J io most total, first, and most divine <d idea*., not only give subsistence to Midi mundane nalurcs as arc perpetual, in an exempt manner, hut likewise to all mortal natures, according to one unit, d cause. I’m the idea of winged natures which is there, is tin* paradigm of all winged animals whah \er; tin* idea of the aipiatie, of all aipiatit , and the idea ot tie pedestrial, of all pedestrial animals, lhit tlio progrt ssioiis ot liitelligililes into llie intellectual orders, become the sources of the division of united ideas, pioduee into multitude total causes, and unfold the definite principles of multiform liatun >. For tht re is not in mt. Iligil.les one intel- bitual cause of all aerial animals; since there is not a m parate intellection of jk rpi tual animals of tins kind; nm one intellectual cause ot aipiatie, nor m a similar manner ol let rest rial animals; hut the power ot difference [in tin* intellec¬ tual mdei uiiuiitely distributes tin whole into parts, and monads into iiumhi is. lit lice tht causes 01 divine animals, according to which the Dciumrgiis gives aihsisteiice to tht* ordeis ot Gods and (heinous that produce generation, exist in him separate iiom the causes of mortal natures, according to which he calls on the junior Gods to generate mortal animals. For the J)eiitiurgus pre¬ cedes tin gcncrativt energy ot these Gods, and makes by merely saying that u tl. ng ts to he m ule. lur the wards of f/n father arc demiurgic intellections, mul his intellect ions arc creations ; hut a proximate creating is adapted to the multitude of Gods. And again y ou see how the order of eflictive and gi n. rathe causes is unfolded into light. J or the choir ot mundane Gods produces indeed mortal animals, but in conjunction with motion and mutation. * And the Dcmiurms
* I »r fitiu ikiA,,,. I read , t rraf\nt. fur iJ lo mundam t.ud, arc in 110 pari of llie Tmixu. njire- >cnted as consulting aliout iLe fabrication of Unufi. Nor w consultation adapted to a diviue nature, because it implies imperfection.
nnoK v,]
'UMAX'S Ol' PLATO.
aKo produces them Imt l>y speaking, viz. I»y intellection. For he sjve.iks indeed, intellectually perceiving, and immmeahly and intellectually. Animal itself also produces them ; tor it contains the one cause of all winded, of all aquatic, and ot all terrestrial animals. lint it produces them with silence by its very essence, and intelligibly. For the demiurgic s|>eecli receives indeed the paternal silence, hut the intellectual prodm turn, the intelligible cause, and the generation which ►uhsists aerordini; to energizing, the providence according; to existence. Motion also receives the demiurgic words. Imt the orderly distribution which is mingled with a sensible nature, receives the intellectual energy. For tbe fabrications which exist at the extn nuty ot things require a producing cause of this kind. Eicry thing therefore which is mutable , which is changed in ijuality, which is generated and corruptible , ix generated from a cause, immoveable indeed according to essence, but tnaecd according to energy. Fur the motion which ix there separated from essence , here produces an essence which is mured. Hence, because that which makes, makes both according to essence and according to energy, both which ire as it were woven together, mutation ot essence thence derives its progression. Mortal natures therefore require moveable causes, and those that are very mutable, many such causes. I - or it is impossible that these causes should remain only-begotten ; since the mortal gem ra would not have an existence.
It is necessary however, that the mortal nature should e.xist, in the first place, in order that e\orv thing may have a .subsistence which is capable ofbeing gene¬ rated, viz. both perpetual beings, and those which at a certain time cease to exist. For lieyond these is that which in no n sjiect whatever is. In the next place, this is necessary in order that divine natures and being may not he the last of tilings; einre that which is generative of anythin:; is more excellent and more divine than the thing which it generates. And in the third place it is necessary, in order that the world may not he imperfect, not comprehending evi-ry thing, the causes of which are contained in animal itself. For the winged which is then*, is the cause of all winged natures, the aquatic of all aquatic, and the terrestrial of all terrestrial natures, whether divine or mortal. lienee Orpheus saj.s that the vivilic cause' of partible natures, while she remained on high, weaving the order of celestials, was a nymph, as Ix ing undeliled ; and in consequence of this con¬ nected with Jupiter, and abiding in her appropriate manners; but that proceeding from her projier habitation, she left her webs unfinished, was ravished, having been ravished xvas married, and being married generated, in order that she might animate things which have an advcuUtous life. For the unfinished state of her
* 1 .1. Piwnpnt.
PROCIAJS ON Tin:
[book v_
webs' indicates I think, that the uni verse is imperfect or unfinished as far as to ]MT]M*tu>il animals. Ilence Plato says, that the one Dciuiurgtis calls on the many Deiniurgi to weave together the mortal and immortal natures, after a manner reminding us that the addition of the mortal genera is the perfection of the textorial life of the ^miverse, and also exciting our recollection of the divine Orphic fable, and afford ini' us interpretative causts of the imfinished webs [of Proserpine].
