Formal justifying act = practical fiducial assent to the whole Word, esp. Gospel promises
So the formal act of saving justifying faith — the condition by which we are proximately disposed to justification, and through which Scripture says we are justified — is best stated as practical fiducial assent to the whole Word of God, especially the Gospel promises.
That assent embraces every act that constitutes living saving faith; it is God's appointed means of sharing Christ's benefits and the condition to which Scripture attaches remission and the rest of salvation.
As soon as such assent is present, for Christ's sake one ceases to be under wrath and begins to be accepted to eternal life — which is justification itself. No one shares those benefits before that assent.
Latin
CXIII. Proinde meo judicio, nihil dici potest convenientius, quam actum formalem fidei salvificae & justificantis, qui proponitur tanquam salutis conditio, quo proxime disponimur ad justificationem, & per quem propterea Scriptura dicit nos justificari, nihil, inquam, convenientius dici potest, quam actum illum esse assensum practicum atque fiducialem adhibitum toti Dei Verbo, sed speciatim atque potissimum Evangelii promissionibus. Nam assensus ille practicus atque fiducialis sub se complectitur, & secum involvit omnes actus vivam & salvificam fidem constituentes: Et medium est a Deo destinatum per quod beneficiorum Christi participes simus; ac conditio illa cui Scriptura promittit remissionem peccatorum, & reliqua quibus constat hominis salus. Denique statim atque talis assensus in homine reperitur, propter Christum cessat esse irae divinae obnoxius, & incipit esse Deo gratus & acceptus ad vitam aeternam, quibus in rebus consistit hominis justificatio. Nec quisquam beneficiorum istorum particeps est, priusquam tali assensu praeditus sit.
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.