登陆注册
5214200000019

第19章

But it was not greatly to their credit that the latter, for the sake of increasing tile number of their citizens, did that which the former have done, lest the number of their enemies should be diminished.

CHAP.35.--OF THE SONS OF THE CHURCH WHO ARE HIDDEN AMONG THE WICKED, AND OF FALSECHRISTIANS WITHIN THE CHURCH.

Let these and similar answers (if any fuller and fitter answers can be found) be given to their enemies by the redeemed family of the Lord Christ, and by the pilgrim city of King Christ.But let this city bear in mind, that among her enemies lie hid those who are destined to be fellow-citizens, that she may not think it a fruitless labor to bear what they inflict as enemies until they become confessors of the faith.So, too, as long as she is a stranger in the world, the city of God has in her communion, and bound to her by the sacraments, some who shall not eternally dwell in the lot of the saints.Of these, some are not now recognized; others declare themselves, and do not hesitate to make common cause with our enemies in murmuring against God, whose sacramental badge they wear.These men you may to-day see thronging the churches with us, to-morrow crowding the theatres with the godless.But we have the less reason to despair of the reclamation even of such persons, if among our most declared enemies there are now some, unknown to themselves, who are destined to become our friends.In truth, these two cities are entangled together in this world, and intermixed until the last judgment effects their separation.I now proceed to speak, as God shall help me, of the rise, progress, and end of these two cities; and what I write.I write for the glory of the city of God, that, being placed in comparison with the other, it may shine with a brighter lustre.

CHAP.36.--WHAT SUBJECTS ARE TO BE HANDLED IN THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSE.

But I have still some things to say in confutation of those who refer the disasters of the Roman republic to our religion, because it prohibits the offering of sacrifices to the gods.For this end Imust recount all, or as many as may seem sufficient, of the disasters which befell that city and its subject provinces, before these sacrifices were prohibited; for all these disasters they would doubtless have attributed to us, if at that time our religion had shed its light upon them, and had prohibited their sacrifices.I must then go on to show what social well-being the true God, in whose hand are all kingdoms, vouchsafed to grant to them that their empire might increase.I must show why He did so, and how their false gods, instead of at all aiding them, greatly injured them by guile and deceit.And, lastly, I must meet those who, when on this point convinced and confuted by irrefragable proofs, endeavor to maintain that they worship the gods, not hoping for the present advantages of this life, but for those which are to be enjoyed after death.And this, if I am not mistaken, will be the most difficult part of my task, and will be worthy of the loftiest argument; for we must then enter the lists with the philosophers, not the mere common herd of philosophers, but the most renowned, who in many points agree with ourselves, as regarding the immortality of the soul, and that the true God created the world, and by His providence rules all He has created.But as they differ from us on other points, we must not shrink from the task of exposing their errors, that, having refuted the gainsaying of the wicked with such ability as God may vouchsafe, we may assert the city of God, and true piety, and the worship of God, to which alone the promise of true and everlasting felicity is attached.Here, then, let us conclude, that we may enter on these subjects in a fresh book.

同类推荐
  • 送僧南游

    送僧南游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 女红余志

    女红余志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 还丹众仙论

    还丹众仙论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 五诰解

    五诰解

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鲁府禁方

    鲁府禁方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 异现场调查科3:亡命徒

    异现场调查科3:亡命徒

    东方古老武功遇到西方吸血鬼,中国版《暮光之城》。一段穿越了千年时光的不朽爱情,一部吸血鬼的传奇。案件扑朔迷离,各种异能战士为了青春为了正义,不断和比自己更加强大的敌人战斗。鲜血和青春,爱情与生命,有机融合在了一起。
  • 废柴逆天:魔帝戏邪妃

