The City of God, Books XVII–XXII (The Fathers of the Church, Volume 24)

Cover

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Title Page, Copyright

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Contents

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Book Seventeen

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pp. 17-82

The end of the preceding Book brought us up to the reign of King David. I shall now begin with his reign, and treat of what ensued in as much detail as the theme of this Book requires. There is a period which begins with the prophecies of Samuel and continues through the seventy years of the...

Book Eighteen

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pp. 83-182

The city of man, for all the width of its expansion throughout the world and for all the depth of its differences in this place and that, is a single community. The simple truth is that the bond of a common nature makes all human beings one. Nevertheless, each individual in this community is driven...

Book Nineteen

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pp. 183-248

In regard to what is supremely good and supremely evil, philosophers have taken many different stands-all striving with the highest earnestness to determine what it is that makes men happy. By definition, our supreme end is that good which is sought for its own sake, and on account of...

Book Twenty

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pp. 249-338

God judges men and angels not only as groups that deserve wretchedness as the wages of the original sin, but also as individuals who have freely chosen to do what each has done. When the demons beseech God not to torture them, He may quite justily be more sparing to one and more severe with...

Book Twenty-One

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pp. 339-413

It is not easy to find a proof that will convince unbelievers of the possibility of human bodies remaining not merely active, alive, and uncorrupted after death, but also of continuing forever in the torments of fire. Such unbelievers are deaf to any appeal to the power of the Almighty, and demand...

Book Twenty-Two

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pp. 415-561

For, it was this same God who, in the beginning, created the universe and filled it with all those things that the eye can see and all those realities which the mind can know. Of all such creations the highest were the spirits to whom He gave the gift of intelligence and the power to behold God...