De peste quaestiones duae explicatae

deny it is contagious, that is, what has been believed by all without controversy until now.

They want this question to be judged by considering what the plague is, whence it is, what its cause is, through what means it is sent to us, what its nature is, and what its end is. I accept the condition. It is indeed most just and most equitable. But whence, finally, shall we know these things? They say, not from physical reasons but from the word of God alone. Let everything debated by physicists therefore be deleted; and instead of the books of Hippocrates and Galen and other doctors, let doctors use only the Bible, and let there be no distinction between them and the Theologians, that is, between the medicine of the body and of the soul. But God forbid that, they say. For we do not condemn physical reasons other than those that are repugnant to the word of God. Correct. Let us see then, since contagion arises from physical causes, and therefore proceeds from them, whether anything is taught regarding the physical causes of the plague that is repugnant to the word of the Lord or the opinions of doctors. The first argument of those who say the plague is not contagious. They say the plague is called by the Hebrews DEVER, from DAVAR, which also signifies a sentence sent by God to destroy. The Greeks translate it as THANATON, that is, Death. Let it be. What does this have to do with the matter? For it does not follow from this that the plague does not proceed from intervening natural causes because it is sent by God, unless we wish to abolish all natural causes of diseases for the reason that no one dies unless God so decrees, in whatever way one may die. Indeed, they say, it is foolish to call the plague contagious because of the sentence of God by which He appoints not only death itself,