Whether the ayry spirits can procure a man the gods friendships. CHAP. 9.
WHerfore, if men by reason of their mortal bodies haue not that participation of eternity with the gods, that these spirits by reason of their immortall bo∣di•…•… ha•…•…e: what mediators can their be between the gods & men that in their best part, their soule, are worse then men, and better, in the worst part of a creature, the body? for, all creatures consisting of body and soule, haue the (a) soule for the better part, bee it neuer so weake and vicious, and the body neuer so firme and perfect: because it is of a more excelling nature, nor can the corruption o•…•… vice deiect it to the basenesse of the body: but like base gold, that is dearer th•…•… the best siluer, so farre doth it exceed the bodies worth. Thus then those ioly mediators, or posts from heauen to earth, haue eternity of body with the gods and corruption of soule with the mortalls, as though that religion that must make god and man to meete, were rather corporall then spirituall! But what guilt or sentence hath hung vp those iugling intercedents by the heeles, and the head downeward, that their lower partes their bodies participate with the higher powers: and their higher, their soules with the lower, holding correspondence with the Gods in their seruile part, and with mortalls in their principall? for the body (as Salust saith) is the soules slaue: at least should bee in the true vse▪ and hee proceeds: the one wee haue common with beasts, the other with gods: speaking of man whose body is as mortall as a beasts. Now those whome the Philosophers haue put betweene the gods and vs, may say thus also: Wee h•…•… body and soule, in community with gods and men: but then (as I said) they are bound with their heeles vpward hauing their slauish body common with the gods, and their predominant soule common with wretched men: their worst part aloft and their best vnderfoote, wherefore if any one thinke them eternall with the gods, because they neuer die the death with creatures, let vs not vnderstand their bo∣•…•… to bee the eternall pallace wherein they are blessed, but (b) the eternall pri∣•…•… wherein they are damned: and so he thinketh as he should.
L. VIVES.
TH•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (a) f•…•….] For things inherent neuer change their essentiall perfection, and I do won∣d•…•… that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Peripatetique schoole of Paris would make any specificall difference of soule•…•…▪ (b) D•…•….] Not in the future tence: for they are damned euersince their fall.