How do you know Trent is lawful, or papal acts uncorrupted?
We may fairly ask them in turn: how do you know this or that council is lawful, or that this pope is not an intruder created by defect — like many others whose successors cancelled their acts and stained their memory?
By what certain argument do you prove Trent was truly gathered in Christ's name? Because it says so? Nothing proves itself; and many wicked councils have boasted the same Spirit. Because the Roman pope approved it? He also approved that Lateran whose authority not all Romanists will bind themselves to.
By what certain argument of faith can you prove the approving popes were lawful and did not seize the see by force or simony? At best you have historical and moral certainty, which does not suffice for faith.
How will anyone trust that copies of councils and papal decrees are uncorrupted, with nothing added or cut, when it is certain many decrees were fastened on popes and many councils' acts corrupted and spoiled?
A fresh papal or conciliar declaration will not end the doubt: the same difficulties rise against the latest council as against the earlier one, and so without end.
If their case against Scripture's certainty and authority stands, the authority of church, councils, and popes falls with it — and no foundation of faith is left.
Latin
XVIII. Nos igitur jure quoque Pontificios rogare possumus, Unde scitis hoc vel illud Concilium legitimum esse, & Pontificem istum non esse intrusum, & vitio creatum, sicut multos alios, quorum successores acta resciderunt, & memoriam infamarunt? Quo certo argumento probare potestis Concilium Tridentinum vere fuisse in Christi nomine congregatum? An quia ipsum hoc dicit? Sed idem sibi ipsi fidem facere non potest, & seipsum probare: suntque alia multa impia Concilia quae se itidem duci Spiritu sancto jactant. An quia Papa Romanus Concilium istud approbavit? Sed approbavit quoque illud Lateranense, cujus tamen authoritate Pontificii omnes sese obstringi nolunt. Deinde quo certo fidei argumento probari potest Pontifices illos, qui Concilia probarunt, legitimos fuisse, neque per vim & simoniace occupasse sedem suam? Saltem enim hac de re major certitudo haberi non potest quam historica & moralis quae ad fidem non sufficit. Praeterea quomodo fides alicui fiet exemplaria Conciliorum atque Decretorum Pontificalium corrupta non esse, neque iis quicquam additum aut detractum, cum certum sit multa decreta Pontificibus afficta fuisse, & plurimorum Conciliorum acta corrupta atque depravata? Nec dubitationem hanc tollet nova Pontificis aut Concilii alicujus declaratio. Nam adversus hoc postremum Concilium eaedem quae adversus prius difficultates movebuntur, & sic in infinitum. Itaque, si locum habet Pontificiorum ratio adversus Scripturae sacrae certitudinem & authoritatem, evertetur quoque Ecclesiae & Conciliorum atque Pontificum authoritas: nec ullum supererit fidei fundamentum.
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.