Book VI.
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Argument—Hitherto the argument
has been conducted against those who believe that the gods are to
be worshipped for the sake of temporal advantages, now it is
directed against those who believe that they are to be worshipped
for the sake of eternal life. Augustin devotes the five following
books to the confutation of this latter belief, and first of all
shows how mean an opinion of the gods was held by Varro himself,
the most esteemed writer on heathen theology. Of this theology
Augustin adopts Varro’s division into three kinds, mythical,
natural, and civil; and at once demonstrates that neither the
mythical nor the civil can contribute anything to the happiness of
the future life.