Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu, Theological Theses on Faith.

Author: Louis Le Blanc de Beaulieu.
Translator: Claude 3 Opus.
Editor: Onku.
Manuscript: Here

Theological Theses On Faith. BY ORDER OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF SEDAN Subjected to Public Disputation. The AUTHOR Responding, on May 29, 1645.

Thesis One.

FAITH taken Theologically in general, is the assent which we give to God speaking, when we are certainly persuaded that something is true, moved to that by Divine Authority. And by this faith is distinguished from opinion, which is a timid and uncertain assent. Likewise from knowledge, which is indeed a certain assent; but one which rests on demonstration or some evident argument, not truly on anyone's testimony. Finally, from human faith, which acquiesces in the authority of men.

II. Therefore not every assent, even applied to those things which are contained in the Word of God, should be considered faith. For if someone certainly and firmly holds some dogma of religion, such as the creation of all things out of nothing: yet not impelled to that by divine revelation, but by some reason which seems necessary to him, to that extent he does not have faith. As does he who believes the history of the Israelite people from the account of Josephus the Historian, not truly giving faith to the sacred histories. Which can also be said about those who adhere to the true and orthodox religion, but only from custom, and moved to that by the authority of ancestors alone.

III. But it is permitted to assign from the Scriptures various either species or degrees of faith. For in some, faith remains in the theoretical intellect: and thus they give a bare and simple assent to those things which are proposed by the Word of God, so that they are not moved by it to act rightly, nor are they rendered better. Thus Simon Magus believed the preaching of Philip, yet his heart was not right, and he was placed in the most bitter gall and bond of iniquity, as is held in Acts 8. Thus also those had believed in the name of Christ, to whom nevertheless Christ did not entrust himself, because he thoroughly knew all, as we read in John 2. And the demons themselves share this faith in their own way, who are said by James to believe and tremble.

IV. This is the faith which is called historical by our people. It does not take its name from its object: as if it were only of those things which are narrated historically in the Scriptures. For those who are endowed with this faith truly believe whatever is contained in the sacred writings; no less promises, dogmas, and precepts than histories and narratives. For many of the impious do not doubt the truth of the Gospel promises, nor do the demons call them into doubt. But that faith is called historical from the mode in which it concerns its object. Just as when we read histories not pertaining to us, we contemplate them nakedly, nor are we affected and moved inwardly by them, so those who have that faith speculatively gaze at the things which the Word of God teaches, nor do they refer them to practice.

V. But it is asked whether this faith should be called true. The Doctors of the Roman Church affirm it. And this can be conceded to them in some sense. For that faith believes only those things which are true, and truly believes them, not fictitiously and feignedly. But nevertheless that faith alone seems to us to be absolutely called true which is justifying and salvific, such as we deny that to be.

VI. From this faith another degree of faith does not differ much, which can be observed in Scripture. For there are those in whom faith not only illuminates the theoretical mind, but also somewhat affects the practical: so that they do not simply believe the Evangelical truth: but they are tickled by it with some joy, and in some way abstain from their vices and worldly desires. But truly their mind is only lightly imbued with that faith, nor has it penetrated deeply enough and taken root in the heart. Nor also do they truly and sincerely renounce their own vices and desires, and the love of the world and of earthly things always remains in their heart. Whence it happens that if a somewhat heavier cross must be borne and persecution assails, they suffer scandal and cast off faith. Which they also often do in obedience to their desires and weighed down by the cares of this life.

VII. These are those whom Christ notes in the parable, namely those who immediately receive the Word of God with joy, but do not have root in themselves and are temporary: and when affliction or persecution arises on account of the word, they are immediately offended. Such also are those about whom Peter speaks in his second epistle, chapter 2: "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning." And of this kind also are those whom the Apostle so severely threatens in Hebrews chapters 6 and 10. Our schools call this temporary faith: the name taken from the words of Christ which we just cited.

