Book of Collections on the Art of Preaching

oracles, authorities, confessions, opinions of the common people, sects, agreements, sentences, judgments, custom, usage, laws.

ORACLES are prophecies brought forth by some divine power, such as the twenty-four referring to the Sibylline oracles or similar prophetic numbering: "They shall come in triremes from Italy, they will overcome the Assyrians, they will ravage the Hebrews, and in the end, they themselves will also perish."

AUTHORITY is a probable statement by a wise person or some famous man who is excellent in his own art, such as that of Paul to Titus 1: "One of them, their own prophet, said, 'Cretans are always liars.' This testimony is true."

CONFESSIONS are those things which are extorted from someone for the sake of searching out the truth, such as that in Matthew 8: "And behold, they cried out, saying, 'What have we to do with you, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here before the time to torment us?'"

OPINION OF THE COMMON PEOPLE is a certain reputation that seems to exist among all, such as that in Mark 11: "We fear the people, for they all held John to be truly a prophet."

SECT is the imitation of a certain discipline contrary to another, as in Acts 23: "Men, brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am judged." And when Paul had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

AGREEMENTS are conventions of certain parties tending toward the same thing, as in Luke 22: "And they made an agreement to give him money, and he promised." Therefore, an argument is drawn from this place in John 6: "He spoke, however, of Judas Iscariot; for he was the one who was to betray him."

JUDGMENT is the thoughtful consideration of future events. Proverbs 12: "The thoughts of the just are judgments."