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Agreeably to this, Plotinus says, that "intelligible place is in God, and not God in it."*.

The soul, likewise, having the same superiority to the body that God has to the intelligible world, it follows, from the same principle, that the soul of the world is not contained in the world, but the world in its soul. Accordingly, Plotinus says, "The soul is not in it, but it is in the soul; for the body is not the place for the soul, but the soul is in the nous." Pursuing the same idea, he would have said that the nous was in the good.

Again, as the soul of man bears the same relation to the body of man that the soul of the world bears to the world, Plotinus says, that "Plato, giving a soul to the body, did well in saying that the body was in the soul." He illustrates this by saying, in the same connexion, that it is more proper to say that "air is in light, than that light is in air."+ From this specimen of the physics of Plato, some idea may be formed of his metaphysics; for he is just as great in the one as he is in the other. If we may reduce to some general maxim all his observations concerning the place of things, we should perhaps say, that when two things, which have mutual action, exist together, that which is the more refined and the more excellent of the two, is to be considered as the container, and the other as the contained.

The word Trinity does not much occur in the writings of the Platonists, till we come to Proclus, who has a trinity of trinities, and pretends to find them all in Plato. I am far from being able to develope the ideas of Proclus on this subject, and shall only extract from him so much as may serve to shew, that he did not mean a trinity of persons, but only of principles. "Unity," he says, " must precede the trinity."§ He speaks of a "Demiurgus, as placed before the trinity."|| "All trinity is wholeness."¶ "In every trinity there is an end, an infinite, and a mixed."** Every thing divine is

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* Ο δε νοητος τόπος εν αυτῷ, αυτός δε εκ εν αλλῳ. En. vi. L. vii. C. xxxv. p. 727. (Ρ.) † Ψυχη δε εκ εν εκείνῳ, αλλ' εκεινος εν αυτή ωδε γαρ τόπος το σώμα τη ψυχή, αλλα Buxy may su yo. Ibid. v. L. v. C. ix. p. 528. (P.)

† Ωςε ορθώς έχειν και ενταυθα λεγειν, ὡς ὁ αήρ εν τῷ φωτι, ήπερ το φως εν τῷ αερι. Διο και Πλατων καλως την ψυχην ενθεις εν τω σωματι επι παντος, άλλα το σώμα εν τη Jux. Ibid. iv. L. iii. C. xxii. p. 388. (P.)

5. Δει δε αν προ της τριαδος, και προ παντα πλήθος εν έκαςῳ διακοσμῳ την μοναδα προϋπαρχειν. Πασαι γαρ τάξεις θεων απο μοναδα αρχονται. In Platonem, L. v. C. xiv. p. 281. (P.)

|| Και ο μεν εις δημιεργος προ της τρια
* Και ούτως ή μεν σύμπασα τριας ὁλοίης εςιν.

τεταγμενο. Ibid. L. vi. C. vi. p. 356. (Ρ.) Ibid. L. iii. C. xx. p. 166. (P.) • Een van estupra Treço, luxor. Ibid. L. ill. C.xx. p. 142. (P.)

fair, wise, and powerful. This trinity belongs to all the gods" "For the three trinities themselves, declare mystically the unknown cause of the first, and altogether incommunicable God." +

With respect to these different trinities, he says, "the first trinity is called one being." He also speaks of the first trinity as establishing all things, the second as giving them motion, and the third as reducing things to their first principles. § But the whole is most obscurely expressed. "The second trinity," he says, "is called wholeness, perceived by the mind.” || "Its parts," he says, " are the one, and the being, which are the extreme, and the middle power joins them, but does not perfectly unite them, as in the former trinity."¶ "This second trinity," he says, "is in the Timæus called αιων. "After this," he says, "we see the third trinity advanced, in which all intelligible multitude appears, in which we also see wholeness, but consisting of many parts.” ff

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When my readers have perfectly understood these few passages relating to the Platonic trinities, let them proceed to what Proclus farther says of the Demiurgic trinity, ‡‡ and of the Demiurgic unity taken from the trinity of the governing fathers,"§§ and then he will be pretty well prepared for the study of the Christian Trinity.||||

Λεγει τοινυν ὁ Σωκρατης ὡς ἄρα παν εςι το θείον καλών, σοφον, δυναίον, και την τριάδα ταυτην διήκειν επι πασας ενδεικνυται τας των θεων προοδος. In Platonem, L. i.C. xxi. p. 56. (P.)

