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

What either Plato, Labeo, or Varro might haue auailed to the true faith of the resurrection, if there had beene an Harmonie in their opinions. CHAP. 28.

SOme of vs liking and louing Plato (a) for a certaine eloquent and excellent kinde of speaking: and because his opinion hath beene true in some things, say, that he thought some thing like vnto that which we doe, concerning the Re∣surrection of the (b) dead. Which thing Tully so toucheth in lib. de rep. that hee af∣firmeth that hee rather spake in sport, than that he had any intent to relate it, as a matter of truth. For (c) he declareth a man reuiued and related some things agreeable to Platoes disputations. (d) Labeo also saith, that there were two which dyed both in one day, and that they met together in a crosse-way, and that atfer∣ward they were commanded to returne againe to their bodies, and then that they decreed to liue in perpetuall loue together, and that it was so vntill they dyed af∣terward. But these authors haue declared, that they had such a resurrection of body, as they haue had, whome truly wee haue knowne to haue risen againe, and to haue beene restored to this life: but they doe not declare it in that manner, that they should not dye againe. Yet Marcus Varro recordeth a more strange, admirable, and wonderfull matter, in his bookes which hee wrote of a Nation

of the people of Rome. I haue thought good to set downe his owne words. Certaine Genethliaci (wisards) Haue written, (saith he) that there is a regenerati∣on, * 1.1 or second birth in men to bee borne againe, which the Greekes call (f) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 They haue written, that it is brought to passe, and effected in the space of foure hundred and fortie yeares: so that the same body and soule which had bene fore∣time knit together, should returne againe into the same coniunction and vnion they had before. Truly this Varro, or those Genethliaci (I know not who they are For he hath related their opinion concealing their names) haue said something, which although it be false, because the soules returning into the bodies, which they haue before managed, will neuer after forsake them: not-withstanding it serueth to stoppe the mouth of those babblers, and to ouerthrow the strong hold of many arguments of that impossibility. For they doe not thinke it an impossi∣ble thing which haue thought these things, that dead bodies resolued into aire, dust, ashes, humors, bodies of deuouring beastes, or of men them selues, should returne againe to that they haue beene. Wherefore let Plato, and Porphyry, or such rather, as doe affect them and are now liuing, if they accord with vs, that holy soules shall returne to their bodies, as Plato saith, but not to returne to any eiuls as Porphyrie saith, that that sequele may follow, which our Christian faith doth declare, to wit, that they shall receiue such bodies, as they shall liue happi∣ly in them eternally without any euill: Let them (I say) assume and take this al∣so from Varro, that they returne to the same bodies in which they had beene before time, and then there shall bee a sweete harmony betweene them, concer∣ning the resurrection of the flesh eternally.

L. VIVES.

FOr (a) certaine.] Three things moued not only Greece, but the whole world to applaud Plato, to wit, integritie of life, sanctity of precepts, and eloquence. The (b) dead Euseb lib. 11. thinketh that Plato learned the alteration of the world, the resurrection and the iudge∣ment of the damned, out of the bookes of Moyses 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Plato relateth that all earthly thinges shall perish, a cercaine space of time being expired, and that the frame of the worlde shall bee moued and shaken with wonderfull and strange •…•…otions, not without a great destruction, and ouerthrow of all liuing creatures: and then that a little time after, it shall rest and bee at quiet by the assistance of the highest God, who shall receiue the gouernment of it, that it may not fall and perish, endowing it with an euerlasting flourishing estate, and with immortalitie. (c) For he declareth] Herus Pamphilius, who dyed in battell (Plato in fine in lib. de rep) writeth y^t he was restored to life the tenth day after his death. Cicero saith, macrob. lib. 1.) may * 1.2 be grieued that this fable was scoffed at, although of the vnlearned, knowing it well ynough him-selfe, neuerthelesse auoyding the scandall of a foolish reprehension, hee had rather tell it that he was raized, than that he reuiued. (d) Labeo] Plin, lib. 7. setteth downe some examp∣les of them which being carried forth to their graue reuiued againe, and Plutarch in 〈◊〉〈◊〉. de anima relateth that one Enarchus returned to life againe after hee died, who said that his soule did * 1.3 depart indeed out of his bodie, but by the commandement of Pluto it was restored to his bo∣die againe, those hellish spirits being grieuously punished by their Prince, who commaunded to bring one Nicandas a tanner, and a wrastler, forgetting their errant and foulie mistaking the man went to Enarchus in stead of Nicandas who dyed within a little while after. (e) Ge∣nethliaci] They are mathematicall pettie sooth-sayers, or fortune-tellers, which by the day of * 1.4 Natiuitie presage what shall happen in the whole course of mans life. Gellius hath the Chal∣daeans and the Genethliaci both in one place lib. 14. Against them (saith he) who name them-selues Caldaeans, or Genethliaci, and professe to prognosticate future thinges by the mo∣tion and posture of the stars. (f) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] Regeneration or a second birth, Lactant. also

lib. 7. rehearseth these wordes of Chrysippus the stoicke out of his booke de prouidentia, by which he confirmeth a returne after death. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. And wee (saith hee) certaine reuolutions of time being complet and finished, after our death, shall be restored to the same figure and shape which we haue now.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Genethliaci.
• * 1.2

  Herus Pamphili∣us.
• * 1.3

  Enarchus.
• * 1.4

  Nicandas.