Instrument language must mean moral condition—not physical tool or mere notice
Calling faith an 'instrument' cannot mean a physical tool—only a moral prerequisite condition.
'Apprehend/receive' is metaphor for God's granting remission to living believers—not mere notice of prior justification.
Latin
XXIV. Quin huc tandem necesse est devenire illos ipsos, qui dicunt fidem nos justificare per modum instrumenti, quod apprehendit Christi justitiam, & remissionem peccatorum accipit, si velint mentem suam verbis claris & distinctis, & quae cum veritate & ratione congruunt exponere. Nam, quum dicunt fidem esse instrumentum justificationis, intelligere non possunt instrumentum physicum & proprie dictum. Nec enim fides physice & proprie remissionem peccatorum, in qua justificatio consistit, operatur. Morale vero instrumentum justificationis quomodo potest esse fides, nisi quatenus est conditio quaedam, ad illam ex parte nostra praerequisita? & similiter, quum dicitur fides apprehendere Christi justitiam, propter quam absolvimur in Dei judicio, & remissionem peccatorum oblatam accipere, planum est voces illas acceptionis, & apprehensionis, non esse sumendas proprio, sed metaphorico sensu. Etenim fides non alia de causa dicitur accipere remissionem peccatorum, & apprehendere Christi justitiam, quam quia Deus solis credentibus remissionem peccatorum concedit, & Christi justitiam imputat, ac necesse est in Christum viva fide credere, ut ejus fiamus compotes, & propter Christi meritum & obedientiam acceptemur ad vitam aeternam. Ac plane frigidum esset, & alienum a mente eorum quibuscum agimus, apprehensionem illam exponere de notitia, quam per fidem habemus, de imputata nobis Christi obedientia, remissione peccatorum, merito ejus a Deo impetrata, quia scilicet, dicimur apprehendere quae mente percipimus. Idque jam a nobis satis refutatum est, argumentis iis quibus ostendimus, fidem aliter nos justificare, quam praebendo nobis sensum & notitiam nostrae justificationis.
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.