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THE ELEVENTH BOOKE OF THE CITTIE OF GOD. Written by Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo, vnto Marcellinus.
Of that part of the worke wherein the demonstration of the beginings and ends of the two Citties, the heauenly and the earthly, are declared. CHAP. 1.
WE giue the name of the Citty of GOD vnto that society wherof that scripture beareth wittnesse, which hath gotten the most excellent authority & preheminence of all other workes whatsoeuer, by the disposing of the diuine proui∣dence, not the affectation of mens iudgements. For there it is sayd: Glorious things are spoken of thee, thou Citty of God: * 1.1 and in an other place, Great As the LORD, and greatly to bee praised, in the Citty of our God euen vpon his holy mountaine, increasing the ioy of all the earth. And by and by in the same Psalme: As wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the Citty of the Lord of Hoastes, in the Citty of our God: God •…•…th established it for euer and in another. The riuers streames shall make glad the Ci∣tie of God, the most high hath sanctified his tabernacle, God is in the middest of it, vn∣•…•…ed. * 1.2 These testimonies, and thousands more, teach vs that there is a Citty of God, whereof his inspired loue maketh vs desire to bee members. The earthly cittizens prefer their Gods before this heauenly Citties holy founder, knowing not that he is the God of gods, not of those false, wicked, and proud ones, (which wanting his light so vniuersall and vnchangeable, and beeing thereby cast into an extreame needy power, each one followeth his owne state, as it were, and begs peculiar honors of his seruants) but of the Godly, and holy ones, who select their owne submission to him, rather then the worlds to them, and loue rather to wor∣ship him, their God, then to be worshipped for gods themselues. The foes of this holy Citty, our former ten bookes (by the helpe of our Lord & King) I hope haue fully •…•…ffronted. And now, knowing what is next expected of mee, as my pro∣mise, viz. to dispute (as my poore talent stretcheth) of the originall, progresse, and consummation of the two Citties that in this worldly confusedly together: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the assistance of the same God, and King of ours, I set pen to paper: intending 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shew the beginning of these two, arising from the difference betweene 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…gelical powers.