They took infinite pains to distinguish between intelligible and intelligent natures; 96 to shew, how ideas, not in themselves intelligent, but the objects of intelligence, could exist in the Divine intellect; to explain the manner in which the Divine mind acts upon matter; to make it evident, that matter is sent forth by emanation from an immaterial source; and to clear up other imaginary or inexplicable mysteries. "The Divine Mind," says Plotinus," aets upon matter by means of ideas, not externally, after the manner of human art, but internally, as a forming nature; neither separate from matter, nor mixed with it, he sends forth himself ideas, or forms, and impresses them upon matter." "God," says Jamblichus, " produced matter, by separating materiality from essentiality." But it is wholly unnecessary to dwell longer upon the visionary subtleties of the Alexandrian philosophy. The facts and opinions which we have laid before the reader respecting the Eclectic sect will, we doubt not, be thought abundantly sufficient to justify this general conclusion; that the Plotinian school, by combining systems which were originally distinct from each other; by personifying abstract conceptions, and speaking of them as real beings; by inventing strange fictions concerning the Supreme Being, and concerning subordinate divinities; and by raising upon these fictions, the baseless fabric of enthusiasm and fanaticism, introduced infinite confusion into philosophy, and fatally obstructed, instead of promoting, the progress of useful knowledge. The pernicious influence of the Eclec tic system, both upon opinions and manners, through many succeeding ages, will be seen in the sequel.* % Plot. Enn. I. viii. c. 4. 97 Enn. vi. I. v. c. 8. En. iii. l. i. c. 2. * Vidend. Voss. de Sect. c. 21. § 23. Heuman. Act. Phil. v. i. p. 327. Gesner. Act. Phil. v. i. p. 851. Mosheim, de Turb. per recent. Plat. Eccl. § 8. Selden in Orig. Alexand. p. 147. Oudin. de Scr. Eccl. t. 1. p. 230, 238. Rhodogin. Ant. Lect. I. xxi. c. 10. Blount. Cens. p. 203. Jons. 1. ii. c. 9. 18. J. iii. c. 11. 15, 16, 17. Holsten. Vit. Porph. ed. Rom. Basnage Annal. t. ii. An. 278. Vincent. Lirinensio. Commonit. c. 23. ed Bal. Pearson. Vind. Ignat. p. ii. c. 1. Huet. Origen, An. J. i. c. 1. Thomas Obs. de Porph. ap Heuman. t. iii. p. 53. Misc. Lips. t. i. p. 317. Clerici Bibl. Anc. et Mod. t. x. Reland. Palæstin. l. i. c. 48. Voss. de Hist. Gr. I. ii. c. 18. Conring. Ant. Acad. Diss. 1. Schmidii Diss. de Hypatia. Cave Hist. Lit. Sac. p. 251. Voss. de Sc. Math. c. xvi. § 9. SECT. V. Of the State of the Peripatetic Philosophy under the WHILST Platonism, and the Eclectic sect, which rose out of Platonism, flourished at Alexandria and Athens, and had many advocates in Rome, the other ancient sects still continued to exist in their respective forms, and to be supported by able patrons. The Peripatetic philosophy, which had been introduced · into Rome, as we have seen, by Tyrannio and Andronicus, by whom the writings of Aristotle and Theophrastus were rescued from oblivion, regained its ancient credit under the Cæsars. From the time of Andronicus to that of Antmonius, the preceptor of Plutarch, that is, till the reign of Nero, the doctrines of this sect were taught with great purity in its schools. But after Ammonius, it began to experience the influence of that spirit of confusion, which prevailed among the Eclectic philosophers; and the plan of Antiochus, who had formerly attempted a coalition between Aristotle, Plato, and Zeno, was revived. The Peripatetic sect was from this time divided into two branches; the one consisting of such as attempted to combine the doctrines of other schools with those of Aristotle; the other, including those who wished to follow more closely the steps of the Stagyrite. Julius Cæsar, and Augustus, patronized the Peripatètic philosophy; the former in the person of Sosigenes, the latter in that of Nicolaus. Under the tyrannical reigns of Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius, it experienced worse fortune; many excellent men of this sect, as well as others, being either banished from Rome, or obliged, through fear of persecution, to remain silent. In the reign of Nero, a for Bayle. Moshem de Studio Ethnicorum Christianos imitandi. Diss. H. E. p. 330. Idem de Causis suppos. lib. ibid. p. 217. Cudworth. c. iv. § 23. 30, &c. cum Notis Moshem. Fabr. Proleg. in Vit. Procli. De Bleterie Vie de Julien. Amst. 1735. Rechenberg. de Apost. Jul. Toland's Tetradymus. Werensdorf. Diss. 1734. 33 Nunnes. ad Vit. Arist. p. 153. Patricii Disc. Perip, t. i. l. x. p. 127. xi. p. 145. Fabric, Bibl. Gr. v. ii. p. 271. tunate circumstance for awhile raised philosophy from the dust. Agrippina, the wife of the emperor Claudius, having formed the design of advancing her son Nero to the imperial power, in order to give the people high expectations concerning him, committed the charge of his education to philosophers of the first eminence, particularly Seneca the Stoic, and Ægeus the Peripatetic. In consequence of this appointment, philosophers continued, for about five years, to enjoy the patronage of the imperial court: but, after that period, they shared the fate of the professors of magical arts, or, as they were then called, mathematicians, and were again banished the city.99 During the first century of the Roman empire, we find few celebrated names among the Peripatetic philosophers. The principal are Sosigenes, Boethius, Nicolaus, and Ægeus. Sosigenes, a native of Egypt, acquired great celebrity by his acquaintance with mathematical science, and was employed by Julius Cæsar in correcting