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- The Divine Institutes
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- Title Page
- Introductory Notice
- INTRODUCTORY NOTICE To LACTANTIUS.
- preface.--of what great value the knowledge of the truth is and always has
- Chap. i.-- of religion and wisdom.
- Chap. II.--That there is a providence in the affairs of men.
- Chap. III.--Whether the universe is governed by the power of one god or of many.
- Chap. IV.--That the one god was foretold even by the prophets.
- Chap. V.--Of the testimonies of poets and philosophers.
- Chap. VI.--Of divine testimonies, and of the sibyls and their predictions.
- chap. VII.--Concerning the testimonies of apollo and the gods.
- Chap. viii.--that god is without a body, nor does he need difference of sex for procreation.
- Chap. IX.--Of hercules and his life and death.
- Chap. X.--Of the life and actions of Æsculapius, apollo, neptune, mars, castor and pollux, mercury and bacchus.
- Chap. xi.--of the origin, life, reign, name and death of jupiter, and of saturn and uranus.
- Chap. xii.--that the stoics transfer the figments of the poets to a philosophical system.
- Chap. xiii.--how vain and trifling are the interpretations of the stoics respecting the gods, and in them concerning the origin of jupiter, concerning saturn and Ops.
- Chap. xiv.--what the sacred history of euhemerus and ennius teaches concerning the gods.
- Chap. xv.--how they who were men obtained the name of gods.
- Chap. xvi.-- by what argument it is proved that those who are distinguished by a difference of sex cannot be gods.
- Chap. xvii.--concerning the same opinion of the stoics, and concerning the hardships and disgraceful conduct of the gods.
- Chap. xviii.--on the consecration of gods, on account of the benefits which they conferred upon men.
- Chap. xix.--that it is impossible for any one to worship the true god together with false deities.
- Chap. xx.--of the gods peculiar to the Romans, and their sacred rites.
- Chap. xxi.--of certain deities peculiar to barbarians, and their sacred rites; and in like manner concerning the romans.
- Chap. xxii.--who was the author of the vanities before described in italy among the romans, and who among other nations.
- Chap. xxiii.--of the ages of vain superstitions, and the times at which they commenced.
- Chap. i.--that forgetfulness of reason makes men ignorant of the true god,
- Chap. ii.--what was the first cause of making images; of the true likeness of god, and the true worship of him.
- Chap. iii.--that cicero and other men of learning erred in not turning away the people from error.
- Chap. iv.--of images, and the ornaments of temples, and the contempt in which they are held even by the heathens themselves.
- Chap. v.--that god only, the creator of all things, is to be worshipped, and not the elements or heavenly bodies; and the opinion of the stoics is refuted, who think that the stars and planets are gods.
- Chap. vI.--that neither the whole universe nor the elements are god, nor are they possessed of life.
- Chap. vii.--of god, and the religious rites of the foolish; of avarice, and the authority of ancestors.
- Chap. viii.--of the use of reason in religion; and of dreams, auguries, oracles, and similar portents.
- Chap. ix.--of the devil, the world, god, providence, man, and his wisdom.
- Chap. X.--Of the World, and Its Parts, the Elements and Seasons.
- Chap. XI.--Of Living Creatures, of Man; Prometheus, Deucalion, the ParcÆ.
- Chap. XII.--That Animals Were Not Produced Spontaneously, But by a Divine Arrangement, of Which God Would Have Given Us the Knowledge, If It Were Advantageous for Us to Know It.
- Chap. XIII.--Why Man is of Two Sexes; What is His First Death, and What the Second and of the Fault and Punishment of Our First Parents.
- Chap. XIV.--Of Noah the Inventor of Wine, Who First Had Knowledge of the Stars, and of the Origin of False Religions.
- Chap. XV.--Of the Corruption of Angels, and the Two Kinds of Demons.
- Chap. XVI.--That Demons Have No Power Over Those Who are Established in the Faith.
