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William of Ockham, Dialogus,
part 1, book 2, chapters 1-17
Text and translation by ohn !cott"
#opyright $ 1%%%, The &ritish 'cademy
#apitulum 1 #hapter 1
Discipulus Quae recitasti circa quaesita ad
praesens mihi sufficiunt, et ideo ad alia quemagis habeo cordi festino. Volo enim de
haeresibus multa inquirere, sed quia
nonnunquam cognitio unius contrariorum ad
cognitionem alterius conferre dignoscitur,quaero primo quae veritates sunt catholicae
censendae.
!tudent What you have recited about the
things I asked about is enough for me at themoment, and so I hasten on to other matters
that I have more at heart. For I want to ask
many things about heresies but because
sometimes knowledge of one of !two"contraries is known to provide knowledge
of the other, I want to know first which
truths should be considered catholic.
W()#( T*+T(! '* #'T(O)# T*+T(!.
/agister Quaestio tua unum videtursupponere et aliud quaerere. Videtur enim
supponere quod non omnes veritates sunt
catholicae iudicandae, quod beatus#ugustinus in $ncheridion e%presse
determinat. Quaerit autem quae sunt illae
veritates quae catholicae sunt censendae.
/aster &our question seems to suppose onething and to seek to know another. For it
seems to suppose that not all truths should
be ad'udged catholic, which blessed#ugustine e%pressly lays down in his
$nchiridion. It seeks to know, however,
which are those truths that should beconsidered catholic.
Discipulus (um beato #ugustino illud quod
supponit questio firmiter teneamus, et circa
quaesitum sententiam unam vel pluresenarra.
!tudent )et us, with blessed #ugustine,
firmly hold what the question supposes, and
tell me one opinion, or more, about what Iseek to know.
0irst opinion #atholic truth is found in the &ible alone
/agister (irca quaesitum sunt diversae et
adversae sententiae. Quarum una est quod
illae solae veritates sunt reputandaecatholicae de necessitate salutis credendae
/aster *here are different and opposing
opinions about what you seek to know. +ne
of these is that only those truths should beregarded as catholic and as requiring belief
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quae in canone ibliae e%plicite vel implicite
asseruntur, ita quod si aliquae veritates iniblia sub forma propria minime continentur,
e% solis contentis tamen in ea consequentia
necessaria et formali possunt inferri sunt
inter catholicas numerandae. -icut haecveritas, (hristus est verus /eus et verus
homo in tota -criptura /ivina sub hac serie
verborum nullatenus invenitur, quia tamen e%contentis in -criptura -acra consequentia
necessaria et formali concluditur catholica
est censenda et eam credere est necessariumad salutem. +mnes autem aliae veritates
quae nec in iblia sunt insertae nec e%
contentis in ea consequentia necessaria et
formali possunt inferri, licet in scriptissanctorum vel in diffinitionibus summorum
pontificum asserantur aut etiam ab omnibus
fidelibus teneantur, non sunt catholicaereputandae, nec est necessarium ad salutem
eis per fidem firmiter adhaerere vel propter
eas rationem et humanum ingeniumcaptivare.
out of necessity for salvation which are
asserted e%plicitly or implicitly in the canonof the bible, so that if some truths are not
contained in the bible in that e%act form, yet
can be inferred by necessary and formal
inference from matters contained solely init, they should be counted as catholic, 'ust
as the truth, (hrist is true 0od and true
man, is not found in this sequence ofwords anywhere in divine scripture, yet
because it is a conclusion by necessary and
formal inference from things contained insacred scripture it is to be considered
catholic and belief in it is necessary for
salvation. #ll other truths, however, which
are neither inserted in the bible nor can beinferred from what is contained in it as a
formal and necessary consequence, even if
they are asserted in the writings of thesaints or in the definitions of the highest
pontiffs or even if they are held by all the
faithful, should not be regarded as catholic,and it is not necessary for salvation firmly
to cling to them through faith or on account
of them to take captive reason and humaningenuity. !(f. 1arsilius, /2 II.%i%.
3owever, 1arsilius also holds that the
scriptural interpretations of general councils
must also be believed."3anc suam sententiam auctoritatibus et
rationibus confirmare nituntur. #uctoritas
prima est -alomonis 2roverbiorum 45 c. quiait, +mnis sermo /ei ignitus clypeus est
sperantibus in se ne addas quicquam verbis
illius et arguaris inveniarisque menda%. $%quibus verbis colligitur quod verbis divinis
quae in -criptura /ivina habentur nihil
penitus est addendum tanquam necessarium
ad credendum. 3oc etiam testari videtur1oyses /euteronomii 6 c. et beatus
Iohannes #pocalypsis ultimo, quorum verba
supra c. 7 sunt adducta. $% quibus daturintelligi quod sicut de -criptura -acra nihil
est penitus auferendum, ita ei omnino nihil
est addendum tanquam necessarium adsalutem.
*hey try to confirm this opinion of theirs by
!citing" te%ts and by arguments. *he first
te%t is from the 2roverbs of -olomon 458!9:;" which says, $very word of 0od is fire
tried he is a buckler to them that hope in
him. #dd not anything to his words, lestthou be reproved and found a liar. We
gather from these words that nothing at all
should be added, as though it were
necessary that it be believed, to the divinewords that are found in divine scripture.
1oses also seems to attest to this in
/euteronomy 6 and blessed <ohn in the lastchapter of =evelation, whose words were
adduced above in chapter 7 !of the first
book". We are given to understand fromthese that, 'ust as nothing at all should be
removed from sacred scripture, so nothing
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at all should be added to it as necessary for
salvation.3anc etiam sententiam auctoritatibus beati
#ugustini conantur ostendere. #ugustinus
enim in quadam epistola ad 3ieronymum et
recitatur etiam in decretis, dist. >, c. Ego, ait,$go solis eis scriptorum, qui iam canonici
appellantur, didici hunc timorem
honoremque referre ut eorum nullumscribendo errasse audeam credere ac si
aliquid in eis offendero, quod videatur
contrarium veritati, nihil aliud quam velmendosum esse codicem esse vel non esse
assecutum interpretem quod dictum est vel
minime me intelle%isse non ambigam. #lios
autem ita lego ut quantalibet sanctitatequantave doctrina polleant non ideo verum
putem quia ita ipsi senserunt sed quia mihi
per alios auctores vel canonicas vel probabiles rationes quod a vero non
abhorreat persuadere potuerunt. $% his
verbis colligitur quod solis libris canonicisqui in biblia continentur necesse est fidem
certissimam adhibere et quod assertionibus
aliorum non est necessarium ad salutemfirmiter adhaerere.
*hey also try to make this opinion known
by te%ts of blessed #ugustine. For in a
certain letter to <erome, recorded also in the
decretals, dist. >, c. Ego !c. 9, col.?@",#ugustine says, I have learnt to offer this
fear and honour only to those works of
writers who are now called canonical, sothat I dare to believe that none of them has
erred in writing and I do not doubt that if I
come upon anything in them which seemscontrary to the truth it is nothing but either a
faulty code% or that the e%pounder has not
comprehended what has been said or that I
have not understood it. I read other!writers", however, in such a way that
however greatly enriched they are in
sanctity or learning I do not as a result think something true because they have believed
it to be so but because they have been able
to persuade me by other authors or bycanonical or probable arguments that it is
not inconsistent with the truth. We gather
from these words that it is necessary to offer the most certain trust only to those
canonical books which are contained in the
bible and that it is not necessary to salvation
to cling firmly to the assertions of other!books".
Item hoc idem #ugustinus in libro, /e unico
aptismo, ut recitatur eadem dist. >, c. Quisnesciat , aperte sentire videtur. #it enim,
Quis nesciat -anctam -cripturam
canonicam tam veteris quam novi testamenticertis terminis suis contineri, eamque
posterioribus omnibus episcoporum litteris
ita praeponi ut de illa omnino dubitari et
disceptari non possit, utrum verum vel utrumrectum sit, quicquid in ea scriptum esse
constiteritA $piscoporum autem litteras quae
post confirmatum canonem vel scriptae suntvel scribentur et per sermonem forte
sapientiorem cuiuslibet in ea re peritioris et
per aliorum episcoporum gravioremauctoritatem doctioremque prudentiam et per
concilia licere reprehendi licere si quid in eis
#gain, #ugustine seems clearly to believe
this in his book, /e unico baptismo, asrecorded in the same dist. >, c. Quis nesciat
!c. B, col. ?@". For he says, Who does not
know that holy canonical scripture, both ofthe +ld and the Cew *estament, contains its
own fi%ed limits and that it is so preferred
to all the later letters of bishops that there
can not be any doubt or dispute about it atall, about whether whatever has been
written in it is true or rightA !Who does not
know", however, that if there is anything inthe letters of bishops, which have been
written or will be written after the canon
was confirmed, that has by chance deviatedfrom the truth, it is permissible for them to
be reproved by the perhaps wiser discourse
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forte a veritate est deviatumA $% his verbis
colligitur quod de sola scriptura Covi etVeteris *estamenti est illicitum dubitare
utrum sit verum vel rectum quicquid in ea
scriptum esse constiterit. $rgo de omnibus
scripturis generalium conciliorum etquorumcunque aliorum e%positorum
-cripturae /ivinae ac etiam =omanorum
pontificum et quorumlibethistoriographorum post canonem editis
confirmatum non est illicitum dubitare et
disceptare an a veritate e%orbitentquaecunque scripta in eis constiterint in eis
antequam -cripturae -acrae novi et veteris
testamenti consona demonstrentur.
of anyone more e%pert in the matter at hand
and by the weightier authority and morelearned prudence of other bishops and by
councilsA We gather from these words that
only about -cripture in the Cew and +ld
*estament is it impermissible to doubtwhether whatever has been written in it is
true or right. #bout all that has been written
and published after the confirmation of thecanon, therefore, whether by general
councils, by any other e%positors of divine
scripture, even by =oman pontiffs and byany historians at all it is not impermissible
to doubt and discuss, before they are shown
to be in accord with the Cew and +ld
*estament of sacred scripture, whetheranything written in them deviates from the
truth.
Item #ugustinus in epistola ad Vincentium etallegatur dist. praedicta c. Noli, loquens de
scripturis posterioribus novo et veteri
testamento, ait, 3oc genus literarum abauctoritate canonis distinguendum est non
enim sic leguntur tanquam e% eis ita
testimonium proferatur ut contra sentire nonliceat, sicubi forte aliter sapuerint quam
veritas postulat. $% his habetur quod contra
omne genus literarum post canonem ibliae
licet sentire.
#gain, speaking about writings later thanthe Cew and +ld *estament in a letter to
Vincent cited in the same distinction !>", c.
Noli !c. >, col. ?B", #ugustine says, *hissort of writing should be distinguished from
the authority of the canon for we do not
read them as though the evidence putforward from them is such that it is not
permissible to think the contrary, if by
chance they suggest something other than
what the truth demands. We find from thisthat it is permissible to think contrary to
every sort of writing after the canon of the
bible.3is concordare videtur #ugustinus in
epistola ad Fortunatum et habetur dist.
praefata c. Neque qui ait, Cequequorumlibet disputationes, id est
e%positiones secundum glossam, quamvis
catholicorum et laudatorum hominum, velut
scripturas canonicas habere debemus, utnobis non liceat, salva honorificentia quae
illis debetur hominibus, aliquid in eorum
scriptis improbare atque respuere, si forteinvenerimus, quod aliter senserint quam
veritas habet, divino adiutorio vel ab aliis
intellecta vel a nobis. $% his concluditurquod nullus assertionibus quorumcunque
quae in -cripturis canonicis non habentur
#ugustine seems to agree with this in his
letter to Fortunatus which we find in the
aforesaid distinction !>", c. Neque !c. ?5,col.?B" where he says, #nd we should not
consider the disputations, that is
e%positions according to the gloss, of any
men at all, even if they are catholic and praiseworthy, as canonical writings, as if we
were not permitted, saving the honour that
is owed those men, to condemn and re'ectanything in their writings, if by chance we
find that they have thought otherwise than
what the truth holds, as understood withdivine assistance either by others or by
ourselves. We conclude from these !words"
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firmiter assentire constringitur. that no one is bound to assent firmly to
anyoneDs assertions which are not found inthe canonical scriptures.
Item de veritatibus quas docuit #ugustinus
quod nullus teneatur eas de necessitate
salutis recipere nisi in scripturis canonicishabeantur, per eundem #ugustinum
ostendunt. Cam in libro /e trinitate, ut in
dist. > recitatur c. Noli, ait, Coli meis litterisquasi canonicis scripturis inservire. -ed in
illis et quod non credebas cum inveneris
incunctanter crede. In istis autem quodcertum non habebas nisi certum intelle%eris
noli firme tenere. $t in epistola ad
Vincentium Victorem libro 7, ut habetur dist.
eadem c. Negare, ait, Cegare non possumnec debeo, sicut in ipsis maioribus, ita esse
multa in tam multis opusculis meis quae
possunt iusto iudicio et nulla temeritateculpari. $% his concluditur quod scriptis
beati #ugustini non est necesse incunctanter
adhaerere ergo eadem ratione nec scriptisaliorum quorumcunque qui inter scriptores
bibliae non habentur.
#gain, they show through #ugustine that no
one is bound to accept as necessary for
salvation the truths which he himself taughtunless they are found in the canonical
scriptures. For in his book +n the trinity, as
recorded in dist. >, c. Noli !c. 4, col.?@", hesays, /o not attend to my writings as to the
canonical scriptures. ut believe the latter
unhesitatingly, even what you did not believe when you came across it do not
hold firmly, however, to what you did not
consider as certain in the former unless you
'udge it to be certain. #nd in book 7 of hisletter to Vincent Victor, as found in the
same distinction !>" c. Negare !c. 6, col.?@",
he says, I can not and ought not deny thatthere are many things in many works of
mine, as in those of our forefathers, which
can be censured with 'ust 'udgement andwithout temerity. We conclude from these
that it is not necessary to adhere
unhesitatingly to the writings of blessed#ugustine. y the same argument therefore
!this is not necessary" with regard to the
writings of any others at all who are not
found among the writers of the bible.-ententiam etiam memoratam rationibus
moliuntur ostendere, quarum prima est haec.
$%tra illam scripturam nulla catholica veritasinvenitur in qua omnis veritas utilis ad
salutem habetur et omnis falsitas inimica
saluti damnatur sed secundum #ugustinumin -criptura /ivina quicquid utile est
invenitur, quicquid no%ium est damnatur
ergo e%tra -acram -cripturam nulla veritas
catholica reperitur.
*hey try to show the above opinion by
arguments too, of which the first is this. Co
catholic truth is found outside that writingin which every truth useful for salvation is
contained and every falsity inimical to
salvation is condemned but according to#ugustine !at the end of book 7 of /e
doctrina christiana" it is in divine scripture
that whatever is useful is found and
whatever is harmful is condemnedtherefore no catholic truth is found outside
sacred scripture.
-ecunda ratio est haec. Con minus sufficiens pro fidelibus christianis est Covum
*estamentum una cum Veteri quam fuit
solummodo Vetus *estamentum pro3ebraeis sed tota fides ad quam
astringebantur 3ebraei fuit e%pressa in Veteri
# second argument is this. *he Cew*estament together with the +ld is not less
sufficient for believing christians than was
the +ld *estament alone for the 3ebrews but the whole faith to which the 3ebrews
were bound was e%pressed in the +ld
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*estamento ergo et tota fides ad quam de
necessitate salutis christiani artantur in Covo*estamento et veteri continetur. $rgo
christianus de necessitate salutis non tenetur
credere aliquid quod nec in biblia continetur
nec e% solis contentis in biblia potestconsequentia necessaria et manifesta inferri.
*estament it is also the case therefore that
the whole faith to which christians are bound out of necessity for salvation is
contained in the Cew and +ld *estament.
*herefore a christian is not bound out of
necessity for salvation to believe anythingwhich neither is contained in the bible nor
can be inferred as a necessary and clear
consequence solely from things containedin the bible.
*ertio sic. Illud quod eadem facilitate
contemnitur qua probatur ad fidemcatholicam minime spectat, et esto quod sit
verum non debet inter veritates catholicas
numerari sed secundum beatum
3ieronymum de -cripturis /ivinisloquentem, quod de scripturis auctoritatem
non habet eadem facilitate contemnitur qua
probatur ergo nulla veritas quae e%-cripturis /ivinis auctoritatem non habet est
inter veritates catholicas computanda.
