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12 cf.. Artist. De Caelo. I. 12, 10 Dh=lon d0 o!ti kai\ ei' genhto\n h$ fqarto/n, ou'k a'i 9dion.
14 Artist., De Coelo. ii. 1. 1. calls it ei\j kai\ a'i/dioj. cf. the end of the Timaeus.
15 cf. Cic., De nat. Deo. i. 14,, ""Cleanthes" (of Assos, c. 264 b.c., a disciple of Zeno) "autem tum ipsum mundum Deum dicit esse; tum totius naturae ment: atque animo tribuit hoc nomen; tum ultimum. et altissimum, atque undique circumfusum, et extremum, omnia cingentem atque complexum, ardorem, qui aether nominetur, certissimum Deum judicat ," and id. 15, "Chrysippus" (of Tarsus, _ c. 212 b.c.) . . . "ipsum mundum Deum dicit esse." Yet the Hymn of Cleanthes (apud Stoboeum) begins:
Ku/dist0 a/qana/twn, poluw/nome, palkrate\j ai'eei\,
Zeu\j, fu/sewj o'sxhge\, no/mon me/ta pa/nta kubep/w=n.
cfOrig., v. Celsum V. Gsafw=j dh\ to\n o!lon ko/smon (#Ellhnej) le/gousin ei\nai qeo/n, Stwi!koi\ me\n to\n prw=ton. oi/ d0 a'po\ Pla/twnoj ro\n deu/teron, tine\j d0 au'tw=n to\n tpi/ton; and Athan., De Incarn. § 2.
16 cf. Origen, De Principiiis, ii. 1, 3.
17 diako/smhsij. cf. Arist., Met. i. 5, 2.
19 cf. Plato, Timaeus, § 14. xxro/noj d0 ou\n met0 au'ranou= ge'gonen i!na a!ma gennhqe/ntej a!ma kai\ luqw=sin, a!n pote lu/sij tij au'tw=n gi'gnhtai kai\ kata\ to\ para'deigma th=j ai\wni'aj fu/sewj i!n, w 9j o 9uoio/tatoj au'tw= kata\ du/namin h\. Fialon (p. 311) quotes Cousin's translation at greater length, and refers also to Plotinus, Enn. II. vii. 10-12. The parallel transistoriness of time and things has become the commonplace of poets. "Immortalia ne speres monet annus et almun. Quae rapit hora diem." Hor., Carm. iv. 7.
22 cf. Arist., Met. iv. 1. !Arxh h 9 me\n le/getai o!qen a!n ti tou=psa/gmatoj kinhqei/h prw=ton: olon tou= mh/kouj, kai\ o'dou= . . . h 9 de\ o!qen a!n ka/llista e!kston ge/noito : oi\on kai\ maqh/sewj, ou'k a'po\ tou= prw/tou kai\ th=j tou= psa/gmatoj a'rxh=j e'ni/ote a'rkte/on, a'll0 o!qen ra=st0 a!n ma/qoi, h 9 de\, o!qen psw=ton ginetai e'nupa/rxontoj : oi\onn w 9j pg 9oi/on tso/pij, kai\ oi'ki/aj qeme/lioj .
23 In the Homily of Origen extant n the Latin of Rufinus (Migne Pat. Gr. xii. 146) a'oxh/ is used of the Divine Word, "In principio. Quod est omnium principuium nisi Dominus noster Christus Iesus? . . . In hoc ergo principio, hoc est in Verbo suo, Deus coelum et terram fecit." An interpretation of John viii. 25, th/n a'rxh\n o$ti kai\ lalw= u'min widely prevalent at all events in the Latin church, was "Initium quod et loquor vobis;" "I am the Beginning, that which I am even saying to you." See note to Sp. Comment. on John viii. ad fin.
25 On the inconceivability either of an absolute minimum of space or of its infinite divisibility, cf. Sir Wm. Hamilton, Met. ii. 371.
