Theology uses the natural sciences as mistress, judges them, and rightly bears the title Wisdom
But you will say: theologians in their arguments often use propositions which are not revealed, but known by the light of reason alone; and many argumentations are found in theology in which only one of the premises is revealed, while the other is one of the conclusions of some natural science. I answer that when theology takes certain things from other sciences, it does not do so from necessity, but to illustrate the matter more, and to accommodate itself to weak persons. For by itself alone it is sufficient to itself, and can prove all necessary conclusions from revealed principles. So when it borrows anything from the natural sciences, it does not do so as an inferior compelled to run back to a superior, but as a mistress who freely uses the faculties of her handmaids.
And in truth theology is the arbiter and mistress of the other sciences, which directs them and judges concerning them, herself to be judged by no other science. For all the remaining disciplines are to be measured by her rule, so that whatever they have not consonant with theology is rejected, and nothing is admitted which does not agree with the principles of theology.
And so various errors in philosophy have been detected — as, for example, concerning the origin of the world, which some of the philosophers thought eternal, others made from matter; but none thought it created from nothing, as it truly is, except with theology showing and leading by the hand. And in many other matters where the philosophers stuck fast and did not have the thing sufficiently explored, theology set it in the open and took away all doubt — as is plain in the business of divine providence and of the immortality of the soul.
Therefore by right and merit sacred teaching is to be adorned with the title Wisdom, which is also often attributed to it in Scripture: as when the Apostle calls the Gospel the wisdom which is in a mystery; and says that it is to the nations foolishness, and to the Jews a stumbling-block; but to those who believe, the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-24; 1 Corinthians 2:6-8).
Latin
XL. At inquies, Theologi in suis argumentis saepe utuntur propositionibus, quae non sunt revelatae, sed notae solo lumine rationis, et plurimae in Theologia reperiuntur argumentationes, in quibus una tantum praemissarum est revelata, altera vero una est ex conclusionibus cujusdam scientiae naturalis. Respondeo Theologiam, quum quaedam sumit ex aliis scientiis, id non facere ex necessitate, sed ad rem magis illustrandam, et ut se hominibus infirmis accommodet. Etenim per se sola sibi sufficit, omnesque necessarias conclusiones potest ex revelatis principiis probare. Itaque, quum aliquid a naturalibus scientiis mutuatur, id non facit tanquam inferior, quae ad superiorem recurrere cogitur: sed tanquam domina, quae libere utitur facultatibus ancillarum. XLI. Et revera Theologia caeterarum scientiarum est arbitra et domina, quae ipsas dirigit, et de ipsis judicat, ipsa a nulla alia scientia judicanda. Nam reliquae omnes disciplinae, exigendae sunt ad ejus amussim, ut quicquid habent cum Theologia non consonum rejiciatur, neque admittatur quicquam quod cum Theologiae principiis non congruat. XLII. Atque sic in Philosophia varii errores detecti, ut v.g. de origine mundi, quem Philosophorum alii aeternum, alii ex materia factum existimarunt: nulli vero, ex nihilo, prout est revera, creatum, nisi Theologia monstrante et manu ducente: Et in multis aliis, ubi Philosophi haerebant, nec rem habebant satis exploratam, eam Theologia posuit in aperto; et sustulit omnem dubitationem. Ut patet in negotio de divina providentia, et animae immortalitate. XLIII. Jure merito ergo doctrina sacra titulo Sapientiae ornanda est, qui etiam ipsi saepe in Scriptura tribuitur: ut quum Apostolus Evangelium vocat, sapientiam quae in mysterio est: ipsumque dicit esse gentibus quidem stultitiam, et Judaeis scandalum: at vero iis qui credunt, Dei potentiam atque sapientiam, 1. Cor. 1. et 2.
About this text
Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu, Sedan Theses, newly rendered from Latin: from theology proper through the Roman theses I–77 and the Reformed theses of Part Two. The theses only — not the collected works.
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.