582 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



ceeding without order or fubordhiation? — Gregory Nazianzens opt* 

 nion adopted by the jiutbor.— According to that Philofopher^ all 

 the Ideas of the Divine Mind realifed. — nis the fiihlimejl Theology; 

 — -it gives us, if pojjible, the Idea of Plato's onoi *vre^ov<noi; — and 

 makes us conceive how all things are really and a&ually in God. — ^ 

 Examination of Plato's DoBrine of Ideas : — He maintained the real 

 exifence, in Nature, both of General and Particular Ideas ; — that 

 General Ideas are immaterial fuhfances, from which lefs General Ideas 

 are an ema?iation i—and that they end in Individual thi7tgs.— Exempli^ 

 fcation oj this Do&rine in the cafe of the General Idea <?/ Animal. — 

 A reality given to knowledge by thisfyflem; — the objects of our know^ 

 ledge are thi igs recdly exifiing, not the operations of our minds col- 

 lected from corporeal fubfances, — When in a more perfeSi fate, fays 

 Plato, we were converfant with the Ideas themfelves ; — but in our 

 prefent fate we are condemned to dig them out of the matter in 

 which they are buried. — More reality in our knowledge, this way 

 eonceived; and the truth of the Syllogfm more clearly perceived, the 

 more General containing the lefs General : — While, by ArifotWs Doc- 

 trine, the lefs General produces the more General; — there is no fub- 

 ordination of caufe and effe£l, but all things derived at once from, 

 the Divine Mind ; — ajid order and regularity are produced by the 

 Human Mind only, — The beauty of Plato's Syjlem confidered The- 

 ^logically: — // exhibits a cQW.pleat progrefs of things from the high- 

 efi to the lowef : — // agrees with the Doctrine of the Trinity^ 

 which Plato learned in Egypt, — Plato's account of the two princi- 

 ples of Intelligence and Vitallity. — ^cefion. Whether all things 

 exifing proceed from them immediately, or by intermediate emana- 

 tions^ — The latter opinion adopted by the Author ; and his Reafons 

 fated, — Plato's Doctrine of Ideas ncceffarily connected with that of 

 the Trinity, — and no more than carryitig it on through Nature : — 

 // agrees with the Pythagorean Philofophy of Timaus, who ufes 

 the term Idea, — Obie&ion-^HQW can one immaterial fuhfance be- 

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