Trinity, satisfaction, conflagration, resurrection lack demonstrative light; arguments are only congruences
Besides: some things God's Word teaches are demonstrable, and can be gathered from principles known through themselves. Still, many things are proposed to faith to be believed which — unless someone wants to be contentious — must be confessed neither known through themselves nor able to be proved by any necessary and convincing arguments. Take that principal article of faith by which we are taught that in one most simple essence of God there are three distinct persons. Who will dare promise a demonstration of so great a mystery, and seriously affirm that there is in it a certain evidence of truth? There our mind sees nothing but mere darkness, dimming toward that inaccessible light as owls' eyes toward the sun. Even the most acute and subtle can scarcely clear that article of apparent contradiction, much less demonstrate it.
The same holds for the satisfaction performed by Christ's death, for the future conflagration of the whole world, and for the resurrection of all the dead. If anyone seeks proofs of their truth besides the authority of sacred Scripture, he will find nothing firm enough, nothing that suffices to support our faith. We do not disapprove the pious labor of those who try to prove and urge these mysteries and the like with reasons sought from every side. But if we deal candidly, we must confess that those arguments, of whatever kind, are only what the Schools call congruences: at most they make the matter probable and likely; they do not necessarily conclude that it is so.
Latin
XXIX. Praeterea, licet quaedam, quae docet Dei verbum, sint demonstrabilia, et possint ex principiis per se notis colligi: attamen fidei multa credenda proponuntur, quae, nisi quis velit esse contentiosus, fatendum est nec esse per se nota, nec posse probari ullis argumentis necessariis et convincentibus. Sumamus, exempli gratia, praecipuum illum fidei articulum, quo docemur in una simplicissima Dei essentia tres esse distinctas personas. Quis audebit polliceri tanti mysterii demonstrationem, et serio affirmare in eo esse quandam veritatis evidentiam? cum contra ibi mens nostra nihil videat, nisi meras tenebras ad lucem illam inaccessam caligans, ut noctuarum oculi ad solem: vixque acutissimi et subtilissimi quique articulum illum possint a contradictione apparenti vindicare, nedum ut demonstrare queant. Idemque dici potest de satisfactione morte Christi praestita, de futura olim mundi universi conflagratione, et resurrectione omnium mortuorum, de quorum veritate, si quis, praeter Scripturae sacrae authoritatem, probationes quaerat, nihil admodum certi et firmi reperiet, et quod fidei nostrae fulciendae sufficiat. Non improbamus quidem pium eorum conatum qui in eo laborant, ut mysteria ista et similia undecunque quaesitis rationibus probent, et suadeant. Sed, si volumus candide agere, fatendum est argumenta illa, quaecunque tandem sint, esse tantum, ut loquuntur Scholae, congruentias quasdam, quae rem ad summum probabilem et verisimilem reddunt, non vero, quod ita sit, necessario concludunt.
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.