On the Perennial Philosophy

IN BOOK FIVE, PLATO’S PHILOSOPHY CONCERNING THE

CHAPTER I. That Plato asserts there is one unique God. Although he attributes divinity to the heavens just as Aristotle does, he holds that this is not the true, supreme Divinity, but rather a created one, made by that supreme being. That Plato, following the theology of Hermes Trismegistus original: "Theologyia Trismegisti", calls that great and supreme God "ineffable." Here Plato affirms that this God is the creator not only of the celestial body, but also of the soul. That those who claim Plato believed in a "perpetually flowing" creation referring to the idea of eternal emanation rather than a specific act of creation are greatly mistaken. That Plato followed the Egyptians and Chaldeans in describing the creation of the world.

II. That not only in the Timaeus, but also in other places, Plato speaks excellently of the supreme God: he affirms Him to be the creator of all things, even of the [lesser] gods. An example from the books of the Republic concerning God’s easy power to create all things. What is meant by Plato saying that God also "begets himself."

III. Why Plato, in the books of the Laws, presented the divinity of the stars more prominently than that of the supreme God. Because he feels and says the supreme God is ineffable, of whom one must speak with caution.

IV. That Plato’s views on the highest and unique God were things he had heard from his ancestors. That Timaeus the Pythagorean the speaker in Plato's dialogue confesses God is the author of the world, as well as the inventor of time and all celestial order; Plato followed and greatly approved of these views.

V. Examples proving the confession of a unique and single God in Plato, to whose power and authority he refers all good things, confessing Him as the author of everything we possess.

VI. That in Plato’s works many things are called by the name "divine," but there is one unique and ineffable creator and governor of all.

VII. Concerning the highest God, whom Plato calls the "Supreme Good," affirming Him to be the author of all things in heaven and earth, from whom the "being" existence of all things originates.

VIII. That Plato confesses God is the author of all good things but of no evil; the best, most beautiful, and truthful. That it is beneficial to pay penalties and be chastised. This dogma concerning "Goodness" was taken from Trismegistus.

IX. That Plato took this [doctrine] concerning divine Goodness from Trismegistus.

X. That Plato calls God the creator of all things. Testimonies by which it appears he named Him the founder of the Universe. That for Plato, a "divine offspring" is the author of the world, to whom he assigns a "Father" in his Epistle.

XI. That in other places Plato calls God the creator of heaven and the governor of the celestial orders, who distributed His Angels to the rudders of the world; the creator of the world and the discoverer of all good things.

XII. Various testimonies by which the confession of a unique God in Plato is proved: whom he confesses as both the creator of the world and the one to whom all good things are credited.

IN BOOK SIX.

CHAPTER I. That the more recent philosophers who flourished after Plato and Aristotle, having venerated and imitated the theology of their ancestors, agreed wonderfully with celestial theology, calling upon one unique God and proclaiming all those things about Him which are found in the Sacred Books. The testimony of Theophrastus and Alexander likely Alexander of Aphrodisias concerning God.

II. That the theology of the Romans recognizes, confesses, and names one unique God, looking out for all, present everywhere, filling the whole world, and of immense wisdom.