Taylor - Theoretic Arithmetic.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

that which is generated, in order that it may be generated. But
the most ancient principle and leader of things, of whom the
hebdomad may appropriately be said to be the image, alone
neither moves nor is moved. Philolaus bears testimony to the
truth of what I say in the following words: "God," says he,
"is the leader and ruler of all things, being always one, stable,
immoveable, himself similar to himself, and different from
other things." In intelligibles therefore, the hebdomad exhibits
the immoveable and the impassive; but in sensibles it evinces a
mighty and most connective power, by which and by the periods
of the moon, all terrestrial things are naturally adapted to
be benefited. The manner however in which this is effected
must be considered.
The number 7 being added to unity, and the numbers that
follow it, generates 28, a perfect number, and equal to its
parts.* But the number thus generated is apocatastatic of the
moon, i.e. has the power of restoring it to its pristine state, at
the time in which the moon begins to receive a sensible increase
of its figure, and to which by decreasing it returns. It increases
indeed, from the first lunarform illumination till it is bisected,
during seven days. Afterwards, in the same number of days it
becomes full-orbed. And again, running back as it were from
the goal through the same path, from being full-orbed, it becomes
again bisected in seven days, and from this, in the same
number of days it acquires its first form, and thus gives completion
to the number 28.
The hebdomad also is called by those who employ names
properly telesphoros, or $he perfector, because all things acquire
perfection through this number. The truth of this however,
may be inferred from every organic body employing three intervals
or dimensions, i.e. length, breadth and depth, and four
boundaries, a point, a line, a superficies, and a solid, from the
For 1+2+3+4+5+6+7=28.