Fathers

Theological Theses · §89

Roman doctors also require the Spirit's inward operation and testimony

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The doctors of the Roman Church also agree with us that some inward work of the Holy Spirit is needed if we are to recognize God's Word and sacred Scripture and receive it with due faith. They call that work, as we do, the Spirit's inward illumination, revelation, and persuasion, and the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit. They speak of it so clearly and so often that citing them might seem needless; still, lest doubt linger, a few witnesses from many.

Melchior Canus, Loci Theologici 2.8, reply to the fourth argument: human authority and all those outer inducements used by the one who proposes the faith are not enough for the belief we are bound to give; there must also be an interior efficient cause — God's special help moving us to believe. A little later: no outward human persuasion is enough, however well the things of faith are set out by men; there must also be an interior cause — a divine light that urges belief, and inward eyes given by God's kindness for seeing. He presses Thomas, Augustine, and many Scripture places for the point.

Stapleton teaches the same in his relection on the Church's power, and more fully in On the Principles of Faith (Controversy 4, book 8, chapter 1): without special grace and the infused gift of faith it is impossible to produce a true act of faith, or to believe with faith worthy of the name. Against Whitaker he keeps complaining that Rome is falsely charged with denying the Spirit's inward testimony; and in defense of the Church's authority, chapter 3, he says that secret testimony of the divine Spirit is altogether necessary if anyone is to trust the Church's judgment in approving the Scriptures. Gregory of Valencia concurs: God himself first of all, by the voice of his revelation and by an inward instinct and impulse, witnesses to human minds that Christian doctrine — and so sacred Scripture — is true, and persuades, as Scripture itself says in many places. Bellarmine carries the same teaching through a whole sermon titled On the Light of Faith.

Latin

XII. Praeterea Doctores Ecclesiae Romanae nobiscum consentiunt, opus esse interna quadam Spiritus sancti operatione, ad hoc ut Dei verbum et Scripturam sacram agnoscamus, et, ea qua par est fide, recipiamus. Quam operationem Spiritus Dei in nobis vocant, ut et nos internam Spiritus illuminationem, revelationem et persuasionem, internumque Spiritus sancti testimonium. Atque de isto Spiritus sancti testimonio tam clare, tam constanter et frequenter loquuntur, ut videri possit superfluum eorum super hac re proferre testimonia. Nequis tamen supersit dubitationi locus, pauca de multis citabimus. Sic ergo Melchior Canus locor. Theolog. lib. 2. cap. 8. Resp. ad 4. arg. Id statuendum est, inquit, authoritatem humanam et incitamenta omnia illa praedicta, sive alia quaecunque adhibita ab eo qui proponit fidem, non esse sufficientes causas ad credendum ut credere tenemur, sed praeterea opus esse interiori causa efficiente, id est, Dei speciali auxilio moventis ad credendum. Et paucis interjectis, Externae igitur omnes et humanae persuasiones non sunt satis ad credendum, quantumcunque ab hominibus competenter ea quae sunt fidei proponantur. Sed necessaria est insuper causa interior, hoc est divinum quoddam lumen incitans ad credendum, et oculi quidam interni Dei beneficio ad videndum dati. Quod ibidem probat authoritate Thomae et Augustini, et multis Scripturae locis, quae in hanc rem citat et urget. Idem docet Stapletonus in relect. princip. controvers. de potestate Ecclesiae in se, quaest. 1. artic. 2. conclus. 4. Et fusius De principiis fidei Controv. 4. libr. 8. cap. 1. cujus lemma est, Impossibile esse sine speciali gratia ac dono fidei divinitus infuso, actum verae fidei producere, aut ex veri nominis fide credere. Atque in suis contra Witakerum disputationibus perpetuo queritur per calumniam doctoribus Ecclesiae Romanae objici, quod negent Spiritus sancti internum testimonium necessarium esse ad fidem ingenerandam. Speciatim triplicat, adversus Witakerum pro Eccles. authorit. cap. 3. Arcanum hoc, inquit, divini Spiritus testimonium prorsus necessarium est, ut quis Ecclesiae testimonio ac judicio circa Scripturarum approbationem credat. Quibus concinit Gregorius de Valentia Analysis fidei lib. 1. cap. 1. Deus, inquit, ipse in primis est qui Christianam doctrinam, atque adeo Scripturam sacram veram esse voce revelationis suae, et interno quodam instinctu atque impulsu humanis mentibus contestatur, atque persuadet ut in ea ipsa Scriptura multis in locis expressum est. Denique Bellarminus hanc doctrinam persequitur integra concione, cui titulum fecit De lumine fidei.

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.