2 - Of Heresies

Summary

Who are heretics and who are not.

We decree that heretics are all those who receive any doctrine of our common faith in a way which is contrary to what has been determined by Holy Scripture, and who so dwell in error that they make no attempt whatsoever to be delivered from it. Nor is any distinction to be made in this matter between someone who has been the author of his own error and someone who follows and defends an error which he has received from elsewhere. But those who are not confirmed heretics [and] do not defend it, but seek [after] the truth, and when they have been folly instructed by lawful judges, themselves acknowledge their guilt and are easily open to correction in this matter, ought not to be counted as heretics.

How schismatics differ from heretics.

Many people have confused schismatics with heretics. But there is a great difference between them. For schismatics do not have a faith which is any different from others, but [separate distance] themselves from that common fellowship which ought to exist among Christians. Therefore it sometimes happens, /that/ when they have wandered far away from the godly doctrines and worship of others, that they end up in some heresy, which then cuts them off even more from the recognized fellowship of the good.

What the first of the heresies is.

Of those who reject the authority of the Holy Scriptures.

Satan, who is the chief enemy of the Christian name, infuse[d/s] such pestilential [force of] heresy (like weeds and tares) into the saving seed of the divine Scriptures, which is scattered about in the church of God, that the total number of these fireballs by which the church is inflamed and continues to burn miserably can hardly be counted, as the devil daily piles up even more firewood in the shape of false opinions. Therefore in these constitutions of ours we shall briefly go over those heresies, the present plague of which still incubates [to/-] the harm of religion in our times. Of this type the most frightening (who shall Sacras Scripturas ad infirmiorum tantum hominum debilitatem ablegant et detrudunt, sibi sic ipsi interim prae[f/s]identes ut ad earum auctoritatem nullum omnino respectum habeant; et hi se teneri non putent, sed peculiarem quendam sibi spiritum arrogant iactant, a quo sibi omnia suppeditari scientiam rerum affirmant aiunt, quaecunque docent et faciunt.