This was the creation of the two cities to forever divide mankind. The earthly city was headed by Cain, the godly one by Abel. Each of the cities lives with different beliefs and has vastly different lifestyles. In Abel's heavenly city, "all citizens serve one another in charity, whether they serve by the responsibilities of office or by the duties of obedience." (Early Christianity, 187.) According to Augustine it is acceptable to follow the laws of a society as long as they do not interrupt with one's reverence to God. The City of God is a city of love, in which people share love for each other, and a love for God as their foremost responsibility in life. The darkness over the earthly city is plagued by the departure and fall of God from their lives, " this falling away is the soul's own doing turned away in search of satisfaction in itself and by doing so, have lost that light and warmth." of God. The Earthly city is a pure example of the philosopher Plato's Republic, it is a city in which self-interest and the individualism thrive. A city in which no thanks is given to God and his food is consumed in vain. These citizens prefer their own impious and proud gods and delight in their own strength, which represents itself in the person of their rulers. Oftentimes, the greed and selfishness of these rulers grasp for self-serving privileges and divine honors at the expense of their subjects, so that they lead their people into bondage and make war upon liberty itself. (Hurd, City of God analysis).
The differences in the two cities went past common values and into the reverence of the inhabitant's souls. In the City of God, the search for the truth is no longer, because the people have found God. They in turn live by God's will and perform God's work through their religion. In the earthly city there is no set spiritual rules. The authority of the rulers is the final authority. All evil is rooted in the mind and will of each citizen.