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THE NINTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD. Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
The scope of the afore-passed disputation, and what is remayning to treat of. CHAP. 1.
IN these controuersies of the gods, some haue held deities of both natures, good and euill: others (of better mindes) did the gods that honor to hold thē all good. But those (a) that held the first, held the ayery spirits to be gods also, and called them gods, as they called the gods, spirits, but not so ordinarily. Indeed they confesse that Ioue the Prince of all the rest was by Homer (b) called a Daemon. But such as af∣firmed all the gods were good ones, and farre better then the best men, are iustly mooued by the artes of the ayry spirits, to hold firmely that the gods could doe no such matters, and therefore of •…•…ce •…•…re must bee a difference betweene them and these spirits: and that what euer •…•…asant affect, or bad act they see caused, wherein these spirits doe shew th•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 power, that they hold is the diuills worke, and not the gods. But yet 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ey place these spirits as mediators betweene their gods and men (as if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…an had no other meanes of commerce) to carry and recarry praiers & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the one to the other, this beeing the opinion of the most excellent •…•…ers the Platonists, with whom I choose to discusse this question, whe∣•…•… •…•…ration of many gods be helpfull to eternall felicity? In the last booke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 how the deuils (delighting in that which all wise and honest men ab∣•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the foule, enormous, irreligious fictions of the gods crimes (not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the damnable practise of Magike) can be so much nearer to the gods, that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 must make them the meanes to attaine their fauors: and wee found it •…•…terly impossible. So now this booke (as I promised in the end of the other) must 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…cerne the difference of the gods betwixt themselues (if they make any 〈◊〉〈◊〉) •…•…or the difference of the gods and spirits (the one beeing farre distant from men (as they say) and the other in the midst betweene the gods and men) but of the difference of these spirits amongst themselues. This is the present question.
L. VIVES.
THese (a) that held] Plato held all the gods to bee good, but the Daemones, to bee neither good not euill, but neuters. But Hermes hath his good angells and his bad. And Porphery * 1.1 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…s helpfull Daemones, and his hurtfull: as some of the Platonists hold also. (b) Homer cal∣•…•…] * 1.2 Pl•…•…arch (de defect. Oracul.) saith that Homer confounded the deities and Demones toge∣•…•…r, •…•…ng both names promiscually: Hee calls Ioue a Daemon: which word as one interpreteth it, is sometimes vsed for good, and sometimes bad. And Iliad. 1. hee saith, Ioue with the other dae∣•…•…, calling all the gods by that name: vpon which place his interpretor saith: Hee calleth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Daemones either for their experience, wisdome, or gouernment of man. So saith Iulius 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Homer called the Gods, Daemones, and Plato calleth the worlds Architect the great