4903. Besides these there were very many who had no doctrine but simply acknowledged the Word, saying that is enough to read the Word, and did not care to be enlightened about the Word's genuine meaning. On account of this they were able to apply the Word in its outer meaning to whatever heresy they desired and in this way defend evil and reject what is good. It would have been otherwise if they had acknowledged doctrine likewise taken from the Word but by those who are enlightened. There was an enormous number of these since they had lived an evil life.
4903. Moreover, there were very many who had no doctrine, but merely acknowledged the Word, saying that it is sufficient to read the Word; nor did they care to be enlightened concerning the genuine sense of the Word. Wherefore they were able to apply the Word, so far as regards the external sense, to any heresy whatever that they wished, and thus to defend evils and reject goods. The case would have been otherwise if they had acknowledged doctrine, which, also, is drawn thence, but by the enlightened. Inasmuch as these lived an evil life, their number was immense.
4903. Praeterea erant perplures, qui nullam habuerunt doctrinam, sed solum agnoverunt Verbum, dicendo quod satis sit legere Verbum, nec curarunt illustrari de sensu Verbi genuino, quapropter potuerunt applicare Verbum quoad sensum externum, ad quamlibet haeresin, quam vellent, ita mala defendere, et bona rejicere; aliter si agnovissent doctrinam quae etiam inde sed ab illustratis; horum numerus ingens fuit, quoniam vixerunt vitam malam.