the calendar. He wrote a commentary upon Aristotle's treatise De Colo.1 Boethius of Sidon was a pupil of Andronicus. Strabo mentions him as his fellow-pupil in the study of the Aristotelian philosophy, and ranks him among the most famous philosophers of his time.? Nicolaus, a native of Damascus in Syria, flourished in the time of Augustus. He was a man of extensive learning, and an illustrious ornament of the Peripatetic school. Herod the Great made choice of him for his preceptor in philosophy; and, when he sailed to Rome, for the purpose of visiting the emperor, took him as his companion in the voyage. Afterwards, interrupting the study of philosophy, that prince prosecuted historical learning under Nicolaus, who, at his request, undertook to write an Universal History. Introduced by Herod to Augustus, he was admitted to his intimate friendship, and received from him many Plin. Hist. N. 1. xxx. c. 1. 1 Plin. l. xviii. c. 25. Conf. Patric. I. x. p. 134. Voss. de Scient. Math. c. 33. 2 Ammon. in Categ. p. 8. › Menag. ad Laert. 1. vi. § 443. Strabo. 1. xvi. p. 757. v. ii. p. 299. 4 Athenæus 1. vi. p. 246. Suidas. Suet. in Aug. c. 78. Plut. Symp. 1. viii. qu. 4. Fab. Bib. Gr. Phot. Cod. 189. Fabr. v. ii. p. 199. valuable tokens of regard. The integrity and generosity of his spirit, and the urbanity of his manners, obtained him universal respect.. Nicolaus wrote several treatises on the philosophy of Aristotle; "A Dissertation on the Manners of various Nations;" "Memoirs of Augustus;" and "His own Life." Of these some fragments are preserved by Valesius. Alexander Egeus wrote a commentary upon Aristotle's Meteorology, in the manner of the ancient Peripatetics. He was, as we have said, one of Nero's preceptors, but gained little credit in this capacity, for he is suspected of having contributed to the corruption of his royal pupil. This philosopher is sometimes confounded with Alexander Aphrodiseus." About this time Ammonius, the preceptor of Plutarch, attempted to extend the authority of Aristotle beyond the limits of his own sect, by blending the Platonic and Stoic doctrine with the Peripatetic. He taught and died at Athens. From this time many Platonists studied the writings of Aristotle, and commented upon them; and thus the way was prepared for the formation of the Eclectic sect under Ammonius Sacca, who flourished about a century later than Ammonius the Peripatetic.6 After this time, however, we still meet with several genuine followers of Aristotle, of whom the most celebrated was Alexander Aphrodiseus, so called from a town in Caria which gave him birth. This philosopher penetrated, with so much success, into the meaning of the most profound speculations of his master, that he was not only respected by his contemporaries as an excellent preceptor, but was followed by subsequent Aristotelians among the Greeks, Latins, and Arabians, as the best interpreter of Aristotle. On account of the number and value of his commentaries, he was called, by way of distinction, The Commentator. Under the emperor Septimius Severus he was appointed public professor of the Aristotelian philosophy, but whether Suidas. Fab. v. ii. p. 273. v. iv. p. 63. • Eunap. Proem. Vit. Soph. p. 5. Suidas. Plut. de E Delph. Fab. v. ii. p. 274. v. iii. p. 330. v. iv. p. 171. 'Suidas. Aphrod. de Anim. Pref. 1. 1. De Fato, înt. Topic. I. ii. p. 72. De Anim. 1. i. 11. 1. ii. 144. 1. iii. c. 7. p. 138. at Athens or Alexandria is uncertain. He flourished about the year 200. Several of his works are still extant, among which is a learned and elegant treatise "On Fate," wherein he supports the doctrine of Divine Providence. Upon this head he leaned towards Platonism, but on most other subjects adhered strictly to Aristotle. In his book concerning the Soul, he maintains that it is dós тi Toũ awμaros ὀργανικοῦ, καὶ οὐκ οὐσιαν αὐτὴν καθ' αὐτὴν, not a distinct substance by itself, but the form of an organized body.9 Many of the Eclectic philosophers undertook to explain and illustrate the writings of Aristotle, particularly on the subject of dialectics, which Plato had left imperfect. Besides Porphyry, Jamblichus, Plutarchus, Nestorius, and others already mentioned, we may reckon Dexippus, Themistius, Olympiodorus, and Simplicius, among the Eclectic commentators upon Aristotle.10 Dexippus was a disciple of Jamblichus; but though he gave his name to the Platonic school, he was more inclined to the doctrine of Aristotle than to that of Plato, as appears from his "Reply to the Objections of Plotinus against Aristotle's Categories," a work still extant." Themistius, who was born in an obscure town of Paphlagonia, fixed his residence at Constantinople, and taught eloquence and philosophy with great success. He had many disciples, both Pagan and Christian: among the former was Libanius; among the latter, Gregory Nazianzen. He enjoyed the favour of the emperors, by whom he was admitted to the highest honours. Constantius, in the year 355, received him into the senate, and afterwards, in return for an eloquent eulogium, presented him with a brazen statue. Julian received him as a friend, and frequently corresponded with him. In the year 362, he was appointed by this emperor prefect of Constantinople. He enjoyed equal distinction under the succeeding emperors, from whom he obtained by his eloquence whatever he wished. Theodosius the Great, during his visit to the western empire, entrusted Themistius with the care and • Ed. Lond. 1658. 10 Euseb. Ecc. Hist. 1. vii. c. 32. Scrip. c. 73. Porph. Vit. Plot. c. 14. "Simplic. in Categ. p. 1. Suidas. 9 Qu. et Sol. I. ii. c. 8. Niceph. 1. vi. c. 36. Hieron. Cat. |