I N T R O D U C T I O N.

...similar things, viewed more particularly in relation to things as they now exist:
(2) Regarding the created mind The "created mind" refers to the human soul or intellect, which the author distinguishes from the "uncreated mind" of God., because it is not the primary object of this work, there will be no detailed explanation of its faculties, especially those that must be considered in relation to the body to which it is joined. (3) Similarly, no labor will be spent on listing specific sins, nor in explaining the ways God acts concerning them, nor in recounting their duration, punishments, or their opposites. I would not want this to be taken so strictly, however, as if no mention should be made of these things at all: for if they shed light on the main subject and serve to explain the matter, perhaps they will occasionally be presented alongside the more notable observations concerning them, even though this is not the place for treating them formally ex professo; a Latin term meaning "as a matter of professional expertise" or "by design".

V. These things being thus excluded, we take up God and those of His attributes which—if you except power in a certain sense—are conceived in such a way that, in conceiving them, one does not necessarily need to focus on the actual existence of creatures and their current state, even if the opportunity to think about them arises from considering such creatures. In this way, whatever is said about the created mind is mostly to be viewed insofar as examining it provides an opportunity to know God more clearly. Thus, there is no need for us to wander long outside our own mind and the ideas of various things within it; for whether they exist or do not exist outside of us is now a matter of indifference, since the notions of them alone, of which the mind is intimately conscious, are sufficient for our purpose. Regarding evil or sin, those things will be discussed separately which follow from what was said before and in a more general manner of treatment.

VI. To maintain some order, these matters will be arranged so that first, the clouds which prevent the mind from forming a true idea of spiritual things are cleared away. Once these are overcome, a general notion of both minds—namely, the uncreated and the created—will be proposed, along with the method of recognizing them in general, including their perfections and any imperfections. Third, this will be followed by a more specific derivation of God and the Created Mind, leaving the discussion of sin for the final section. These four topics, contained in four Books, will be presented as it pleases God.