6^ 



CHAP. Xri. GRADATIONS OF GODS. 225 



animal so constituted is superior to one devoid of 

 soul and intellect) : he gave it also a spherical 

 body, for such of all other forms is the most 

 perfect. Since, therefore, it was God's pleasure 

 to render this his production most perfect, he con- 

 stituted it a God, generated indeed, but inde- 

 structible by any other cause than by the God 

 who made it, in case it should be his pleasure to 

 dissolve it." 



From the statement of lamblichus, we perceive 

 that the Monad or Deity in Unity preceded the 

 trinity or triad, by which all things were created, 

 and that what was denominated the first God, or 

 King of the Gods, also existed, like the ]\Ionad, 

 before the formation of the world. These Deities 

 are, therefore, 1. The God, the Monad, or Deity in 

 Unity ; 2. The first God, or first principle, chief 

 of Intelligiblcs : or, 1. Eicton, the first effigies, the 

 indivisible one ; 2. Emeph (Kneph ?) the ruler of 

 the Gods, Intellect understanding himself. This 

 Intellect, when it proceeds to generation, is called 

 Amun, the Demiurge Intellect ; Phthah, when 

 it perfects all things with truth ; or Osiris, when 

 regarded as the author of good ; or other names 

 according to its different offices and powers. There 

 are also the princi})les presiding over the elements 

 in a state of generation, and over the powers in 

 them, four of which are male, and four female ; 

 one of them being the Sun, and another the Moon. 

 Then follows another class of the rulers of the 

 heavens, which is divided into two parts. 



Dr. Prichard thinks that Pthah " is the masculo- 



^'0I>. I. — Skcond Sekies. Q 



