The Asclepius of Hermes Trismegistus: On the Immortality of the Soul

Saint original: "Diuus" Paul also separates the soul from the mind, and from the spirit. Therefore, the part of the soul which is called the mind is immortal; indeed, the whole soul is immortal, except in regard to the duties it performs within the body, in respect to which it is called "mortal." The author suggests the soul has a dual nature: eternal in essence, but 'mortal' in its temporary function of animating a physical body. This is the clear and true theology of the Great Mercury original: "Magni Mercurij," referring to Hermes Trismegistus. concerning the immortality of the soul. A divine animal. And indeed, as he himself says in the same Dialogue: Man is a divine animal, not to be compared with the earthly brutes, but with the celestial gods. Indeed, if one dares to speak the truth, the true man is either superior to the heavenly dwellers, or at least possesses an equal lot. All of which would not be true in the least if the human soul were entirely mortal. Likewise, in Dialogue 12, he says: It is a great sign of immortality that God himself has bestowed speech and mind upon man alone of all animals—that is, the gift of understanding and speaking—which are judged to be of the same value as immortality itself. For whoever uses these toward what is proper differs in no way from the immortals. Moreover, once released from the shackles of the body, he will be led by both Likely referring to the aforementioned gifts of Mind and Speech. into the choir of the blessed ones and the gods alike. Therefore, if the human soul remains after it is released from the body and migrates into the council of the blessed (provided it has used mind and speech well), it will undoubtedly be immortal, and will enjoy an equal share of immortality with the gods. He teaches this same thing most clearly near the end of that same dialogue. Man is capable of receiving God. Man, he says, is the most immortal of all, for he receives God original: "Deum capit," meaning to contain, understand, or receive the divine. and is conformed to the divine essence. And the meaning is this: it is sufficiently clear that man is immortal because his mind is capable of receiving God. Now, everything that is capable of receiving a thing is similar to that thing; for the eye is capable of receiving light, but the hand or foot is not, because the eye possesses the quality of light. If, therefore, the mind of man is capable of receiving God, it must surely be similar to His nature. But God is immortal; therefore, the mind of man is also immortal. The second reason is that man is conformed to the divine essence—that is, he is an incorporeal, intellectual substance, capable of reason, luminous, and immortal. For things that are conformed to one another have a kinship and affinity for each other. If man, then, is conformed to the divine essence, he will certainly be immortal. To him alone out of every kind of living being does God himself come: by night through dreams, and by day more frequently through portents, through all of which He foretells the future to him, as through the Sibyl. The Sibyls were ancient prophetesses believed to be inspired by the divine. These things were said by Mercury to establish and confirm the immortality of the human soul; they are so clear and luminous that they require no further explanation. Plato and the other Platonists follow this wisdom everywhere, and I have sought to include their opinions and reasons here.

CHAPTER II.

What Plato and the Platonists thought about the immortality of the soul.

Reason 1.

A decorative woodcut drop cap 'A' features architectural elements and floral flourishes.
Alcinous the Platonist A 2nd-century philosopher whose "Handbook of Platonism" summarized Plato's teachings. brings forward the reasons which Plato used while demonstrating the immortality of the soul: To whatever the soul is present, it brings life; but that which provides life does not admit death. Now, what is of this kind is immortal. Therefore, if the soul is immortal, it will also be incorruptible. 2. Furthermore, when the soul descends through the senses of the body to those things which are sensible Meaning things perceived by the five senses., it is distressed and disturbed; it is therefore not similar to that thing by whose presence it is disturbed. Wherefore, it will be similar to intelligible things Things understood by the mind rather than the senses. rather than sensible ones. The intelligible, however, by its very nature is always incorruptible; therefore the soul is incorruptible. 3. Likewise, that which by its nature rules and commands is akin to divinity. 4. But the soul by its nature dominates the body; for which reason the soul, being closest to God, will be immortal. Furthermore that