beings, therefore, some have their essence in eternity, and others in
time. But by beings whose essence is in eternity, I mean those whose
energy as well as their essence is eternal; and by beings essentially
temporal, those whose essence is always in generation, or becoming to be,
though this should take place in an infinite time. The media between
these two extremes are natures which, in a certain respect, have an
essence permanent and better than generation, or a flowing subsistence,
but whose energy is measured by time. For it is necessary that every
procession from things first to last should be effected through media.
The medium, therefore, between these two extremes, must either be that
which has an eternal essence, but any energy indigent of time, or, on the
contrary, that which has a temporal essence, but an eternal energy. It is
impossible, however, for the latter of these to have any subsistence; for
if this were admitted, energy would be prior to essence. The medium,
therefore, must be that whose essence is eternal, but energy temporal.
And the three orders which compose this first middle and last are, the
intellectual, psychical (or that pertaining to soul), and corporeal. For
from what has been already said by us concerning the gradation of beings,
it is evident that the intellectual order is established in eternity,
both in essence and energy; that the corporeal order is always in
generation, or advancing to being, and this either in an infinite time,
or in a part of time; and that the psychical is indeed eternal in
essence, but temporal in energy. Where then shall we rank things which
being distributed either in places or times, have a certain coordination
and sympathy with each other through connection? It is evident that they
must be ranked among altermotive and corporeal natures. For of things
which subsist beyond the order of bodies, some are better both than place
and time; and others, though they energize according to time, appear to
be entirely pure from any connection with place.