THE SECOND PREFACE.

...are promised; furthermore, things whose causes we do not grasp tend to excite admiration, just as certain visible effects arise from hidden causes—which happens in the case of Amber and the Magnet original: Succino, & Magnete. In the 18th century, the "hidden" forces of static electricity in amber and the pull of magnets were classic examples of natural mysteries.—or things whose magnitude we cannot fully comprehend. On both counts, just as Plato’s disciples proclaimed his doctrine should be admired with silence, so the ancients (whom we shall cite below) looked up to the wisdom of Saint Ephrem, and it is right that we look up to it as well; for we cannot grasp its magnitude, and we are ignorant of its cause. For we know of no man born in Mesopotamia who traveled to Greece, the mother of teachers, or entered the Schools, or cultivated the company of men famous for their erudition elsewhere. We wonder, then, how it happened that he equaled the greatest Orators and Poets in the sublimity of his style, its refinement, and its composition? For he far surpassed the Philosophers in the knowledge of true and divine Wisdom, which they lacked. Furthermore, how could a Monk, removed from the common company of men and solely dedicated to the contemplation of heavenly things—and snatched from human affairs into divine ones by the Divine Spirit with which he was filled—nevertheless have perfectly understood human morals? Scarcely anyone else has treated those matters pertaining to virtues and vices more fully, more clearly, or more persuasively.

But while these and other such things may seem admirable to others, one thing, in my judgment, surpasses all wonder: that although Saint Ephrem was born in the Far East, lived outside the boundaries of the Roman Empire, and wrote there,

he nevertheless agrees so exactly with the Roman Church that he seems to have been born, educated, and taught not beyond the Euphrates, but upon the banks of the Tiber The Tiber is the river that runs through Rome, symbolizing the heart of the Catholic Church.. Indeed, since this seemed incredible to men who were otherwise learned and well-versed in these letters, they felt ashamed to deny the manifest agreement when comparing Ephrem’s labors with the Doctrine of the Roman Chair original: Romanæ Cathedræ. This refers to the authority of the Pope and the official teachings of the Catholic Church.. Thus, contrary to the evidence of all manuscripts and writers, they rejected those works as if they were false offspring attributed to Ephrem. However, the Most Illustrious Assemani Giuseppe Simone Assemani (1687–1768) was a Lebanese Maronite scholar and Vatican librarian who proved the authenticity of these Syriac texts. and we have demonstrated elsewhere how hasty and unjust that judgment was. The Sectaries original: Sectarii. This refers to Protestant reformers such as Calvinists and Lutherans, viewed from the perspective of an 18th-century Jesuit editor. of our time have introduced many controversies against the Roman Church, not being mindful enough of their duty—given that they received the use of divine light in her bosom, and the very fact that they know the name of Christ and are called Christians. Well-known are the questions concerning the Word of God, the marks of the true Church, the Primacy of Peter, the freedom of human will, and the number and efficacy of the Sacraments. Now the Calvinists openly deny the presence of the Body of Christ in the Eucharist; the Lutherans also add bread The Lutheran doctrine of "Sacramental Union" suggests the bread and wine remain alongside Christ's body, whereas Catholic doctrine teaches they are entirely transformed.; by both, the Sacrifice of the Mass is rejected. The Jansenists A theological movement within the Catholic Church, later condemned, which the editor suggests denied the universality of Christ's redemption. deny the death of the Mediator—the price paid in common for the redemption of all men without distinction. Will not men of this persuasion be stunned to be taught by Saint Ephrem the very things they condemn, and which they confidently [proclaim...]