But how are statues said to have an enthusiastic energy? May we not say, that a statue being inanimate, does not itself energize about divinity, but the telestic art, purifying the matter of which the statue consists, and placing round it certain characters and symbols, in the first place renders it, through these means, animated, and causes it to receive a certain life from the world; and, in the next place, after this, it prepares the statue to be illuminated by a divine nature, through which it always delivers oracles, as long as it is properly adapted. For the statue, when it has been rendered perfect by the telestic art, remains afterwards [endued with a prophetic power] tdl it becomes entirely unadapted to divine illumination; but he who receives the inspiring influence of the Gods receives it only at certain times, and not always. But the cause of this is, that the soul, when filled with deity, energizes about it. Hence, in consequence- of energizing above its own power, it becomes weary. For it would be a God, and similar to the souls of the stars, if it did not become weary. But the statue, conformably to its participations, remains illuminated. Hence the inaptitude of it entirely proceeds into privation, unless it is again, de novo, perfected and animated by the mystic operator. We have sufficiently shown, therefore, that enthu.siasm, properly so called, is effected about the one of the soul, and that it is an illumination of divinity.
\ A A “ In the next place, let us discuss the order and the use of the four manias, and show why the philosopher makes mention of these alone. Is it because there are no other than these, or because these were sufficient for his purpose? That there are, therefore, many other divine inspirations and manias Plato himself indicates as he proceeds, and prior to this, he makes mention of the inspiration from the Nymphs.
But there are also inspirations from Pan, from the mother of the Gods, and from the Corybantes, which are elsewhere mentioned by Plato. Here, however, he alone delivers these four manias; in the first place, because these alone are sufficient to the soul, in the attainment of its proper apocatastasis, as we shall afterwards show; and in the next place, because he delivers the proximate steps of ascent to the soul. For the gifts of the Gods to all beings are many and incomprehensible. But now he delivers to us the energies of the Gods which are extended to souls. He delivers, however, these four manias, not as if one of them was not sufficient, and especially the amatoiy, to lead back the soul to its pristine felicity; but at present the series and regular gradation of them, and the orderly perfection of the soul, are unfolded. As, therefore, it is possible for the tyrannic life, when suddenly changed, to become aristocratic, through employing strenuous promptitude and a divine allotment, but the gradual ascent is from a tyrannic to a democratic, and from this to an oligarchic life, afterwards to a timocratic, and at last to an aristocratic life, but the descent and lapse are vice versa; thus also here, the soul being about to ascend, and be restored to its former felicity, is in the firet place possessed with the musical mania, afterwards with the telestic, then with the prophetic, and, in the last place, with the amatory mania. These inspirations, however, conspire ■with, and are in want of, each other; so abundant is their communion. Forthe telestic requires the prophetic * mania; since the latter f interprets many things pertaining to the former. And again, the prophetic requires the telestic mania. For the telestic mania perfects and establishes oracular predictions. Farther still, the prophetic uses the poetic and musical mania. For prophets, as I may say, always speak in verse. And again, the musical uses the prophetic mania spontaneously, as Plato says. But what occasion is there to speak about the amatory and musical * For fxovcrtKfjs here, it is necessary to read fiavnKijs.
■f And for (lavTkKriv read /xavTiKi].
manias? For nearly the same persons exercise both these, as, for instance, Sappho, Anacreon, and the like, in consequence of these not being able to subsist without each other. But it is very evident that the amatory mania contributes to all these, since it is subservient to enthusiasm of every kind: for no enthusiasm can be effected without amatory inspiration. And you may see how Orpheus appears to have applied himself to all these, as being in want of, and adhering to, each other. For we learn that he was most telestic, and most prophetic, and was excited by Apollo; and besides this, that he was most poetic, on which account he is said to have been the son of Calliope. He was likewise most amatory, as he himself acknowledges to Musaeus, extending to him divine goods, and rendering him perfect. Hence he appears to have been possessed with all the manias, and this by a necessary consequence. For there is an abundant union, conspiration, and alliance with each other, of the Gods who preside over these manias, viz. of the Muses, Bacchus, Apollo, and Love.
