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would have known that not everything whicli is taen forfood under tho pressure of out ard necessity turna out tobo fuit te nourishment for the animal, but that somo thingsno Sooner come into contact with the plicatures of thostomach than they aro Wont to be corrupted, and are Vomitedor uoided, or disposed of in some other Way, so that not evenior a liuio time do they undergo tho fini and natural digestion, much less becomo incorporaled with that whicli is tobe nourished; as also, that not even everything which hasbeen digosted in the stomach and received the first chango actualty arrives at the paris to be nourished, since some ofit loses ita nutritivo poWer even in the stomach, and someduring the second change, and the digestion that tines placo in tho livor is separated and passes into something else whichis destituto of the poWer to nourish; nay, that the changewhich takes placo in the liver does not ali issue in nouristament to men, but the matter changed is separated as refuse according to ita natural purpose; and that the nourishment whicli is test in tho members and paris themselves that haveto bo nourished somelimes changes to Something esse, accord- ing as that predominates Which is present in greater or lessyabundance, and is apt to corrupi or to turn into itsoli that whicli comes Dear it. CHAP. VI.- erything that is useless or huriful is rejected. Since, therelare, great disserence of nature obtains in allanimais, and the Very nourishment Whicli is accordant With
naturo is Varied to fuit sach hind of animal, and tho bodywhicli is nourished; and as in tho nourishment of every animal there is a threesold cleansing and separation, it fol-lows that whateuer is alien froin the nourishment of the animal must be wholly destroyed and carriod oss to iis natural place, or change into something else, since it cannot coalesce With it; that tho power of the nourishing body mustbe sultable to the naturo of the animal to be nourished, anduccordani: with iis poWers; and that this, When it has passed through iue strainers appotnted for the purpose, and been
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430 ATHENAGORAS ON THEthorouoly purified by the natural means of purification, mustbecome a most genuine addition to the substance, he onlything, in iaci, Which any one calling things by their right names
Would cali nourishment at ali; because it rejecis everythinginat is foroim and hurisul to the constitution of the animal nourished, and that mass of superfluous laod introducedmorob for filling the stomach and gratifying the appetite.
This nourishment, no one can docti, becomes incorporated
with tho boo that is nourishod, interWoven and blendedwith ali ino members and paris of members ; but that whichis different and contra to nature is speedij corrupted ii brought into contact With a stronger pomer, but easilydestros that which is overcome by it, and is converted into hurtiui humours and polsonous qualities, because producingnothing Ain or triendly to the body whicli is to bo nourishod. And it is a very clear proos of this, that in many of the animais nourished, pain, or diserae, or death festo homthese things, is, oWing to a too heen appetite, they tas in minglod with thola Lood something poisonous and contrary tonature; Which, of course, Would tend to the ulter destruetion of the body to bo nourished, since that whicli is nou ishod is nourished by substances Ain to it and whita accordwith iis nature, but is destroyed by those of a contraryhind. Ii, therefore, according to the different nature ofanimais, different hinds of food havo been provided sui, ille to their nature, and nono of that whicli the animal mayhme taen, not even an accidental part of it, admits of being
which has been purified by an entire digestion, and unde gone a complete change for union mith a particular body, and adapted to the paris Whicli are to receive nourishment itis very plain that nono of the things contra to naturo canbo united With inoso bodios for whicli it is not a suit loand correspondent nourishment, but either passes oss by thebowels before it produces some oster humo , crude and co x ted ; or, ii it continuo sor a longer time, produces sine ing or diseras hard to cure, destroying at the samo time thonatural nourishment, or even the flesh itseli Which needs
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RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. 431nourishment. But even though it be expelled at longili, Mercome is certain medicines, or by bellex Dod, or by the natural Arces, it is not got rid of Without doing much harna,
since it bears no peaceiul aspect toWards What is naturat,becauso it cannot coalesce With nature. CHAP. VII.-The resumectiombo disserent froin the present. y, suppose We Were to grant that tho nourishment
coming from these things let it be so called, as more aeco dant Mith the common Way of speahing), although against nature, is yet separated and changed into some one of the moistor dry, or Warm or cold, matters Which the body contains, cur opponents Would gain nothing by the concession: for thobodies that rise again aro reconstituted hom tho paris Whicli properly belong to them, Whereas no one of the things mentioned is such a pari, nor has it the form or place oi a pari; nu, it does not remain alWays with the paris of the body whicham nourished, or rise again with the paris that rise, since nolonger does blood, or phlem, or bile, or breatli, contribute anything to the liso. Neither, again, will tho bodies nourished then require the inings they once required, seeing that, alongwith the want and corruption of the bodies nourished, theneed also of thoso things by Whicli they woro nourished is
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what it has received, and then again rejecting it in some Wayor other, and decreasing in buth, Bom one or more of the causes atready mentioned ; and that stat Hono remalias in the paris Whicli is adapted to bind together, or coVer, or Warmillo floin that has been chosen by nature, and adheres to those
conceded, in neither case can it be shown that What is said Dour opponenis is true, nor can the bodies of men ever combino with thoso of the fame nature, Whether at any time,
Very weli amare that some brutes have human forms, or limea nature compounded of men and brutes, such as the more daring of the poets are accustomed is represent.