VIII. But there is also a certain faith which is numbered among the peculiar gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:9, and which does not fall to all who are in the Church: but to certain few, as it seemed good to the Holy Spirit. This is the faith by which miracles are performed, whence it has also taken its name. And it is found in him who, called by God to perform miracles and having a promise about this matter (just as the Apostles had from the mouth of Christ, and many others from the internal revelation of the Spirit), does not hesitate or distrust: but is certainly persuaded that God can and will effect those stupendous works through him. Christ speaks of this faith in Mark 11:22 when he says to the disciples, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him." Christ also reproaches the disciples for their lack of this faith in Matthew 17:20, when he attributes the reason why they could not cast out the demon to their unbelief. And the Apostle refers to this in 1 Corinthians 13: "If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."

IX. Finally, there is another faith to which Scripture attributes our righteousness and salvation, to which it vehemently and frequently exhorts us, and which it adorns with the highest praises and commendations. And this is what we call justifying, salvific, living, and true faith.

X. But here we have a dispute with the Doctors of the Roman Church: for they confuse justifying faith with that which we just called historical, and make no distinction between them: but plainly want them to be one and the same. Then they also teach that the faith of miracles is nothing other than a certain excellent degree of justifying faith.

XI. But it is not difficult to prove that justifying faith should be distinguished from historical faith. For if historical faith were the same as justifying faith, then whoever had historical faith would by that very fact have justifying faith: But hypocrites and many impious are endowed with historical faith who nevertheless lack justifying faith. For of this Scripture says, "Whoever believes has eternal life," and "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes," and "the righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel to all and upon all who believe." Whence it is evident that no one is endowed with such faith who is not a partaker of righteousness and salvation. And consequently another faith must be assigned to those who are in a state of perdition and remain in sin, if they are said to believe.

XII. And certainly what the Papists say about these passages helps our opinion. For they say that when Scripture says, "Whoever believes has eternal life," it must be understood about those who believe as they ought and with the whole heart: and that there are many who believe in the Son, yet do not have life; that is because they believe badly and not with the whole heart and as they ought: as can be seen in Bellarmine, On Justification, Book 1, Chapter 10, paragraph "Add that". But who can affirm with any reason that the faith by which someone believes well is the same as that by which someone believes badly: that by which someone believes as he ought, and that by which someone believes as he ought not? Or that the faith by which someone believes badly, and not with the whole heart and as he ought, is justifying faith, which the Apostle says is imputed for righteousness? Romans chapter 4.

XIII. Then it is also manifest that the faith of miracles is not an eminent degree of justifying faith, from the fact that some are endowed with that faith who nevertheless do not have justifying faith. For to many who will say to Christ, "Did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?" Christ will respond, "I never knew you," as Christ himself testifies in Matthew 7:22. Add that the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 12:9 numbers faith of signs among the various charismas of the Spirit, which the Papists call Graces freely given. But an eminent degree of justifying faith pertains to grace making one pleasing [to God]. For it is given for the salvation of him who has it: not truly, as those free gifts of the Spirit, for the salvation of others. Then, if the faith of miracles were an excellent degree of justifying faith, Christ, reproaching the disciples for their lack of that faith, would not say to them, "If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move, and nothing would be impossible for you." For a grain of mustard seed denotes something very small in the Scriptures, and it is as much as if Christ were saying, "If you had even a little bit of faith."

XIV. But justifying faith is that by which not only the theoretical intellect is illuminated, so that it certainly believes those things which are taught by the Word of God; but also the practical mind of man is so affected that it refers those things to practice and applies them to itself. If indeed the truly faithful so believes, for example, the promises of the Gospel concerning the remission of sins, concerning eternal happiness and glory, that he firmly and effectually judges that his highest good and blessedness, to which he must aspire with all his strength, is situated in those things: thus he gives faith to the mysteries of our redemption so that he plainly thinks that consolation and peace of conscience must be sought in them: finally, he so considers the divine commands that he certainly resolves with himself that his life must be spent according to them.