# third !argument" is as follows. *hat which
is condemned with the same readiness withwhich it is approved does not pertain to
catholic faith and, even if it is true, should
not be counted among catholic truths but
according to blessed <erome, speakingabout the divine scriptures, what does not
have authority from those scriptures is
condemned with the same readiness withwhich it is approved therefore no truth
which does not have authority from the
divine scriptures should be counted amongcatholic truths.
#apitulum 2 #hapter 2
' second opinion There are #atholic truths not found in
the &ible/agister -ed alii isti sententiae nequaquam
consentiunt dicentes quod multae suntveritates catholicae et fidem sapientes
catholicam quae nec in /ivinis -cripturis
habentur divinis e%plicite nec e% solis
contentis in eis possunt inferri quibus tamenfidem indubiam e%plicitam vel implicitam
adhibere est necessarium ad salutem.
/aster ut others do not agree with that
opinion, saying that there are many catholictruths and some smacking of catholic faith
which neither are found e%plicitly in the
divine scriptures nor can be inferred solely
from what is contained in them, towardswhich it is nevertheless necessary for
salvation to e%ercise undoubting faith,
either e%plicit or implicit.#d cuius evidentiam dicunt esse sciendum
quod praeter veritates circa quas licitum est
sic et aliter opinari veritates quas quilibetcatholicus certa credulitate e%plicite vel
implicite tenere astringitur possunt in triplici
differentia reperiri.
*o make this clear they say that it ought to
be known that besides the truths about
which it is permissible to hold opinions oneway or the other, the truths which any
catholic at all is bound to hold e%plicitly or
implicitly with sure belief can be found in
threefold diversity.Quaedam enim sunt de /eo et (hristo
secundum humanitatem e% quibus
!?" For some, on which our salvation
principally depends, concern 0od and
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principaliter salus nostra dependet, sicut
quod unus est /eus et tres sunt personae,quod (hristus est verus /eus et verus homo,
passus mortuus et quod resurre%it et
ascendit, etc.
(hrist in his humanity, such as that there is
one 0od and three persons, that (hrist istrue 0od and true man, !that" he suffered
and died, that he rose and ascended, etc.
#liae sunt veritates e% quibus non ita principaliter dependet salus humana, eas
tamen oportet firma fide tenere, quia e%
revelatione vel approbatione /ei, cui nullusdebet catholicus dissentire, ad orthodo%orum
notitiam pervenerunt, quibus mediantibus
ipsas fideles posteri susceperunt. 3uiusmodiveritates sunt quammplures in canone
confirmato contentae in quo etiam multae
habentur de creaturis et etiam de infidelibus
hominibus, quae non directe sed indirectequodammodo ad salutem humani generis
pertinere noscuntur, sicut quod 2harao,
1adianitae, (hananei et alii infidelesquamplurimi multas terras occupaverunt et
filios Israel multipliciter affli%erunt.
!7" *here are other truths on which humansalvation does not principally depend in this
way, yet which it is necessary to hold with
sure faith because by the revelation orapproval of 0od, from whom no catholic
ought to dissent, they came to the
knowledge of the orthodo%, through whosemediation later believers received them.
*here are very many truths of this kind
contained within the established canon, in
which there are also many found aboutcreatures, and even about unbelieving
people, which are known to pertain to some
e%tent, not directly but indirectly, to thesalvation of human kind, such as that
2haraoh, the 1edes, the (anaanites and
very many other unbelievers occupied manylands and afflicted the children of Israel in
many ways.
Connullae etiam veritates huiusmodi e%tra praedictum canonem continentur quae tamen
per revelationem vel approbationem divinam
mediantibus apostolis ad catholicos
pervenerunt, quia (hristus, dum viveret incarne mortali cum apostolis, multa docuit
eos et fecit coram eis quae tamen in biblia
non habentur. $% revelatione etiam -piritus-ancti, qui secundum promissionem (hristi
docturus erat apostolos omnem veritatem,
multa quae non habentur in sacris literisdidicerunt quae postea catholicos docuerunt.
+mnes veritates praedictas et quae e% eis
consequentia necessaria omni tempore
necessitatem habente possunt inferri dicuntisti catholicas esse tenendas.
!4" -ome truths of this kind are also preserved outside the canon and yet have
become known to catholics by divine
revelation or approval through the
mediation of the apostles, because while hewas living with the apostles in mortal flesh
(hrist taught them many things and did
many things in their presence which arenevertheless not found in the bible. y the
revelation of the 3oly -pirit, who according
to (hristDs promise was going to teach themall truth, the apostles also learnt many
things not found in the sacred scriptures and
afterwards they taught them to catholics.
*hey say that all the above truths and thosethat can be inferred from them by an
inference having necessity at every time
should be held to be catholic.2raeter veritates vero praedictas dicunt esse
quasdam alias veritates quae e% solis
contentis in -criptura /ivina et veritatibusquae ad nos per apostolos pervenerunt
concludi non possunt, quae tamen e%
Cow in addition to the above truths they say
that there are certain other truths which can
not be inferred solely from what iscontained in divine scripture and from the
truths which have come to us through the
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praedictis veritatibus vel aliqua earum et
quibusdam aliis veris quae in factoconsistunt quae vere negari non possunt
manifeste sequuntur. $t de talibus veritatibus
e%emplificare nituntur dicentes quod talis
veritas est ista8 regulae a sanctis patribus,scilicet asilio, enedicto, #ugustino, et
Francisco, institutae sunt licitae, meritoriae,
et perfectae, quia licet ista veritas e% soliscontentis in -criptura -acra et veritatibus
quas ab apostolis ecclesia universalis accepit
inferri non possit, cum de istis sanctis etgestis ac regulis institutis ab eis nulla in
praedictis veritatibus mentio habeatur, ista
tamen veritas simul e% -cripturis /ivinis ac
gestis et actibus praedictorum sanctorum, dequibus gestis et actibus christiano rationali
sufficienter potest fieri fides, concluditur
evidenter. *ales etiam veritates sunt istae8fides quam tenuit #ugustinus est catholica
reputanda symbolum #thanasii est
catholicum et fidele sancta quatuor conciliageneralia rite celebrata veritatem catholicam
diffinierunt et huiusmodi multae quae e%
solis contentis in scriptura /ivina -cripturaet doctrina apostolica inferri non possunt,
cum #ugustinus et #thanasius tunc non
fuerint in rerum natura nec tunc illa concilia
fuerint celebrata, e% contentis tamen in illiset aliis veris possunt concludi patenter. *ales
veritates dicunt esse quamplurimas, quarum
aliquae doctrinis autenticis sunt insertae,nonnullae vero in scriptis non habentur. Istas
veritates non dicunt esse catholicas
accipiendo vocabulum catholici stricte seddicunt eas sapere catholicam veritatem, quia
videlicet e% veritate catholica, stricte
accipiendo catholicam veritatem, et veris
aliis inferuntur. $t ideo dicunt quod largeaccipiendo veritates catholicas possunt
veritates catholicae nuncupari. $t istas
veritates quas dicunt sapere catholicamveritatem e%istimant ab omni fideli tenendas
saltem implicite.
apostles, yet which clearly follow from the
above truths or from any one of them and
certain other truths of fact which can not
truly be denied. #nd they try to cite an
e%ample of such truths, saying that the
following is such a truth8 the rulesestablished by the holy fathers, that is asil,
enedict, #ugustine, and Francis, are licit,
meritorious, and perfect, because, althoughthat truth can not be inferred solely from
what is contained in holy scripture and from
the truths which the universal churchreceived from the apostles, since those
saints and their deeds and the rules
instituted by them are not mentioned among
the aforesaid truths, yet that truth is inferredmanifestly from the divine scriptures
together with the deeds and acts of the
aforesaid saints, deeds and acts in whichtrust can be established adequately for a
reasonable christian. *he following are also
truths of this kind8 the faith which#ugustine held should be regarded as
catholic the #thanasian creed is catholic
and sure the four holy general councils properly celebrated defined catholic truth
and many !truths" of this kind which can
not be inferred solely from what is
contained in divine scripture and fromapostolic teaching, since #ugustine and
#thanasius were not at that time among
living creatures and those councils had not been celebrated then, yet they can be clearly
inferred from things contained in them and
other truths. *hey say that there are verymany such truths, some of which have been
inserted into authentic teachings, while
some are not found in writing. *hey do not
say that those truths are catholic, taking theword catholic strictly, but they say that
they smack of catholic truth, because, that
is, they are inferred from catholic truth,taking catholic truth strictly, and from
other truths. #nd therefore they say that
they can be called catholic truths, takingcatholic truths liberally. #nd they believe
that those truths which they say smack of
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catholic truth should be held, at least
implicitly, by every believer.#dhuc sunt aliae veritates quas dicunt
solummodo in facto consistere. (uiusmodi
sunt veritates de gestis ecclesiae et
sanctorum quae in gestis, cronicis, ethistoriis fide dignis habentur, quas etiam
asserunt a fidelibus minime respuendas.
*here are still other truths which they say
e%ist only in fact. *ruths about the deeds of
the church and of the saints, which are
found in accounts of deeds, in chronicles,and in histories worthy of trust, are of this
kind, and they say that these too should not
be re'ected by the faithful.$% his omnibus isti concludunt quod multae
sunt veritates catholicae quae nec in
-criptura -acra continentur e%plicite nec e%solis contentis in ea possunt inferri. 1ultae
etiam sunt veritates aliae quas oportet certa
credulitate fide tenere.
From all of this they conclude that there are
many catholic truths which are not
e%plicitly contained in sacred scripture andcan not be inferred solely from what is
contained in it. *here are also many other
truths !besides catholic truths" which it is
proper to hold with sure belief.
#apitulum #hapter Discipulus -atis diffuse narrasti istam
secundam sententiam, sed vellem scire an
pro ipsa aliquae auctoritates vel rationes
valeant allegari, ad probandum scilicet quodoporteat ad salutem firma credulitate
adhaerere aliquibus veritatibus quae nec in
literis sacris habentur nec e% solis contentisin eis necessario argumento possunt inferri.
Etrum autem tales veritates stricte loquendo
catholicae debeant reputari non curo quodinvestiges.
!tudent &ou have set out that second
opinion copiously enough, but I would like
to know whether any te%ts or arguments can
be brought forward for it, to prove, that is,that it is necessary for salvation to adhere
with sure belief to some truths which are
not found in sacred writings and can not beinferred by necessary argument solely from
what is contained in them. 3owever,
whether such truths should strictly speaking be regarded as catholic I do not look to you
to investigate.
/agister #ssertio de qua interrogas multisauctoritatibus et rationibus videtur posse
probari. 3oc enim Innocentius tertius, ut
habetur $%tra, De celebratione missarum, c.
Cum Marthae, testari videtur. #it enim,1ulta tam de verbis quam de factis
dominicis invenimus ab evangelistis omissa,
quae apostoli vel supplevisse verbo vel facto
e%pressisse leguntur. $t infra, (redimusigitur quod formam verborum, sicut in
canone reperitur, et a (hristo apostoli et abipsis eorum acceperint successores. $% his
verbis colligitur quod quamvis forma
conficiendi sacramentum eucharistiae
nequaquam reperiatur secundum se totam in-criptura /ivina, tamen quod illam formam
/aster *he assertion about which you areasking seems provable by many te%ts and
arguments. For Innocent III seems to attest
to it, as we find in $%tra, De celebratione
missarum, c. Cum Marthae !col.;4;". Forhe says, We find many things omitted by
the evangelists both about the words and the
deeds of the )ord which, as we read, the
apostles either supplied in words ore%pressed in their deeds.... *herefore we
believe that the form of words, as it is foundin the canon !of the mass", was received by
the apostles from (hrist and by their
successors from them. We gather from
these words that although the form ofconsecrating the sacrament of the eucharist
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(hristus tradiderit est credendum. 3oc etiam
beatus #ugustinus, sicut allegatum est supra,e%presse sentire videtur, cum dicit, 2alam
est quod in re dubia ad fidem valeat
catholicae ecclesiae auctoritas, quae ab ipsis
fundatissimis sedibus apostolorum usque adhodiernum diem succedentium sibimet
episcoporum serie et tot populorum
consensione firmatur. 3is verbis daturintelligi ut videtur quod ad fidem faciendam
fidem sufficit auctoritas ecclesiae absque
-criptura /ivina.
is not found in divine scripture fully as it is,
yet it should be believed that (hrist handedon that form. #s was argued above,
#ugustine also seems e%pressly to believe
this, since he says !dist. ??, c.> col.79", It
is clear that in a doubtful matter theauthority of the catholic church avails for
faith, an authority which is strengthened by
the sees founded by the apostles, by theseries of bishops who have succeeded them
up to today and by the agreement of so
many people. We are given to understand by these words that it seems that the
authority of the church is sufficient for the
establishment of faith without divine
scripture.Item #gato papa, ut legitur dist. ?>, c. Sic
omnes, ait, -ic omnes apostolicae sedis
sanctiones accipiendae sunt, tanquam ipsiusdivina voce 2etri firmatae. $% quibus verbis
datur intelligi quod omnes sanctiones
apostolicae sedis sunt eiusdem auctoritatiscum scripturis beati 2etri, quae inter
-cripturas /ivinas censentur. $rgo eis fides
aequaliter est praebenda. -ed in sanctionibusapostolicae sedis veritates plures habentur
quae in -cripturis /ivinis minime sunt
insertae. $rgo pluribus aliis veritatibus est
firmiter adhaerendum.
#gain, as we read in dist. ?>, c. Sic omnes
!col. ;5", 2ope #gatho says, #ll the
sanctions of the apostolic see should beaccepted as though affirmed by the divine
voice of 2eter himself. We are given to
understand by these words that all thesanctions of the apostolic see are of the
same authority as the writings of blessed
2eter, and these are considered to be amongthe divine scriptures. *herefore faith should
be shown to them equally. ut many truths
are found among the sanctions of the
apostolic see which have not been insertedin the divine scriptures. *herefore we
should adhere firmly to many other truths.
Item Cicolaus papa, ut habetur dist. 77, c. ?,ait, Qui autem =omanae ecclesiae
privilegium ab ipso summo omnium
ecclesiarum capite traditum auferre conaturhic proculdubio in haeresim labitur, et
parum post, 3ic est dicendus haereticus.
$% quo datur intelligi quod qui non vult
haereticus reputari necessario credere debetquod =omana ecclesia super omnes alias ab
ipso (hristo primatum accepit, de quo tamen
in -criptura /ivina nulla fit mentio. $rgoveritates aliquae sunt credendae licet e%
-cripturis -acris inferri non possint.
#gain, as we find in dist. 77, c. ?, !col.@4"2ope Cicholas says, 3owever, he who tries
to remove the =oman churchDs privilege,
conferred by that highest head of allchurches, slips undoubtedly into heresy....
*his person should be called a heretic. We
are given to understand by this that he who
does not want to be regarded as a hereticshould believe necessarily that the =oman
church received from (hrist primacy over
all others. &et no mention is made of this indivine scripture. -ome truths should be
believed, therefore, even though they can
not be inferred from the sacred scriptures.In fulcimentum autem assertionis eiusdem
isti rationes adducunt, quarum prima ducit ad
1oreover, to support that assertion they
adduce arguments. *he first of these leads
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inconveniens, quia, si solis -cripturis /ivinis
et his quae e% solis contentis in eis possuntinferri adstringerentur christiani fidem
indubiam adhibere, sequeretur quod negare
liceret apostolos symbolum condidisse,
beatum 2etrum =omanum pontificem fuisse,sedem beati 2etri de #ntiochia =omam
fuisse translatam, =omanos pontifices beato
2etro successisse, cum de his in -cripturis/ivinis nil legatur. 3as tamen veritates
universalis ecclesia hactenus tenuit,
praedicavit, et docuit, et per consequensecclesia universalis errasset, quod omnis
catholicus pro inconvenienti debet habere.
to an irrationality because, if christians were
bound to offer undoubting faith only to thedivine scriptures and to those things which
can be inferred solely from what is
contained in them, it would follow that it
would be permissible to deny that theapostles were the authors of the creed, that
blessed 2eter was =oman pontiff, that
blessed 2eterDs see was transferred from#ntioch to =ome, and that the =oman
pontiffs succeeded 2eter, since we read
nothing about these in the divine scriptures.&et the universal church has held, preached,
and taught these truths up to this time, and
consequently the universal church would
have erred, something which every catholicought to hold as irrational.
