Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

276 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMceeding 1 forth from the Mind it stretches itself outinto bodies, as a point extends itself to a line. Thusit has an ideal indivisible element, and likewise adivisible element which enters into the corporeal world.The indivisible element2 belongs to it as totality, orworld-soul. That which proceeds immediately fromthe Second Principle is only the universal Soul. Particularsouls spring from this. They are only options of the universal Soul, different manifestathe one life which streams through all. Therefore,though individually different, they are yet one andthe same, as science in its different parts is one,as there is one light which illumines the most variousplaces. The Soul of the universe remains undivided,but each several being takes from it what it canhoiAt this point we reach the boundary of the integible world, and if the universal Soul does not pout of it, yet in its division among particular soulsenter upon the world of appearance.As the invisible divine world -proceeds fortlby necessity from the Primal Being, first in the Mindd then in the Soul, so the whole visible world wh :imeets the senses proceeds forth from the Soul by thsame necessity. The Soul, standing at the limit cthese two worlds, illuminates, in accordance with thsystem of nature, that which is beneath it, nameMatter. It enters into Matter with a portion of itspowers, becomes in its operation bound up with it, andadvances out of the eternal and intelligible into the lifeof time. It is only through this connection of theSoul's powers with Matter that the visible world comesinto existence. Without it, Matter, as being devoid