PREFACE

...so that from the contributions original: "symbolis." In this context, it refers to the scholarly contributions or "tokens" brought by various individuals to a collective body of knowledge. of many gathered together at last, something perfect and exceptional might flourish, I easily allowed myself to be persuaded to decide to publish whatever reflections of mine on the history of philosophy I had.

And that I should apply my industry specifically to this kind of study, I seemed to have no trivial reasons. For—to say nothing of the rest—since from my early youth I had judged ecclesiastical history Also known as church history, the study of the development and evolution of the Christian Church. especially worthy to occupy a person's mind throughout their whole life, I soon, while seriously considering everything, discovered it to be connected to the history of philosophy by such a tight bond that anyone who desires to excel in the one without having tasted the other might not unfairly be thought to have "wasted both labor and oil" original: "operam oleumque... perdidisse," a classical Latin idiom meaning to waste one’s time and effort, specifically referring to the oil burned in a lamp during late-night study., as the saying goes.

I have often wondered why, although learned men everywhere devote themselves with great spirit to ecclesiastical history, it has occurred to so few that the origins of all heresies In this period, "heresy" referred to any belief or theory that was strongly at variance with established church dogma. must be traced back to the philosophy with which either their founders or promoters were imbued—or at least, that no one has labored to demonstrate this point with the zeal it deserves. For, as I boldly affirm, no heresy has ever appeared on the stage The author uses the theatrical metaphor "in scenam prodiit" to describe the public emergence of these theological movements. and gained followers...