And we must come to a like judgment as to Arabic in
numerous astronomical treatises, and as to Hebrew as regards the
text of the Holy Bible, which deficiencies, indeed, Clement V.
provides for, if only the bishops would faithfully observe what
they so lightly decree. Wherefore we have taken care to provide
a Greek as well as a Hebrew grammar for our scholars, with
certain other aids, by the help of which studious readers may
greatly inform themselves in the writing, reading, and
understanding of the said tongues, although only the hearing of
them can teach correctness of idiom.
CHAPTER XI
WHY WE HAVE PREFERRED BOOKS OF LIBERAL LEARNING TO BOOKS OF LAW
That lucrative practice of positive law, designed for the
dispensation of earthly things, the more useful it is found by
the children of this world, so much the less does it aid the
children of light in comprehending the mysteries of holy writ and
the secret sacraments of the faith, seeing that it disposes us
peculiarly to the friendship of the world, by which man, as S.
James testifies, is made the enemy of God. Law indeed encourages
rather than extinguishes the contentions of mankind, which are
the result of unbounded greed, by complicated laws, which can be
turned either way; though we know that it was created by
jurisconsults and pious princes for the purpose of assuaging
these contentions. But in truth, as the same science deals with
contraries, and the power of reason can be used to opposite ends,
and at the same the human mind is more inclined to evil, it
happens with the practisers of this science that they usually
devote themselves to promoting contention rather than peace, and
instead of quoting laws according to the intent of the
legislator, violently strain the language thereof to effect their
own purposes.
Pages:
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77