what they were about to undertake. But after the best Search I have been able to make concerning this Genius of Socrates, I cannot but look upon it as an intricate and perplext Bufinefs. * Gaffendus endeavours to prove at large, that it was only an Artifice and Pretence, to gain the greater Credit to his Doctrine. It may fuffice in this place to observe, that s Xenophon acquaints us, that when he advised with Socrates, whether he should follow Cyrus in his Expedition, Socrates sent him to the Oracle of Apollo, who, he said, was to be consulted in obscure and uncertain Affairs; which affords no very advantageous Character either of Socrates himself, or of his Genius. Tully informs us, that Antipater the Stoick had made a Collection of such things as Socrates's Genius had difcover'd to him; but whatever they were, it appears that Tully had little regard to them. And this we are fure of, that all the Philosophy of Socrates ended in nothing but Uncertainties: For when he had just before his Death discours'd of the State after this Life, the most that he could fay to his Friends in Conclufion, was, u that they had a Noble Prize before them, great Hopes, and a glorious Venture, and therefore ought to poffess and charm their Minds with those Thoughts. The Suggestions of his Genius fignify'd little to him, if it left him no better 'In Epicur. Moral. Philof. Plato Phæd. instructed, instructed, as to a future State, in the last Moments of his Life. It must be acknowledg'd that Socrates made great Improvements in the Moral and useful part of Philosophy: He was of an excellent Understanding, loving and belov'd of honest Men, and had Courage and Resolution enough to bear the Affronts and withstand the Malice of others; he minded none but the practical Dotrines of Philosophy, and tho he never had travell'd in search after Learning, as it was the Custom in those Ages for Philosophers to do, but scarce ever stirr'd out of Athens, yet he knew how to make the best use of the Notions which were brought to him by those, who had been in foreign Countries. It must be confess'd, that if Plato had not made Socrates the Author of things which he had never said, as not only* Xenophon, but Socrates himself declared, but had given us as plain an Account of Socrates's Philosophy, as Arrian has of that of Epictetus, we might have known more of him than we now are able to do. But from what Plato and Xenophon have said of Socrates, we may be affur'd, that he did not refrain from idolatrous Worship, nor reject the Heathen Oracles, nor deliver his own Doctrines, without much Uncertainty and Diffidence. Plato carry'd his Philofophy to far greater Heights than Socrates had done, and the sublimer parts of it were not to be discover'd to the A. Gell. l. xiv. c. 3. Diog. Laert. in Platon. Vulgar; Vulgar; which were so difficult, that he declares to y Dionyfius, that Men of great Abilities, and as great Application and Industry, after the Study of Thirty Years, at last, with much ado, understood them. 2 One of Plato's Acquaintance observ'd, that most that apply'd themselves to the Study of his Philosophy, when they were young, could hardly get to understand it in their old Age: which he illustrated by an odd Comparison from a Jest of Antiphanes, of Words spoken in a certain City in Winter, that were frozen, and never heard, but upon a Thaw the next Spring. Some things were not to be written at all, or so obscurely as not to be intelligible, if they should fall into the hands of Men, who were not fit to be trusted with the Secret of them, and he acknowledgeth that his best and only sure Argument for the Immortality of the Soul, without the Knowledge of which, all Philosophy can be but of little worth, was from a antient and sacred Tradition. The Notions and Traditions, which Plato had brought from other Countries, with his delightful way of setting them forth, gain'd him great Reputation; some Attempts were made by himself and those of his Sect, to bring his Laws into practice, and to erect a Commonwealth after the Model of them ; his Name and Memory was had in great Esteem, his Birth-day was kept, and the Solemnity of it was renew'd about two hundred Years ago, by some of his Admirers, Epift. 2. ■ Plutarch. de Profectu Virtur, Epift. 7. as we are told by b Ficinus, one of that Society. But there is too much Alloy found in his Philosophy for any Endeavours to gain it a constant and general Reception. His Errors in some Cases are so notoriously gross and scandalous, that • Serranus sets over against them in the Margin, Prima infania hominis delirantis, and Portentosa infania. e a Aristotle had study'd twenty Years under Plato, but he so often confutes and contradicts his Master, that he has been charg'd with Ingratitude for it. And if Socrates and Plato did not firmly believe the Soul's Immortality, Aristotle believ'd the contrary, as many have prov'd out of several places in his Works. f His Will shews that he was both in his Practice and Judgment for the Idolatries of his Country. & Aristotle alledg'd the Obscurity of his Philosophy in excuse to Alexander, who was difpleas'd, that some of his Books should be made publick; he answer'd, that they were publish'd, and not publish'd, because they could not be understood. h Which Avicenna found to be very true, when he had read Aristotle's Metaphysicks forty times over, and afterwards got them by Heart, and then in Despair of ever apprehending the Sense of them, laid them aside; tho' afterwards, by the help of a Book of Albumazar Alpharabius, he perfuaded himself, • Vid. * Aul. ► Comment. in Conviv. Plat. de Amore, c. i. • Vid. Plat. de Repub. J. v. Serran. Edit, Origen. contra Celf. 1. ii. Jac. Billium in Greg. Nazianz. Or. 33. f Diog. Laert. Gell. l. xx, c. 4. Pet. Caftellan, Vit. illustr. Medic. p. 138. that that he understood them. His Books by an Accident lay conceal'd, till a little before they were brought to Rome, upon the taking of Athens i by Sylla. But they were known to few Philosophers in * Tully's time, And a Learned Author has given an account, what their Fate has been since. 4 The Sect of the Stoicks is observ'd by Jofephus in the account of his own Life, to have been like that of the Pharisees: which1 Grotius says, is no wonder, since in Cyprus, which was Zeno's Native Country, there were always many Jews. But if the Stoicks were at first indebted to the Jems, they certainly afterwards borrow'd much more from the Christians. This Sect was very numerous, and had Men of great Note in the Primitive Ages of Christianity, who did not lose the Opportunity offer'd them of improving it. But the Philosophers then began to carry on a Joint-Interest, and those who denominated themselves from any particular Sect, were no longer strict in adhering nicely to its Principles. For upon the preaching of the Gospel to the World, the Philosophers thought it concern'd them to review all that had been formerly written, to unite their Forces, and select those Notions out of every Sect, which were most plausible, omitting such as they saw would then give Offence: and it appears that they were greatly beholden to the Religion which they Strabo lib. xiii. Plut. in Sylla. * Cic. Topic. J opposed |