Preface, no date (1565), Thomas Erastus to the Reader (BP.Erastus.1565-02)
| Author: | Thomas Erastus |
| Recipient: | Reader |
| Type: | Preface |
| Date: | no date [1565] |
| Place: | no place |
| Pages: | 5 |
| Language: | German |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2753 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Thomas Erastus, Bestendige Ableinung der Vngegründten beschuldigung, Heidelberg: Johann Mayer 1565, sig. A2r–A4r [BP.Erastus.1565-02]
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| Abstract: | In this preface, Thomas Erastus critiques Johannes Marbach's book on the Holy Supper of Jesus Christ. He suggests that Marbach's work, intended to suppress God's glory, may ironically end up promoting it. Erastus finds Marbach's teachings absurd and his work unacademic. He believes Marbach misrepresents the Zwinglians, a group of Swiss Protestants, and uses his book primarily to defame them. He also challenges Marbach's skill as a writer and theologian and believes it's the job of a doctor, not a theologian, to correct Marbach's intellectual confusion. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Thomas Erastus |
[sig. A2r] An den Gottseligen Christlichen Leser.
Es ist nahe ein jar Christlicher Gottseliger Leser/ das alhie für gewiß gesagt worden/ daß zu Straßburg das Volck von der Cantzel sey vermanet worden/ Gott fleissig für ein person/ die ein groß Werck vnter jren henden hette/ zu bitten/ daß sie dasselbig also möchte stellen/ daß die ehre Gottes dadurch gefürdert würde. Solchs ob es wol damals anders wohin gedeutet/ lest es sich doch jetzt ansehen/ als ob es vmb D[octor] Marbachs buch vom Heiligen Abendmal vnsers Herren Jesu Christi zu thun gewesen sey. Wo dem also/ dörffte ich schier sagen/ es habe der gütige Gott der einfeltigen [sig. A2v] gebett/ die es recht gemeint/ vnd nicht gedacht/ daß solch fürnemen/ wider die ehre Gottes/ das ist/ wider seine warheit solte angefangen sein/ gnedig erhöret. Denn mir nichts zweiffelt/ es werde D[octor] Marbach mit disem grossen Buch/ damit er vermeint die warheit zu drucken/ vnnd zu verhindern die ehre Gottes/ wider seinen danck vnd willen sehr fürdern. Dazu bewegen mich/ vber das jenige/ das vns Gott in seinem wort hat geleret/ fürnemlich drey vrsachen. Zum ersten/ daß Gott durch sein gerechtes vrtheil verhengt hat/ daß er sein buch mit so viel vngereimten/ abschewlichen lehre{{EditAbbr|n]] gespickt hat/ daß alle rechtglaubigen ein groß mißfallen vnnd abschewen darüber empfangen werden. Zum andern/ daß es ein solch Vndoctorisch vnd verwirtes Werck ist/ daß die einfeltigen anders nichts darauß lernen vnnd fassen werden/ [sig. A3r] denn daß sie zuuor offt gehört haben/ nemlich die Zwinglianer/ wie sie vns auffs aller züchtigst nennen/ seien sehr böse/ verfürische/ vnchristliche leute/ den Türcken gleich/ ja erger dann die Türcken. Die mehr verstands haben/ vnnd etwas vrtheilen können/ werdens für ein vngeschickts vbel zusammen gerasselt plauderment bald lassen ligen/ nach dem sie ein wenig darinnen gelesen haben. Jch zwar habe gedacht/ dieweil ich offt gehört/ daß D[octor] Marbach ein geschwinder hendler sey/ er solte auch ein geschickte Doctor vnd buchschreiber sein/ jetzt aber muß ich bekennen (wo das erste war ist) daß ein meisterlicher Practicierer nit alweg ein meisterlicher buchschreiber ist. Wiewol ich biß daher viler leute vrtheil von disem buch gehört vnd gelesen/ hab ich doch anders nichts vernemen können/ denn daß Doctor Marbach hab zu viel zu erkennen ge- [sig. A3v] ben/ daß sein kunst viel geringer sey/ denn man bißher gemeint hat. Zum dritten/ daß in solchem Buch vnsere rechte gründ vnnd beweisungen entweder nichts angerürt/ oder verkerter weiß angezogen/ oder gantz kindisch angefochten/ vnd vnwiderlegt Vndoctorisch/ verworffen seind/ auch nichts mehr darinnen getrieben vnd gesucht wird/ denn wie vrsach zu finden vns zu schmehen/ vnd zu verunglimpffen/ vnd also die warheit verdechtig zu machen. Jn solchem bedunckt mich/ hab er ein grossen lust gehabt/ zum Artzt Erasto/ Dadurch ich denn verursacht diese kurtze antwort zustellen/ vnd jm die laruen ein wenig abzuziehen/ auff daß man jhm vnter die augen vnd zun ohren sehe/ vnnd erkennen lerne/ was er für ein Doctor vnd