26 Aquila's version in the Hexapla of Origen for e'n a'rxh/ has e'n kefalai/w e!ktisen.
27 h 9 a!pasa dia/noia h$ psaktikh\ h$ poihtikh\ h$ qewrhtikh/. Arist., Met. v. i.
28 The one and the perfect continually overflows, and from it ?Being, Reason, and Life are perpetually derived, without deducting anything from its substance, inasmuch as it is simple in its nature, and not, like matter, compound. (Enn. iv. 5, i. 6.)" Tennemann on Plotinus, Hist. Phil. § 207..
29 The Ben. note is "nequi idipsum in causa fuit cur esset, hoc est, non res caeca, non res coacta, non res invite et praeter voluntatem agens in causa fuit cur mundus exstiterit. Hoc igitur dicit Basilius Deum aliter agere atque corpora opaca aut lucida. Nam corpus producit umbram vi atque necessi tate, nec liberius agit corpus lucidum: Deus vero omnia nutu conficit et voluntate. Illud e'poihsen, etc., alio modo intellexit et interpretatus est Eustathius. Illius subjicimus verba: non causam praestitit ut esset solum, sed fecit ut bonus utilem."
30 cf. Plat., Tim. § 10. 0Agaqo\j h/n, a'gaqw= de\ oudei\j peri\ ou'deno\j ou'de/pote e\ggi/gnetai fqo\/oj, tou/tou d0 e'kto\j w$t npa/nta o!ti ma/lista gene/sqai e'boulh/qh paoaplh/oia e 9autw=.
31 cf. Huxley, Lay Sermons, xii. p. 286, on the "delicate finger" of the "hidden artist" in the changes in an egg.
33 fame=/ de\ pu=r kai\ a'e/ra kai\ u!dwr gi/gnesqai e'c a'llh/lwn kai\ e$kaston e/ e'ka/stw u 9pa/sxein tou/twn duna/uei. Arist., Meteor. i. 3.
36 Fialon points to the coincidence with Arist., Met. vii. 3. 0Alla mh\n a'fairoume/nou mh/kouj kai\ pla/touj kai\ ba/qouj, ou'de/n o 9rw=men u 9poleipo/menon plh\n e'i/ ti e'oti\ to\ o'pizo/menon u 9po\ tou/twn, w!ste th\n u#lhn a'na/gkh fai\/esqai mo/nhn ou'si/an ou#tw skopoumenoij. De/gw d0 #/lhn h! kaq0 au'th/n mh/te ti\, mh/te poso\n, mh/te a!llo mhde\n le/getai oi\j w#ristai to\ o!n : e!sti ga\r ti kaq0 ou\ kathgorei=tai tou/wn e#kaston, w[ to\ ei\nai e#tepo/, kai\ tw=n kathgorew=n e 9kaa/sth. Ta\ me\n ga\r a!lla th=j ou'si/aj kathgopei=tai : au#rn de\, th=j u#lhj. \Wste to\ e#sxaton, kaq0 au 9te ti\, ou#te poso\n, ou#te a!llo ou'de/n e'stin : ou'de\ dh\ ai a'pofa/seij.
37 cf. Arist., De Coelo. ii. 13, 16. 0anacime/nhj de\ kai\ !Aaca/go paj kai\ Dhmo/kritoj to\ pla/toj ai!tion ei\nai/ fasi tou= me/nein au'th/n : ou' ga\r te/mnein a'll0 e\pipwmati/zein (covers like a lid) to\n a'e/ra to\n ka\twqen, o$per fai/netai ta pla/toj e!xonta tw=n swmatwn poiei=n.
38 The theory of Thales. cf. note on Letter viii. 2 and Arist., De Coelo. ii. 13, 13 where he speaks of Thales describing the earth floating like wood on water.
