Justification is instantaneous — present-tense fiducia cannot be required of the pious
Le Blanc: this triple cut is too subtle. Reformed doctrine holds justification indivisible and instantaneous — the moment the required condition is met, wrath ceases and acceptance begins for Christ’s sake.
No one can clock the instant of that last disposition so as to believe “sins are being remitted to me right now.”
Requiring present-tense fiducia traps many sincere penitents in scruples.
Enough for remission: sincere refuge to God’s mercy in Christ with trust of obtaining pardon.
Latin
CVII. Sed in eo nimis subtiliter, & minus solide videntur Philosophari. Nam secundum Scholae Reformatae doctrinam, hominis justificatio consistit in indivisibili, & proinde fit in instanti. Quippe in eo sita est, quod simul ac peccator implevit eam conditionem, quam Deus ab eo postulat, ut peccata ipsi remittantur, cessat esse irae divinae obnoxius, & incipit esse Deo gratus, & acceptus ad vitam aeternam, propter Christi meritum & satisfactionem. Sed quomodo potest homo praecise observare & notare illud instans, quo conditio ista primum in eo impleta est, & formata ultima & proxima dispositio ad justificationem, ut in praesenti credat sibi tum remitti peccata? Et si ad justificationem hominis requiritur, ut in praesenti credat sibi peccata remitti, in quos scrupulos necesse est conjici multos viros pios & bonos, qui non potuerunt unquam instans istud animadvertere, in quo ipsis in praesenti peccata remitterentur? Nec quis potest ulla cum ratione negare, in homine seria poenitentia ducto, ad obtinendam a Deo remissionem peccatorum, sufficere syncerum ad Dei misericordiam in Christo perfugium, cum fiducia veniae impetrandae.
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.