XV. Whence it can be clear that justifying faith is so different from historical and temporary faith that it includes all its power: and so is distinguished from it as the perfect from the imperfect: or by that distinction by which a higher degree differs from a lower. For justifying faith is related to the remaining species of faith as the rational soul is to the sensitive and vegetative; whose power and faculties, life, sense, and motion it eminently embraces, and adds the degree of reason. For thus also justifying faith makes us believe all things which are taught by the Word of God, which historical faith accomplishes. And if God promises something special and calls to the working of a miracle, then it also supplies the power of miraculous faith; nor does he who now believes the Word of God as is fitting, if a special promise is directed to him, need a new habit to give assent to it. Whence it is that the Apostle, commending the power and efficacy of salvific faith, attributes to it various miraculous works which holy men once performed or which were done by their grace: saying, "By faith the fathers passed through the Red Sea," and "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down," and "By faith some stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the violence of fire." Hebrews 11. But above the remaining species of faith, justifying faith has that it more clearly irradiates the theoretical mind and more fully imbues the practical, and penetrates more deeply, and engenders a keener sense of truth and firmer assent in our minds than historical or temporary faith. Then also it refers whatever it has drawn from the Word of God to action and the conducting of life: and applies it to itself in the way we have said.

XVI. Which application indeed must be rightly understood, and in what sense has now been explained. Not truly in such a way that the proper act of justifying faith, by which it is discerned from other species of faith, consists in this - that someone induces in his mind that his sins are remitted, and that he is a son of God predestined to life, and will certainly be a partaker of salvation. For this persuasion, if it is legitimate, necessarily presupposes faith and arises from it: and so cannot be its primary act. For since the remission of sins and eternal life are promised to no one absolutely in the Gospel, but under the condition of faith and repentance: in order for us to be certain of the grace of God and our salvation, it is necessary that we first establish our faith and repentance. Whence it is manifest that that certainty is a consequence of faith, not truly faith itself: or if someone wants it to pertain to faith, at least it is not its primary act.

XVII. But in order for the nature of faith to be more fully understood, it is necessary to discuss its object and subject, cause and effects a little more widely. And indeed it is evident from what has been said that the object of faith is those things which have been revealed by God, and insofar as they have been revealed by God; So that the material object of faith are those things which are contained in the Word of God: but the formal object is the divine authority and truth itself.

XVIII. Therefore Bellarmine does not rightly dispute against our people, as if they entirely restricted the object of salvific faith to the promise of the remission of sins alone. For we establish as the object of that faith not only those things which are promised in the Gospel, but also whatever else is taught, narrated, and commanded in the Word of God. Which the Apostle teaches in Hebrews 11, where speaking of justifying faith, he says, "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." And likewise that Noah by faith believed the divine warning about the coming flood, being moved with fear by which he constructed the ark to save his household.

XIX. But here it must be noted that all things which are set before our faith do not equally pertain to its object. For just as in the objects of human sciences, certain things are those whose cognition is chiefly intended, and those are called the principal object: as for example, in logic the syllogism and demonstration: but others which are only proposed for the elucidation of those former things, and so that they may be known more easily and fully: and these are the secondary and less principal object of the science; so also the matter holds in the doctrine of faith. For certain things are set before faith primarily and principally, but others secondarily and less principally. But that principal object are those things without which one cannot arrive at salvation, nor rightly institute life: such as those which are called the articles of faith, summarily embracing the mysteries of salvation, and likewise the divine precepts. But the Word of God contains many other things which pertain only to their confirmation and fuller knowledge, as are, for example, the various histories and miracles which are narrated in the Scriptures, and those are the secondary object of faith.

XX. Moreover, it is necessary that those things which pertain to the principal object of faith be believed distinctly; but the rest it is enough if they are believed confusedly. Those things are believed distinctly which faith apprehends separately and one by one. And this is the faith which is called explicit. Confusedly, those things which are not apprehended in particular, but only in some common principle in which they are contained: and this is the faith which they call implicit. For example, he who believes that the book of Judges is divinely inspired, yet has not read it nor heard anything recited about it: he indeed believes that the histories contained there are true, but implicitly and confusedly. But he who reads those histories and knows one by one the things narrated in that book about Samson and Gideon and the rest of the leaders of the Israelite people, he has explicit and distinct faith of them.

XXI. But since God did not manifest the whole doctrine of redemption and salvation to men at once and at one time, but in many ways and in many parts, and at first more obscurely, then more clearly; it follows from this that according to the various distinctions of times, faith had to be more or less explicit. For revelation is the measure of faith: and the more things are distinctly revealed, the more it is necessary that faith be extended to more things. And consequently from us, to whom the Gospel has been clearly made known, the explicit faith of many articles is required as necessary, of which under the Old Testament implicit faith once sufficed.