-ecunda ratio est haec. Con minus catholici
tenentur determinationibus et diffinitionibus=omanorum pontificum, cum nihil contra
fidem diffiniunt orthodo%am, credulitate
indubia assentire quam astringantur eorumstatutis quando nihil contra /ei voluntatem
praecipiunt obedire. -ed omnibus statutis
=omanorum pontificum quando nihil contra/ei praecipiunt voluntatem oportet cum
omni humilitate et reverentia obedire, sicut
per sacros canones, ut habetur dist. ?7, c. ? et
c. Praeceptis, et alibi in decretis capitulisinnumeris, constat aperte. $rgo
determinationibus et diffinitionibus
=omanorum pontificum, quando constat eosnihil contra fidem diffinire catholicam,
oportet certissime adhaerere. -ed =omani
pontifices multas veritates quae e% solocanone confirmato probari non possunt
diffiniunt firmiter esse tenendas. $rgo de
necessitate salutis oportet nonnullis
veritatibus quae e% solis -cripturis /ivinis probari non possunt fidem indubiam
adhibere.
# second argument is this. (atholics are no
less bound to assent with undoubting beliefto the determinations and definitions of
=oman pontiffs when they define nothing
against orthodo% faith, than they are boundto obey their statutes when they command
nothing against 0odDs will. ut it is
necessary to obey with all humility andreverence all the statutes of =oman pontiffs
when they command nothing against 0odDs
will, as is clearly established by the sacred
canons, as we find in dist. ?7, c. ? !col. 7@"and c. Praeceptis !col.7@" and in numerous
chapters elsewhere in the decretals.
*herefore it is necessary to adhere mostsurely to the determinations and definitions
of the =oman pontiffs when it is certain that
they are defining nothing against catholicfaith. ut the =oman pontiffs determine that
many truths which can not be proved from
the confirmed canon alone should be firmly
held. +ut of necessity for salvation,therefore, it is proper to offer undoubting
faith to some truths which can not be
proved solely from the divine scriptures.
Discipulus #ffecto scire an isti assertores
ponant e%emplum de aliqua veritate quae
firmiter sit tenenda quae tamen nec in-cripturis /ivinis habetur nec e% solis
-cripturis illis potest aperte probari.
!tudent I desire to know whether those
who assert this cite an e%ample of some
truth which should be firmly held yet whichis not found in the divine scriptures and can
not be clearly proved from those scriptures
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alone.
/agister 1ulta e%empla eorum iam tibimonstravi, videlicet quod apostoli symbolum
condiderunt, quod beatus 2etrus fuit
=omanus episcopus pontife%, quod sedes
beati 2etri de #ntiochia translata fuit=omam, quod beato 2etro =omani episcopi
successerunt. #liud etiam ponunt e%emplum
de primatu =omanae ecclesiae, de quo in/ivina -criptura nulla fit mentio quia, licet
de primatu beati 2etri -criptura -acra
e%presse loquatur, quod tamen beatus 2etrus=omanam re%it ecclesiam in eadem
-criptura minime reperitur, et ita de primatu
=omanae ecclesiae nihil per solam eandem
-cripturam potest ostendi, et tamen firmitertenere debemus quod =omana ecclesia
primatum habet super alias ecclesias
universas.
/aster I have already shown you many oftheir e%amples, namely that the apostles
were the authors of the creed, that blessed
2eter was bishop of =ome, that blessed
2eterDs see was transferred from #ntioch to=ome, and that the bishops of =ome
succeeded blessed 2eter. *hey also cite
another e%ample, concerning the primacy of the =oman church, of which no mention is
made in divine scripture because, although
sacred scripture speaks e%pressly about the primacy of blessed 2eter, it is nevertheless
not found in that scripture that blessed 2eter
ruled the =oman church, and so nothing can
be shown about the primacy of the =omanchurch from that scripture alone, and yet we
ought to hold firmly that the =oman church
has primacy over all other churches.
Discipulus /e isto primatu =omanae
ecclesiae supersede, quia de ipso postea
aliquas quaestiones tibi movebo. -ed si istiassertores in aliqua alia ratione se fundant
enarra.
!tudent 2ass over the primacy of the
church of =ome because I will present you
with some questions about it later. ut tellme if those who make this assertion base
themselves on any other argument.
/agister #dhuc aliis rationibus satagunt semunire. Ende tertia ratio eorumdem est ista.
Con in minori reverentia et honore debet
haberi apostolorum doctrina quam eorum
canones et statuta sed canones et statutaapostolorum, sive ea in scriptis redegerint
sive solo verbo ipsa servari mandaverint,
firmiter sunt servanda ergo et omnesveritates quas scripto vel verbo apostoli
docuerunt tanquam verissime sunt habendae.
#postoli autem quamplurima docuerunt quaein scriptis minime reliquerunt ergo aliquae
veritates quae in scripturis canonicis non
habentur verissimae sunt censendae, quibus
per consequens oportet adhaesionecertissima consentire.
/aster *hey try to fortify themselves withstill other arguments. *heir third argument
is this. *he teaching of the apostles should
not be held in less reverence and honour
than their canons and statutes but thecanons and statutes of the apostles, either
those they collected in their writings or
those they only orally ordered to be preserved, should be firmly preserved
therefore all the truths which the apostles
taught in writing or orally should beconsidered as absolutely true. 3owever, the
apostles taught very many things which
they did not leave in their writings
therefore some truths which are not foundin the canonical scriptures should be
considered absolutely true. (onsequently, it
is necessary to agree with these and toadhere most surely to them.
Quarta ratio eorum est haec. Eniversalis
ecclesia non potest errare, ipsa veritatetestante quae ait apostolis 1atthaei ultimo,
Vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem
# fourth argument of theirs is this. *he
universal church can not err, as the *ruthhimself attests when he says to the apostles
in the last chapter of 1atthew !7B875", I
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seculi. Quae etiam pro fide 2etri rogavit ne
unquam deficeret imo quicunque diceretecclesiam universalem errare in articulum
fidei sanctam ecclesiam catholicam
vehementer impugnaret. $cclesia autem
universalis multas praedicat veritates quaenec in -cripturis /ivinis habentur nec e%
solis eis possunt inferri, sicut per e%empla
priora patet. $rgo et huiusmodi veritatesfirmiter sunt credendae.
am with you always, to the end of the age.
3e also prayed for 2eter that his faith wouldnever fail !)uke 77847". Indeed anyone who
was to say that the universal church was in
error with regard to an article of faith would
be violently attacking the holy catholicchurch. 3owever, the universal church
preaches many truths which are not found
in the divine scriptures and can not beinferred from them alone, as is clear from
the earlier e%amples. *herefore truths of
this kind should be firmly believed.Quinta ratio est haec. Con minoris
auctoritatis sunt scripta summorum
pontificum et sanctorum doctorum quae pro
sanis dogmatibus conscripserunt quam sintquaecunque chronicae et historiae, sive
infidelium sive fidelium, quae e%tra
-cripturam -acram habentur sed omninofatuus censeretur qui omnes cronicas et
historias e%tra canonem ibliae reprobaret
vel eas diceret minime approbandas. *uncenim liceret omnia quae narrantur de summis
pontificibus, imperatoribus, regibus, regnis,
et aliis quibuscunque quae non inveniunturin iblia respuere et negare, quod
inconveniens est censendum. $rgo multo
magis scriptis summorum pontificum et
sanctorum quae pro sanis dogmatibusconscripserunt est firmiter inhaerendum in
scriptis autem eorum plures veritates quae
non reperiuntur in iblia inseruntur ergo ettales veritates sunt firmiter credende.
# fifth argument is this. *he writings
composed by the highest pontiffs and holy
doctors for the sake of sound doctrine are
not of less authority than are any chroniclesand histories, whether by unbelievers or
believers, which are found outside sacred
scripture but a person who was to re'ect allthe chronicles and histories outside the
bible or was to say that they should not be
approved would be considered completelyfoolish. For then it would be permissible to
re'ect and deny everything which is narrated
about highest pontiffs, emperors, kings,kingdoms, and anything else which is not
found in the bible, and this should be
considered irrational. !-ee -ignificant
Variants, para. 7." -o much the more,therefore, should we adhere firmly to the
writings composed by highest pontiffs and
saints for sound doctrine however, manytruths that are not found in the bible are
introduced into their writings therefore,
such truths should also be firmly believed.
Discipulus =ationes et auctoritates quas pro
secunda sententia addu%isti fortes mihi
videntur. $t quamvis nolim quod in toto hoc
opere manifestes quae est tua assertioquando contraria recitas et adversa, unum
tamen in generali cupio scire, an scilicet
quando illam assertionem quae tua estrationibus et auctoritatibus munire conaris,
e%istimes omnes rationes et auctoritates quas
allegas conclusionem tuam demonstrative probare.
!tudent *he arguments and te%ts which
you have brought forward for the second
opinion seem strong to me. #nd although I
do not want you to make clear throughoutthis work what your own opinion is when
you record contrary and opposed matters,
yet there is one thing in general that I wantto know and that is whether, when you try
to support with arguments and te%ts that
assertion which is your own, you think thatall the te%ts and arguments that you bring
forward prove your conclusion
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demonstratively.
/agister 2ro sententia quam reputo verammotiva quandoque demonstrativa, interdum
probabilia tantum, nonnunquam vero
solummodo apparentia, propter alios
e%ercitandos aut probandos seu tentandosallego.
/aster For the opinion that I regard as trueI bring forward reasons that are sometimes
demonstrative, sometimes only probable,
sometimes indeed only plausible, in order to
e%ercise, test or try other people.
#apitulum 3 #hapter 3
Discipulus 1odus iste valde mihi placet
quia per hoc saepe scientiam inflatorum
e%periar. 2orro, cum quaesivi quibusveritatibus oporteat firmiter assentire, super
quo diversas sententias retulisti, quarum
prima habet convenienter dicere quodsolummodo scriptoribus sacrarum literarum
fides firmissima est adhibenda, secunda veroquae magis mihi placet concedere debetquod etiam aliis est credendum, ideo nunc
interrogo quibus auctoriibus praeter
scriptores bibliae est credendum.
!tudent *hat way pleases me greatly
because through it I may often put the
knowledge of the haughty to the test. Ce%t,since I sought to know which truths it is
necessary firmly to assent to, about which
you have reported different opinions, thefirst of which implies that the firmest faith
should be offered only to the writers of the bible, and the second, which pleases memore, allows that others should also be
believed, !-ee -ignificant Variants, para. 4."
I therefore now ask what writers in addition
to the writers of the bible should be believed.
'ccording to the second opinion, 4hat authorities should
be belie5ed besides the &ible.
/agister #d interrogationem tuam adiversis diversimode respondetur. Quidam
enim dicunt quod universis conciliis
generalibus et omnibus summis pontificibusin his quae diffiniuntur esse credenda et
omnibus sanctis -cripturae -acrae
tractatoribus credere est necesse, licet ea
quae dicunt per -acram -cripturam nequeantdemonstrare. 2ro hac assertione videtur
facere quod legitur dist. ?9 c. ?, ubi de
conciliis generalibus recipiendis habeturaperte, et etiam c. Sicut et c. Sancta Romana.
/e assertionibus vero summorum pontificum
recipiendis habetur dist. ?>, c. Si Romanorum et in pluribus aliis. /e
traditionibus autem sanctorum habetur dist.
?9, c. Sancta.
/aster /ifferent people reply to yourquestion in different ways. For some people
say that it is necessary to believe all general
councils and all highest pontiffs, in respectof those things which are defined as
needing to be believed, and all the saints
who wrote on sacred scripture, even if they
can not demonstrate what they say bysacred scripture. What we read in dist. ?9, c.
? !col.46", where we clearly find that
general councils should be accepted, and c.Sicut !col.49" and c. Sancta Romana
!col.49", seems to support this assertion.
1oreover, we find !material" aboutaccepting the assertions of highest pontiffs
in dist. ?>, c. Si Romanorum !col.9B" and in
many other chapters. We find !material"
about the teachings of saints in dist. ?9, c.Sancta Romana! !col.49".
#lii vero praedictae assertioni non ut others do not entirely agree with the
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usquequaque consentiunt, asserentes quod
licet assertionibus generalium conciliorumsit universaliter adhaerendum, licet etiam
multis decretis seu decretalibus ac
diffinitionibus =omanorum pontificum ac
pluribus opusculis sanctorum doctorum proeo quod omnia quae inveniuntur in eis
constat esse consona catholicae veritati
oporteat catholicos consentire, non tamen eoipso quod =omani pontifices vel sancti
tradunt aliquid esse credendum est hoc
tanquam consonum veritati necesse accipere.
above point of view, affirming that although
there should be universal adherence to theassertions of general councils and although
it is necessary for catholics to agree with
many decrees or decretals and definitions of
=oman pontiffs and many works of learnedsaints on the grounds that it is certain that
everything found in them is !in fact" in
accord with catholic truth, yet it is not thecase that 'ust because the =oman pontiffs
and the saints teach that something is to be
believed it must !therefore" be accepted as being in harmony with the truth.
Discipulus /e generalibus conciliis et
summis pontificibus intendo postea aliqua ad
materiam istam spectantia indagare et ideohic nihil loquaris de ipsis. -ed de sanctis
obsecro resera quid praedicti sentiunt
assertores.
!tudent I intend to investigate later some
matters pertaining to general councils and
highest pontiffs and so would you saynothing about them here. ut I do ask you
to disclose what those who assert the above
think about the saints.
'ccording to the second opinion, it is not al4ays
necessary to belie5e 4hat has been said by the saints
/agister /e sanctis duas conclusiones
affirmant. Quarum prima est quod non eoipso quod aliquis sanctus aliquid opinatur
esse credendum est a cunctis fidelibus
tanquam veritati consonum approbandum.
-ecunda est quod non omnibus sententiisquae inveniuntur in sanctorum opusculis iam
per ecclesiam divulgatis est firmiter
adhaerendum.
/aster *hey affirm two conclusions about
the saints. *he first is that it is not the casethat 'ust because some saint opines that
something should be believed, it should be
approved by all believers as in harmony
with the truth. *he second is that not allopinions which are found in the works of
the saints, even those published throughout
the church, should be adhered to firmly.2rima conclusio probatur auctoritatibus
sancti #ugustini quae ponuntur dist. >, c.
Noli et c. Negare et c. Ego et c. Quis nesciat et c. Noli et c. Neque. In quibus manifeste
asserit #ugustinus quod nonnulla in
opusculis sanctorum et suis inserta licet
fidelibus iusto iudicio absque omni
temeritate culpare.
*he first conclusion is proved from te%ts of
-t. #ugustine included in dist. >, c. Noli
!col.?@", et c. Negare !col.?@" and c. Ego !col. ?@" and c. Quis nesciat !col. ?@" and c.
Noli !col. ?B" and c. Neque !col. ?B".
#ugustine clearly affirms in these that it is
permissible for believers without any
temerity to condemn by means of a 'ust 'udgement some things inserted in the
works of the saints and in his own works.3oc etiam ratione moliuntur ostendere. Cam
non est necesse putare aliquid esse verum
propter hoc quod illi qui possunt errare hocsentiunt. Cam propter solam estimationem
illorum qui possunt approbare falsum pro
*hey also try to show this by argument. For
it is not necessary to think that something is
true because of the fact that those who canerr believe it. For 'ust on the basis of the
opinion of those who can approve of the
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vero non est eo ipso aliquid approbandum
pro vero quod tales sic sentiunt. -ed sanctistante sanctitate possunt errare etiam contra
catholicam veritatem. $rgo propter hoc quod
sancti aliquid sentiunt esse verum non est
necesse putare illud idem esse verum. 1aiorest aperta minor e%emplo et ratione
probatur. $%emplo, inquam, de beato
#ugustino qui sanctus e%istens plurimascripsit et docuit contra catholicam veritatem
quae et postmodum revocavit. 3oc etiam
ratione probatur. Cam error qui pertinaciamnon habet anne%am non obviat sanctitati. -ed
contingit aliquem errare contra catholicam
veritatem absque omni pertinacia. $rgo non
est inconveniens affirmare sanctos stantesanctitate posse errare contra catholicam
veritatem et ita non est necesse omnibus
quae sancti dicunt firmiter adhaerere.
false as true it is not for that reason
necessary to approve of something as truewhich they think to be so. ut saints can err
even against catholic truth with their
sanctity unshaken. ecause the saints think
that something is true, therefore, it is notnecessary to think that it is indeed true. *he
ma'or !premise" is clear the minor is
proved by e%ample and by argument. y thee%ample, I say, of blessed #ugustine who,
though a saint, wrote and taught many
things against catholic truth which he laterretracted. *his is also proved by argument.
