Still every Spirit-taught believer can discern enough for salvation; John 10 and 7, 1 Corinthians 2, 1 John 2

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However unequally that Spirit of Wisdom and revelation is shared out, this much is certain: everyone who has God’s Spirit can recognize the Word of God set before him, and tell true teaching from false, as far as his own salvation requires.

It is not necessary for each person’s salvation to know every sacred book, or everything God has revealed in his Word. Some of those things are needed for individuals’ salvation; others look only to the church’s common good. Compare church members one with another and one is bound to know more in God’s Word, another less. What is enough for a private person’s salvation must not be treated as enough for those called to teach in the church.

Therefore God variously dispenses his gifts in the church as he sees fit. He does not give his Spirit to all in such fullness that they can reach everything his Word contains. But to each believer he at least metes out the Spirit-measure needed to acknowledge and take in what fits that person’s calling, and what that person needs to know for his own state and condition.

Read the Scripture places that give the faithful power to discern and judge God’s Word under that limit and fitting distribution. Christ says (John 10): "My sheep hear my voice." And (John 7): "If anyone wills to do the Father’s will, he will know concerning the teaching, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from myself." Paul says (1 Corinthians 2): "The spiritual man judges all things." And 1 John 2: "You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." Likewise: "The anointing teaches you about all things."

By these and like places Scripture does not mean that every believer can at once, by the Spirit’s help, distinguish whatever in any way belongs to God’s Word. It means only this: those the Spirit has touched can, as far as each one’s salvation requires, discern the truth — the Spirit urging and suggesting — from contrary error.

Latin

XIV. Sed quantumvis inaequali mensura distribuatur Spiritus ille Sapientiae, et revelationis, certum est omnes et singulos, qui Spiritum Dei habent, posse verbum Dei sibi oblatum internoscere, et doctrinam veram a falsa discernere, quantum cuique ad salutem propriam necessarium est. Observandum est enim, non esse ad cujusque salutem necessarium nosse singulos Scripturae sacrae libros, et omnia quae Deus in verbo suo revelavit. Siquidem eorum quaedam necessaria sunt ad salutem singulorum, alia vero tantum commune bonum Ecclesiae spectant. Deinde, si inter singula Ecclesiae membra comparatio fiat, alius plus, alius in verbo Dei minus nosse tenetur. Neque quod ad alicujus privati salutem sufficit, sufficere putandum est iis qui ad docendum in Ecclesia vocati sunt. Atque idcirco Deus cui visum est varie dona sua in Ecclesia dispensat, Spiritum suum non largitur omnibus tanta copia, ut assequi possint omnia, quae verbi ejus ambitu continentur. Sed saltem fideli cuique eum Spiritus modum admetitur, qui necessarius est ut agnoscere et percipere possit quae vocationi ipsius congruunt, et quae illi nosse opus est, secundum statum et conditionem suam: Et juxta hanc limitationem, et accommodam distributionem, intelligenda sunt loca illa Scripturae, quae fidelibus tribuunt facultatem verbum Dei discernendi atque dijudicandi. Quale est illud Christi, Johan. 10. Oves meae vocem meam audiunt: Et Johan. 7. Si quis voluerit voluntatem Patris facere, cognoscet de doctrina, utrum ex Deo sit, an ego a meipso loquar. Item quod dicit Paulus 1. Corinth. 2. Homo spiritualis dijudicat omnia: Et Johan. 1. Epist. 2. Unctionem habetis a Sancto, et nostis omnia. Item, Unctio vos docet de omnibus. His enim, et similibus locis Scriptura non vult docere, omnes et singulos fideles posse statim ope Spiritus dignoscere quicquid ad Dei verbum quovis modo pertinet. Sed hoc tantum, eos Spiritu affectos posse, quantum ad salutem uniuscujusque expedit, veritatem Spiritu instigante et suggerente discernere ab errore contrario.

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.