The Theology of Plato, in six books — trans. Thomas Taylor

generated from such as do not appear (i. e. from things invisible)." Every one who is much conversant with Greek authors, must certainly be convinced that «; t» means m order that ; and Bishop Pearson translates as I have done the latter part of this verse.

Now we learn from the second book of In-nxus against the heretics, that according to the Valentinians, all created things are the images of the (tones, resident m the pleroma, or fulness of deity. And does it not clearly follow from the above version, that according to. Paul too, the icoues arc the exemplars of visible or created things i To which we may add, that this sense of the passage clearly accords with the assertion that " faith is the evidence of things not seen." For here the things which do not appear are the aones; these, according to the Valentinians, subsisting in deity. So that from our version, Paul might say with great propriety, that " we understand by faith, that the (tones were framed by the word of God, in order that things which are seen, might be generated from such as do not appear," for this naturally follows from his definition of faith.

1 farther add, that among these tones of the Valentinians were wuj, fU»s, cr/ys, «A,«.-«,

INTRODUCTION. XXlii

i. e. intellect, a profundity, rilence, truth, and witdon, which as Gale well observe* in his note* ou lamblichua de Mysteriis, &c. prove their dogmas to be of Chaldak origin. For these words perpetually occur in the fragments of the Chaldaic oracles. And the middle of die Chaldean intelligible triad is denominated «*» «eon,' i. e. eternity, aud is also perfectly conformable to the theology of Plato, at is very satisfactorily shown by Proclus in the third book of the following work. According to the Chaldeans therefore, the a-ones are Gods ; and considered as the exemplars of the risible universe, they are analogous to the ideas of Plato, which also are Gods, as is evident from the Parmenides of that philosopher.1 According to Paul too, as die teones are the i of the visible world, they must be beings of a much higher order than angels, and conbe Gods ; productive power being one of the great characteristics of a

Again, m the Epistle to the Ephesiaiis, chap. i. v. 21. Paul says that God has exalted Christ « for »»»/»«» every principality, and power, and might, and dominion," mftan s-arq; agW **» i Suwumsw «" wgtvnrrtf. And in the 6th chapter and 12th verse be conjoins with principowera, the rulers of the world, i. e. the seven planets, «-po( to; ufxaf, tqo; t«$ #fow- 'jet t*{ xtsaftQxqttTogai.

power, and might, and dominion," mftan s-arq; agW **» i Suwumsw «" wgtvnrrtf. And in the 6th chapter and 12th verse be conjoins with principowera, the rulers of the world, i. e. the seven planets, «-po( to; ufxaf, tqo; t«$ #fow- 'jet t*{ xtsaftQxqttTogai. Augustut' c oof esses that he is ignorant what the difference is between those four words, (principality, power, might, and dominion,) in which the Aposde Paul seems to comprehend all the celestial society. " Quid inter se distent quatuor Ula vocabula, quibua univcraam ipsam caelestem societatem videtur Apostolus esse complexus, dicant qui poasunt,

Trallianos) speaks of the angelic orders, the diversities of archangels and armies, the differences of the orders characterised by might and dominion, of thrones and powers, the magnificence of the etonet* and the transcendency of Cherubim and Seraphim," tuu yoy ryes eu xaS' o, ri &tS§fuu, xai Uirau.ai vofir r» treufana, xjxi toj ayytKtn.au T«{"5> »« t«j rauv agyayytA** not OTftmsv rfoMwyo;,

■ Proelos begins the ilxth book of die following werk with o Wring that he hat celebrated in the preceding book the bebdanadlc «m at the intellect sal Godj, The <tetut therefore-, thouth the cause of then rxiits in the intelligible, pro. perly belong to the Intellectual order j and Ike Deainrgiu or artificer of the universe tabmts at the extremlly of that order. Bat the deminrgni according to Orpbew, prior to lbs nuVrication of the world absorbed in himself Pbanet the exemplar of the nriTene. Hence he became fell of Idea* of which the form, la theseasible anWene are the images. And as all katellectaal natarn are ia each, it is evident Ibal tlurngt wtiek art m ic«r« g mental fnm tkc conlunnably to the »«*<-Ttiun of Ptnl.

1 I refer the reader who is dreiroas of being folly conviaeed of this to the notei accompanying my t dialogue, in vol. 3 of any Plato. 5 Ad Leerentium, c. ifi.

•HoreweseotUe-eae.areackaowledf.dby trenssos to be beings of so .

>»> IMTIODDCTIOW.

The opinion of Grotius' therefore, is highly probable, that the Jews obtained the names of Powers, Dominations, and Principalities, from their Babylonic captivity; ami Gale in his notes on Iamblichos* says, that certain passages of Zoroaster and Ostanes cited by the author of Arithm. Theolog.

ore, is highly probable, that the Jews obtained the names of Powers, Dominations, and Principalities, from their Babylonic captivity; ami Gale in his notes on Iamblichos* says, that certain passages of Zoroaster and Ostanes cited by the author of Arithm. Theolog. confirm this opinion of Grotius- Indeed, the appellation of aftpu principle*, which are the first of the four powers mentioned by Paul, was given by the < called by the Grecian uWogists supermundane and assimilative, the nature of i by Produs in the sixth book of the following work ; and Prod us in the fourth book of bis MS. Commentary On the Parmenides of Plato shows that the order of Gods denominated roersc nmt »o»f4f, intelligible and at the tome time intellectual, is according to the Chaldean oracles' principally characterized by domination. In proof of this, the two following oracles are cited by him, the first, concerning the empyrean, and the ,

EiMfi hvknwr; wrrgof miniât /buAi.

i. e. " All things yield ministrant to the intellectual prcsters of intellectual fire, through (he perwiU of the father." And i. e. " But likewise such as are m subjection to the material Synoches.'*

Farther still, Paul m the Epistle to the Romans, chap. viii. v. 38, says, " For 1 am that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to wparate us from the love of God, &c." From this arrangement therefore, it is evident that principalities and powers are not the same with angels ; and as according to Paul they are beings *o exalted, that in his Epistle

• Ad Cap. IB. sftattfcaL > D« My»t. ». «*6.

: .Hm my Collection of tbt*« Or»de» in th« old Montldy Mag»»D*.

« The SyuKlK. fo™ tht secoed triad of Uw mUUir.,bW, aad at UM sum USM iataOectusI trdei of God..

INTRODUCTION.

Co the Epb«i»ft.,he could not find nn> thing more magnificent lu say of Christ, than that he is raised even above them, it follows that ihey must be Gods, since they are superior to the angelic order. It is remarkable too, that he courtages height and depth (vfout »** fia6a;) with | ties and powers ; and is one of the *o«« a« curdiug to the Valentinians.

In the first Epistle to the Corinthians likewise, chap. viii. v. j. Pmil t xprrs*ly assert* that tier* is a divine multitude.