E1P26D
Demonstration — Part I
Latin
Id per quod res determinatæ ad aliquid operandum dicuntur, necessario quid positivum est (ut per se notum). Adeoque tam ejus essentiæ quam existentiæ Deus ex necessitate suæ naturæ est causa efficiens (per propositiones 25 et 16) quod erat primum. Ex quo etiam quod secundo proponitur clarissime sequitur. Nam si res quæ a Deo determinata non est, se ipsam determinare posset, prima pars hujus falsa esset, quod est absurdum, ut ostendimus.
English (Elwes 1883)
That by which things are said to be conditioned to act in a particular manner is necessarily something positive (this is obvious); therefore both of its essence and of its existence God by the necessity of his nature is the efficient cause (Props. xxv. and xvi.); this is our first point. Our second point is plainly to be inferred therefrom. For if a thing, which has not been conditioned by God, could condition itself, the first part of our proof would be false, and this, as we have shown is absurd.
Modern English
That through which things are said to be determined to act in some particular way is necessarily something positive (as is self-evident). And so by the necessity of his nature God is the efficient cause both of its essence and its existence (E1P25) and (E1P16). That is the first point. From this, what is proposed second also follows most clearly. For if a thing not determined by God could determine itself, the first part of this proposition would be false, which is absurd, as we have shown. Q.E.D.