| «
Although we do not dispute, that every sermon of human speech has always
been obnoxious to the calumny and contradiction of rivals, because, with
dissenting movements of wills, the sensing of spirits also becomes dissenting
», « so that, although every saying of truth [dictum veri]
is perfected by reason, however, while it appears or pleases others differently
[aliud aliis], the error of impiety strives against the truth (which is)
not understood and/or offending, and there results envy of will »,
« which the god of this age works in those sons of diffidence, who
do not subject (their) will to reason nor expend (their) study on doctrine,
but strive to adapt the words of wisdom with those things for which they
are dreaming, seeking not a reason for truth, but for pleasure, whom an
iniquitous will incites not towards the understanding of the truth, but
to the defense of pleasant things, not desiring to be taught the
truth, but converting themselves away from it towards the hearing of fables.
Whose profession is more a pleasantry [placita] than a seeking out of things
to be taught, and not a desiring of things to be taught, but an adapting
of doctrine with things desired. They have a reason for (their) wisdom
in superstition: because mendacious hypocrisy follows defection from the
faith, so that even in (their) words there is a piety, which has lost (its)
conscience, and they render that simulated piety impious with every mendacity
of words, contriving to corrupt the sanctity of the Faith with the instructions
of false doctrine and forcing upon others an itching of the ears under
the novel dogma of their own desire, who as students of contention war
without the restraint of treaties [sine foedere] against the truth ».
« For between the assertion of truth and the defense of pleasure
there is a persistent battle, so long as both the truth grasps itself
and the will for error guards itself ». Therefore lest they be able
to pour forth the venom of their iniquity upon others, to both turn the
Church into (something) hateful to God and to stop up mouths of these (Her
sons), we willing to exalt the light of the truth upon a candlestick, in
much labor and sweat, with God as (our) surety, have compiled this volume
in four distinct books, from the testimonies of the truth founded in eternity.
In which you shall again
find the examples and doctrine of (our) elders, (and) in which we have
brought to light through a sincere profession of faith in the Lord [dominicae
fidei] the fraudulence of the viper's doctrine, have embraced an approach
for demonstrating the truth and have not inserted the danger of an impious
profession, using a temperate means of guidance among both. But if our
voice has sounded out at little anywhere, it has not departed from the
limits of the Fathers. « Therefore this labor ought not seem superfluous
to anyone learned sluggishly or much, since for many diligent and many
unlearned (men), among whom even for myself, it is necessary », that
one compile the sentences of the Fathers in a brief volume, with their
appropriate testimonies, so that it is not necessary for one to seek to
unroll numerous books, for whom a brief collection [brevitas collecta]
offers what is sought without the labor. « Moreover in this tract
I not only desire the pious reader, but also the free [i.e. unrestrained]
corrector, most of all where a profound question of the truth is dealt
with, which, one would wish, would have as many discoverers, as it has
contradictors ». Moreover so that what is sought may more easily
come to meet (the reader), we have prefaced (this work with) the titles,
by which the chapters of each of the books is distinguished. |
« Quamvis
non ambigamus, omnem humani eloquii sermonem calumniae atque contradictioni
aemulorum semper fuisse obnoxium, quia, dissentientibus voluntatum motibus,
dissentiens quoque fit animorum sensus », « ut, cum omne dictum
veri ratione perfectum sit, tamen, dum aliud aliis aut videtur aut complacet,
veritati vel non intellectae vel offendenti impietatis error obnitatur,
ac voluntatis invidia resultet », « quam Deus huius saeculi
operatur in illis diffidentiae filiis, qui non rationi voluntatem
subiiciunt nec doctrinae studium impendunt, sed his quae somniarunt sapientiae
verba coaptare nituntur, non veri, sed placiti rationem sectantes, quos
iniqua voluntas non ad intelligentiam veritatis, sed ad defensionem1
placentium incitat, non desiderantes doceri veritatem, sed ab ea ad fabulas
convertentes auditum.2 Quorum professio est magis placita quam docenda
conquirere nec docenda desiderare, sed desideratis doctrinam coaptare.
Habent rationem sapientiae in superstitione:3 quia fidei defectionem
sequitur hypocrisis mendax, ut sit vel4 in verbis pietas, quam amiserit
conscientiae, ipsamque simulatam pietatem omni5 verborum mendacio impiam
reddunt, falsae doctrinae institutis fidei sanctitatem corrumpere molientes
auriumque pruriginem sub novello sui desiderii dogmate aliis ingerentes,
qui contentioni studentes contra veritatem sine foedere bellant ».
« Inter veri namque assertionem et placiti defensionem pertinax pugna
est, dum se et6 veritas tenet, et se voluntas erroris tuetur ». Horum
igitur et7 Deo odibilem ecclesiam evertere atque ora oppilare, ne
virus nequitiae in alios effundere queant, et lucernam veritatis in candelabro
exaltare volentes,8 in labore multo ac sudore hoc volumen, Deo praestante,
compegimus ex testimoniis veritatis in aeternum fundatis, in quatuor libros
distinctum.
In quo maiorum exempla doctrinamque
reperies, in quo per dominicae fidei sinceram professionem vipereae doctrinae
fraudulentiam prodidimus, aditum demonstrandae veritatis complexi nec periculo
impiae professionis inserti, temperato inter utrumque moderamine
utentes. Sicubi vero parum vox nostra insonuit, non a paternis dicessit
limitibus. « Non igitur debet hic labor cuiquam pigro vel multum
docto videri superfluus, cum multis impigris multisque indoctis, inter
quos etiam mihi, sit necessarius », brevi volumine complicans
Patrum sententias, appositis eorum testimoniis, ut non sit necesse quaerenti
librorum numerositatem evolvere, cui brevitas collecta quod quaeritur offert
sine labore. « In hoc autem tractatu non solum pium lectorem, sed
etiam liberum correctorem desidero, maxime ubi profunda versatur veritatis
quaestio, quae utinam tot haberet inventores, quot habet contradictores
».Ut autem quod quaeritur facilius occurrat, titulos, quibus singulorum
librorum capitula distinguuntur, praemisimus. |
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