1. IF, Honoratus, a heretic,
and a man trusting heretics seemed to me one and the same, I should
judge it my duty to remain silent both in tongue and pen in this
matter. But now, whereas there is a very great difference between
these two: forasmuch as he, in my opinion, is an heretic, who, for
the sake of some temporal advantage, and chiefly for the sake of
his own glory and pre-eminence, either gives birth to, or follows,
false and new opinions; but he, who trusts men of this kind, is a
man deceived by a certain imagination of truth and piety. This
being the case, I have not thought it my duty to be silent towards
you, as to my opinions on the finding and retaining of truth: with
great love of which, as you know, we have burned from our very
earliest youth: but it is a thing far removed from the minds of
vain men, who, having too far advanced and fallen into these
corporeal things, think that there is nothing else than what they
perceive by those five well-known reporters of the body; and what
impressions1693
and images
they have received from these, they carry over with themselves,
even when they essay to withdraw from the senses; and by the
deadly
and most
deceitful rule of these think that they measure most
rightly the unspeakable recesses of
truth. Nothing is more easy, my
dearest
friend, than for one not only to say, but also to think,
that he hath found out the
truth; but how difficult it is in
reality, you will perceive, I
trust, from this letter of mine. And
that this may
profit you, or at any rate may in no way harm you,
and also all, into whose
hands it shall chance to come,
I have
both
prayed, and do
pray, unto
God; and I hope that it will be so,
forasmuch as
1694
I am fully
conscious that I have undertaken to write it, in a pious and
friendly spirit, not as aiming at vain reputation, or trifling
display.
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