P R E F A C E

...[interpret them poorly. I do not think anyone] venerates the greatness of Divine works, the authority and Divinity of the Holy Scripture original: "Sancti Codicis"; literally "Holy Code," referring to the Bible, and the labors of the ancient Interpreters of Scripture—men who were, truly original: "herclè"; literally "by Hercules," a common scholarly exclamation of emphasis, most learned—more than I myself do; but nevertheless, I did not wish to conceal those things which I was strongly persuaded were true concerning various circumstances, though these matters do not strike at the core of the faith itself. Of the miracles that occur in Scripture, I deny none, though I may perhaps explain some of them differently than you do. And so it is with all other matters, for which I will provide you a fuller explanation if you ask it of me; for I could not complete everything in such a brief writing. If you wish to argue with me, know that I vehemently hate every kind of contention and quarrel; for nature did not create me as a fault-finder original: "vitilitigatorem"; a person who finds fault in a perverse or litigious way, often used to describe someone who starts academic or legal fights over trifles or a lover of brawls, but a lover of peace. This you will be able to observe from the method of writing I have chosen to follow. For I have praised even those—and if I am not mistaken, all of those—with whom I have disagreed. Truly, it was not authority that led me to disagree, but reason. Indeed, I wished to write so that all—