CHAP. I.
Leaving, therefore, these particulars, you wish in the next place that I
would unfold to you “_What the Egyptians conceive the first cause to be;
whether intellect, or above intellect; whether alone, or subsisting with
some other or others; whether incorporeal, of corporeal; and whether it
is the same with the Demiurgus, or is prior to the Demiurgus? Likewise,
whether all things are from one principle, or from many principles;
whether they have a knowledge of matter, or of primary corporeal
qualities; and whether they admit matter to be unbegotten, or to be
generated?_” I, therefore, will in the first place relate to you the
cause why in the books of the ancient writers of sacred concerns many
and various opinions concerning these things are circulated, and also
why among those that are still living, and are renowned for their
wisdom, the opinion on this subject is not simple and one. I say then,
that as there are many essences, and these differing from each other,
the all-various multitude of the principles of these, and which have
different orders, were delivered by different ancient priests. As
Seleucus[130] narrates, therefore, Hermes described the principles that
rank as wholes in two myriads[131] of books; or, as we are informed by
Manetho[132], he perfectly unfolded these principles in three myriads
six thousand five hundred and twenty five volumes. But different ancient
writers differently explained the partial principles of essences. It is
necessary, however, by investigation to discover the truth about all
these principles, and concisely to unfold it to you as much as possible.
And, in the first place, hear concerning that which is the first subject
of your inquiry.
CHAP. II.
Prior to truly existing beings and total principles [or principles that
rank as wholes], there is one God, prior to [that deity who is generally
believed to be] the first God and king,[133] immoveable, and abiding in
the solitude of his own unity. For neither is the intelligible connected
with him, nor any thing else; but he is established as the paradigm of
the God who is the father of himself, is self begotten, is father alone,
and is truly good. For he is something even greater and prior to this,
is the fountain of all things, and the root of the first intelligible
forms. But from this one deity, the God who is sufficient to himself
unfolds himself, into light. For this divinity, also, is the principle
and God of Gods, a monad from _the one_, prior to essence, and the
principle of essence. For from him entity and essence are derived; and
hence, also, he is denominated the principle of intelligibles. These,
therefore, are the most ancient principles of all things, which Hermes
arranges prior to the etherial, empyrean, and celestial Gods. He
likewise delivered to us the history of the empyrean Gods in one hundred
books; of the etherial in an equal number; and of the celestial in a
thousand books.
CHAP. III.
According to another order, however, he arranges the God _Emeph_[134]
prior to, and as the leader of, the celestial Gods. And he says that
this God is an intellect, itself intellectually perceiving itself, and
converting intellections to itself. But prior to this, he arranges the
impartible one, which he says is the first paradigm, and which he
denominates _Eicton_. In this, also, is contained that which is first
intellective, and the first intelligible, and which is to be worshiped
through silence alone. Besides these, also, other leaders preside over
the fabrication of visible natures. For the demiurgic intellect, who is
the curator of truth and wisdom, descending into generation, and leading
the power; of occult reasons into light, is called in the Egyptian
tongue Amon; but in consequence of perfecting all things with veracity
and artificially, he is called Ptha. The Greeks, however, assume Ptha
for Vulcan, solely directing their attention to the artificial
peculiarity of the God. So far, also, as he is effective of good he is
called Osiris; and he has other appellations through other powers and
energies. With the Egyptians, therefore, there is another domination of
the whole elements in generation, and of the powers contained in them;
four of these powers being male and four female, which they attribute to
the sun. And there is, likewise, another government of the whole of
nature about generation, which they assign to the moon.[135] But
dividing the heavens into two, or four, or twelve, or six-and-thirty
parts, or the doubles of these, they give to the parts a greater or less
number of rulers. And over all these they place one ruler, who
transcends all the rest. Thus, therefore, the doctrine of the Egyptians
concerning principles, proceeding from on high as far as to the last of
things, begins from one principle, and descends to a multitude which is
governed by this one; and every where an indefinite nature is under the
dominion of a certain definite measure, and of the supreme unical cause
of all things. But God produced matter by dividing materiality from
essentiality;[136] and this being vital, the Demiurgus receiving,
fabricated from it the simple and impassive spheres. But he distributed
in an orderly manner the last of it into generable and corruptible
bodies.
CHAP. IV.
These things, therefore, having been accurately discussed, the solution
of the doubts which you have met with in certain books will be manifest.
_For the books which are circulated under the name of Hermes contain
Hermaic opinions, though they frequently employ the language of the
philosophers: for they were translated from the Egyptian tongue by men
who were not unskilled in philosophy._ But Chæremon,[137] and any others
who have at all discussed the first causes of mundane natures, have
unfolded the last rulers of these. And such as have written concerning
the planets, the zodiac, the decans, horoscopes, and what are called
powerful and leading planets, these have unfolded the partible
distributions of the rulers. The particulars, also, contained in the
Calendars comprehend a certain very small part of the Hermaic
arrangements. And the causes of such things as pertain to the phases or
occultations of the stars, or to the increments and decrements of the
moon, are assigned by the Egyptians the last of all. The Egyptians,
likewise, do not say that all things are physical. For they separate the
life of the soul and the intellectual life from nature, not only in the
universe, but also in us. And admitting intellect and reason to subsist
by themselves, they say that generated essences were thus fabricated.
