The Demiiirgiis then-fore, as I began to say, by w bom all tilings wi re produeed, generated them consubsistent w ith himself, and assimilated, and pcrfeeted, ami convert* <1 them to himst If; tin ir order not being confounded by the at-oiicc-col- leclcd evolution, as it wire, of all things into light, but In mg in a much greater de- «iec guarded and connected. Fur he neither deprives inferior natures of the pro- vidential care of more excellent b* mgs; nor more perfect natures of the dominion pertaining to them o\er such as are more imperfi et. l or be does not comprehend one of these prior in time to tin other; nor do either secondary natures remain destitute of the inspection of prov idi-nee, nor such as are more am lent, sluggish and improlifu:; as if the furnu-r did not yet receive the providential cm rgies of the latt< r. W e however, not Ik mg able to understand, and unit li less to * xplain the beiiefici-nl energy of the father of wholes from eternity, about the world, must Ik* satisfied w ith perceiving and speaking of him, as at onetime generating, at another adorning, at another |x rfectiiig, and at another assimilating, vv hieli also the words of the philosopher now previously suffering, are prepared to operate upon us. For the world now participates of motion and life, according to the doctrine of the father.' For soul that dvv* 11s together with it, preserves to itself the different kind* of its own peculiar knowledge, according to which it knows both intelligibles and mundane natures. Hut motion and life, which do not flourish in ils« If alone, it also imparts to all the bulk of the body of the universe. And on this verv account either alone or esjrecially, the fabric of the world being comph tely I ishion* d a resemblance of the intelligible CJods, the D* Miiiurgus was in a still greater degree delighted ami crhiliinitcd, and ill consequence of this delight and exhilaration, caused it to possess a greater and more perfect similitude to intelligibles. Hence also, lie considered bow lie .might make it as it were perpetual. For the intelligible is properly, and primarily perpetual, but that is secondarily perpetual which is co-ex- tended with the progression and evolution of time. For the n'er is twofold, the
* For <ra>rct ill till* |>Uer t It i« iifa'Viv lo rod wnr,w>i.
BOOK t\ .]
Tim,El’S of Platu
ono bring eternal, but the other temporal. Why therefore, after .ill llio before-men tioncd benefits, does Plato introduce this eighth <ritt of the Deuiiurgits * lie-cause it is tlio greatest and most pork-el, and transfers the image to the highest sinnli- tmlo to its paradigm. Hut it is necessary til it lie who onee exhibits tin* grnera- tion of wholes in words, should pass from things more imperfect, to surli as are more jiorfeet. Tor ronforniahly to this very tiling, things w hich subsist per sc or essentially, and those which are ingenrrated in others, are, as it wore, opposed to each other ; because in things wlit* h are cst ihlished in tlicinst Ives, ami which in no respect whatever pertain to others, it is necessary to s iv that tin- more ve¬ nerable ot these rank as leadf rs, through which the final, the demiurgic, and the other causes coiise<pient to these, present themselves to tin* view. Hut in things which arc participated by others, such as are more imperfect occur, which liecome as it were subjects to more perfect natures, and show themselves to lx* of pos¬ terior origin. Such therefore, is the whole" design of the words before us.
It follows m the next place, th.it we should show through what causes, and from the possession of what nature, tin- I )cmiurgiis of wholes constituted time ill conjunct ion with the soul and the universe; and also what the good is imparted by it, and on account of which it w as produced. It is likewise r-peciallv requisite that we should show this, because many, even of the friends of Plato, apprehend time to lie a certain obscure form, and nothing more than that who h is iiiimhi red of motions; nut considering, that ofthe ten gifts which thefather imparts to the world, each of the following is entirely greater than each of the gifts that precedes it. If there¬ fore, having now animated the world, and rendered it a hles-ed («od, lie after¬ ward^ imparts time to it, it is evident that time vviil he* superior to soul, and to the possession of a blessi d lile on account of soul, and that a life which is defined according to time will live periodically. Hence time* w ill not be a thing of such a kind as the multitude say it is, hut wall have an essence more divine than that ot souls, and psychical good. This then-fore, we shall again more fully en- foi ce.
We must say however, directing our attention to the words of Plato, that the IJe-iniurgus intellectually perceives the Irte, and motion, and order of the universe, and its possession of form, not in so doing looking to the world itself. Tor nei¬ ther in short, is the world intelligible according to the whole of itself; but is rather according to its bulk, tiie object of opinion in conjunction with irrational sense. INor does the Demiiirgus in his intellections tend to external objects; but
' I I>r xaaay here, read rn<Tn.
liiMe.nl of v*<(>r'fxjy att tnj o yporot, it is necessary to read vwrprtftor or *17 « t,
Tim. Plat. Vol. II. t
i7a
Pkoclls on the
[kook IV.
every intellect* is converted to itself. Hence, Iiecause he intellectually perceives himself, and contains in himself the generative, and prov idential cause of wholes; hy lieholding himself, he surveys both the essence and the jK-rfection of lus own progeny. But Plato says, that the world was generated the statue or resemblance of the perjtetual Gods ; not that it is the imaye of the mundane Gods; for he docs not alone speak about the corporeal-Jurmcd nature oj the universe , hut also about the ani¬ mated ami intellectual animal, ‘a huh comprehends in it*cl/ the mundane Gods ; hut he says this, because it is the resemblance of'the intelligible Gods, l'or it it Jilted uith deity /non them, and the progressions of the mundane Gods into it, arc, as it were, cer¬ tain rivers and illuminations of the intelligible Gods. The world also, receives these pmgrosioiis, not 011 U according to its celestial part, Imt according to the whole of itself. 1 or in the air, in the earth, and in tin sea, there are advents uf tin- tenes- tri.d, aipiatir, and aerial Cuds. I’lie world thercfiire, i- Idled with deity accord¬ ing to the whole of itself, and oil this account is w holly a resemblance of the intelligible (Jods ; not indeed, ree« in ini; tin* inti lligible < bids themselves ; for nei¬ ther do statues receive the exempt essences of the total Cods; Imt being filly adorned, it receives the illuminations derived from thence to secondary orders, to whii h it has a eoiunu nsurate subsistence.
