After Scripture's light: how it is perceived; fleeting opinion versus true saving faith without the Spirit's inward work
In the previous disputation we set out what light sacred Scripture has — that is, what arguments and marks of truth and of divine origin. Next we ask how that light is perceived, and whether, and how far, the Holy Spirit's work is needed if we are to acknowledge Scripture as true and divine.
Here, though, we must distinguish a fleeting, vanishing opinion from true saving faith that is pleasing and acceptable to God. A person can form an opinion that Scripture is divine, drawn by some human incentives, without any inward work of the Spirit; the Schools call that human and acquired faith. Many utterly wicked and perverse heretics do not deny Scripture's authority and grant that it is divinely inspired. Unbelieving Jews themselves fiercely defend at least the Old Testament's authority, and Mohammedans are said to hold and revere both Testaments as divine. Still we need not suppose that the Holy Spirit is at work in all those heretics and unbelievers, illuminating their minds within.
Latin
I. Superiori disputatione exposuimus quam lucem, id est, quae argumenta et indicia Veritatis, et originis divinae, habeat Scriptura sacra: sequitur ut inquiramus, quomodo lux illa percipitur, Et An, et Quousque opera Spiritus sancti necessaria sit, ut Scripturam pro vera et divina agnoscamus. II. Hic autem distinguendum est, inter opinionem quandam fluxam et evanidam, et fidem veram et salutarem, quae Deo sit grata et accepta. Quandam enim opinionem de Scripturae divinitate potest aliquis concipere, eo adductus humanis quibusdam incitamentis, absque ulla Spiritus interna operatione: atque haec est quam Scholae fidem humanam et acquisitam vocant. Sic haeretici multi improbissimi et perversissimi authoritatem Scripturae non negant, illamque divinitus inspiratam agnoscunt. Imo Judaei ipsi infideles Veteris saltem Testamenti authoritatem acriter defendunt: Mahumetani vero utriusque Testamenti libros pro divinis habere, et revereri, perhibentur. Neque tamen necesse est, ut in omnibus illis haereticis et infidelibus Spiritum sanctum agere putemus, et intus eorum mentes illuminare.
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.