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1. THIS work of mine, which is entitled On Christian
Doctrine, was at the commencement divided into two parts. For,
after a preface, in which I answered by anticipation those who were
likely to take exception to the work, I said, "There are two things
on which all interpretation of Scripture depends: the mode of
ascertaining the proper meaning, and the known, the meaning." As,
then, I have already said a great deal about the mode of ascertaining
the meaning, and have given three books to this one part of the
subject, I shall only say a few things about the mode of making known
the meaning, in order if four books.
2. In the first place, then, I wish by this preamble to put a stop
to the expectations of readers who may think that I am about to lay
down rules of rhetoric such as I have learnt and taught too, in the
secular schools, and to warn them that they need not look for any such
from me. Not that I think such rules of no use, but that whatever
use they have is to be learnt elsewhere; and if any good man should
happen to have leisure for learning them, he is not to ask me to teach
them either in this work or any other.
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