Chap. XVII.—That Astrology, Soothsaying, and Similar Arts are the Invention of Demons.

These were the inventors of astrology, and soothsaying, and divination, and those productions which are called oracles, and necromancy, and the art of magic, and whatever evil practices besides these men exercise, either openly or in secret. Now all these things are false of themselves, as the Erythræan Sibyl testifies:—  

But these same authorities by their countenance314    By their presence.   cause it to be believed that they are true. Thus they delude the credulity of men by lying divination, because it is not expedient for them to lay open the truth. These are they who taught men to make images and statues; who, in order that they might turn away the minds of men from the worship of the true God, cause the countenances of dead kings, fashioned and adorned with exquisite beauty, to be erected and consecrated, and assumed to themselves their names, as though they were assuming some characters. But the magicians, and those whom the people truly call enchanters,315    Malefici—evil doers. The word is specially used of enchanters.   when they practice their detestable arts, call upon them by their true names, those heavenly names which are read in the sacred writings. Moreover, these impure and wandering spirits, that they may throw all things into confusion, and overspread the minds of men with errors, interweave and mingle false things with true. For they themselves feigned that there are many heavenly beings, and one king of all, Jupiter; because there are many spirits of angels in heaven, and one Parent and Lord of all, God. But they have concealed the truth under false names, and withdrawn it from sight.  

For God, as I have shown in the beginning,316    Book i. ch. vi.   does not need a name, since He is alone; nor do the angels, inasmuch as they are immortal, either suffer or wish themselves to be called gods: for their one and only duty is to submit to the will of God, and not to do anything at all except at His command. For we say that the world is so governed by God, as a province is by its ruler; and no one would say that his attendants317    Apparitors. The word is especially applied to public servants, as lictors, etc.   are his sharers in the administration of the province, although business is carried on by their service. And yet these can effect something contrary to the commands of the ruler, through his ignorance; which is the result of man’s condition. But that guardian of the world and ruler of the universe, who knows all things, from whose divine eyes nothing is concealed,318    Surrounded, shut in.   has alone with His Son the power over all things; nor is there anything in the angels except the necessity of obedience. Therefore they wish no honour to be paid to them, since all their honour is in God. But they who have revolted from the service of God, because they are enemies of the truth, and betrayers319    Prævaricatores. The word is properly applied to an advocate who is guilty of collusion with his antagonist, and thus betrays his client.   of God attempt to claim for themselves the name and worship of gods; not that they desire any honour (for what honour is there to the lost?), nor that they may injure God, who cannot be injured, but that they may injure men, whom they strive to turn away from the worship and knowledge of the true Majesty, that they may not be able to obtain immortality, which they themselves have lost through their wickedness. Therefore they draw on darkness, and overspread the truth with obscurity, that men may not know their Lord and Father. And that they may easily entice them, they conceal themselves in the temples, and are close at hand at all sacrifices; and they often give prodigies, that men, astonished by them, may attach to images a belief in their divine power and influence. Hence it is that the stone was cut by the augur with a razor; that Juno of Veii answered that she wished to remove to Rome; that Fortuna Muliebris320    Womanly Fortune.   announced the threatening danger; that the ship followed the hand of Claudia; that Juno when plundered, and the Locrian Proserpine, and the Milesian Ceres, punished the sacrilegious; that Hercules exacted vengeance from Appius, and Jupiter from Atinius, and Minerva from Cæsar. Hence it was that the serpent sent for from Epidaurus freed the city of Rome from pestilence. For the chief of the demons was himself carried thither in his own form, without any dissembling; if indeed the ambassadors who were sent for that purpose brought with them a serpent of immense size.  

