{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p>has reference to the fact that the fruits of one field are said to\r\nbe transferred to another by these arts which this pestiferous\r\nand accursed doctrine teaches. Does not Cicero inform us that,\r\namong the laws of the Twelve Tables, that is, the most ancient\r\nlaws of the Romans, there was a law written which appointed\r\na punishment to be inflicted on him who should do this?<a id=\"FNanchor_312_312\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_312_312\">[312]</a>\r\nLastly, was it before Christian judges that Apuleius himself\r\nwas accused of magic arts?<a id=\"FNanchor_313_313\"></a><a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_313_313\">[313]</a> Had he known these arts to be\r\ndivine and pious, and congruous with the works of divine\r\npower, he ought not only to have confessed, but also to have\r\nprofessed them, rather blaming the laws by which these things\r\nwere prohibited and pronounced worthy of condemnation, while\r\nthey ought to have been held worthy of admiration and respect.<span class=\"pagenum\"><a id=\"Page_334\">[Pg 334]</a></span>\r\nFor by so doing, either he would have persuaded the judges to\r\nadopt his own opinion, or, if they had shown their partiality\r\nfor unjust laws, and condemned him to death notwithstanding\r\nhis praising and commending such things, the demons would\r\nhave bestowed on his soul such rewards as he deserved, who,\r\nin order to proclaim and set forth their divine works, had not\r\nfeared the loss of his human life. As our martyrs, when that\r\nreligion was charged on them as a crime, by which they knew\r\nthey were made safe and most glorious throughout eternity,\r\ndid not choose, by denying it, to escape temporal punishments,\r\nbut rather by confessing, professing, and proclaiming it, by\r\nenduring all things for it with fidelity and fortitude, and by\r\ndying for it with pious calmness, put to shame the law by\r\nwhich that religion was prohibited, and caused its revocation.\r\nBut there is extant a most copious and eloquent oration of\r\nthis Platonic philosopher, in which he defends himself against\r\nthe charge of practising these arts, affirming that he is wholly\r\na stranger to them, and only wishing to show his innocence\r\nby denying such things as cannot be innocently committed.\r\nBut all the miracles of the magicians, who he thinks are justly\r\ndeserving of condemnation, are performed according to the\r\nteaching and by the power of demons. Why, then, does he\r\nthink that they ought to be honoured? For he asserts that\r\nthey are necessary, in order to present our prayers to the gods,\r\nand yet their works are such as we must shun if we wish our\r\nprayers to reach the true God. Again, I ask, what kind of\r\nprayers of men does he suppose are presented to the good\r\ngods by the demons? If magical prayers, they will have none\r\nsuch; if lawful prayers, they will not receive them through\r\nsuch beings. But if a sinner who is penitent pour out prayers,\r\nespecially if he has committed any crime of sorcery, does he\r\nreceive pardon through the intercession of those demons by\r\nwhose instigation and help he has fallen into the sin he mourns?\r\nor do the demons themselves, in order that they may merit\r\npardon for the penitent, first become penitents because they\r\nhave deceived them? This no one ever said concerning the\r\ndemons; for had this been the case, they would never have\r\ndared to seek for themselves divine honours. For how should\r\nthey do so who desired by penitence to obtain the grace of<span class=\"pagenum\"><a id=\"Page_335\">[Pg 335]</a></span>\r\npardon, seeing that such detestable pride could not exist along\r\nwith a humility worthy of pardon?</p>","headings":["THE WORKS OF AURELIUS AUGUSTINE,","BOOK EIGHTH.","ARGUMENT."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg45304-paragraph-602"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"dcc5de6deffe753f3cddcad101a2b3421a2af3fbf531750807e0579c1580f1ea","edition_title":"The City of God, Volume I","edition_translators":["Marcus Dods","George Wilson (Book IV)","J. J. Smith (Books V-VIII)"],"edition_year":1871,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg45304-Footnote_313_313","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Provider catalog reports public domain in the USA. Original transcription title leaves state T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1871; printed translator allocation retained. Gutenberg credits Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries without an exact scan identifier. Full provider license preserved with acquired original; republication and per-work metadata remain unreviewed.","source_anchor":"Footnote_313_313","source_ebook":45304,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a id=\"Footnote_313_313\"></a><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_313_313\"><span class=\"label\">[313]</span></a> Before Claudius, the prefect of Africa, a heathen.</p></div>","source_sha256":"d89e9a2b80bb59f394f0fb1bf313b39fab162f06af6642166d62c5912c1195f1","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45304/pg45304-images.html#Footnote_313_313","text_sha256":"4a9c32619d2379902d815a20377a065afd4138d1e903ea0f72c66f6803f6ba36","verified":false,"work_id":null}