The divine number therefore, has its proper boundary and end, and is perfect. ]bit it is al>o necessary that the mortal nature should exist, and have an appro¬ priate limit; and this triply, aerially, aipiatically and terrestrially. For celestial¬ ly, is impossible, Is cause the summit and the first genus of every order is unde- tiled and perpetual, in consequence of l*e:ng assimilated to the cause w hich is prior to it. As therefore, the first of iutelh duals is intelligible, ami l!u first of angels is a Cml, thus also the first of seiisibles is perpetual and divine. Butin generation the mortal is connected with the divin* nature. Ilenct Plato deno¬ minates the mortal genera tin ronuuuU r, being as it vv« re tin* refuse ot the fabrica¬ tion of the Cods, and dregs •rent-rated fiom the Cods themselves. But how are these said to he not guitruUd? Is it as Hot being v et generated ? l or beeause there is order in the things wlmb give completion to the universi*, and the Deimurgus has ih finitely made su« li of tin m as are secondary in order, to differ from those that are prior to them, on this account he says, that tin former are not vet generated, the I ittcr pre-existing. Perhaps too, afti i anotln-r manner, tin V may be said to l*e not g era rated , so far as tin y are produced by the demiurgic monad, and by an imuioveabh: and eternal eflective i nergy ? but that they are mortal, so far astln-v arc produced by tin: junior Coils. These however, participate of a certain perpetmtv ; Iw-caiise they are incorruptible indeed, according to form or sjiecies, but are individually corruptible. lor in these, form is distinct from the individual, and tin* whole form is not contained in them, as it is in divine animals, and which are alone perpetual; in consequence of their inability to receive the whole progression of their paradigms. The perpetuity therefore, of mortal natures is derived from the one fabrication, through winch the form is immutable and one, and is the same in many participants. But the mutability arising from the partible motion of the causes, changes the nature of the things produced. It is necessary however, that the mortal nature should exist, m order that the world mav be perfect, not divisihly indeed, oil account of the intelligible cause of it, but that it may at the same time, be all-v ariously impressed with
* ( ouforniably lo thi», Claudian in ho poem, Lit fl.ip(u Proserpina:, sa\s of Proserpine,
ScnMi atftsbc Dcas, tMpnJtclu wyiie labor em
lJt t>i rit.
forms. For such things as the one cause of all winged natures comprehends, these the sensible nature is allotted partihly, and the monad which is there, generates the number that is here. Hut if these things be admitted, the D< miurgus (intellectually perceiving each of the mortal natures, so far as each is unlM*gotten, or without generation, liecause be comprehends that which is mortal in an un- begotten manner,) not only possesses the four ideas [contained in animal itself,] hut the sub-divisions also of these, into the unliegotten causes of immortal and of mortal natures. Intelligible animal therefore, is one thing, ami the intellectual animal in the Demiurgus another; the latter employing more partial animals, which are more numerous, but less in power, than intelligible animal.
Since however, there are many perfections of the world, for it is perfect, and a whole of wholes, is perfect also from receiving time, and is perfect from compre¬ hending all animals,—hi lice Plato indicating what the form of this perfection is, adds, “ that it mail he sii//iciciilli/ perfect For it thus will In* all jierfect, through containing in itself all animals, embosoming all intelligible and intellectual powers, and receiving the distributed images of all-united paradigms. Why therefore, some one may say, if it i- necessary that the world should contain within itself all animals, and likewise mortal natures, through an assimilation to its paradigm,—- why, if this be the case, does not the Demiurgus himself constitute these? Plato therefore, immediately subjoins the cause of this, by adding, “ but these partici¬ pating of life through me nil! become canal to the Gods. ' Hv which words be directly confirms what has been liefure observed, that every thing which is pro¬ duced by an immoveable cause, is unliegotten and immutable; but that a thing which is produced by an immoveable cause, through a cause that is moved as the medium, is partly unbegotten and partly mutable. For it receives from the immoveable cause unity, hut from the moveable cause multitude; and from the former indeed existence, and form ; but from the latter iiidividunlity, and the being generated, or becoming to be; through which it is preserved according to form, but perishes according to the individual. Since therefore, some one may say, the Demiurgus himself constitutes rational souls, according to which they become equalised to the Gods, how docs Plato shortly after call these souK homonymous to divine souls, according to the immortal ? Must it not there¬ fore lie said that the word tt/ualiscd , is added with great caution; the
Demiurgus not saying that they will be entirely equal to the Gods, but that they will be similar to them } For that which is equalised, passes into a similitude to the equal. Hut the equal is a symbol of the mundane Gods, as we ma\ learn from the Parmenides. 7'o which we may add, that the rational form of life when it is purified, and becomes perfect, is divine ; so that some persons do not refuse to call
PROCLUS ON TIIF.
[nook v.
it a (Jot], through a divine nature Iveing exerted in it, according to which also it i* conjoined with the truly-existing Gods. And thus much concerning this parti¬ cular.