St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Of such as hold that the reasonable creatures onely are parts of the diuine essence. CHAP. 13.

IF they say indeed, that all things in the whole world do not participate essence with God, but yet all reasonable creatures doe truly, I cannot see how that can stand. Then all the world is not God; for otherwise how can they keepe brute beastes from beeing part of him? But what needes all this? Lette vs go but vn∣to this reasonable creature, man; can there be a more damnable absurdity, then to beleeue that part of Gods essence is beaten, when an offending childis beaten? To make the subsistence of almighty God, be so lasciuious, vniust, wicked and damna∣ble, as diuers men are: What man can indure to heare it but hee that is absolutely

madde: lastly how can God bee iustly angry with those that doe not worshippe him, when as they are partes of his owne selfe that are guilty? So then, they are forced to say that euery particular godde hath his life and subsistence by him-selfe, and that they are not peeces of one another, but each one that is parti∣cularly knowne, must haue his peculiar worshippe: that is knowne I say, because they cannot all bee knowne. Ouer all whome, Iupiter beeing King, thence it comes (as I imagine) that they beleeue him to bee the sole erecter and protector of Romes Monarchy. For if it were not hee that didde it, whome should they thinke able to performe so great a worke? each one hauing his peculiar taske already so distinctty assigned, that one must by no meanes meddle with that which was vnder the charge of another. So then the conclusion is, it must needs bee onely the King of goddes, that erected and preserued this Kingdome of men.