They likewise arrange the Demiurgus as the primary father of things in
generation; and they acknowledge the existence of a vital power, prior
to the heavens, and subsisting in the heavens. They also establish a
pure intellect above the world, and one impartible intellect in the
whole world, and another which is distributed into all the spheres. And
these things they do not survey by mere reason alone, but through the
sacerdotal theurgy, they announce that they are able to ascend to more
elevated and universal essences, and to those that are established above
Fate, _viz._ to God and the Demiurgus; neither employing matter, nor
assuming any other thing besides, except the observation of a suitable
time.
CHAP. V.
This deific and anagogic path Hermes, indeed, narrated, but Bitys, the
prophet of King Ammon,[138] explained it, having found it in the adyta
of Saïs[139] in Egypt, written in hieroglyphics; and the same prophet
also delivered the name of God, which pervades through the whole
world.[140] But there are, likewise, many other coarrangements of the
same things; so that you do not appear to me to act rightly in referring
all things with the Egyptians to physical causes. For there are,
according to them, many principles and many essences; and also
supermundane powers, which they worship through sacerdotal sanctimony.
To me, therefore these things appear to afford common auxiliaries to the
solution of all the remaining inquiries. But since it is necessary not
to leave any one of them uninvestigated, we shall add them to these
problems, and examine them on all sides, in order that we may see where
there is any thing futile in your opinions.
CHAP. VI.
You say, therefore, “_that according to many of the Egyptians, that
which is in our power depends on the motion of the stars_.” What the
truth, however, is respecting this, it is necessary to unfold to you
from the Hermaic conceptions. For man, as these writings say, has two
souls. And one, indeed, is derived from the first intelligible, and
participates of the power of the Demiurgus; but the other is imparted
from the circulation of the celestial bodies, to which the soul that
sees God returns. These things, therefore, thus subsisting, the soul
that descends to us from the worlds follows the periods of the worlds;
but that which is intelligibly present from the intelligible, transcends
the genesiurgic motion, and through this a liberation from fate, and the
ascent to the intelligible Gods, are affected. Such theurgy, likewise,
as leads to an unbegotten nature is perfected conformably to a life of
this kind.
CHAP. VII.
Hence that of which you are dubious is not true, “_that all things are
bound with the indissoluble bonds of Necessity_,” which we call Fate.
For the soul has a proper principle of circumduction to the
intelligible, and of a separation from generated natures; and also of a
contact with real being, and that which is divine. “_Nor must we ascribe
fate to the Gods, whom we worship in temples and statues, as the
dissolvers of fate._” For the Gods, indeed, dissolve fate; but the last
natures which proceed from them, and are complicated with the generation
of the world and with body, give completion to fate. Hence we very
properly worship the Gods with all possible sanctity, and the observance
of all religious rites, in order that they may liberate us from the
evils impending from fate, as they alone rule over necessity through
intellectual persuasion. But neither are all things comprehended[141] in
the nature of fate, but there is another principle of the soul, which is
superior to all nature and generation, and through which we are capable
of being united to the Gods, of transcending the mundane order, and of
participating eternal life, and the energy of the supercelestial Gods.
Through this principle, therefore, we are able to liberate ourselves
from fate. For when the more excellent parts of us energize, and the
soul is elevated to natures better than itself,[142] then it is entirely
separated from things which detain it in generation, departs from
subordinate natures, exchanges the present for another life, and gives
itself to another order of things, entirely abandoning the former order
with which it was connected.
CHAP. VIII.
What then, is it not possible for a man to liberate himself [from fate]
through the Gods that revolve in the heavens, and to consider the same
as the leaders of fate, and yet as those that bind our lives with
indissoluble bonds? Perhaps nothing prevents this from being the case.
For if the Gods comprehend in themselves many essences and powers, there
are also in them other immense differences and contrarieties. Moreover,
this also may be said, that in each of the Gods, though such as are
visible, there are certain intelligible principles through which a
liberation to souls from mundane generation is effected. But if some one
leaves only two genera of Gods, _viz._ the mundane and supermundane, the
liberation to souls will be effected through the supermundane Gods.
These things, therefore, are more accurately discussed in our treatise
_Concerning the Gods_, in which it is shown who are the anagogic Gods,
and according to what kind of powers they are so; how they liberate from
fate, and through what sacred regressions; and what the order is of
mundane nature, and how the most perfect intellectual energy rules over
this. So that what you add from Homer, “that the Gods are flexible,” it
is not holy to assert. For the works of the sacred ceremonies of
religion have long since been defined by pure and intellectual laws.
Subordinate natures, also, are liberated through a greater order and
power; and when we abandon inferior natures, we are transferred into a
more excellent allotment. This, however, is not effected contrary to any
original sacred law, so as to cause the Gods to be changed, through a
sacred operation being afterwards performed; but from the first divinity
sent souls hither, in order that they might again return to him.
Neither, therefore, is any mutation produced through a reascent of this
kind, nor do the descents and ascents of souls oppose each other. For as
generation and this universe are suspended from an intellectual essence;
thus, also, in the orderly distribution of souls, the liberation from
generation accords with the care employed by them about generation.