We receive dogmas because God revealed them; arguments persuade, revelation grounds; 1 Peter 3
As for the things themselves handed down in God's Word — the so-called dogmas of faith, and the other things held in the Scriptures — we assent to them and receive them as true because God, who is supremely truthful and can neither be deceived nor deceive, revealed them to us through Apostles and Prophets and taught them in his Word. Besides divine revelation, the dogmas of faith do have many arguments by which they are proved and urged. God does not ordinarily lead us to faith in them except through mediating arguments, indications, and reasons that make their truth credible to our mind and gently work it into our souls.
That is why Peter wills that believers be able to give a defense, and to satisfy anyone who asks a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3). Whoever would believe with no reason at all, and would have no account of his faith or could not give one, would not have true faith, only a light and rash persuasion. So those who announce God's Word must not merely propose the doctrine of faith. They also need to apply persuasions and draw arguments from the things themselves or from adjuncts, so as to make the mysteries of the Christian religion credible and even strongly prove them. Still, the principal foundation of our faith, and its proper ground, is not those reasons and arguments of whatever kind, but divine revelation, on which our faith especially rests.
Latin
XXV. Nam quod attinet ad res ipsas quae traduntur in Dei verbo, ut sunt quae vocantur fidei dogmata, et alia quae habentur in Scripturis, illis assentimur, eaque ut vera recipimus, quoniam Deus, qui est summe verax, quique nec falli, nec fallere potest, illa per Apostolos et Prophetas nobis revelavit, et in verbo suo docuit. Habent quidem fidei dogmata, praeter divinam revelationem, argumenta multa quibus probentur et suadentur. Neque solet Deus nos ad eorum fidem adducere, nisi mediantibus quibusdam argumentis, indiciis et rationibus, quibus eorum veritas menti nostrae credibilis redditur, et suaviter in animos nostros insinuatur. Unde est quod Petrus 1. Epist. cap. 3. vult ut fideles possint defensione uti, et satisfacere cuivis petenti rationem ejus quae in ipsis est spei. Qui vero absque omni ratione crederet, nec fidei suae rationem ullam haberet, aut reddere posset, ista non esset vera fides, sed levis et temeraria quaedam persuasio. Ideoque non sufficit iis, qui verbum Dei annuntiant, simpliciter doctrinam fidei proponere, sed praeterea opus est, ut suasiones quasdam adhibeant, et vel ex ipsis rebus, vel ex quibusdam adjunctis argumenta eliciant, quibus religionis Christianae mysteria credibilia reddant, et etiam valide comprobent. Attamen fidei nostrae praecipuum fundamentum, et propria ratio, non sunt illae qualescunque rationes et argumenta, sed divina revelatio, in quam praesertim fides nostra recumbit.
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.