long as they be held in good faith, otherwise their adherents are
disobedient, for how can anyone, desirous of loving justice and obeying God,
adore as Divine what he knows to be alien from the Divine nature? (40)
However, men may err from simplicity of mind, and Scripture, as we
have seen, does not condemn ignorance, but obstinacy. (41) This is the
necessary result of our definition of faith, and all its branches
should spring from the universal rule above given, and from the evident aim
and object of the Bible, unless we choose to mix our own inventions
therewith. (42) Thus it is not true doctrines which are expressly required
by the Bible, so much as doctrines necessary for obedience, and to confirm
in our hearts the love of our neighbour, wherein (to adopt the words of
John) we are in God, and God in us.

(43) As, then, each man's faith must be judged pious or impious only in
respect of its producing obedience or obstinacy, and not in respect of its
truth; and as no one will dispute that men's dispositions are exceedingly
varied, that all do not acquiesce in the same things, but are ruled
some by one opinion some by another, so that what moves one to devotion
moves another to laughter and contempt, it follows that there can be no
doctrines in the Catholic, or universal, religion, which can give rise to
controversy among good men. (44) Such doctrines might be pious to some and
impious to others, whereas they should be judged solely by their fruits.

(45) To the universal religion, then, belong only such dogmas as are
absolutely required in order to attain obedience to God, and without which
such obedience would be impossible; as for the rest, each man - seeing that
he is the best judge of his own character should adopt whatever he thinks
best adapted to strengthen his love of justice. (46) If this were so, I
think there would be no further occasion for controversies in the Church.