Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Loss of Grace · Book I: On Sin, Mortal and Venial
Chapter 3: On the difference between mortal and venial sin
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Amissione Gratiae et Statu Peccati, Book I. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
On the difference between mortal and venial sin there is no light controversy. But that the state of the cause may more easily be understood, certain partitions of venial sin must be premised.
The first partition is of three members: sins venial from their cause, from the event, and from the nature and notion of the sin. A sin venial from its cause is called a sin which is committed from ignorance or from infirmity; which kind of sin is called venial not as distinguished against any mortal sin whatever, but against mortal sin from malice. For although sins from ignorance or from infirmity are often truly mortal, yet they are all called venial because there is in them something lessening the gravity of the fault, and by reason of which he who sinned is nearer to indulgence. Of this kind of sin the Apostle speaks in the first epistle to Timothy, chapter 1, when he says: I… before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and contumelious. But I obtained… mercy… because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. A sin venial from the event is called that which is taken away through penitence, according to that of St. Ambrose in the book On Paradise, chapter 14: “A pardonable fault is that which the confession of offenses follows.” In which signification St. Augustine seems to have taken venial sin in book 21 On the City of God, last chapter, when he says: “But now, while the measure of venial iniquity, even if it persevere, is unknown, assuredly both the zeal of advancing to better things is applied more vigilantly by insisting on prayer, and the care of making holy friends of the mammon of iniquity is not despised.” The same notion the author of the book On True and False Penitence used, chapter 18, who wrote that sins become venial through penitence. These venials too are not opposed absolutely to mortals, but to those which in fact are never remitted, and thereby lead through to eternal death. Sins venial from the nature and notion of the sin are called those which are not contrary to the charity of God and of neighbor, and which properly and absolutely are opposed to mortals. Of the venials of the first and second kind there is no controversy; for there is no one who denies that of sins some can be committed from ignorance or infirmity, others from malice; and again that some are expiated through penitence, others, not expiated through penitence, are punished forever. Of the venials of the third kind is the whole question.
Which venials again are divided into two kinds. For some are called venial from their kind, others from the imperfection of the work. Venial from their kind are called those which have for object a thing evil and inordinate, but such as is not repugnant to the charity of God or of neighbor — such as an idle word, excessive laughter, and other things of that kind; and contrary to these are the sins mortal from their kind, as perjury, adultery, and the like, which openly fight with the charity of God or of neighbor. Venial from the imperfection of the work are those which, though from their kind they could be mortal, yet through the imperfection of the work are made venial — because, namely, only the imperfection of the work brings it about that they are not judged to fight with charity. And contrary to these are the sins mortal on the side of the agent, which indeed from their kind could have been venial, and yet from a certain disposition of the sinner are mortal. Such a sin would be, if one were so delighted with idle chattering as to be ready to wear out his time in it even when, by divine precept, something else lay upon him necessarily to be done. Again, sins venial from the imperfection of the work are wont to be cut into two members. For some are called venial from surreption, others from the smallness of the matter. From surreption are called those which are not perfectly voluntary — such as are the sudden motions of lust, anger, envy, and other like, which exist in the mind before reason could fully deliberate whether they were to be admitted or not; which indeed are sins, since they could have been forestalled or straightway repelled, if reason had been watchful, and yet are venial, since they lacked the full assent of the will. From the smallness of the matter are called those which are committed in a small and light matter — such as would be the theft of a single obol, which neither notably harms the neighbor, nor is of such a kind as could take away friendship among equitable men.