The Court of the Gentiles Part 2, Book 2 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the Ionick Philoſophie by Thales, and its Jewiſh Original.
Of the firſt diſtinction of Philoſophers, into the Ionick, and Italick Sects. Both the Ionicks, and Italicks derived their Philoſophie by Tradition, immediately from the Egyptians, and Phenicians; but originally from the Jews. Thales of Phenician extract, the firſt that brought Philoſophie into Greece: his Philoſophie traduced originally from the Jews. His Natural Philoſophie plain. His great Principle, that Water is the firſt Matter of the Ʋniverſe, derived immediately from Sanchoniathon his foreign and foreign, which deſcended originally from Gen. 1.2. His other principles of Phyſiologie, viz. touching the Worlds production by God, by its Beautie; and the precedence of the Night before the Day from Gen. 1.5. Thales's Aſtronomie; his Invention of the Cynoſure from the Phenicians; his Calculation of the Year from the Egyptians: his Geometrie, and Arithmetick. Thales's Divine Philoſophie, or Natural Theologie from the Jews. His Demons thence alſo. His Scholars, and Succeſſors, &c. Anaximander, Anaximenes, Anaxagoras, Empedocles, Heraclitus, Democritus, Hippocrates.
§. 1. HAving diſcourſed at large of Philoſophie in general,The chief heads of the Ionick & Italick Philoſophie from Egyptians, Phenicians and Jews. eſpecially of Symbolick, and its Traduction from the Jewiſh Church, and Scriptures, we now proceed to the ſeveral Sects of Greek Philoſophers, and therein to demonſtrate, that the chief Heads (at leaſt) of each Sect, traduced their philoſophick notions, and contemplations from ſome Scriptural, or Jewiſh Tradition. As for the ſeveral Sects of Grecian Philoſophers; there were at firſt but few, but in after times they grew very numerous. Varro in Auguſt. de Civit. Dei l. 19. c. 1. tels us, that in his time, there were found in the Books of Philoſophers, no leſſe than 288. different opinions (which made ſo many different Sects) concerning the chiefeſt Good. For that Doctrine was, at that time, the touch-ſtone, whereby the different Sects of Philoſophers were diſtinguiſhed. Themiſtius acquaints us, that there came under his examen, near 300 ſeveral Sects. The firſt, and moſt Ancient Diviſion of the Greek Philoſophers was into the Ionick, and Italick Sects:Succedunt Ionicî illi, qui primi ſectae nomen dedere. Nam aliàs certum eſt nullibi antiquiores Philoſophos quam in Ionia ſuiſſe. Horaius Hiſt. Philoſ. l. 3. c. 12. as for the Eleaticks (which Voſſius addes as a third Sect) they were but a branch of the Italicks. Now touching the chief Heads, and firſt Founders of theſe two Sects, we have this good general Account in Carion's Chronicon l. 2. of the Studies of Learning in Greece. The firſt Doctors, ſaies he, in Greece were the Poets. Thence other Doctors ſprang up, who embraced all Arts: Arithmetick, Geometrie, Aſtronomie, Phyſicks, and Medicine. Part of theſe Sciences the ancient Iones (as it is likely) received from their Parents, Japhet, and Javan. But yet as for Arithmetick, Geometrie, Aſtronomie, and Medicine, the Egyptians, and Phenicians were more skilled herein. By converſation with whom Thales, and Pythagoras being inſtructed (about the time of Craeſus & Cyrus) by the exāple of their Anceſtors raiſed up the Studie of theſe Sciences in Europe; and taught them familiarly in the Scholes of their Diſciples. From theſe two then aroſe two Kinds of Philoſophie:Of this firſt diviſion of the Greek Philoſophers into the Ionick and Italick Sects, ſee Auguſt. de civit. Dei lib. 8 cap. 2. with Lud. Vives thereon. the Ionick from Thales, which was leſſe obſcure, & moſtly Natural The Italick from Pythagoras, which was more obſcure, and full of Enigmes, &c. And that theſe two Founders of the Ionick, and Italick Sects received the firſt Principles of their Philoſophie by tradition, rather than from any