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

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Title
St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.
Author
Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo.
Publication
London :: Printed by George Eld,
1610.
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Subject terms
Christianity and other religions -- Early works to 1800.
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A22641.0001.001
Cite this Item
"St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A22641.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2024.

Pages

Of the vaine obscaenity of the Cynikes. CHAP. 20.

THis the dogged Phylosophers, that is, the Cynikes obserued not, auerring, that truly dogged, vnpure and impudent sentence against mans shamefast∣nesse, * 1.1 that the matrimoniall acte beeing lawfull, is not shame, but ought, if one lust, to bee done in the streete. Euen very naturall shame subuerted this soule error. For though Diogenes is sayd to doe thus once, glorying that his impudence would make his secte the more famous: Yet after∣wards the Cynikes le•…•…t it, and shame preuailed more with them, as they were

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〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ then that absurd error to become like dogges. And therefore I thinke that 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or those that did so, did rather shewe the motions of persons in copulati∣on •…•…o * 1.2 the beholders that saw not what was done vnder the cloake, then that 〈◊〉〈◊〉 performed the venereall act in their viewe indeed. For the Philosophers 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not ashamed to make shew of copulation there, where lust was ashamed to •…•…e them. Wee see there are Cynikes to this daie, (b) weareing cloakes, •…•…aring clubbes, yet none of them dare doe this: if they should, they would 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all the streete vpon their backes either with stones, or spittle. Questi∣on 〈◊〉〈◊〉 therefore mans nature is iustlie ashamed of this act: for that disobedi∣ence, whereby the genitall members are taken from the wills rule and giuen •…•…s, is a plaine demonstration of the reward that our first Father had for his 〈◊〉〈◊〉: and that ought to bee most apparant in those partes, because thence is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ture deriued which was so depraued by that his first offence: from which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is freed, vnlesse that which was committed for the ruine of vs all (wee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 then all in one) and is now punished by Gods iustice, beeing expiated in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 one by the same Gods grace.

L. VIVES.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 (a) Cynikes] Of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, a Dogge. Antisthenes, Socrates his scholler was their author. •…•…ir fashions were to reuile, and barke at all men, to bee obscene in publike, without * 1.3 •…•…g, and to beget all the children they could: finally, what euer we are ashamed to doe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 secret, that would they doe openly: yet were they great scorners of pleasures, and of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 matters, yea euen of life. Of this sect were (as I said) Antisthenes, the author, Diogenes 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Crates of Thebes, and Menippus of Phaenice. Tully saith their manners were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ill and abhominable. In offic. (b) Wearing cloakes] The cloake was the Greekes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…t, * 1.4 as the gowne was the Romanes. The Cynikes wore old tattered cloakes, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in their hands: Augustine calls them clubbes. Herein they bost that they are like 〈◊〉〈◊〉, their tattered robe being like his Lyons-skin, their staffe like his club, and their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…sures, as his were monsters. Lucian, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. There are Epistles vnder Diogenes 〈◊〉〈◊〉, that say these garments are vnto him in the same stead that a Kings are to him: his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his mantle, and his staffe, his scepter. The Donatists, and the Circumcelliones (beeing * 1.5 〈◊〉〈◊〉 both of one stampe) in Augustines time went so cloaked, and bare clubbes, to destroy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christians withall.

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