466 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, selves under the banners of the more fashionable ^^^^- teachers, who recommended their system by the no- velty of their method, and the austerity of their man- ners. Several of these masters, Ammonius, Plotinus, Amelius, and Porphyry^, were men of profound thought and intense application ; but by mistaking the true ob- ject of philosophy, their labours contributed much less to improve than to corrupt the human understanding. The knowledge that is suited to our situation and powers, the whole compass of moral, natural, and ma- thematical science, was neglected by the new Pla- tonists; whilst they exhausted their strength in the verbal disputes of metaphysics, attempted to explore the secrets of the invisible world, and studied to recon- cile Aristotle with Plato, on subjects of which both these philosophers were as ignorant as the rest of man- kind. Consuming their reason in these deep but un- substantial meditations, their minds were exposed to illusions of fancy. They flattered themselves that they possessed the secret of disengaging the soul from its corporeal prison ; claimed a familiar intercourse with demons and spirits ; and, by a very singular revolution, converted the study of philosophy into that of magic. The ancient sages had derided the popular supersti- tion ; after disguising its extravagance by the thin pre- tence of allegory, the disciples of Plotinus and Por- phyry became its most zealous defenders. As they agreed with the christians in a few mysterious points of faith, they attacked the remainder of their theolo- gical system with all the fury of civil war. The new Platonists would scarcely deserve a place in the history of science, but in that of the church the mention of them will very frequently occur.
- Porphyry died about the time of Diocletian's abdication. The life of
his master Plotinus, which he composed, will give us the most complete idea of the genius of the sect, and the manners of its professors. 'I'his very . curious piece is inserted in Fabricius, Bibl. Graeca, torn. iv. p. 88 — 148. THE END OF VOL. I. PRTNTFD BY TAT.BOYS AND WHF.FT.F.R, OXFORD.
