Infallible Church-judge is a circle — prove it without Scripture and tradition
If only a present, infallible Church authority can certify true Scripture and tradition against the false and apocryphal, that authority must be known first — before Scripture and tradition, and without leaning on their witness.
So ask Rome to prove papal or conciliar authority from somewhere other than Scripture and tradition.
They say they defer to Scripture and traditions as divine because Pope or Council so moves them — which leaves the question: what finally makes them believe the Church is infallible when it judges Scripture and tradition?
Latin
XLII. Adde quod, si certi reddimur de veris Scripturis, & traditionibus per authoritatem quandam infallibilem quae est in Ecclesia praesenti, sine qua non possunt a nobis falsae & apocryphae discerni certo & infallibiliter, necesse est ut prius nobis constet de authoritate illa infallibili, quam de ipsa Scriptura atque traditione, & seposita Scripturae atque traditionis authoritate & testimonio nobis innotescere possit. Ideoque jure possumus Pontificios rogare, ut authoritatem illam, quam Pontifici sive Concilio tribuunt, aliunde nobis probent, quam ex ipsa Scriptura atque traditione, quandoquidem profitentur se Pontificis sive Concilii authoritate moveri, ut tantum traditionibus & Scripturae deferant, & tam Scripturas quam traditiones tanquam divinas amplectantur. Quid ergo tandem erit illud propter quod Ecclesiam suam infallibilem esse credunt dum de traditionibus & Scripturis judicat?
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.