- Chap. XVII.--That Astrology, Soothsaying, and Similar Arts are the Invention of Demons.
- Chap. XVIII.--Of the Patience and Vengeance of God, the Worship of Demons, and False Religions.
- Chap. XIX.--Of the Worship of Images and Earthly Objects.
- Chap. XX.--Of Philosophy and the Truth.
- Chap. I.--A Comparison of the Truth with Eloquence: Why the Philosophers Did
- Chap. II.--Of Philosophy, and How Vain Was Its Occupation in Setting Forth the Truth.
- Chap. III.--Of What Subjects Philosophy Consists, and Who Was the Chief Founder of the Academic Sect.
- Chap. IV.--That Knowledge is Taken Away by Socrates, and Conjecture by Zeno.
- Chap. V.--That the Knowledge of Many Things is Necessary.
- Chap. VI.--Of Wisdom, and the Academics, and Natural Philosophy.
- Chap. VII.--Of Moral Philosophy, and the Chief Good.
- Chap. VIII.--Of the Chief Good, and the Pleasures of the Soul and Body, and of Virtue.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Chief Good, and the Worship of the True God, and a Refutation of Anaxagoras.
- Chap. X.--It is the Peculiar Property of Man to Know and Worship God.
- Chap. XI.--Of Religion, Wisdom, and the Chief Good.
- Chap. XII.--Of the Twofold Conflict of Body and Soul; And of Desiring Virtue on Account of Eternal Life.
- Chap. XIII.--Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Wisdom, Philosophy, and Eloquence.
- Chap. XIV.--That Lucretius and Others Have Erred, and Cicero Himself, in Fixing the Origin of Wisdom.
- Chap. XV.--The Error of Seneca in Philosophy, and How the Speech of Philosophers is at Variance with Their Life.
- Chap. XVI.--That the Philosophers Who Give Good Instructions Live Badly, by the Testimony of Cicero; Therefore We Should Not So Much Devote Ourselves to the Study of Philosophy as to Wisdom.
- Chap. XVII.--He Passes from Philosophy to the Philosophers, Beginning with Epicurus; And How He Regarded Leucippus and Democritus as Authors of Error.
- Chap. XVIII.--The Pythagoreans and Stoics, While They Hold the Immortality of the Soul, Foolishly Persuade a Voluntary Death.
- Chap. XIX.--Cicero and Others of the Wisest Men Teach the Immortality of the Soul, But in an Unbelieving Manner; And that a Good or an Evil Death Must Be Weighed from the Previous Life.
- Chap. XX.--Socrates Had More Knowledge in Philosophy Than Other Men, Although in Many Things He Acted Foolishly.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the System of Plato, Which Would Lead to the Overthrow of States.
- Chap. XXII.--Of the Precepts of Plato, and Censures of the Same.
- Chap. XXIII.--Of the Errors of Certain Philosophers, and of the Sun and Moon.
- Chap. XXIV.--Of the Antipodes, the Heaven, and the Stars.
- Chap. XXV.--Of Learning Philosophy, and What Great Qualifications are Necessary for Its Pursuit.
- Chap. XXVI.--It is Divine Instruction Only Which Bestows Wisdom; And of What Efficacy the Law of God is.
- Chap. XXVII.--How Little the Precepts of Philosophers Contribute to True Wisdom, Which You Will Find in Religion Only.
- Chap. XXVIII.--Of True Religion and of Nature. Whether Fortune is a Goddess, and of Philosophy.
- Chap. XXIX.--Of Fortune Again, and Virtue.
- Chap. XXX.--The Conclusion of the Things Before Spoken; And by What Means We Must Pass from the Vanity of the Philosophers to True Wisdom, and the Knowledge of the True God, in Which Alone are Virtue and Happiness.
- Chap. I.--Of the Former Religion of Men, and How Error Was Spread Over Every
- Chap. II.--Where Wisdom is to Be Found; Why Pythagoras and Plato Did Not Approach the Jews.
