BOOK III for Augustine - City of God_alt

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St. Augustine of Hippo: CITY OF GOD

BOOK IAUGUSTINE CENSURES THE PAGANS, WHO ATTRIBUTED THE CALAMITIES OF THEWORLD, AND ESPECIALLY THE RECENT SACK OF ROME BY THE GOTHS, TO THECHRISTIAN RELIGION, AND ITS PROHIBITION OF THE WORSHIP OF THE GODS. HESPEAKS OF THE BLESSINGS AND ILLS OF LIFE, WHICH THEN, AS ALWAYS, HAPPENED TOGOOD AND BAD MEN ALIKE. FINALLY, HE REBUKES THE SHAMELESSNESS OF THOSEWHO CAST UP TO THE CHRISTIANS THAT THEIR WOMEN HAD BEEN VIOLATED BY THESOLDIERS.BOOK IIIN THIS BOOK AUGUSTINE REVIEWS THOSE CALAMITIES WHICH THE ROMANSSUFFERED BEFORE THE TIME OF CHRIST, AND WHILE THE WORSHIP OF THE FALSEGODS WAS UNIVERSALLY PRACTISED; AND DEMONSTRATES THAT, FAR FROM BEINGPRESERVED FROM MISFORTUNE BY THE GODS, THE ROMANS HAVE BEEN BY THEMOVERWHELMED WITH THE ONLY, OR AT LEAST THE GREATEST, OF ALL CALAMITIES --THE CORRUPTION OF MANNERS, AND THE VICES OF THE SOUL.BOOK IIIAS IN THE FOREGOING BOOK AUGUSTINE HAS PROVED REGARDING MORAL ANDSPIRITUAL CALAMITIES, SO IN THIS BOOK HE PROVES REGARDING EXTERNAL ANDBODILY DISASTERS, THAT SINCE THE FOUNDATION OF THE CITY THE ROMANS HAVEBEEN CONTINUALLY SUBJECT TO THEM; AND THAT EVEN WHEN THE FALSE GODSWERE WORSHIPPED WITHOUT A RIVAL, BEFORE THE ADVENT OF CHRIST, THEYAFFORDED NO RELIEF FROM SUCH CALAMITIES.BOOK IVIN THIS BOOK IT IS PROVED THAT THE EXTENT AND LONG DURATION OF THE ROMANEMPIRE IS TO BE ASCRIBED, NOT TO JOVE OR THE GODS OF THE HEATHEN, TO WHOMINDIVIDUALLY SCARCE EVEN SINGLE THINGS AND THE VERY BASEST FUNCTIONSWERE BELIEVED TO BE ENTRUSTED, BUT TO THE ONE TRUE GOD, THE AUTHOR OFFELICITY, BY WHOSE POWER AND JUDGMENT EARTHLY KINGDOMS ARE FOUNDED ANDMAINTAINED.BOOK VAUGUSTINE FIRST DISCUSSES THE DOCTRINE OF FATE, FOR THE SAKE OF CONFUTINGTHOSE WHO ARE DISPOSED TO REFER TO FATE THE POWER AND INCREASE OF THEROMAN EMPIRE, WHICH COULD NOT BE ATTRIBUTED TO FALSE GODS, AS HAS BEENSHOWN IN THE PRECEDING BOOK. AFTER THAT, HE PROVES THAT THERE IS NOCONTRADICTION BETWEEN GOD'S PRESCIENCE AND OUR FREE WILL. HE THEN SPEAKSOF THE MANNERS OF THE ANCIENT ROMANS, AND SHOWS IN WHAT SENSE IT WAS DUETO THE VIRTUE OF THE ROMANS THEMSELVES, AND IN HOW FAR TO THE COUNSEL OFGOD, THAT HE INCREASED THEIR DOMINION, THOUGH THEY DID NOT WORSHIP HIM.

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St. Augustine of Hippo: CITY OF GOD