39 cf. Artist., De Coelo. ii. 13 (Grote'ss tr.): "The Kolophonian Xenophanes affirmed that the lower depths of the earth were rooted downwards to infinity, in order to escape the troublesome obligation of looking for a reason why it remained stationary." To this Empedokles objected, and suggested velocity of rotation for the cause of the earth's maintaining its position.
44 oi 9 fusikoi\ was the name given to the ionic and other philosophers who preceded Socrates. Lucian Ner. 4) calls Thales fusikw\tatoj.
45 cf. De Coelo. ii. 14, 4. #Eti d0 h 9 fora tw=n mopi/wn kai\ o#lhj au'th=j n\ kata\ fu/sin e'pi' to\ me/son tou= panto/j e'stin, dia\ tou=to ga\r kai\ tugxa/nei keime/nh nu=n e'pi\ tou= kentrou.
46 This is the doctrine of Plate vide Tim. The Combef. mss. reads not mi/cij, mixture, but me/qecij, participation
47 Here appears to be a reference to Arist., De Gen. Ann. ii. 3, 11, pa/shj me/n ou=n yuxh=j du/namij e 9te/ron sw/matoj e'o/ike kekoinwnhke/nai kai\ qeiote/rou tw=n kaloume/nwn stoixei/wn : w 9j de\ diafe/rousi timio/thti ai' yuxai\ kai\ a'timia a'llh/lwn ou#tw kai\ h' toiau/tn diafe/pei fu/sij, and again. pneu=ma . . . a'na/logon ou\sa tw= tw=n a#strwn stoixei/w. On the fifth element of Aristotle cf. Cic., Tusc. Disp. i. 10. Aristoteles . . . cum quatuor illa genera principiorum erat complexus, equibus omnia orirentur, quintam quandam naturam censet esse, equa sit mens. Aug., De Civ. Dei xxii. 11. 2, and Cudworth's Int. Syst.. (Harrison's Ed. 1845) iii. p. 465. Hence the word "quintessence," for which the Dictionaries quote Horard's Translation of Plutarch, "Aristoteles hath put. . . for elements foure; and for a fifth quintessence, the heavenly body which is immutable." Skeat s. v. points out that "the idea is older than Aristotle: cf. the five Skt. bhútas, or elements, which were earth air, fire, and water, and aether. This the fifth essence is aether, the subtlest and highest." It is evident that Milton had these theories in mind when he wrote (Par. Lost, iii. 716):
"Swift to their several quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire;
And this ethereal quintessence of heaven
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That rolled orbicular, and turned to stars Numberless."
2 cf. Hom., Il. xviii. 485 e'n de= ta= tei/rea pa/nta ta/ t0 ou'rano\j e'stefa/nwtai, and Tennyson's "When young night divine crowned dying day with stars." (Palace of Art).
3 On prime matter and its being a#swmatoj and a#morfoj vide Cudwort, Int. Syst. v. ii. § 27, and Mosheim's note. "Ingens vero quondam summorum et inclytorum virorum numerus ab eorum semper stetit partibus, quibus ex qua dixi ratione, materiam placuit decernere a'sw/maton esse, si/e xorpore xarere Xixero omnej post Platonem philosophoj hox dogma perhibet tenuisse, Axad. Quÿ\st. i. 7, =sed sub0extam putant omnibuj sine ulla spexie, atque xarentem omni illa qualitate materiam quandam ec qua omnia ecpressa atque effexta sint.= Sed 0am diu ante Platonem Pythagorÿ\orum multi ei addixti fuerunt, quod ec Timaei Locri, nobilis hujus scholae et perantiqui philosophi, De Anima Mundi libello Cap. I. p. 544, Ed. Galei) intelligitur: ta\u u!lan a#moofon de\ kaq0 au'tm=n kai a'xrhma/tiston dexo/menon de\ pa=san morfa/n."
