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Soul, faith it is the mind that maketh each thing to be one, τὸ δὲ ἐν ποιῶν τῆτο ὁ νῖς ἕκασον. How this is done, Themiftius is more particular, obferving, that as being conferreth effence, the mind by virtue of her fimplicity conferreth fimplicity upon compounded beings. And, indeed, it feemeth that the mind, fo far forth as perfon, is individual (a) therein resembling the divine one by participation, and imparting to other things what itfelf participates from above. This is agreeable to the doctine of the ancients, however the contrary opinion of fuppofing number to be an original primary quality in things, independent of the mind, may obtain among the moderns.

357. The Peripatetics taught, that in all divifible. things there was fomewhat indivisible, and in all compounded things fomewhat fimple. This they derived from an act of the mind. And neither this fimple indivifible unite, nor any fum of repeated unites, confequently no number, can be feparated from the things themfelves, and from the operation of the mind. Themiftius goeth fo far as to affirm, that it cannot be feparated from the words or figns; and, as it cannot be uttered without them, fo faith he, neither can it be conceived without them. Thus much upon the whole may be concluded, that, ditinct from the mind and her operations, there is in created beings neither unite nor number.

358. Of inferior beings the human mind, felf, or perfon is the moft fimple and undivided effence (b). And the fupreme father is the moft perfect one. Therefore the flight of the mind towards God is called by the Platonics φυγὴ μόνα πρὸς μόνον. The fupreme being, faith Plotinus, as he excludes all diverfity, is ever alike present. And we are then prefent to him, when, recollected and abstracted from the world and fenfible objects, we are moft free and difengaged (c) from all variety. He adds, that in the intuition of (a) 345, 316, 347. (b) 347. (c) 268.

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the fupreme deity the foul finds her wifhed for end and repofe; which that philofopher calls awaking out of his body into himself.

359. In the tenth book of the arcane, or divine wildom of the Egyptians, we are taught that the fupreme being is not the caufe of any created thing; but that he produced or made the word; and that all created beings were made by the word, which is accordingly ftyled the caufe of all caufes and that this was alfo the doctrine of the Chaldæans. Plato, likewife, in his letter to Hermias, Eraftus, and Corifcus, fpeaks of God the ruler and caufe of all things, as having a father: And in his Epinomis, he exprefly teacheth that the word or aóyos made the world. Accordingly faint Auguftine in his commentary on the beginning of faint John's Gofpel, having declared that Chrift is the wifdom of God by which all things were made, obferves that this doctrine was also found in the writings of philofophers, who taught that God had an only begotten Son by whom are all things.

360. Now, though Plato had joined with an imagination the moft fplendid and magnificent, an intellect not lefs deep and clear; yet it is not to be fuppofed, that either he or any other philofophers of Greece or the east, had by the light of nature attained an adequate notion of the Holy Trinity, nor even that their imperfect notion, fo far as it went, was exactly juft; nor perhaps that thofe fublime hints, which dart forth like flashes of light in the midst of a profound darkness, were originally ftruck from the hard rock of human reafon; but rather derived, at leaft in part, by a divine tradition (a) from the author of all things. It feems a remarkable confirmation of this, what Plotinus obferves in his fifth Ennead, that this doctrine of a Trinity, father, mind, and foul, was no late invention, but an ancient tenet,

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361. Certain it is, that the notion of a Trinity is to be found in the writings of many old heathen philofophers, that is to fay, a notion of three divine hypoftafes. Authority, light, and life did, to the eye of reafon, plainly appear to fupport, pervade, and animate the mundane fyftem or macrocofm. The fame appeared in the microcofm, preferving foul and body, enlightening the mind, and moving the affections. And these were conceived to be neceffary, univerfal principles, co exifting and co-operating in fuch fort, as never to exift afunder, but on the contrary to conftitute one Sovereign of all things. And, indeed, how could power or authority avail or fubfift without knowledge? or either without life and action?

