Theological Theses · §845

Notitia means evident distinct knowledge; rude confused apprehension suffices for faith

When Romans deny faith is notitia and oppose faith to scientia, they mean evident or at least distinct accurate cognition, not every grasp of the object.

Believers need not see evidence in the mysteries themselves, nor have the clear grasp of teachers who explain and defend them; a rude confused apprehension, as in the unlearned who believe Trinity and Incarnation, is enough, and faith properly sits in assent rather than in that apprehension.

Latin

XXV. Verum ut hac in parte mens eorum percipiatur, observandum est illos, dum negant fidem esse notitiam, & asserunt fidem opponi quodammodo scientiae & intelligentiae, illos, inquam, per notitiam, scientiam & intelligentiam designare cognitionem aliquam evidentem, aut saltem distinctam atque accuratam. Itaque per hoc significatum volunt, primo fideles evidenter non cognoscere mysteria quae credunt, nec iis assentiri propter aliquam, quam in ipsis percipiant, evidentiam, sed solummodo propter authoritatem Dei testimonium ipsis in Verbo perhibentis. Deinde quoque ad fidem necessario non requiri distinctam & perspicuam apprehensionem eorum quae creduntur; qualis est in iis qui fidei mysteria aliis explicare, argumentis probare, & adversus contradicentes tueri & vindicare possunt: sed ad fidem concipiendam sufficere rudem quandam & confusam apprehensionem mysteriorum divinorum, qualis est in idiotis, qui credunt mysteria Trinitatis & Incarnationis, etiamsi mysteria illa distincte & accurate nec intelligant ipsi, nec aliis explicare possint. Ac tandem qualicunque mysteriorum divinorum conceptio & apprehensio in credente reperiatur, fidem in apprehensione illa proprie non consistere, sed potius in assensu quem mysteriis istis praebet ille qui credit.

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.