Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series I/Volume II/City of God/Book XI/Chapter 1

Chapter 1.—Of This Part of the Work, Wherein We Begin to Explain the Origin and End of the Two Cities.

The city of God we speak of is the same to which testimony is borne by that Scripture, which excels all the writings of all nations by its divine authority, and has brought under its influence all kinds of minds, and this not by a casual intellectual movement, but obviously by an express providential arrangement.&#160; For there it is written, “Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God.” &#160; And in another psalm we read, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness, increasing the joy of the whole earth.” &#160; And, a little after, in the same psalm, “As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God.&#160; God has established it for ever.”&#160; And in another, “There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.&#160; God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved.” &#160; From these and similar testimonies, all of which it were tedious to cite, we have learned that there is a city of God, and its Founder has inspired us with a love which makes us covet its citizenship.&#160; To this Founder of the holy city the citizens of the earthly city prefer their own gods, not knowing that He is the God of gods, not of false, i.e., of impious and proud gods, who, being deprived of His unchangeable and freely communicated light, and so reduced to a kind of poverty-stricken power, eagerly grasp at their own private privileges, and seek divine honors from their deluded subjects; but of the pious and holy gods, who are better pleased to submit themselves to one, than to subject many to themselves, and who would rather worship God than be worshipped as God.&#160; But to the enemies of this city we have replied in the ten preceding books, according to our ability and the help afforded by our Lord and King.&#160; Now, recognizing what is expected of me, and not unmindful of my promise, and relying, too, on the same succor, I will endeavor to treat of the origin, and progress, and deserved destinies of the two cities (the earthly and the heavenly, to wit), which, as we said, are in this present world commingled, and as it were entangled together.&#160; And, first, I will explain how the foundations of these two cities were originally laid, in the difference that arose among the angels.