Chapter 33

§ 1.

But their transmigration from body to body we may overthrow by this circumstance, that souls remember not at all any of what was before.¹ For if they were sent out with this view, that they might pass through every kind of working, they ought to remember the things that were done before, in order to fulfil what was wanting, and not toil in wretchedness, always wallowing in the same things without intermission. For the admixture of body could not entirely blot out all memory and contemplation of what they had had before: especially, such being the purpose of their coming. For as now, the man being asleep and his body at rest, whatsoever the soul by herself beholds within herself, and performs in fancy, most of these things she also remembers, yet still has her portion with the body; and sometimes after ever so long an interval, whatever one hath seen in a dream, he reports when awake: so I suppose she would remember the things which she did before she came into this body. For if what was seen for the very shortest moment, or conceived in fancy, she though alone in her dream, remembers after she is blended with the body, and spread through every limb: much more would she remember the objects, wherein she spent so much time,—a whole age of past life.

§ 2.

For this, Plato that old Athenian, who was also the first introducer of this opinion,² not being able to find an excuse, brought in the Cup of Oblivion, thinking so to escape the aforesaid difficulty: he brings indeed no proof, but dogmatically replies, that souls on their entrance into this life, before they take their places in bodies, are drenched with oblivion by the Dæmon which is at the entrance. And he fell unawares into a new and greater difficulty. For if the cup of oblivion, being once drunk up, hath power to blot out the memory of all the past; how knowest thou, O Plato, this very thing, thy soul being now in the body; viz., that before its entering the body, the dæmon gave it to drink the medicine of Oblivion? Why, if thou remember the Dæmon, and the Cup, and thine entrance, thou must needs know all the rest too: but if thou art ignorant of them, neither is the Dæmon real, nor the cup of oblivion, so artfully mingled.

§ 3.

But to those who say that the Body itself is the medicine of oblivion we will reply as follows:³ “How then doth the same soul remember and report to such as are at hand whatever she sees by herself alone, whether in dreams, or in reverie, i.e., abstraction⁴ of the mind, while the Body is at rest? Yea, and those things too, which were formerly known, either by sight or by hearing, the soul existing in the body would not remember, if the body were oblivion: but as soon as ever the eye departed from the objects, What memory there might be of them would also of course be taken away. For the soul being in that oblivion could know nothing but that only, which she was at the moment looking upon. And how, being in the body, should she either learn divine things, or remember the same, were the body, as they say, of itself oblivion? Yea, and the Prophets too themselves, being as they are on Earth, whatever they see or hear spiritually in their visions of heavenly things, they, I say, remember it all when they have returned to their Humanity, and declare it to all others: and the body causes not the soul to forget what they have seen in spirit; rather the soul teaches the body, and imparts to it of the spiritual vision which it hath received.

§ 4.

For the body is not stronger than the soul, having breath therefrom, and life, and growth, and articulation:⁵ but the soul is owner and governor of the body. Only it is so far abated of its quickness, as the body partakes of its movements: but it loses not its power of knowing. For the body is like an instrument, but the soul stands in the workman’s place. As therefore the workman quickly contrives the operation within himself, but realizes it more slowly in the instrument, because of the rigidity of the subject-matter, and the quickness of his mind tempered by the slowness of the instrument makes the work go on moderately: so also the soul, communicating with its body, though it be a little clogged by the blending of its speed with the slowness of the body, yet loses not altogether its own powers, but communicating as it were life to the body, ceases not itself to live. Thus also communicating to the same of other things, it neither loses the knowledge thereof, nor the memory of what it has seen.

§ 5.

Wherefore, if it remember nothing past, but receives knowledge of things as they are here,⁶ we conclude that it never was in other bodies; never did the things, which it does not even recognize; has no acquaintance with what it fails even to discern. But as each one of us receives his own body by the skill (so to call it) of God; so also hath each his own soul. For God is not so poor and unprovided, as not to have bestowed on each body its proper soul, as well as its proper figure. And therefore, when the number is complete which He hath foreordained within Himself, all who are enrolled for life will arise, with their very own bodies, with their very own souls also, and their very own spirits, wherein they have pleased God. But those who deserve punishment will go away into the same, having also themselves their own souls and their own bodies, wherein they fell away from the grace of God. And both sorts will cease from propagating any more, and from being propagated; from marrying and being married: that the race of mankind, completed to the just proportion according to God’s predestination, may preserve the harmony framed by the Father.