These men soften their phrases, but such harsh speech needlessly troubles the people; it is neither Scripture's nor the Fathers'
I know that the great men who use expressions of this kind do not admit these consequences, and bring their statements, as far as they can, to a sound and acceptable sense.
But however much such harsh expressions are softened by charitable interpretation, they cannot fail to offend the ears of Christian people and to plant various doubts in the minds of those who hear them, and that without any need. What need is there to cling tooth and nail to ways of speaking that are neither stated outright in Scripture nor used by the ancient doctors of the Church?
Latin
XLIV. Scio magnos illos viros qui locutionibus ejusmodi utuntur, consequentias istas non admittere, & dicta sua quantum possunt reducere ad sensum bonum atque commodum: sed quantumvis ejusmodi durae locutiones interpretatione benigna emolliantur, Christianae plebis aures non possunt non offendere, & animis audientium non injicere varios scrupulos, absque ulla necessitate. Quid enim opus mordicus adhaerere istis loquendi modis, qui nec diserte sunt in scriptura expressi, nec sunt in usu veterum Ecclesiae Doctorum?