+ Και γαρ οι τρεις αυται τριάδες μυςικώς επαγίελλεσι την το πρωίε Θε8, και αμεθεκτο παντελως αγνωςον αιτιαν. Ibid. L. iii. C. xiv. p. 143. (Ρ.)

† Καλείται δ' εν ἡ πρωίη τριας, ἐν ον. Ibid. L. iii. C. xx. p. 164. (P.)

5. Επει και των ονίων ή μεν πρωτη τριας εδράζειν ελεγείο τα πανία, και προ των αλλων την δεύτεραν τριάδα· μενει γεν ὁ αἰων εν αυτή ςαθερώς ή δε μετα ταυίην, πρόοδο, και κινη σεως, και της κατ' ενέργειαν ζωης τοις όλοις χορηγος· ἡ δε τρίτη, της επι το εν επιστροφής, και της τελειοίηίας συνελίσσεσης τα δευτερα πανία προς τας ἑαυίων αρχας. Ibid. L. iv. C. iii. p. 184. (P.)

|| Καλείται τοινυν ἡ δευτερα τριας, ὁλολης νοητης μέρη δε αυλης, το ἐν, και το όν, ακρα λέγω μεση δε ἡ δυναμις εσα κανταύθα συναπίει, και εχ ένος (καθάπερ εν τη προ αυλης) το ἑν, και το ον. Ibid. L. iii. C. xx. p. 165. (Ρ.)

¶ Ibid. (P.)

* Την γε μην δευτεραν μεία ταυλην εν Τιμαίῳ μεν, αιώνα προσείρηκεν. Ibid. p. 169. (P.)

+ Μεία δε ταυία, την τριαδα νοησωμεν εφεξής αλλην προίεσαν, εν ή το νοηΐον πληθος εκφαινεται παν, ἣν και αυτήν, ὁλοίητα μεν, αλλ' εκ μέρων πολλῶν ὑφιςησιν ὁ Παρμενίδης. Ibid. L. iii. C. xx. p. 166. (P.)

Η Και ώσπερ ἡ τριας ή δημιεργική με εχει της προς αυτόν ἑνώσεως. Ibid. L. vi. C. vii. p. 358. (P.)

§§ Οτι μεν εν ἡ δημιυργική μονας, της τριαδος των ἡγεμονικων πατερων εξηρημένη. Ibid. C. viii. p. 359. (P.)

{{!} The whole of this Section is copied, with a few additions, from the Author's paper in Theol. Repos. 1784, IV. pp. 981-999, 402404.

SECTION II.

Of the Doctrine of the Platonists concerning the Union of the Soul with God, and general Observations.

HAVING seen this strange confusion of ideas respecting the Divine nature, its operations and influences, we shall the less wonder at the mysticism of these Platonists with respect to the exaltation of the mind of man by a supposed union with the Divine nature, so as to be supported and nourished by it; for it was a maxim with them, that every thing is perfected and nourished by its proper cause, as Jamblichus says, "The soul is perfected by the nous, and nature by the soul; and in like manner other things are nourished by their causes."* One would think, however, that, admitting this principle, it might be sufficient to suppose every thing to be perfected by its proper and immediate cause; and, therefore, that the mind of man should be perfected by its union to the celestial gods, or at farthest to the divine nous, without having any communication with the highest principle of all, or the good; and, indeed, upon this idea Plotinus speaks of "the soul being attached to the nous, and the nous to the good."† Agreeably to this also, Jamblichus speaks of the soul as "raised by Theurgy" (or certain magical operations) "above all matter, and united to the eternal Logos."+

