(t) Quod ſi &
aliud potuiſſe inve
nerimus, incertum
erit; quidnam eo
rum ille voluerit:
aut utrumque vo
luiſſe non inconve
nienter creditur, ſi
utriuſque ſententiæ
certa circumſt an
tia ſufragatur.
aliud potuiſſe inve
nerimus, incertum
erit; quidnam eo
rum ille voluerit:
aut utrumque vo
luiſſe non inconve
nienter creditur, ſi
utriuſque ſententiæ
certa circumſt an
tia ſufragatur.
(u) Plerumque
enim accidit, at a
liquid de Terra, de
Celo, de ceter is hu
jus mundi elemen
tis, de motu, con
verſione, vel ctiam
magnitudine &
intervallis Syde
rum, de certis de
fectibus Solis, &
Lunæ, de eircuiti
bus annorum &
temporum; de Na
turis animalium,
fruticum, lapidum,
atque bujuſmodi
ceter is, etiam non
Chriſtianus ita no
verit, ut cirtiſſima
ratione vel experi
entiâ teneat. Tur
pe autem eſt nimis
& pernicioſum, ae
maxime caven
dum, at Chriſtia
num de his rebus
quaſi ſecundum
Chriſtianaslitter as
loquentem, ita de
lirare quilibet in
fiàelis audiat, ut,
quemadmodum di
citur, toto Cælo er
ræreconſpiciens, ri
ſuntenere vix poſſit:
& non tam mole
ſtum eſt, quod er
rans homo deride
retur, ſed quod au
ctores noſtri, ab tis
qui foris ſunt, ta
lia ſenſiſſe credun
tur, & cum magno exitio eorum, de quorum ſalute ſatagimus, tanquam indocti reprehenduntur atque reſpuuntur.
Cum enim quemquam de numero Chriſtiano um eainre, quam ip ſi optime norunt, deprehenderint, & venam ſenten
tiam ſuam de noſtris libris aſſerent; quo pacto illis Libris credituri ſunt, de Reſurrectione Mortuorum, & de ſpe
vit æ eternæ, Regnoque Celorum; quando de his rebus quas jam experiri, vel indubitatis rationibus percipere potuerunt
fallaciter putaverint eſſe conſcriptos.
enim accidit, at a
liquid de Terra, de
Celo, de ceter is hu
jus mundi elemen
tis, de motu, con
verſione, vel ctiam
magnitudine &
intervallis Syde
rum, de certis de
fectibus Solis, &
Lunæ, de eircuiti
bus annorum &
temporum; de Na
turis animalium,
fruticum, lapidum,
atque bujuſmodi
ceter is, etiam non
Chriſtianus ita no
verit, ut cirtiſſima
ratione vel experi
entiâ teneat. Tur
pe autem eſt nimis
& pernicioſum, ae
maxime caven
dum, at Chriſtia
num de his rebus
quaſi ſecundum
Chriſtianaslitter as
loquentem, ita de
lirare quilibet in
fiàelis audiat, ut,
quemadmodum di
citur, toto Cælo er
ræreconſpiciens, ri
ſuntenere vix poſſit:
& non tam mole
ſtum eſt, quod er
rans homo deride
retur, ſed quod au
ctores noſtri, ab tis
qui foris ſunt, ta
lia ſenſiſſe credun
tur, & cum magno exitio eorum, de quorum ſalute ſatagimus, tanquam indocti reprehenduntur atque reſpuuntur.
Cum enim quemquam de numero Chriſtiano um eainre, quam ip ſi optime norunt, deprehenderint, & venam ſenten
tiam ſuam de noſtris libris aſſerent; quo pacto illis Libris credituri ſunt, de Reſurrectione Mortuorum, & de ſpe
vit æ eternæ, Regnoque Celorum; quando de his rebus quas jam experiri, vel indubitatis rationibus percipere potuerunt
fallaciter putaverint eſſe conſcriptos.
And how much the truly Wiſe and Prudent Fathers are diſ
pleaſed with theſe men, who in defence of Propoſitions which
they do not underſtand, do apply, and in a certain ſenſe pawn
Texts of Scripture, and afterwards go on to encreaſe their firſt
Errour, by producing other places leſs underſtood than the for
mer. The ſame Saint declareth in the expreſſions following:
(x) What trouble and ſorrow weak undertakers bring upon
their knowing Brethren, is not to be expreſſed; ſince when they
begin to be told and convinced of their falſe and unſound Opinion,
by thoſe who have no reſpect for the Authority of our Scriptures,
in defence of what through a fond Temerity, and moſt manifeſt fal
ſity, they have urged; they fall to citing the ſaid Sacred Books
for proof of it, or elſe repeat many words by heart out of them,
which they conceive to make for their purpoſe; not knowing
either what they ſay, or whereof they affirm.
pleaſed with theſe men, who in defence of Propoſitions which
they do not underſtand, do apply, and in a certain ſenſe pawn
Texts of Scripture, and afterwards go on to encreaſe their firſt
Errour, by producing other places leſs underſtood than the for
mer. The ſame Saint declareth in the expreſſions following:
(x) What trouble and ſorrow weak undertakers bring upon
their knowing Brethren, is not to be expreſſed; ſince when they
begin to be told and convinced of their falſe and unſound Opinion,
by thoſe who have no reſpect for the Authority of our Scriptures,
in defence of what through a fond Temerity, and moſt manifeſt fal
ſity, they have urged; they fall to citing the ſaid Sacred Books
for proof of it, or elſe repeat many words by heart out of them,
which they conceive to make for their purpoſe; not knowing
either what they ſay, or whereof they affirm.
