DIGRESSIO. Digression.

Book of the mystical philosophy of Aristotle.

But since that book of Aristotle in which these things are written could be judged of less authority than to exert any prejudice against those who think otherwise, I will spare the labor: for it was snatched into public view under the name of Theology, or mystical philosophy according to the Egyptians, and it reports and celebrates the dogmas of Pythagoras, yet it was not reduced into the number of Aristotle's books by those who reviewed them in antiquity. Nor does Iamblichus, who cites passages of Aristotle from his work on the Pythagorean sect, as we have related elsewhere, mention this volume, nor are those things found within it. Therefore, I will not use the testimonies of this book, nor will I rely on the authority of miracles. For he who believes in the immortality of the soul from the Gospel does not need them to be repeated in this place; to him who listens to the Gospel and opposes the cross of Christ, and makes his belly his God, the sacred testimony is as fitting as a precious pearl to a foul-smelling pig. But truly, those who do not acquiesce to our theologians should at least listen to Plato and to the many Platonists, among whom there are many arguments, authorities, and experiences of those who are reported to have returned to life concerning the immortality of the soul, while their stubbornness is driven away and they become masters of the divine light, and learn that the arguments usually brought forth for mortality are of no, or certainly very slight, moment. For there are those who bring forth more, and those who bring forth fewer arguments; yet all of them, as they seem to me, can be reduced to a small number, and they falter not only in number but in weakness. For they think the body is so joined to the soul that it cannot exercise itself without it, and especially as far as that in which it most excels is concerned.