Theological Theses · §291

Sophistry does not erase clarity — tradition and councils face the same heretical pushback

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Sophistry and varnish that snare the unwary do not make truth unclear for a purged, unprejudiced mind.

Otherwise nothing stays certain — not even God's existence by reason, nor mathematics against Sceptics.

Retorsion: the same dogmas are also contested from tradition and the Fathers — Arians and Pelagians claimed tradition too.

Councils do not escape: Arians set Rimini against Nicaea; Greeks oppose Rome with their own tradition, Fathers, and councils.

Latin

XLVII. Respondeo sophisticas & perversitatem hominum qui veritatem negant, atque illi obstrepunt, & mendaciis atque erroribus faciunt aliquem fucum, qui possit homines leves & incautos decipere, non obstare quominus veritas clara & certa sit respectu eorum qui rem debite considerant, & oculo purgato, absque praejudiciis & pravis affectibus. Alioqui nihil prorsus clarum, & certum remanebit. Et dicendum erit non posse ex naturali rectae rationis lumine probari Deum esse, & illum esse unicum, quia Athei & sophistae multi ista negarunt, & ratione abusi sunt ut contrarium astruxerunt: nec ipsis Mathematicis disciplinis constabit sua certitudo atque evidentia, qua Sceptici conati sunt illarum certitudinem evertere: & multis sophismatis & fallacibus argumentis earum principia & axiomata reddere dubia. Et quod magis urgere potest Pontificios, probabo similiter ex traditione & verbo non scripto, non satis clare & certo deduci illa ipsa dogmata, quae in exemplum allata sunt, adeoque praeter verbum ab Apostolis partim scripto partim viva voce traditum, necessarium esse in Ecclesia aliud Dei verbum, unde possint clarius & certius haberi. Nam Ariani & Pelagiani non tantum ex Scripturis disputabant contra Orthodoxos, sed etiam Ecclesiae traditionem sibi vendicabant, & sententiam suam testimoniis priscorum Ecclesiae Doctorum confirmari gloriabantur; ut manifestum est ex veterum contra haereticos illos disputationibus. Imo nequidem res poterit ipsorum Conciliorum authoritate definiri. Nam Orthodoxorum Conciliis sua quoque Concilia Ariani opponebant, ut Ariminense Niceno. Praecipue vero Graeci cum Ecclesia Romana certantes de processione Spiritus sancti a Patre solo, de Monarchia Papae, & aliis articulis, non tantum ex Scripturis pugnant, sed etiam ex antiqua Ecclesiae traditione, ex Patrum testimoniis, & decretis Conciliorum, & Ecclesiae Romanae suam Ecclesiam, traditioni illius suam traditionem, & Concilia sua Conciliis illius opponunt.

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

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.