CHAP. XV. Plato. PLATO appears to have been of an Athenian family, settled at Colyttus-the son of Ariston, and born about 450 years before Christ-some suppose in the Archonship of Apollodorus. He is said to have had royal ancestors, and to have traced his maternal descent from Solon. Plato in early life was engaged in military service, and afterwards was so distinguished for his talents, that he might have had a direction in public affairs, but he pre-, ferred the pursuits of science, and the search after truth in the retirement of private life. He was a disciple of Socrates, and took a zealous part in his defence, and, upon failure Laert. lib. i. 4. Athenæ. Au. lib. v. and Stanley's Hist. of Philosophy. of his exertions, retired in grief to Megara. He instituted a sect which took its name from the academy at Athens, in which its professors taught. This sect was continued by Speusippus, Xenocrates, and others. He appears to have travelled much, and was highly esteemed by Archelaus, king of Macedonia; and by Dionysius the younger, who twice, at the suggestion of Dion, invited him to his court, but, becoming jealous of him, he soon ceased to be directed by his advice. Plató resorted to Egypt, and abode some time at Sais. Ambrose states, that it was with a particular view to inform himself with respect to the actions and oracles of Moses, and of the sayings of the prophets; he is particularly reported to have received intelligence at Heliopolis, from a Jew named Sechnuphis; he afterwards travelled into other . countries of the East. It is believed, that he obtained much information from the writings of the Jewish prophets +. Some * Clem. Ad Psalm cxviii. et Lib. de Noe et Arca. c. 8. + Euseb. præp. Evan. lib. ix. c. 5. and lib. xi. Strom. Selden de Jure Natur. et Gentium. lib. i. c. 2. have supposed, that he had intercourse with Jeremiah, or as others say more consistently. with chronology, with Nehemiah or Malachi. All Christian antiquity affirms, that he bor rowed from sacred sources. Plato himself has candidly confessed, that he obtained his best and chief divinity from the Phoenicians, particularly concerning the fraternal relation subsisting between all men, as made out of the earth, alluding, it should seem to the formation of Adam. It is probable, that by the Phoenicians he meant the Hebrews *. He mentions also Syrian fables or traditions, which he describes as ineffable; and though he disguised many things which he borrowed, Clement of Alexandria styles him the Hebrew Philosopher, and refers to passages, which speak of a deluge, and of a future destruction of the earth by fire Justin Martyr also says, that he drew many things from the Hebrew fountain, especially his pious conceptions concerning God and his worship. Even Porphyry confesses, • Hammond on Matt. xv. 22. Bochart, Phaleg. lib. iv. 34. + Cohort. ad Gen. c. 20, 21. p. 60. Strom. lib. v. c. 235. p. 649, 650. Euseb. præp. Evan. lib. ix. c. 6. lib. x. c. 1. Huet. Demonst. Evang. Prop. 4. Apol. 2. Gale, Selden, &c. that he borrowed much from the Hebrews *, and Numenius remarks, that he was none other than Moses speaking in Greek. He treats of the Supreme Being in various passages with a comprehension and sublimity of thought, which seem to rise beyond the highest reach of unassisted reason. He considers God as the beginning, middle, and end of all things, and he blames philosophers for ascribing to a second cause what might be attributed to a first §. He appears, however, to have formed erroneous notions of the eternity of the world, and to have spoken too strongly of the malignity of human nature, as if not reducible even by the power of God. It has been well observed of Plato, that no writer has more judiciously inculcated the obligations of social life on the foundation of reason and truth, or raised stronger bulwarks in defence of its civil institutions. He has erected the structure of government on the rock of nature, and excited the reverence of mankind by the Theo, cont. Græc. et Euseb. lib. i. + Joseph. cont. Apion, lib. ii. Euseb. præp. Evan. Suidas οι νομίμοις. De Legib. tom. ii. lib. iv. p. 715. Edit. Stephan. solidity of its basis, and by the height of its muniments and towers. He gives an account which is probably borrowed from what is related by the inspired writer, of God's having brought the creatures which he had formed unto Adam, saying, it is most true, that a power more than human gave the first names to things, so that we must needs think that they were rightly given *. Justin Martyr remarks, that when Plato "it is the fault of man who chuses, says, "but God is without fault+;" he borrowed it from Moses; and that what he observed in his Timæus, concerning the Son of God, speaking physically and naturally, "He cut "him in the form of a cross," was taken from Moses, who relates, that he placed a fiery serpent upon a pole (in the form of a cross probably) in the wilderness, whoever looked upon which, after being bitten, was healed. In his Φαίδων, ἥ περι ψυχῆς, in confirming Cratyl. p. 390. Edit. Stephan. and Jackson Chron. Antiq. p. 21. Euseb. Præp. Evang. lib. xi. c. 6. + De Repub. lib. x. p. 617. et Just. Martyr. Apol. p. 67. Edit. Thirl. I Exiaos, autò in to warri, ad Timæ. p. 36. Numb. xxi. 6—9, and Just. Martyr. Apol. 1. p. 78. Edit. Paris. 742. |