natural improvement, or Theories of their own, we have a good Demonſtrative account in Stillingfleet Orig. Sacrae Book 3. Chap 2. Sect. 2. which is worth our tranſcribing. It is a matter of ſome inquirie (ſaith he) whether the firſt principles of Philoſophie amongſt the Greeks, were not rather ſome traditional things conveighed to them from others, than any certain Theories, which they had formed from their own Experiments, and Obſervations. The former is to me far the more probable, on many accounts, but chiefly on this; that the firſt principles of the two Founders of the two chief Sects of Philoſophers, viz. the Ionick, and Italick, did come ſo near to that, which we have the greateſt reaſon to believe to have been the moſt certain account of the Origine of the World. For this opinion of Thales, viz. that Water was the firſt Matter, ſeems to have been part of that univerſal Tradition which was continued in the World, concerning the firſt Principles. This I ſuppoſe is evident; that thoſe Philoſophers of Greece, who converſed moſt abroad in the world, did ſpeak far more agreeably to the true account of things, than ſuch, who only endeavored by their own Wits to improve, or correct thoſe principles which were delivered by their other Philoſophers. Which I impute not ſo much to their converſe with the Moſaick Writings, as to that univerſal Tradition of the firſt Ages of the World, which was preſerved far better amongſt the Phenicians, Egyptians, and Chaldeans, than among the Greeks. For Greece from its beginning ſhined with a borrowed Light, &c. Thus Stillingfleet. Wherein he fully grants, and proves, that the firſt principles of the Ionick, and Italick Philoſophie were received by Tradition: only he ſeems to diſſent from ſuch, who derive their Tradition from Moſes's Writings, or the Jewiſh Church; rather inclining to believe, that the Tradition was univerſal from Noah's Sons, &c. which, if we grant, will not overthrow our Hypotheſis, that the Grecian Philoſophie deſcended by tradition from the Church (for Noah's family was the Church) of God. Yet I conceive (with ſubmiſſion) that (as it hath been already proved) the Egyptians, and Phenicians (if not the Chaldeans) received their traditions of the Creation, &c, not from their Anceſtors, Cham, and his Poſteritie; but from Moſes's Writings, and the Jewiſh Church: and I think we ſhall hereafter give moſt probable (if not certain) conjectures, that the chief principles of Thales, and Pythagoras their Philoſophie were traduced from the Writings of Moſes, or the Jewiſh Church. Yea Mr. Stillingfleet himſelf, in what follows in this ſame Section 3. gives us this ingenuous Conceſſion. I will not deny but that Pythagoras might have had converſe with the Jews, who it is moſt probable was in Chaldea after the Captivity, &c.
§. 2.Of Thales his extract from Phaenicia. Multi tamea Thalem non Mileſium, ſed I hoenicem fuiſſe putant, t…ſ…e Euſeb. lib. 10. P…aep. cap. 2. Hornius Hiſtor. Philoſ. l. 3. c. 12. But to begin with Thales the Head of the Ionick Philoſophie who was born at Miletus, the chief City of Ionia in the 31 Olymp. as Laertius informes us out of Apollodorus: yet others make him to be not a Mileſian, but Phenician by birth. Pliny l. 2. ſaies, that he lived in the time of Alyattis; and Cicero lib. 1. de Divin. tels us, that he lived under Aſtyages: both of which Relations agree; in as much as theſe two Kings waged war, each againſt other: as V…ſſius de Philoſoph. Sectis l. 2. c. 5. Hyginus, in his Poetico Aſtronomico, treating of the leſſer Bear, ſpeaks thus: Thales, who made diligent ſearch into theſe things, and firſt called this [leſſer Bear.] Arctos, was by nation a Phenician, as Herodotus ſaies. Which well agrees with theſe words of Herodotus Halicarnaſſenſis foreign· This was the opinion of Thales the Mil…ſia…, by his Anceſtors a Phenician: i. e. he was born at Miletus, but his Anceſtors were Phenicians. So Voſſius de Hiſt. Graec. l. 3. That Thales was of a Phenician extract, is alſo affirmed by Diogenes Laertius, and Suidas. So in like manner Voſſius de Philoſoph. Sect. lib. 2. cap. 1 §. 