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT III De discrimine peccati mortalis, et venialis. De discrimine peccati mortalis et venialis non levis controversia est. Sed ut status causae facilius possit intelligi, praemittendae sunt partitiones quaedam peccati venialis. Prima partitio est trimembris ; peccata venialia a causa, ab eventu, ex natura et ratione peccati. Peccatum veniale a causa dicitur peccatum, quod ex ignorantia, vel ex infirmitate committitur, quod genus pec¬ cati non dicitur veniale, ut distinguatur contra quodcumque mortale, sed contra peccatum mortale ex malitia. Tametsi enim peccata ex ignorantia, vel ex infirmitate saepe sint mere mortalia, tamen dicuntur omnia venialia, quia est in eis aliquid immi¬ nuens culpae gravitatem, et ratione cujus is qui peccavit, est vicinior indulgentiae. De quo genere peccati loquitur Apostolus in epistola priore ad Timotheum, cap. i, cum ait : Fui blasphemus, et contumeliosus, et persecutor, sed misericordiam consecutus sum, quia ignorans feci in incredulitate. » Peccatum veniale ab eventu dicitur id, quod per poenitentiam excipiatur , juxta illud S. Ambrosii in lib. de Paradiso, cap. 14 : « Veniabilis culpa, quam sequitur professio delictorum. » Qua significatione videtur acce¬ pisse S. Augustinus veniale peccatum in lib. de civit. Dei, cap. ult., cum ait : « Nunc vero dum venialis iniquitatis, etiamsi perseveret, ignoratur modus, profecto et studium in meliora proficiendi orationi instando vigi¬ lantius adhibetur, et faciendi de mammona iniquitatis sanctos amicos cura non sper¬ nitur » . Eadem notione usus est auctor libri de vera et falsa poenitentia, cap. 18. qui scripsit, peccata per poenitentiam fleri ve¬ nialia. Haec quoque venialia non opponuntur absolute mortalibus, sed iis, qum reipsa nunquam remittuntur, ac per hoc ad mortem perducunt aeternam. (1) Tit. II, 12. 216 LIBER I. Peccata venialia ex natura et ratione pec¬ cati dicuntur ea, quae non sunt contraria charitati Dei, et proximi, quaque proprie et absolute mortalibus opponuntur. De venia¬ libus primi et secundi genei’is nulla contro¬ versia est. Nemo est enim, qui neget pecca¬ torum alia ex ignorantia, vel infirmitate, alia ex malitia posse committi ; et rursus alia per poenitentiam expiari, alia per poenitentiam non expiata in a ternum puniri. De venialibus tertii generis est tota qusestio. Qua venialia rursus in duo genera dividuntur. Alia enim dicuntur venialia ex genere suo, alia ex im¬ perfectione operis. Yenialia ex genera suo dicuntur ea, qua habent pro objecto rem malam, et inordi¬ natam, rsed qua charitati Dei, vel proximi non repugnet, quale est verbum otiosum, risus nimius, et alia id genus : et his con¬ traria sunt peccata mortalia ex genere suo, ut perjurium, adulterium, et similia, qua aperte cum charitate Dei, vel proximi pug¬ nant. Yenialia ex imperfectione operis ea sunt, qua tametsi ex genere suo mortalia esse possent, tamen ob imperfectionem operis venialia efficiuntur, quia videlicet sola imper¬ fectio operis facit, ut cum charitate pugnare non judicentur. His vero contraria sunt mor¬ talia ex parte agentis, qua quidem ex genere suo venialia esse potuissent, et tamen ex dispositione quadam peccantis mortalia sunt, tale peccatum esset, si quis adeo delectaretur otiosis confabulationibus, ut paratus esset in iis tempus conterere, etiam cum ex divino pracepto aliquid aliud ei necessario facien¬ dum incumberet. Rursus peccata venialia ex imperfectione operis in duo membra secari solent. Alia enim dicuntur venialia ex subreptione, alia ex parvitate materia. Ex subreptione dicun¬ tur ea, qua non sunt perfecte voluntaria, quales sunt subiti motus cupiditatis, ira, invidentia, et alii similes, qui prius in animo existunt, quam ratio plane deliberare potuerit, essent necne admittendi ; quiquidem et pec¬ cata sunt, cum praveniri aut continuo repelli potuissent, si ratio vigilasset : et tamen ve- niala sunt, cum pleno voluntatis assensu ca- ruerint. Ex materia parvitate dicuntur ea qua in re parva ac levi committuntur, quale esset furtum unius oboli, quod neque proxi¬ mum notabiliter ladit, neque ejusmodi est ut apud aquos homines amicitiam tollere queat.