Now I pray for the safety of Your Highness and of all your subjects. The kingdom is the Lord’s [cf. Mt. 6:13]. Do not, then, act so as to destroy His word in His own kingdom. Take in good part this bold way of addressing you. I have written especially for the good of France; therefore nothing could be more proper than to dedicate my produetion to her king, that it might in no way be misconstrued. Zurich, 1526.
To the Reader
I had given a promise, gentle reader, about a year ago, to many learned and pious men on the other side of the Alps, some of whom had had much conversation with me on many matters of faith, that I would write out in Latin my views on the Christian religion. Various occupations prevented me for some time from fulfilling the promise. However, now that the penalty for the pledge is due, my plighted word has compelled me to toil so hard for three and a half months night and day that instead of Commentary” I might just as well, after the example of Gellius, have called my work “Nights”; as, no doubt, my enemies will gladly do, though for a different reason. But I have chosen to name it Commentary” for this reason, because commentaries, if I rightly understand the word, are a means of communicating (commentantur) with friends, just as a letter is, except that commentaries are fuller and freer. Since, therefore, I wanted to communicate with the most learned men of France on the subject of the Christian religion, having no other way, I determined to send them a Commentary. I have been so hurried all along, that I have often hardly had a chance to reread what I had written, much less to correct or embellish it. But it doesn’t matter: it is à commentary, not an oration or a book that has been “held back eight years.” Do not, good reader, condemn offhand the things that may seem to displease you, but see whether what I say is in harmony with simple faith or not.
[Horace Ars poetica, 388f.: nonumque prematur in annum, membranis]
[intus positis.]
Farewell, and if you see that I am wrong anywhere, pray Christ that I, too, may finally see it; if, on the other hand, perceive misty remnants of old error, again pray that He who is the light will take away all darkness, that we may all together see that which is true. Amen. List or Topics TreaTED IN Tuis WORK: [1] The word “Religion” Emser) [2] Between whom [15] The Sacraments religion subsists [16] Marriage [3] God [17] Baptism [4] Man [18] The Eucharist [5] Religion [19] Confession [6] The Christian religion [20] The other Sacraments [7] The Gospel [21] Marriage [8] Repentance [22] Vows [9] The Law [23] Invocation of Saints [10] Sin [24] Merit [11] The sin against the [25] Prayer Holy Ghost [26] Purgatory [12] The Keys [27] Magisterial Office [13] The Church [28] Offence [14] The Church (Reply to [29] Statues and Images
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