28. Thales alſo, ſaies he, who founded the Ionick Philoſophie, drew his original from the Phenicians: Whether he travelled from Phenicia to Miletus, with his Father N…leus, and there was made a Citizen, as according to Laertius, ſome would have it; or that he were born at Miletus, but of Phenician Parentage, as others rather incline. By which it is evident, that he was of a Phenician Extract;Thales quo que ſapien…iae amore ſa…cius, in orientem abiit, ibi que Aegyptiis ſacerdotibus familiariter adhaeſit. Laert. lib. 1. whence he had no ſmall advantages fully to informe himſelf in the Phenician, and Jewiſh Philoſophie. Some ſay that Thales travelled into Phanicia, and brought thence his Knowledge of Aſtronomie, particularly his obſervations of the Cynoſura, or the leſſer Bear, as Plinie lib. 5. c. 17. That Thales travelled into Aſia, and Egypt, to informe himſelf in the Oriental Wiſdom, he himſelf affirmes in his Epiſtle to Pherecydes.
§. 3.Thales his Wiſdom and Philoſophie. That the Grecian Philoſophie owes its original to Thales is generally confeſſed. For he, travelling into the Oriental parts, firſt brought into Greece Natural Philoſophie, and the Mathematicks, Geometrie, Arithmetick, Aſtronomie, and Aſtrologie. Whereupon he had that ſwelling Title of foreign i. e. wiſe man, conferred on him.The ſeven wiſe men, and their Philoſophie. About which time the ſame title was beſtowed on ſix others, for their more than ordinary Skill in Moral Philoſophie, and Politicks, viz. on Chilo Chilo the Lacedaemonian, Pittacus the Mitylenian, Bias the Prienean… Cleobulus the Lindian, Periander the Corinthian, & Solon the Athenian; who with Thales made up the ſeven wiſe men of Greece, of whom ſee Diogenes Laertius. The Wiſdom of theſe foreign, was for the moſt part Moral, tending to the Government of Human Converſation, which they wrapped up in certain ſhort Aphoriſmes, or Sentences, as it appears out of Quintil. l. 5. c. 11. The Precepts of thoſe ſeven men, may we not eſteem them as certain Rules of Life? For the Art of Diſputing obteined not as yet: but couching their Placits, under a few round words, they commended them as ſo many Religious Myſteries. Which at firſt began to be called foreign, becauſe they conteined the Sentences of Wiſe Men touching the Precepts of Life, and Manners. The like Euſeb. 10. praepar. cap. 2. Theſe Sentences, that they might have the greater Autoritie, and ſeem to be derived from God, rather than from men, were aſcribed to no certain Author. Whence that famous Sentence foreign, was attributed by ſome to Chilo, Lud. Vives, in Aug. Civ. Dei l. 8. c. 2. ſaies, that Thales was the firſt in Greece, that began to philoſophize of things natural, being born Olympiade 35. as Laertius.by others to Thales. Concerning Thales, Apuleius 18. Flor. gives this honorable Character. Thales the Mileſian, of thoſe ſeven wiſe men mentioned, will eaſily be granted to have the preeminence. For he was the firſt Inventor of Geometrie amongſt the Greeks, and the moſt certain finder out of the nature of things, and the moſt skilful Contemplator of the Stars; by ſmall lines he found out the greateſt things, the Circumferences of Times, the Flatus, or blowings of winds, the Meatus or ſmall paſſages of the Stars, the miraculous Sounds of Thunders, the oblique Courſes of the Stars, the Annual Returnes, or Solſtices of the Sun, the Increaſes of the New Moon, as the Decreaſes of the Old, and the Obſtacles which cauſe the Eclipſe. He truely, in his old Age, found a Divine account of the Sun; how often (i. e. by how many degrees) the Sun, by its magnitude, did meaſure the Circle it paſſed thorough: thus Apulcius: ſee more in Auguſt. de Civ. Dei l. 8. c. 2 and Lud. Vives.