XXII. But here it must also be noted that when we say that implicit faith of many things which are contained in the Word of God is sufficient, this should not be taken as if it were praiseworthy to acquiesce in any kind of knowledge of the principal heads of faith, nor should fuller knowledge be sought. For although the distinct faith of few articles is required as plainly necessary for salvation, nevertheless this is also certain - that each one is bound to apply all effort, according to the mode of his calling, to advance more and more in the doctrine of salvation and to be instructed more fully and copiously in the Word of God. To which the Apostle diligently exhorts the faithful in Colossians 2:2 and 3:16. And consequently those gravely err and sin who, under the pretext of implicit faith, foster the stupid and crass ignorance of the people.

XXIII. But in order to better know what the object of faith is, it must be considered what the Apostle teaches in Hebrews 11:1 - that faith is of those things which are not seen; which Paul also confirms by opposing faith to sight in 1 Corinthians 5:7. But here those things are said to be seen which fall under the senses: then, which through themselves move the intellect to the cognition of themselves and are so set before the mind that our intellect is compelled to assent to them by a certain innate splendor of truth, nor does it need the testimony of anyone for this: Such are the first principles known through themselves, and those things which are demonstrated by some evident reason in the sciences.

XXIV. Therefore we do not properly hold by faith those things which we perceive by sense, nor also those things which have been necessarily and evidently demonstrated to us. Hence also it is that faith is said to be abolished in the future age, in which sight will succeed faith, and we will see face to face. For those things which faith now proposes to be believed, such as that God is three and one, and that Christ is God and man, we will know those very things in the life to come, and we will assent to them; but this because we will openly discern and contemplate the truth in the things themselves. But now we see as through a mirror and in a riddle: and that we persuade ourselves that those mysteries are true, we do not do this sufficiently convinced by a certain light emanating from the object itself; but voluntarily submitting our intellect to the divine truth which testifies about them. This obscurity and inevidence is involved in the nature of faith: and therefore when it is removed by the clear and evident manifestation of truth, faith is said to be abolished, not perfected. Whereas on the contrary love is said never to fail, although here it is imperfect and all imperfection is to be removed from it in the heavenly homeland. Because of course that imperfection is accidental to love, it does not pertain to its nature and essence, as obscurity and inevidence pertain to the nature of faith.

XXV. But here it must be noted that there is a twofold evidence, one external, the other internal. Internal evidence is that splendor of truth shining forth from the thing itself and necessarily drawing the mind to assent. But external evidence is when it is evidently established not from the light of the thing itself which is set forth, but from elsewhere that it must be believed. And thus nothing prohibits those things which are of faith from being evident. Thus from the miracles of the Apostles and Christ it was evident that faith should be given to their words. And to those who are illuminated by the light of faith it is evident that the divine mysteries must be believed, on account of the authority of God speaking and approving his word to them by illustrious marks and criteria. And they manifestly judge that whatever things are brought forth from the Word of God are worthy of belief: because they see that those things are confirmed by God, who is the first and highest truth.

XXVI. But although those things which are of faith are not so evident as those things which are taught in the human sciences, they are nevertheless no less certain for that reason. For the divine testimony is more certain than any demonstration. But here also a twofold certainty must be distinguished, one by reason of the object and in itself: the other by reason of the subject and as to us. For indeed those things which constitute the object of faith are in themselves no less certain, indeed more certain, than those things which are known demonstratively and through arguments. For nothing is more certain and firm than the divine truth, on whose authority they depend. But truly by reason of the subject and as to us, faith is not so certain as it ought to be, but is shaken and impelled by various temptations.

XXVII. As far as pertains to the subject of faith, a twofold subject can here be considered, one of inherence, the other of denomination: the former is the faculty in which faith inheres: the latter the person who is endowed with faith and is denominated from faith. But that faculty in which faith inheres is none other than the mind or intellect, not truly also the will, as it has seemed to some. Which is manifest from the object of faith: for the formal object of faith is divine truth. But truth according to its proper nature is set before the mind, not truly the will.

