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If there is any one whom the sixth book, which I have last finished,
has not persuaded that this divinity, or, so to speak, deity, for
this word also our authors do not hesitate to use, in order to
translate more accurately that which the Greeks call qeoths;, if
there is any one, I say, whom the sixth book has not persuaded that
this divinity or deity is not to be found in that theology which they
call civil, and which Marcus Varro has explained in sixteen books,
that is, that the happiness of eternal life is not attainable through
the worship of gods such as states have established to be worshipped,
and that in such a form, perhaps, when he has read this book, he will
not have anything further to desire in order to the clearing up of this
question. For it is possible that some one may think that at least the
select and chief gods, whom Varro comprised in his last book, and of
whom we have not spoken sufficiently, are to be worshipped on account
of the blessed life, which is none other than eternal. In respect to
which matter I do not say what Tertullian said, perhaps more wittily
than truly, "If gods are selected like onions, certainly the rest
are rejected as bad." I do not say this, for I see that even from
among the select, some are selected for some greater and more excellent
office: as in warfare, when recruits have been elected, there are
some again elected from among those for the performance of some greater
military service; and in the church, when persons are elected to be
overseers, certainly the rest are not rejected, since all good
Christians are deservedly called elect; in the erection of a building
corner-stones are elected, though the other stones, which are
destined for other parts of the structure, are not rejected; grapes
are elected for eating, whilst the others, which we leave for
drinking, are not rejected. There is no need of adducing many
illustrations, since the thing is evident. Wherefore the selection of
certain gods from among many affords no proper reason why either he who
wrote on this subject, or the worshippers of the gods, or the gods
themselves, should be spurned. We ought rather to seek to know what
gods these are, and for what purpose they may appear to have been
selected.
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