Thales's Natural Philoſophie from the Phenicians immediately, but originally from the Scripture relation of the Creation.§. 4. Now to come to the particulars of Thales's Philoſophie, thereby to demonſtrate, that the main therof was traduced immediately from the Phenicians, and Egyptians, but originally from the Jewiſh Church. The chief of Thales's Philoſophie was Natural (which the Greeks called Phyſick) and that not obſcure (as Ariſtotles) but plain, and familar. Hence Thales's Followers in the Ionick Schole were in a peculiar manner ſtiled foreign Naturaliſts, becauſe quitting the mode of philoſophizing in uſe among the other Wiſe Men, which was chiefly Ethick; as alſo that in the Italick Sch…le which was Theologick, they wholly buſied themſelves in the Contemplation of things ſenſible & natural. In brief; Thales his Natural Philoſophie was indeed no other than a Natural Hiſtorie of the Origine of the Ʋniverſe, or (as Divines phraſe it) of the Creation of the World, which, as we have ſufficient reaſon to judge, he received from the Phenician Sophiſts, Sanchoniathon, and Mochus, their Phyſiologie, which originally was derived from Moſes's Writings, and the Jewiſh Church. And to make the Demonſtration hereof firme, we muſt conſider that in Thales's time, when Philoſophie began to take place in Greece, the main foreign, or firſt great principle of Natural Philoſophie, then in queſtion, was touching the firſt matter of the Ʋniverſe. For that the World had a beginning; and that this beginning was from God, all the Philoſophers, till Ariſtotle, generally aſſerted. So that this being a foreign, or a thing taken for granted;Thales's great prinicple, that Water was the firſt matter of all things, immediately from Sanchoniathon's Philoſophie, but originally from, Gen. 1.2. the great Inquirie was, about the firſt matter, out of which the World was formed. Concerning which Thales delivers his Judgement, that Water was the firſt Matter of all things. So Tullie de nat. Deorum lib. 1. c. 25. ſaies that Thales affirmed Water to be the Beginning of things, and that God out of Water framed all things. So Diogenes Laertius of Thales. Thus Steuch. Eugub. de peren. Philoſ. l. 7. c. 12. Thence Thales the Mileſian, according to the Theologie of Orpheus, and the Egyptians, pronounced, that Water was the principle of all things. And according to the affirmation of Homer, this opinion was delivered by other Grecians before Thales. Pherecydes alſo held the ſame opinion, that Water was the firſt Matter of the World, which, as 'tis moſt p…bable, was traduced immediately from Sanchoniathon's Phyſiologie; for in the beginning of his Natural Hiſtorie (cited by Euſebius praepar. Evang. l. 10) he ſaies there was in the beginning of things a ſpirit of dark Air, which he cals foreign an evening chaos, or darknes. And that Thales's foreign, Water, Thales's foreign the ſame with Sanchoniathon's foreign.was the ſame with Sanchoniathon's Chaos, we have the Teſtimonie of Plutarch, who produceth the Authoritie of Heſiod touching his Chaos; & addeth, that the greater part of ancient Philoſophers called water chaos, from diffuſion (a foreign ſundo) which will farther appear, if we compare it with what follows in Sanchoniathon:foreign & foreign i. e. ſlime, or a mixture of mud and water, the ſame with Thales's water, From the converſion of the Spirit with the chaos, there reſulted foreign, which they call foreign. This foreign, (according to the Phenicians foreign) ſignifies matter, which he interprets by foreign mud, or ſlime, or watery miſtion, which indeed was but the effect, or groſſer part of that Water, which Thales makes to be the material principle of all natural bodies. So Orpheus, ſpeaking of the firſt matter of the Ʋniverſe ſaies, foreign out of water ſlime was made. Which is a full explication of what Thales underſtood by his foreign, water; and the ſame with Sanchoniathon's foreign, or