That by the perpetual however, be means all the intelligible Gods , and not the (bids that are in the world, he n mh is e\id« nt by immediately adding, “ Hence as that is an eternal animal," viz. the intelligible [or animal itsi lfj. lint w ho the intelligible (bids are, may be assumed from di\isiou. Tor it must either bt: ad¬ mitted that they are prior to animal itself; or in animal itself, Ik mg the monads as it were of the four ideas which are there; or posterior to animal itself. It would lie ridiculous therefore, to arrange them prior to animal itself; for they would then comprehend ctemitv, to wlm h he has not yet said the universe is assi¬ milated. But it is impossible to arrange them in animat itself. ]’or how could Plato call the universe, the statue or r» semblance of tliO-'C Coils, to which he had not yet according to the order of the discourse, assimilated the pleuitudc-s of tin universe , Tor lie does this afterwards, when he produces the partial plenitudes of the universe. So that he would not have said, that the universe was now gene¬ rated the resemblance of tlie.se Cods, but since it will be. It remains therefore, that the perpetual Gods, are all those posterior to animal itself, which subsist between the intelligible paradigm and the Oemiurgiis. Tor the Demiurgus ren¬ dered the universe similar to all these, so far as each of them comprehends the form of the wholeness of the world. This then is demonstrated.
1 Nih is omitted in the original in this (dacr.
book IV ]
TIM.KL'S Ol PLATO.
Hence the world is the statue of the intelligible (jnds, when it is assumed in c»>n- jiinctiou w ith soul and intellect, and the deity w hich accedes to it. But it is a statue in motion, and full of life,' and deity ; fashioned from all things w ithin itself; pre¬ serving all things, and filled w ith an at-once-cullected abundance of all good from the father. It likewise peculiarly receives from nature motion, more than any thing else; hut from soul, motion and life ; and from intellect, intelligence ami life, and the receptacle of the mundane Hods. From the mundane Gods however, it receives that which remains, viz. the being fashioned in perfection, the most true statue, or rosemhlanre, ol the intelligible find". And again, from this it is evident, that Plato establishes the Dcimurgus conformably to the most consummate of the ini¬ tiators into the mysteries. For he exhibits him as the .statuary of (he uorld,just us before he represented him the maker of divine names, and the enune tutor of divine char act i rs , through which he garc petfu turn to the soul. For these things are effected by those that are It lest iF in reality, trim give completion to statues, through characters and vital nanus, and render them liviinj and mining. With great propriety there¬ fore, was the father of wholes delighted with his fabrication, and being exhilarated with it, endeavoured to render it still more similar to its paradigm. li e w a* de¬ lighted with, and admired however, not that which proceeded from, and through him was completely effected a thing of this kind, lmt with his own power, which caused the universe, from being moved in a confused and disordi rly manta r, to l*ecome orderly, animated, endued w ith intellect, and tie me. Ami as by know¬ ing himself, he knows the world. so by admiring his own demiurgic power, he makes his fabrication to he admirable, ami the true statue or resemblance of the perpetual fouls. For in a certain respect , the universe is said to be a statue «?»,«,«) from divinity being delighted with it (va« ro ayctXXs<r5ai rov bsiv ff otjti «). He was delighted however, and exulted, not rejoicing in a thing situated extern.dlv ; for how being intellect can he look outwardly ; hut his delight was produced from lx mg filled with his own bouiform will, and from his beneficent power proceed¬ ing to the uueuvying and exuberant communication and supply of more perfect goods. This al>o Plato suilieiently indicates, by saying that the Demiurgus in conscrpience of being delighted, endeavoured to render the universe still more
1 For Cwt; here, it is obviously nccessarv lo read fuoji.
1 For rrX*i>rut here, read riNr-rrm. 'I hr tctriUr were imlulorv into the my Meries, an<l were theur~ gifts, or capable of performing divine operation'. Tins thrurgi/, ill whieh these initiators were deeply •lulled, formed the fast part of the sacerdotal science. See an interesting account of it, from a very rare Greek MS. of Psellus, On Ijeemont according lo the Dogmas of tkt Grceki, in the Notea to my Pausamas, Yol. 3. p. 32*.
l»ROCIA!S ON 'I'llli
[ ROOk IV.
similar to its paradigm. For he was primarily delighted indeed, through the inward intellection of himself, comprehending and Iwnevolentlv receiving the intelligible universe, with a simple, unimpeded, and collected embrace, through permanence in, and a perfec t union with it. But he was delighted secondarily, ,f ,t !m* lawful so to speak, on account of the aptitude of the natures which receive
the supplv of good, externally proceeding trom him.
\„,l here you .., how Plain deliver* the three causes of the participation