyparxis. The first God, however,
is simply good, and simply one. But each posterior to the first, is a
certain goodness, and a certain unity.
* * * * *
For the divine peculiarity distinguishes the unities and goodnesses of
the Gods, so that each according to a certain peculiarity of goodness,
such as that of perfecting, or connectedly-containing, or defending,
benefits all things. For each of these is a certain good, but not every
good. But the first God pre-establishes a unical cause. Hence, that is
_the good_, as giving subsistence to all goodness. For all the
hyparxes of the Gods, are not together equal to _the one_; so
great a transcendency is the first God allotted with respect to the
multitude of the Gods.