Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Loss of Grace · Book VI: The Punishments of Original Sin
Chapter 10: On the diseases and wounds of the will
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Amissione Gratiae et Statu Peccati, Book VI. 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).
There follows the other part of the soul, which is called the will; whose wound also is manifold.
The first is that which in Greek they name philautia — that is, love of self. For all seek the things that are their own, unless through the Holy Spirit the charity of God be poured into their hearts. And hence are born those things which St. Augustine enumerates in book 22 On the City of God, chapter 22: “Gnawing cares, perturbations, griefs, fears, insane joys, discords, lawsuits, wars, treacheries, angers, enmities, deceits, adulation, fraud, theft, rapine, perfidy, pride, ambition, envy, homicides, parricides, cruelty, savagery, wickedness, luxury, petulance, impudence, unchastity, fornications, adulteries, incests, and against nature so many debaucheries and uncleannesses of both sexes, which it is shameful even to mention; sacrileges, heresies, blasphemies, perjuries, oppressions of the innocent, calumnies, circumventions, prevarications, false testimonies, unjust judgments, violences, robberies, and whatever of such evils does not come to mind, and yet does not depart from the life of men.” These indeed are the evils of wicked men; yet they come from that root of error and perverse love with which every son of Adam is born.
The second is the difficulty which we experience in overcoming vices and cultivating virtues. For the natural end of man, as to the will, is to live according to reason. Accordingly virtue is according to nature, vice against nature; and we see all things move willingly and easily toward those things which are agreeable to their nature, and with difficulty and reluctance toward those which are repugnant to their nature. But men are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things, says the Wise Man in the book of Proverbs, chapter 2. And they drink iniquity like water, as Job says, chapter 15 — that is, without trouble and labor they commit sins easily and sweetly.
Witnesses of this thing are those manifold penalties which we are forced to exercise both upon little ones and upon the grown, that men, even unwilling, may be restrained from vices: “For what,” says Augustine in the place cited, “do the manifold terrors mean, which are applied to restrain the vanities of little ones? What the pedagogues, what the masters, what the rods, what the straps, what the switches, what that discipline by which holy Scripture says the sides of the beloved son are to be beaten, lest he grow up untamed, and, hardened, be scarcely able — or perhaps not able at all — now to be tamed? What is done by all these penalties, except that unskillfulness be conquered and depraved desire bridled — with which evils we live in this world?” And what do those greater torments signify, which the severity of the laws has devised for the grown — crosses, axes, gibbets, wheels, fires, and other things of that kind — but that so great severity is altogether necessary against the proneness of the human will to evil? For we enter into this life with so great an abundance of vain desire, which begins to appear in boys, that altogether rare is he who, if he be let live as he will and do whatever he will, does not arrive at those crimes and disgraces which were mentioned above, either all or many of them. How great then is this misery: not to be able to be delivered from a great misery except through another great misery!
The third is a certain incredible negligence in those things which pertain to living blessedly, both in this life and also after death. For since it is agreed well enough that beatitude in this life is placed in perfect virtue, and at the same time we experience that the way to perfect virtue is difficult, reason demands that we apply ourselves to this matter with great zeal. For if they who apply great zeal do not arrive without labor, what will become of those who apply none? Again, since we naturally know the soul to be immortal, it were fitting that we should handle nothing more often, nothing more diligently, nothing with greater solicitude, than what is to befall us after death. But contrariwise, most men care for nothing less than for procuring the virtues or everlasting beatitude; and — what is more to be wondered at — not even in extreme old age, when it is certain that death cannot be far off, do they begin to apply zeal for procuring salvation. So great, plainly, is the forgetfulness, so great the sleep, so great the security which has deservedly oppressed the human race from the first prevarication.
The fourth is the immoderate solicitude in snatching at temporal gains. For they who are negligent beyond measure in seeking the true and highest goods are the same who are most attentive in acquiring goods false, empty, and fleeting. Which calamity of the human race not only our Ecclesiastes deplores in many places, but even that heathen who began his Satires thus: “O the cares of men! O how much emptiness there is in things!” And since, as St. Augustine writes in the place noted, sloth, sluggishness, laziness, negligence are vices by which labor is fled, and yet labor itself, even when it is useful, is a penalty — therefore whether by labor we conquer sloth, or by sloth we flee labor, we are always miserable.
