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Lactantius

Book III. Of the False Wisdom of the Philosophers

Chap. I.—A comparison of the truth with eloquence: why the philosophers did not attain to it. Of the simple style of the scriptures

Chap. II.—Of philosophy, and how vain was its occupation in setting forth the truth

Chap. III.—Of what subjects philosophy consists, and who was the chief founder of the academic sect

Chap. IV.—That knowledge is taken away by Socrates, and conjecture by Zeno

Chap. V.—That the knowledge of many things is necessary

Chap. VI.—Of wisdom, and the academics, and natural philosophy

Chap. VII.—Of moral philosophy, and the chief good

Chap. VIII.—Of the chief good, and the pleasures of the soul and body, and of virtue

Chap. IX.—Of the chief good, and the worship of the true God, and a refutation of Anaxagoras

Chap. X.—It is the peculiar property of man to know and worship God

Chap. XI.—Of religion, wisdom, and the chief good

Chap. XII.—Of the twofold conflict of body and soul; and of desiring virtue on account of eternal life

Chap. XIII.—Of the immortality of the soul, and of wisdom, philosophy, and eloquence

Chap. XIV.—That Lucretius and others have erred, and Cicero himself, in fixing the origin of wisdom

Chap. XV.—The error of Seneca in philosophy, and how the speech of philosophers is at variance with their life

Chap. XVI.—That the philosophers who give good instructions live badly, by the testimony of Cicero; therefore we should not so much devote ourselves to the study of philosophy as to wisdom

Chap. XVII.—He passes from philosophy to the philosophers, beginning with Epicurus; and how he regarded Leucippus and Democritus as authors of error

Chap. XVIII.—The Pythagoreans and Stoics, while they hold the immortality of the soul, foolishly persuade a voluntary death

Chap. XIX.—Cicero and others of the wisest men teach the immortality of the soul, but in an unbelieving manner; and that a good or an evil death must be weighed from the previous life

Chap. XX.—Socrates had more knowledge in philosophy than other men, although in many things he acted foolishly

Chap. XXI.—Of the system of Plato, which would lead to the overthrow of states

Chap. XXII.—Of the precepts of Plato, and censures of the same

Chap. XXIII.—Of the errors of certain philosophers, and of the sun and moon

Chap. XXIV.—Of the antipodes, the heaven, and the stars

Chap. XXV.—Of learning philosophy, and what great qualifications are necessary for its pursuit

Chap. XXVI.—It is divine instruction only which bestows wisdom; and of what efficacy the law of God is

Chap. XXVII.—How little the precepts of philosophers contribute to true wisdom, which you will find in religion only

Chap. XXVIII.—Of true religion and of nature. whether fortune is a goddess, and of philosophy

Chap. XXIX.—Of fortune again, and virtue

Chap. XXX.—The conclusion of the things before spoken; and by what means we must pass from the vanity of the philosophers to true wisdom, and the knowledge of the true god, in which alone are virtue and happiness