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5. Further let me ask of my reader, wherever, alike with myself,
he is certain, there to go on with me; wherever, alike with myself,
he hesitates, there to join with me in inquiring; wherever he
recognizes himself to be in error, there to return to me; wherever he
recognizes me to be so, there to call me back: so that we may enter
together upon the path of charity, and advance towards Him of whom it
is said, "Seek His face evermore." And I would make this pious
and safe agreement, in the presence of our Lord God, with all who
read my writings, as well in all other cases as, above all, in the
case of those which inquire into the unity of the Trinity, of the
Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; because in no other subject
is error more dangerous, or inquiry more laborious, or the discovery
of truth more profitable. If, then, any reader shall say, This is
not well said, because I do not understand it; such an one finds
fault with my language, not with my faith: and it might perhaps in
very truth have been put more clearly; yet no man ever so spoke as to
be understood in all things by all men. Let him, therefore, who
finds this fault with my discourse, see whether he can understand other
men who have handled similar subjects and questions, when he does not
understand me: and if he can, let him put down my book, or even, if
he pleases, throw it away; and let him spend labor and time rather on
those whom he understands. Yet let him not think on that account that
I ought to have been silent, because I have not been able to express
myself so smoothly and clearly to him as those do whom he understands.
For neither do all things, which all men have written, come into the
hands of all. And possibly some, who are capable of understanding
even these our writings, may not find those more lucid works, and may
meet with ours only. And therefore it is useful that many persons
should write many books, differing in style but not in faith,
concerning even the same questions, that the matter itself may reach
the greatest number some in one way, some in another. But if he who
complains that he has not understood these things has never been able to
comprehend any careful and exact reasonings at all upon such subjects,
let him in that case deal with himself by resolution and study, that he
may know better; not with me by quarrellings and wranglings, that I
may hold my peace. Let him, again, who says, when he reads my
book, Certainly I understand what is said, but it is not true,
assert, if he pleases, his own opinion, and refute mine if he is
able. And if he do this with charity and truth, and take the pains to
make it known to me (if I am still alive), I shall then receive the
most abundant fruit of this my labor. And if he cannot inform myself,
most willing and glad should I be that he should inform those whom he
can. Yet, for my part, "I meditate in the law of the Lord," if
not "day and night," at least such short times as I can; and I
commit my meditations to writing, lest-they should escape me through
forgetfulness; hoping by the mercy of God that He will make me hold
steadfastly all truths of which I feel certain; "but if in anything
I be otherwise minded, that He will himself reveal even this to
me," whether through secret inspiration and admonition, or through
His own plain utterances, or through the reasonings of my brethren.
This I pray for, and this my trust and desire I commit to Him, who
is sufficiently able to keep those things which He has given me, and
to render those which He has promised.
6. I expect, indeed, that some, who are more dull of
understanding, will imagine that in some parts of my books I have held
sentiments which I have not held, or have not held those which I
have. But their error, as none can be ignorant, ought not to be
attributed to me, if they have deviated into false doctrine through
following my steps without apprehending me, whilst I am compelled to
pick my way through a hard and obscure subject: seeing that neither can
any one, in any way, rightly ascribe the numerous and various errors
of heretics to the holy testimonies themselves of the divine books;
although all of them endeavor to defend out of those same Scriptures
their own false and erroneous opinions. The law of Christ, that is,
charity, admonishes me clearly, and commands me with a sweet
constraint, that when men think that I have held in my books something
false which I have not held, and that same falsehood displeases one
and pleases another, I should prefer to be blamed by him who
reprehends the falsehood, rather than praised by him who praises it.
For although I, who never held the error, am not rightly blamed by
the former, yet the error itself is rightly censured; whilst by the
latter neither am I rightly praised, who am thought to have held that
which the truth censures, nor the sentiment itself, which the truth
also censures. Let us therefore essay the work which we have
undertaken in the name of the Lord.
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