Book of Collections on the Art of Preaching

It is diluted by the methods of the dialecticians passed down by Aristotle. It is alleviated by an aggressive stance that is very grave, so that the auditor may believe the rest to be empty. It is alleviated by interruption for the sake of brevity, if time were given, to satisfy the matter clearly.

PROMISE of solution, if we have said a few things beforehand, by the multitude of which we overwhelm the auditor, blunting him to such an extent that he forgets the promised solution.

ATTENUATION, showing by amplification that what the adversaries said was impossible was actually possible, or done with another intention, or punished, or amended by repentance.

ADMONITION, by which we threaten the adversary that if he persists in that argument, he will fall into danger.

QUESTION of two or more, from which the adversary must choose the worse or to which he cannot respond.

RETORTION of arguments onto the adversaries.
ILLUSION, when we resolve arguments into laughter.
CONTEMPT of them, passing them over as humble, beside the point, and unworthy of learned men.
SUSPICION is the last. For things we cannot prove must be sprinkled with figurative suspicions.

ON CONCLUSION

Peroration

CONCLUSION is the end of the sermon, refreshing the memory of the auditor and moving his mind, which by another name is called the Peroration.
Individual parts of the sermon receive their own epilogues and very brief conclusions, except for the division.

CONCLUSION, which is a part of the whole homily or sermon