Judges, Ruth, Esther, Song: some books lack intrinsic notes strong enough for faith's certainty
Especially when we take the sacred books one by one, we must admit that many do not carry in themselves those notes of divinity that would necessarily and evidently prove their divine authority, or found the certainty faith requires. Judges, Ruth, Esther, and the Song of Songs are examples. That they are divinely inspired can scarcely be proved by anything but the general arguments drawn from the testimony and consent of the Jewish and Christian Church.
Yet those books are part of the divine Word and of that most certain rule of faith by which everything that touches religion must be tried and examined. They belong to the object of faith in its full breadth, and the assent we rightly give them is referred to no other virtue than faith. So when some parts of God's Word that faith must receive lack intrinsic arguments of divinity strong enough by themselves to found the assent faith demands, the arguments by which God's Word proves itself divine and from God are plainly not faith's principal foundation, or the last thing into which our faith should resolve.
It is no answer that faith in such books is not necessary for each person's salvation. The question here is not what each person must know to be saved. We are considering the nature and foundation of faith in general — and many things belong to faith's object that individuals need not know for salvation.
Latin
XXXIII. Praesertim vero, si singulos Scripturae sacrae libros consideremus, fatendum est multos esse qui in se non habeant eas divinitatis notas, quibus necessario et evidenter probetur authoritas eorum divina, et quibus tanta possit fundari certitudo, quantam fides requirit. Quales sunt, exempli gratia, liber Judicum, liber Ruth, liber Esther, Canticum Canticorum, quos divinitus inspiratos esse, vix probari potest aliis argumentis, quam generalibus illis, quae petuntur a testimonio et consensu Ecclesiae Judaicae et Christianae. Et tamen libri illi sunt pars verbi divini, et regulae illius fidei certissimae, ad quam omnia, quae religionem spectant, exigenda sunt et examinanda; adeoque pertinent ad fidei objectum in tota sua amplitudine sumptum: et assensus quem illis, sicuti par est, praebemus, non refertur ad aliam virtutem, quam ad fidem. Ac proinde, cum partes quaedam verbi Dei fide suscipiendae non habeant ea divinitatis argumenta, quae per se fundare possint assensum tam certum quam fides exigit, proculdubio argumenta, quibus verbum Dei divinum se probat et a Deo manasse, non sunt praecipuum fidei fundamentum, et ultimum illud in quod fides nostra resolvi debet. Neque ad rem pertinet quod librorum ejusmodi fides ad singulorum salutem necessaria non est. Hic enim non est quaestio, quid ad singulorum salutem necessarium sit, vel non. Sed consideramus in genere naturam, et fundamentum fidei ad cujus objectum pertinent multa, quae non sunt cognitu singulis ad salutem necessaria.
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.