|
The same Apuleius, when speaking concerning the manners of demons,
said that they are agitated with the same perturbations of mind as men;
that they are provoked by injuries, propitiated by services and by
gifts, rejoice in honors, are delighted with a variety of sacred
rites, and are annoyed if any of them be neglected. Among other
things, he also says that on them depend the divinations of augurs,
soothsayers, and prophets, and the revelations of dreams, and that
from them also are the miracles of the magicians. But, when giving a
brief definition of them, he says, "Demons are of an animal nature,
passive in soul, rational in mind, aerial in body, eternal in
time." "Of which five things, the three first are common to them
and us, the fourth peculiar to themselves, and the fifth common to
therewith the gods." But I see that they have in common with the
gods two of the first things, which they have in common with us. For
he says that the gods also are animals; and when he is assigning to
every order of beings its own element, he places us among the other
terrestrial animals which live and feel upon the earth. Wherefore, if
the demons are animals as to genus, this is common to them, not only
with men, but also with the gods and with beasts; if they are rational
as to their mind, this is common to them with the gods and with men;
if they are eternal in time, this is common to them with the gods
only; if they are passive as to their soul, this is common to them
with men only; if they are aerial in body, in this they are alone.
Therefore it is no great thing for them to be of an animal nature, for
so also are the beasts; in being rational as to mind, they are not
above ourselves, for so are we also; and as to their being eternal as
to time, what is the advantage of that if they are not blessed? for
better is temporal happiness than eternal misery. Again, as to their
being passive in soul, how are they in this respect above us, since we
also are so, but would not have been so had we not been miserable?
Also, as to their being aerial in body, how much value is to be set
on that, since a soul of any kind whatsoever is to be set above every
body? and therefore religious worship, which ought to be rendered from
the soul, is by no means due to that thing which is inferior to the
soul. Moreover, if he had, among those things which he says belong
to demons, enumerated virtue, wisdom, happiness, and affirmed that
they have those things in common with the gods, and, like them,
eternally, he would assuredly have attributed to them something greatly
to be desired, and much to be prized. And even in that case it would
not have been our duty to worship them like God on account of these
things, but rather to worship Him from whom we know they had received
them. But how much less are they really worthy of divine honor, those
aerial animals who are only rational that they may be capable of
misery, passive that they may be actually miserable, and eternal that
it may be impossible for them to end their misery!
|
|