Let us, therefore, now return to the words of Plato. In the first place
then he says that Ocean and Tethys were the progeny of Heaven and
Earth. And here we may observe, that as this whole world is ample and
various, as adumbrating the intellectual order of forms, it contains
these two extremities in itself, Earth and Heaven; the latter having
the relation of a father, but the former of a mother. On this account
Plato calls Earth the most ancient of the Gods within the heavens, in
order that conformably to this he might say, that Earth is the mother
of all that Heaven is the father; at the same time evincing that
partial causes are not only subordinate to their progeny, as Poverty,
in the Banquet of Plato to Love, but are likewise superior to them, as
alone receiving the offspring proceeding from the fathers. These two
extremities, therefore, must be conceived in the world, Heaven as the
father, and Earth as the mother of her common progeny. For all the rest
terminate in these, some giving completion to the celestial number,
but others to the wholeness of Earth. After the same manner, likewise,
in each of the elements of the world, these two principles, Heaven
and Earth, must be admitted, subsisting aerially indeed in air, but
aquatically in water, and terrestrially in earth; and according to all
the above-mentioned modes; in order that each may be a perfect world,
adorned and distributed from analogous[138] principles. For if man is
said to be a microcosm, is it not necessary that each of the elements
by a much greater priority should contain in itself appropriately all
that the world contains totally? Hence, it appears to me that Plato
immediately after speaking about Heaven and Earth, delivers the theory
of these Gods, beginning from those two divinities; for the other
divinities proceed analogous to Heaven and Earth. These two divinities,
however, are totally the causes of all the Gods that are now produced.
And these divinities that are the progeny of Heaven and Earth, are
analogous to the whole of each. These two, likewise, as we have before
observed, are in each of the elements, aerially, or aquatically, or
terrestrially. For Heaven is in Earth, and Earth in Heaven.[139]
And here, indeed, Heaven subsists terrestrially, but there Earth
celestially. For Orpheus calls the moon celestial earth.[140] Nor is it
proper to wonder that this should be the case. For we may survey the
same things every where, according to the analogous, in intelligibles,
in intellectuals, in the supermundane order, in the heavens, and in
generation, conformably to the proper order of each.
With respect, however, to each of these divinities, some of the
interpreters of Plato understand by Earth, this solid bulk which is the
object of sensible inspection; others as that which has an arrangement
analogous to matter, and is supposed to exist prior to generated
natures; others, as intelligible matter; others, as the power of
intellect; others, as life; others, as an incorporeal form inseparable
from earth; others conceive it to be soul; and others intellect. In
a similar manner with respect to Heaven, some suppose it to be the
visible heavens; others, the motion about the middle of the universe;
others, power aptly proceeding in conjunction with motion; others,
that which possesses intellect; others, a pure and separate intellect;
others, the nature of circulation; others, soul; and others, intellect.
I know, likewise, that the divine Jamblichus understands by Earth,
every thing stable and firm, according to the essence of the mundane
Gods, and which according to energy and a perpetual circulation,
comprehends more excellent powers and total lives. But by Heaven, he
understands the total and perfect energy proceeding from the demiurgus,
which is full of appropriate power, and subsists about the demiurgus,
as being the boundary of itself and of wholes. I know, likewise, that
the admirable Theodorus establishes both these powers in the life which
subsists according to habitude.
In order, however, that we may avoid erroneous opinions, and may
adhere to the most pure conceptions of Jamblichus, and the traditions
of Syrianus, if is necessary in the first place to recollect, that
Plato is now speaking of the sublunary Gods, that all of them are
every where, and that they proceed according to the analogy of the
intelligible and intellectual kings. And in the second place we must
say, that as the first Heaven is the boundary of and connectedly
contains the intellectual Gods, containing the measure which proceeds
from _the good_[141] and the intelligible Gods, into the intellectual
orders, after the same manner the Heaven which is now mentioned
by Plato, is the boundary and container of the Gods that are the
fabricators of generation, comprehending in one bound the demiurgic
measure, and also that which proceeds from the celestial Gods to those
divinities that are allotted the realms of generation, and connecting
them with the celestial government of the Gods. For as the demiurgus
is to _the good itself_, so is the one divinity of this Heaven, to the
intellectual Heaven. Hence, as there, measure and bound proceeds from
_the good_ through Heaven to all the intellectual Gods, so likewise
here a bound arrives to the Gods the fabricators of generation and to
the more excellent genera [viz. to angels, dæmons and heroes] from
the demiurgus, and the summit of the mundane Gods; viz. through the
connectedly-containing medium of this Heaven.[142] For the everywhere
proceeding Heaven is allotted this order; in one procession of
things indeed, unitedly and occultly; but in another manifestly and
separately. For in one order, it introduces bound to souls; in another
to the works of nature; and in another in a different manner to other
things. And in air indeed, it effects this primarily; but in the
aquatic orders secondarily; and in earth, and terrestrial works, in
an ultimate degree. But there are also complications of these. For
the divine mode of subsistence, and also the dæmoniacal are different
in the air, and in the earth. For in one place, the mode is the same
in different orders; but in another the mode is different in one
allotment. And thus much concerning the power of Heaven.