No circle, no regress: faith reduces to an authority received immediately by the Spirit's illumination
In faith's proofs neither circle nor infinite regress is allowed — both are absurd.
Faith must reduce to some authority received as divine (and thus sincere) for its own sake and immediately.
The Holy Spirit's internal illumination brings us there — not by another external divine word's testimony, but by motives of another kind.
Latin
XXXIX. Namque ut istud inculcem quod satis notari non potest, in fidei probationibus, nec potest dari circulus, nec progressus in infinitum, quorum utrumque est vehementer absurdum: adeoque fides nostra necessario reducitur ad aliquam authoritatem, cujus testimonium ut divinum, adeoque ut sincerum & incorruptum suscipimus, propter se & immediate, per illuminationem internam Spiritus sancti, qui eo nos adducit, non amplius externo aliquo, alterius divini verbi testimonio, sed alius generis motivis & incitamentis.
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.