That Church testimony is not faith's proper ground is proved by many arguments
That matters stand this way — that the Church's testimony and authority is not the proper ground of our faith, not the chief thing on which our certainty about God's Word rests — is proved by many arguments. First: if our faith had that foundation, it would be human, not divine, because it would rest on men's testimony, not on divine truth and authority. Next it would follow that believers believe God not for God's sake but for men's, and that for the believers themselves men's authority is greater than God's — which is deeply absurd.
The definition of faith would have to change as well. By the consensus of all the Doctors, faith is the assent we give to God when he speaks. On that view, through faith we would be believing men more than God speaking. Nor would faith be an assent altogether firm and infallible. No human truthfulness is great enough to remove every fear of falsehood.
Latin
XX. Quod autem res ita se habeat, neque testimonium et authoritas Ecclesiae sit fidei nostrae propria ratio, et praecipuum illud, in quod nostra de verbo Dei certitudo recumbit, probatur multis argumentis. Nam primo, si fides nostra tale fundamentum haberet, humana esset non divina: quia, scilicet, non divina veritate et authoritate, sed testimonio hominum niteretur. Deinde sequeretur fideles Deo credere, non propter ipsum, sed propter homines, et fidelium ipsorum respectu majorem esse hominum quam Dei authoritatem, quod valde absurdum est. Mutanda quoque esset fidei definitio. Nam, ex Doctorum omnium consensu, fides est assensus ille quem Deo loquenti praebemus. At sic per fidem, non tam Deo loquenti, quam hominibus crederemus. Neque fides esset assensus omnino firmus et infallibilis. Nulla enim humana veracitas tanta est, ut possit omnem falsi formidinem tollere.
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.