XXVIII. Then this very thing is evident from the act of faith: for the act of faith consists in two things, namely in the apprehension of those things which are revealed by the Word of God: and also in the judgment or assent which we give to them. But both of these pertain to the mind: For it belongs to it to apprehend or conceive things: and also to judge about them by assenting or dissenting.

XXIX. Certainly those who place faith also in the will are moved to that because they confuse trust with faith, and think trust is the principal act of faith and as it were its form. But in that they are deceived, or do not speak accurately enough. For trust is an effect of faith, not truly an act and form of faith. And if we want to speak properly, trust pertains to hope, not to faith. For it is nothing other than hope strengthened and confirmed. And certainly the Apostle manifestly distinguishes trust from faith in Ephesians 3:12, "In Christ," he says, "we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him." Where faith is placed as the cause of trust or confidence, since we are said to have trust or confidence through faith: which would be said absurdly if trust and faith were the same thing. For this being posited, the sense of the passage would be, "Through trust we have trust"; which is nugatory.

XXX. But those in whom true faith is found are all and only those who are predestined to eternal life. For that faith falls to them from the decree of divine election; and therefore it is called by Paul, "the faith of God's elect," Titus 1:1. Whence it happens that without it no one can be saved, nor does anyone have it who does not obtain salvation. For that assent which imitates true faith in some of the reprobate is temporary faith, about which we spoke above: and it must be distinguished from justifying and saving faith.

XXXI. But as to what is often asked here, whether elect and saved infants also have faith, it is plain indeed that they cannot have actual faith; but nothing prohibits a certain habitual faith, or rather the seed and root of faith, from being infused in them. And certainly it cannot happen that God would purge from every stain of original sin as many infants as he admits into his heavenly kingdom, which nothing defiled and contaminated enters. Since therefore original sin in infants includes a certain seed of unbelief, just as of all vices, while God cleanses them, he undoubtedly takes away that innate unbelief, and so infuses the principle and a certain seed of faith. For God does not purge his own from vices except by infusing the contrary habits of virtues.

XXXII. Moreover, whatever that may be, whether faith or the root of faith and disposition to faith which can be found in infants, it is beyond controversy that it must be attributed to God alone, and that the offices of man do not concur with it: nor can it be called into doubt by anyone: but Scripture also manifestly teaches that the same must be thought about the faith of adults, for it calls faith the gift of God, Eph. 2:8, "By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." And to the Philippians the Apostle says that it was freely given to them to believe in Christ, Phil. 1:29.

XXXIII. But in order for it to be better known how much we owe to God in the matter of faith, it must be noted that the mysteries which are proposed to our faith to be believed are so hidden and sublime that the mind of men, indeed even of angels, could never have penetrated them and raised itself to them. For they are, as the Apostle says, "things which no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man." Therefore it was necessary for God to speak them forth and reveal them by his word, otherwise they would have remained completely unknown; nor would any man or Angel have ever thought anything about them.

XXXIV. But it is not enough for God to have revealed the mysteries of salvation and taken care that they be announced to men. For two things especially stand in the way of men receiving and acknowledging those things revealed and outwardly proposed. First, the blindness of the human mind and the darkness with which it is covered by sin. Then, the insuperable perversity of the will turned away from God and immersed in earthly things. And therefore, in order to engender faith in us, it is necessary for God to heal and open the eyes of our mind and pour over our intellect a certain internal light, so that we may thus acknowledge God speaking. Then also it is necessary for him to prepare our will by his grace and move it and correct and tame its depravity and rebellion, lest it resist the illuminating Holy Spirit, as happens in unbelievers, but yield and submit to his admonitions and inspiration.

XXXV. Which indeed God accomplishes certainly and effectually. For he does not leave the will to its own choice, so that it may either follow or not follow the leading of the Holy Spirit: but he bends and inclines it with such great force that it necessarily follows. Nor does God only bring it about by grace that we believe if we want to, but that we want to believe and truly believe. For he himself is the one who works in us both to will and to accomplish according to his good pleasure, as the Apostle teaches in Phil. 2:13. Whence it is evident that the whole praise of our faith must be referred to God, nor is even the least part left to us, according to that saying of Paul, "What do you have that you did not receive?" Likewise, "Who makes you different from another?"

