Preface.

That most people taught one thing and lived another; many who, in our opinion, held dangerous principles principia: The fundamental rules or foundations of a system of belief. and doctrines, lived as honest, virtuous men in the world; while others on the contrary, who prided themselves on possessing the greatest accuracy accuratesse: In this context, a strict and precise adherence to orthodox religious definitions. in doctrine, were often filled with malice and mischief. They argue that the truth is so dark and hidden that it cannot be easily reached anyway, least of all through controversies original: controversien. Formal academic or religious disputes regarding specific points of doctrine., which are the surest way to lose the truth rather than to preserve it. Furthermore, they claim that such disputes accustom both the teacher and the studying youth to useless bickering; that through this, everything becomes filled with strife, disunity, hatred, and envy, whereby one moves further and further away from the true form of authentic Christianity. They suggest that most theological controversies consist of chicanery original: chicanen. Sophistic arguments or petty verbal tricks used to avoid the main issue. and result in useless wars of words original: Wort-Kriege, against which the Apostle Paul himself so earnestly warned us in 1 Timothy 6:4. They conclude that one should therefore distance oneself from all theological disputes, remain with the simplicity of Christian doctrine, tolerate those who hold different opinions and let them go their way, and thus prove oneself in all things to be a moderate theologian original: moderaten theologum. A scholar who avoids extremes or dogmatic conflict..

This, and whatever else is commonly cited in order to [undermine] the defense of the divine tru-