Three questions solved: whether faith is well divided into infused and acquired; whether faith is more certain than the sciences; what it is properly to believe in God
Article VIII. Three questions solved: whether faith is well divided into infused and acquired; whether faith is more certain than the sciences; what it is properly to believe in God.
1. Infused vs acquired. Scholastics distinguish faith God creates by grace in the soul from faith gained by study and teaching. The Orthodox grant historical or acquired faith — even in demons and hypocrites — but deny that justifying, saving faith is acquired. It is God's gift, infused by the Spirit, not born of human industry.
2. Is faith more certain than the sciences? Divine faith is more certain than any created science — not as to evidence (science is evident; faith inevident), but as to the foundation's firmness. Faith rests on God's testimony, who can neither deceive nor be deceived; the sciences rest on created middles that, however certain, do not equal God's infallibility.
3. What is it properly to believe in God? Distinguish: believing that God is; believing God (what he says); and believing in God — resting trustingly on God as salvation's author. That last is proper to justifying faith and does not belong to demons, who believe and tremble.
Latin
ART. VIII. In quo solvuntur tres quaestiones. Prima est, An fides bene distinguatur in infusam, & acquisitam. Secunda est, An fides sit certior ipsis scientiis. Tertia est, Quid sit proprie credere in Deum. 1. Prima quaestio: An fides bene distinguatur in infusam & acquisitam. Scholastici distinguunt fidem in infusam (quam DEUS per gratiam creat in anima) & acquisitam (quam homo studio & doctrina comparat). Orthodoxi fatentur dari fidem historicam seu acquisitam, quae etiam daemonibus & hypocritis inesse potest; sed fidem justificantem & salvificam negant esse acquisitam: ea enim est donum DEI, Spiritu Sancto infusum, non humana industria partum. 2. Secunda quaestio: An fides sit certior ipsis scientiis. Respondemus fidem divinam esse certiorem qualibet scientia creata, non quidem quoad evidentiam (nam scientia est evidens, fides inevidens), sed quoad firmitatem fundamenti: nititur enim DEI testimonio, qui nec fallere nec falli potest; scientiae vero nituntur mediis creatis, quae quamvis sint certa, non adaequant infallibilitatem DEI. 3. Tertia quaestio: Quid sit proprie credere in Deum. Distinguendum est inter credere DEUM, credere DEO, & credere in DEUM. Credere DEUM, est credere DEUM esse. Credere DEO, est credere eis quae DEUS dicit. Credere in DEUM, est fiducialiter in DEUM tanquam in salutis authorem recumbere — quod est proprium fidei justificantis, & non competit daemonibus, qui credunt & contremiscunt.
About this text
Robert Baron — Philosophia theologiae ancillans from the 1658 Oxford Latin. Exercitatio Prima Art. I-XII On Being and Essence; Exercitatio Secunda Art. I-XV On the origin of the soul and the propagation of sin. Later Exercitationes / remainder of 213 pp remain.
English follows locked 1658 Oxford Latin. Prima Art. I-XII from IA PDF leaves ~15-53. Secunda Art. I-XV from PDF leaves 56-107 / printed pp.54-105 (tess+pdftotext+DjVu). No modern English copied. Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.
Catalogue & scope
Wing B887. IA bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_philosophia-theologi-an_baron-robert_1658. Exercitatio Prima Art. I-XII; Exercitatio Secunda Art. I-XV (De origine animae & propagatione peccati). Not whole Philosophia (213 pp). Exercitatio Tertia+ remain.
Witnesses
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This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.