For an error which is not 'oined to
pertinacity does not prevent sanctity. ut it
is possible for someone to err againstcatholic truth without any pertinacity. It is
not irrational to affirm, therefore, that with
their sanctity unshaken saints can erragainst catholic truth and so it is not
necessary to adhere firmly to everything
that the saints say.-ecunda conclusio quam isti tenent est quod
nec etiam omnibus sententiis que in
sanctorum opusculis iam per ecclesiamdivulgatis reperiuntur est firmiter
adherendum, quod sic probare nituntur.
Cemo debet contrariis assentire sed sancti in
suis operibus iam per ecclesiam divulgatisinter se inveniuntur contrarii etiam in his
quae ad fidem et doctrinam apostolicam
pertinere noscuntur. Cam ut habetur dist. 7;circa doctrinam beati 2auli dicentis quod
oportet episcopum esse unius u%oris virum,
id est non plurium, 3ieronymus et#ugustinus sententias contrarias protulerunt.
3inc est quod glossa dist. praedicta c. ?.
dicit, 1ale sensit hic 3ieronymus unde
#ugustinus eum corrigit in pro%imocapitulo.
!-ee -ignificant Variants, para. 6." *he
second conclusion they maintain is that not
even all the opinions which are found in theworks of the saints already published
throughout the church should be adhered to
firmly, and this they try to prove as follows.
Co one ought to assent to opposed !views", but in their works already published by the
church saints are found to be opposed to
each other, even in those matters that areknown to pertain to apostolic faith and
teaching. For as we find in dist. 7; !c.?
c.7 col.>9" <erome and #ugustine profferedopposing opinions about blessed 2aulDs
teaching that it is proper for a bishop to be
the husband of one wife, that is not of many
!wives". 3ence the gloss on c. ? of thatdistinction !s.v. post baptismum col.?7B"
says, <erome thought wrongly here and so
#ugustine corrects him in the ne%t chapter.Isti etiam sancti, sicut patet in eorum
epistolis et recitat glossa ad 0alatas 7, de
reprehensione qua beatus 2aulus dicit beatum 2etrum fuisse reprehensibilem
contraria sentiebant.
#s is clear in their letters and is recorded in
the gloss on 0alatians 7, those saints also
had opposing opinions about the reproof inwhich blessed 2aul says that blessed 2eter
was reprehensible.
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eatus etiam (yprianus de baptismo
haereticorum aliter quam beatus #ugustinussensit. Ende et beatus #ugustinus eundem
sanctum (yprianum redarguit. )oquens enim
de sancto (ypriano et aliis, ut habetur De
consecratione dist. 6. c. Quomodo, ait, Conob aliud visum est quibusdam etiam egregiis
viris antistibus (hristi, inter quos praecipue
beatus (yprianus eminebat, non esse posseapud haereticos vel schismaticos baptismum
(hristi, nisi ubi quia non distinguebatur
sacramentum ab effectu vel usu sacramenti,et quia eius effectu atque eius usus in
liberatione a peccatis et cordis rectitudine
apud haereticos non inveniebatur, ipsum
quoque sacramentum illic non esse putabant. 3aec est sententia beati (ypriani
de sacramentis haereticorum, cuius
contrarium #ugustinus ibidem asserit.
In addition, blessed (yprian thought
differently from blessed #ugustine aboutthe baptism of heretics, and so blessed
#ugustine contradicted -t. (yprian. For
speaking about -t. (yprian and others he
says, as we find in De consecratione, dist.6, c. Quomodo !col.?4@@", For no other
reason has it seemed even to some
distinguished men, priests of (hrist, amongwhom blessed (yprian is especially
prominent, that (hristian baptism can not
e%ist among heretics and schismatics e%cept because a sacrament was not distinguished
from its effect or use, and because its effect
and use were not found free from sin and
with uprightness of heart among hereticsthey thought that the sacrament itself was
also not there. *his is the opinion of
blessed (yprian about sacraments!administered by" heretics, the opposite of
which #ugustine asserts in that place.
1anifeste ergo sancti circa sacramentaecclesiae contraria dogmatiGant. 3inc dist.
47 para. "d hoc vero legitur, -ciendum vero
est quod canones apostolorum, quorumauctoritate orientalis et e% parte utitur
=omana ecclesia, et insignis martyr
(yprianus et B5 episcopi cum eodem
baptisma haereticorum lavacrum diaboliappellant. -tephanus vero et (ornelius
martyres et pontifices =omani et venerabilis
#ugustinus in libro /e baptismate, eundem(yprianum et praefatos episcopos ob hanc
causam vehementer redarguunt, affirmantes
baptisma sive ab haeretico sive a schismaticoecclesiastico more celebratum esse ratum.
$% his colligitur quod (yprianus et
#ugustinus de sacramentis ecclesiae
contraria tradiderunt, quae etiam reperiunturin scriptis eorum, sicut e% praedictis et
capitulo eiusdem (ypriani quod habetur ?, q.
?, c. Si quis patet aperte. Con igitur omnibusassertionibus in operibus sanctorum inventis
debet catholicus adhaerere.
(learly therefore saints propound opposingdogmas about the sacraments of the church.
3ence we read in dist. 47, para. "d hoc
vero !col.??B", It should indeed be knownthat the canons of the apostles, to whose
authority the eastern church and in part the
=oman church yield, and the worthy martyr
(yprian and B5 bishops with him call baptism by heretics the bath of the devil.
ut -tephen and (ornelius, martyrs and
bishops of =ome, and the venerable#ugustine in his book +n baptism
vehemently contradicted (yprian and those
bishops on that account, asserting that a baptism celebrated according to
ecclesiastical custom, whether by a heretic
or a schismatic, is valid. We gather from
these !words" that (yprian and #ugustinehanded down opposing opinions about the
sacraments of the church, and these
!opinins" are indeed found in their writings,as is quite clear from the above and from
the chapter from (yprian which is found in
?, q. ?, c. Si quis !col.4B7". It is not thecase, therefore, that a catholic must adhere
to all the assertions found in the works of
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the saints.
Discipulus /e sanctorum libris tam aperte probasti quod non sunt in omnibus
approbandi quod nequeo dissentire. $% quo
sequi videtur quod nihil auctoritatis remansit
in eis quia, sicut instrumenta ita etiamscripturae, quaecunque quae in parte
inveniuntur falsae in totum reprobantur vel
saltem suspectae redduntur. Ende et de-cripturis -acris, ut habetur dist. >, c. Si ad
scripturas, asserit #ugustinus quod si ad eas
admissa fuerint vel officiosa mendacia nihilauctoritatis remanebit in eis. /ic ergo
quomodo isti respondent ad id quod de
approbatione opusculorum sanctorum, inter
quae etiam opuscula (ypriani et #ugustini et3ieronymi numerantur, dist. ?9 legitur
manifeste.
!tudent &ou have proved so clearly of books by saints that they do not have to be
approved in their entirety that I can not
disagree. It seems to follow from this that
no authority remains in them because, 'ustas with instruments so also with writings,
whichever of them is found to be partly
false is wholly re'ected, or at least renderedsuspect. 3ence #ugustine even asserts
about the sacred scriptures, as we find in
dist. >, c. Si ad scripturas !col.?@", that ifeven dutiful falsehoods be admitted to be in
them nothing authoritative will remain in
them. *ell me, therefore, how they reply to
what we clearly read in dist. ?9 about theapproval of the works of saints, among
which are certainly numbered the works of
(yprian, #ugustine and <erome.
/agister /icunt isti quod non omnia
opuscula sanctorum quantum ad omnia
contenta in eis sunt per ecclesiam approbata.(onstat enim quod in libris beati #ugustini
multa inveniuntur contraria veritati, quae
etiam ipse postmodum retractavit, et ita illaminime approbantur. $t sicut est de libris
beati #ugustini ita est de libris multorum
aliorum sanctorum quod nequaquam quo ad
omnia approbantur. +mnes tamen librisanctorum, de quibus in distinctione
praedicta fit mentio, approbantur quo ad
omnia quae nec per auctorem nec per aliossunt correcta.
/aster *hey say that not all the works of
saints, in respect of everything contained in
them, have been approved by the church.For it is certain that many things opposed to
the truth are found in the books of blessed
#ugustine and that he himself in fact laterretracted these, and so they should not be
approved. #nd 'ust as it is with blessed
#ugustineDs books, so it is also with the
books of many other saints, that they are notapproved in their totality. Cevertheless, all
the books of the saints of whom mention is
made in the aforesaid distinction areapproved with respect to everything which
is corrected neither by the author nor by
others.
Discipulus Isto modo liceret approbare
libros quorumlibet haereticorum, quia liceret
approbare libros eorum quo ad omnia quae
per catholicos minime sunt correcta. +mnemenim veritatem est licitum approbare.
!tudent In that way it would be permissible
to approve the books of any heretics at all,
because it would be permissible to approve
everything in their books in so far as it hadnot been corrected by catholics. For it is
permissible to approve every truth.
/agister /icunt isti quod non est simile delibris haereticorum et libris sanctorum, quia
in libris haereticorum falsa principaliter
pertractantur et asseruntur pauca autem verainveniuntur inserta. In libris vero sanctorum
vera principaliter intenduntur et pauca
/aster *hey say that there is no analogy between the books of heretics and the books
of saints, because in the books of heretics it
is chiefly falsehoods that are investigatedand asserted, while there are few truths
incorporated in them. ut in the books of
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reperiuntur contraria veritati et ideo propter
pauca inutilia non sunt tanta utilia respuenda.
saints it is chiefly truths to which attention
is paid and there are few things found thatare opposed to the truth and therefore such
greatly beneficial things should not be
re'ected because of a few that are not
beneficial.Discipulus #dhuc e%plica mihi an isti putent
omnes veritates in libris sanctorum inventas
catholicas esse censendas.
!tudent $%plain to me further whether they
think that all truths found in the books of
saints should be considered catholic.
/agister Cullatenus arbitrantur omnes
veritates tractatas in libris sanctorum esse
catholicas. Ende dicunt quod sancti aliquatanquam catholica, quaedam autem tanquam
necessaria non ad fidem spectantia, nonnulla
vero tanquam probabilia tradiderunt, et hoc
ultimum e% auctoritatibus #ugustini quaedist. > ponuntur, scilicet c. Noli et c. Negare
et c. Neque probatur aperte. (ui etiam
concordat #nselmus lib. ? Cur Deus homo dicens, $o pacto quo de peccato quod
omnia quae dico sic volo accipi, videlicet ut,
si quid di%ero quod maior non confirmetauctoritas, quamvis illud ratione probare
videar, non alia certitudine accipiatur, nisi
quod interim ita mihi videtur donec /eusmihi melius aliquo modo revelet. $% quibus
verbis colligitur quod #nselmus nonnulla
tanquam probabilia solummodo dicere
intendebat.
/aster *hey do not think that all the truths
treated in the books of saints are catholic.
3ence they say that the saints handed downsome things as catholic, some things,
however, as necessary but not pertaining to
faith, and some things indeed as probable
and this last is clearly proved from the te%tsof #ugustine which are included in dist. >,
that is c. Noli !col.?@", c. Negare !col.?@"
and c. Neque !col.?B". #nselm is in accordwith this in book ? of Cur deus homo !ch.7"
when he says, It is on this condition that I
want everything I say to be received, that is,let anything I say which a greater authority
does not confirm not be received as a
certainty, even if I seem to prove it byreason, but only that it seems this way to
me for the time, until 0od in some way
gives me a better revelation. We gather
from these words that #nselm wasintending to say some things as probable
only.
#apitulum 6 #hapter 6
Discipulus $% his quae narrasti magnam
occasionem cogitandi mihi dedisti de ipsis,tamen plura quaerere nunc nequaquam nunc
intendo. -ed quot generibus veritatum
oporteat christianos catholicos assentire
secundum sententiam praedictorum absqueomni probatione tibi placeat indicare.
!tudent &ou have given me a fine
opportunity to think about these things bywhat you have said, yet I do not intend to
seek to know more now. ut would you
please indicate without any proof how
many kinds of truth, according to theopinion of the aforesaid, it is necessary for
catholic christians to assent to.
'ccording to the second opinion, there are fi5e kinds of
truth #atholics must accept
/agister *enent isti quod quinque sunt
genera veritatum quibus non licet christianis/aster *hey hold that there are five kinds
of truth from which christians are not
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aliqualiter dissentire. 2rimum est earum quae
in -criptura -acra traduntur vel e% eisargumento necessario possunt inferri.
-ecundum est earum quae ab apostolis ad
nos per succedentium relationem vel
scripturas fidelium pervenerunt, licet in-cripturis -acris non inveniantur insertae nec
e% solis eis possint necessario argumento
concludi. *ertium est earum quas in fidedignis cronicis et historiis vel relationibus
fidelium invenimus. Quartum est earum quae
e% veritatibus primi generis et secunditantummodo vel e% eis vel alterius earum
una cum veritatibus tertii generis possunt
manifeste concludi. Quintum est earum quas
/eus praeter veritates revelatas apostolisaliis revelavit vel etiam inspiravit aut noviter
revelaret vel etiam inspiraret, quae revelatio
vel inspiratio ad universalem ecclesiamabsque dubitatione pervenit vel etiam
perveniret.
permitted to dissent in any way. *he first is
those which are handed down in sacredscripture or can be inferred from them by
necessary argument. *he second is those
which have come to us from the apostles
through the report of those who succeededthem or through the writings of the faithful,
even if they may not be found included in
the sacred scriptures and can not be inferredfrom them alone by necessary argument.
*he third is those which we find in
chronicles or histories or the accounts of believers which are worthy of trust. *he
fourth is those which can be clearly inferred
from truths of the first and second kind
alone or from them or one or other of themtogether with truths of the third kind. *he
fifth is those which, in addition to the truths
revealed to the apostles, 0od revealed to or,also, inspired in others or would newly
reveal or even inspire, a revelation or
inspiration which has come or, also, wouldcome to the universal church without any
doubt.
Discipulus Quamvis non intenderim de ististe amplius molestare, quia tamen unum
genus veritatum de quibus nullus dubitat
catholicus omisisti edissere quare isti inter
alias veritates illas quae in decretalibus etdiffinitionibus ecclesiae reperiuntur
nequaquam enumerantA
!tudent #lthough I did not intend totrouble you further about these matters,
nevertheless because you omitted one kind
of truth about which no catholic has doubts,
set down why they do not count amongother truths those which are found in the
decretals and definitions of the churchA
/agister Ideo de illis veritatibus mentionemnon faciunt specialem quia putant quod
ecclesia rite procedens nullam veritatem
determinat aut diffinit nisi in -criptura -acraaut traditionibus apostolorum aut cronicis,
historiis, vel revelationibus indubitabilibus
fidelium vel in his quae sequuntur e%
praedictis aut aliquo praedictorum vel inrevelatione seu inspiratione divina modo
debito manifestata valeat se fundare. $t ideo
omnes veritates quas determinat aut diffinitecclesia sub aliquo quinque generum
praefatorum comprehendi noscuntur.
/aster *hey do not make particularmention of those truths for this reason, that
they think that when the church proceeds
correctly it determines or defines no truthunless it can base itself on sacred scripture,
on the traditions of the apostles, on
indubitable chronicles, histories or
revelations of believers, or on those thingswhich follow from these or any one of
them, or on divine revelation or inspiration
manifested in the due way. #nd all thetruths that the church determines or defines,
therefore, are known to be included under
some of the above five kinds.
Discipulus Illa quae refers urgent me contra
propositum praeconceptum interrogare. Quid!tudent What you are reporting urges me to
ask questions about the above proposition.
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de approbatione canonis bibliae et aliorum
librorum postea conscriptorum ac omniumaliorum quae ecclesia noscitur approbare
assertores sentiunt memoratiA
What do those who affirm the above
position think about the approval of thecanon of the bible, of other books
composed later and of all the others which
the church is known to approveA
/agister 3oc pro certissimo tenent quodnon est in potestate ecclesiae quaecunque ad
placitum approbare vel etiam improbare, sed
ecclesia rite approbando quaecunque inaliquo praedictorum quinque generum
veritatum se fundavit. Ende et
approbationem quantum ad rem, licetquantum ad nomen, a determinatione vel
diffinitione in proposito non discernunt.
/aster *hey hold this as quite certain, thatit is not in the power of the church to
approve or also to re'ect anything at all as it
pleases, but when the church has approvedanything correctly it has based itself on
some of the above five kinds of truth.
3ence also in the present case they do notmake any real distinction, although there is
a nominal distinction, between approval on
the one hand or determination or definition
on the other.