- Chap. III.--Wisdom and Religion Cannot Be Separated: the Lord of Nature Must Necessarily Be the Father of Every One.
- Chapter IV.--Of Wisdom Likewise, and Religion, and of the Right of Father and Lord.
- Chap. V.--The Oracles of the Prophets Must Be Looked Into; And of Their Times, and the Times of the Judges and Kings.
- Chap. VI.--Almighty God Begat His Son; And the Testimonies of the Sibyls and of Trismegistus Concerning Him.
- Chap. VII.--Of the Name of Son, and Whence He is Called Jesus and Christ.
- Chap. VIII.--Of the Birth of Jesus in the Spirit and in the Flesh: of Spirits and the Testimonies of Prophets.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Word of God.
- Chap. X.--Of the Advent of Jesus; Of the Fortunes of the Jews, and Their Government, Until the Passion of the Lord.
- Chap. XI.--Of the Cause of the Incarnation of Christ.
- Chap. XII.--Of the Birth of Jesus from the Virgin; Of His Life, Death, and Resurrection, and the Testimonies of the Prophets Respecting These Things.
- Chap. XIII.--Of Jesus, God and Man; And the Testimonies of the Prophets Concerning Him.
- Chap. XIV.--Of the Priesthood of Jesus Foretold by the Prophets.
- Chap. XV.--Of the Life and Miracles of Jesus, and Testimonies Concerning Them.
- Chap. XVI.--Of the Passion of Jesus Christ; That It Was Foretold.
- Chap. XVII.--Of the Superstitions of the Jews, and Their Hatred Against Jesus.
- Chap. XVIII.--Of the Lord's Passion, and that It Was Foretold.
- Chap. XIX.--Of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus; And the Predictions of These Events.
- Chap. XX.--Of the Departure of Jesus into Galilee After His Resurrection; And of the Two Testaments, the Old and the New.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the Ascension of Jesus, and the Foretelling of It; And of the Preaching and Actions of the Disciples.
- Chap. XXII.--Arguments of Unbelievers Against the Incarnation of Jesus.
- Chap. XXIII.--Of Giving Precepts, and Acting.
- Chap. XXIV.--The Overthrowing of the Arguments Above Urged by Way of Objection.
- Chap. XXV.--Of the Advent of Jesus in the Flesh and Spirit, that He Might Be Mediator Between God and Man.
- Chap. XXVI.--Of the Cross, and Other Tortures of Jesus, and of the Figure of the Lamb Under the Law.
- Chap. XXVII.--Of the Wonders Effected by the Power of the Cross, and of Demons.
- Chap. XXVIII.--Of Hope and True Religion, and of Superstition.
- Chap. XXIX.--Of the Christian Religion, and of the Union of Jesus with the Father.
- Chap. XXX.--Of Avoiding Heresies and Superstitions, and What is the Only True Catholic Church.
- Chap. I.--Of the Non-Condemnation of Accused Persons Without a Hearing of
- Chap. II.--To What an Extent the Christian Truth Has Been Assailed by Rash Men.
- Chap. III.--Of the Truth of the Christian Doctrine, and the Vanity of Its Adversaries; And that Christ Was Not a Magician.
- Chap. IV.--Why This Work Was Published, and Again of Tertullian and Cyprian.
- Chap. V.--There Was True Justice Under Saturnus, But It Was Banished by Jupiter.
- Chap. VI.--After the Banishment of Justice, Lust, Unjust Laws, Daring, Avarice, Ambition, Pride, Impiety, and Other Vices Reigned.
- Chap. VII.--Of the Coming of Jesus, and Its Fruit; And of the Virtues and Vices of that Age.
- Chap. VIII.--Of Justice Known to All, But Not Embraced; Of the True Temple of God, and of His Worship, that All Vices May Be Subdued.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Crimes of the Wicked, and the Torture Inflicted on the Christians.
