Faith principles are not self-evident like science, yet we believe them immediately by the Spirit
Faith's principles and the sciences' differ here: the sciences' principles are self-known and evident, and by their own light compel the intellect to assent. Faith's principles, though they have some moral evidence, are — strictly and properly — inevident, and do not by their own light win the assent faith requires.
Yet they agree in this: as we assent to natural principles immediately by the natural light of the intellect, so we believe faith's principles immediately by the Spirit's illumination and impulse. And as nothing stops natural principles from sometimes being proved a posteriori, so faith's principles can be proved — but only a posteriori, and only ad hominem.
Latin
V. In hoc quidem differunt principia fidei, et principia scientiarum, quod principia scientiarum per se nota sunt et evidentia, et sua luce cogunt intellectum ad assensum: principia vero fidei, quamvis moralem aliquam evidentiam habeant, tamen, logice et proprie loquendo, sunt inevidentia, neque sua luce assensum, qualem fides requirit, impetrant. Attamen in hoc conveniunt quod sicut principiis naturalibus assentimur immediate, per naturale lumen intellectus: ita quoque fidei principiis immediate credimus, per illuminationem et impulsum Spiritus sancti. Verum ut nihil obstat quominus aliquando principia naturalia probentur a posteriori: sic etiam fidei principia probari quidem possunt, sed a posteriori, et ad hominem tantum.
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.