"I say that, as you know, the Council forbids exposing the Scriptures contrary to the common consent of the Holy Fathers; and if Your Excellency wishes to read not only the Holy Fathers, but also the modern commentaries on Genesis, on the Psalms, on Ecclesiastes, on Joshua, you will find that they all agree in expounding ad literam that the sun is in the sky and revolves around the earth with great speed, and that the earth is very far from the sky and stands in the centre of the world, immobile. Consider now, with your prudence, whether the Church can tolerate that the Scriptures be given a meaning contrary to the Holy Fathers and to all Greek and Latin exegetes. Nor can it be answered that this is not a matter of faith, because if it is not a matter of faith ex parte obiecti, it is a matter of faith ex parte dicentis; and thus it would be heretical to say that Abraham did not have two sons and Jacob twelve, just as it would be heretical to say that Christ was not born of a virgin, because both are said by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of the prophets and apostles."