“ It remains, therefore, that we should unfold the nature of each of the manias, previously observing that those which are internal, and originate from the soul itself, and give perfection to it, are of one kind; but the external energies of them, and which preserve the outward man, and our nature, are of another. The four external, however, are analogous to the four internal manias. Let us consider, therefore, in the first place, the internal, and which alone originate from the soul itself, and let us see what they effect in the soul. In order, likewise, that this may become manifest, and also their arrangement, let us survey from on high, the descent, as Plato says, and defluxion of the wings of the soul. From the beginning, therefore, and at first, the soul was united to the Gods, and its unity to their one.
But afterwards the soul departing from this divine union descended into intellect, and no longer possessed real beings unitedly, and in one, but apprehended and surveyed them by simple projections, and, as it were, contacts of its intellect. In the next place, departing from intellect, and descending into reasoning and dianoia, it no longer apprehended real beings by simple intuitions, but syllogistically and transitively, proceeding from one thing to another, from propositions to conclusions. Afterwards, abandoning true reasoning, and the dissolving peculiarity, it descended into generation, and became filled with much irrationality and perturbation. It is necessary, therefore, that it should recur A A 2 to its proper principles and again return to the place from whence it came. To this ascent and apocatastasis, however, these four manias contribute. And the musical mania, indeed, leads to symphony and harmony, the agitated and disturbed nature of the parts of the soul, which were hurried away to indefiniteness and inaptitude, and were filled with abundant tumult. But the telestic mania causes the soul to be perfect and entire, and prepares it to energize intellectually. For the musical mania alone harmonizes and represses the parts of the soul; but the telestic causes the whole of it to energize, and prepares it to become entire, so that the intellectual part of it may energize. For the soul, by descending into the realms of generation, resembles a thing broken and relaxed. And the circle of the same, or the intellectual part of it, is fettered; but the circle of the differejit, or the doxastic part, sustains many fractures and turnings. Hence, the soul energizes partially, and not according to the whole of itself. The Dionysiacal inspiration, therefore, after the parts of the soul are coharmonized, renders it perfect, and causes it to energize according to the whole of itself, and to live intellectually. But the Apolloniacal mania converts and coexcites all the multiplied powers, and the whole of the soul, to the one of it. Hence Apollo is denominated as elevating the soul from multitude to the one.
And the remaining mania, the amatory, receiving the soul united, conjoins this one of the soul to the Gods, and to intelligible beauty. As the givers, therefore, of these manias are transcendently united, and are in each other, the gifts also on this account participate of, and communicate with, each other, and the recipient, which is the soul, possesses an adaptation to all the gifts. This, therefore, is the order, and these are the energies and powers within the soul itself, of these four manias.
“ But let us also consider their external energies on man, and what they outwardly eifect about us. The musical mania, therefore, causes us to speak in verse, and to act and be moved rythmically, and to sing in metre, the splendid deeds of divine men, and their virtues and pursuits; and, through these, to discipline our life, in the same manner as the inward manias coharmonize our soul. But the telestic mania, expelling every thing foreign, contaminating, and noxious, preserves our life perfect and innoxious, and banishing an insane and diabolical phantasy, causes us to be sane, entire, and perfect, just as the internal telestic mania makes the soul to be perfect and entire. Again, the prophetic mania contracts into one the extension and infinity of time, and sees, as in one present now, all things, the past, the feature, and the existing time. Hence it predicts what will be, which it sees as present to itself. It causes us, therefore, to pass through life in an irreprehensible manner; just as the internal prophetic mania contracts and elevates all the multiplied and many powers and lives of the soul to the one, in order that it may in a greater degree be preserved and connected. But the amatory mania converts young persons to us, and causes them to become our friends, being instructive of youth, and leading them from sensible beauty to our psychical beauty, and from this sending them to intelligible beauty; in the same manner as the internal amatory mania conjoins the one of the soul to the Gods.
“ All the above mentioned manias, therefore, are superior to the prudent and temperate energies of the soul. Nevertheless, there is a mania which is coordinate with temperance, and which we say has in a certain respect a prerogative above * it. For certain inspirations are produced, according to the middle and also according to the doxastic reasons of the soul, conformably to which artists eifect certain things, and discover theorems beyond expectation, as Asclepius, for instance, in medicine, and Hercules in the practic f life.”
