4 - Working from Wollebius

Summary

DE DOCTRINA BEGAN life from a system of topics modelled on the orthodox one of Johannes Wollebius (Johann Wolleb, 1589– 1629), a Swiss theologian based in Basel. In addition, Milton often starts individual discussions from this source's exact words. The indebtedness actually clarifies Milton's originality and purposes because it pinpoints just where and how Milton's wording moves away from Wolleb’s. Patterns are suggested, as with the biblical citations in Chapter 3, by a linguistic source study of how Milton omits, selects, changes, and adds. Sometimes, mid-sentence, the very moment is seen at which Wolleb's wording changes into Milton's imperious appropriations, orthodoxy becoming idiosyncrasy.

And in one rare instance, Chapters 17 and 18 of Book 1, Milton works for a certain distance using a distinction found in Wolleb, only to find it untenable: the manuscript shows precisely the steps by which he decided to redefine the distinction after all, and to collapse another. The personal aspect here does not consist, as it often does elsewhere, of polemic heat or scorn in eager pursuit of a position foreknown from scripture or predilection. It consists of an uncertain deciding about divine agency, on an issue which troubled all theologians and which continued to exercise Milton in Paradise Regained.

Doctrina

Doctrina in Latin means both “teaching” and the “knowledge” which is to be imparted. Our work's namesake by Augustine intended its “doctrina” to keep the first and main sense of the root verb, docere, to teach, since it taught preachers how and what to teach their congregations. Similarly Wollebius, though from a Reformed perspective, sets out orthodox beliefs, received tenets, before giving reasons or initiating small-print adjustments and extensions of his own. In Milton's compilation, however, the “teaching” sense of doctrina is reduced, since he is writing it for himself first and foremost. It is a working out of doctrina or knowledge based solely on scripture, an elucubrating which was followed at some stage by the (aborted) intention to publish. Milton's emphasis is seen again when he says that “we and Selden” both docuit the true sense of fornicatio in the oriental languages (MS 159, Oxford, 392).