Preface.

...forth; for not only has the Papacy original: "Pabstum," referring to the Roman Catholic Church split into Quietists Quietists: A 17th-century mystical movement within the Catholic Church that emphasized internal passivity and contemplative prayer. and Anti-Quietists, the Calvinists into Labadists Labadists: A community-focused Pietist sect founded by Jean de Labadie. and Anti-Labadists, and our own group into Pietists and Anti-Pietists; but also, just this past year, the fleshly-minded belly-servants A derogatory term for clergy perceived as being more interested in their own comfort and status than in spiritual duties. have expressed themselves violently under the pretext original: "prætext" of a closer religious union against honest theologians original: "Theologos" who, before the face of God, cannot approve of such a conspiracy original: "Complot". On this matter, various judgments original: "Judicia" and responses original: "Responsa" for and against have flown out into the world; so much so that it would be a blasphemy to consider and label the reporter as a Ham, who uncovers his father’s shame A biblical reference to Genesis 9:22; the author argues that exposing the corruption of church "fathers" is a duty, not a sin like Ham's., considering such scandals lie quite openly in the light of day everywhere.

Likewise, no one will be ignorant of how the poison of Scholastic-Aristotelian philosophy The traditional academic method based on the logic of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, which the author views as a corrupting influence on pure Christian teaching. has taken over our high schools Universities, and to no small suppression of Divine teaching-truth, Aristotle has seated himself upon the professor's chair original: "Catheder". Consequently, whereas Dr. Luther once recognized the Pope as the true Antichrist and his high schools as the Devil’s own taverns and brothels—among other reasons because they so shamelessly set up Aristotle as a secondary light An authority equal to or alongside Scripture.—now, however, Christ-zealous theologians among us must also complain of the very same thing in our academics original: "Academicis". As the testimony of Dr. Wagner original: "Teste D. Wagnero" shows, many distinguished men professing our Orthodoxy original: "Orthodoxia," referring here to the established Lutheran doctrine. have, through an all too heated love for the little harlot of worldly wisdom A common Pietist metaphor for secular philosophy., given the bare sword into the hands of our sworn enemies, the Jesuits and Papists, to be used against us. This is to say nothing of the complaints of many other upright theologians (some of whom are cited original: "allegirt" in Dr. Spener’s Pious Desires original: "Piis Desideriis." This 1675 work by Philipp Jakob Spener is the foundational text of the Pietist movement, calling for reform in the Lutheran Church.). Just as