XXXVI. But it can hardly be said enough what effects it has and how excellent are the fruits borne by so precious a gift of God. For faith is what unites us to Christ, what receives the remission of sins, what brings justification, life, and salvation, and carries off the victory over the world and Satan. Then also it begets peace of conscience and fills the soul with confidence and joy unspeakable. And this, because the believer, feeling that he believes and taught from the Word of God that whoever believes does not perish nor come into condemnation but has passed from death to life, and that faith is the pledge of our adoption and election, is certain of the remission of sins and knows that he has eternal life and belongs to the number of the sons and elect of God. And thus he has the material for immense joy and the highest confidence and the greatest peace and tranquility of soul.

XXXVII. For although that certain persuasion of the remission of sins, the grace of God, and thus of salvation is not properly faith itself, as was said above, yet it is born from faith and accompanies it. And certainly it is legitimate and is found in the faithful, as the examples of the saints convince, who in the Scriptures speak as being entirely persuaded about their own salvation and the special love of God toward them, as the adversaries themselves confess about David and Paul. But when they say that they had that certainty from a peculiar revelation, Scripture gives no indication of that matter. For Paul, testifying to his confidence and certainty of salvation, does not bring forward other arguments than those which are common to all the faithful, as can be seen from the passages themselves.

XXXVIII. Add that even if the Apostle had had that certainty from a special revelation, yet his one example would suffice to show the vanity of the arguments by which the adversaries attack that persuasion which we attribute to the faithful about their salvation and God's mercy toward them. As if that persuasion would induce carnal security and take away the use of prayers and the desire to live well. For it was not because Paul was certain of his salvation that he therefore abstained from prayers and ceased from doing good, but he always remained in that pious solicitude to work out his salvation.

XXXIX. But for engendering such a persuasion in us there is no need of any particular revelation: for the general promises made to believers suffice for this, then that each one may see and feel that he is endowed with that living and effectual faith which God requires. But that the faithful can see their faith and certainly recognize it, the Apostle shows sufficiently when he thus exhorts the Corinthians: "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, test yourselves. Or do you not recognize yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified," 2 Cor. 13:5. For that exhortation is in vain if true and sincere faith cannot be recognized and discerned by him who possesses it. And it is plain that the Apostle there puts forward as something amazing and stupendous that someone has Christ dwelling in him by faith, yet does not recognize it, not knowing himself.

XL. But what is especially to be noted here is that faith purifies hearts and works through love: which indeed no one dares to deny belongs to true faith, since they are the very words of Scripture. But it is asked whether faith necessarily accomplishes that and always has love joined to it. The Papists deny it and want true faith often to be without love: we on the contrary affirm it, moved to that by many testimonies of Scripture.

XLI. And first indeed, that faith and love are so conjoined that they are never separated is shown by those passages which teach about all who believe in general that they obtain remission of sins and righteousness through Christ and have the right of the sons of God and of eternal life. For since those things do not fit those who are devoid of love, it follows from this that those who have faith also have love. Furthermore, as John says in 1 John 5:1, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." But whoever is born of God has both love and is zealous for good works. For "everyone who is born of God does not sin," that is, is not given over to sin, as is contained in the same epistle.

XLII. Then, to truly know God and to have true faith about God are in reality one and the same thing. But he who does not love God and remains in sins does not know God with true and saving knowledge. "For he who says, 'I know God,' and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him," as the same John testifies in 1 John 2:4. Related to this is what he says in the same chapter, verse 11: "But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." Whence it is manifest that no one can lack love and hate his brother and yet be endowed with true faith. For he who has true faith is not in darkness, nor does he have a blinded mind. Since indeed he has the eyes of his mind illuminated by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation: Indeed, faith is that very light by which the darkness is dispelled from our mind.

XLIII. Finally, Scripture takes the faithful and the holy for the same thing, as for example in 2 Thess. 1:10: "When he comes to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe in that day." A manifest indication that faith cannot be separated from holiness.

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Please don't hesitate to message me if you notice anything that needs to be corrected. These translations are far from perfect, but assuming the reader has some historical and theological background, they should be adequate. But, if something seems unusual, always interpret it critically.