    废柴逆天:魔帝戏邪妃

    代号:邪刹。任职:中央机密情报处的特工。级别:SSS。任务:专门替BOSS处理那些棘手且见不得光的辛秘任务。性格:冷漠无情、头脑与体力都是一流、擅长将一场来势凶猛的危急,转化为自己的优势。死因:为保护OSS而死于一场精心策划的爆炸。姓名:辛姿筝。身份:辛家嫡小姐。性格:软弱无能,空有一身天赋,却不能为之所用。死因:被庶女的嫉妒所害。她们本该是两条平行线,却因为上帝之手的愚弄,有了不可思议的交集。不知道21世纪最精英的特工,来到这个以斗气为尊的大陆,会有怎样的机遇?总之,不管如何,总不会让人失望对吧?阴谋与爱情的交织,武力与智谋的对决。且看她如何从一个任人欺负的废柴,怎样步步为营,冠盖满京华!
  • 日本父母育儿经:好教养,好人缘儿

    日本父母育儿经:好教养,好人缘儿

    在生人面前不说话,在熟人面前总抢话,在父母面前听不进去话……怎么做,孩子才能更有教养?跟日本父母一起用严家风来教养二胎让男孩、女孩都明白:情商高的孩子能有好人缘。
  • 闪开,让我拥抱幸福

    闪开,让我拥抱幸福

    帕特深信,所有的不幸与痛苦,只是为了幸福而设置的障碍。最终,痛苦会消失,幸福会来临,只要他肯努力的话。 目前,帕特就遇到了麻烦,他深爱的妻子妮可跟他分居了。对于帕特来说,这当然是暂时的困难,妮可一定会回来的。 帕特尝试过无数种努力。他运动减肥,读妮可喜欢的书,吃妮可喜欢的食物,写关于妮可的日记,睡前吻妮可的照片……更复杂的是,另一个女人想闯进他和妮可的二人世界,她是蒂芬妮。
  • 致命ID

    致命ID

    “当我走上楼梯时,看到一个原本不在那里的人,今天他又不在,我希望,我希望他会永远消失。”“你这是从哪学来的?”“是我小的时候自己瞎的。”“小时候的事情你还记得吗?”“你就直接问吧,别拐弯抹角,快直接问吧,医生。”“你还记得你的母亲吗?”“我记得我妈,我记得她是个妓女。”“她把你关在那个地方多久?”“她去忙多久就要多久。”“知道你为什么要来见我吗?”“因为你专门治头痛,我吃药没有用。”
  • 美人心计

    美人心计

    她在花轿中重生,一朝魂穿来到春秋战国。她本不知何为计何为谋,不过是想用前世那三脚猫的厨艺,以及只能算是及格的算术,赢得安身立命的筹码,未曾想……【他,不知是穿越多少年的光阴寻觅,是如何从碧落追到黄泉,才会心甘情愿背负这一世骂名,固守这一生一刹,一世繁华!】【她,两世为人,倾覆整个天下!繁华褪尽,她竟不知成就了谁的江山,又颠覆了谁的人生……】
  • 许你一世顺风

    许你一世顺风

    两个人工作上的合作伙伴,但却从未见过面,机缘巧合下来到了同一家公司就职,楚顺风为化解曾经的误会,决定留下来照顾她,但事情往往适得其反。
  • 皇上闷骚之皇后快跑

    皇上闷骚之皇后快跑

    她,堂堂22世纪的佣兵之王竟然被一个飞来的不明物体给砸死了,好死不死的还赶潮流的魂穿了。穿就穿呗!还成了一个皇上不疼,娘家人不爱的冷宫弃后,看自己如何在异世俘获邪魅皇上的心。……
  • 新商业时代:移动互联网时代的场景革命

    新商业时代:移动互联网时代的场景革命

    技术的发展时常出于偶然,而天才的创意往往来自于对于现实生活的洞见。我们可以越来越清晰地认识到,那些真正改变经营形态、商业模式甚至全世界的时刻,是在人们将那些看似并不十分神奇的“新”技术放入到现实场景中的瞬间。技术与现实、用户之间,正在以更加充满想象力的方式结合与关联,下一个“iPhone”般的革命性创新或许正孕育于其中。这场变革带来的冲击波将会对当下的商业形态产生强烈的震动,但幸运的是我们身在其中。
  • 大乘百福相经

    大乘百福相经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。