De arte praedicatoria

Preaching is the open and public instruction of morals and faith, serving to inform mankind, proceeding from the path of reasons and the fount of authorities.

Preaching must be open, because it is to be set forth openly. Hence Christ says: What I tell you in the ear, preach upon the housetops.¹ For if preaching were hidden, it would be suspect, and would seem to smack of heretical teachings. For in their secret gatherings heretics preach in a concealed way, so as more easily to deceive others.

It must be public, because it is to be set forth not to one person but to many. For if it were set forth to only one person, it would not be preaching but teaching. For this is the difference between preaching, and teaching, and prophecy, and civic exhortation. Preaching is that instruction which is given to many, and openly, and for the instruction of morals; teaching, however, is that which is given either to one or to many, for the learning of knowledge; prophecy is an admonition given through the revelation of future things; civic exhortation is a public admonition made for the strengthening of the commonwealth.

By the fact that preaching is called instruction in morals and faith, two parts of theology are implied: the rational, which pursues knowledge of divine things; and the moral, which promises instruction in conduct. For preaching now instructs in divine matters, now in morals, which is signified by the angels ascending and descending, for these angels are preachers, who ascend when they preach heavenly things, and descend when through moral teaching they conform themselves to those beneath them.

By what follows, serving to inform mankind, the final cause, or the usefulness of preaching, is signified. And because preaching ought to be supported by reasons and strengthened by authorities, it is accordingly added: proceeding from the path of reasons and the fount of authorities.

Preaching in itself ought not to contain scurrilous or childish words, nor the melodies of rhythms and the harmonies of meters, which are made rather to soothe the ears than to instruct the mind, which sort of preaching is theatrical and mimic, and therefore to be despised in every way. Of such preaching the prophet says: Your innkeepers mix water with wine.²

In that kind of preaching water is mixed with wine, in which childish and scurrilous words, and words that somehow effeminate the mind, are placed. For preaching ought not to shine with the trappings of words, with the ornaments of colors, nor ought it to be too cast down with overly bloodless words, but rather:

The blessed have held the middle way.

For if it were too painted, it would seem contrived with excessive study, and rather worked up to win the favor of men than for the benefit of one's neighbors, and thus it would move the minds of the hearers less. Those who preach in this way are compared to the Pharisees, who enlarged their fringes and widened their phylacteries.³

Such preaching, however, may be called suspect, yet not to be despised, but tolerated. Hence the Apostle says: Whatever the occasion by which Christ is preached, in this I rejoice, and will rejoice.⁴ Nor should things be inserted for the greater praise of Christ, because Christ is no less angered by false praise than by denied truth. Such is usually the preaching of heretics, who set forth true things and then insert false ones, of whom it is said: The Lamiae have bared their breasts, they have suckled their young.⁵

The Lamiae have the faces of virgins, but the feet of horses. Horses' feet do not split into a hoof, but fix themselves firmly to the ground. By the Lamiae, then, heretics are understood, who put forward the face of a virgin, but conclude with the sting of a scorpion. For first they set forth true things, and then conclude with false ones; and they have horses' feet, because in the affections of their mind they are not divided in the love of God and neighbor, but fix all their affections upon earthly delights. Such preaching is to be utterly rejected, because it is vicious and pernicious.

In its content, however, preaching ought to have weight, so that by the force of its statements it may soften the minds of the hearers, stir up the mind, produce contrition, rain down teachings, thunder with threats, coax with promises, and thus tend wholly toward the benefit of one's neighbors. For there are some who make the end of their preaching an earthly reward; the preaching of these is mercenary. Such men are rather hirelings than preachers, and yet their preaching is to be heard and tolerated.

Hence the Lord says: Do what they say, but do not do what they do.⁶ There are three kinds of preaching. One is in word, of which it is said: Go, preach the Gospel to every creature, etc.⁷ Another is in writing, whence the Apostle says he preached to the Corinthians,⁸ because he wrote them letters. Another is in deed, whence it is said: Every action of Christ is our instruction.

This, moreover, ought to be the form of preaching, that its beginning be taken from theological authority, as from its own proper foundation, especially from the Gospels, the Psalms, the Epistles of Paul, and the books of Solomon, because in these moral instruction especially results. From the other books of sacred scripture, authorities are to be taken if they are necessary and useful to the purpose.

Next, the preacher ought to win the goodwill of his hearers, both from his own person through humility, and from the usefulness of the matter he sets forth, saying that he sets before them the word of God so that it may bear fruit in their minds, not for earthly gain, but for their advancement and profit; not that he is stirred by the empty shouts of the crowd, not that he is soothed by a favorable breeze, not that he is charmed by theatrical applause, but so that their minds may be shaped, and so that they themselves ought not to consider who speaks, but what is spoken. For in a thornbush one ought not to consider the roughness of the thorn, but the loveliness of the rose, for even in the fragile reed honey is found, and from stone a flame is struck. Next he ought to show how useful it is to hear the word of God, if it is put into effect.

He ought also to promise that he will say few things, and useful ones, and that he is drawn to this by nothing but love of his hearers, and also that he does not speak because he has greater knowledge or prudence, or a better life, but because sometimes things are revealed to a lesser person that are not revealed to a greater; and then the greater ought to keep silence, and because sometimes the greater are unwilling to preach, it is no wonder if the lesser sometimes stammer, for if the learned keep silent, the stones will speak, or cry out.

Next he ought to proceed to the exposition of the authority he has proposed, and bend the whole of it toward the instruction of his hearers; nor should he set forth an authority too obscure or difficult, lest the hearers grow weary of it, and so listen less attentively. Nor, in the exposition of the authority, should he depart too quickly from his purpose, lest the beginning not agree with the middle, nor the middle with the end. He ought also to bring in other authorities to establish the same point, especially those that pertain to the purpose. He may also, on occasion, insert sayings of the pagans, just as the apostle Paul sometimes inserted the authorities of philosophers in his Epistles, for it will hold an elegant place, if a skillful joining renders the word new.

He should also insert moving words, which soften minds and produce tears. Let the sermon be concise, lest prolixity produce weariness. But after the preacher has judged that minds have been softened, and that tears are flowing, and faces are humbled, he ought to linger a little, but not too much, for as Lucretius says: "Nothing dries more quickly than a tear."

At the end, indeed, he ought to use examples, to prove what he intends, for exemplary teaching is familiar and appealing. For example: