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Moreover, against those magic arts, concerning which some men,
exceedingly wretched and exceedingly impious, delight to boast, may
not public opinion itself be brought forward as a witness? For why are
those arts so severely punished by the laws, if they are the works of
deities who ought to be worshipped? Shall it be said that the
Christians have or dained those laws by which magic arts are punished?
With what other meaning, except that these sorceries are without doubt
pernicious to the human race, did the most illustrious poet say, "By
heaven, I swear, and your dear life, Unwillingly these arms I
wield, And take, to meet the coming strife, Enchantment's sword
and shield."
And that also which he says in another place concerning magic arts,
"I've seen him to another place transport the standing corn," has
reference to the fact that the fruits of one field are said to be
transferred to another by these arts which this pestiferous and accursed
doctrine teaches. Does not Cicero inform us that, among the laws of
the Twelve Tables, that is, the most ancient laws of the Romans,
there was a law written which appointed a punishment to be inflicted on
him who should do this? Lastly, was it before Christian judges that
Apuleius himself was accused of magic arts? Had he known these arts
to be divine and pious, and congruous with the works of divine power,
he ought not only to have confessed, but also to have professed them,
rather blaming the laws by which these things were prohibited and
pronounced worthy of condemnation, while they ought to have been held
worthy of admiration and respect. For by so doing, either he would
have persuaded the judges to adopt his own opinion, or, if they had
shown their partiality for unjust laws, and condemned him to death
notwithstanding his praising and commending such things, the demons
would have bestowed on his soul such rewards as he deserved, who, in
order to proclaim and set forth their divine works, had not feared the
loss of his human life. As our martyrs, when that religion was
charged on them as a crime, by which they knew they were made safe and
most glorious throughout eternity, did not choose, by denying it, to
escape temporal punishments, but rather by confessing, professing,
and proclaiming it, by enduring all things for it with fidelity and
fortitude, and by dying for it with pious calmness, put to shame the
law by which that religion was prohibited, and caused its revocation.
But there is extant a most copious and eloquent oration of this
Platonic philosopher, in which he defends himself against the charge
of practising these arts, affirming that he is wholly a stranger to
them, and only wishing to show his innocence by denying such things as
cannot be innocently committed. But all the miracles of the
magicians, who he thinks are justly deserving of condemnation, are
performed according to the teaching and by the power of demons. Why,
then, does he think that they ought to be honored? For he asserts
that they are necessary, in order to present our prayers to the gods,
and yet their works are such as we must shun if we wish our prayers to
reach the true God. Again, I ask, what kind of prayers of men does
he suppose are presented to the good gods by the demons? If magical
prayers, they will have none such; if lawful prayers, they will not
receive them through such beings. But if a sinner who is penitent pour
out prayers, especially if he has committed any crime of sorcery, does
he receive pardon through the intercession of those demons by whose
instigation and help he has fallen into the sin be mourns? or do the
demons themselves, in order that they may merit pardon for the
penitent, first become penitents because they have deceived them?
This no one ever said concerning the demons; for had this been the
case, they would never have dared to seek for themselves divine
honors. For how should they do so who desired by penitence to obtain
the grace of pardon; seeing that such detestable pride could not exist
along with a humility worthy of pardon?
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