Preface.

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...to do. Yet, I present these two questions to such adversaries: 1. Whether in the forum of the Church original: "in foro Ecclesiæ"; refers to the public, external life and governance of the church community. (for it cannot be in the forum of the individual original: "in Foro Soli"; refers to the internal forum of the conscience or private spiritual life., otherwise one would have to leave the world entirely), one should make no separation between God and the world? 2. Whether a great part of the so-called theologians original: "Theologorum" also belongs to the world? To the first, one must necessarily answer "Yes." The reason original: "Ratio": Because friendship with the world is enmity with God. And God Himself speaks to Jeremiah:

If you return to me, I will restore you,
and you shall remain my preacher.
And if you teach the righteous to separate
themselves from the wicked, then you shall be my teacher.
And before you should fall away to them,
they must rather return to you. Jeremiah 15:19.

To the second question, one is also forced to answer "Yes." For besides the fact that the late Großgebauer Theophil Großgebauer (1627–1661), a German Lutheran theologian who was a significant precursor to Pietism; he often criticized the spiritual decay of the clergy. raises and examines this question, saying:
It is asked whether theologians and preachers might also be "wise men of this age" original: "Sapientes Seculi"; a term used for those who possess worldly intelligence but lack spiritual enlightenment.? Yes, certainly. For worldly wisdom original: "Welt-Weißheit" is essentially of this nature: 1. It is sharp-witted and easily fathoms worldly matters, whether they are firm or loose. 2. It looks to its own interest, profit, and honor; through its schemes, it seeks not only to lose none of its prestige, but to increase it. 3. It strives for a quiet state, to maintain all things in good peace and tranquility. 4. It punishes and...