On Implicit Faith and the Fathers

Bereza's "De virtutibus theologicis" and Pesch's "Praelectiones dogmaticae"

Introduction

Below are two brief translations, one from Blaise Bereza and the other from Christiaan Pesch, both Jesuit scholastics in the early 20th century. Each are respected and orthodox theologians who were quite influential in their day (Pesch moreso than Bereza, although Bereza’s detail and sourcing far surpass Pesch).

In a previous article, I gave a translation of Pesch on scripture and implicit faith. The even more difficult question than the scriptural one is the patristic one. These two are good examples of the types of distinction given, although, admittedly, lacking the vigor of the scriptural exegesis by simply giving hermenuetical rules for reading mostly St. Augustine.

Yet, there are more extensive treatments that concern related questions, such as a German treatment of St. Augustine mentioned by Pesch and a more general treatment of EENS in the Fathers by Joseph Burone called De Intolerantia Catholica, where he treats Ss. Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, Augustine, Leo the Great, and Bernard of Clairvaux.