the history of the world shows how great is the power of the devil's
kingdom. The world is full of blasphemies against God and of wicked
opinions, and the devil keeps entangled in these bands those who are
wise and righteous [many hypocrites who appear holy] in the sight of
the world. In other persons grosser vices manifest themselves. But
since Christ was given to us to remove both these sins and these
punishments, and to destroy the kingdom of the devil, sin and death,
it will not be possible to recognize the benefits of Christ unless we
understand our evils. For this reason our preachers have diligently
taught concerning these subjects, and have delivered nothing that is
new but have set forth Holy Scripture and the judgments of the holy
Fathers.

We think that this will satisfy His Imperial Majesty concerning the
puerile and trivial sophistry with which the adversaries have
perverted our article. For we know that we believe aright and in
harmony with the Church catholic of Christ. But if the adversaries
will renew this controversy, there will be no want among us of those
who will reply and defend the truth. For in this case our
adversaries, to a great extent, do not understand what they say.
They often speak what is contradictory, and neither explain correctly
and logically that which is essential to [i.e., that which is or is
not properly of the essence of] original sin, nor what they call
defects. But we have been unwilling at this place to examine their
contests with any very great subtlety. We have thought it worth
while only to recite, in customary and well-known words, the belief
of the holy Fathers, which we also follow.