But they especially deceive in the case of oracles, the juggleries of which the profane321    Unbelievers.   cannot distinguish from the truth; and therefore they imagine that commands,322    Governments.   and victories, and wealth, and prosperous issues of affairs, are bestowed by them,—in short, that the state has often been freed from imminent dangers by their interposition;323    At their nod, or suggestion.   which dangers they have both announced, and when appeased with sacrifices, have averted. But all these things are deceits. For since they have a presentiment324    They presage.   of the arrangements of God, inasmuch as they have been His ministers, they interpose themselves in these matters, that whatever things have been accomplished or are in the course of accomplishment by God, they themselves may especially appear to be doing or to have done; and as often as any advantage is hanging over any people or city, according to the purpose of God, either by prodigies, or dreams, or oracles, they promise that they will bring it to pass, if temples, honours, and sacrifices are given to them. And on the offering of these, when the necessary325    That which was necessary according to the purpose and arrangement of God.   result comes to pass, they acquire for themselves the greatest veneration. Hence temples are vowed, and new images consecrated; herds of victims are slain; and when all these things are done, yet the life and safety of those who have performed them are not the less sacrificed. But as often as dangers threaten, they profess that they are angry on account of some light and trifling cause; as Juno was with Varro, because he had placed a beautiful boy on the carriage326    Tensa; a carriage on which the images of the gods were carried to the circus at the Circensian games.   of Jupiter to guard the dress, and on this account the Roman name was almost destroyed at Cannæ. But if Juno feared a second Ganymede, why did the Roman youth suffer punishment? Or if the gods regard the leaders only, and neglect the rest of the multitude, why did Varro alone escape who acted thus, and why was Paulus, who was innocent,327    Deserved nothing, had nothing worthy of punishment. Varro and Paulus Æmilius were the two consuls who commanded at Cannæ. Varro escaped, Paulus was slain.   slain? Assuredly nothing then happened to the Romans by “the fates of the hostile Juno,”328    Virg., Æn., viii. 292.   when Hannibal by craft and valour despatched two armies of the Roman people. For Juno did not venture either to defend Carthage, where were her arms and chariot, or to injure the Romans; for  

But these are the delusions of those who, concealing themselves under the names of the dead, lay snares for the living. Therefore, whether the impending danger can be avoided, they wish it to appear that they averted it, having been appeased; or if it cannot be avoided, they contrive that it may appear to have happened through disregard330    Contempt.   of them. Thus they acquire to themselves authority and fear from men, who are ignorant of them. By this subtilty and by these arts they have caused the knowledge of the true and only God to fail331    They have made old.   among all nations. For, being destroyed by their own vices, they rage and use violence that they may destroy others. Therefore these enemies of the human race even devised human victims, to devour as many lives as possible.  

CAPUT XVII. Astrologiam, aruspicinam et similes artes esse daemonum inventa.

Eorum inventa sunt astrologia, et aruspicina, et auguratio, et ipsa quae dicuntur oracula, et necromantia, et ars magica, et quiquid praeterea malorum exercent homines, vel palam, vel occulte. Quae 0337A omnia per se falsa sunt, ut Sibylla Erythraea testatur: . . . . . . Ἐπεὶ πλάνα0337A πάντα τάδ᾽ ἐστίν, Ἃπερ ἄφρονες ἀνδρες ἐρευνῶσι κατ᾽ ἦμαρ.Sed iidem ipsi auctores praesentia sua faciunt, ut vera esse credantur. Ita hominum credulitatem mentita divinitate deludunt, quod illis verum aperire non expedit. Hi sunt qui imagines, et simulacra fingere docuerunt; qui, ut hominum mentes a cultu veri Dei averterent, et fictos mortuorum regum vultus, et ornatos exquisita pulchritudine statui consecrarique fecerunt, et illorum sibi nomina, quasi personas aliquas, induerunt. Sed eos magi, et ii quos vere maleficos vulgus appellat, cum artes suas execrabiles exercent, veris suis nominibus cient, illis coelestibus, quae in litteris sanctis leguntur. Hi porro incesti 0337B ac vagi spiritus, ut turbent omnia, et errores humanis pectoribus offundant, serunt ac miscent falsa cum veris. Ipsi enim coelestes multos esse finxerunt, unumque omnium regem Jovem; eo quod multi sunt spiritus angelorum in coelo, et unus parens ac dominus omnium Deus: sed veritatem mentitis nominibus involutam ex oculis abstulerunt.