gewaltiger Theologus ist. Vnd schickt sich vil besser/ daß ein Artzt dem hochgelerten Doctor/ der [sig. A4r] von grosser kunst vberlaufft/ vnd von witz verirret ist/ das hirrn ein wenig purgiere (ich sage nur ein wenig/ dieweil mir zweiffelt ob ich gnug Ellebori alhie finden möchte/ jnen volkomlich zu purgieren) denn daß es Theologi thun solten/ welche die zeit wol besser werden wissen anzulegen/ vnnd sein vngeschicktes Pumpernal den Dorff pfarrherrn oder jren Discipeln darüber zu antworten (wo sie es anders einiger antwort werth achten) zu befehlen. Auß verantwortung dessen/ so er wider mich geschrieben/ werden auch sehr geringuerstendige abnemen können/ was vom vbrigen zuhalten sey. Der Herr aller gnaden verleihe vns allen seinen segen/ Amen.
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 11 July 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.
To the Godly Christian Reader,
It is nearly a year, Godly Christian Reader, since it was confidently stated here that in Strasbourg the people were admonished from the pulpit to fervently pray for a person who had a great work under their hands, that they might arrange it in such a way that God's glory would be promoted through it. Although at the time this was interpreted differently, it now seems as if it was about Dr. Marbach's book on the Holy Supper of our Lord Jesus Christ. If so, I might almost say that the benevolent God has mercifully answered the simple prayers of those who meant well and did not think that such intentions could be against the honor of God, that is, against His truth.
I do not doubt that Dr. Marbach, with this great book, in which he intends to print the truth and to prevent the glory of God, will greatly promote it against his own will and intention. In addition to what God has taught us in his word, there are three main reasons for this. First, God, in his righteous judgment, has seen to it that his book is sprinkled with so many absurd and abhorrent teachings that all true believers will be greatly displeased and repulsed. Second, it is such an unacademic and confused work that the simple will learn and grasp nothing from it other than what they have often heard before, namely that the Zwinglians, as they most modestly call us, are very evil, deceitful, unchristian people, like the Turks, or even worse than the Turks.
Those with more understanding and able to form an opinion will see it as an awkwardly cobbled together chatter and soon put it aside after they have read a little of it.
Indeed, I have thought, having often heard that Dr. Marbach is a quick handler, he should also be a skilled doctor and book writer. But now I must confess (where the first was) that a masterful practitioner is not always a masterful book writer. Although I have so far heard and read many people's judgments about this book, I have been unable to discern anything other than that Dr. Marbach has revealed too much, showing that his art is much less than what we have thought so far.
Thirdly, our rightful grounds and proofs are either not touched upon in such a book, or are drawn upon incorrectly, or are very childishly attacked, and unrefuted, unacademically, and are rejected, with nothing more being sought in it than finding a way to defame us, to disgrace us, and thus to make the truth suspicious. In this, it seems to me, he has taken great pleasure, towards the doctor Erastus. Thus I am prompted to deliver this brief response, and to pull off his masks a bit, so that one may see and recognize what kind of doctor and powerful theologian he is.
It suits much better that a doctor should purge the brain a little of the highly learned Doctor, who overflows with great art and is confused by wit (I say only a little, as I doubt whether I could find enough hellebore here to purge him completely), than that theologians should do it, who will know better how to spend their time, and to leave his clumsy Pumpernal for the village parsons or their disciples to answer (if they consider it worth any answer). From the response to what he has written against me, even those of very little understanding will be able to deduce what should be thought of the rest. May the Lord of all grace grant us all His blessing, Amen.
