Treatise on the Free Investigation of the Canon

My intention is, as I have said, entirely honest and sincere; those things which are not Christian dogmas in themselves—according to their content and their true, authentic basis of knowledge—I cannot regard as such. This is how I judge the current theory of the CanonThe official list of books accepted as Holy Scripture., because it allows for no real utility; and people have confused the canon of churchmen original: "canonem ecclesiasticorum hominum" or of former church servants with the canon of Christians original: "canone christianorum". Share with me, most worthy Lord Abbot, according to your upright integrity, your own insights; I am happy to be refuted, but I will not allow myself to be shouted down, branded a heretic, or cursed original: "anathematisiren"; no more than Luther allowed himself to be by the orthodox doctors of Louvain original: "louanienses orthodoxos doctores". This is so that the old, base theological servitude and servitude to men original: "ανθρωποδελεια" (anthropodouleia) does not further damage the power and worthy content of the Christian, blameless, and inoffensive doctrine and its easy application. You are not among such merciless inquisitors of heretical depravity original: "inquisitoribus haereticae prauitatis"; you can no more be so than other great men who do not make a CompendiumA concise summary or textbook of theology, often used rigidly in the 18th century to enforce orthodoxy. into their sidearm. I believe