Believing Scripture unto salvation needs the Spirit's inward impulse beyond argument
We have proved this: to believe sacred Scripture, and to acknowledge it as divinely inspired, with a true and legitimate faith that matters for salvation, a person needs the Holy Spirit admonishing and illuminating within.
That work of the Spirit is necessary for us not only because of the darkness sin brings — a kind of veil set before the mind's eyes, hiding Scripture's light and keeping us from looking at it — but also because of the character and nature of the doctrine Scripture itself contains. That doctrine altogether surpasses our mind, even considered apart from sin. So our intellect must be lifted above itself if it is to rise to it.
Therefore, to acknowledge and receive Scripture and each of its books as true and divine — firmly, without doubt, and with the certainty faith requires, since they belong to faith's object — we need more than the Spirit healing our native blindness and driving off the darkness sin has fetched in, which blocks perception of Scripture's light. He must also compel us to believe by a secret instinct and impulse, or by an inward efficacy greater than every argument and reason.
Latin
II. Probavimus, ad hoc ut aliquis Scripturae sacrae credat, illamque divinitus inspiratam agnoscat, vera et legitima fide quae sit alicujus ad salutem momenti, opus esse Spiritu sancto intus monente et illuminante. Illam autem Spiritus sancti operationem necessariam nobis esse, non tantum propter tenebras per peccatum inductas, quae sunt veluti quoddam velum, mentis nostrae oculis oppositum, quod occultat nobis Scripturae sacrae lucem, et obstat ne illam possimus aspicere; sed etiam propter genium et naturam ipsius doctrinae in Scriptura contentae: quae, cum mentem nostram in se, etiam citra peccatum consideratam, omnino superet, necesse est ut intellectus noster supra seipsum extollatur, ut ad illam possit assurgere. Adeoque, ut Scripturam et singulos ejus libros pro veris et divinis agnoscamus et recipiamus firmiter et indubitate, et certitudine tanta quantam requirit fides, ad cujus objectum pertinent, opus esse non solum ut Spiritus sanctus, mentis nostrae nativam caecitatem sanet, et dispellat tenebras per peccatum accersitas, quae obstant ne Scripturae lucem possimus percipere; sed etiam ut nos ad credendum compellat arcano quodam instinctu et impulsu, sive interna quadam efficacia, quae sit omni argumento et ratione major.
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.