E5P42D
Demonstration — Part V
Latin
Beatitudo in amore erga Deum consistit (per propositionem 36 hujus et ejus scholium) qui quidem amor ex tertio cognitionis genere oritur (per corollarium propositionis 32 hujus) atque adeo hic amor (per propositiones 59 et 3 partis III) ad mentem quatenus agit referri debet ac proinde (per definitionem 8 partis IV) ipsa virtus est, quod erat primum. Deinde quo mens hoc amore divino seu beatitudine magis gaudet, eo plus intelligit (per propositionem 32 hujus) hoc est (per corollarium propositionis 3 hujus) eo majorem in affectus habet potentiam et (per propositionem 38 hujus) eo minus ab affectibus qui mali sunt, patitur atque adeo ex eo quod mens hoc amore divino seu beatitudine gaudet, potestatem habet libidines coercendi et quia humana potentia ad coercendos affectus in solo intellectu consistit, ergo nemo beatitudine gaudet quia affectus coercuit sed contra potestas libidines coercendi ex ipsa beatitudine oritur. Q.E.D.
English (Elwes 1883)
Blessedness consists in love towards God (V. xxxvi and note), which love springs from the third kind of knowledge (V. xxxii. Coroll.); therefore this love (III. iii. lix.) must be referred to the mind, in so far as the latter is active; therefore (IV. Def. viii.) it is virtue itself. This was our first point. Again, in proportion as the mind rejoices more in this divine love or blessedness, so does it the more understand (V. xxxii.); that is (V. iii. Coroll.), so much the more power has it over the emotions, and (V. xxxviii.) so much the less is it subject to those emotions which are evil; therefore, in proportion as the mind rejoices in this divine love or blessedness, so has it the power of controlling lusts. And, since human power in controlling the emotions consists solely in the understanding, it follows that no one rejoices in blessedness, because he has controlled his lusts, but, contrariwise, his power of controlling his lusts arises from this blessedness itself. Q.E.D.
Modern English
Blessedness consists in love toward God (E5P36S), which love arises from the third kind of knowledge (E5P32C). This love (E3P59)(E3P3) must therefore be referred to the mind insofar as it acts, and is consequently (E4D8) virtue itself. That was the first point.
Further, the more the mind rejoices in this divine love or blessedness, the more it understands (E5P32), that is (E5P3C), the more power it has over the affects, and (E5P38) the less it suffers from affects that are bad. Therefore, because the mind rejoices in this divine love or blessedness, it has the power to restrain its lusts. And since human power over the affects consists solely in the intellect, no one rejoices in blessedness because they restrained their lusts. On the contrary, the power to restrain lusts arises from blessedness itself. Q.E.D.