Ante-Nicene Fathers — Volume I

Ante-Nicene Fathers — Vol. I — Section 117

" ' And do all the souls of all living beings comprehend Him ? ' he asked ; ' or are the souls of men of one kind and the souls of horses and of asses of another kind ? ' " ' No ; but the souls which are in all are similar,' I answered. " ' Then,' says he, ' shall both horses and asses see, or have they seen at some time or other, God?' " ' No,' I said ; ' for the majority of men will not, saving such as shall live justly, purified by righteousness, and by every other virtue.' "'It is not, therefore,' said he, 'on account of his affinity, that a man sees God, nor because he has a mind, but because he is temperate and righteous ? ' " ' Yes,' said I ; ' and because he has that whereby he perceives God.' " ' What then? Do goats or sheep injure any one?' " ' No one in any respect,' I said. " ' Therefore these animals will see [God] according to your account,' says he. DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO. 197 " ' No ; for their body being of such a nature, is an obstacle to them.' " He rejoined, ' If these animals could assume speech, be well assured that they would with greater reason ridicule our body ; but let us now dismiss this subject, and let it be conceded to you as you say. Tell me, however, this : Does the soul see [God] so long as it is in the body, or after it has been removed from it ? ' " ' So long as it is in the form of a man, it is possible for it,' I continue, ' to attain to this by means of the mind ; but especially when it has been set free from the body, and being apart by itself, it gets possession of that which it was wont continually and wholly to love.' " ' Does it remember this, then [the sight of God] , when it is again in the man ? ' " ' It does not appear to me so,' I said. " ' What, then, is the advantage to those who have seen [God] ? or what has he who has seen more than he who has not seen, unless he re- member this fact, that he has seen ? ' " ' I cannot tell,' I answered. " ' And what do those suffer who are judged to be unworthy of this spectacle ? ' said he. " ' They are imprisoned in the bodies of cer- tain wild beasts, and this is their punishment.'