Any first rule of faith is logically indemonstrable

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I dare say one cannot even imagine a foundation of faith against which the same cavils would not be lawful.

Whatever is offered as faith's first rule must be something logically inevident and not properly demonstrable. Theologians and scholastics agree: the principles of faith are inevident and indemonstrable.

Nor can it be proved from other, prior, better-known principles of faith — or it would not be first, and some earlier rule would take its place.

So the first rule of faith, whose authority for us is supreme, cannot be proved by arguments of faith a priori, nor can the questions of irreligious men be met about it by demonstrations and strictly necessary, evident reasons.

Latin

XIX. Imo ausim dicere ne quidem animo fingi posse ullum fidei fundamentum adversus quod non liceat similibus uti cavillationibus. Quicquid enim proferetur tanquam prima fidei regula, necesse est ut sit aliquid logice inevidens, & quod non possit proprie demonstrari. Nam principia fidei, ex communi Theologorum & Scholasticorum consensu, sunt inevidentia & indemonstrabilia. Ac praeterea necesse est ut non possit ex aliis fidei principiis tanquam prioribus & notioribus probari, alioqui prima regula non esset, sed daretur aliqua prior. Unde necessario sequitur primam fidei regulam, cujus authoritas quoad nos suprema est, esse aliquid quod argumentis de fide a priori probari non possit, & super quo etiam non possit satisfieri profanorum hominum quaestionibus per demonstrationes, & rationes prorsus necessarias atque evidentes.

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.