Notice Prefixed to the Second Edition

NOTICE

PREFIXED TO THE SECOND EDITION Scarcely a few months had passed from the edition of this work which was prepared at Rome and at Turin in the years 66 and 67 of this century, when, almost all the copies having been sold sooner than expected, it became necessary to proceed to the preparation of another edition. And although there was no need to think of changing the plan of a book so approved in the schools, nevertheless, as much as time allowed, diligent labor was applied so that it might come forth much enlarged and more suitable for use. But in what respects this edition differs from the former, receive in a few words, friendly Reader.

I. The form of the type having been somewhat reduced, and the pages having been made a little larger, each volume has been reduced to a more convenient bulk.

II. Hence, since in the preceding edition (namely, lest the second volume, already immense in itself, should grow beyond measure) the appendix had been omitted, into which Father Gury had cast both certain catalogues of condemned propositions and a small index of writers on moral matters, space remained for restoring these now. Nevertheless, it seemed good to prefix these rather to the first volume than to add them to the later one, both for other reasons and also so that each volume would not differ too greatly in size.

III. We shall also present a fuller series of proscribed theses. For although, adhering to Father Gury's plan, we have in mind for the most part to report no others than those which pertain to morals, nevertheless the Author left us room to add several more: he had brought forward only a few from Michael de Molinos, and none from those proscribed by Pius V in Michael Baius, by Innocent XII concerning the most pure love of God, and by Pius VI in the Synod of Pistoia.

IV. But as regards the small index of writers on moral matters, the one which the Author had given having been omitted as too meager, we have copied almost entirely that which the very distinguished Father Michael Haringer, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, inserted in his excellent introduction to the moral theology of St. Alphonsus; since it sets forth the writers cited by St. Alphonsus, and thereafter the judgment of the same most holy man concerning them.

V. Finally, it pleased us to remove a certain confusion introduced by a double series of notes, of which some, written in very small letters, had Father Gury as author, revising his work for twenty and more years; while others had first been added in the Roman edition. As regards the former, we have taken care that all of them, each in its own place, be inserted into the text, which moreover in this edition we have not seldom polished. But to the Notes of another hand, which alone now remain, no moderate accession has been made in the present edition. These things I wished to say to you. Farewell.