Rivetus and Baron: past-remission persuasio is faith’s fruit, not its justifying instrument
Rivetus (and Baron’s stronger wording): faith defined as sure fiducia that remission is granted not only in general but to me in particular — even called saving faith’s chief specific act.
Yet their mind is not that past-tense persuasion (“sins have been remitted”) is the act by which we are justified.
They describe faith that way because such persuasion is a property true faith is apt to produce, and belongs to its perfection.
It is a real act of justifying faith (vs dead/historical), precious for peace and piety — but it follows justification; it is not the instrument.
Latin
LXVII. Ex quibus patet Theologos illos, quum fidem definiunt per certam fiduciam, qua unusquisque fidelis firmiter statuit, non solum in genere promissam esse credentibus remissionem peccatorum, sed sibi in particulari concessam; ut facit Andreas Rivetus: aut etiam dicunt talem fiduciam esse verum & proprie dictum fidei salvificae actum; imo esse praecipuum & specificum ejus actum, quae sunt Roberti Baronii verba: mentem tamen eorum non esse persuasionem istam quod peccata nobis remissa sint, esse illum fidei actum quo justificamur: sed illos fidem ita describere, quia talis persuasio est quaedam verae fidei proprietas, quam apta nata est ex se producere, & quae pertinet ad ejus perfectionem. Et quoniam haec persuasio est revera quidam actus fidei justificantis, quo a fide mortua & historica distinguitur, & qui maximi momenti est ad fidelium pacem atque tranquillitatem, & pietatem in eis fovendam; licet justificationem sequatur, non praecedat, nec sit justificationis instrumentum, sed consequens quoddam.
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.