De locis theologicis

I think I explained sufficiently in the preceding source how arguments are drawn by a theologian from philosophy and from natural reason in general. It remains for me to pursue the other matters that concern the authority of philosophers and human history. These are the only two sources left among those proposed at the beginning, and I will now undertake to discuss them, after saying a few things about my purpose and judgment. Although our books concern not only scholastic debate and disputation but also contain much else useful to those who probe inward and hidden teachings, I sometimes fear that some good men dislike the name of the schools and wonder why I spend so much effort and time in explaining them. As long as the scholastic enterprise was carried on by those who used to encourage young people to study scholastic theology, I devoted all my care and thought to finding some way to free myself from scholastic disputations. I did not think my work was in any way necessary to scholastic theologians. But now that the university has lost those great men, and some of those remaining who ought to help defend this subject have abandoned these studies as dry and contentious, or at least avoided them as laborious and troublesome, while the Lutherans have condemned them as harmful, I judged that I should not give myself over to the leisure I had so long and earnestly

hoped for. And so, having been engaged in these studies from the beginning of my life, I thought I could serve the Christian commonwealth most honorably if I restrained my mind, even when reluctant, within the school. I had devoted much of my youth to it in order to learn; later, after I began publicly to teach theology and gave myself to my students, almost all my time was spent teaching, and I had no leisure to write. I had the great burden not only of instructing students every day through lectures and disputations but also of answering many questions orally and in writing. Frequent sermons to the people also fell to me, either from necessity or by choice. We cannot do or even think about several things at once, especially important ones. Therefore, we repeatedly abandoned all hope of completing this work, in which we saw so much difficulty that it required a man not only exceptionally learned but also unimpeded by other business. But partly pressed by the entreaties of students, partly overcome by the reproaches of friends, and especially at your command, most excellent father—whose requests, particularly in so just a matter, it would be difficult and not even right to resist—we decided to shape this work in our spare hours, as they say, so that even if by some chance we cannot complete it, at least it will seem that we began it. I regret my undertaking all the less because I easily see that, even if I do nothing else, I will stir people who are not idle to desire the investigation of a great subject. For even if we have not attained our goal, we have certainly pursued the aim of explaining in these books matters that were not sufficiently known to our people and were most worthy of knowledge. But now let us proceed with our subject. We must make sure that even if our discussion sometimes begins to wander elsewhere, it is brought back to these matters.