Obedience
The virtue of obedience to religious superiors and divine commands — valued above personal preference, the motive force for Lapide's publication. For Lapide, "obedience was always dearer to him than life"; it was what led him to publish his writings which he would otherwise have condemned to silence.
Preliminaries
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THE LIFE OF CORNELIUS A LAPIDE.
— For Lapide, "obedience was always dearer to him than life, and the love of truth." Obedience led him to bring his writings into public light.
"Obedience was always dearer to him than life, and the love of truth."
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TO THE MOST REVEREND AND MOST ILLUSTRIOUS LORD HENRY FRANCIS VAN DER BURCH, ARCHBISHOP AND DUKE OF CAMBRAI, PRINCE OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE, COUNT OF CAMBRAI.
— Van der Burch submitted to his Provincial's persuasion and "bowed his neck again to the pious burden" of the vicariate.
"had not our Reverend Father Provincial... drawn you back from this resolve and persuaded you to bow your neck again to the pious burden."
Preface and Praise of Sacred Scripture
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II. The Richness of the Old Testament
— Abraham and Isaac resolved to seal obedience to God with a father's sacrifice; the Maccabean mother offered herself with her seven children for her country's laws.
"Who would not rather praise Abraham and Isaac, those innocents, who resolved to seal the obedience owed to God with a father's slaying and sacrifice, and the Maccabean mother, offering herself with her seven children to God for her country's laws?"
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The Virtues of Moses
— Moses's charity: he devoted himself as an expiatory offering for Israel, called heaven and earth to witness, and bore the burden of the entire people.
"Why, Lord, have You laid the burden of this entire people upon me? Did I conceive this whole multitude, or beget them, that You should say to me: Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse is accustomed to carry an infant"