It however, eternity exhibits a duad, ihuuirh we frerpienlly endeavour to con¬ ceal it; for the ei/unys is conjoined to firing according to the same, and eternity rtimy is, that trhich alzcnys is (r, «** mv); it appi'ars that it will have the monad of beinv prior to itself, and tin* on* beinir; and that it will abide in tln> one, as our preceptor also thought concerning it; in order that it may be our prior to tin; duad, as not departin'.: from unity. And the duad iud* * d, mitered* ntlv * xhihilinv mill t it lid* in itself, is unit* <1 to t h« • on*- b* in:;, in which eternitv abides ; but the mult it ud** ol mt< llivil.les is united to cl* rnity its* If, w Inch com])reheuds «*x* mptly anil unirally, all the summits of them. For that the cone* ptiou of tin- one beiii" and ot eternity dilh-r, isrvid*-nt. For tn he a/wm/s, and In be simply, are entirely dill* rent. Il therefore, a certain tiling nlu ay* is, this thin:: also /*,- but not vice versa, if a certain tiling *'?, it hk* wis*- ahrays is. II cure to ciist i-» more total and aeneric, than to exist nhniys. \ud on this acroimt likewise, it is nearer to the cause of all bein-s, of till* unities 111 111 in-s, and of neration and matter. 'Flics*; thre«* things thcretore, an* successiv*;; vi/.. the one lieiirj, as the monad of Ix-inin*; eternity as a tluad, having tin* n'zcays in conjunction with existence; and the elirnal, which participates both of existence, and tin* alvvavs, and is not primarily perpe- tu.il beni" ok*- < termty. And tin* on** bein^ 111 * 1 * -* - * I, *> ah>ne the cause of exist¬ ence to all things of whatever kind they may I**-, whether they r\i-t trulv, or not truly, lint eternity is the cause of permanency in existence. Strain therefore, oii”Ut rather to have asserted this, and not to have d* lined h**iit£ to lie the per-
1 lor in tin- jtlac-c, it ij nci-*s«ary l<> r*.*«J finjioiq*.
* Her*- I*)** l"*r *'iairiait iia/iotv*.
Phoclis on Tiik
[rook iv.
I Mi
iiianeurv * ot lieintrs; as In* writes in his treatise Concerning Being, thus transfer¬ ring the peculiarity' of eternity to hein*'. For neither in generated natures, is it tlie same tiling to lie generated, and to remain generated. Hut the peculiarity of generation i' for that which has it to exhibit another and another [condition of sub¬ sistence]; and the peculiarity of generation remaining, or being permanent, is time in which ireneratiou exists. And what time is in generation, that eternity is in essence Cnneerniiur the developeinenl however, ot that mighty «li\ init v eternity abiding in one, let thus inueli sullice.
Hut why does l*lato say, “ the nature of animal itstlf teas eternal, and not i», thoii”h to eternity the uu.c is more adapted than the past tunc? lie employs therefore, else where this form of diction, as win a lie says of the Deiniur^us v\ ho is always <_;ood, “ he was good signifying that he is not this Irom time, but tint lie always w;i> mi ; and that in ilinnc naturis, tin uuh arc anteceilenl/i/ u\snmctl ami co-asKunml \,ith the beginning*, prior la all r i tension. \t present how ever, I lie w ord XI it* is mole oppurtiili'l v Used, I nr sun e Plato adonis the iiiuyeise according to ln polhesis > hut prior to the adorning, inti lligibles existed, though not in time, yet in dignity, and also such tilings as subsist together with mb lligibles on this account he says, “// ua.\. Hut again by employing tin word hang * (.vex u , lie assists the imbecility ol the iinjnrfat Veili I'm lit aUo makes it to be essential, Iklld no less so tli ill the prcMiit. lie likewise, adapts to eternity what he says com crime.; it ; to its perfection indeed, through the word w.is; and to its esseii- tial lieing, by eo-mtrodui ing the word hang. And thus mm li concerning the lit. tie words whuh Plato employ s.)
