It was to express this idea strikingly that Plato[231] represents the
demiurgic creator as admiring his handiwork, which would lead us also
to admire the beauty both of the model and of the idea. After all,
admiration of a work made to resemble a model amounts to admiration
of the model itself. However there is no reason for astonishment at
persons to whom this idea seems novel, for lovers, and in general all
those who admire visible beauty do not realize that they admire it only
because (it is the image) of the intelligible beauty.[232] That Plato
referred to the model the admiration felt by the demiurgic (creator)
for his work is proved by his adding to the words "he admired his work"
the expression "and he conceived the purpose of rendering it still more
similar to its model." He betrays the beauty of the model by saying
that the work is beautiful, and that it is the image of the model;
for if this model were not sovereignly beautiful, and did not possess
an unspeakable beauty, how could there be anything more beautiful than
this visible world? It is therefore wrong to criticize this world; all
that can be said of it, is that it is inferior to its model.[233]
THE POWER OF THE INFERIOR DIVINITIES DEPENDS ON THEIR INHERING IN THE
SUPREME.
9. (To explain our view we shall propose an experiment[234]). Let us
imagine that in the sense-world every being should remain as it is,
confusing itself with the others in the unity of the whole, to the
extent of its ability; so that all that we see is lost in this unity.
Imagine a transparent sphere exterior to the spectator, by looking
through which one might see all that it contains, first the sun and
the other stars together, then the sea, the earth, and all living
beings. At the moment of picturing to yourself in thought a transparent
sphere that would contain all moving, resting and changeable things,
preserving the form of this sphere, and without diminishing the size
of it, suppress mass, extent, and material conception. Then invoke
the divinity that created this world of which you have made yourself
an image to invest it. His coming down into it may be conceived of as
resulting from two causes. Either the Divinity that is simultaneously
single and manifold will come to adorn this world in the company of the
other inferior divinities which exist within Him. Each of these would
contain all the others that are manifold because of their powers; and
nevertheless they would form a single divinity because their multiple
powers are contained in unity. Or the Divinity will do this because the
only divinity contains all the inferior divinities within His breast.
(Which is the more likely hypothesis?)