Grace-persuasion fiducia: primary essential act, or only perfection’s fruit?
Chief quarrel: second-sense fiducia = firm persuasion that I have obtained grace and that Gospel goods are mine.
Baron, Rivetus, Ursinus, Paraeus, Wendelin (and others): define faith by it; call it primary, chief, specific saving act — as if saving faith could not stand without it.
Perkins, Ames, Davenant, Wittich, Widmar, young du Moulin, English Confession 1647: it belongs to faith’s perfection, not inmost essence; proper to corroborated, not weak, faith; many truly justified lack it.
So: accidental/secondary/reflex act — better called faith’s fruit than its chief act.
Latin
XCIX. Sed praecipua quaestio est de fiducia sumpta secundo modo, videlicet pro firma illa persuasione qua quis statuit gratiam se a Deo consecutum esse, & bona Evangelio promissa ad se pertinere. Multi ut supra ostendimus, ab hac fiducia fidem definiunt, & sic loquuntur quasi fides salvifica & justificans sine illa constare non posset, & vocant illam partem fidei primariam, & praecipuum atque specificum fidei salvificae actum, ut videre est in iis quae ante relata sunt ex Roberto Baronio, Riveto, Ursino, Paraeo, Wendelino, & aliquot aliis. Alii vero contra contendunt talem fiduciam & persuasionem, ad fidei quidem perfectionem, sed non ad intimam ejus essentiam spectare; illam esse quid proprium fidei corroboratae, sed non fidei infirmae; multos ad vere fidelium justificatorum numerum pertinere, qui tamen fiducia illa destituti sunt: proinde vocant illam fidei salvificae actum accidentalem, & non essentialem; non primarium, sed secundarium; non directum, sed reflexum: & censent illam rectius dici fructum & effectum fidei, quam praecipuum ejus actum. Ut manifestum est ex iis quae prolixe satis citavimus ex Perkinsio, Amesio, Davenantio, Wittichio, Widmario, Petro Molinaeo filio, & Anglicana ipsa Confessione Anni 1647.
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.