18. This place may be adduced to shew how literal our Syrian translator has endeavoured to be, and how very greatly he has distorted the order of his Syriac, in order to suit it to that of his Greek original. The Syriac stands thus: [Syriac]. Than which nothing can be more preposterous. The Greek is this: [Greek] Which is not a bad specimen of Eusebius's want of simplicity. ---- This argument is also given in the Demonst. Evang. Lib. iv. cap. v. p. 150. D. seq.
19. Anaxagoras imagined that the origin of all things consisted of similar parts. (Plutarch, p. 876. Vol. ii. Edit. 1620.). His theory is manifestly taken from the Bible. He says, [Greek] All things were (confused) together: but MIND divided and adorned them: i. e. the " Spirit" of the Bible. Zeno too, according to Aristotle, argued thus, (cited at § 30. infra.)
20. It may perhaps be supposed that our author shews his Arian propensity here. But the same might be said of Justin Martyr, and, indeed, of the Fathers generally, if this were allowed. See Whitby on Eph. iv. 6. and the note on Book ii. sect. 3. below.
21. There is much reasoning of this sort in Aristotle's Tract on Xenophanes, Zeno, and Gorgias; and which cannot but be read with interest here, particularly the part on Zeno. See also Diog. Laert. Life of Plato near the end. This same argument is also urged by Lac-tantius, Lib. i. cap. iii. A little lower down, cap. v., he shews how some of the greatest poets and philosophers taught, that ONE supreme God formed and governed all things. Among the poets, Orpheus, Virgil, Ovid, &c.: among the philosophers, Thales, Pythagoras, Anaxagoras, Antisthenes, &c. See also Prep. Evan. Lib. ix. capp. ix.----xiii. Ib. Lib. in. capp. ix. xii. xiii. &c.
22. Alluding to Ps. xix. 4----6.
23. Our Greek (Orat. de laudd. Constant.) leaves us here, and does not join us again till we come to Book 11. Sect. 3.
24. Syr. [Syriac], a paraphrase for Theologian: a title very applicable to St John, who spoke much of the Lo&goj tou~ Qeou~ .
25. John i. 10. with the Peschito.
26. Alluding to the reasoning of Plato, see Book ii. § 33. seq.
27. See the Note to sect. 41. below.
28. So also Aristotle, Lib. de Juventute et Senectute, cap. ii. "Necesse autem est, ut anima vegetatrix in haben-tibus, actu simplex unaque sit, potentia multiplex ac plures."
29. Our Author knew how to accommodate his reasoning to the class of readers whom he was addressing, who were the classical scholars of his day.----Homer's councils of the Gods gave the first outline perhaps of the sketch given here: so Ovid----
Mac iter est superis ad magni tecta Tonantis,
Regalemque domum; Dextra laevaque Deorum
Atria nobilium valvis celebrantur apertis.
Plebs habitant diversa locis: a fronte potentes
Coelicolae, clarique suos posuere Penates.
Hic locus est; quem, si verbis audacia detur,
Haud timeam magni dixisse Palatia coeli.
Metam. i. 1. 170. seq.
The Stoics in like manner affirm, that the world is a sort of city, consisting both of Gods and men: the Gods being the rulers, men the subjects, &c. [Greek]. From the epitome of Arius Didymus. Prep. Evang. Lib. xv. cap. xv. so also Philo, ib. Lib. xiii. cap. xviii. Ed. Viger. p. 704. making the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, &c. a sort of ministry to the whole. A passage similar to this is also to be found in the Oration of our Author, "de laudibus Constantini," cap. i. near the beginning. The most complete discussion on this subject is, perhaps, cap. vi. of Aristotle's Liber de mundo. See also Plato's heavenly earth. Prep. Evang. Lib. xi. cap. xxxvii.
30. This passage has been introduced into the Oratio de laudd. Constant. cap. i. p. 409. C. D. And, as it is extraordinary, and not very clear, I give both the Syriac and Greek of it: [Syriac, Greek] Matt, xxvii. 51. &c. The place is apparently an imitation of Job xxvi. 9. Sec my Translation and Notes, and the Greek of the LXX.
31. Much to the same effect though not so full, Clemens Alexand. Strom. Lib. vii. p. 704. who compares the all-pervading power of Christ to that of a magnet acting upon a series of iron rings, and affecting at once both the least and the greatest.
32. The Syriac is ambiguous here [Syriac] , which may mean, either as given in the text, or, as being made by its Father, who is the Word of God: ascribing the creation of all, as is frequently the case in this work, to Christ. I think the former, however, more likely to be the true meaning.
33. To the same effect, our Author in his work against Marcellus, Lib. i. cap. i. p. 4. C. seq.