foreign, i e. ſlime, or mixture of mud, and water. And we have a good explication of the whole by the Scholiaſt, on theſe words of Apollonius: foreign The Earth of ſlime was made; where the Scholiaſt affirmes that the Chaos, whereof all things were made, was Water, which ſetling became Slime, and the Slime condenſed into ſolid Earth. Thus we ſee how that Thales's Water, which he makes the firſt material principle of all things, was indeed the ſame with, or immediately derived from, Sanchoniathon's foreign, and foreign i. e. ſlime, or mixture of water and mud together, from which the foreign of Plato, and Pythagoras, ſeems little to differ. Now that Sanch…niathon, and Thales, who followed him, traduced theſe their ſentiments of the firſt matter out of Moſes's Hiſtorie Gen. 1.2.That Sanchoniathon and Thales received theſe their principles not by univerſal Tradition but originally from Gen. 1.2. we have already demonſtrated (Book 1. Ch. 3. §. 13, 14, 15.) out of Learned Bochart, and others. But becauſe Learned Stillingfleet (as before §. 1.) inclines rather to believe, that theſe firſt Philoſophers received theſe their principles by univerſal Tradition from the firſt Ages, and not from the Jews, or Moſaik Writings. I ſhall adde farther. 1. The Confeſſion of Sanchoniathon, who ſaid, that he received the materials of his Hiſt…rie, from Jerombalus the Prieſt of the God Jao: who certainly was ſome Jewiſh Prieſt (as before Book 1. Ch. 3. §. 8.) 2. Sanchoniathon makes mention of Sydic, &c. which, without doubt, he received from the Jews. 3. Numenius an ancient Philoſopher cites for this opinion of Thales, that water was the firſt matter, the very words of Moſes Gen. 1.2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters; as Porphyrie de Antro Nymph. Of which ſee Stanley on Thales. 4. That Thales received theſe Traditions of the Creation from Moſes's Writings is affirmed, and demonſtrated by Steuchus Eugubinus. de peren. Philoſoph. l. 7. c. 12. where he ſhews how Thales ſubcribed to Moſes, in his notions of the Worlds Creation, as in what follows, §. 5. 5. Yea Stillingfleet himſelf, in the following Section (Orig. Sacr. Book 3. Chap. 2. Sect. 3.) has theſe very words: And thus we ſee, theſe 2 renowned Founders of the Ionick, and Italick Societies, both giving their concurring teſtimonie with Moſes, as to the true Origine of the World, and not at all differing from each other. Thales meant by his Water, the ſame with that foreign, or mixture of mud, and water, which Orpheus, &c. ſpeak of, as the principle of the Univerſe. And the Succeſſors of Thales, Anaximander, and Anaxagoras expreſſe themſelves to that purpoſe, which is the ſame with the Phenician foreign, which ſome call foreign, ſome mud, or ſlime, which they ſay was foreign. Thus we ſee, how Thales with the Phenicians, from whom he was derived (as Laertius tels us) and Pythagoras with the Egyptians, and others concur with Moſes, not only in the Production of the World, but in the manner of it, wherein is expreſſed a fluid matter, which was the material principle, as Gen. 1.2. upon the face of the waters: that is, all at firſt was but fluid matter, &c. Thus Stillingfleet, which, I conceive, fully proves our Aſſertion; and overthrows his foregoing Hypotheſis. That Thales, &c. received not theſe traditions from Moſes's Writings, or the Jewiſh Church originally. 6. Voſſius de Philoſ. Sect. l. 2. c. 5. §. 3. ſeems to refer this principle of Thales, that water was the original of all things, to the words of Moſes Gen. 1.2. upon the face of the waters, which, ſaies he, perhaps he learned from the Egyptians, and they from the Jews: even ſo plainly aſſerting our concluſion: Yet I ſhould think it moſt probable, that Thales had it from the Phenicians, and they from the Jews. 7. Laſtly, Mariana in his Annotations on Gen. 1.1. aſſures us; that from this place the Ancient Poets derived their chaos, and other like things.
