AD NATIONES
- CHAP. I.—THE HEATHEN GODS FROM HEATHEN
AUTHORITIES. VARRO HAS WRITTEN A WORK ON THE SUBJECT. HIS THREEFOLD
CLASSIFICATION. THE CHANGEABLE CHARACTER OF THAT WHICH OUGHT TO BE
FIXED AND CERTAIN.
- CHAP. II.—PHILOSOPHERS HAD NOT SUCCEEDED! IN
DISCOVERING GOD. THE UNCERTAINTY AND CONFUSION OF THEIR SPECULATIONS.
- CHAP. III.—THE PHYSICAL PHILOSOPHERS MAINTAINED
THE DIVINITY OF THE ELEMENTS; THE ABSURDITY OF THE TENET EXPOSED.
- CHAP. IV.—WRONG DERIVATION OF THE WORD Qeos .
THE NAME INDICATIVE OF THE TRUE DEITY. GOD WITHOUT SHAPE AND
IMMATERIAL. ANECDOTE OF THALES.
- CHAP. V.—THE PHYSICAL THEORY CONTINUED. FURTHER
REASONS ADVANCED AGAINST THE DIVINITY OF THE ELEMENTS.
- CHAP. VI.—THE CHANGES OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES,
PROOF THAT THEY ARE NOT DIVINE. TRANSITION FROM THE PHYSICAL TO THE
MYTHIC CLASS OF GODS.
- CHAP. VII.—THE GODS OF THE MYTHIC CLASS. THE
POETS A VERY POOR AUTHORITY IN SUCH MATTERS. HOMER AND THE MYTHIC
POETS. WHY IRRELIGIOUS.
- CHAP. VIII.—THE GODS OF THE DIFFERENT NATIONS.
VARRO'S GENTILE CLASS. THEIR INFERIORITY. A GOOD DEAL OF THIS PERVERSE
THEOLOGY TAKEN FROM SCRIPTURE. SERAPIS A PERVERSION OF JOSEPH.
- CHAP. IX. THE POWER OF ROME. ROMANIZED ASPECT OF
ALL THE HEATHEN MYTHOLOGY. VARRO'S THREEFOLD DISTRIBUTION CRITICISED.
ROMAN HEROES (AENEAS INCLUDED,) UNFAVOURABLY REVIEWED.
- CHAP. X.—A DISGRACEFUL FEATURE OF THE ROMAN
MYTHOLOGY. IT HONOURS SUCH INFAMOUS CHARACTERS AS LARENTINA.
- CHAP. XI.—THE ROMANS PROVIDED GODS FOR BIRTH,
NAY, EVEN BEFORE BIRTH, TO DEATH. MUCH INDELICACY IN THIS SYSTEM,
- CHAP. XII.(5)—THE ORIGINAL DEITIES WERE
HUMAN—WITH SOME VERY QUESTIONABLE CHARACTERISTICS. SATURN OR TIME WAS
HUMAN. INCONSISTENCIES OF OPINION ABOUT HIM.
- CHAP. XIII.(6)—THE GODS HUMAN AT FIRST. WHO HAD
THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE THEM DIVINE? JUPITER NOT ONLY HUMAN, BUT IMMORAL.
- CHAP. XIV.—GODS, THOSE WHICH WERE CONFESSEDLY
ELEVATED TO THE DIVINE CONDITION, WHAT PRE-EMINENT RIGHT HAD THEY TO
SUCH HONOUR? HERCULES AN INFERIOR CHARACTER.
- CHAP. XV.—THE CONSTELLATIONS AND THE GENII VERY
INDIFFERENT GODS. THE ROMAN MONOPOLY OF GODS UNSATISFACTORY. OTHER
NATIONS REQUIRE DEITIES QUITE AS MUCH.
- CHAP. XVI.—INVENTORS OF USEFUL ARTS UNWORTHY OF
DEIFICATION. THEY WOULD
- CHAP. XVII.(15)—CONCLUSION, THE ROMANS OWE NOT
THEIR IMPERIAL POWER TO THEIR GODS. THE GREAT GOD ALONE DISPENSES
KINGDOMS, HE IS THE GOD OF THE CHRISTIANS.
- ELUCIDATION.
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