Cardinal Cajetan, in his preface on
the five books of Moses, speaking of his own Annotations, says this: “if you
chance there to meet with any new exposition, which is agreeable to the text,
and not contrary either to the Scriptures or to the doctrine of the Church,
although perhaps it differs from that which is given by the whole current of
the holy doctors; I shall desire the readers that they would not too hastily
reject it, but that they would rather censure charitably. Let them remember to give
every man his due: there are none but the authors of the Holy Scriptures alone,
to whom we attribute much authority, as that we ought to believe whatever, they
have written. But as for others (says Augustine,) of however great sanctity and
learning they may have been, I so read them, that I do not believe what they
have written merely because they have written it. Let no man therefore reject a
new exposition of any passage of Scripture, under pretence that it is contrary
to what the ancient Doctors gave; but let him rather diligently examine the
text, and the context of the Scripture; and if he finds that it accords will
therewith, let him praise God, who has not tied the exposition of the
Scriptures to the sense of the ancient Doctors, but to the whole Scripture
itself, under the censure of the Catholic Church.” (Thomas. de Vio Card.
Cajet. Praef. in Penat) (John Daillé, A Treatise on the Right Use of the
Fathers in the Decision of Controversies Existing at This Day in Religion [2d
ed.; Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1856], 350-51)
