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Rh i. e. intellect, a profundity, silence, truth, and wisdom, which as Gale well observes in his notes on Iamblichus de Mysteriis, &amp;c. prove their dogmas to be of Chaldaic origin. For these words perpetually occur in the fragments of the Chaidaic oracles. And the middle of the Chaldean intelligible triad is denominated &#945;&#953;&#969;&#957; &aelig;on, i. e. eternity, and is also perfectly conformable to the theology of Plato, as is very satisfactorily shown by Proclus in the third book of the following work. According to the Chaldeans therefore, the &aelig;ones are Gods; and considered as the exemplars of the visible universe, they are analogous to the ideas of Plato, which also are Gods, as is evident from the Parmenides of that philosopher. According to Paul too, as the &aelig;ones are the fabricators of the visible world, they must be beings of a much higher order than angels, and consequently must be Gods; productive power being one of the great characteristics of a divine nature.

Again, in the Epistle to the Ephesians, chap. i. v. 21. Paul says that God has exalted Christ &#8220;far above every principality, and power, and might, and dominion,&#8221; υπεϱανω πασης αϱχης και εξουσιας, και δυναμεως και κυϱιοτητος. And in the 6th chapter and 12th verse he conjoins with principalities and powers, the rulers of the world, i. e. the seven planets, πϱος τας αϱχας, πϱος τας εξουσιας, πϱος τας κοσμοκϱατοϱας. Augustin confesses that he is ignorant what the difference is between those four words, (principality, power, might, and dominion,) in which the Apostle Paul seems to comprehend all the celestial society. &#8220;Quid inter se distent quatuor illa vocabula, quibus universam ipsam c&#339;lestem societatem videtur Apostolus esse complexus, dicant qui possunt, si tamen possunt probare quod dicunt; ego me ista ignorare fateor.&#8221; Ignatius also (in Epist. ad Trallianos) speaks of the angelic orders, the diversities of archangels and armies, the differences of the orders characterised by might and dominion, of thrones and powers, the magnificence of the &aelig;ones, and the transcendency of Cherubim and Seraphim,&#8221; και γαϱ εγω ου καθ’ ο, σι δεδεμαι, και δυναμαι νοειν τα επουϱανια, και τας αγγελικας ταξεις, και τας των αϱχαγγελων και στϱατιων εξαλλαγας,