(Gnostics) admit that the Divinity interests Himself in men. How then
could He (as they insist), neglect the world that contains them? Could
this be the case because He lacked the leisure to look after it? In
this case He would lack the leisure to look after anything beneath
Him (including men also). On the other hand, if He do care for men,
that care would include the world that surrounds and contains them.
If He ignored what surrounded men, in order to ignore the world, He
would thereby also ignore the men themselves. The objection that men
do need that the Divinity should care for the world (is not true), for
the world does need the care of the Divinity. The Divinity knows the
arrangement of the world, the men it contains, and their condition
therein.[357] The friends of the Divinity support meekly all that
results necessarily therefrom. (They are right), for that which happens
should be considered not only from one's own standpoint, but also from
that of the totality of circumstances. Each (person or thing) should
be considered from his place (in the scale of existence); one should
ever aspire to Him to whom aspire all beings capable of (the Good);
one should be persuaded that many beings, or rather that all beings,
aspire thereto; that those who attain to Him are happy, while the
others achieve a fate suitable to their nature; finally, one should
not imagine oneself alone capable of attaining happiness.[358] Mere
assertion of possession does not suffice for real possession thereof.
There are many men who, though perfectly conscious that they do not
possess some good, nevertheless boast of its possession, or who really
believe they do possess it, when the opposite is the true state of
affairs; or that they exclusively possess it when they are the only
ones who do not possess it.
PLOTINOS ADDRESSES HIMSELF TO THOSE OF HIS FRIENDS WHO WERE FORMERLY
GNOSTIC, NOT TO THE LATTER WHO ARE HOPELESS.
10. On examining many other assertions (of the Gnostics), or rather,
all of their assertions, we find more than enough to come to some
conclusion concerning the details of their doctrines. We cannot,
indeed, help blushing when we see some of our friends, who had imbued
themselves with (Gnostic) doctrines before becoming friends of ours,
somehow or another persevere therein, working zealously to try to
prove that they deserved full confidence, or speaking as if they were
still convinced that they were based on good grounds.[385] We are here
addressing our friends, not the partisans (of the Gnostics). Vainly
indeed would we try to persuade the latter not to let themselves be
deceived by men who furnish no proofs--what proofs indeed could they
furnish?--but who only impose on others by their boastfulness.[359]