§ 5.Other principles of Phiſiologie aſſerted by Thales. Thales held alſo many other philoſophick opinions touching the Worlds Origine, and perfection, which ſeem to be but traditions originally taken from Moſes's Hiſtorie. 1. He held there was but one world, and that made by God the ſpirit, out of the foreſaid Water.The origine of the world by Gods ſpirit Gen. 1.2. So Montaigne Eſſay l. 2. c. 12. Thales, qui le premier s'enquesta de telle Matiere eſtima Dieu un eſprit, qui ſit d' …au toutes choſes. This great Fundamental Principle, that the world was made by God, was generally received, and aſſerted by all the Philoſophers before Ariſtotle, who was the firſt that oppoſed it, becauſe ſeemingly contradictory to his Phaenomena, or purblind principles, as we are told by Plutarch de philoſplacit. 2.1. and Johan. Gram. de Creat. Mundi. 2.The beauty and perfection of all things. Gen. 1.13. Thales held (as Diogen. Laert.) foreign That the world being God's workmanſhip, was exceeding beautiful, or good, and perfect; as Gen. 1.31. This beauty or perfection of the world, he made to conſiſt in the admirable diſpoſition, and harmony, or order of every part, wherein he was followed by Pythagoras, who for this reaſon called the world foreign; and Plato, who ſaies, that God foreign, &c. beautified, and orderly diſpoſed every part of this Univerſe, with great ſymetry, and proportion anſwerable to his own eternal Idea, or forme, as in his Timaeus, of which hereafter. That Thales received this contemplation from Moſes, is affirmed by Steuch. Eugub. De Peren. Philoſophia l. 7. c. 2. To which it is to be refer'd, that according to Laertius the ſame Thales pronounceth: foreign, The world is moſt beautiful becauſe the workmanſhip of God. Doeſt not thou think that he ſubſcribeth to the Moſaick Theologie? Moſes ſaies, In the beginning God created. Graec. foreign, made: which Thales expreſſeth by the ſubſtantive foreign, deſigning thereby the ſame which Moſes does by foreign. 3. Thence Thales aſſerted the world was Animate, or a Living Creature: which alſo Plato held, calling the World foreign from Moſes's words Gen. 1.2. ſuppoſing this world to be animate, or vivified by the Spirit, or Providence of God called foreign. 4. Thales ſaid, the night was elder than the day, according to the Scripture Phraſiologie Gen. 1.5.Gen. 1.5. Thus Steuch. Eugubinus, de peren. Phil. l. 7. c. 12. Thales being asked, foreign, what firſt exiſted night or day? The night, ſaith he, was before any one day. Thou maieſt not judge that he conceived any thing elſe hereby, than what Moſes before delivered, and what the Latin Poet heard, from the ſame Grecians: but Thales, who, according to Laertius, went to the Egyptian Prieſts, to be inſtructed by them, had this paſſage from them. This circumstance of the Creation was held alſo by Orpheus, and Heſiod, who (as Stanley affirmes on Thales) had it from the Phenicians: I ſuppoſe from Sanchoniathon's foreign, which in all likelyhood was traduced from the Hebrew foreign Gen. 1.5. as Bochart Can. l. 2 c. 2.
