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The City of God

Chapter 26.--Of Porphyry's Weakness in Wavering Between the Confession of the True God and the Worship of Demons.

I know not how it is so, but it seems to me that Porphyry blushed for his friends the theurgists; for he knew all that I have adduced, but did not frankly condemn polytheistic worship. He said, in fact, that there are some angels who visit earth, and reveal divine truth to theurgists, and others who publish on earth the things that belong to the Father, His height and depth. Can we believe, then, that the angels whose office it is to declare the will of the Father, wish us to be subject to any but Him whose will they declare? And hence, even this Platonist himself judiciously observes that we should rather imitate than invoke them. We ought not, then, to fear that we may offend these immortal and happy subjects of the one God by not sacrificing to them; for this they know to be due only to the one true God, in allegiance to whom they themselves find their blessedness, and therefore they will not have it given to them, either in figure or in the reality, which the mysteries of sacrifice symbolized. Such arrogance belongs to proud and wretched demons, whose disposition is diametrically opposite to the piety of those who are subject to God, and whose blessedness consists in attachment to Him. And, that we also may attain to this bliss, they aid us, as is fit, with sincere kindliness, and usurp over us no dominion, but declare to us Him under whose rule we are then fellow-subjects. Why, then, O philosopher, do you still fear to speak freely against the powers which are inimical both to true virtue and to the gifts of the true God? Already you have discriminated between the angels who proclaim God's will, and those who visit theurgists, drawn down by I know not what art. Why do you still ascribe to these latter the honor of declaring divine truth? If they do not declare the will of the Father, what divine revelations can they make? Are not these the evil spirits who were bound over by the incantations of an envious man, ¹ that they should not grant purity of soul to another, and could not, as you say, be set free from these bonds by a good man anxious for purity, and recover power over their own actions? Do you still doubt whether these are wicked demons; or do you, perhaps, feign ignorance, that you may not give offence to the theurgists, who have allured you by their secret rites, and have taught you, as a mighty boon, these insane and pernicious devilries? Do you dare to elevate above the air, and even to heaven, these envious powers, or pests, let me rather call them, less worthy of the name of sovereign than of slave, as you yourself own; and are you not ashamed to place them even among your sidereal gods, and so put a slight upon the stars themselves?

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXVI: De inconstantia Porphyrii inter confessionem ueri dei et cultum daemonum fluctuantis.

Nescio quomodo, - quantum mihi uidetur - , amicis suis theurgis erubescebat Porphyrius. nam ista utcumque sapiebat, sed contra multorum deorum cultum non libere defendebat. et angelos quippe alios esse dixit, qui deorsum descendentes hominibus theurgicis diuina pronuntient; alios autem, qui in terris ea, quae patris sunt, et altitudinem eius profunditatem que declarent. num igitur hoc angelos, quorum ministerium est declarare uoluntatem patris, credendum est uelle nos subdi nisi ei, cuius nobis adnuntiant uoluntatem? unde optime admonet etiam ipse Platonicus imitandos eos potius quam inuocandos. non itaque debemus metuere, ne inmortales et beatos uni deo subditos non eis sacrificando offendamus. quod enim nonnisi uni uero deo deberi sciunt, cui et ipsi adhaerendo beati sunt, procul dubio neque per ullam significantem figuram, neque per ipsam rem, quae sacramentis significatur, sibi exhiberi uolunt. daemonum est haec adrogantia superborum atque miserorum, a quibus longe diuersa est pietas subditorum deo nec aliunde quam illi cohaerendo beatorum. ad quod bonum percipiendum etiam nobis sincera benignitate oportet ut faueant, neque sibi adrogent quo eis subiciamur, sed eum adnuntient sub quo eis in pace sociemur. quid adhuc trepidas, o philosophe, aduersus potestates et ueris uirtutibus et ueri dei muneribus inuidas habere liberam uocem? iam distinxisti angelos, qui patris adnuntiant uoluntatem, ab eis angelis, qui ad theurgos homines nescio qua deducti arte descendunt. quid adhuc eos honoras, ut dicas pronuntiare diuina? quae tandem diuina pronuntiant, qui non uoluntatem patris adnuntiant? nempe illi sunt, quos sacris precibus inuidus adligauit, ne praestarent animae purgationem, nec a bono, ut dicis, purgare cupiente ab illis uinculis solui et suae potestati reddi potuerunt. adhuc dubitas haec maligna esse daemonia, uel te fingis fortasse nescire, dum non uis theurgos offendere, a quibus curiositate deceptus ista perniciosa et insana pro magno beneficio didicisti? audes istam inuidam non potentiam, sed pestilentiam, et non dicam dominam, sed, quod tu fateris, ancillam potius inuidorum isto aere transcenso leuare in caelum et inter deos uestros etiam sidereos conlocare, uel ipsa quoque sidera his obprobriis infamare?