Questions on the Four Books of Sentences

Aug.

This is also addressed by Augustine, Book II of "The City of God," chapter 8, speaking of Christ. He says: "He," he says, "spoke through the prophets, then through himself, and later through the apostles, as much as he judged sufficient, and he published the Scripture which is called canonical, of most eminent authority." And Augustine in the letter to Jerome. And it is held in the de consecratione regarding the consecration: "If officious lies are admitted into the holy scriptures, what authority will remain in them?" The same author to the same recipient in the same letter: "To these books of the scriptures alone..."

Fourth: Regarding the diligence of the recipients

It is clear as follows. Either you believe no one regarding a contingent fact that you have not seen, and thus you will not believe that the world existed before you, nor that there is a place in the world where you have not been, nor that this man is your father and that woman is your mother, and such incredulity would destroy all political life. If, therefore, you wish to believe someone regarding a contingent fact that is not, nor was, evident to you, one must believe most of all the community, or those whom the entire community approves, and especially that which a famous and honest community has received and approved with the greatest diligence. Such is the canon of divine scripture. For there was such great solicitude among the Jews regarding the books to be held in the canon, and such great solicitude among the Christians regarding the books to be received as authentic, that there was never such great solicitude regarding any other scripture to be held as authentic. Especially when such solemn communities took care of these scriptures as containing things necessary for salvation. On this, Augustine, "The City of God," book 18, chapter 38. The Scripture of Enoch, of which Jude makes mention in his epistle, is not received in the canon, and many other scriptures are mentioned in the Book of Kings. There he implies that only those are received in the canon which the authors wrote not as men, but as prophets by divine inspiration. And ibid., chapter 41: "Those Israelites to whom the oracles of God were entrusted by no means confused the false prophets with the true prophets by an equality of license, but, being in accord among themselves and in no way dissenting, they recognized the truthful ones as sacred letters and held them as authors."

Regarding the fifth, namely

The reasonableness of what is contained, it is thus: What is more reasonable than that God be loved above all things as the ultimate end, and one's neighbor as oneself, that is, for the same end for which one loves oneself? According to Gregory, upon these two commandments hang the whole law and the prophets. Matthew 22. Also, Matthew 7: "Therefore, all things that you want men to do to you, you also do to them." From these, as if from practical principles, other practical things are pursued in the scripture handed down, being honest and consonant with reason, as can be clear individually regarding their reasonableness to anyone who examines the commandments, counsels, and sacraments, because in all these there seems to be a kind of explanation of the law of nature which, according to the Apostle Romans 2, is written in our hearts. This is regarding morals. On this, Augustine, "The City of God," book 2, chapter 28: "Nothing base or flagitious is proposed to be viewed or imitated where the precepts of the true God are insinuated, or miracles are narrated, or gifts are praised, or benefits are sought."
Regarding the credible articles of faith, it is clear because we believe nothing about God that would imply any imperfection; rather, if what we believe is true, it attests more to the divine perfection than its opposite. This is clear regarding the Trinity of persons, the incarnation of the Word, and the like. For we believe nothing incredible, because then it would be incredible for the world to believe these things, as Augustine deduces, "The City of God," book 22, chapter 5. Yet it is not incredible that the world believes them, because we see this. However, regarding this law and the honesty of Christians, it is clear through Augustine in "On the Profit of Believing": "A multitude of men and women..."