The fifth is a certain wonderful perversity of the human will, which is most slow to worship the true God, even when he makes himself manifest through many miracles or benefits, but most prompt to worship false gods, though it has known nothing at all of their divinity. Certainly many philosophers, by the things that are made, as the Apostle speaks in Romans 1, knew God; yet they have not glorified him as God. The Hebrews also most easily grew weary of and deserted the true God, known through innumerable signs and prodigies; and most promptly they ran to sacrifice even their own sons to false gods. Wherefore in Jeremias 2, God himself upbraids the Jews for their inconstancy in worshipping the true God, by the example of the heathen, who were most constant in retaining the worship of false gods.
The sixth is the inconstancy, instability, and a certain fight and contention of the human will. For the other things — the higher, as the Angels, as well as the lower, as the cattle — always will or refuse the same thing; they pursue the good, they flee the evil. But men now will the same thing, now will it not; now neither plainly will it nor plainly refuse it. “Adultery pleases me,” says the incontinent man, “but I will not, because the law forbids.” And not only does the lower part conflict with the higher, but the higher conflicts with itself. “Whence this monster,” says St. Augustine, Confessions book 8, chapter 9, “and wherefore? Let thy mercy shine, and let me ask, if perhaps the hiding-places of the penalties of men, and the darkest contritions of the sons of Adam, can answer me. Whence this monster, and wherefore? The mind commands the body, and it is obeyed at once; the mind commands itself, and it is resisted.” And in the following chapter: “I, when I was deliberating that I should now serve the Lord my God, as I had long purposed — it was I who was willing, I who was unwilling. Neither was I fully willing, nor fully unwilling; therefore I contended with myself, and was scattered from myself; and that very scattering came to pass with me indeed unwilling, and yet it showed not the nature of an alien mind, but the penalty of my own.”
The seventh is disgust with one’s own state. For it is a great argument of the corruption of the human will that no one lives content with his own lot, but praises those who follow diverse ways, as the poet says. For that is the sign of a manifest sickness; for all other things, if those things be at hand which their nature requires, most easily rest content, nor do they desire any change. But it is proper to the sick to will now one thing, now another; to loathe their food and their bed; to turn themselves impatiently now this way, now that. “We,” says St. Gregory, homily 36 on the Gospels, “born into the hardship of this pilgrimage, have come hither already full of loathing; we know not what we ought to desire.” And below: “By our loathing, therefore, we waste away, and are wearied by the long plague of our fasting.”
The eighth is that no one, unless he be renewed through grace, can avoid all mortal sins; and the venial, not even the renewed can avoid, except by a singular privilege. Wherefore sin seems to be so proper to men that it is commonly said, “to sin is human.” Whence one, excusing a sin: “The night persuaded,” says he, “love, wine, youth; it is human.” And a certain other: “No one lives without fault; he is best who is pressed by the least.” Great is this sickness of the will: that though no one can sin unless he will, and nothing is more in the power of man than to will, yet he cannot always will well, and thereby live without any sin.