The Divine Institutes: The Epitome of the Divine Institutes
by Lactantius
Lactantius' own abridgement of his great work, made for readers who wanted the argument in short.
1. The Preface.—The plan and purport of the whole Epitome, and of the InstitutionsChap. I.—Of the divine providenceChap. II.—That there is but one God, and that there cannot be moreChap. III.—The testimonies of the poets concerning the one GodChap. IV.—The testimonies of the philosophers to the unity of GodChap. V.—That the prophetic women—that is, the Sibyls—declare that there is but one GodChap. VI.—Since God is eternal and immortal, he does not stand in need of sex and successionChap. VII.—Of the wicked life and death of HerculesChap. VIII.—Of Æsculapius, Apollo, Mars, Castor and Pollux, and of Mercurius and BacchusChap. IX.—Of the disgraceful deeds of the godsChap. X.—Of Jupiter, and his licentious lifeChap. XI.—The various emblems under which the poets veiled the turpitude of JupiterChap. XII.—The poets do not invent all those things which relate to the godsChap. XIII.—The actions of Jupiter are related from the historian EuhemerusChap. XIV.—The actions of Saturnus and Uranus taken from the historiansChap. XX.—Of the gods peculiar to the RomansChap. XXI.—Of the sacred rites of the Roman godsChap. XXII.—Of the sacred rites Introduced by Faunus and NumaChap. XXIII.—Of the Gods and sacred rites of the barbariansChap. XXIV.—Of the origin of sacred rites and superstitionsChap. XXV.—Of the golden age, of images, and Prometheus, who first fashioned manChap. XXVI.—Of the worship of the elements and starsChap. XXVII.—Of the creation, sin, and punishment of man; and of angels, both good and badChap. XXVIII.—Of the demons, and their evil practicesChap. XXIX.—Of the patience and providence of GodChap. XXX.—Of false wisdomChap. XXXI.—Of knowledge and suppositionChap. XXXII.—Of the sects of philosophers, and their disagreementChap. XXXIII.—What is the chief good to be sought in lifeChap. XXXIV.—That men are born to justiceChap. XXXV.—That immortality is the chief goodChap. XXXVI.—Of the philosophers,—namely, Epicurus and PythagorasChap. XXXVII.—Of Socrates and his contradictionChap. XXXVIII.—Of Plato, whose doctrine approaches more nearly to the truthChap. XXXIX.—Of various philosophers, and of the antipodesChap. XL.—Of the foolishness of the philosophersChap. XLI.—Of true religion and wisdomChap. XLII.—Of religious wisdom: the name of Christ known to none, except himself and his fatherChap. XLIII.—Of the name of Jesus Christ, and his twofold nativityChap. XLIV.—The twofold nativity of Christ is proved from the prophetsChap. XLV.—The power and works of Christ are proved from the scripturesChap. XLVI.—It is proved from the prophets that the passion and death of Christ had been foretoldChap. XLVII.—Of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the sending of the apostles, and the ascension of the saviour into heavenChap. XLVIII.—Of the disinheriting of the Jews, and the adoption of the GentilesChap. XLIX.—That God is one onlyChap. L.—Why God assumed a mortal body, and suffered deathChap. LI.—Of the death of Christ on the crossChap. LII.—The hope of the salvation of men consists in the knowledge of the true God, and of the hatred of the heathens against the ChristiansChap. LIII.—The reasons of the hatred against the Christians are examined and refutedChap. LIV.—Of the freedom of religion in the worship of GodChap. LV.—The heathens charge justice with impiety in following GodChap. LVI.—Of justice, which is the worship of the true GodChap. LVII.—Of wisdom and foolishnessChap. LVIII.—Of the true worship of God, and sacrificeChap. LIX.—Of the ways of life, and the first times of the worldChap. LX.—Of the duties of justiceChap. LXI.—Of the passionsChap. LXII.—Of restraining the pleasures of the sensesChap. LXIII.—That shows are most powerful to corrupt the mindsChap. LXIV.—The passions are to be subdued, and we must abstain from forbidden thingsChap. LXV.—Precepts about those things which are commanded, and of pityChap. LXVI.—Of faith in religion, and of fortitudeChap. LXVII.—Of repentance, the immortality of the soul, and of providenceChap. LXVIII.—Of the world, man, and the providence of GodChap. LXIX.—That the world was made on account of man, and man on account of GodChap. LXX.—The immortality of the soul is confirmedChap. LXXI.—Of the last timesChap. LXXII.—Of Christ descending from heaven to the general judgment, and of the millenarian reignChap. LXXIII.—The hope of safety is in the religion and worship of God