- Chap. X.--Of False Piety, and of False and True Religion.
- Chap XI.--Of the Cruelty of the Heathens Against the Christians.
- Chap. XII.--Of True Virtue; And of the Estimation of a Good or Bad Citizen.
- Chapter XIII.--Of the Increase and the Punishment of the Christians.
- Chap. XIV.--Of the Fortitude of the Christians.
- Chap. XV.--Of Folly, Wisdom, Piety, Equity, and Justice.
- Chap. XVI.--Of the Duties of the Just Man, and the Equity of Christians.
- Chap. XVII.--Of the Equity, Wisdom, and Foolishness of Christians.
- Chap. XVIII.--Of Justice, Wisdom, and Folly.
- Chap. XIX.--Of Virtue and the Tortures of Christians, and of the Right of a Father and Master.
- Chap. XX.--Of the Vanity and Crimes, Impious Superstitions, and of the Tortures of the Christians.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the Worship of Other Gods and the True God, and of the Animals Which the Egyptians Worshipped.
- Chap. XXII.--Of the Rage of the Demons Against Christians, and the Error of Unbelievers.
- Chap. XXIII.--Of the Justice and Patience of the Christians.
- Chap. XXIV.--Of the Divine Vengeance Inflicted on the Torturers of the Christians.
- Chap. I.--Of the Worship of the True God, and of Innocency, and of the
- Chap. II.--Of the Worship of False Gods and the True God.
- Chap. III.--Of the Ways, and of Vices and Virtues; And of the Rewards of Heaven and the Punishments of Hell.
- Chap. IV.--Of the Ways of Life, of Pleasures, Also of the Hardships of Christians.
- Chap. V.--Of False and True Virtue; And of Knowledge.
- Chap. VI.--Of the Chief Good and Virtue, and or Knowledge and Righteousness.
- Chap. VII.--Of the Way of Error and of Truth: that It is Single, Narrow, and Steep, and Has God for Its Guide.
- Chap. VIII.--Of the Errors of Philosophers, and the Variableness of Law.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Law and Precept of God; Of Mercy, and the Error of the Philosophers.
- Chap. X.--Of Religion Towards God, and Mercy Towards Men; And of the Beginning of the World.
- Chap. XI.--Of the Persons Upon Whom a Benefit is to Be Conferred.
- Chap. XII.--Of the Kinds of Beneficence, and Works of Mercy.
- Chap. XIII.--Of Repentance, of Mercy, and the Forgiveness of Sins.
- Chap. XIV.--Of the Affections, and the Opinion of the Stoics Respecting Them; And of Virtue, the Vices, and Mercy.
- Chap. XV.--Of the Affections, and the Opinion of the Peripatetics Respecting Them.
- Chap. XVI.--Of the Affections, and the Refutation of the Opinion of the Peripatetics Concerning Them; What is the Proper Use of the Affections, and What is a Bad Use of Them.
- Chap. XVII.--Of the Affections and Their Use; Of Patience, and the Chief Good of Christians.
- Chap. XVIII.--Of Some Commands of God, and of Patience.
- Chap. XIX.--Of the Affections and Their Use; And of the Three Furies.
- Chap. XX.--Of the Senses, and Their Pleasures in the Brutes and in Man; And of Pleasures of the Eyes, and Spectacles.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the Pleasures of the Ears, and of Sacred Literature.
- Chap. XXII.--Of the Pleasures of Taste and Smell.
- Chap. XXIII. --De Tactus Voluptate Et Libidine, Atque de Matrimonio Et Continentiâ.
- Chap. XXIV.--Of Repentance, of Pardon, and the Commands of God.
- Chap. XXV.--Of Sacrifice, and of an Offering Worthy of God, and of the Form of Praising God.
- Chap. I.--Of the World, and Those Who are About to Believe, and Those Who
- Chap. II.--Of the Error of the Philosophers, and of the Divine Wisdom, and of the Golden Age.