Afterwards, in commenting on what Plato says of the mania from the Muses, viz. ^rthat it adorns the infinite deeds of the ancients,” Hermeas observes, “that the inward energy in the soul of the poetic mania, by applying itself to superior and intelligible natures, imparts to subordinate natures harmony and order; but that the external divinelyinspired poetry celebrates the deeds of the ancients, and instructs both its contemporaries and posterity, extending its energies every where.” But Plato says, “that he who without the divinely-inspired mania of the Muses expects to become a divine poet, will, by thus fancying, become himself imperfect, and his poetry will be vanquished and concealed by the poetry which is the progeny of mania.” Hermeas adds, “ For what similitude is there between the poetry of Chaerilus and Callimachus, and that of Homer and Pindar? For the divinely-inspired poets, as being filled * For U7T0 here, it is necessary to read VTep.
+ The German editor of these Scholia, instead of irpaKTiK-p, which is the true reading in this place, and which he foundin the manuscript, absurdly substitutes for it ttvktikji, as if Hercules was a pugilist. See my translation of the Dissertation of Maximus Tyrius, on the Practic and Theoretic Life.
from the MuseSj always invoke them, and extend to them all that they say.” For a fuller and most admirable account of the poetic mania, and of the different species of poetry by Proclus, see the notes on the tenth book of the Republic, in my translation of Plato, and also the Introduction to my translation of the Rhetoric, Poetic, and Nicomachean Ethics of Aristotle.
From what is here said by Hermeas about enthusiasm, the intelligent reader will easily see that none of the Roman poets, whose works have been transmitted to us, possessed that which is primarily, properly, and truly enthusiasm, or that highest species of it in which the one of the soul is illuminated by a divine nature, and through transcendent similitude is united to it. As to Virgil, indeed, the prince of these poets, though he invokes the Muse in the beginning of the ^Eneid, yet his invocation of her is but a partial and secondary thing. For he only calls on her to unfold to him the causes that involved a man of such remarkable piety as jEneas in so many misfortunes; Musa, mihi causa memora, &c.
And, confiding in his own genius, he begins his poem without soliciting supernal inspiration.
Anna, virumque cano, &c.
To which may be added, that this placing himself before the Muse, resembles the ego et metis rex of Wolsey. On the contrary, divinely-inspired poets, as Hermeas well observes, knock, as it were, at the gates of the Muses, and thus being filled from thence exclaim.
And, And, EcTTrere vvv p.oi Movcrat aeiSe 6ea — AvSpa jxoL evvetre Movora.
For being always extended to them, they dispose the whole of what they afterwards say as derived from their inspiring influence. With an arrogance too, peculiar to the Romans, who, as a certain Greek poet * says, were a people Beyond measure proud.
He associates himself, in his fourth Eclogue, with the Muses, as their equal: Sicelides Musse, paulo majora canamus.
* Vid. Olympipdor. in Aristot. Meteor.
Which reminds me of what Suetonius relates of Caligula, that he would place himself between the statues of Castor and Pollux, and confer privately with Jupiter Capitolinus, fancying that hewas intimate with, and of equal dignity with, these divinities. And as to the poets that have lived since the fall of the Roman empire, it would be ridiculous to suppose that they possessed this highest enthusiasm, as they did not believe in the existence of the sources from whence it is alone genuinely derived.
P. 67. The attentive power of the sold. This is that part or power of the rational soul which primarily apprehends the operations of the senses. For the rational soul not only has intellect in capacity, the dianoetic power, will, and choice, but another power, which is called by the best of the Greek interpreters of Aristotle, as well as by lamblichus, to 7rpoa-€KTLKov, the attentive. This power investigates and perceives whatever is transacted in man; and says, I understand, I think, I opine, I am angry, I desire. And, in short, this attentive part of the rational soul passes through all the rational, irrational, vegetable, or physical powers. If, therefore, it is requisite it should pass through all these powers, it will also proceed through the senses, and say, I see, I hear; for it is the peculiarity of that which apprehends energies thus to speak. Hence if it is the attentive power which says these things, it is this power which apprehends the energy of sensibles; for it is necessary that the nature w'hich apprehends all things should be one, since man also is one. For if one part of it should apprehend these, and another those things, it is just, as Aristotle says, as if you should perceive this thing, and I that. It is necessary, therefore, that the attentive power should be one indivisible thing.
