CHAPTER 7 Defining Evangelizing - Evangelism Unlimited

Thomas P. Johnston 281
contrary to the honor of God and o our Holy Mother the Church and the commandments of the same.’” Du
Bourg responded that he had no desire to dogmatize nor to ‘give any occasion for the people to be
scandalized.’” 333
“Dogmatizing” (used in French, from the interrogation of a colporteur before his death sentence):
“And to ensure that the errors of the heretics not pollute [further], the aforementioned Court [of
Bordeaux, France] inhibits and forbids every kind of person, with the penalty of heresy [i.e.
excommunication = the death penalty 334 ], to gather and convene, nor to dogmatize and hold any
propositions not consonant with the holy faith.” 335
“Evangelizing” (used in French):
“There were Bible colporteurs, similar to ours, for whom the primary work was evangelization.” 336
“Explaining”:
“Students and gentilmen, said Calvin, were transformed into colporteurs, and, under the shadow of
selling their merchandise, they offered all the faithful the weapons for the holy combat of the faith. They
crossed the kingdom [of France], selling and explaining the Gospels.” 337
“Huguenoted”:
“Many of those who followed [the Duke of Guise], Jacquais and pages, rejoiced to themselves of the
plan [to destroy the Huguenots of Vaissy, France], saying, that the pillaging would be for them, vowed
death and blood for those that would have been Huguenoted.” 338
“Imparting [heresy]”
“The final sentence reproaches him thus: That has come to pass concerning thee which the Apostle
says (2 Tim. iii. 13), ‘But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived;’ for in Venice, and throughout many following years, proceeding from bad to worse, not only
hast thou persisted in former heresies, but thou hast adopted others, imparting them to other persons
similarly heretical and suspected, as well by reading many of the heresiarchs, Martin Luther’s works, and
333Matthieu LeLièvre, Portraits et récits Huguenots, première série (Toulouse: Société des Livres Religieux,
1903), 246-47; LeLièvre quoted Mémoires de Condé, 1:302. Translation mine.
334Thomas Aquinas, O.F.P., that “Great Angelic Doctor,” wrote his Summa Theologica as an apologetic for
Catholicism and the practices of his Order, the Dominicans, in their inquisition against and extirpation of the
Evangelical Albigenses. For example, in the Section “Secunda Secundae”, Question 11, Aquinas addressed “Heresy”:
Article 1 defined heresy: “Therefore heresy is a species of unbelief, belonging to those who profess the
Christian faith, but corrupt its dogmas.”
Article 2 defined heretical faith by quoting Jerome: “If anything therein has been incorrectly or carelessly
expressed, we beg that it may be set aright by you who hold the faith and see of Peter. If however this, our profession,
be approved by the judgment of your apostleship, whoever may blame me, will prove that he himself is ignorant, or
malicious, or even not a catholic but a heretic.”
Article 3, explained whether heretics should be tolerated: “I answer that, With regard to heretics two points
must be observed: one, on their own side; the other, on the side of the Church. On their own side there is the sin,
whereby they deserve not only to be separated from the Church by excommunication, but also to be severed from the
world by death. …much more reason is there for heretics, as soon as they are convicted of heresy, to be not only
excommunicated but even put to death.
“On the part of the Church, however, there is mercy which looks to the conversion of the wanderer, wherefore
she condemns not at once, but ‘after the first and second admonition,’ as the Apostle directs: after that, if he is yet
stubborn, the Church no longer hoping for his conversion, looks to the salvation of others, by excommunicating him and
separating him from the Church, and furthermore delivers him to the secular tribunal to be exterminated thereby from
the world by death” (Thomas Aquinas, “Heresy” from Section “Secunda Secundae”, Question 11, Summa Theologica
[from http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3011.htm]; accessed 2 Oct 2007; Internet).
335Crespin, 436b. Translation mine.
336Lortsch, Histoire de la Bible en France [accessed: 5 March 2005; from: http://www.bibliquest.org/Lortsch/
Lortsch-Histoire_Bible_France-1.htm; Internet], 1:26).
337Ibid., 1:25.
338Crespin, 591b. Translation mine.