Theological Theses · §692 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Why definitions vary: whole essence vs the differentia from historical faith

Varied definitions are not random conflict.

Some sketch the whole essence (shared with historical + what is proper).

Others mark only the differentia from historical faith.

One property or another in the wording — both belong; combine, don’t oppose.

Latin

XVI. Porro quod tam varie fidem definiunt Doctores Reformati, inde est quod nonnulli totam ejus essentiam describere nituntur, nempe, tam id quod habet commune cum fide, quam historicam vocant, quam id quod est illius proprium: alii vero solum id notare intendunt quo fides justificans ab historica differt. Praeterea alii fidem justificantem ex una proprietate, alii vero ex alia describunt; quae tamen non sunt inter se opponenda, sed componenda: cum tam horum, quam illorum Theologorum judicio, utramque proprietatem fides illa sibi vendicet; licet hujus, aut illius tantum expressam faciant in sua descriptione mentionem.

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About this text

Louis Le Blanc, a Reformed professor at Sedan, sets out theology in theses argued against Rome: Scripture, faith, grace, free choice, good works and the saints.

This volume holds the Theses on Theology I–XLIII and On Faith I–XXII, in eighteen sections.

Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu (1614–1675) was minister and professor of theology at the Academy of Sedan, the Reformed school on France's eastern border. His Theses were disputed by students over many years and collected in a London folio (1675).

The Theological Theses range across the whole Reformed system — Scripture, God, predestination, grace, and justifying faith — in the crisp thesis-and-proof form of the seventeenth-century schools.

Date1675 AD (Sedan theses; London collection)

No modern English.

Reference

ESTC R17887; Wing L802. IA bub_gb_eOkHAW4G0-wC (+ EEBO 1675 for gap leaves).

Printed text used

Translated from Latin (Pitt 1675) (Latin)
Also checked PDF of the 1675 (Latin)
Also checked pdftotext of De Theologia pages (Latin)
Also checked DjVu machine-read text of the 1675 (Latin)

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Latin on any section, or the Latin source link, to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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