- Chap. III.--Of Nature, and of the World; And a Censure of the Stoics and Epicureans.
- Chap. IV.--That All Things Were Created for Some Use, Even Those Things Which Appear Evil; On What Account Man Enjoys Reason in So Frail a Body.
- Chap. V.--Of the Creation of Man, and of the Arrangement of the World, and of the Chief Good.
- Chap. VI.--Why the World and Man Were Created. How Unprofitable is the Worship of False Gods.
- Chap. VII.--Of the Variety of Philosophers, and Their Truth.
- Chap. VIII.--Of the Immortality of the Soul.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Immortality of the Soul, and of Virtue.
- Chap. X.--Of Vices and Virtues, and of Life and Death.
- Chap. XI.--Of the Last Times, and of the Soul and Body.
- Chap. XII.--Of the Soul and the Body, and of Their Union and Separation and Return.
- Chap. XIII.--Of the Soul, and the Testimonies Concerning Its Eternity.
- Chap. XIV.--Of the First and Last Times of the World.
- Chap. XV.--Of the Devastation of the World and Change of the Empires.
- CHAP. XVI.--OF THE DEVASTATION of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens.
- Chap. XVII.--Of the False Prophet, and the Hardships of the Righteous, and His Destruction.
- Chap. XVIII.--Of the Fortunes of the World at the Last Time, and of the Things Foretold by the Soothsayers.
- Chap. XIX.--Of the Advent of Christ to Judgment, and of the Overcoming of the False Prophet.
- Chap. XX.--Of the Judgment of Christ, of Christians, and of the Soul.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the Torments and Punishments of Souls.
- Chap. XXII.--Of the Error of the Poets, and the Return of the Soul from the Lower Regions.
- Chap. XXIII.--Of the Resurrection of the Soul, and the Proofs of This Fact.
- Chap. XXIV.--Of the Renewed World.
- Chap. XXV.--Of the Last Times, and of the City of Rome.
- Chap. XXVI.--Of the Loosing of the Devil, and of the Second and Greatest Judgment.
- Chap. XXVII.--An Encouragement and Confirmation of the Pious.
- The Preface.--The Plan and Purport of the Whole Epitome, And of the
- Chap. I.--Of the Divine Providence.
- Chap. II.--That There is But One God, and that There Cannot Be More.
- Chap. III.--The Testimonies of the Poets Concerning the One God.
- Chap. IV.--The Testimonies of the Philosophers to the Unity of God.
- Chap. V.--That the Prophetic Women--That Is, the Sibyls--Declare that There is But One God.
- Chap. VI.--Since God is Eternal and Immortal, He Does Not Stand in Need of Sex and Succession.
- Chap. VII.--Of the Wicked Life and Death of Hercules.
- Chap. VIII.--Of Æsculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius and Bacchus.
- Chap. IX.--Of the Disgraceful Deeds of the Gods.
- Chap. X.--Of Jupiter, and His Licentious Life.
- Chap. XI.--The Various Emblems Under Which the Poets Veiled the Turpitude of Jupiter.
- Chap. XII.--The Poets Do Not Invent All Those Things Which Relate to the Gods.
- Chap. XIII.--The Actions of Jupiter are Related from the Historian Euhemerus.
- Chap. XIV.--The Actions of Saturnus and Uranus Taken from the Historians.
- Chap. XX.--Of the Gods Peculiar to the Romans.
- Chap. XXI.--Of the Sacred Rites of the Roman Gods.
- Chap. XXII.--Of the Sacred Rites Introduced by Faunus and Numa.
- Chap. XXIII.--Of the Gods and Sacred Rites of the Barbarians.
- Chap. XXIV.--Of the Origin of Sacred Rites and Superstitions.
- Chap. XXV.--Of the Golden Age, of Images, and Prometheus, Who First Fashioned Man.
