INTRODUCTION.

highest things after the first God, and of which being is prior to life, and life is prior to intellect. For whatever partakes of life also partakes of being; but the contrary is not true. Therefore, being is above life, since it is the characteristic of higher natures to extend their reach beyond those that are subordinate. However, life is prior to intellect because all intellectual natures are alive, but not all living natures are intellectual. In this intelligible triad, because of its superessential characteristic, all things may be considered as existing according to cause. Consequently, number here does not have a distinct existence, but is involved in an unproceeding union and is absorbed in superessential light. Hence, when it is called a triad, we must not assume that any essential distinction occurs, but must consider this name as expressive of its ineffable perfection. For as it is the closest of all things to the one, its union must be transcendently profound and ineffably hidden.

All the Gods, indeed, when considered according to their unities, are "all in all," and are at the same time united with the first God, like rays to light, or the radii of a circle to the center. And hence they are all established