#apitulum #hapter Discipulus /e veritatibus catholicis nonnulla
quaesivi. Cunc vero ad haereses eis
contrarias transeamus. In primis autem
affecto scire si diffinitionem haeresis datamab aliquo invenisti.
!tudent I have sought to know some things
about catholic truths. ut now let us pass on
to the heresies opposed to them. First of all,
however, I want to know if you have founda definition of heresy given by anyone.
W('T )! ' (*!8.
/agister Quidam diffiniunt vel describunt
haeresim dicentes quod haeresis est dogma
falsum fidei contrarium orthodo%ae. In quadescriptione loco generis ponitur dogma
falsum, quia omnis haeresis est dogma
falsum sed non omne dogma falsum debethaeresis reputari. Quod enim omnis haeresis
sit dogma falsum beatus 3ieronymus, ut
habetur 76, q. 4, c. #nter haeresim, testaturaperte dicens, 3aeresis perversum dogma
habet. /ogma autem perversum est dogma
falsum haeresis ergo est falsum dogma. -ed
non omne dogma falsum est haeresis. Cam
secundum #ugustinum in $nchiridion inmultis rebus errare nullum aut minimum est
peccatum sed haeresis sicut infidelitasgravissimum est peccatum. $rgo non omnis
error est haeresis. $% quo concluditur quod
non omne dogma falsum est haeresis cumomnis error dogma falsum sit censendum.
/ogma ergo falsum in descriptione haeresis
/aster -ome people do define or describe
heresy, saying that a heresy is a false
doctrine contrary to orthodo% faith. Falsedoctrine is put in this definition in place of
a genus because every heresy is a false
doctrine, but not every false doctrine should be regarded as a heresy. For, as we find in
76, q. 4, c. #nter heresim !col.>>@", <erome
clearly attests that every heresy is a falsedoctrine, saying, # heresy involves a
wrong doctrine. # wrong doctrine,
however, is a false doctrine therefore a
heresy is a false doctrine. ut not every
false doctrine is a heresy. For according to#ugustine in the $nchiridion !bk.7, ch.;4",
it is no sin or a very small one to err inmany things but like infidelity a heresy is
the heaviest sin. *herefore not every error is
a heresy. We conclude from this that notevery false doctrine is a heresy, since every
error should be considered a false doctrine.
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loco generis non incongrue pro genere
ponitur secundum istos fidei autemcontrarium orthodo%ae ponitur loco
differentiae per hoc enim ab aliis falsis quae
non sunt haereses convenienter haeresis est
distincta. Cam alia dogmata falsa non suntcontraria fidei orthodo%ae et ideo haereses
minime nuncupantur.
#ccording to them, therefore, false
doctrine is not unsuitably put in thedescription of heresy in place of a genus
contrary to orthodo% faith is put as a
difference for through this a heresy is
suitably distinguished from other falsitieswhich are not heresies, since other false
doctrines are not contrary to orthodo% faith,
and therefore are not called heresies.
#apitulum 7 #hapter 7
Discipulus $% verbis beati 3ieronymiallegatis moveor ad quaerendum an beatus
3ieronymus cum dicit haeresis perversum
dogma habet intenderit diffinitionem autdescriptionem haeresis assignare.
!tudent I am moved by the words of<erome that you brought forward to seek to
know whether when blessed <erome says,
# heresy involves a wrong doctrine, heintended to assign a definition or
description of heresy./agister /icunt illi quorum ad praecedentem interrogationem sententiam
recitavi quod large accipiendo perversum pro
omni qualicunque pernicioso seu nocivo
beatus 3ieronymus non intendit ibi haeresimdiffinire. 1ulta enim sunt dogmata
perniciosa quae haereses nullatenus sunt
censendae. -i autem perversum accipiaturmagis stricte pro illo quod est perniciosum in
doctrina religionis, quemadmodum
secundum beatum #ugustinum unum genusmendacii est quod invenitur in doctrina
religionis, sic potest concedi quod beatus
3ieronymus ibi intendit descriptionemhaeresis assignare, quia sic dogma
perversum accipitur pro dogmate falso fidei
contrario orthodo%ae.
/aster *hose whose opinion of the preceding question I have recorded say that
taking wrong broadly, as any kind of
pernicious or harmful thing, <erome did not
intend there to define heresy. For there aremany pernicious doctrines which should not
be considered heresies. If wrong is taken
more strictly, however, as that which is pernicious in the teaching of religion, 'ust
as according to blessed #ugustine !in )iber
de mendacio" one kind of falsehood is thatwhich is found in religious teaching, so it
can be granted that blessed <erome intended
to assign a description of heresy there, because in this way wrong doctrine is
taken for false doctrine contrary to orthodo%
faith.
#apitulum 9 #hapter 9
Discipulus )ibenter scirem an omnes
concorditer reputent haeresim praedicto
modo describi debere.
!tudent I would gladly know whether
everyone is united in the thought that heresy
should be described in the above way.
:;e4: heresies and :ne4: #atholic truths
/agister -unt quidam qui non putant
haeresim taliter describendam. Qui tali
rationi inniti videntur8 multa dogmata falsafidei contraria orthodo%ae fiunt noviter
haereses quamvis non de novo incipiant esse
/aster *here are some people who think
that heresy should not be described in such
a way. *hey seem to rely on the followingargument. 1any false doctrines contrary to
orthodo% faith newly become heresies
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falsa fidei contraria orthodo%ae ergo
priusquam debeant haereses reputari suntdogmata falsa fidei contraria orthodo%ae e%
quo evidenter concluditur quod non omnia
dogmata falsa fidei contraria orthodo%ae
debent haereses reputari. #ntecedens videturevidens quia multae sunt novae haereses
quamvis prius fuerint falsa dogmata fidei
contraria orthodo%ae. Erbanus enim papa, uthabetur 76, q. 4, c. Notandum, ait, -anctus
#ugustinus cum legatis sanctae =omanae
ecclesiae et cum sanctis episcopis suis2elagium et (aelestinum novam haeresim in
sanctam /ei ecclesiam introducentes
e%communicavit. $% quibus verbis
colligitur quod 2elagius et (aelestinusopinionem quae erat tunc nova haeresis in
ecclesiam indu%erunt, et tamen illa opinio
prius fuit fidei contraria orthodo%ae. $rgoilla opinio seu assertio priusquam esset
haeresis fuit dogma falsum fidei contrarium
orthodo%ae, et ita illa non est descriptioconvertibilis cum haeresi. 3inc 0ratianus 76,
q. ?, para. ? ait, +mnis haereticus aut iam
damnatam haeresim sequitur aut novamconfingit. $t glossa ibidem dicit, *u dic
indistincte quod sive veterem, scilicet
haeresim, sive novam sequatur
e%communicatus est, licet sit occultus.0lossa etiam ibidem ait, -i scirem
praelatum meum esse haereticum quia
novam haeresim fingit nec tamen praedicaretsi me e%communicaret celebrarem in
occulto. $% his habetur aperte quod fuerunt
et possunt esse novae haereses quae tamennon sunt nova falsa fidei contraria
orthodo%ae et per consequens non omne
falsum fidei contrarium orthodo%ae debet
inter haereses computari.
although they do not begin from the start to
be falsities contrary to orthodo% faiththerefore they are false doctrines contrary to
orthodo% faith before they should be
regarded as heresies we conclude evidently
from this that not all false doctrinescontrary to orthodo% faith should be
regarded as heresies. *he antecedent seems
evident because many heresies are newalthough previously they were false
doctrines contrary to orthodo% faith. For as
we find in 76, q. 4, c. Notandum !col.?555",2ope Erban says, -t. #ugustine, together
with legates of the holy =oman church and
his own holy bishops, e%communicated
2elagius and (elestine for introducing anew heresy into the holy church of 0od.
We gather from these words that 2elagius
and (elestine introduced into the church anopinion that at that time was a new heresy,
and yet that opinion was previously
contrary to orthodo% faith. efore thatopinion or assertion was a heresy, therefore,
it was a false doctrine contrary to orthodo%
faith, and so that description is notconvertible with heresy. 3ence 0ratian says
in 76, q. ?, para. ? !col.>;;", $very heretic
either follows a heresy already condemned
or invents a new one. #nd at that place !s.v. quod autem col.?4B7" the gloss says,
-ay without distinction that whether he
follows a new one, that is a heresy, or anold one he is e%communicated, even if he is
hidden. *he gloss also says at that point !s.
v. qui vero col.?4B7", If I knew that my prelate was a heretic because he invented a
new heresy and yet he was not preaching it,
I would celebrate in secret if he were to
e%communicate me. We clearly find fromthese that there have been and can be new
heresies, which, nevertheless, are not new
falsities contrary to orthodo% faith andtherefore not every falsity contrary to
orthodo% faith should be counted among the
heresies.
#apitulum % #hapter %
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Discipulus 3is non obstantibus diffinitio seu
descriptio haeresis supradicta congrua mihi
videtur, et ideo qualiter praedictis
obiectionibus respondetur indicare digneris.
!tudent Cotwithstanding these !points" the
above definition or description of heresy
seems suitable to me. Would you deign to
indicate, therefore, how reply is made to theabove ob'ections.
/agister Qui praedictam descriptionemassignant dupliciter respondere conantur.
2rimo enim dicunt quod aliqua haeresis
dicitur nova non quia in rei veritate incipiat
noviter esse haeresis, sed quia noviter estasserta, illo modo loquendi quo aliquae
veritates, etiam necessarie necesse, dicuntur
esse novae non quin prius fuerint veritatessed dicuntur novae quia sunt noviter publice
dogmatiGatae. *ali etiam modo aliqui erroresdicuntur esse novi non quin prius fuerint inrei veritate errores sed dicuntur novi quia
noviter sunt asserti. $t iste modus loquendi
e% verbis 0elasii papae, ut habetur 76, q. ?,
c. ?, colligitur evidenter. #it enim, #chatiusnon est factus inventor novi erroris, sed
veteris imitator. (ui concordat Feli% papa
eisdem c. et q. c. "chatius dicens, #chatiusnon fuit novi vel proprii inventor erroris. $%
quibus verbis datur intelligi quod si #chatius
fuisset primus sui erroris assertor fuissetreputatus novi erroris inventor, et tamen
idem error antea fuisset error censendus.
1ulti enim errores antequam asserantur abaliquo ab aliis non errantibus reprobantur, et
per consequens antequam habeant
assertorem seu defensorem sunt errores
censendi et tamen secundum unum modumloquendi si aliquis inciperet eos defendere
dicerentur novi errores. (onsimili etiam
modo loquendi quidam #thenienses, ut
habetur #ctuum ?@, dicebant de beato 2aulo,Covorum daemoniorum videtur annunciator
esse , appellantes nova daemonia nonquia putabant quod antea non fuissent
daemonia sed quia putabant antiqua
daemonia a 2aulo noviter praedicari. Ita
dicunt aliqui aliquas haereses vocari novas propter novitatem assertionis vel defensionis
/aster *hose who assign the abovedescription try to reply in two ways. For
they say firstly that any heresy is said to be
new not because in truth of fact it begins
newly to be a heresy, but because it is newlyasserted, in that way of speaking by which
any truths, even those that are necessary, are
said to be new not in that they were nottruths before but are said to be new because
they have been newly propounded in public.In that way too some errors are said to benew not because in truth of fact they were
not errors before but they are said to be new
because they have been newly asserted. We
clearly gather this way of speaking from thewords of 2ope 0elasius found in 76, q. ?, c.
? ! col.>;;". For he says, #chatius did not
become the inventor of a new error but theimitator of an old one. 2ope Feli% agrees
with this in the same causa and quaestio c.
"chatius !col.>;;" when he says, #chatiuswas not the inventor of a new error or of his
own error. We are given to understand by
these words that if #chatius had been thefirst to affirm his error he would have been
regarded as the inventor of a new error, and
yet that error had been considered an error
previously. For before they are affirmed bysomeone many errors are condemned by
others who are not in error, and
consequently they should be considered
errors before they have an assertor or adefender and yet according to one way of
speaking, if someone were to begin todefend them they would be called new
errors. In a similar way of speaking too
certain #thenians said of blessed 2aul, as
we find in #cts ?@!8?B", 3e seems to be a proclaimer of new demons, calling them
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quia aliquis eas noviter asserit vel defendit
quae tamen prius in rei veritate fuerunthaereses reputandae.
new demons not because they thought
that they had not been demons before but because they thought that they were old
demons newly preached by 2aul. In this
way some people say that certain heresies
are called new because of a new assertion or defence of them, because someone newly
asserts or defends those which nevertheless
should previously have been regarded intruth of fact as heresies.
#liter respondent praedictis, ut dicunt,
minime obviando quod quemadmodum, utnotat in glossa $%tra, De summa trinitate et
fide catholica, c. ?, fides aliquando dicitur
credulitas secundum quam credimus quod
non videmus, et alio modo dicitur collectioarticulorum fidei, licet etiam dicatur aliis se%
modis ut habetur ibidem, sic tam error quam
haeresis potest dupliciter dici. 2otest enimerror uno modo dici actus vel habitus quo
quis errat, alio modo ipsum obiectum talis
habitus vel actus errandi vocatur error.3aeresis etiam potest accipi uno modo pro
actu vel habitu haeresis, alio modo dicitur
obiectum talis habitus vel actus. 2rimo modoaccipiendo haeresim et consimiliter errorem
multae possunt esse novae haereses et novi
errores quae vel qui antea haereses vel
errores non fuerunt. -ecundo modoaccipiendo haeresim non dicuntur novae
haereses nisi quia noviter sunt assertae, sicut
dictum est in responsione priori, etconsimiliter de multis erroribus potest dici.
+therwise they reply to the above, as they
say, without opposing it, that 'ust as faith issometimes said to be the credence by which
we believe what we do not see, and in
another way is said to be a collection of
articles of faith, as we find in the gloss on$%tra, De summa trinitate et fide catholica,
c. ? !col.9" : although it may also be used in
another si% ways as we find in the same place : so error as well as heresy can be
used in two ways. For in one way an error
can be said to be the act or disposition bywhich someone errs, in another way the
very ob'ect of such a disposition or act of
erring is called an error. # heresy too can betaken in one way for the act or disposition
of heresy, in another way it is said to be the
ob'ect of such a disposition or act. If we
take heresy and likewise error in the firstway, there can be many new heresies and
new errors which were not heresies or
errors before. If we take heresy in thesecond way, heresies are not said to be new
unless they have been newly affirmed, as
was said in the earlier reply, and a similarthing can be said about many errors.
#apitulum 1< #hapter 1<
Discipulus Et mihi videtur pertractatadifficultas de haeresibus novis magis est
vocalis quam realis, et ideo circa ipsam nonamplius immoreris. -ed an aliter obiiciatur
contra descriptionem haeresis supradictam
noli celare.
!tudent It seems to me that the difficultyabout new heresies that has been
investigated is more verbal than real, and sowould you not dwell upon it any longer. ut
do not hide from me whether there is any
other ob'ection to the above description of
heresy.
/agister 2er verba beati 3ieronymi quae /aster *hat description seems to be
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ponuntur 76, q. 4, c. $aeresis dicta
descriptio improbari videtur. #it enim,3aeresis autem 0raece ab electione dicitur,
quod scilicet eam sibi unusquisque eligat
disciplinam quam putat esse meliorem. $%
quibus verbis duo dantur intelligi, quorum primum est quod e% quo haeresis ab
electione dicitur nullum falsum antequam
quis ipsum elegerit opinari vel dogmatiGareaut asserere debet inter hereses computari.
-ecundum est quod cum non solum infideles
sed etiam catholici et fideles eligantdisciplinam quam putant esse meliorem, non
solum assertiones infidelium sed etiam
assertiones fidelium debent haereses
appellari. $t e% utroque istorum concluditurquod descriptio haeresis saepedicta est
incongrue assignata.
disproved by the words of blessed <erome
which are put in 76, q. 4, c. $aeresis !col.>>@". For he says, 3eresy is taken
from the 0reek for DchoiceD, that is, that each
person chooses for himself that teaching
which he thinks to be the better. We aregiven to understand two things from these
words. *he first is that from the fact that
heresy is taken from choice no falsityshould be counted among the heresies
before someone chooses to propound, opine
or assert it. *he second is that since not onlyunbelievers but also catholics and believers
choose the teaching that they think is better,
the assertions not only of unbelievers but
also of believers should be called heresies.#nd we conclude from both of these that
the oft:cited description of heresy has been
unsuitably assigned.
#apitulum 11 #hapter 11
Discipulus Ista obiectio fortis mihi videtur,sed qualiter respondeatur ad ipsam non
differas e%plicare.
