82 bitumen, and the sprinkling of marine water.
For sulphur purifies from the sharpness of its odour; but marine water on account of its fiery portion.
Besides this, in the worship of the Gods, they offered animals, and other substances congruous to their nature; and received in the first place the powers of dæmons as proximate to natural substances and operations, by whose assistance they evocated these natural bodies to which the they approached into their presence.
Afterwards they proceeded from dæmons to the powers and energies of the Gods, partly indeed from dæmoniacal instruction, but partly by their own industry, aptly interpreting symbols, and ascending to a proper intelligence of the Gods.
And lastly laying aside natural substances and their operations, they received themselves into p.
83 the communion and fellowship of the Gods.
Thus far Proclus, and thus much for the theological doctrine of Orpheus, as contained in the works of the latter Platonists.
I persuade myself enough has been said in this Dissertation to convince every thinking and liberal mind, that the Greek theology as professed and understood by the Greek philosophers, is not that absurd and nonsensical system, represented by modern prejudice and ignorance, as the creed of the ancients.
In consequence of a blind and mistaken zeal it is common to ridicule the opinions of the ancient philosophers, in order to establish the certainty of the Christian religion.
But surely revelation does not require so unwarrantable and feeble a support, which in reality only betrays the cause it endeavours to defend, by giving infidels occasion to suspect, either p.
84 weakness in its evidence, or obscurity in its fundamental doctrines.
Besides, the generality of these uncandid opponents know nothing of the Platonical writers, from whom alone genuine information can be derived on this sublime and intricate subject; and from whose works the preceding Dissertation has been so abundantly enriched.
Were these invaluable books more generally known and understood, if they did not refine our taste, at present so depraved, they would at least teach us to admire the strength which human reason is capable of exerting, and to be more modest in our pretensions to wisdom; they would silence ignorant declaimers, and stop the immense increase of books on modern philosophy, which are so rapidly hastening to the abyss of forgetfulness, like streams into the ocean from which they originally flowed.
Footnotes 13:e In the latter part of this Dissertation, we shall discourse on the agreement between the doctrine of Orpheus and the Platonists.
16:f Procl.
lib.
i.
Theol.
Plat.
26:e Θεοι Νοεροὶ, Ὑπερκόσμιοι, Ἐγκὸσμιοι Et inter hos, aliæ τάξεις Φρυρητιχῶι ϑεῶν, Δημιυργικῶν, Ἁναγωγῶν, Συνεκλιχῶν Τελεσιυρῶν· Ζωογόνων, Ἀλρεπλων, Ἀπολϋὶων, Κριτικῶν, Καθαρλικῶν, &c.
Eschenb.
Epig, p.
58.
27:f In Timæum.
p.
67.
27:g In Tim.
p.
290.
29:h In Tim.
p, 95.
Themes
◆Gnosis Direct Knowledgesoteriology
Salvation through direct experiential knowledge of the divine nature, not through faith, ritual, or moral works alone.
The ascent involves 'aptly interpreting symbols' to reach a 'proper intelligence of the Gods'.
The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.
The process of ascending to divine intelligence and entering communion implies participation in the divine nature.
The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
[auto] The passage explicitly centers on the 'presence of divine light' and 'supernal light' as the primary means of illumination and deification for material natures.
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
[auto] The passage outlines a 'relation of inferiors to superiors' and a 'procession' of fire from the lamp, reflecting a hierarchical flow of being.
A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.
[auto] The text describes material natures being 'carried upwards' through participation in divine fire, indicating a movement toward the higher source.
Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.
[auto] The passage explicitly describes ritual practices involving substances and animals to evoke divine powers and ascend to the Gods, fitting the definition of Iamblichean theurgy.