P. 74. For the human soul is on all sides darkened hy body, which he who denominates the river of Negligence, or the water of Oblivion, Sue. will not by such appellations sufficiently express its turpitude. "The whole of generation, as well as the human body,” says Proclus in Tim. lib. v. p. 339, "may be called a river, through its rapid, impetuous, and unstable flux. Thus also in the Republic, Plato calls the whole genesiurgic nature the river of Lethe; in which are contained, as Empedocles says. Oblivion, and the meadow of Ate; the voracity of matter, and the lighthating world, as tlie Gods say; and the "winding streams under which many are drawn down, as the Chaldean oracles assert.”
P. 105. But there are a certain few who by employing a certain supernatural power of intellect, are removed from nature, See. The class to which these few belong is beautifully unfolded, as follows, by Plotinus, in the beginning of his Treatise on Intellect, Ideas, and real Being. Since all men from their birth employ sense prior to intellect, and are necessarily first conversant with sensibles, some proceeding no farther, passthrough life, considering these as the first and last of things, and apprehending that whatever is painful among these is evil, and whatever is pleasant is good; thus thinking it sufficient to pursue the one and avoid the other. Those, too, among them who pretend to a greater share of reason than others, esteem this to be wisdom, being affected in a manner similar to more heavy birds, who collecting many things from the earth, and being oppressed with the weight, are unable to fly on high, though they have received wings for this purpose from nature.
But others are in a small degree elevated from things subordinate, the more excellent part of the soul recalling them from pleasure to a more worthy pursuit. As they are, however, unable to look on high, and as not possessing any thing else which can afford them rest, they betake themselves, together with the name of virtue, to actions and the election of things inferior, from which they at first endeavoured to raise themselves, though in vain. In the third class is the race of divine men, who, through a more excellent power, and with piercing eyes, acutely perceive supernal light, to the vision of which they raise themselves above the clouds and darkness, as it were, of this lower world, and there abiding despise every thing in these regions of sense; being no otherwise dehghted -with the place which is truly and properly their own, than he who after many wanderings is at length restored to his lawful country.” See my translation of the whole of this treatise.
P. 117. By mire, therefore, understand every thing corporeal-f owned a?id material “ Matter,” says Simplicius in his Commentary on the first book of Aristotle’s Physics, “ is nothing else than the mutation of sensibles, with respect to intelligibles, deviating from thence, and carried doA\Tiwards to non-being. Those things, indeed, which are the properties of sensibles are irrational, corporeal, distributed into parts, and passing into bulk and divulsion, through an ultimate progression into generation, viz. into matter; for matter is always truly the last sediment. Hence, also, the Egyptians call the dregs of the first life, which they symbolically denominate water, matter, being as it were a certain mire. And matter is, as it were, the receptacle of generated and sensible natures, not subsisting as any definite form, but as the state or condition of subsistence; just as the impartible, the immaterial, true being, and things of this kind, are the constitution of an intelligible nature; all forms, indeed, subsisting both in sensibles and intelligibles, but in the former materially, and in the latter immaterially; viz. in the one impartibly and truly, but in the other partibly and shadowy. Hence every form is in sensibles distributed according to material interval.”
P. 120. Through the innovation and illegality of the Greeks. lamblichus says, that through this innovation and illegality, both names and prayers have at present lost their efficacy. For during his time, and for some centuries prior to it, the genuine religion of the Greeks was rapidly declining, through their novelty and volatility, of which he here complains. Hence the Emperor Julian, in the fragments of his treatise against the Christians, preserved by Ciryl, says, speaking of the Christians, ‘‘ If any one wishes to consider the truth respecting you, he will find that your impiety consists of the Judaic audacity, and the indolence and confusion of the heathens. For deriving from both, not that which is most beautiful, but the worst, you have fabricated a web of evils. Hence, from the innovation of the Hebrews, you have seized blasphemy towards the venerable Gods; but from our religion you have cast aside reverence to every nature more excellent than man, and the love of paternal institutes.” To yap aXrjOes et Tt<s VTrep vp.(ov eOeXoi crKOTreiv, evprjcreL ryv vperepav acre/3eiav, €k re Trjs lovSatKrj's roXp.rj<; Kai T->j<s Trapa rot? e^vecriv a8ia(^opias Kai ^vSatoTryros crvyKeip.evr)v. ap.<})OLV yap ovtl to KaAAi^ov aXXa to ^eipou eXKVcravTes, Trapycfi-qv KaKdiv etpyacracrde. Atto p.ev ovv rrjs Fi/3pat(i)V KaLVorop.ia<s to jSXacrcjirjpLeLV TLp,u)p.€vovs Oeovs ypTracraTe' airo Se t)]s Trap rjp.LV 6prj<TKeLas to pev evAaySes tc opov TTpos airacrav ttjv KpetTTOva <fiv<TLV, Kai tcjv TraTpuav aya-TTTjTiKov, airoXeXoLTraTe.
