Theological Theses · §706 · Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu

Perkins: five degrees from Gospel knowledge to special Spirit-persuasion

Perkins (Golden Chain 16): five degrees in faith’s rise.

1. Spirit-illumined Gospel knowledge → general assent.

2. Hope of pardon — forgivable even if not yet felt forgiven.

3. Hunger for grace offered in Christ.

4. Access to the throne of grace — apprehend Christ; find mercy.

5. Spirit-impressed special persuasion applying Gospel promises to myself.

Latin

XXX. Perkinsius in ortu fidei quinque gradus observat. Primus est notitia Evangelii per illuminationem Spiritus Sancti; quam sequitur in illuminatis omnibus fides generalis, qua praebent assensum Evangelio: Secundus est spes veniae, qua peccator, etsi nondum sentit remissum esse peccatum, remissibile tamen esse credit: Tertius est esuries & vehemens expetitio gratiae, quae est oblata in Christo Jesu: Quartus, accessus ad thronum gratiae, ut apprehenso ibidem Christo, inveniamus misericordiam apud Deum: Quintus est specialis persuasio cordi a Spiritu Sancto impressa, qua promissiones Evangelicas quisque sibi speciatim applicat. In Armilla Aurea, cap. 16.

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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)
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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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