!tudent *hat seems to me to be a strongob'ection, but would you not delay
e%plaining how reply is made to it.
/agister /icunt quod verba sanctorum saneintelligenda sunt. Quorum intellectus saepe
e% diversis dictis eorum accipi debet, et ideo
non semper intelligenda sunt sicut insuperficie sonant et ideo dicunt quod licet
praedicta verba 3ieronimi prima facie
videantur praetendere quod ante electionemactualem nullum falsum debeat haeresis
appellari et quod omnis disciplina quam quis
putat meliorem, sive sit vera sive falsa,
possit ad haeresim pertinere, non tamen sicintelligit 3ieronymus. Cam 3ieronymus,
scribens praedicta verba super epistolam ad
0alatas, inter schisma et haeresim
differentiam nititur assignare, dicens, Interschisma et haeresim hoc esse arbitror quod
haeresis perversum dogma habeat, schisma post episcopalem discessionem ab ecclesia
pariter separat et parum post, caeterum
nullum est schisma nisi sibi aliquam
haeresim confingit, ut recte ab ecclesiarecessisse videatur. $% quibus verbis datur
/aster *hey say that the words of thesaints have to be understood soundly. #n
understanding of them often has to be taken
from a variety of their writings and so theyshould not always be understood in a
superficial sense. #nd therefore they say
that although the above words from <eromeseem prima facie to allege that no falsity
should be called a heresy before there has
been an actual choice and that every
teaching that someone thinks is better,whether it be true or false, can pertain to a
heresy, yet <erome does not understand
them in this way. For in writing the above
words about the letter to the 0alatians,<erome tries to mark out the difference
between schism and heresy by saying !in76, q. 4, c. #nter heresim Hcol.>>@", I think
that there is this between schism and heresy,
that a heresy contains wrong teaching, a
schism likewise separates one from thechurch after an episcopal separation.... but
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intelligi quod secundum beatum
3ieronymum haeresis sine perverso dogmatecontrario doctrinae ecclesiae minime
invenitur. Quare verba 3ieronimi cum dicit,
3aeresis autem 0raece ab electione, etc,
de electione non cuiuscunque disciplinae seddisciplinae falsae contrariae disciplinae
ecclesiae debent intelligi et non debent
intelligi de electione actuali sed etiam magis potentiali qua quis potest disciplinam falsam
contrariam disciplinae ecclesiae eligere
quam putat meliorem.
there is no schism unless someone invents
some heresy for himself, with the result thathe rightly seems to have withdrawn from
the church. We are given to understand by
these words that according to blessed
<erome heresy is not found without wrongteaching contrary to the teaching of the
church. *herefore <eromeDs words, when he
says, 3eresy !is taken" from the 0reek forchoice etc, should be understood not of
any teaching at all but of false teaching
contrary to the teaching of the church andshould not be understood of an actual
choice but more of a potential !choice" by
which someone can choose a false teaching
which is contrary to the teaching of thechurch !but" which he thinks is better.
#apitulum 12 #hapter 12
Discipulus Video quod verba 3ieronymi sic
intellecta praedictae descriptioni haeresis
non repugnant. $% qua sequi videtur quodomnes assertiones quae -cripturae -acrae
quomodolibet adversantur sunt inter haereses
computandae, sed an omnes christiani hocsentiant et affirment ignoro. Quare si aliqui
hoc non sentiunt nequaquam occultes.
!tudent I see that understood in this way
<eromeDs words do not oppose the above
description of heresy. It seems to followfrom this that all assertions which are in any
way at all opposed to sacred scripture
should be counted among the heresies, but Ido not know whether all christians think
and affirm this. /o not conceal it, therefore,
if some people do not think this./agister Fuerunt 1anichaei qui vetus
testamentum minime receperunt aliqui etiam
haeretici multa in novo testamentorespuerunt.
/aster *here were the 1anichees who did
not accept the +ld *estament some heretics
have also re'ected many things in the Cew*estament.
Discipulus Illi de quibus nunc loqueris
fuerunt haeretici ab ecclesia condemnati, de
quibus non curo audire. -ed libentercognoscerem an sint aliqui catholici vel
aliqui ab ecclesia nullatenus condemnati qui
non reputent omnes assertiones haereticas
quae -acrae -cripturae quomodolibetadversantur.
!tudent *hose about whom you are now
speaking were condemned as heretics by the
church and I do not care to hear about them.ut I would willingly learn whether there
are any catholics or any people not
condemned by the church who do not
regard as heretical all assertions that are inany way opposed to sacred scripture.
/agister -unt quidam moderni dicentesquod multae sunt assertiones quae in rei
veritate adversantur -cripturae /ivinae quia
tamen ab ecclesia minime sunt condemnatae
non sunt inter haereses numerandae,quemadmodum multae sunt veritates
/aster *here are some moderns who saythat there are many assertions which in truth
of fact are opposed to divine scripture and
which should nevertheless not be numbered
among heresies because they have not beencondemned by the church, 'ust as there are
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consonae -cripturae /ivinae quae, quia
tamen non sunt per ecclesiam diffinitae veldeterminatae, non sunt inter veritates
catholicas computandae. -ed postquam
assertiones -cripturae /ivinae contrariae
fuerunt per summum pontificemcondemnatae pro haeresibus sunt habendae,
et veritates consonae -cripturae /ivinae
postquam fuerint per summum pontificemdiffinitae seu determinatae catholicae sunt
censendae. 2ropter quod dicunt quod papa
potest facere novum articulum fidei et eademratione potest facere quod assertio quae prius
non erat haereticalis postea per
condemnationem suam esse haereticalis
incipiat.
many truths in harmony with divine
scripture which nevertheless should not becounted among catholic truths because they
have not been defined or determined by the
church. ut after assertions contrary to
divine scripture have been condemned bythe highest pontiff they must be held to be
heresies, and after truths in harmony with
divine scripture have been defined ordetermined by the highest pontiff they must
be considered catholic. For this reason they
say that the pope can make a new article offaith and, by the same argument, can bring
it about that an assertion which was not
previously heretical begins to be heretical
after his condemnation.
#an the pope make a ne4 article of faith.Discipulus 3aec opinio multis prioribus
assertionibus quae videbantur mihi
probabiles apparet omnino repugnans. Ideo
si in rationibus vel auctoritatibus satagat sefundare declara.
!tudent *his opinion seems completely
contrary to many earlier assertions which
seemed probable to me. 1ake clear,
therefore, if it tries to base itself onarguments or authorities.
/agister In duobus, ut audio, praedicti se
fundant. 2rimo in capitulo #le%andri 4 $%tra, De haereticis, Cum Christus ubi, ut dicunt,
fecit novum articulum, scilicet (hristus est
/eus et homo, quia ante tempora #le%andri praedicti licebat, ut dicunt, non credere
(hristum esse /eum et hominem. -ecundo
fundant se in constitutione domini Iohannis
Cum inter nonnullos in qua diffinitur
deinceps esse haereticum dicere (hristum et
eius apostolos non habuisse aliquid nec in
speciali nec in communi, et per consequensantea non fuit haereticum. $% quibus
sequitur quod papa potest novos articulos
fidei facere et potest facere quod assertiones
quae non fuerunt haereticae esse haereticaede novo incipiant.
/aster *hose who hold it base themselves,
as I hear, on two !e%amples". Firstly, !they base themselves" on #le%ander IIIDs (hapter
Cum Christus in $%tra, De haereticis
!col.@@>" where, as they say, he made a newarticle !of faith", namely that (hrist is 0od
and man, because it was permissible before
#le%anderDs time, as they say, not to believethat (hrist was 0od and man. -econdly,
they base themselves on )ord <ohnDs
constitution Cum inter nonnullos, in which
it is defined that hereafter it is heretical tosay that (hrist and his apostles did not have
anything either individually or in common,
and consequently it was not heretical
before. It follows from these that the popecan make new articles of faith and can bring
it about that assertions which were notheretical begin to be newly heretical.
Discipulus $%emplum adductum de
constitutione sanctissimi patris Iohannis
papae 77 peto quod nullatenus hic pertractes,quia, ut di%i, postea de tota doctrina eiusdem
!tudent I ask you not to investigate here
the e%ample you brought forward from the
constitution of the most holy father, 2ope<ohn JJII, because later on, as I have said,
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quaestiones tibi movebo. -ed si pro praedicta
opinione aliquas rationes alias cogitasti profer easdem.
I will produce some questions for you about
all of his teaching. ut if you have thoughtof some other arguments for the aforesaid
opinion put them forward.
/agister #liter potest opinio memorata
muniri. 2rimo sic8 pro assertione haeresis estquis tanquam haereticus condemnandus sed
multae fuerunt assertiones falsae de quibus
assertores earum, antequam fuerunt abecclesia condemnatae, non fuerunt tanquam
haeretici condemnandi postquam autem
dictae assertiones fuerunt ab ecclesiacondemnatae, fuerunt assertores earum
tanquam haeretici condemnandi ergo tales
assertiones ante damnationem ecclesiae non
fuerunt inter haereses computandae quaetamen post damnationem pro haeresibus
fuerunt habendae et per consequens eadem
assertio quae primo non erat haeresis percondemnationem ecclesiae haeresibus
numeratur. Quare eadem ratione eadem
assertio quae primo non est catholica postea per approbationem ecclesiae fit catholica.
3uiusmodi autem approbatio et damnatio
spectat ad summum pontificem ergosummus pontife% de assertione non catholica
potest facere catholicam, et de assertione non
haeretica potest facere haereticam et ideo
novum articulum fidei facere potest.
/aster *hat opinion can be fortified in
other ways. Firstly, as follows8 anyoneshould be condemned as a heretic for the
assertion of a heresy but there have been
many false assertions the affirmers of whichought not to have been condemned as
heretics before !those assertions" were
condemned by the church after the saidassertions have been condemned by the
church, however, their affirmers should be
condemned as heretics therefore such
assertions, which after their condemnationshould be considered as heresies, should not
be reckoned among the heresies before their
condemnation by the church and,consequently, the same assertion which at
first was not a heresy is numbered among
the heresies because of its condemnation bythe church. y the same argument,
therefore, the same assertion which at first
is not catholic, may later be catholicthrough the approval of the church.
#pproval or condemnation of this kind,
however, pertains to the highest pontiff
therefore the highest pontiff can make acatholic assertion of one which is not
catholic, and can make heretical an
assertion which is not heretical andtherefore he can make a new article of faith.
1aior istius rationis est manifesta minor
e%emplis probatur apertis. Cam 0raecinegantes -piritum -anctum procedere a Filio
ante assertionis damnationem eorum non
fuerunt heretici reputati qui tamen post
damnationem eiusdem inter haereticosdeputantur. #ssertores etiam opinionis
Ioachim a concilio generali damnatae post
damnationem haeretici iudicantur, ipsetamen abbas Ioachim, quamvis ante
damnationem assertionem eandem tenuerit,
non fuit haereticus, ut habetur $%tra, De summa trinitate et fide catholica c.
Damnamus. -imiliter qui post
*he ma'or !premise" of this argument is
manifest the minor is proved by cleare%amples. For the 0reeks, who deny that
the 3oly -pirit proceeds from the -on, were
not regarded as heretics before the
condemnation of their assertion, yet after itscondemnation they were considered to be
among the heretics. *hose too who affirm
<oachimDs opinion which was condemned by a general council were 'udged to be
heretics after its condemnation, yet #bbot
<oachim himself was not a heretic, as wefind in $%tra, De summa trinitate et fide
catholica, c. Damnamus !col.;", although
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constitutionem #le%andri 4 quae habetur
$%tra, De haereticis c. Cum Christus tenuerint quod (hristus non est aliquid
secundum quod homo fuerunt haeretici
iudicandi secundum quod glossa notat
ibidem, qui tamen antea pro haereticisminime habebantur. 2atet igitur quod pro
nonnullis assertionibus non sunt assertores
ante damnationem haeretici reputandi quitamen post damnationem inter haereticos
computantur.
he maintained the same assertion before its
condemnation. -imilarly those who, after#le%ander IIIDs constitution which is found
in $%tra, De hereticis, c. Cum Christus
!col.@@>", held that (hrist is not anything as
a man, should have been 'udged as heretics,according to what the gloss notes at that
point !s. v. sub anathemate col.?;@?". &et
before that they were not considered asheretics. It is clear, therefore, with regard to
some assertions that their affirmers should
not be regarded as heretics before theircondemnation, yet after their condemnation
they are counted among heretics.
-ecundo sic. Ille ad quem pertinet autentice
diffinire quae assertio catholica, quaehaeretica est censenda, de assertione non
catholica catholicam et de assertione non
haeretica haereticam facere potest, quia aliter diffinitio sua nihil videretur penitus operari
plus quam diffinitio vel determinatio doctoris
qui per auctoritates vel rationes declarat et probat quae assertio in rei veritate est
catholica et quae haeretica aestimanda. -ed
ad summum pontificem non solum permodum docentis vel doctrinae sed etiam
autentice pertinet diffinire quae assertio
catholica quaeve haeretica est censenda.
$rgo summus pontife% de assertione noncatholica catholicam et de assertione non
haeretica haereticam facere potest.
-econdly as follows8 3e to whom it pertains
to define by authority which assertionshould be considered catholic and which
heretical can make catholic an assertion
which is not catholic and heretical anassertion which is not heretical, because
otherwise his definition would seem to have
no more effect at all than the definition ordetermination of a teacher who declares and
proves by authorities or arguments which
assertion should in truth of fact be regardedas catholic and which as heretical. ut it
pertains to the highest pontiff to define not
only by way of teaching or doctrine but also
by authority which assertion should beconsidered catholic or which heretical.
*herefore the highest pontiff can make
catholic an assertion which is not catholicand heretical an assertion which is not
heretical.
#apitulum 1 #hapter 1
Discipulus Istae duae rationes apparentiam
habere videntur, tamen conclusio est mihi
difficilis ad tenendum. Ende si aliquiasserunt contrarium tibi placeat e%plicare.
!tudent *hose two arguments seem
plausible, yet the conclusion is difficult for
me to hold. If some people affirm theopposite, therefore, would you please set it
forth.
/agister -unt nonulli dicentes quod sicut
quantum ad ea quae spectant ad fidem
nostram et nequaquam e% voluntate humana
dependent non potest summus pontife% necetiam tota ecclesia /ei de assertione non
/aster *here are some people who say that
'ust as with respect to those things that
pertain to our faith and do not depend on
human will, the highest pontiff can not, norcan even the whole church of 0od, make
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vera facere veram nec de assertione non falsa
facere falsam, ita non potest de assertionenon catholica facere catholicam nec de
assertione non heretica facere hereticam et
ideo non potest novum articulum fidei facere
nec de non haeresi potest facere haeresimquoquo modo, quia sicut catholicae veritates
absque omni approbatione ecclesiae e%
natura rei sunt immutabiles et immutabiliterverae, ita immutabiliter sunt catholicae
reputandae et consimiliter sicut haereses
absque omni damnatione ecclesiae suntfalsae ita absque omni damnatione ecclesiae
sunt haereses.
true an assertion that is not true nor false an
assertion that is not false, so he can notmake catholic an assertion that is not
catholic nor heretical an assertion that is not
heretical and therefore he can not make a
new article of faith nor in any way at allmake a heresy of what is not a heresy,
because 'ust as without any approval by the
church catholic truths are immutable andimmutably true by the very nature of things
so they should be regarded as immutably
catholic, and similarly 'ust as heresies arefalse without any condemnation by the
church so they are heresies without any
condemnation by the church.
Discipulus Ista sententia magis me allicit etideo si potest rationibus confirmari eas non
differas allegare.
!tudent *hat opinion attracts me more, andso if it can be confirmed by arguments do
not hesitate to bring them forward.
/agister Ista sententia rationibus paucisostenditur quarum prima est haec. -i aliqua
veritas est catholica aut est dicenda catholica
quia a /eo revelata vel quia in -cripturis/ivinis contenta vel quia ab ecclesia
universali recepta vel quia sequitur e% illis
aut e% aliquo illorum quae sunt divinitusrevelata et in -cripturis /ivinis inventa et ab
ecclesia universali recepta vel quia a summo
pontifice approbata.
/aster *hat opinion is shown by a fewarguments of which the first is this. !#" If
any truth is catholic it should be called
catholic !#i" either because it has beenrevealed by 0od, !#ii" or because it is
contained in the divine scriptures, !#iii" or
because it has been accepted by theuniversal church, !#iv" or because it
follows from those things or some of those
things that have been divinely revealed and
found in the divine scriptures and accepted by the universal church, !#v" or because it
has been approved by the highest pontiff.