P. 122. Prior to truly existing beings, and total principles, &c. Of the two most ancient principles of all things mentioned in this chapter, as celeljrated by Hermes, the first corresponds to the one itself of Plato, and tlie second to being itself, or superessential being, the summit of the intelligible triad; which two principles are beautifully unfolded by Proclus in the second and third books of his treatise on the Theology of Plato.
P. 122. He arranges the God Eneph prior to, and as the leader of, the celestial Gods. — But prior to this he arranges the impartible one, 7vhich he says is the first paradigm, and which he denominates Eicton. It appears to me that the former of these two divinities is the same w'ith Saturn, who is the summit of the intellectual order of Gods; and that the latter is the animal itselj of Plato, or the Phanes of Orpheus, who subsists at the extremity of the intelligible triad. For the God Eneph is said by lamblichus to be an intellect intellectually perceiving itself, and converting intellections to itself; and these are the characteristics of Saturn. And the God Eicton is said to be the first paradigm, and this is also asserted of Phanes.
P. 123. For the hooks ivhich are circulated under the name of Hermes, contain Hermaic opinions, though they frequently employ the language of the philosophers: for they were translated from the Egyptian tongue by men who 7vere 7iot unskilled in philosophy. A few only of these books are now extant, but what is here said by lamblichus sufficiently proves their authenticity, and that they contain the genuine doctrines of Hermes. They have doubtless, however, been occasionally interpolated by some of the early Christians, though not to that extent which modern critics, and that mitred sophist War burton, suppose.
P. 123. And such as have written concerning the decans. The twelve parts, mentioned in the preceding chapter, into which the Egyptians divide the heavens, are the twelve signs of the zodiac. But the thirty-six parts are the twelve houses of the planets, divided into three other portions, which they call decans. Ptolemy, however, in his Quadripartite, subverts this doctrine of the Egyptians. Concerning these decans, see Scaliger ad Manilium, Kircher n. parte Oedipi, and Salmasius de Annis climactericis. Gale also gives the following extract from Hermes relative to the decans, which had not been before published, and which he derived from a MS. copy of Stobaeus in the possession of Vossius.
^’ajLtev 0) TeKvov, TrepuKTLKOv to)v aTravrwv etvai to crw/xa.
€vvorj(TOV ovv avTO wcnrep /<v/cXoetSes cr)(^p.a vrro Se tov kvkXov tov crw/xaTOS tovtov r^raydai rows At SexavoDS, pLCcrov; TOV TravTog kvkXov tov ^loStaKOv. vo'qcrwp.ev cocTTrepet cfivXa- Kag avTOvg Trpot’C'acrdai t(ov ev KocrpLO) airavTOiv o-avTa crvvexouTug KUi TTjpovvTag ttjv to)v TravTcoy evTa^iav. crt Se vorj(Tov ct) Tar, oti aTra^ets eto"iv (ov ol aXXot a<^epeg 'iraa-'^ovcriv. ovT€ yap €TT€)^op,evoi TOV SpopLOv •^'qpL^ovcriv, ovTe K<j}Xvop.€voi avairoSt^ovcriv, aXX ov8e pirjv airo tov (fxvTog tov rjXLOv <rK€7rov-Tai, airep Tracr^ovcrti/ ot aXXoi aTepes. eXevdepOL Se ovTeg larepavu) ttovtcov, (varrep cfivXaKeg Kat e7rtcr/<07rot aKpifSeig tov 7)pag TTjv p.eyi'^'qv 8vvap.Lv. i. e. ''We say, O son, that the body [of the universe] is comprehensive of all things. Conceive, therefore, this to be as it were of a circular form.
But under the circle of this body the thirty-six decans are arranged, as the media of the whole circle of the zodiac.
These, likewise, must be understood to preside as guardians over every thing in the world, connecting and containing all things and preserving the established order of all things.