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detestabis than any other uniaWsul and unnatural Aod or aci; and is What is against nature can neor para into nourishment
for tho limba and paris requiring it, and what does not passinio murishment can never becomo united mith that whicli itis not ad ted in nourish,-then can the hodies of men nevercombine mith bodies liho the elves, to Whicli this nourishment mould be against nature, even though it mere is passmany times through their stomach, o ing to somo most bittermischance; but, removed hom tho influenco of the nouris,ing poWer, and scattered to those paris of the universo again
hom which they obtained their fidit origis, they are united mitti theso for as long a period of time as may be the tot oseach; and, separated thenco again by the shili and poWer os Him who has fixed the nature os every animal, and furnishedit missi ita peculiar po ers, they aro united suitabb, each toeach, Whether they have been burni up by sire, or rotted by mater, or consumed by Wild beasis, or by any other animati, or separated irom the entire body and dissoluod botoro thoother paris; and, being again united With one another, theyoccupy the fama place for the exact construction and formation of the samo body, and for the resurrection and life of that which was de , or even entirely dissolved. To expatiate further, hoWeVer, on these topics, is not fuit te; for ad monare agroed in their decision respecting them,-those at least Who are not half brutes.
io those Who tahe refuge in the Wocts of men, and even the constructora os them, Who are unable to mahe meW such of
nor is Ηs Willed would ba able, to ratio again a body that is dead, or has been dissolved, ot considering that is suchreasoning they offer the grossest insuli to God, pulting, as
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434 ATHENAGORAS ON THEthey do, On the fame levet the capabilities of things which aro
altogether different, or raster the natures of those Who Methem, and comparing the wotas of ari With those of natum. To besto any serious attention on such arguments Mould bonot undeseruing of censure, for it is reatly Dolisti to repb is superficiat and trifling objections. It is surely far more probabis, yea, most absoluteb true, to say that what is impossibio mith men is possibio mith God. And is by this statement of itseli as probabie, and by the whese investigation in inita me have just been Engaged reason shoms it tobe possibie, it is quite clear that it is nos impossibio. NO, nor is it such a thing as God could not Will.
For that whicli is not accordant With His wili is so ditheras being unjust Or as unWortis of Him. And again, the injustice rogards ei ther him Who is to rise again, or someother than ho. But it is evident that no one of the beings exterior to him, and that are rechoned among the inings that have existence, is injured. Spirituat natures νοηταὶ φύσεις cannot be injured by the resurrection os men, for the resu rection os men is no hindrance to their existing, nor is myloss or violence inflicted on them by it; non again, Would thenaturo os irrational or inanimate beings sustain Wrong, sorthey Will have no existence after the resurrection, and nowrong can bs done to that Whicli is not. But even ii any one Ahould suppose them to exist for ever, they Would notsuffer Wrong by the rene at of human bodies: for is noW, in heing subservient to the nature of men and thela necessities While they require them, and subjected to the yche and every hind of Mudgery, they suffer no Urong, much more, Whenmon have becomo immortal and free hom Want, and no longerneed thela service, and when they are thomselves liberate lsrom bondage, mill they suffer no v rong. For is they hadine giit oi speech, they Would not bring against the Creator the charge of mahing them, contrary to justice, inferior ismen becauso they did not share in the fame resurrection. F
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to creatures Whose nature is not aliae the Just Boing does notassim a like end. And, besides, Wissi creatures that have nonotion os justice there can bo no complaint of injustice. Norean it bo said cither that there is any injustice done as regatas the man to bo ressed, for he consists of soul and body, and he suffers no Wrong as to esther fovi or body. No person in his senses mill amrm that his foui siners Wrong, because, inspeahing so, he Wοuid at the fame time be unawares reflecting
tho beller not unWorthy, to maho one not liable to corruption or suffering. CHAP. XI.- eapitulation
Is, then, by means of that whicli is by naturo firsi and that whicli follows hom it, each of the potnis investigated
has been proved, it is Very evident that the resurrection os dissoluod bossies is a mork which the Creator can perform, and can will, and such as is Worthy of Ηim: lar by theso considerations the falsehood of the contrary opinion has beoninown, and the absurdity of the position taen by disboliovers. For Why should I speak of their correspondence oach witheach, and of their connection with ono another Ii indoed
