1:1
Quia catholicae veritatis doctor non solum provectos debet instruere, sed ad eum pertinet etiam incipientes erudire, secundum illud Apostoli I ad Corinth. 3, 1-2: tanquam parvulis in Christo, lac vobis potum dedi, non escam; propositum nostrae intentionis in hoc opere est, ea quae ad Christianam religionem pertinent, eo modo tradere, secundum quod congruit ad eruditionem incipientium. Consideravimus namque huius doctrinae novitios, in his quae a diversis conscripta sunt, plurimum impediri: partim quidem propter multiplicationem inutilium quaestionum, articulorum et argumentorum;
既然大公真理的教師不僅應當教導已有根基的人，也有責任教導初學者——按照使徒在哥林多前書三章一至二節的話：「我是用奶餵你們，像對在基督裡為嬰孩的人，沒有用飯餵你們」——我們在本書中所立的目標，乃是要把那些屬於基督教信仰的事，以合乎教導初學者的方式陳明出來。因為我們觀察到，這門學問的初學者，被各家所寫的著作大大攔阻：一部分固然是由於無用的問題、條目與論證繁複增多；
Since the teacher of Catholic truth ought not only to instruct the advanced, but it also belongs to him to teach beginners—according to that word of the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2: 'As to little ones in Christ, I gave you milk to drink, not solid food'—the purpose of our intention in this work is to set forth those things which belong to the Christian religion in such a manner as befits the instruction of beginners. For we have observed that the novices in this teaching are very greatly hindered by the things which have been written by various authors: partly indeed on account of the multiplication of useless questions, articles, and arguments;
1:2
partim etiam quia ea quae sunt necessaria talibus ad sciendum, non traduntur secundum ordinem disciplinae, sed secundum quod requirebat librorum expositio, vel secundum quod se praebebat occasio disputandi; partim quidem quia eorundem frequens repetitio et fastidium et confusionem generabat in animis auditorum. Haec igitur et alia huiusmodi evitare studentes, tentabimus, cum confidentia divini auxilii, ea quae ad sacram doctrinam pertinent, breviter ac dilucide prosequi, secundum quod materia patietur.
一部分也是因為那些這等人所必須知道的事，並非按照這門學問的次序傳授，而是按照那些書卷的講解所要求的，或按照辯論的機會所呈現的；一部分固然是因為這些相同事物的頻繁重複，在聽者心中產生了厭煩與混亂。所以我們竭力避免這些以及其他同類之事，要倚靠神的幫助，懷著信心，簡明而清晰地論述那些屬於聖道的事，按著題材所容許的範圍。
partly also because those things which are necessary for such persons to know are not handed down according to the order of the discipline, but according to what the exposition of the books required, or according as the occasion for disputation presented itself; partly indeed because the frequent repetition of these same things generated both weariness and confusion in the minds of the hearers. Striving therefore to avoid these and other things of this kind, we shall attempt, with confidence in divine aid, to pursue briefly and clearly those things which belong to sacred doctrine, in so far as the matter shall allow.