Farther still, understand, O Tat, that these decans are impassive to the things which the other stars suffer. For neither being detained, do they stop their course, nor being impeded do they recede, nor are they, like the other stars, concealed as with a veil by the light of the sun. But being liberated above all things, they comprehend the universe as the guardians and accurate inspectors of it, in the Nycthemeron [or the space of night and day]. They also possess, with respect to us, the greatest power.”
P. 125. So that what you add from Homer, ‘‘that the Gods are fexible,” it is not holy to assert. The words of Homer are crpreTrToi Se re /cat ^eoi avToi, and are to be found in Iliad ix. v. 493. But when lamblichus says, it is not holy to assert the Gods are flexible, he means that it is not holy according to the literal signification of the words; divine flexibility indicating nothing more than tliis, that those who through depravity were before unadapted to receive the illuminations of the Gods, and in consequence of this were subject to the power of avenging daemons; when afterwards they obtain pardon of their guilt through prayers and sacrifices, and through methods of this kind apply a remedy to their vices, again become partakers of the goodness of the Gods. So that divine flexibility is a resumption of the participation of divine light and goodness by those who through inaptitude were before deprived of it.
P. 130. Dcemons preside over the parts oj our bodtp Proclus in the fragments of his Ten Doubts concerning Providence^ preserved by Fabricius in the eighth vol. of liis Bibliotheca Graeca^ observes, ^'Tliat the Gods, with an exempt transcendency, extend theirprovidence to all things, but that daemons, dividing their superessential subsistence, receive the guardianship of different herds of animals, distributing the providence of the Gods, as Plato says, as far as to the most ultimate division. Hence some of them preside over men, others over lions or other animals, and others over plants; and still more partially, some are the inspective guardians of the eye, others of the heart, and others of the liver.” He adds, “ all things, however, are full of Gods, some of whom exert their providential energies immediately, but others through daemons as media: not that the Gods are incapable of being present to all things, but that ultimate are themselves unable to participate primary natures. ” Hence it must be said that there is one principal daemon, who is the guardian and governor of every thing that is in us, and many daemons subordinate to him, who preside over our parts.
P. 134. Hence it is requisite to consider how he may be liberated from these bonds. “The one salvation of the soul herself,” says Proclus in Tim. lib. v. p. 330, “ which is extended by the Demiurgus, and which liberates her from the circle of generation, from abundant wanderings, and an inefficacious life, is her return to the intellectual form, and a flight from every thing which naturally adheres to us from generation. For it is necessary that the soul, which is hurled like seed into the realms of generation, should lay aside the stubble and bark, as it were, which she obtained from being disseminated into these fluctuating realms; and that purifying herself from every thing circumjacent, she should become an intellectual flower and fruit, delighting in an intellectual life, instead of doxastic nutriment, and pursuing the uniform and simple energy of the period of sameness, instead of the abundantly wandering motion of the period which is characterized by difference. For she contains each of these circles, and twofold powers. And of her horses one is good, but the other the contrary [as is said in the Phaedrus]. And one of these leads her to generation, but the other from generation to true being. The one also leads her round the genesiurgic, but the other round the intellectual circle. For the period of the same and the similar elevates to intellect, and an intelligible nature, and to the first and most excellent habit. But this habit is that according to Avhich the soul being winged governs the whole world, becoming assimilated to the Gods themselves. And this is the universal form of life in the soul, just as that is the partial form, when she falls into the last body, and becomes something belonging to an individual, instead of belonging to the universe. The middle of these, also, is the partial universal, when she lives in conjunction Avith her middle vehicle, as a citizen of generation. Dismissing, therefore, her first habit, Avhich subsists according to an alliance to the Avhole of generation, and laying aside the irrational nature AA'hich connects her Avith generation, likewise governing her irrational part by reason, and extending opinion to intellect, she Avill be circularly led to a happy life from the wanderings about the regions of sense; which life those that are initiated by Orpheus in the mysteries of Bacchus and Proserpine, pray that they may obtain, together with the allotments of the [celestial] sphere, and a cessation of evil. But if our soul necessarily lives well, when living according to the circle of sameness, much more must this be the case with divine souls. It is, however, possible for our soul to live according to the circle of sameness, when purified, as Plato says. Cathartic virtue, therefore, alone must be called the salvation of souls; since this cuts off, and vehemently obliterates, material natures, and the passions which