No Church authority greater than the Apostles', yet faith did not rest on an Apostle; Galatians 1
Besides, no greater authority ever was in the Church, or ever will be, than the authority the Apostles held. Yet the faith of those who believed the Apostles' preaching did not rest on any Apostle's authority. Paul's words make that plain (Galatians 1): "Even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be anathema."
If the Apostles' authority had been the sole or principal foundation on which believers leaned, then once that foundation was removed their faith would necessarily have been removed or would have tottered. Yet even if Apostles — indeed angels themselves — had taught the contrary of what was first preached, Paul wills that the Gospel's faith remain no less firm and unshaken.
Latin
XXI. Praeterea nulla unquam in Ecclesia major fuit, aut erit authoritas, illa qua fuerunt praediti Apostoli. Et tamen fides eorum, qui praedicationi Apostolorum crediderunt, non nitebatur ullius Apostoli authoritate. Quod patet ex Pauli verbis, Galat. 1. Licet, inquit, nos, aut Angelus e caelo, evangelizet vobis praeterquam quod vobis evangelizavimus, anathema sit. Nam si Apostolorum authoritas fuisset fundamentum solum vel praecipuum quo nixi fuissent fideles, certe sublato isto fundamento, necesse quoque fuisset fidem illorum tolli, vel labascere. Et tamen si Apostoli, imo Angeli ipsi, contrarium docuissent ejus quod primo praedicatum fuerat, vult Paulus ut nihilo minus Evangelii fides firma sit et inconcussa.
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.