e ought to use the word connection, as though they Were separated by somo disserence of nature; and not rather say,
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436 ATHENAGORAS ON THEdisco se concerning the truth is one thing, and to discouras in dosonce of it is another, has been sussiciently explained in the remacts Hready made, as also in What respecis they differhom eata oster, and when and in dealing With Whom in are severatly usefui; but perhaps there is no reason Why, missi a vi- to the generat certainty, and because of thoconnection of What has been sald With What remains, weshould not mino a fresh beginning hom these fame potnis and those Whicli are allied to them. To the ono hind of argument it naturalty pertaius to hold the laremost place, to the other to attend upon the first, and clear the Way, and toremove Whateuer is obstructive or hostile. Tho disco soconcerning the truth, as being necessary to ali men forcertainty and salaty, holds the firat place, Whether in nature,or order, or Mesuluess: in nature, as furnishing the knowledge of the subjeci; in order, as being in those inings andalong missi stoso things which it informs us os; in usefuuness, as being a guarantee of certainty and salaty to thosis Who bocomo acquainted Mith it. The disco se in defence of tho unis is inferior in natum and force, for the refutation offalsehood is lem important than the est lishmont of truth; and second in order, for it employs iis strennii against inose Who hold falso opinions, and false opinions are an aftem Wthhom another soWing and hom degeneration. But, not th-
standing Hl this, it is osten placed frat, and somstimes il
or false opinion os such as have but recently come over. And yet eata of them is referribis to the fame end, for theresutation os salsehood and tho ost lishment of truth both have pieu for their obieci: not, indeod, that they are abs lutoly one and the fame, but the one is necessa , as I havesaid, to est Who belleve, and to those Who are concerned about tho truth and their own salvation; but the other proves in bomore Mesul on some occasions, and to Some persons, and in
Maling with some. Thus much by Way of recapitulation, to
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ceming the resurrection, both hom the cause iraest, accortiing in Whicli, and on account of Which, the fidit man and his posterity Were created, although they Were not Mought into
existenco in the fame manner, and DOm the common naturo
CHAP. XII. rgument for the resurrection Dom the purpoae eontemplated in manes creation. The argument from the cause Will appear, ii me considerWhether man was made at random and in Vain, or for somepur se; and is for Some pur se, Whether simply that hemiot live and continuo in the natural condition in Whicli ho Was created, or for the uso of another; and is With a vioπ toum, Whether for that of the Creator Himself, or of somo one
Worthy of greater care. NoW, it me consider this in tho most generat Way, We find that a person os mund miud, and whois moved is a rationes judgment to do anything, Mea nothingin vain Whicli ho does intentionalin bul either for his oWnuse, or for the use of some oster person for Whom he cares,
anything esse bolonging to him, but that thoso Who springfrom him may exist and continue as long as possibie, thus by the succession of children and grandchildren comforting h-- soli respecting the close of his oWn lite, and hoping in this Way to immortaliae the mortes. Such is tho procedure M
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of tho being itself so created. For reason cannot discoVer any uso whicli might be doemed a cause for tho creation os men, since immortals are free hom mant, and in need of no holphom men in order to their existenco; and irrationes beings areis nature in a state os subjection, and perform those servicessor men for Whicli each of them Was intended, but ara notintendod in their turn to mahe use of men: sor it neithermas nor is right to loKer that which rules and tahes tho leadio the use of the inferior, or to subjeci the rational to the irrational, Which is not suiled to ruis. Therofore, is mantias been created netther Without causo and in vain for nono of God's Works is in vain, so far at least as the purpose of their Maher is concomed), nor for tho use of the MaherHimself, or of any of the works which have procoeded homΗim, it is qui te clear that although, according to the sint anil more generat View of the subjeci, God made man for Himself, and in pursuance of the goodness and wisdom Whicli are conspicuous throughout the creation, yet, according to the VieWwhicli more nearly touches the boings created, Ηe mado himsor the salie of the life of thoso creatod, whicli is not kindled for a lituo whilo and then extinguished. For to creepingthings, I supposs, and birds, and fishes, or, to speis more generesin ali irrational creatures, God has assigned suta alife as that; but to those who boar upon them the image of tho Creator Himself, and are endoWed mitti undeditandinnand blessed mitti a rationes judgment, the Creator has assigned perpetuat duration, in order that, recognising their oWn