Thales's Matheticks. 1. Aſtronomie.§. 6. Thales was in like manner well inſtructed in the Mathematicks, eſpecially in Aſtronomie, which he is ſuppoſed to have gained, partly from the Phenicians, and partly from the Egyptians: From the Phenicians he received, as 'tis ſaid, the Invention of the Cynoſ…ra, or the Conſtellation of the leſſer Bear, which he firſt brought into Greece. For that the Phenicians were the firſt Inventors, or obſervers of this Conſtellation, Voſſius endeavors to make good, from the word Cynoſura, which he makes to be Phenician from foreign a collection of light, that they were the firſt, that found out the uſe of this Conſtellation, to ſaile by (which has been ever ſince of great advantage to Mariners in their Navigations) I think, is generally granted. Yet it cannot be denyed, but that Thales received much emprovement, in his Aſtronomical Contemplations, from the Egyptians. For he himſelf in his Epiſtle to Pherecydes confeſſeth, that he travelled into Egypt to confer with the Aſtronomers. This Journey of his into Egypt is ſuppoſed to be the laſt he made; where having ſtudied Philoſophie, he returned to Miletus. That Thales was the firſt that brought Aſtronomie into Greece, we have the affirmation of Eudemus to confirme us. Laertius tels us,Laertius l. 1. that Thales was the firſt amongſt the Grecians, who found out the calculation, or diſtinction of the year into its ſeaſons, calling the laſt day of every monethmonth foreign, the 30th day, which we have good ground to perſuade our ſelves, he learned in Egypt; for there it was firſt in uſe, according to Herodotus lib. 2. The Egyptians, ſaies he, were the firſt, that found out the year, diſtinguiſhing it into 12 moneths, this they gathered from the Stars. But I think we have more probable conjectures, that the Egyptians received their diſtinction of the ſeaſons of the Year, from the Jewiſh Church their Inſtitutes, touching the Calculation of the Year, which I conceive were more ancient, than thoſe of the Egyptians. Thales's Geometrie from Egypt, and his Arithmetick from Phenicia.Thales alſo brought out of Egypt the Science of Geometrie, which took its beginning there, from the conſtant occaſions the yearly overflowing of Nile gave them of renewing the bounds of their Fields: Proclus on Euclia. 2.4. As in like manner he brought his skill in Arithmetick out of Phoenicia, which was found out there, in order to their Traffick.
§. 7. Thales alſo was the firſt of the Grecians, who made any Philoſophick Inquiries into the Nature, and Perfection of God. Thales the firſt of the Grecians, that philoſophized of God, his nature, &c.'Tis true Orpheus, Homer, Linus, and Heſiod had gotten from Egypt, and Phaenicia, ſome cloudy, and very obſcure traditions of God, which they made much more dark, by the many fabulous, and unworthy narrations, they mixed with them. But Thales delivered thoſe traditions, he had received in the Oriental parts, touching God, in a more Philoſophick, naked, and ſimple mode. For as Diogenes Laertius informes us, he held foreign· That God was the moſt ancient of beings, becauſe without generation. 2. That the World was foreign. The Work of God. 3. He aſſerted that God by his immutable Decree, and Providence governes the World (as Stobaeus) whence his opinion that the World was animated, i. e. by the Spirit, or Providence duplicate page duplicate page of God acting therein; as Gen. 1.2. The Spirit, &c. 4. Thales alſo (as Pythagoras, and Plato after him) held the Doctrine of Daemons (mentioned Pſal. 106.24. 1 Tim. 4.1.) which he aſſerted to be Spiritual Natures, or Subſtances, and a kind of midling made Gods, betwixt the immortal Gods, and mortal men: which traditions, ſome conceive, he had from Egypt: for that the Egyptians held theſe Daemons in the ſame manner, Iamblichus de myſter. Aegypt. acquaints us. So Mr. Bochart, in a Sermon at Caen, affirmed, that Joſeph was reputed the firſt of theſe Egyptian Daemons. But I ſhould rather think, that Thales had his Traditions of theſe Daemons, from Phaenicia, where they moſtly abounded, under the common name of Baalim, from foreign Belus one of the firſt Phaenician Kings, whence Jeſabel, &c. and that the Phaenicians had their Baalim from ſome broken tradition, and in imitation, of the Jewiſh Meſſias his Mediatorſhip, &c. as elſewhere. That Thales the firſt of all the Grecian Philoſophers, was of all the firſt, that treated Philoſophically of God, and heavenly things, we are aſſured by Tully; and ſo Minucius in Octavio ſaies, that Thales the Mileſian was the firſt of all, that diſputed of heavenly things. Which Philoſophick Traditions, we need no way doubt, came (though immediately from the Egyptians, and Phenicians, yet) originally from the Jewiſh Church.