(y) Quid enim
moleſtiæ, triſtiæque
ingerant prudenti
bus fratribus, te
nerarij præſumpto
res, ſatis dici non
poteſt, cum, ſi
quando de falſa &
prava opinione ſua
reprehendi & con
vinci cæperint, ab
iis qui noſtrorum
librorum auctori
tate, & aperliſſima
falfitate dixerunt,
eoſdnm libros San
ctos, unde id pro
bent, proferre co
nantur; vel etiam
memoriter, quæ ad
teſtimonium vale
re arbitrantur,
multa inde verba
pronunciant, non
intelligentes, neque
quæ loquuntur, ne
que de quibus af
firmant.
moleſtiæ, triſtiæque
ingerant prudenti
bus fratribus, te
nerarij præſumpto
res, ſatis dici non
poteſt, cum, ſi
quando de falſa &
prava opinione ſua
reprehendi & con
vinci cæperint, ab
iis qui noſtrorum
librorum auctori
tate, & aperliſſima
falfitate dixerunt,
eoſdnm libros San
ctos, unde id pro
bent, proferre co
nantur; vel etiam
memoriter, quæ ad
teſtimonium vale
re arbitrantur,
multa inde verba
pronunciant, non
intelligentes, neque
quæ loquuntur, ne
que de quibus af
firmant.
In the number of theſe we may, as I conceive, account thoſe,
who, being either unwilling or unable to underſtand the De
monſtrations and Experiments, wherewith the Author and fol
lowers of this Opinion do confirm it, run upon all occaſions to
the Scriptures, not conſidering that the more they cite them, and
the more they perſiſt in affirming that they are very clear, and
do admit no other ſenſes, ſave thoſe which they force upon
them, the greater injury they do to the Dignity of them (if we
allowed that their judgments were of any great Authority) in
caſe that the Truth coming to be manifeſtly known to the con
trary, ſhould occaſion any confuſion, at leaſt to thoſe who are
ſeparated from the Holy Church; of whom yet ſhe is very ſolici
tous, and like a tender Mother, deſirous to recover them again
into her Lap. Your Highneſs therefore may ſee how præpoſterouſ
ly thoſe Perſons proceed, who in Natural Diſputations do range
Texts of Scripture in the Front for their Arguments; and ſuch
Texts too many times, as are but ſuperficially underſtood by them.
who, being either unwilling or unable to underſtand the De
monſtrations and Experiments, wherewith the Author and fol
lowers of this Opinion do confirm it, run upon all occaſions to
the Scriptures, not conſidering that the more they cite them, and
the more they perſiſt in affirming that they are very clear, and
do admit no other ſenſes, ſave thoſe which they force upon
them, the greater injury they do to the Dignity of them (if we
allowed that their judgments were of any great Authority) in
caſe that the Truth coming to be manifeſtly known to the con
trary, ſhould occaſion any confuſion, at leaſt to thoſe who are
ſeparated from the Holy Church; of whom yet ſhe is very ſolici
tous, and like a tender Mother, deſirous to recover them again
into her Lap. Your Highneſs therefore may ſee how præpoſterouſ
ly thoſe Perſons proceed, who in Natural Diſputations do range
Texts of Scripture in the Front for their Arguments; and ſuch
Texts too many times, as are but ſuperficially underſtood by them.
But if theſe men do verily think, & abſolutely believe that they
have the true ſence of Such a particular place of Scripture, it muſt
needs follow of conſequence, that they do likewiſe hold for certain,
that they have found the abſolute truth of that Natural Concluſi
on, which they intend to diſpute: And that withall, they do know
that they have a great advantage of their Adverſary, whoſe Lot it
is to defend the part that is falſe; in regard that he who maintain
eth the Truth, may have many ſenſible experiments, and many ne
ceſſary Demonſtrations on his ſide; whereas his Antagoniſt can
make uſe of no other than deceitful appearances, Paralogiſms and
Sophiſms. Now if they keeping within natural bounds, & produ
cing no other Weapons but thoſe of Philoſophy, pretend however,
to have ſo much advantage of their Enemy; why do they
have the true ſence of Such a particular place of Scripture, it muſt
needs follow of conſequence, that they do likewiſe hold for certain,
that they have found the abſolute truth of that Natural Concluſi
on, which they intend to diſpute: And that withall, they do know
that they have a great advantage of their Adverſary, whoſe Lot it
is to defend the part that is falſe; in regard that he who maintain
eth the Truth, may have many ſenſible experiments, and many ne
ceſſary Demonſtrations on his ſide; whereas his Antagoniſt can
make uſe of no other than deceitful appearances, Paralogiſms and
Sophiſms. Now if they keeping within natural bounds, & produ
cing no other Weapons but thoſe of Philoſophy, pretend however,
to have ſo much advantage of their Enemy; why do they