Why however, was it not possible perleetlv to adapt the eternal to the geiic- rati d ? Is it not because every tiling generab d, may be said to have its exish nee in mutation ; but that which is perfectly eternal, is immutable and imhcgnttcn { r J'hese natures therefore In mg opposed to each other, it some one should v intently' endeavour to connect the perleetlv eternal with that vvliu h is generated, lie would not make it immutable, and would destroy its nature. Is then eternity present with that which is sensible, alb r a certain manner, and not * lit it« ly 1 Hut how is it possible we should not acknowledge this' I’m that vv liieli participates of (he image of eternity, [larticipates also m a certain respect of eternity ; though not m such a way as that which participates of it iminediately. And in short superior causes always adorn the dominion of such as are subordinate, so that eternity
1 A ml lure aKo , rtad tiafitttjt.
1 Tin* tutnl) ol n.Uu »iic, fitv »u*p tuv Cu/ov vv'Tu aiwHt i, ill Mliii’l), iis IVotlih
tlie iui|Mil<<t Mil* ci’/yttm, KiH, is !>\ tlu; |>arlu.ij»lc ovau t bang.
hook i\.]
TfM/F.l S or 1*1, \TO.
lfio
bk* wi-i', is in ;i roil.tin respect present witli tin* natures that arr adorn* <1 l»y time. I-or arronlin^ to mir all perle* I lioiinilary indri'd, it is present willi inti lli^ililrs alonr ; Imt il is likewise capable nt Iwiiu; present with iiiiindaiir 11 1 niic^ multitude llouslv. according to divided perfections and drlinitr measures of life, and especially nrrurdnur to the essences ol tin* celestial souls. The world itself alsi» receives « h rnitv, not a> it e; ami on this arronnt iirilhrr is it said to hr «trrnal ; hut as lar a*- il is ahlr. it rrr« nrs its nnpartihlr prrsrnri* and illumination. This tli i n ton*, is thr trails* rmh-nt "ond in rtrrnitv of a divine cause and comprehen- sion. Ilrtire it roinpn'hrnds partible issnirrs, and such as am as it were contrary to its own nature, armrdiiiu to thr concatenation of cause. And thus much tor this p.*ilieular.
1 hit how is tune said to In* the linage of eternity ? Is it because eternitv indeed abides in one, hut tun r proceeds according to number ? This however, rather shows tin* dissimilitude than the similitude of them. 1 or I’lato nearly opposes ad things [pertaiuiin; to eternity and time] to all, m/. proceeding, to abiding ; accord¬ ing to number, to one ; the image, to the thing itself. It is hotter therefore to sav, that divinity produced these two, I mean eternity and time, as the measures of I icings, tli** former of mleliijihle hut the latter of mundane beings. As therefore, the world is said to h«* (hi* intake of tin* intelligible, thus also tin* mundane nn'asure is deiioininated tin* imaue of the intelligible measure. Kli-ruity howexer, is indeed a measure as unity, hut tune as numher. l or each measures, the former things v. hu h lierome one, hut the latter such as are iiumhi r«*d. \ud the former measures the jtennanenci/ of beings, hut the latter tin* extension' of gene¬ rated natures. The apparent oppositions however, ol the two, do not exhibit dissimilitude of measures, but indicate that secondary an* produced hx more venerable and ancient natures. I'or progression is from permanency, and nuiu- Ix r from unitv. Hut is not time on this account the inlaid* of eternity, because it is efl'ertive of the perfection of mundane natures, just as eternity is the contain* r and iriiardian of beings ? Fur as things which arc unable In lixe according to intelhct, arc brought under the order of Fate, lest by /lying J'rom dixinity, they should become perfectly disorderly, thus also things which proceed f-oni eternity, and are not able to participate of a stable perfection, which is at once whole, and always the same end indeed under the dominion of lime, but are excited by it to their own* appropriate cneriries, by w Inch they are enabled to receive the end adapted to them, through certain apocatastatic periods.
1 I'nr irfijirurnn*' lirr**, rr.nl inunraTii*.
* Jnstc.nl uf ravroir lirrr, it u necessary to rta*l nirrvr
PROCLl S ON THE
[book IV*.