But this was not sufficient for the souls of these philosophers which aspired higher than those of ordinary men. They thought that they might pass through the intelligible world, to the highest principle of all, and be united to the good itself. Thus Porphyry says concerning Plotinus, that "he was wakeful, and had a pure soul, always aspiring to the Deity, whom he entirely loved; that he did his utmost to deliver himself from the bitter waves of this cruel life, and that thus, as this divine person was raising himself in his thoughts to the first and supreme God, in the method described in the Banquet of Plato, this God, without form or idea, and placed above the nous, and every thing intel

Ψυχη μεν γαρ απο να τελειεται, φυσις δε, απο ψυχης" τα τε αλλα ὡσανίως απο των ailiwy Toepεlai. C. x. Sect. v. p. 126. (P.)

† Ανηρτημενης δε ψυχης εις vev, και να εις το αγαθον. En. vi. L. vii. C. xxxiii. p. 734. (P.)

- Εκ πάσης ύλης αυλην ποιει, μονῳ τῳ αϊδιῳ Λογῳ συνενωμενην. Sect. x. C. vi. p. 177. (P.)

ligible appeared to him; to which God," he adds, "I Porphyry, once approached, and was united, in the 68th year of my age.

"

The means by which this union with the Deity is ef fected, is explained by Proclus, as far as mere words can do it; but the meaning is, I own, above my comprehension. "The soul," he says, "entering into its own unity, beholds every thing, and God."† Again," he says, "it is the faith of the gods that unites, in an unspeakable manner, all the kinds of gods, and demons, and happy souls to the good."+

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Plotinus gives us a more particular account of this mysterious ascent of the soul to God in the following terms, from which some persons may possibly imagine, that they may derive some assistance in attaining to raptures of a similar nature. "The knowledge, or contact of the good, he (Plato) says is the greatest thing, and the greatest discipline; not meaning that the intuition of the good itself is the discipline, but something to be learned by it. To this we are led by analogies, negations, the knowledge of external things, and certain gradations. For it must be preceded by purgations, prayers," (supposed to be understood,) "virtues and ornaments of the mind, the ascent to the intelligible world, fixing there, and laying hold of the things that are there. Whosoever becomes at the same time a spectator and a spectacle, of himself and other things, and becoming essence and nous, and the universal living thing, no longer sees any thing from without, but being himself that thing, that is the intelligible world, or part of it, he is near to it, and within one stage of it," (that is, the good itself,)" then shining with every thing that is intelligible. Then laying aside all discipline, as the rudiments of a school, and being fixed in the beautiful, he knows whither he is advanced. And being borne thence by the nous itself, as by a wave, and carried aloft by it, as it were swelling, he gains the sudden intuition. Not seeing how, but the

* Ειρηναι δ' ότι αγρυπνος, και καθαραν την ψυχην εχων, και αει σπεύδων προς το Θείον εν δια πάσης της ψυχης ηρα, ότι τε παντ' εποιεί, απαλλαγήναι, πικρον κυμ' εξυπαλύξαι, το αιμοβοίς τε δε βιθ' ούτως δε μαλιςα τελῳ τῷ δαιμονιῳ φωλι πολλακις εναγοντι ἑαυλον εις τον πρωτον και επέκεινα Θεον ταις εννοιαις, και κατα τας εν τῷ συμποσιῳ εφηγημενας όδες τῷ Πλαίωνι, εφανη εκεινος ὁ μητε μορφήνμήτε τινα ιδεαν εχων, ύπερ δε vey, και παν τον νοηλον ἱδρυμενος· ᾧ δε και εγω ὁ Πορφύριος ἀπαξ λεγω πλησίασαι και ενώθηναι, ετος αγων ¿EnKogoy Te Kaι Gydoor. Plotini Vita, ad finem. (P.)

† Εις ἑαυτην εισίεσαν την ψυχην, τα τε άλλα παντα κατοψεσθαι, και Θεον. In Platonem, L. i. C. iii. p. 7. (P.)