Iamblichus de Vita Pythag. c. 12.§. 8 Amongſt the Diſciples of Thales, we may reckon firſtly Pythagoras, the Inſtitutor of the Italick Sect, who, being but 18 years old, addreſſed himſelf to Thales, at Miletus, from whom he received the firſt Rudiments of his Philoſophie, eſpecially his Mathematicks; with inſtructions to addreſſe himſelf to Egypt, Of the Scholars & Succeſsors of Thales, ſee more Auguſt. de civit. Dei lib. 8. cap. 2. with Lud. Vives thereon.for farther progreſſe therein. But he that ſuceeded Thales in his Schole, was Anaximander the Mileſian, who in ſome things differed from his Master. For he held an Infinity of firſt principles, yea of worlds, and Gods born, &c. as Laertius in his Life, Plutarch de philoſ. placitis, Euſebius, &c. The Succeſſor to Anaximander was Anaximenes the Mileſian, who dyed the ſame year that Croeſus was taken captive by Cyrus, as Laertius. Anaxagoras the Clazomenian ſucceeded Anaximenes, whom Juſtin Martyr cals the Atheiſt, following herein the Judgment of his adverſaries, Cleon, &c. who thought him ſo, becauſe he denyed the multiplicitie of their Gods. This Anaxagoras tranſlated the Schole from Aſia to Athens;Voſſius de Sect. Philoſ. l. 2. c. 5. Sect. 6. where he taught Socrates, Euripides, and Pericles: his Succeſſor was Archelaus the Athenian: as Voſſius.
§. 9 Among thoſe of the Ionick Sect, Chryſyppus, Empedocles, Danaeus ad enchirid. Laurent Hora. Hiſt. phil. l. 3. c. 12. Empedocles.Heraclitus, Democritus, Protagoras, Polemon, Epaminondas, Hippocrates, are by ſome reckoned. Empedocles was a perſon of a ſharp Ingenie, but mighty greedy of fame; for he affected not only Adoration while living, but after death alſo: wherefore, that he might be thought to have his abode among the Gods, he caſt himſelf into the furnace of Etna. Heraclitus was of a great A…umen,Heraclitus. but cloudy;Heraclitus ſententiarum ſua… nuhilus. Apul. de Mundo. whence he is ſtiled foreign: He ſeems to have borrowed many things from the Jews, as elſewhere. Democritus glorieth in this, that he learned many things from the Barbarians, (by whom,Babylonem, etiam & Perſas, & Egyptum, ut diſceret, pet…it Democritus. Hor. Hiſt. phil. l. 3. c. 12. as we have often hinted, we are principally, if not only, to underſtand the Jews) as Euſeb. praep. l. 10 c. 2. Out of Democritus's Schole proceeded Protagoras, who turned ad foreign, as alſo to make Sale of Philoſophie for money, which was of ill fame among the Ancients. Epaminondas, Epaminondas.the Th…ban, is by Austin lib. 7. de civ. Dei, called the chief Philoſopher, and Emperor. But none gained a greater name among the Ionicks after Thales, than Hippocrates;Hippocrates. a perſon of a ſtupendous Acumen,Hippocrates non tantum omnia priſcorum Philoſophorum ad unguem tenuit, ſed & om…ium judicem egit, primus hic ipſis Aegyptiis palmam praeripuit: qui medicinam cum philoſophia ita junxit, ut dubium ſit, maiorne Philoſophus, an Medicus ſuit. Certe cius placitis ſumma ſemper autoritas, & quaſi ſacra fuit. Hornius Hiſtor. philoſo, h. lib. 3. cap. 12. and erudition. He it was, that firſt made that happy conjunction 'twixt Philoſophie, and Medicine. The manner how he attained unto his Medicinal Science, they make to be this. There was in the Iland of Cous, where he lived, the Temple of Aeſculapius, wherein were laid up the Cures of Diſeaſes engraven on tables; as alſo rare Monuments of Wiſdom collected by former Ages: all theſe Hippocrates tranſcribed, examined, and perfected, ſo that the praiſe not only of the Reſtitution, but alſo of the Invention of Medicine is given to him. Although theſe all are by ſome reckoned Ionicks, yet ſome of them may be reduced to more particular Sects: as hereafter.