下载辰思小说免费APP
Andhencethepopes，whoholdnothingingreaterhorrorthanthesesurprisals，have，byaletterofAlexanderIII，enactedanecclesiasticalstatute，whichisinsertedinthecanonicallaw，topermitthesuspensionoftheexecutionoftheirbullsanddecretals，whenthereisgroundtosuspectthattheyhavebeenimposedupon。"If，"saysthatpopetotheArchbishopofRavenna，"wesometimessenddecretalstoyourfraternitywhichareopposedtoyoursentiments，giveyourselvesnodistressonthataccount。Weshallexpectyoueithertocarrythemrespectfullyintoexecution，ortosendusthereasonwhyyouconceivetheyoughtnottobeexecuted；forwedeemitrightthatyoushouldnotexecuteadecreewhichmayhavebeenprocuredfromusbyartificeandsurprise。"Suchhasbeenthecoursepursuedbythepopes，whosesoleobjectistosettlethedisputesofChristians，andnottofollowthepassionatecounselsofthosewhostrivetoinvolvethemintroubleandperplexity。FollowingtheadviceofSt。PeterandSt。Paul，whointhisfollowedthecommandmentofJesusChrist，theyavoiddomination。
Thespiritwhichappearsintheirwholeconductisthatofpeaceandtruth。
Inthisspirittheyordinarilyinsertintheirlettersthisclause，whichistacitlyunderstoodinthemall："Siitaest；siprecesveritatenitantur—
Ifitbesoaswehaveheardit；ifthefactsbetrue。"Itisquiteclear，ifthepopesthemselvesgivenoforcetotheirbulls，exceptinsofarastheyarefoundedongenuinefacts，thatitisnotthebullsalonethatprovethetruthofthefacts，butthat，onthecontrary，evenaccordingtothecanonists，itisthetruthofthefactswhichrendersthebullslawfullyadmissible。Inwhatway，then，arewetolearnthetruthoffacts？
Itmustbebytheeyes，father，whicharethelegitimatejudgesofsuchmatters，asreasonistheproperjudgeofthingsnaturalandintelligible，andfaithofthingssupernaturalandrevealed。For，sinceyouwillforcemeintothisdiscussion，youmustallowmetotellyouthat，accordingtothesentimentsofthetwogreatestdoctorsoftheChurch，St。AugustineandSt。Thomas，thesethreeprinciplesofourknowledge，thesenses，reason，andfaith，haveeachtheirseparateobjectsandtheirowndegreesofcertainty。
AndasGodhasbeenpleasedtoemploytheinterventionofthesensestogiveentrancetofaith（for"faithcomethbyhearing"），itfollows，thatsofarfromfaithdestroyingthecertaintyofthesenses，tocallinquestionthefaithfulreportofthesenseswouldleadtothedestructionoffaith。
ItisonthisprinciplethatSt。ThomasexplicitlystatesthatGodhasbeenpleasedthatthesensibleaccidentsshouldsubsistintheeucharist，inorderthatthesenses，whichjudgeonlyoftheseaccidents，mightnotbedeceived。Weconclude，therefore，fromthis，thatwhateverthepropositionmaybethatissubmittedtoourexamination，wemustfirstdetermineitsnature，toascertaintowhichofthosethreeprinciplesitoughttobereferred。Ifitrelatetoasupernaturaltruth，wemustjudgeofitneitherbythesensesnorbyreason，butbyScriptureandthedecisionsoftheChurch。Shoulditconcernanunrevealedtruthandsomethingwithinthereachofnaturalreason，reasonmustbeitsproperjudge。Andifitembraceapointoffact，wemustyieldtothetestimonyofthesenses，towhichitnaturallybelongstotakecognizanceofsuchmatters。Sogeneralisthisrulethat，accordingtoSt。AugustineandSt。Thomas，whenwemeetwithapassageevenintheScripture，theliteralmeaningofwhich，atfirstsight，appearscontrarytowhatthesensesorreasonarecertainlypersuadedof，wemustnotattempttorejecttheirtestimonyinthiscase，andyieldthemuptotheauthorityofthatapparentsenseoftheScripture，butwemustinterprettheScripture，andseekoutthereinanothersenseagreeabletothatsensibletruth；because，theWordofGodbeinginfallibleinthefactswhichitrecords，andtheinformationofthesensesandofreason，actingintheirsphere，beingcertainalso，itfollowsthattheremustbeanagreementbetweenthesetwosourcesofknowledge。AndasScripturemaybeinterpretedindifferentways，whereasthetestimonyofthesensesisuniform，wemustinthesemattersadoptasthetrueinterpretationofScripturethatviewwhichcorrespondswiththefaithfulreportofthesenses。
"Twothings，"saysSt。Thomas，"mustbeobserved，accordingtothedoctrineofSt。Augustine：first，ThatScripturehasalwaysonetruesense；andsecondly，Thatasitmayreceivevarioussenses，whenwehavediscoveredonewhichreasonplainlyteachestobefalse，wemustnotpersistinmaintainingthatthisisthenaturalsense，butsearchoutanotherwithwhichreasonwillagree。St。ThomasexplainshismeaningbytheexampleofapassageinGenesiswhereitiswrittenthat"Godcreatedtwogreatlights，thesunandthemoon，andalsothestars，"inwhichtheScripturesappeartosaythatthemoonisgreaterthanallthestars；butasitisevident，fromunquestionabledemonstration，thatthisisfalse，itisnotourduty，saysthatsaint，obstinatelytodefendtheliteralsenseofthatpassage；
anothermeaningmustbesought，consistentwiththetruthofthefact，suchasthefollowing，"Thatthephrasegreatlight，asappliedtothemoon，denotesthegreatnessofthatluminarymerelyasitappearsinoureyes，andnotthemagnitudeofitsbodyconsideredinitself。"Anoppositemodeoftreatment，sofarfromprocuringrespecttotheScripture，wouldonlyexposeittothecontemptofinfidels；because，asSt。Augustinesays，"whentheyfoundthatwebelieved，ontheauthorityofScripture，inthingswhichtheyassuredlyknewtobefalse，theywouldlaughatourcredulitywithregardtoitsmorerec
