St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of the Pagans more abstruse Physiologicall doctrine. CHAP. 5.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 let vs rather heare their naturall expositions, where-with they would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ne to cloake their pitious errors as in cloudy mysteries. First Varro so •…•…nds them, that he saith the pictures, shapes and vestures of the gods were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of old for the deuoute, therein to contemplate the worlds soule, and the parts thereof, that is the true Gods in their mindes: whereof such as erected hu∣•…•…e shapes, seemed to compare the immortall essence vnto the soule in man, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vessell should bee put for the thing it selfe, and a flaggon (a) set in Libers 〈◊〉〈◊〉, to signifie wine, taking the continent for the contained; so by that hu∣•…•… shape, the reasonable soule in the like included might bee expressed, of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ure they say that God, or the gods are. These are the mysticall doctrines 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…is sharpe witt went deepe into, and so deliuered. But tell mee thou ac∣c•…•…n, hast thou lost that iudgement in these mysteries that made thee say, that they that first made Images, freed the Cittie from all awe, and added error to

error, and that the old Romaines serued the gods in better order without any sta∣tues at all? They were thy authors for that thou spokest against their successors. For had they had statues also, perhaps feare would haue made thee haue suppres∣sed thy opinion of abolishing Images, and haue made thee haue sought further for these vaine Mythologies and figments: for thy soule, so learned and so ingeni∣ous (which we much bewaile in thee) by being so ingratefull to that God (by whom, not with whom it was made: nor was a part of him but a thing made by him, who is not the life of all things, but all lifes maker) could neuer come to his knowledge by these mysteries. But of what nature and worth they are, let vs see. Meane time this learned man affirmeth, the worlds soule intirely to bee truly God, so that all his Theologie being naturall, extendeth it selfe euen to the na∣ture of the reasonable soule. Of this naturall kinde hee speaketh briefly in his booke whence we haue this: wherein wee must see whether all his mysticall wrest∣ings can bring the naturall to the ciuill, of which he discourseth in his last booke of the select Gods: if he can, all shall be naturall. And then what need hee bee so carefull in their distinction? But if they be rightly diuided, seeing that the natu∣rall that he liketh so of is not true, (for hee comes but to the soule, not to God that made the soule:) how much more is the ciuill kinde vntrue and subiect, that is, all corporall and conuersant about the body as his owne interpretations being dilligently called out, shall (by my rehearsall) make most apparent.

L. VIVES.

FLaggon (a) Oenophorum, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, wine, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to carry, Iuuenall vseth the word. Sat. 6. and Apuleius Asin. l. 2. & 8. and Martiall. Pliny saith, it was a worke of the rare painter Praxitales: but he meanes a boy bearing wine. Beroaldus out of this place gathereth that they vsed to set a flaggon of wine in Bacchus temple: It is more then hee can gather hence, though it may be there was such an vse.