FINALLY, HE EXPLAINS WHAT IS TO BE ACCOUNTED THE TRUE HAPPINESS OF THECHRISTIAN EMPERORS.BOOK VIHITHERTO THE ARGUMENT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED AGAINST THOSE WHO BELIEVETHAT THE GODS ARE TO BE WORSHIPPED FOR THE SAKE OF TEMPORAL ADVANTAGES,NOW IT IS DIRECTED AGAINST THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TO BEWORSHIPPED FOR THE SAKE OF ETERNAL LIFE. AUGUSTINE DEVOTES THE FIVEFOLLOWING BOOKS TO THE CONFUTATION OF THIS LATTER BELIEF, AND FIRST OF ALLSHOWS HOW MEAN AN OPINION OF THE GODS WAS HELD BY VARRO HIMSELF, THEMOST ESTEEMED WRITER ON HEATHEN THEOLOGY. OF THIS THEOLOGY AUGUSTINEADOPTS VARRO'S DIVISION INTO THREE KINDS, MYTHICAL, NATURAL, AND CIVIL; ANDAT ONCE DEMONSTRATES THAT NEITHER THE MYTHICAL NOR THE CIVIL CANCONTRIBUTE ANYTHING TO THE HAPPINESS OF THE FUTURE LIFE.BOOK VIIIN THIS BOOK IT IS SHOWN THAT ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT OBTAINED BY THE WORSHIP OFJANUS, JUPITER, SATURN, AND THE OTHER "SELECT GODS" OF THE CIVIL THEOLOGY.BOOK VIIIAUGUSTINE COMES NOW TO THE THIRD KIND OF THEOLOGY, THAT IS, THE NATURAL,AND TAKES UP THE QUESTION, WHETHER THE WORSHIP OF THE GODS OF THENATURAL THEOLOGY IS OF ANY AVAIL TOWARDS SECURING BLESSEDNESS IN THE LIFETO COME. THIS QUESTION HE PREFERS TO DISCUSS WITH THE PLATONISTS, BECAUSETHE PLATONIC SYSTEM IS "FACILE PRINCEPS" AMONG PHILOSOPHIES, AND MAKES THENEAREST APPROXIMATION TO CHRISTIAN TRUTH. IN PURSUING THIS ARGUMENT, HEFIRST REFUTES APULEIUS, AND ALL WHO MAINTAIN THAT THE DEMONS SHOULD BEWORSHIPPED AS MESSENGERS AND MEDIATORS BETWEEN GODS AND MEN;DEMONSTRATING THAT BY NO POSSIBILITY CAN MEN BE RECONCILED TO GOOD GODSBY DEMONS, WHO ARE THE SLAVES OF VICE, AND WHO DELIGHT IN AND PATRONIZEWHAT GOOD AND WISE MEN ABHOR AND CONDEMN -- THE BLASPHEMOUS FICTIONS OFPOETS, THEATRICAL EXHIBITIONS, AND MAGICAL ARTS.BOOK IXHAVING IN THE PRECEDING BOOK SHOWN THAT THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS MUST BEABJURED, SINCE THEY IN A THOUSAND WAYS PROCLAIM THEMSELVES TO BE WICKEDSPIRITS, AUGUSTINE IN THIS BOOK MEETS THOSE WHO ALLEGE A DISTINCTION AMONGDEMONS, SOME BEING EVIL, WHILE OTHERS ARE GOOD; AND, HAVING EXPLODED THISDISTINCTION, HE PROVES THAT TO NO DEMON, BUT TO CHRIST ALONE, BELONGS THEOFFICE OF PROVIDING MEN WITH ETERNAL BLESSEDNESS.BOOK X

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St. Augustine of Hippo: CITY OF GOD

IN THIS BOOK AUGUSTINE TEACHES THAT THE GOOD ANGELS WISH GOD ALONE,WHOM THEY THEMSELVES SERVE, TO RECEIVE THAT DIVINE HONOR WHICH ISRENDERED BY SACRIFICE, AND WHICH IS CALLED "LATREIA." HE THEN GOES ON TODISPUTE AGAINST PORPHYRY ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE AND WAY OF THE SOUL'SCLEANSING AND DELIVERANCE.BOOK XIHERE BEGINS THE SECOND PART OF THIS WORK, WHICH TREATS OF THE ORIGIN,HISTORY, AND DESTINIES OF THE TWO CITIES, THE EARTHLY AND THE HEAVENLY. INTHE FIRST PLACE, AUGUSTINE SHOWS IN THIS BOOK HOW THE TWO CITIES WEREFORMED ORIGINALLY, BY THE SEPARATION OF THE GOOD AND BAD ANGELS; ANDTAKES OCCASION TO TREAT OF THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, AS IT IS DESCRIBED INHOLY SCRIPTURE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS.BOOK XIIAUGUSTINE FIRST INSTITUTES TWO INQUIRIES REGARDING THE ANGELS; NAMELY,WHENCE IS THERE IN SOME A GOOD, AND IN OTHERS AN EVIL WILL? AND, WHAT IS THEREASON OF THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE GOOD, AND THE MISERY OF THE EVIL?AFTERWARDS HE TREATS OF THE CREATION OF MAN, AND TEACHES THAT HE IS NOTFROM ETERNITY, BUT WAS CREATED, AND BY NONE OTHER THAN GOD.BOOK XIIIIN THIS BOOK IT IS TAUGHT THAT DEATH IS PENAL, AND HAD ITS ORIGIN IN ADAM'SSIN.BOOK XIVAUGUSTINE AGAIN TREATS OF THE SIN OF THE FIRST MAN, AND TEACHES THAT IT ISTHE CAUSE OF THE CARNAL LIFE AND VICIOUS AFFECTIONS OF MAN. ESPECIALLY HEPROVES THAT THE SHAME WHICH ACCOMPANIES LUST IS THE JUST PUNISHMENT OFTHAT DISOBEDIENCE, AND INQUIRES HOW MAN, IF HE HAD NOT SINNED, WOULD HAVEBEEN ABLE WITHOUT LUST TO PROPAGATE HIS KIND.BOOK XVHAVING TREATED IN THE FOUR PRECEDING BOOKS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE TWO CITIES,THE EARTHLY AND THE HEAVENLY, AUGUSTINE EXPLAINS THEIR GROWTH ANDPROGRESS IN THE FOUR BOOKS WHICH FOLLOW; AND, IN ORDER TO DO SO, HEEXPLAINS THE CHIEF PASSAGES OF THE SACRED HISTORY WHICH BEAR UPON THISSUBJECT. IN THIS FIFTEENTH BOOK HE OPENS THIS PART OF HIS WORK BY EXPLAININGTHE EVENTS RECORDED IN GENESIS FROM THE TIME OF CAIN AND ABEL TO THEDELUGE.BOOK XVI

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