The opinion of Nicolaas Grevinchoven is refuted — that the habit of faith is not infused but acquired
Article IX. The opinion of Nicolaas Grevinchoven is refuted — that the habit of faith is not infused but acquired.
1. Grevinchoven, a Remonstrant, holds that faith's habit is not infused by God but acquired by using the means and hearing the word diligently — as arts and sciences are acquired. The Orthodox reject this.
2. Scripture calls faith God's gift, not a human work (Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:29 — it has been granted to you to believe in Christ).
3. Justifying faith is supernatural; its objects surpass nature's grasp. It cannot be acquired by nature's powers; it needs God's infusion and the Spirit's operation.
4. If faith were merely acquired, it would differ only in degree from demons' and hypocrites' historical faith. Scripture and the Church teach that saving faith differs in kind — bringing charity and trust, produced by the regenerating Spirit.
5. Grevinchoven's view opens onto Pelagianism and Arminianism, giving man power to believe from himself without special prevenient and operating grace. It is to be rejected.
Latin
ART. IX. Refellitur Sententia Nicolai Grevinchovii, dicentis habitum fidei non esse infusum, sed acquisitum. 1. Nicolaus Grevinchovius, Remonstrantium Theologus, asserit habitum fidei non infundi a DEO, sed ab homine acquiri per usum mediiorum & assiduam verbi auditionem — perinde ac habitus scientiarum & artium acquiruntur. Hanc sententiam Orthodoxi rejiciunt. 2. Primo, quia Scriptura fidem appellat donum DEI, non opus humanum: Ephes.2.8. gratia estis salvati per fidem; & hoc non ex vobis, DEI donum est. Philipp.1.29. vobis donatum est in CHRISTUM credere. 3. Secundo, quia fides justificans est supernaturalis, & objectum habet mysteria captum naturae superantia; ergo non potest acquiri viribus naturae, sed requirit specialem DEI infusionem & Spiritus Sancti operationem. 4. Tertio, quia si fides esset habitus acquisitus, differret solum gradu a fide historica daemonum & hypocriticorum; at Scriptura & Ecclesiae consensus docent fidem salvificam specie differre, utpote quae charitatem & fiduciam secum fert, & a Spiritu Sancto regenerante producitur. 5. Quarto, Grevinchovii sententia viam sternit Pelagianismo & Arminianismo, tribuendo homini vires credendi ex se, absque speciali gratiae praevenientis & operantis auxilio. Ideoque rejicienda est.
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
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. I-II tip (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF tip-page extract of Art. I-II (Latin)
- Checked print IA DjVu OCR of the 1658 volume (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. III (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. III (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. IV (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. V (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. IV PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. V PDF pages (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. VI (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. VI PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. VI (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. VII (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. VII PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. VII (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. VIII (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. VIII PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. VIII (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. IX (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. IX PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. IX (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. X (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. X PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. X (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. XI (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. XI PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. XI (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Prima Art. XII (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Art. XII PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Art. XII (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, Exercitatio Secunda Art. I (Oxford 1658) (Latin)
- Checked print Tesseract OCR of Secunda Art. I PDF pages (Latin)
- Checked print IA Text PDF page extract of Secunda Art. I (Latin)
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.