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THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD: Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
Of the Contents of the first Booke. CHAP. 1.
AT my first entrance vpon this Discourse of the Citty of God, I held it conuenient, first of all to stop their mouthes, who in their ex∣treame desire of onely temporall blisse and greedinesse after wordly vanities, doe make their exclaime vpon Christianity (the * 1.1 true and onely meane of saluation) whensoeuer it pleases God in his mercy to correct and admonish them, (rather then in his iu∣stice, to punish or afflict them) with any temporall inconueni∣ence. And because the vnlearned, and vulgar sort of those persons, are incited against vs the more, by the endeuours and examples of those whom they holde learned, thinking (vpon their assertions) that such calamities as haue befallen them of late, neuer befell in times past: and being confirmed in this error, by such as know it for an error, and yet dissemble their knowledge; wee thought it fi•…•…e to shew, how farre this their opinion swarued from the truth, out of such bookes as their owne authors haue left vnto posterity, for the better vnderstand∣ing of the estates of precedent ages: and to make it plaine & apparant, that those imaginary gods, which they either did worship as then in publick, or as now in secret, are nothing but most foule, vncleane spirits, and most deceitfull and ma∣lignant * 1.2 deuils: so that their onely delight was to haue most bestiall & abhominable practises, either published as their true exploits, or faigned of them by poe•…•…icall muentions; these they cōmanded to be publikely presented in playes & at solemne feastes: to the end, that mans infirmitie presuming vpon these patternes, as vpon diuine authorities might neuer be with-drawne from acting the like wickednesse. This we confirmed, not by meere coniectures, but partly by what of late times our selfe hath beheld in the celebration exhibited vnto such gods: and partly by their owne writings, that left those reports recorded, not as in disgrace, but as in the honour of the gods: So that Varro, (a man of the greatest learning and autho∣ritie amongst them of any writing of diuinity and humanitie, and giuing each * 1.3 obiect his proper attribute according to the worth & due respect thereof) stick∣eth not to affirme, that those stage playes are not matters of humaine inuention, but meerely diuine things, whereas if the cittie were quit of all but honest men, stage-plaiers should haue no roome in meere humanity. Nor did Varro affirme this of himselfe, but set it downe as he had seene the vse of these playes in Rome, being there borne and brought vp.
L. VIVES.
NOw must we passe from the historicall acts of the Romaines, vnto their religion, sacrifices & ceremonies: In the first bookes we asked no pardon, because for the Romaine acts, though they could not be fully gathered out of one author (a great part of them being lost with the writings of eloquent Liuie) yet out of many they might. But in the foure bookes following we must needes intreate pardon, if the reader finde vs weake, either in diligence or abilitie. For there is no author now extant, that wrote of this theame. Varro's Antiquities are lost, * 1.4 with a many more: if wee had but them, we might haue satisfied Saint Augustine, that had his assertions thence. But now we must pick y• vp frō seuerall places, which we here produce, least comming without any thing we should seeme both to want ornaments, & bare necessaries. If it