-i aliqua veritas ideo est catholica quia est a/eo revelata et revelatio divina nullatenus
dependet e% approbatione summi pontificis
nec e% approbatione totius ecclesiae, ergoapprobatio summi pontificis nihil facit ad
hoc quod talis veritas sit vere catholica.
!#i" Cow if some truth is catholic because ithas been revealed by 0od and that divine
revelation does not depend on the approval
of the highest pontiff nor on the approval of the whole church, the approval of the
highest pontiff, in that case, adds nothing to
the fact that such a truth is truly catholic.
-i detur secundum, scilicet quod aliquaveritas est catholica quia in /ivinis
-cripturis inserta, et constat quod talem
veritatem inseri in -cripturis /ivinis e% nullaapprobatione ecclesiae vel papae dependet,
ergo talis veritas absque omni approbatione
tali inter veritates catholicas est numeranda.
!#ii" If the second is granted, namely thatsome truth is catholic because it is inserted
in the divine scriptures, and it is certain that
the insertion of such a truth in the divinescriptures does not depend on any approval
by the church or pope, that truth should
therefore be numbered among catholictruths without any such approval.
-i detur tertium, scilicet quod aliqua veritas !#iii" If the third is granted, namely that
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est catholica quia ab ecclesia universali
recepta, quaerendum est quare ecclesiauniversalis talem recipit veritatem8 aut quia
sibi divinitus revelatur vel etiam inspiratur,
et tunc absque tali receptione ecclesiae vere
est catholica quia divinitus revelatur veletiam inspiratur aut eam recipit universalis
ecclesia quia eam in /ivinis -cripturis
invenit, et tunc adhuc absque tali receptioneest catholica iudicanda aut recipit eam
universalis ecclesia quia per e%perientiam
vel rationem naturalem eam cognoscit, quodde multis veritatibus catholicis nullatenus
dici potest, et tunc etiam ecclesia in faciendo
aliquam veritatem catholicam rationi vel
e%perientiae inniteretur, quod dici non potest.-equeretur enim quod ecclesia universalis
omnem veritatem geometricam et omnes
alias quarumcunque scientiarumdemonstrative probatas posset veritatibus
catholicis aggregare e% quo sequeretur quod
omnes assertiones falsas huiusmodiveritatibus naturaliter notis contrarias posset
ecclesia universalis inter haereses computare
et omnem assertorem cuiuscunqueassertionis falsae veritati naturaliter notae
contrariae tanquam haereticum condemnare,
quod est inconveniens reputandum. #ut
talem veritatem recipit universalis ecclesiaquia sibi placet, quod dici non potest quia
tunc ecclesia universalis in recipiendo
aliquam veritatem et faciendo eamcatholicam inniteretur solummodo humanae
voluntati, et ita fides nostra esset in voluntate
hominum. (um tamen asserat #postolusquod fides nostra non est in sapientia
hominum ? ad (orinthios 7 et multo fortius
non est in voluntate hominum. $cclesia
igitur universalis nullam recipit veritatemtanquam catholicam nisi quia divinitus
revelatur vel quia in sacris literis invenitur.
*alis autem veritas etiam si nulla essetecclesia vere esset catholica.
some truth is catholic because it has been
accepted by the universal church, it should be asked why the universal church receives
such a truth8 !#iiia" either because it is
divinely revealed to it or also inspired in it,
and then it is truly catholic without suchacceptance by the church because it is
divinely revealed or even inspired !#iiib"
or the universal church accepts it because itfinds it in the divine scriptures, and then
again it should be 'udged as catholic
without any such acceptance !#iiic" or theuniversal church accepts it because it knows
it by e%perience or natural reason : which
can not be said about many catholic truths :
and then also in making some truth catholicthe church would be relying on reason or
e%perience, and this can not be said. For it
would follow that the universal churchcould add every geometrical truth and
everything else proved demonstratively by
any science at all to catholic truths fromthis it would follow that the universal
church could count as among the heresies
all false assertions of this kind that werecontrary to naturally known truths and
could condemn as a heretic everyone who
affirms any false assertion of this kind
which is contrary to any naturally knowntruth, and this should be regarded as
irrational. !#iiid" +r the universal church
accepts such a truth because it pleases it,and this can not be said because then the
universal church would rely only on human
will in accepting some truth and making itcatholic, and so our faith would rest on on
human will. &et since the apostle affirms in
? (or. 7!89" that our faith does not rest on
human wisdom, much more is it so that itdoes not rest on human will. *he universal
church accepts no truth as catholic,
therefore, unless it is revealed divinely or isfound in the sacred writings. -uch a truth,
however, would be truly catholic even if
there were no church.-i detur quartum, scilicet quod aliqua veritas
est catholica quia sequitur e% illis vel aliquo
!-ee -ignificant Variants, para. 9." !#iv" If
the fourth is granted, namely that some
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illorum quae sunt divinitus revelata et in
-cripturis /ivinis inserta et ab ecclesiauniversali recepta, et palam est quod propter
approbationem ecclesiae non magis potest e%
eis inferri. $rgo per talem approbationem
non fit catholica, sed ante fuit catholica.
truth is catholic because it follows from
those things or some of those things whichhave been divinely revealed and inserted in
the divine scriptures and accepted by the
universal church, it is also clear that it can
not be inferred from them more because ofthe churchDs approval. It would not be made
catholic because of such approval,
therefore, but it was catholic before that.-i detur quintum, scilicet quod ideo aliqua
veritas est catholica quia est a summo
pontifice approbata, tunc quaerendum est ansummus pontife% veritatem aliquam
approbando innititur revelationi divinae vel
-cripturis -acris aut doctrinae universalis
ecclesiae, et quodcunque istorum detursequitur quod summus pontife% per
approbationem suam non facit talem
veritatem esse catholicam sed talemveritatem fuisse et esse catholicam
determinat et diffinit. Vel summus pontife%
approbando aliquam veritatem propriae prudentiae vel voluntati innititur, et si hoc
dicatur sequitur quod propter talem
approbationem summi pontificis non estaliqua veritas pro catholica acceptanda, quia
fides nostra nec in sapientia nec in voluntate
hominis potest consistere.
!#v" If the fifth is granted, namely that
some truth is catholic because it has been
approved by the highest pontiff, then itshould be asked whether in approving the
truth the highest pontiff relies on divine
revelation or on the sacred scriptures or on
the teaching of the universal church, andwhichever of these is granted it follows that
the highest pontiff does not make such a
truth catholic by his approval, but hedetermines and defines that such a truth was
and is catholic. +r in approving some truth
the highest pontiff relies on his own prudence or will, and if this is said it
follows that the truth should not be accepted
as catholic because of this approval by thehighest pontiff because our faith can not
rest on the wisdom or will of a man.
2atet igitur quod nulla veritas est catholicanisi quia divinitus revelata vel quia in
-cripturis /ivinis inserta vel quia per
certitudinem ecclesiae universali innotuit velquia e% aliquo illorum necessario argumento
concluditur. Cullum autem praedictorum e%
approbatione summi pontificis vel etiamecclesiae noscitur dependere. $rgo per
approbationem talem nulla veritas catholica
fieri potest, sed per talem approbationem
aliqua veritas fuisse et esse catholicadiffinitur. $t ita summus pontife% non facit
aliquam assertionem esse catholicam vel
haerticam, sed per approbationem suamdeterminat et diffinit veritates quas approbat
esse et fuisse catholicas et per
condemnationem suam determinat et diffinitassertiones quas reprobat esse et fuisse
haereticas. $t ita non facit novum articulum
It is clear therefore that no truth is catholicunless it has been divinely revealed or has
been inserted in the divine scriptures or has
become known to the universal church as acertainty or because it is inferred by
necessary argument from any of those.
Cone of these, however, is known to dependon the approval of the highest pontiff or
also of the church. *herefore no truth can
be made catholic through such approval, but
through such approval a truth is designatedas having been and being catholic. #nd so
the highest pontiff does not make any
assertion catholic or heretical, but by hisapproval he determines and defines truths
that he approves as being and having been
catholic and by his condemnation hedetermines and defines assertions that he
condemns as being and having been
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fidei sed noviter diffinit aliquem articulum
pertinere et pertinuisse ad catholicamveritatem, et ita talis veritas, quamvis noviter
diffiniatur esse catholica, prius tamen fuit
catholica.
heretical. #nd so he does not make a new
article of faith but newly defines somearticle as pertaining and having pertained to
catholic truth, and so even if such a truth is
newly defined as catholic, it was
nevertheless catholic before.-ecunda ratio est hec. -i aliqua veritas est
catholica solummodo quia est a =omano
pontifice approbata, aut ergo est catholicaquia est a =omano pontifice sive e%plicite
sive implicite approbata aut est tantummodo
catholica quia est a =omano pontificee%plicite approbata. -i detur primum sequitur
quod pontife% =omanus non potest facere
novum articulum fidei de aliqua veritate
quae antea necessaria e%istebat quia omnesveritates divinitus revelatae, in -cripturis
-acris insertae et quas unversalis ecclesia
recipit et quae sequuntur e% aliqua velaliquibus praedictarum fuerunt antea e%plicte
vel implicite per =omanos pontifices
approbatae. Ipsi enim totam fidem ecclesiaeapprobaverunt et per consequens implicite
approbaverunt omnia quae sequuntur quia,
sicut qui unum dicit dicit omnia quaesequuntur e% illo, ita qui unum approbat
approbat omnia quae sequuntur e% illo. -i
detur secundum, scilicet quod ideo aliqua
veritas solummodo dicitur catholica quia esta =omano pontifice e%plicite approbata, ergo
tales veritates (hristus mortuos suscitavit,
(hristus fuit /eus et homo, /eus omnia praescit, et huiusmodi non essent catholicae
reputandae nisi essent a =omano pontifice
e%plicite approbatae, quod pro inconvenientividetur habendum.
!" # second argument is this. If some truth
is catholic only because it has been
approved by the =oman pontiff, it is as aresult catholic !i" either because it has
been approved either e%plicitly or implicitly
by the =oman pontiff or !ii" it is catholiconly because it has been approved e%plicitly
by the =oman pontiff. !i" If the first is
granted, it follows that the =oman pontiff
can not make a new article of faith from anytruth that was necessary beforehand,
because all truths divinely revealed, inserted
in the sacred scriptures, accepted by theuniversal church and following from some
one or some of those have been e%plicitly or
implicitly approved earlier by =oman pontiffs. For they have approved the whole
faith of the church and, as a consequence,
have approved implicitly everything whichfollows !from it", because 'ust as he who
says one thing says everything which
follows from it, so he who approves one
thing approves everything which followsfrom it. !ii" If the second is granted,
however, namely that some truth is said to
be catholic only because it has beene%plicitly approved by a =oman pontiff,
such truths as (hrist raised the dead,
(hrist was 0od and man, 0odforeknows everything, and the like should
not have been regarded as catholic unless
they had been e%plicitly approved by a
=oman pontiff, and it seems that this should be considered irrational.
2er istas itaque rationes ostenditur quod
summus pontife% non potest facere novumarticulum fidei nec de veritate non catholica
potest facere catholicam. $% quo concludunt
isti quod =omanus pontife% de assertionenon haeretica non potest facere haereticam
quia omni assertioni catholicae contradicit
#nd so it is shown by these arguments that
the highest pontiff can not make a newarticle of faith and can not make catholic a
truth that is not catholic. *hey conclude
from this that a =oman pontiff can not makeheretical an assertion that is not heretical
because an heretical assertion contradicts
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assertio haeretica et econverso quia, sicut si
una contradictoriarum est vera altera est falsaet econverso, ita si una contradictoriarum est
catholica altera est haeretica sed sicut
probatum est =omanus pontife% non potest
de veritate non catholica facere catholicam,ergo nec de assertione non haeretica potest
facere haereticam.
every catholic assertion, and vice versa,
because 'ust as if one of !two"contradictories is true the other is false, and
vice versa, so if one of !two" contradictories
is catholic the other is heretical. ut 'ust as
it has been proved that a =oman pontiff cannot make catholic a truth that is not
catholic, nor can he, therefore, make
heretical an assertion that is not heretical.*ertia ratio est ista. -i ideo solummodo
aliqua assertio est inter haereses computanda
quia est a =omano pontifice vel etiam abecclesia condemnata, aut ergo quia damnata
sive implicite sive e%plicite aut solum quia
damnata e%plicite. -i detur primum, sequitur
quod omnis assertio quae potest licitedamnari est modo haeresis, quia omnis talis
est iam per ecclesiam et =omanos pontifices,
qui totam fidem approbando omnemfalsitatem contrariam damnaverunt, implicite
vel e%plicite condemnata. -i detur
secundum, scilicet quod aliqua assertio ideosolummodo est haeretica quia e%plicite
condemnata, ergo ista assertio, (hristus non
est homo, non erat haeretica antequam esset per ecclesiam condemnata, quod isti pro
manifesto ma%imo inconvenienti habent.
!(" # third argument is this. If an assertion
is reckoned among the heresies only
because it has been condemned by a =oman pontiff or also by the church, this is
therefore !(i" because it has been
condemned either implicitly or e%plicitly or
!(ii" only because it has been condemnede%plicitly. !(i" If the first is granted it
follows that every assertion which can
permissibly be condemned is now a heresy, because every such !assertion" has already
been condemned implicitly or e%plicitly by
the church and by the =oman pontiffs who by approving the whole of faith have
condemned every contrary falsity. !(ii" If
the second is granted, namely that anyassertion is heretical only because it has
been e%plicitly condemned, then the
assertion, (hrist is not a man, was not
heretical before it was condemned by thechurch, and they hold this as clearly
irrational.
Quarta ratio quae eis demonstrativa videturest haec. +mnis assertio cuius pertina%
defensator est vere haereticus est vere
haeresis sed omnes pertinaces defensatoresassertionum quae possunt per ecclesiam rite
et legitime tanquam haereses condemnari
sunt vere haeretici, licet eorum assertiones
non sint de facto e%plicite et sub forma propria ab ecclesia condemnatae ergo tales
assertiones ante damnationem huiusmodi
vere sunt inter haereses numerandae. 1aiorest manifesta quia nemo est haereticus nisi
propter haeresim cui adhaeret. 1inor
auctoritatibus beati #ugustini probatur, qui,ut habetur 76, q. 4, c. Di%it apostolus et c.
Qui in ecclesia, asserit manifeste quod qui
!/" # fourth reason, which seemsdemonstrative to them, is this. $very
assertion is truly a heresy if a pertinacious
defender of it is truly a heretic but all pertinacious defenders of assertions which
can rightly and legitimately be condemned
by the church as heresies are truly heretics,
even if their assertions have not in fact beencondemned e%plicitly and in that e%act form
by the church such assertions, therefore,
should truly be reckoned among theheresies before a condemnation of this kind.
*he ma'or !premise" is manifest because no
one is a heretic e%cept on account of aheresy to which he adheres. *he minor
!premise" is proved by te%ts from blessed
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sententiam falsam ac perversam et qui
morbidum aliquid et pravum sapiunt etcorrigi nolunt sunt heretici sed omnis
assertio que potest per ecclesiam rite
damnari est falsa, perversa, morbida et
prava ergo omnis pertina% defensator talisassertionis, licet non sit de facto e%plicite per
ecclesiam condemnata, est vere hereticus. $%
his concludunt isti quod ecclesia non potestfacere de assertione non heretica hereticam,
sed ecclesia aliquam heresim condemnando
determinat et diffinit eam fuisse et essehereticam.
#ugustine who manifestly affirms, as we
find in 76, q. 4, c. Di%it apostolus !col.>>B"and c. Qui in ecclesia !col.>>B", that those
who hold a false and perverse opinion and
those who hold something unwholesome
and evil and refuse to be corrected areheretics but any assertion that can rightly
be condemned by the church is false,
perverse, unwholesome and evil every pertinacious defender of such an assertion,
therefore, even if in fact it has not been
e%plicitly condemned by the church, is trulya heretic. *hey conclude from this that the
church can not make heretical an assertion
that is not heretical, but, by condemning
any heresy, the church determines anddefines that it has been and is heretical.
#apitulum 13 #hapter 13
Discipulus Istae ultimae rationes apparent
mihi fortes et tamen rationes pro prima
sententia videntur difficiles et ideo referquomodo respondetur ad ipsas.
!tudent *hose last arguments seem strong
to me, and yet the arguments for the first
opinion seem difficult. -et forth, therefore,how reply is made to them.