- Chap. XXVI.--Of the Worship of the Elements and Stars.
- Chap. XXVII.--Of the Creation, Sin, and Punishment of Man; And of Angels, Both Good and Bad.
- Chap. XXVIII.--Of the Demons, and Their Evil Practices.
- Chap. XXIX.--Of the Patience and Providence of God.
- Chap. XXX.--Of False Wisdom.
- Chap. XXXI.--Of Knowledge and Supposition.
- Chap. XXXII.--Of the Sects of Philosophers, and Their Disagreement.
- Chap. XXXIII.--What is the Chief Good to Be Sought in Life.
- Chap. XXXIV.--That Men are Born to Justice.
- Chap. XXXV.--That Immortality is the Chief Good.
- Chap. XXXVI.--Of the Philosophers,--Namely, Epicurus and Pythagoras.
- Chap. XXXVII.--Of Socrates and His Contradiction.
- Chap. XXXVIII.--Of Plato, Whose Doctrine Approaches More Nearly to the Truth.
- Chap. XXXIX.--Of Various Philosophers, and of the Antipodes.
- Chap. XL.--Of the Foolishness of the Philosophers.
- Chap. XLI.--Of True Religion and Wisdom.
- Chap. XLII.--Of Religious Wisdom: the Name of Christ Known to None, Except Himself and His Father.
- Chap. XLIII.--Of the Name of Jesus Christ, and His Twofold Nativity.
- Chap. XLIV.--The Twofold Nativity of Christ is Proved from the Prophets.
- Chap. XLV.--The Power and Works of Christ are Proved from the Scriptures.
- Chap. XLVI.--It is Proved from the Prophets that the Passion and Death of Christ Had Been Foretold.
- Chap. XLVII.--Of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Sending of the Apostles, and the Ascension of the Saviour into Heaven.
- Chap. XLVIII.--Of the Disinheriting of the Jews, and the Adoption of the Gentiles.
- Chap. XLIX.--That God is One Only.
- Chap. L.--Why God Assumed a Mortal Body, and Suffered Death.
- Chap. LI.--Of the Death of Christ on the Cross.
- Chap. LII.--The Hope of the Salvation of Men Consists in the Knowledge of the True God, and of the Hatred of the Heathens Against the Christians.
- Chap. LIII.--The Reasons of the Hatred Against the Christians are Examined and Refuted.
- Chap. LIV.--Of the Freedom of Religion in the Worship of God.
- Chap. LV.--The Heathens Charge Justice with Impiety in Following God.
- Chap. LVI.--Of Justice, Which is the Worship of the True God.
- Chap. LVII.--Of Wisdom and Foolishness.
- Chap. LVIII.--Of the True Worship of God, and Sacrifice.
- Chap. LIX.--Of the Ways of Life, and the First Times of the World.
- Chap. LX.--Of the Duties of Justice.
- Chap. LXI.--Of the Passions.
- Chap. LXII.--Of Restraining the Pleasures of the Senses.
- Chap. LXIII.--That Shows are Most Powerful to Corrupt the Minds.
- Chap. LXIV.--The Passions are to Be Subdued, and We Must Abstain from Forbidden Things.
- Chap. LXV.--Precepts About Those Things Which are Commanded, and of Pity.
- Chap. LXVI.--Of Faith in Religion, and of Fortitude.
- Chap. LXVII.--Of Repentance, the Immortality of the Soul, and of Providence.
- Chap. LXVIII.--Of the World, Man, and the Providence of God.
- Chap. LXIX.--That the World Was Made on Account of Man, and Man on Account of God.
- Chap. LXX.--The Immortality of the Soul is Confirmed.
- Chap. LXXI.--Of the Last Times.
- Chap. LXXII.--Of Christ Descending from Heaven to the General Judgment, and of the Millenarian Reign.
- Chap. LXXIII.--The Hope of Safety is in the Religion and Worship of God.
- Elucidations.