Faith principles need the Spirit's illumination — unlike science axioms
Theologians commonly mark this difference between the principles of faith and the principles of the sciences. Science axioms are known in themselves, evident, and by their own light compel assent from natural reason. Faith principles do not have that same evidence. So, as is right, they cannot be believed and received except through the Holy Spirit's inward illumination.
Yet they agree in this: we assent to natural principles at once by the mind's natural light, not through other better-known principles that prove them. In the same way we believe faith's principles immediately through the Spirit's illumination — not by some intervening proof drawn from other principles more known in that order.
Latin
XVII. Ex communi quidem Theologorum sensu, in eo discrimen est inter principia fidei, & principia scientiarum, quod principia scientiarum per se nota sunt, & evidentia, & sua luce assensum extorquent a naturali rationis lumine: principia vero fidei non habent parem evidentiam; ideoque, sicuti par est, credi & suscipi non possunt, nisi per illuminationem internam Spiritus sancti. Attamen in hoc conveniunt, quod sicuti principiis naturalibus assentimur immediate per naturale lumen intellectus, non vero per alia notiora quaedam principia, per quae demonstrata fuerint; ita quoque fidei principiis credimus immediate, per Spiritus sancti illuminationem, non vero interventu probationis alicujus, quae ducta sit ex aliis notioribus in hoc genere principiis.
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.