362. In the administration of all things there is authority to establish, law to direct, and justice to execute. There is firft the fource of all perfection, or fons deitatis, fecondly the fupreme Reason, order, or ady, and laftly the Spirit which quickens and infpires. We are fprung from the father, irradiated or enlightened by the fon, and moved by the spirit. Certainly, that there is father, fon, and fpirit; that thefe bear analogy to the fun, light, and heat; and are otherwife expreffed by the terms, principle, mind, and foul; by one or ev, intellect, and life; by good, word, and love; and that generation was not attributed to the fecond hypoftafis, the vas or ady, in refpect of time, (g), but only in refpect of origine and order, as an eternal neceffary emanation; thefe are the exprefs tenets of Platonifts, Pythagoreans, Ægyptians, and Chaldæans.

363. Though it may be well prefumed there is nothing to be found on that fublime fubject in human writings, which doth not bear the fure fignatures of humanity; yet it cannot be denied, that feveral fathers of the church have thought fit to illuftrate the chriftian doctrine of the holy Trinity, by fimilitudes

(3) 352

litudes and expreffions borrowed from the moft eminent heathens, whom they conceived to have been no ftrangers to that mystery; as hath been plainly proved by Beffarion, Eugubinus, and Doctor Cudworth.

364. Therefore, how unphilofophical foever that doctrine may feem to many of the prefent age, yet it is certain, the men of greatest fame and learning among the ancient philofophers held a Trinity in the Godhead. It must be owned, that upon this point fome later Platonifts of the Gentile world feem to have bewilder'd themfelves, (as many Chriftians have alfo done) while they purfued the hints derived from their predeceffors, with too much curiofity.

365. But Plato himself confider'd that doctrine as a venerable mystery, not to be lightly treated of or rafhly divulged. Wherefore in a letter to Dionyfius he writes (as he himself profeffeth) ænigmatically and briefly in the following terms, which he giveth for a fummary of his notion concerning the fupreme being, and which being capable of divers fenfes, I leave to be decyphered by the learned reader. περὶ τὸν πάντων βα σιλέα πάντ ̓ ἐτι, ἢ ἐκεινα ἕνεκα πάντα, κι ἐκεῖνο ἄιτιον απάν Των τῶν καλῶν, δέυτερον δὲ περὶ τὰ δέυτερα, κι τρίτον περὶ τὰ TeíTa. Plato enjoins Dionyfius over and over, with great earnestness not to fuffer, what he communicates concerning the mystery of the divine nature, to fall into illiterate or vulgar hands, giving it withal as a reafon for this caution, that nothing would feem more ridiculous or abfurd to the common run of mankind. He adds, that in regard writings might mifcarry, the prudent way was to write nothing at all on those matters, but to teach and learn them by word of mouth: for which reason, faith he, I have never wrote any thing thereon; nor is there, nor fhall there ever be any thing of Plato's extant on that fubject. He farther adds, as for what hath been now faid, it belongs all to Socrates.

366. And, indeed, what this philofopher in his Phædrus fpeaketh of the fuper-celeftial region, and the divinity refident therein, is of a strain not to be relifhed or comprehended by vulgar minds; to wit, effence realy exiftent, object of intellect alone, without colour, without figure, without any tangible quality. He might very juftly conceive that fuch a defcription must seem ridiculous to fenfual men.

367. As for the perfect intuition of divine things, that he supposeth to be the lot of pure fouls, beholding by a pure light, initiated, happy, free and unftained from those bodies, wherein we are now imprifoned like oysters. But in this mortal ftate, we must be fatisfy'd to make the best of thofe glympfes (b) within our reach. It is Plato's remark in his Theætetus, that while we fit ftill we are never the wifer, but going into the river and moving up and down, is the way to difcover its depths and fhallows. If we exercife and beftir ourselves, we may even here discover something.

368. The eye by long ufe comes to fee even in the darkest cavern: and there is no fubject so obfcure, but we may difcern fome glympfe of truth by long poring on it. Truth is the cry of all, but the game of a few. Certainly where it is the chief paffion, it doth not give way to vulgar cares and views; nor is it contented with a little ardour in the early time of life, active perhaps to purfue, but not so fit to weigh and revife. He that would make a real progrefs in knowJedge, muft dedicate his age as well as youth, the later growth as well as firft fruits, at the altar of truth.

Cujufvis eft errare, nullius nifi infipientis in errore Cic.

perfeverare.

(b) 335, 337.

FINI S.

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