It is also well that Plato rails the production of time, tlie conception or contri- rnnce, (iviwh*,) of the Demiurgus. For to impart to beings which are not naturally eternal, an adventitious and temporal perpetuity, and also to confer jH rlection on things imperfect, and a circular apoi atasta>is, on things which proceed m a riuht line, does not appear t> fall fir short of invention and contrivance. Hence, in what follows, he savs that divinity contrived the pm ration of tin; parts o< time, lint how is the im iue of elt rnity said to he moveable? 1 Is it * because all ot it is moved and the whole is in motion? Or is not this impossible 1 l ot nothin- is moved according to the whole of itself, nor is this the case, even with sm h things as are essentially < handed : for the subject of these remains. Much more tliere- foie, will things which are moved according to the other motions, remain accord¬ ing to essence, win ther thev arc mcr« used, or changed m quality, oi hx ally moved. I'or it they did not remain accord111*4; to something, their motion like¬ wise would vanish, together with them: tor al motion is in a certain tiuii4. Nothing therefore, as wi have said, is wholly moved, and this is especially the case with perpetual natures, which uuulil to be established in their pmpei pnuci- ples, and to rein 1 i 11 in tin nisi Ives, it tin \ are to lie i ontinually preserved. Hut it is particularly requisite, that the iiua-e ot eternity should have .1 perpetual sameness of silbsistem e, and stability; so that it is impossible that time should lie linneable accnrdlic; to the whole ot lts» It, sine*’ it is not possible till this to h* the case vv ith anv tiling else. It is necessarily requisite therefore, that, something of it should remain ; since every tiling which is moved, is moved in consequence of hav mu soim thins; ot its« If vv hit'll remains. Hem e the monad of tune remains suspended from tin- I), luiui^iis. Hut bcim; lull ot measuring pow. r, and wishing to measure the motions of tin psychical 1 essenci*, and the exisleiu e, 1 in rules and passions of the plivsii d and corporeal essence, it proc eeds according to number. Time therefore abiding by its impartible and inward energy, proceeds according to numlH-r by its external energy and which is participated by the natures which it measures; vi/. it proceeds ac< online to a certain mli llectual number, or rather according to the first number, which I’armeiiides would sav, bcint; analogous to the one t'C n", presides over the intellectual, III the same Ill.liilU r as that does over t'n* intelligible orders. It proceeds therefore, nooordiiii; to that hiiiiiIh r. Hence also, it distributes an appropriate tin isinc to eai h * ol the mumlaiu* lorms.
You may likewise sav still more proximatelv, that true time proceeds aceord-
1 I or til 1 irt) In rr, ri ;ul tu ipi/i 1 1 Inn- o .111 i»uii."inli lure 111 I lie ori”in.il, ol ij.
* I nr li*i«’, rr.nl /»
4 I10tr.nl ot tomri/. ill llio |>l.ire, it o nrnsvin to nail toerri/.
Kook Iv.]
TIM IT S OF PLATO.
imr to tnio number, jiai tirijintinu 1 of tin* numbers of it, anil Ik ini; it-*df intellectual numliiT, which Socrates speaks of, ami obscurely signifies, when hr says, that swiftness it"i 11* and slow ni ilsclt an* ni true uuuilur, hy whuh tin* things mea¬ sured hv lime, illlli r. In-iiiir mov ed innri 1 iltly. nr inorr slow ly 11< nee also 'I nn.rus dm s not * s|ii m k ninrli ahont tins niinihrr Imt njsr Sorratrs on 1 hi* pr« ri-iliiivt day had perleetlv onloldi'd it, hut ahont that which proreeds Iroin it. l'or that Items* 1 tml\ r.xisiin^ iiiunhi*r, lir says ////.v proceeds arrordiii^ to nunihi-r. It proa ids tln ii Ion*, aeeordiiur to intelligible iiiiiiiImt, hy which it ntnuhrrs its |iartiri|innts, just as, vice versa, the time which is in sensible*, proceeds according to that wliiili nunihers. In ilsclt' that which is minihered, and stdl posscssini; tlie