No More Learning

These numbers, however, were call-. . .

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This being the case, it is requisite to believe that men are committed
to the care of certain inspective guardians of this prison the body.

"That to the least of things, however, are allotted guardian powers,
may be learnt from the Egyptians, who say that the human body is divided
into thirty-six parts, and that dæmons* or certain etherial gods who are
distributed into the same number of parts, are the guardians of these
divisions of the body. Some also assert, that there is a much greater
number of these presiding powers; different corporeal parts being under
the inspection of different powers. The names of these also in the
vernacular tongue of the Egyptians are Chnoumën, Chnachoumën, Knat,
Sicat, Biou, Erou, Erebiou, Ramanor, Reianoor. What, therefore, should
prevent him from making use of these and other powers, who wishes
rather to be well than to be ill, to be fortunate rather than to be
unfortunate, and to be liberated from such

. . . ed by the ancients perfect, in a different way from 6, 28,
&c. ; for these were thus denominated because they are equal
to the sum of their parts.

* i. e. beneficent dæmonss; for the ancients divided
dæmonss into the beneficent and malevolent.
They also
considered the former as assisting the soul in its ascent to
its pristine state of felicity; but the latter as of a
punishing and avenging characteristic.

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tormentors and castigators as these things are thought to be? *

"He, however, who invokes these powers ought to be careful, lest being
conglutinated [as it were] to the worship of them, and to a love of
the body, he should turn from and become oblivious of more excellent
natures. For it is perhaps requisite not to disbelieve in wise men, who
say that the greater part of circumterrestrial dæmons are conglutinated
to generation, and are delighted with blood, with the odour and vapour
of flesh, with melodies and with other things of the like kind**; to
which being bound, they are unable to effect any thing superior to the
sanction of the body, and the prediction of future events to men and
cities. Whatever also pertains to mortal actions they know, and are able
to bring to pass.

"If some one should command a worshiper of God either to act impiously,
or to say any thing of a most disgraceful nature, he is in no respect
whatever to be obeyed; but all trial and every kind of death are to be
endured rather than to meditate,

* Vid. Salmas. In fine libri He Annis climactericis.

** See Book II. of Taylor's translation of Porphyry,--On
Abstinence from Animal Food.

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and much more to assert, any thing impious concerning God. But if any
one should order us to celebrate the Sun or Minerva, we ought most
gladly to sing hymns to their praise. For thus you will appear to
venerate the supreme God in a greater degree *, if you also celebrate
these powers: for piety when it passes through all things becomes more
perfect. "




EXTRACTS FROM, AND INFORMATION RELATIVE TO, THE TREATISE OF PORPHYRY
AGAINST THE CHRISTIANS

[Illustration: Porphyry]

This work of Porphyry consisted of Fifteen Books, and is unfortunately
lost. It is frequently mentioned by the Fathers of the Church, from
whose writings the following particulars are collected.

The First Book appears to have contained a development of the
contrariety of the Scriptures, and proofs that they did not proceed from
Divinity, but from men.