Nam Deus, ut principio docui (Scil. lib. I, cap. 6), neque nomine, cum solus sit, eget; neque angeli, cum sint immortales, dici se deos aut patiuntur, aut 0338A volunt: quorum unum solumque officium est, servire nutibus Dei, nec omnino quidquam nisi jussu facere. Sic enim mundum regi a Deo dicimus, ut a rectore provinciam: cujus apparitores nemo socios esse in regenda provincia dixerit, quamvis illorum ministerio res geratur. Et hi tamen possunt aliquid praeter jussa rectoris, per ipsius ignorantiam, quae est conditionis humanae. Ille autem praeses mundi, et rector universi, qui scit omnia, cujus divinis oculis nihil septum est, solus habet rerum omnium cum filio potestatem; nec est in angelis quidquam, nisi parendi necessitas. Itaque nullum sibi honorem tribui volunt, quorum omnis honor in Deo est. Illi autem, qui desciverunt a Dei ministerio, quia sunt veritatis inimici, et praevaricatores Dei, nomen sibi et cultum deorum vindicare conantur; non quo ullum 0338B honorem desiderent (quis enim perditis honor est?), nec ut Deo noceant, cui noceri non potest: sed ut hominibus, quos nituntur a cultu et notitia verae majestatis avertere, ne immortalitatem adipisci possint, quam ipsi sua nequitia perdiderunt. Offundunt itaque tenebras, et veritatem caligine obducunt, ne dominum, ne patrem suum norint; et ut illiciant facile, in templis se occulunt, et sacrificiis omnibus praesto adsunt, eduntque saepe prodigia, quibus obstupefacti homines, fidem commodent simulacris divinitatis ac 0339A numinis. Inde est, quod ab augure 0339A lapis novacula incisus est; quod Juno Veiensis migrare se Romam velle respondit; quod Fortuna muliebris periculum denuntiavit; quod Claudiae manum navis secuta est; quod in sacrilegos et Juno nudata, et Locrensis Proserpina, et Ceres Milesia vindicavit; et Hercules de Appio, et Jupiter de Atinio, et Minerva de Caesare. Hinc, quod serpens urbem Romam pestilentia liberavit Epidauro accersitus. Nam illuc δαιμονιάρχης ipse in figura sua sine ulla dissimulatione perlatus est; siquidem legati ad eam rem missi, draconem secum mirae magnitudinis advexerunt.

In oraculis autem vel maxime fallunt, quorum praestigias profani a veritate intelligere non possunt: ideoque ab illis attribui putant, et imperia, et victorias, 0339B et opes, et eventus prosperos rerum; denique ipsorum nutu saepe rempublicam periculis imminentibus liberatam: quae pericula, et responsis denuntiaverunt, et sacrificiis placati averterunt. Sed omnia ista fallaciae sunt. Nam cum dispositiones Dei praesentiant, quippe qui ministri ejus fuerunt, interponunt 0340A se in his rebus, ut quaecumque a Deo vel facta sunt, vel fiunt, ipsi potissimum facere, aut fecisse videantur. Et quoties alicui populo vel urbi, secundum Dei statutum boni quid impendet, illi se id facturos vel prodigiis, vel somniis, vol oraculis pollicentur, si sibi templa, si honores, si sacrificia tribuantur: quibus datis, cum illud acciderit, quod necesse est, summam sibi pariunt venerationem. Hinc templa devoventur, et novae imagines consecrantur, mactantur greges hostiarum. Sed cum haec facta sunt, nihilominus tamen et vita, et salus eorum qui haec fecerint, immolantur. Quoties autem pericula impendent, ob aliquam ineptam et levem causam se profitentur iratos: sicut Juno Varroni, quod formosum puerum intensa Jovis ad excuvias tenendas 0340B collocarat; et ob hanc causam Romanum nomen apud Cannas pene deletum est. Quod si Juno alterum Ganymedem verebatur, cur juventus Romana luit poenas? Vel si dii tantummodo duces curant, caeteram multitudinem negligunt, cur Varro solus evasit, qui 0341A hoc fecit, et Paulus, 0341A qui nihil meruit, occisus est? Videlicet nil tunc Romanis accidit . . . . . Fatis Junonis iniquae,cum Annibal duos exercitus populi Romani, et astu, et virtute confecit. Nam Juno audere non poterat, aut Carthaginem defendere, ubi arma ejus et currus fuit, aut Romanis nocere, quia . . . . . Progeniem Trojano a sanguine duci Audierat, Tyrias olim quae verteret arces.

Sed illorum sunt isti lusus, qui sub nominibus mortuorum delitescentes, viventibus plagas tendunt. Itaque sive illud periculum, quod imminet vitari potest, videri volunt id placati avertisse; sive non potest, id agunt, ut propter illorum contemptum accidisse videatur. Ita sibi apud homines, qui eos 0341B nesciunt, auctoritatem, ac timorem pariunt. Hac versutia, et his artibus, notitiam veri ac singularis Dei apud omnes gentes inveteraverunt. Suis enim vitiis perditi, saeviunt, et grassantur, ut perdant. Idcirco etiam humanas hostias excogitaverunt ipsi hostes humani generis, ut quam multas devorarent animas.