Scripture is more certain than living pastors; Peter's firmer prophetic word
Scripture is also more certain for believers than the word of those who preside in the Church — so it does not borrow its authority from them.
Pastors today are not more certain for the faithful than the Apostles were for the first Christians. Yet while the Apostles still lived and preached, their testimony weighed less among believers than Scripture's — as Peter shows in his second letter (2 Peter 1). Speaking to people who already believed, after he told how he heard the voice from heaven say of Christ, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," he adds that they have a firmer witness still: the Prophets in the holy Scriptures.
"We did not follow cleverly devised myths," he says, "when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice came to him from the Majestic Glory: 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.' We heard that voice from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place."
Latin
XXIX. Praeterea Scriptura fidelibus est certior testimonio eorum qui Ecclesiae praesunt, ac proinde ab illis authoritatem suam non mutuatur. Nam authoritas Pastorum Ecclesiae non est hodie fidelibus certior, quam fuit primis Christianis authoritas Apostolorum. Sed Apostolis olim viventibus et praedicantibus, testimonium eorum apud fideles minus certum fuit Scripturae testimonio, ut patet ex verbis Petri, Epist. 2. cap. 1. ubi verba faciens apud eos qui jam fidem susceperant, postquam testatus est se vocem audivisse de coelo Christo dicentem, hic est filius meus dilectus in quo mihi complacui, addit fideles habere de Christo testimonium aliud firmius, nempe Prophetarum in Scripturis sanctis. Non enim, inquit, arte compositas fabulas secuti, notam fecimus vobis Domini nostri Jesu Christi potentiam et adventum. Sed ut qui nostris oculis aspeximus illius majestatem. Acceperat enim a Deo Patre honorem et gloriam, voce ad eum delata hujusmodi e magnifica gloria, hic est filius meus dilectus in quo acquiesco. Et hanc vocem audivimus e caelo delatam, cum essemus una cum eo in monte sancto: Et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem, cui benefacitis attendentes, quasi lucernae lucenti in caliginoso loco.
About this text
Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu - Sedan Theological Theses, newly rendered from the 1675 London Latin. Covers De Theologia through Angelorum & Hominum Sanctorum Cultu Romana I-LXXVII and Pars Secunda (Reformata) I-XL. Not the collected folio.
English follows locked Pitt Latin through Imaginum CLOSED + Sanctorum Cultu Romana CLOSED + Pars Secunda Reformata I-XL. 1675 PDF ~384-390 (book ~370-376); Vision OCR + pdftotext + tess. No modern English. This slice densifies Sanctorum Pars Secunda I-XL. Next: Pars Secunda XLI–fin (~CI). Claim stays claimed (book densify not done).
Catalogue & scope
ESTC R17887; Wing L802. IA bub_gb_eOkHAW4G0-wC (+ EEBO 1675 for gap leaves). Densify through Sanctorum Cultu Romana I-LXXVII + Pars Secunda Reformata I-XL (Pars Secunda not closed; not whole folio).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Locked Latin, De Theologia I-XLIII (Pitt 1675) (Latin)
- Checked print Internet Archive PDF of the 1675 Pitt folio (Latin)
- Checked print pdftotext of De Theologia pages (Latin)
- Checked print Internet Archive DjVu OCR of the 1675 Pitt folio (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, De Fide I-XXII (Pitt 1675) (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, De Authoritate Scripturae Pars I I-XLVII + Pars II I-XXXV + Pars III I-VIII (Pitt 1675) (Latin)
- Copy-text Locked Latin, De Scripturae plenitudine densify (Pitt 1675) (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.