4 cf. Arist., Met. vi. 7, pa/nta 0 de= ta= gigno/mena u 9po/ te/ tinoj gi/gnetai, kai\ e!k tinoj, kai= ti/ . . . to= de= e'c ou\ gi/gnetai, h$n le/gomen u$lhn . . . to\ de\ u'f0 ou[, tw=n fu/sei ti o!ntwn . . . ei\doj de\ le/gw to\ ti/ h!n ei\nai e 9ka/ston, kai\ th=n prw/thn ou'si/an.
5 cf. Cudworth, Int. Syst. iv. 6, and remarks there on Cic., Acad Quaest. i. 6. Arist. (IMetaph. i. 2) says Qeo\j gm=r dokei to\ ai!tion pasin ei\nai kai\ a'rxh/ tij, but does this refer only to form?
6 Gen. ii. 5, "every herb of the field before it grew." There seems here an indication of the actual creation, poihsij, being in the mind of God.
7 Fialon quotes Bossuet: "Fene trouve point que Dieu, qui a créé toutes choses, it eu besoin, comme un ouvrier vulgaire, de trouver une matiére préparée sur laquelle il travaillât, et de laquelle il dît son ouvrage. Mais, n'ayant besoin pour agir que de lui-même et de sa propre puissance il a fait tout son ouvrage. Il n'est point un simple faiseur de formes et de figures dans une matière preexistance; il a fait et la matière et la forme, c'est-à-dire son ouvrage dans son tout: autrement son ouvrage ne lui doit pas tout, et dans son fond il est indépendamment de son ouvrier. . . .
O Dieu quella a été l'ignorance des sages du monde, qu'on a appelés philosophes d'avoir cru que vons, parfait architecte et absolu formateur de tout ce qui est, vous aviez trouvé sous vos mains une matière qui vous ótait co-éternelle, informe néamoins, et qui attendait de vous sa perfection! Aveugles, qui n'entendaient pas que d'être capable de forme, c'est deja quelque forme; c'est quelque perfection, que d'être capable de perfection; et si la matière avail d'elle-même ce commencement de perfection et de forme, elle en pouvait aussitôt avoir d'ellemême l'entier accomplissement.
"Aveugles, conducteurs d'aveugles, qui tombez dans le prêcipice, et y jetez ceux qui vous suivent (St. Matthieu xv., 14), dites-mois qui a assejeti à Dieu ce qu'il n'a pas fait, ce qui est de soi aussi bien que Dieu, ce qui est indépendamment de Dieu même? Par où a t-il trouvé prise sur ce qui lui est étranger et independant et sa puissance; et par quel art ou quel pouvoir se l'est-il soumis? . . . Mais qu'est-ce après tout que celte matière si parfait, qu'elle ait elle-même ce fond de son être; et si imparfaite, qu'elle attende sa perfection d'un autre? Diu aura fait l'accident et n'aura pas fait la substance? (Bossuet, Elévations sur les mystères, 3e semaine, 2e elevat.)
10 Marciion and Valentinus are roughly lumped together as types of gnostic dualism. On the distinction between their systems see Dr. Salmon in D.C.B. iii. 820. Marcion, said to have been the son of a bishop of Sinope, is the most Christian of the gnostics, and "tries to fit in his dualism with the Christian creed and with the scriptures." But he expressly "asserted the existence of two Gods." The Valentinian ideas and emanations travelled farther afield.
11 On Manicheism, vide Beausobre's Critical History of Manicheism, and Walch, Hist. Ketz. i. 770. With its theory of two principles it spread widely over the empire in the 4th c., was vigorous in Armenia in the 9th, and is said to have appeared in France in the 12th. (cf. Bayle, Dict. s.v.) On the view taken of the heresy in Basil's time. cf. Gregory of Nyssa, Against Eunomiusi. § 35.
12 i.e. by those who would identify the a#bussoj (Tehôm) of Gen. i. 2 with that of Luke i. 31, and understand it to mean the abode in prison of evil spirits. The Hebrew word occurs in Job xxviii. 14 and Deut. xxxiii. 13 for the depth of waters.
