The renouncing of the worship of those spirits against Apuleius. CHAP. 22.
TO auoyde therefore all euill thoughts concerning the gods, all the foure are to be auoyded: nor must we at all beleeue what Apuleius would haue vs, and others with him, that the Daemones are so placed betweene the gods and men, that they beare vp mens prayers, and bring downe the gods helpes: but that they are spirits most thirstie of mischiefe, wholy vniust, proud, enuious, treacherous, (a) inhabiting the ayre in deed, as thrust out of the glorious heauen for their vn∣pardonable guilt, and condemned eternally to that prison. Nor are they aboue man in merite because ayre is aboue earth, for men doe easily excell them, not in * 1.1 quality of body, but in the faith and fauour of the true God. Indeed they rule ouer many that are not worthy of the perticipation of gods truth: such are their subiects, wonne to them by false myracles, and by illusions perswading them that they are gods. But others that looked more narrowly into them and their qualities, would not beleeue this that they were gods, onely they gott this place in their opinion, to be held the gods messengers, and bringers of mens good for∣tunes. Yet those that held them not gods, would not giue them the honor of gods because they saw them euill, and held all gods to be good: yet durst they not de∣nie them all diuine honors, for feare of offending the people, whose inueterate superstition preserued them in so many temples, altars, and sacrifices.
L. VIVES.
INhabiting (a) the ayre,] The olde writers placed all their fable of hell in the ayre: and there was 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Proserpina, the Man•…•…s, and the Furies▪ Capella, Chalc•…•… saith▪ the ayre was iustly called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, darke: Peter also and Iude affirme that the deuills 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bound in darknesse in the ayre, & some in the lowest parts of the earth. Empedocles in Pl•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