Summa de Ecclesia
Juan de Torquemada (1388–1468)
First published 1561
Torquemada's Summa de Ecclesia from the Venice 1561 edition, Books I-IV with the Florentine union apparatus, in Latin with a new English translation.
Titulus I: Title page
Privilegium I: Privilege
Epistola I: Dedicatory letter
Index I: Full index
Prologus I: Prologue
Liber I: Book I — On the Universal Church
Caput I: Chapter I. On the name Church and how it differs from the name synagogue.
Caput II: Chapter II. On the various senses of the name Church.
Caput III: Chapter III. In which sense the discussion of the Church is to be taken in what follows, where it is shown that in the Church the good and the wicked are mingled together.
Caput IV: Chapter IV. In which objections are raised against what was said, that in the holy and universal Church the good and the wicked are contained together.
Caput V: Chapter V. In which the distinction is given by which the just faithful and sinful faithful are said to be in the Church, and the objections raised are answered.
Caput VI: Chapter VI. Proving that the Church is one, and on its manifold unity.
Caput VII: Chapter VII. In which objections are raised against what was said on the unity of the Church.
Caput VIII: Chapter VIII. In which the objections raised are answered.
Caput IX: Chapter IX. In which it is shown that the Church is holy.
Caput X: Chapter X. In which objections are raised against what was said on the holiness of the Church.
Caput XI: Chapter XI. In which the objections raised are answered.
Caput XII: Chapter XII. In which a certain way of speaking about the holiness of the Church is disapproved.
Caput XIII: Chapter XIII. That the Church is to be called Catholic.
Caput XIV: Chapter XIV. In which objections are raised against what was said, that the Christian faith is to be called Catholic.
1 Against what was said first in the preceding chapter, that the Christian faith is to be called Catholic in several ways, it is argued as follows. First: knowledge ought to be proportioned to its knowable object, for not anything is known in just any way. But faith is knowledge of God, who is neither universal nor particular, as Aug. says in the book on the Trinity. Therefore faith, which is knowledge of God, is not to be called universal.
2 Second: of singular things there can only be singular knowledge, hence of singulars there is no science; but by faith we hold certain singular deeds, such as the nativity of Christ, the passion, the resurrection, the ascension, the coming to judgment, and the like. Therefore faith ought not to be called universal, and consequently not Catholic.
3 Third: from what is common to many, a proper name ought not to be imposed on any one thing, since a name is imposed in order that a thing may become known. But every tradition or sect sets forth what it hands down as to be believed or observed universally by all, as universally true. Therefore the Christian faith ought not specially to claim this for itself, namely to be named Catholic or universal.
Fourth4 thus: Idolatry reached every corner of the world, but the Christian faith is not found to have reached all the ends of the world, since there are certain barbarians who do not know the faith of Christ. Therefore the sect of idolatry ought rather to be called Catholic than the Christian faith.
Fifth5 thus: what does not befit all ought not to be called universal, but the Christian faith is not received by many, as the Apostle says in Rom. 10: Not all obey the Gospel. Isaiah also says:6 Lord, who has believed our report, the Gloss says: someone, but not all. Therefore the Christian faith is unfittingly named Catholic or universal.