/agister #d primam illarum respondent
secundae sententiae assertores dicentes quodsicut saepe aliquis est haereticus et tamen
quia est tantummodo occultus haereticus non
debet tanquam haereticus iudicari, ita saepealiquis est haereticus quia haeresi
pertinaciter adhaeret et tamen quia non est
certum e%plicite quod assertio sua est et fuithaeretica, antequam e%plicite innotuerit
ecclesiae quod assertio sua est et fuit
haeretica, non debet tanquam haereticus
condemnari. 2ostquam autem per diligentemconsiderationem innotuerit ecclesiae quod
assertio sua est haeretica si pertina% invenitur
debet tanquam haereticus condemnari.
/aster In response to the first of them
those who affirm the second opinion saythat, 'ust as often someone is a heretic and
yet ought not be 'udged as a heretic because
he is only a secret heretic, so often someoneis a heretic because he clings pertinaciously
to a heresy and yet because it is not
e%plicitly certain that his assertion is andwas heretical he should not be condemned
as a heretic before it has become e%plicitly
known to the church that his assertion is
and was heretical. #fter it has becomeknown to the church by careful reflection,
however, that his assertion is heretical, he
should be condemned as a heretic if he is
found to be pertinacious.Discipulus Ista responsio mihi videtur
apparens nisi quod dubito de qua ecclesia istiloquuntur.
!tudent *hat reply seems clear to me,
e%cept that I am uncertain of which churchthey are speaking about.
/agister Ipsi loquuntur de ecclesia quae est
concilium generale vel papa quia non sufficit
in hoc casu ad damnationem alicuius quodinnotescat alicui alteri quam concilio
/aster *hey are speaking about the church
which is a general council or a pope,
because in this case it does not suffice forsomeoneDs condemnation that it becomes
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generali vel papae quod talis assertio fuerit et
sit haeretica.
known to anyone other than a general
council or a pope that such an assertion wasand is heretical.
Discipulus /ic quomodo respondent ad
e%empla de 0raecis et Ioachim et illis qui
di%erunt (hristum non esse aliquidsecundum quod homo.
!tudent *ell me how they reply to the
e%amples of the 0reeks and <oachim and
those who have said that (hrist is nothingas a man.
/agister /icunt quod assertiones illae antea
fuerunt haereticae, pertinaces etiamassertores earum fuerunt haeretici, quia
tamen antea non innotuerat ecclesiae quod
eorum assertiones erant haereticae nondebuerunt tanquam haeretici condemnari,
sed postea debuerunt tamquam haeretici
condemnari.
/aster *hey say that those assertions were
heretical before, and those who affirmedthem pertinaciously were also heretics, yet
because it had not earlier become known to
the church that their assertions wereheretical they should not have been
condemned as heretics, but afterwards they
should have been condemned as heretics.
Discipulus Intelligo responsionem eorum adrationem illam. /icas ergo quomodo
respondent ad secundam.
!tudent I understand their reply to thatargument. Would you tell me therefore how
they reply to the second.
/agister =espondent quod licet adsummum pontificem non solum per modum
doctrinae sed etiam autentice pertineat
diffinire quae assertio catholica, quaehaeretica est censenda, non tamen potest
facere de veritate non catholica veritatem
catholicam nec de assertione non haereticahaereticam valet efficere. Quo tamen non
obstante, diffinitio sua plus operatur quam
determinatio doctoris, quia post
determinationem doctoris licet cuilibet, sicut prius, contrarium opinari et publice opinando
tenere hoc autem non licet post
determinationem summi pontificis. #liudetiam operatur quia post diffinitionem rectam
summi pontificis licet cuilibet episcopo et
inquisitori haereticae pravitatis contratenentes contrarium illius quod rite per
summum pontificem diffinitum e%titit
procedere iu%ta canonicas sanctiones, nisi
tales offerrent se ad probandum summum pontificem erronee diffinisse, in quo casu
esset ad generale concilium recurrendum.
2ost determinationem autem cuiuscumquedoctoris non licet episcopis et inquisitoribus
pravitatis haereticae contra tenentes
contrarium procedere magis quam ante.
/aster *hey reply that although it pertainsto the highest pontiff to define not only by
means of teaching but also by authority
which assertion should be consideredcatholic and which heretical, yet he can not
make catholic a truth which is not catholic
nor is he able to make heretical an assertionwhich is not heretical. Cevertheless,
notwithstanding this, his definition has
more effect than the determination of a
doctor because after the determination of adoctor anyone at all is permitted, 'ust as
before, to opine, and to maintain publicly
by opining, the opposite this is not permitted, however, after a determination
by the highest pontiff. It also has another
effect because after a correct definition bythe highest pontiff any bishop or inquisitor
into heretical wickedness is permitted to
proceed in accord with canonical laws
against those holding the opposite of whathas been rightly defined by the highest
pontiff, unless such people bring themselves
forward to prove that the highest pontiff hasmade an erroneous definition, in which case
recourse should be had to a general council.
#fter a determination by any doctor at all,however, bishops and inquisitors into
heretical wickedness are not permitted to
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proceed against those holding the contrary
more than they were before.
#apitulum 16 #hapter 16
Discipulus )icet quaedam retuleris de
quibus admiror, unde et de eis posteainterrogationem habebo, tamen conclusio
principalis secundae sententiae videtur mihi probabilis, et miror quod aliquis tenet quod
papa potest facere novum articulum fidei.
*amen qualiter respondetur ad c. $%tra, De
haereticis, Cum Christus indica mihi.
!tudent #lthough you have recounted some
things at which I wonder : and I will as aresult question you about them later : the
main conclusion of this second opiniondoes nevertheless seem probable to me, and
I wonder that anyone holds that the pope
can make a new article of faith. For all that,
indicate to me how reply is made to thechapter Cum Christus in $%tra, De hereticis
!col.@@>".
/agister Volo te scire quod illa allegatio estquorundam canonistarum, de quibus nonnulli
theologi scandaliGantur quando vident eos detheologicis difficultatibus se intromittereultra verba theologorum quae in scriptis suis
inveniunt aliquid e% suo ingenio proferendo.
Quia enim in theologia sunt minime eruditi
ideo auctoritates theologiae quas in suislibris reperiunt non debent e%ponere ultra
sensum grammaticalem, nec e% eis debent
aliquas conclusiones inferre, nisi sequanturtam patenter quod quilibet illiteratus utens
ratione possit advertere, quia cum saepe
verum auctoritatum theologiae non habeantintellectum si e% eis voluerint alias
conclusiones inferre facile incident in
errores, quod in istis canonistis qui e% praedicto capitulo #le%andri 4 Cum Christus
volebant inferre quod papa potest facere
novum articulum fidei sine difficultate potest
adverti. Cam e% illo capitulo credebant posseconcludi quod ante illam constitutionem
licebat dicere (hristum non esse /eum et
hominem, cum tamen non dicat nec ibi
inhibeat dicere (hristum non esse /eum ethominem, sed inhibet dicere (hristum non
esse aliquid secundum quod homo. (uiuscausam assignat quia (hristus est verus /eus
et verus homo. Istae autem sunt assertiones
distinctae, (hristus est verus /eus et verus
homo et (hristus est aliquid secundumquod homo, una tamen sequitur e% alia.
/aster I want you to know that thatargument is adduced by certain canonists by
whom some theologians are scandalisedwhen they see them concern themselveswith theological difficulties by putting
forward something on the basis of their own
way of thinking beyond the words of
theologians that they find in their ownwritings. For because they are not learned
in theology they should as a result not
e%pound the theological authorities thatthey find in their own books in more than a
grammatical sense, nor should they infer
any conclusions from them unless theyfollow so clearly that any unlearned person
at all using his reason can observe them
because, since they often do not have a trueunderstanding of theological te%ts, they will
easily fall into errors if they want to infer
other conclusions from them. *his can be
observed without difficulty in thosecanonists who were wanting to infer from
the above chapter of #le%ander III, Cum
Christus, that the pope can make a new
article of faith. For they believed that it can be concluded from that chapter that before
!#le%anderDs" constitution it was permissible to say that (hrist is not 0od
and man, although he does not say, nor in
that place restrain !anyone" from saying,
that (hrist is not 0od and man, but restrains!anyone" from saying that (hrist is nothing
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as a man. *he reason he adduces for this is
that (hrist is true 0od and true man.3owever those assertions, (hrist is true
0od and true man and (hrist is something
as a man, are distinct yet one follows from
the other.Discipulus (lare video quod praedicti
canonistae dictum capitulum Cum Christus
male allegant ad probandum quod antetempora #le%andri licebat dicere (hristum
non esse /eum et hominem. -ed videtur
quod bene allegaverunt ad probandum papam posse facere novum articulum fidei,
quia quod (hristus est aliquid secundum
quod homo ante tempora #le%andri 4 non
fuit articulus fidei, imo licebat contrariumopinari ipse autem fecit quod esset articulus
fidei et quod non licet dicere contrarium.
$rgo ipse fecit novum articulum fidei.
!tudent I see clearly that the aforesaid
canonists wrongly adduce the said chapter
Cum Christus to prove that before the timeof #le%ander it was permissible to say that
(hrist is not 0od and man. ut it seems that
they have adduced it correctly to prove thata pope can make a new article of faith,
because before the time of #le%ander III it
was not an article of faith that (hrist is
something as a man : indeed it was permissible to hold the opposite : however
he brought it about that it was an article of
faith and that it is not permissible to say theopposite. *herefore he made a new article
of faith.
/agister #d istam tuam obiectionemrespondent secundae sententiae assertores
dicentes quod articulus fidei accipitur stricte,
pro veritate catholica in symbolo autenticosub propria forma inserta, et sic non
loquimur nunc de articulo fidei. #liter potest
accipi articulus fidei large, pro omni
catholica veritate, et isto modo est nuncsermo de articulo fidei. $t sic non potest
papa facere novum articulum fidei, nec
#le%ander fecit talem novum articulum fideiquia non fecit novam catholicam veritatem
sed fecit quod nec asserendo nec opinando
liceret dicere contrarium illius quod ante fuitcatholica veritas et quod dicentes contrarium
e%communicationis sententiae subderentur.
$t ita ista, (hristus secundum quod homo est
aliquid, ante #le%andrum 4 fuit verecatholica veritas, sed ante tempora #le%andri
non innotuit ecclesiae quod esset catholica.
$% illis enim quae in -cripturis /ivinishabentur veritates multae sequuntur quae
tamen latent ecclesiam, et ideo catholicae
sunt, licet ecclesia nondum discusserit ancatholicam sapiant veritatem.
/aster *hose who affirm the secondopinion reply to that ob'ection of yours by
saying that article of faith is taken strictly,
as a catholic truth inserted in the authenticcreed in that e%act form, and we are not
now speaking about an article of faith in
that sense. +therwise article of faith can
be taken broadly, as any catholic truth, andthe discussion now is about an article of
faith in that sense. #nd in this sense a pope
can not make a new article of faith, and#le%ander did not produce such a new
article of faith because he did not produce a
new catholic truth but brought it about thatneither by asserting nor by opining would it
be permissible to say the contrary of what
was previously a catholic truth and that
those saying the contrary would besub'ected to a sentence of
e%communication. #nd so before #le%ander
III it was truly a catholic truth that (hrist asa man is something, but before his time it
was not known to the church that it was
catholic. For from what we find in thedivine scriptures many truths follow which
nevertheless are hidden from the church,
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and so they are catholic even if the church
has not yet investigated whether they smack of catholic truth.
#apitulum 1 #hapter 1
Discipulus Quia diffinitio haeresis de quadisseruisti plura conveniens mihi videtur, nec
tamen e% ea intelligo an haeresis sit speciesspecialissima vel sub se plures species
habens, de hoc quid sentiant literati non
postponas e%primere.
!tudent ecause the definition of heresyabout which you have spoken much seems
reasonable to me, and yet I do notunderstand from it whether heresy is an
ultimate species or has many species within
it, would you not delay describing what the
learned think about this.
're there se5eral kinds of heresies.
/agister /e diffinitione specifica sunt plures opiniones. Quidam enim dicunt quod
eadem res sub diversis speciebus collocarinon potest, quidam dicunt contrarium.
/aster *here are several opinions on thedefinition of a species. For some people say
that the same thing can not be put underdifferent species, while some say theopposite.
Discipulus /e talibus difficultatibus te
nullatenus intromittas. Cam ad philosophicasscientias spectant quarum difficultates
proprias quantum potes evita. -ed dic mihi
nunc quid tenetur de haeresibus, an omnessub uno modo vel nomine aut specie
continentur vel sub pluribus.
!tudent Would you not involve yourself in
such difficulties. For they pertain to the philosophical sciences, the particular
difficulties of which you should avoid as
much as you can. ut tell me now what isheld about heresies, whether they are all
comprehended under the one mode or name
or species, or under several.
/agister Intentionem tuam adverto et ideoad mentem tuam volo tibi opiniones
contrarias recitare. -i recolis, de veritatibus
catholicis opiniones narravi, quia quidamdicunt quod illae solae veritates sunt
catholicae reputandae quae e%plicite vel
implicite in -cripturis /ivinis habentur. #liiautem asserunt quod praeter illas veritates
sunt nonnullae aliae inter catholicas veritates
numerandae. Iu%ta istas opiniones sunt etiam
de haeresibus opiniones contrariae. Quidam
enim tradunt quod haeresis habetsolummodo sub se tres species sive tres
modos haeresum diversarum propter quassolummodo debet quis puniri. 2rima species
vel primus modus haeresum est illarum quae
veritatibus sub forma propria in -criptura/ivina repertis non solum quomodolibet
adversantur sed etiam in eisdem terminis
/aster I advert to your intention and so Iwant to record the opposing opinions for
you according to your thoughts. If you
remember, I reported opinions aboutcatholic truths, because some people say
that only those truths should be regarded as
catholic which are found e%plicitly orimplicitly in the divine scriptures. 3owever,
others assert that besides those some other
truths should be reckoned among catholic
truths. In line with these opinions there are
also opposing opinions about heresies. Forsome people teach that there are only three
species of heresy or three modes ofdifferent heresies on account of which alone
someone should be punished. *he first
species or mode of heresy is those whichnot only in some way oppose truths found
in divine scripture in that e%act form but
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contradicunt. *ales sunt istae Verbum non
est caro factum, /eus non creavit in principio coelum et terram, (hristus non
est assumptus in coelum, et huiusmodi.
#liae sunt haereses quae patenter omni
intelligenti, etiam illiterato, his quae in-cripturis /ivinis habentur obviant et
repugnant. Quales sunt tales, (hristus non
fuit natus pro salute nostra, Culla est vita beata, et consimiles. #liae sunt haereses
quae non patenter omnibus sed solummodo
literatis et sapientibus eruditis in -cripturis/ivinis per magnam et subtilem
considerationem patent sacris literis
adversari. (uiusmodi sunt tales, (hristus
non est aliquid secundum quod homo,/uae personae sunt in (hristo, et
huiusmodi multae.
even contradict them using the same terms.
*he following are of this kind, *he worddid not become flesh, 0od did not create
heaven and earth in the beginning, (hrist
was not taken up into heaven, and the like.
*here are other heresies which in a wayclear to anyone with understanding, even to
the unlearned, oppose and conflict with
those things that are found in the divinescriptures. *he following are of this kind,
(hrist was not born for our salvation,
*here is no life of beatitude, and otherslike this. *here are other heresies which do
not clearly oppose sacred writings in the
eyes of everyone but only in the eyes of the
learned and wise who are erudite in thedivine scriptures after long and subtle
investigation. *he following are of this
kind, (hrist is nothing as a man, *hereare two persons in (hrist, and many like
this.
#lii autem sunt qui praedictos modoshaeresum asserentes dicunt quod praeter
haereses iam dictas sunt aliae, illae videlicet
quae doctrinae apostolicae, quae doctrinaabsque scriptis apostolicis per relationem
fidelium sibi succedentium vel per scripturas
fidelium ad nos pervenit, quomodolibet
adversantur. -i etiam aliqui errores alicuiveritati post tempora apostolorum ecclesiae
revelatae repugnant, omnes illi sunt inter
haereses computandi.
*here are others, however, who affirm theabove modes of heresy but say that besides
the heresies already mentioned there are
others, namely those which oppose in someway apostolic teaching, teaching which has
come to us not in apostolic writings but by
the narration of the believers succeeding
them or by the writings of the believers.#lso if some errors conflict with any truth
revealed to the church after apostolic times,
they should all be reckoned among theheresies.
=eturn to *able of (ontents