Page:The Origin of Christian Science.djvu/238

230 in an intellectual nature;” “It is requisite, that the soul of him who ascends to the good, should then become intellect, and that he should commit his soul to, and establish it in intellect.”

Proclus says: “He therefore who lives according to the will of the father (the Demiurgus or Intellect) and preserves the intellectual nature, which was imparted to him from thence immutable, is happy and blessed;” “Souls of a fortunate destiny, giving themselves to intellect&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;*&emsp;are permanently established in good; and no evil is present with them, nor ever will be.”

The first source of this speculation, it seems, is to be found in Aristotle's doctrine of divine contemplation, as a rational activity, in which is “eternal blessedness.”

The Neoplatonists, like Mrs. Eddy, regard all so-called material knowledge and all limitation of time and sense as not only not a help but a hindrance to the attainment of this blessed state.

Plotinus says: “Since the soul is in an evil condition when mingled with the body, becoming similarly passive and concurring in opinion with it in all things, it will be good and possess virtue, if it neither consents with the body, but energizes alone (and this is to perceive intellectually and to be wise), nor is similarly passive with it.” He