- † Ως μεν το όλον ειπείν, των θεων πιςις εςιν ή προς το αγαθον αρῥητως ἐνίζεσα τα θεων γενη συμπαντα, και δαιμόνων, και ψυχων τας ευδαιμόνας. Ibid. L. i. C. xxv. p. 61. (Ρ.)

sight filling his eyes with light, he sees nothing but it, the light itself being the vision.

As it may be supposed that the learned commentator of Plotinus, viz. Marsilius Ficinus, well understood this sublime part of Platonism, and may explain it better, I shall give his comment upon it. "The ladder by which we ascend to the principle has seven steps. The first is, the purgation of the mind; the second, the knowledge of the divine works particularly provided; the third, the contemplation of the order by which the inferior works are gradually brought to the superior; the fourth, a certain proportionable comparison, bringing it from this order to that which is divine; the fifth, is negation, by which you separate all that you conceive from the principle; the sixth, is earnest prayer to God, that the Father of the intellectual world himself may truly make you the intellectual world, being virtually this world from the beginning; the seventh, that when you are become the intellectual world, being carried farther by the love of the good, you may be transformed from the intellectual state to the good, which is above intellect."+

Jamblichus follows Plotinus, and agrees with him in his account of this mystical union of the soul to God. Considering how far the actions of the soul in these divine. ecstasies are voluntary, he says, "This divine irradiation, which comes by prayers, shines and operates voluntarily, and is far from any thing of violence. But, by a divine energy and perfection, as much excels all voluntary motion,

Εςι μεν αγαθό είτε γνωσις είτε επαφη, μεγιςον, και μέγιςον φησι τελο είναι μάθημα, ου το προς αυτο ιδείν μαθημα λεγων, αλλα περί αυτε μαθειν τι προτερον διδάσκεσι μεν εν αναλογίαι τε και αφαιρέσεις, και γνώσεις των εξ αυτε, και αναβασμοι τινες πορεύεσι δε καθάρσεις προς αυτό και αρεται και κοσμήσεις, και το νοητε επιβάσεις, και απ' αυτό ίδρυσεις, και των εκεί επιασεις" ός τις γενηται ὁμε θεαίης τε και θεαμα, αυτος αυτό και των αλλων, και γενομενος εσια, και γας, και ζωον παντελες, μηκετι εξωθεν αυτο βλεποι· τείο δε γενόμενος, εγξύς εςι, και το εφεξης εκεινο και πλησιον, αυτο ηδη επι παντι τῷ νοητῳ επισιλβον ενθα δη εασας τις παν μάθημα, και μεχρι το παιδαγωγήσεις, και εν καλῳ ίδρυθεις, εν ώ μεν εςι μεχρι τελς νοει' εξενεχθεις δε τῷ αὐτῷ τε νε διον κυματι, και ύψε ὑπ' αυτε διον οιδησανίας αρθεις εσείδεν εξαίφνης εκ ιδων όπως, αλλ' ή θεα πλήσασα φωτος τα ομμαία, ου δ' αυτό πεποίηκεν αλλο δραν, αλλ' αυτο το φως το όραμα ην. Plotini En. vi. L. vii.

C. xxxvi. p. 727. (P.)

↑ "Scala per quam ascenditur ad principium, septem gradus habet: primus est purgatio animi: secundus, cognitio operum divinorum singulatim comparata : tertius, contemplatio ordinis quo opera inferiora reducuntur ad superiora gradatim: quartus, comparatio quædam proportionalis ex ordine hujusmodi ad divinum ordinem sese conferens: quintus, negatio per quam cuncta quæ concipis separes à principio: sextus, supplex ad Deum oratio, ut ipse intellectualis mundi pater te reddat mundum intellectualem actu: ens enim potentia mundus hic ab initio : septimus, ut quum ipse intellectualis mundus evaseris, ulterius amore boni concitus, ex statu intellectuali transformeris in bonum superius intellectu." Plotini En, vi. L. vii. p. 727. (P.)

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