Faith's first principles stand like the axioms of a science
In every human art and science there are first principles proper to that field. From them every conclusion belonging to the art is drawn and proved. The principles themselves are certain in that kind and cannot be demonstrated. They are, as it were, the rule on which the rest hangs — though they neither can nor should prove themselves.
Divine teaching is the same. When its theorems are examined and we ask for their foundation, we must come to principles beyond which, in that kind at least, we cannot go.
Those principles cannot be proved by other principles of faith, and no one should demand that they prove themselves — nothing proves itself. Yet they must be held as a sufficient and perfect rule of faith, because everything else that belongs to faith is proved by them.
Latin
XVI. Quemadmodum igitur in disciplinis omnibus humanis sunt principia quaedam, unicuique arti & scientiae propria, ex quibus deducuntur & probantur conclusiones & propositiones omnes, quae pertinent ad artem & scientiam cujus sunt principia, ipsa vero in eo genere per se certa sunt nec demonstrari queunt: adeoque dici possunt esse veluti regula unde pendent, & per quam probantur omnia, quae ad talem artem aut scientiam spectant, licet ipsa sese probare nec possint, nec debeant: sic quoque res se habet in divina & caelesti doctrina. Nam quum Theoremata, & propositiones ejus ad examen revocantur, & quaeritur quod sit eorum fundamentum, necessario deveniendum est ad principia quaedam, ultra quae in eo saltem genere, procedi non possit: Ac per consequens, quae non possint per alia fidei principia probari, & a quibus quoque exigi non debet, ut seipsa probent, quandoquidem seipsum nihil probare potest: Et quae tamen haberi debeant pro sufficiente & perfecta fidei regula, quoniam caetera omnia, quae ad fidem pertinent, per ipsa probantur atque demonstrantur.
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.