1797+] 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, ‘ 
HAT the intelletual philofophers, 
and theological poets, of antiquity, 
entertained more exalted conceptions of, 
and venerated, in afar greater degree, 
the higheft principle of things, than any 
philofophers and theologifts pofterior to 
them, will, I doubt not, appear para- 
doxical to many of your readers; but 
will, I perfuade myfelf, be fully evinced, 
by the Pilewaue moft refpeétable tefti- 
monies. 
In the firft place, the Egyptians, ac- 
cording to Damafcius*, celebrated the 
one principle of the univeriec, as an‘un- 
known darknefs, and this thrice pro- 
nounced ; and the fame author informs 
us, that the Babylonians paffed over this 
principle in filence. Hefiod too, in his 
‘Theogony, when he fings, 
Eros [LEV TEPWTIS A YOLOG eve Te 
Chaos of all things was the firft produc’d s 
clearly infinuates, that there muft be 
fome caufe prior to chaos, through which 
it was produced, as there can be no a 
feét without a caufe; and, befides this, 
as Simplicius beautifully obferves, he in- 
fnuates that the firft caufe is above all 
knowledge, and every appellation. It 
was doubtlefs for the fame reafon, that 
Homer, in his poems, afeends no higher 
than Night, whom he reprefeats Jupiter 
as reverencing : for, according to all the 
ancient theologifts, and the dottrine of 
Pythagoras and Plato, Jupiter, or the 
immediate artificer of the univerfe, is 
not the higheft god. Homer, shcrefore, 
is not only filent with refpeét to the firft 
Principle, but likewife with refpeét to 
thofe two principles immediately pofte- 
rior to the firft, the «her and chaos of . 
Orpheus and Hefiod, and the loud and 
infinity of Pythagoras and Plato ¢. 

* Tleps apy. 
+ Inmy Introdu€tion to the Parmenides of 
Plato, p. 260, I have fhown, that in the opi- 
nion of all antiquity, yevero was confidered as 
Meaning, in this place, was generated, and not 
was fimply. 
f Theology was delivered fymbolically by Or- 
_ Pheus ;—in images (erxovexws) by Pythagoras ;— 
and fcientifically by Plato. Hence, the g@ther, 
chaos and /hanes. of the frft;—the monad, duady 
_ and tetrad, of the fecond ;—and the ound, infi- 
mite, and that which is mixt from both, of the 
third, refpeGively, fignified the firft proceffion 
from the ineffable principle of things; or cer- 
tain mighty powers rooted in this principle, like 
Monruty, Mae, No. XVI, 
Opinions of Ancient Theologifis. 259 
But, as in order to gain a glimpfe, 
though a far diftant one, of this higheft 
deity, it is neceflary to give him a name : 
hence he was denominated by Plato, she 
One, and the Good; the former of thefe 
appellations, fignifying his furpafling 
fimplicity and produ€tive power (for all 
multitude muft originate from unity) 
and the latter, his fuperlative excellence, 
and fubfiftence, as the ultimate ob}e& ta 
which all things tend. For all things 
tend to the fupreme good. However, 
though Plato gives him a name, for the 
reafon juft afligned; yet, well knowing ° 
that he wasin reality ineffable, he afferts, 
in the Parmenides, that she One ‘* can 
neither be named, nor fpoken of, nor 
conceived by opinion, nor be known, 
nor perceived by any being.” And in 
the Republic, he fays, that ‘‘ she Good 
is more excellent than effence, furpafling 
it both in dignity and power.”’ 
It is from thefe fources, that the fol- 
lowing fublime paflages of the latter Pla- 
tonifts are derived: ‘* Tothat God (fays 
Porphyry *) who is above allthings, nei- 
ther external fpeech ought to be addref- 
fed, nor yet that which is inward, when 
it is defiled by the paflion of the foul ; 
but we fhould venerate him in pure 
filence, and through pure conceptions of 
his nature.’ Proclus +, with his ufual 
magnificence of expretfion, fays of this 
higheft principle, ‘* That he is the God 
of all gods, the Unity of unities, and 
bevond the firft adyta. ‘That he is more 
ineffable than all filence, and more oc- 
cult than all effence. That he is holy 
among the holies, and is concealed amidft 
the intelligible gods.” And laftly, Da- 
mafcius { obferves, ‘¢ This higheft God 
is feen afar off, as it were obfcurely ; 
and if you approach nearer, he is beheld 
{till more ob{curely ; and, at length, he 

trees in the earth ; and which have a difling& 
energy of their own, at the fame time that they 
energize in conjunétion with their caufe. 
* Ow wiv Tw emb Tragw, ovde Aoyos o 
HATE Pwvny, ObKEIOGs oud o evoovotay oabes 
aoyns n psporvousvos. dre de otyns xcba- 
Cac Kas THY TEP avTOV xabepey Evvorwy dpna's 
uevouev autor. De Abftinentia, lib, 2- 
f —— 6 ecg ers Sewn aoravtmry x, we 
Eves evadwr, , we Twy aouvatwy (lege ady- 
Tw) EMEKEIVE TOV TPOTWY, x wo Waons ob 
NS HEENTOTEPOV, K, WE Tagns UTapLEWe RYU 
SOTEPI, BYyLOG EV AYO, TOS yONTOLE EYATO@ 
xexpuymsvos Beosse Plat, Theol, p, 210. 
tf Tleps apy. 
Ll takes 