13 With this view Plutarch charges the Stoics. Au'toi\ tw=n kakw=n a'rxh\n a'gaqo\n o!nta to=n Qeon poiou=si. (c. Stoicos,1976.) But it is his deduction form their statements - not their own statements. cf. Mosheim's note on Cudworth iv. § 13. Origen (c. Celsum vi.) distinguishes between thn kaki/an kai= ta\j a'p0 au/th=j pra/ceij, and kako/n as punitive and remedial; if the latter can rightly be called evil in any sense, God is the author of it. cf. Amos iii. 6. Vide, also, Basil's treatment of this question in his Treatise o!ti ou/k e!otin ai!tioj tw=n kakw=n o' qeoj. cf. Schoeck. Kirchengeschichte xiii, 104
14 Fialon points out the correspondence with Plat. Phaed. § 119, kai/ tij ei\pe tw=n paro/ntwn a'kou/saj . . . pro\j Qen, ou/k e'n toi=j pro 9sqen h 9mi=n lo/goij au'to\ to\ e'nanti/on tw=n nuni\ legome/nwn w 9mologei=to, e'k tou= e'la/ttonoj to\ mei=zon gi/gnesqai, kai\ e'k tou= meizonoj to\ e!latton, kai\ a'texnw=j au!th ei\nai h 9 ge/nesij toi=j e2nanti/oij ek tw=n e'nanti/wn; nu=n de/ moi dokei= le/gesqai o$ti tou=to ou'k a$n pote ye/noito. Kai\ o 9 Swkra/thj . . . e$fh . . . ou'k e'nnoei=j to\ diafe/ron touj ti nu=n ledome/non kai tou= to/te: to/te me\n ga\r e'le/geto e'k tou= e'nanti/ou pra/gmatoj to\ e'nanti/on pra=dma gi/gnesqai, nu=n de\ o$ti au/to\ to\ e'anti/on e 9autw= e'nanti/on ou'k a!n pote de/noito, ou!te to\ e'n h 9mi=n ou!te to\ e'n fu/sei: to/te me\n ga\r peri tw=n e'xo/ntwn tw=n e'nanti/wn e'le/gomen, e'ponoma/zontej au'ta\ th= e'kei/nwn e'pwnumi/a, nu=n de\ peri\ e 9keinwn au'tw=n w\n e'no/ntwn, e!xel th\n e'pwnumi/an ta\ o'nomazo/mena, au'ta\ d0 e'kei/na ou'k a!n pote/ famen e'qegh=sai ge/nesin a'llh/lwn de/casqai.
15 "Cette phrase est prise textuellement dans Denys l'aréopagite, on du moins dans l'ouvrage qui lui est attribué. (De Div. Nom. iv 18. Laur. Lyd. de mensib. ed. Roeth. 186, 28)." Fialon. In the Treatise referred to, peri\ Qei/wn 0Onoma/twn, "evil" is said to be "nothing real and positive, but a defect, a negation only. Ste/rhsij a!ra e'sti\ to\ kako\n, kai\ e!lleiyij, kai a'sqe/neia, kai\ a'summetri/a." D.C.B. i. 846.
cf. "Evil is null, is nought, is silence implying sound." Browning. Abt. Vogler.
16 cf. Epictetus. Ench. i. e'f h 9mi=n me\n u 9po/lhuij, o 9rmh\, o$recij, e!kklisij, kai\ e 9ni\ lo/gw o 9sa h 9me/tera e!rga.
