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Home > Fathers of the Church > The City of God (St. Augustine)


THE CITY OF GOD

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Book 1 Augustine censures the pagans, who attributed the calamities of the
world, and especially the recent sack of Rome by the Goths, to the Christian
religion, and its prohibition of the worship of the gods. He speaks of the
blessings and ills of life, which then, as always, happened to good and bad men
alike. Finally, he rebukes the shamelessness of those who cast up to the
Christians that their women had been violated by the soldiers.

Book 2 In this book Augustine reviews those calamities which the Romans suffered
before the time of Christ, and while the worship of the false gods was
universally practised; and demonstrates that, far from being preserved from
misfortune by the gods, the Romans have been by them overwhelmed with the only,
or at least the greatest, of all calamities — the corruption of manners, and the
vices of the soul.

Book 3 As in the foregoing book Augustine has proved regarding moral and
spiritual calamities, so in this book he proves regarding external and bodily
disasters, that since the foundation of the city the Romans have been
continually subject to them; and that even when the false gods were worshipped
without a rival, before the advent of Christ, they afforded no relief from such
calamities.

Book 4 In this book it is proved that the extent and long duration of the Roman
empire is to be ascribed, not to Jove or the gods of the heathen, to whom
individually scarce even single things and the very basest functions were
believed to be entrusted, but to the one true God, the author of felicity, by
whose power and judgment earthly kingdoms are founded and maintained.

Book 5 Augustine first discusses the doctrine of fate, for the sake of confuting
those who are disposed to refer to fate the power and increase of the Roman
empire, which could not be attributed to false gods, as has been shown in the
preceding book. After that, he proves that there is no contradiction between
God's prescience and our free will. He then speaks of the manners of the ancient
Romans, and shows in what sense it was due to the virtue of the Romans
themselves, and in how far to the counsel of God, that he increased their
dominion, though they did not worship him. Finally, he explains what is to be
accounted the true happiness of the Christian emperors.



Book 6 Hitherto the argument has been conducted against those who believe that
the gods are to be worshipped for the sake of temporal advantages, now it is
directed against those who believe that they are to be worshipped for the sake
of eternal life. Augustine devotes the five following books to the confutation
of this latter belief, and first of all shows how mean an opinion of the gods
was held by Varro himself, the most esteemed writer on heathen theology. Of this
theology Augustine adopts Varro's division into three kinds, mythical, natural,
and civil; and at once demonstrates that neither the mythical nor the civil can
contribute anything to the happiness of the future life.

Book 7 In this book it is shown that eternal life is not obtained by the worship
of Janus, Jupiter, Saturn, and the other select gods of the civil theology.

Book 8 Augustine comes now to the third kind of theology, that is, the natural,
and takes up the question, whether the worship of the gods of the natural
theology is of any avail towards securing blessedness in the life to come. This
question he prefers to discuss with the Platonists, because the Platonic system
is facile princeps among philosophies, and makes the nearest approximation to
Christian truth. In pursuing this argument, he first refutes Apuleius, and all
who maintain that the demons should be worshipped as messengers and mediators
between gods and men; demonstrating that by no possibility can men be reconciled
to good gods by demons, who are the slaves of vice, and who delight in and
patronize what good and wise men abhor and condemn— the blasphemous fictions of
poets, theatrical exhibitions, and magical arts.

Book 9 Having in the preceding book shown that the worship of demons must be
abjured, since they in a thousand ways proclaim themselves to be wicked spirits,
Augustine in this book meets those who allege a distinction among demons, some
being evil, while others are good; and, having exploded this distinction, he
proves that to no demon, but to Christ alone, belongs the office of providing
men with eternal blessedness.

Book 10 In this book Augustine teaches that the good angels wish God alone, whom
they themselves serve, to receive that divine honor which is rendered by
sacrifice, and which is called latreia. He then goes on to dispute against
Porphyry about the principle and way of the soul's cleansing and deliverance.

Book 11 Here begins the second part of this work, which treats of the origin,
history, and destinies of the two cities, the earthly and the heavenly. In the
first place, Augustine shows in this book how the two cities were formed
originally, by the separation of the good and bad angels; and takes occasion to
treat of the creation of the world, as it is described in Holy Scripture in the
beginning of the book of Genesis.

Book 12 Augustine first institutes two inquiries regarding the angels; namely,
whence is there in some a good, and in others an evil will? And, what is the
reason 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 not from eternity, but was
created, and by none other than God.

Book 13 In this book it is taught that death is penal, and had its origin in
Adam's sin.

Book 14 Augustine again treats of the sin of the first man, and teaches that it
is the cause of the carnal life and vicious affections of man. Especially he
proves that the shame which accompanies lust is the just punishment of that
disobedience, and inquires how man, if he had not sinned, would have been able
without lust to propagate his kind.

Book 15 Having treated in the four preceding books of the origin of the two
cities, the earthly and the heavenly, Augustine explains their growth and
progress in the four books which follow; and, in order to do so, he explains the
chief passages of the sacred history which bear upon this subject. In this
fifteenth book he opens this part of his work by explaining the events recorded
in Genesis from the time of Cain and Abel to the deluge.

Book 16 In the former part of this book, from the first to the twelfth chapter,
the progress of the two cities, the earthly and the heavenly, from Noah to
Abraham, is exhibited from Holy Scripture: In the latter part, the progress of
the heavenly alone, from Abraham to the kings of Israel, is the subject.

Book 17 In this book the history of the city of God is traced during the period
of the kings and prophets from Samuel to David, even to Christ; and the
prophecies which are recorded in the books of Kings, Psalms, and those of
Solomon, are interpreted of Christ and the church.

Book 18 Augustine traces the parallel courses of the earthly and heavenly cities
from the time of Abraham to the end of the world; and alludes to the oracles
regarding Christ, both those uttered by the Sibyls, and those of the sacred
prophets who wrote after the foundation of Rome, Hosea, Amos, Isaiah, Micah, and
their successors.

Book 19 In this book the end of the two cities, the earthly and the heavenly, is
discussed. Augustine reviews the opinions of the philosophers regarding the
supreme good, and their vain efforts to make for themselves a happiness in this
life; and, while he refutes these, he takes occasion to show what the peace and
happiness belonging to the heavenly city, or the people of Christ, are both now
and hereafter.

Book 20 Concerning the last judgment, and the declarations regarding it in the
old and new testaments.

Book 21 Of the end reserved for the city of the devil, namely, the eternal
punishment of the damned; and of the arguments which unbelief brings against it.

Book 22 This book treats of the end of the city of God, that is to say, of the
eternal happiness of the saints; the faith of the resurrection of the body is
established and explained; and the work concludes by showing how the saints,
clothed in immortal and spiritual bodies, shall be employed.




ABOUT THIS PAGE

Source. Translated by Marcus Dods. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First
Series, Vol. 2. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature
Publishing Co., 1887.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight.
<http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1201.htm>.

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