512 
region. They confider fouls, as reftored 
after death to their priftine perfection, 
in the qwdoles* of the univerfe, according 
to the meafures of their peculiar purifi- 
cations; but fome fouls are raifed by 
them to a fupermundane condition of 
being. They likewife define fouls to be 
_mediums between impartibie and partible 
natures. With refpect to thefe dogmas, 
many of ‘them are adopted by Platof 
arid Ariftotle; but Plotinus, Porphyry, 
Jamblichus, Proclus, and their difciples, 
adopt the whole of them, and admit 
them without hefitation, as doétrines of 
a divine origin.” 
Thus far Pfellus: I add, for the fake 
of thofe readers that are unacquainted 
with the fcientific theology of the an- 
cients, that as the highelt principle of 
things is a nature truly ineffable and 
unknown, it is impoffible that this vifible 
world could have been produced by him 
without mediums 3 and this not through 
any impotency, but, on the contrary, 
through tranfcendency of power. For if 
he had produced all things without the 
agency of intermediate beings, all things 
muf .have been like himfelf, ineffable 
and unknown. It is neceffary, there- 
fore, that there fhould be certain mighty 
powers between the fupreme principle of 
things and us: for we, in reality, are no- 
thing more than the dregs of the univerfe. 
Thefe mighty powers, from their fur- 
paffing fimilitude to the firft god, were 
very properly called by the ancients 
gods; and were confidered by them as 
perpetually fubfitting in the moft admir- 
able and profound union with each other, 
and the firfl caufe; yet fo as amidit this 
union to preferve their own energy 
diftinét from that of the higheft god. 
For it would be abfurd in the extreme, 
to allow, that man has a peculiar energy 
of his own, and to deny that this is the 
cafe with the moft exalted beings. Hence, 
as Proclus beautifully obferves, the gods 
may be compared to trees rooted in the 
earth: for as thefe, by their roots, are 
united with the earth, and become earth- 
ly in an eminent degree, without being 
earth itfelf; fo the gods, by their fum- 
mits, are profoundly united to the firft 
caufe, and by this means are tranicen- 
dently fimilar to without being the firft 
caufe. 
* That is to fay, the cele/tial [pheres. 
+ Indeed, he who has penetrated the pro- 
fundity of Plato’s dofrines, will find, that 
they perfe@ly accord with thefe Cha'daic dog- 
mas; as is every where copioully shown by 
Proclus, 

Collection of the Oracles of Zoroafter. 
[Supe 
Lines ton, emanating from the centre 
of a circle, afford us a confpicuous image 
of the manner in which thefe mighty 
powers proceed from, and fubfift in, the 
ineffable principle of things. For here, 
the lines are evidently things different 
from the centre, to which, at the fame 
time, by their fummits, they are exqui- 
fitely allied. And thefe fammits, which 
are indefcribably abforbed m the centre, 
are yet no parts (/.e. powers) of it: for 
the centre has a fubfiftence prior tothem, 
as being their caufe. 
iameiiieriaed 
THE ORACLES OF ZOROASTER. 
NB. Wherever a fiar occurs prefixed to an ora 
cle, it devotes that oracle to be an additional 
one, firfi difcovered by me. 
Eon ncut exdudww rege etc eomrav ep .PtBaoy lee 
There is alfo a portion for the image (a) in 
the place (6) every way fplendid. 
My S< ro. THz vans cavGadoy xonpvw neler 
dng. 
Nor fhould you leave the dregs of matter (c) 
in the precipice (d). 
-Mn eSaEne wer pon e&in eyouce. Th. 
Nor fhould you expel the foul from the body; 
left in departing it retain fomething (e). 
My Tu TEAWwoIa [reTOU-yelnS wT ZY Poeve 
Parrov ; 
Ov yao ahndene Ouley evi y Dove. 
Mno- [-e10ek {Aelowm nhsov KcvovES cuvaloogag 
Aidiw Govrn peodlat meloac, oury, evexev cov. 
Mayne p51 Coy ewgov" wet [DEX eb eoyW aVELYANS. 
AS obey TeoTopeupae oEOey yeoiv ovY EADY EVEN. 
Aidpioc opveTwy TUETOS Theluss ov. wo] WANDS 
Kos Pucwwy CTDGY YYW TE Topaces” Sa e adug~ 
rule Tey Teey aati 
Eutosinuns analig cuptypere. Gevye ou teuiee, 
Mearhwy eugebing becoy qanen Ceb@ay avatyetyys 
Ey” eel Gopia Fine 4, EUVIIAS OL cvyeyovles. 
(f) Dire& not your attention to the immenfe 
meatures of the earth; for the plant of truth 
is not in the earth. Nor meafure the dimen- 
fions of the fun, by means of colleéted rules ; 
for it revolves by the eternal will of the father, 
and not for your fake, Difmifs the founding 
courfe of the moon; for it perpetually runs 
through the exertions of neceflity. The ad- 
vancing proceflion of the ftars was not gene- 
rated for your fake. The wide-{pread aerial 
wing of birds, and the feCtions of victims ard 

(a) That is, the irrational foul, which is the 
image of the rational. 
(4) That is, the region above the moon. 
(c) z. e. The human body. 
(d) 7. e. This terreftrial+region? 
(ce) ie. Left it retain fomething of the more 
paflive life. 1 ee, 
(f) This oracle is conformable to what 
Plato favs in his Republic, that a philofopher 
muft aftronomize above the heavens: that is 
to fay, he muff fpeculate the celeftial orbs, as 
nothing more than images of forms in the in- 
telligible world. puerile 