17 cf. M. Aurelius II. xi. o$ ga\r xeirw mh\ poiei= a$nqrwpon, pw=j dh 9 tou=to bion a'nqrw/pon xei/rw poih/seien; . . . qa/natoj de/ ge kai\ zwh\ do/ca kai\ a'doci/a, no/noj kai\ h'donh\ plou=toj iai\ peni/a, pa/nta tau=ta e'pi/shj sumbai/nei a'nqrw/pwn toi=j te a'gaqoi$j kai\ toi=j kakoi=j, ou!te kala\ ou!te ai'sxra/ : ou't0 a'gaqa\ ou!te kaka/ e'sti. Also Greg. Nyss. Orat. Cat. and Aug., De Civ. Dei. i. 8. Ista vero temporalia bona et mala utrisque voluit esse communia, ut nec bona cupidins appetantur, quae mali quoque habere cernuntur, nec mala turpiter evitentur, quibus et boni plerumque afficiuntur.
19 cf. Theod. (Quaest,, in Gen. vi.) who is ready to accept the creation of angels before the creation of the world. Origen,, Hom. I. in Gen. Hom. iv in Is. taught the existence of angels "before the aeons." Greg. Nas., Orat. xxxviii. The lxx. Trans of Job xxxviii. 7, h$nesa/n me pa/ntej u$ngelai/ mou may have aided in the formation of the general opinion of the Greek Fathers. The systematization of the hierarchies is due to the pseudo, Dionysius, and was transmitted to the west through John Erigena. cf. Milman, Lat. Christ. ix. 59.
24 Tillemont understands Eusebius of Samosata. The Ben. note prefers Ephrem Syrus, and compares Jerome, Quaest. Heb. Col. 508.
25 Gen. i. 2. Vide R.V. margin. The word rachaph, "brood," is not used of wind, and itself appears to fix the meaning of the Spirit in the place. An old interpretation of the Orphic Poem Argonautica would identify the brooding Spirit of Genesis with the All Wise Love of the Greek poet:
prw=ta me\n a'rxai/ou xa/eoj megalh\faton u$mnon,
w'\ e'pa/meiye fu/seij, w$j t0 ou\rano\j e'j pe/raj h\lqen,
gh\j t0 eu'ruste/rnou ge/nesin, puqme/naj te qala/sshj,
presbu/tato/n te kai\ au'totelh= pol uhtin $Erwta ,
.o$ssa t0 e!fusen a$panta, tu\ d0 e!noiqen a!llou a!p0 a!llo
Orph., Argon. 423-427.Pon the translation of rachaph by "brooding," cf. Milton, P. Lost, vii.:
"darkness profound
Covered the abyss; but on the watery calm
His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread,
And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth,
Throughout the fluid mass."
26 zwogoni/a. cf. De Sp. S. § 56, and Bp. Pearson, on the Creed. Art. V.
28 Light is sadi to travel straight at the rate of about 195,000 English miles a second; a velocity estimated by observations on the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites. The modern undulatory theory of light, of which Huyghens (_ 1695) is generally regarded as the author, describes light as propagated by the vibrations of the imponderable matter termed Ether or Aether.
29 The simile seems hardly worthy of the topic. The practice is referred to by Plutarch, Symp. Quaest. i. 9, and by Pliny, Hist. Nat. ii. 106. "Omne oleo tranqullari; et ob id urinantes ore spargere, quoniam mitiget naturam asperam lucemque deporiet." "genere" says the Delph. note, "tum credas oleum vicem conspiciliorum.
30 A statement not unlike the "Vibrations of the elastic medium," to which sound might now be referred. "Sed vocem Stoici corpus esse contendunt: eamque esse dicunt ictum aera: Plato autem non esse vocem corpus esse putat. Non enim percussus, inquit, aer, sed plaga ipsa atque percussio, vox est:: ou'k a 9plwj plmgh/ ae/roj e'sti\n h 9 fwnh/ : plh/ttei ga\r to\n a'era kai\ da/ktuloj parago/menoj, kai\ ou'de/pw poiei= fwnh/n : a'll0 h 9 po/sh plhgh, kai\ sfodra\, kai to/th de\ w$ste a'kousth\n genesqai." Aul. Gell., N.A. v. 15. So Diog. Laert. in Vita Zenonis; e!sti fwnh/ ah=r peplhgme/oj