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT X. De morbis, ac vulneribus voluntatis. Sequitur altera pars animi, quae dicitur voluntas ; cujus vulnus est etiam multiplex. Primum est illa, quam graece «piXauxtav, id est, amorem sui, nominant. Omnes enim quaerunt quae sua sunt, nisi per Spiritum sanctum charitas Dei in eorum cordibus in¬ fundatur. Atque hinc nascuntur illa, quae S. Augustinus enumerat in lib. xxil. de Ci¬ vit. Dei cap. 22 : « Mordaces curae, pertur¬ bationes, moerores, formidines, insana gau¬ dia, discordiae, lites, bella, insidiae, iracun¬ diae, inimicitiae, fallaiciae, adulatio, fraus, furtum, rapina, perfidia, superbia, ambitio, invidentia, homicidia, parricidia, crudelitas, saevitia, nequitia, luxuria, petulantia, impu¬ dentia, impudicitia, fornicationes, adulteria, incesta, et contra naturam utriusque sexus tot stupra atque immunditise, quas turpe est etiam dicere, sacrilegia, haneses, blasphe- miae, perjuria, oppressiones innocentium, calumniae, circumventiones, praevaricationes (I) Psal. XVIII, 13. - (2) Sap. IX, 15. t7b LIRER VI. falsu testimonia, iniqua judicia, violentia;, latrocinia, et quidquid talium malorum in mentem non venit, et tamen de vita homi¬ num non recedit. » Verum luee sunt homi¬ num malorum : ah illa tamen erroris et per¬ versi amoris radice venientia, cum qua om¬ nis fdius Adam' 'nascitur. Secundum est difficultas, quam experi¬ mur in vitiis superandis, et virtutibus exco¬ lendis. Nam linis hominis naturalis, euan- tum ad voluntatem, est vivere secundum rationem. Proinde virtus secundum naturam est, vitium contra naturam ; ct videmus res omnes libenter, et facile moveri ad ea qua; natura; sute consentanea sunt, osgve ct diffi¬ culter ad eu, qua; natura; sute repugnant. At homines betantur cum male fecerint:, et exaltant in rebus pessimis (1), inquit Sapiens in lib. Provcrbior. eap. n. Et : J 'libant , ut inquit Job cap. xv, sicut aquam iniquitatem (2), id est. sine molestia ct labore, facile suaviterque peccata committunt. Testes hujus rei sunt multiplices illte po;- nte, quas tum in parvulos, tum in majores cogimur exercere, ut homines vel inviti coer¬ ceantur a vitiis ; « Quid enim (inquit Augu- slinus loco citato) sibi volunt multimoda; for¬ midines, quie cohibendis parvulorum vanita¬ tibus adhibentur? quid paedagogi, quid ma¬ gistri, quid ferulae, quid lora, quid virga;, quid disciplina illa, qua Scriptura sancta di¬ cit dilecti lilii latera esse tundenda , ne crescat indomitus , domarique jain durus, aut vix possit, aut fortasse non possit? quid agitur his pomis omnibus, nisi ut debelletur imperitia, et prava cupiditas refrenetur, cum quibus malis in hoc saeculo vivimus? » Quid vero significant majora illa tormen¬ ta, quas legum severitas pro majoribus ex¬ cogitavit, cruces, secures, patibula, rota;, ignes et alia id genus, nisi su;vitiam tantam omnino esse necessariam contra pronitatem humana; voluntatis ad malum? Nam cum tanta abundantia vana; cupiditatis, qua; iu pueris incipit apparere, in hanc vitam intra¬ mus, ut rarus omnino sit, qui si dimittatur vivere ut velit, et facere quidquid velit, non in ea facinora et flagitiu, quas supra comme¬ morata sunt, vel cuncta, vel multa perve¬ niat; quanta igitur ha;c miseria est, non pos¬ se a magna miseria, nisi per aliam magnam miseriam liberari ? Tertium est incredibilis quaedam negli- gentia in iis, qua; ad beate vivendum, tum in hac vita, tum etiam post mortem perti¬ nent. Nam cum satis eynstct, beatitudinem in hac vita, in virtute perfecta sitam esse, et simul experiamur viam ad perfectam virtu¬ tem esse difficilem ; ratio postulat, ut magno studio in hanc rem incumbamus. Si enim qui magnum studium adhibent, non sine labore perveniunt, quid fiet de illis, qui nullum adhibent? Rursus , cum animam esse immortalem naturaliter cognoscamus, par esset, ut nihil sa;pius, nihil diligentius, nihil majori cum sollicitudine tractaremus, quam quid nobis sit eventurum post mortem. At contra pleri- que hominum nihil minus curant, quam de parandis virtutibus vel beatitudine sempi¬ terna; et, quod magis est admirandum, no in extrema quidem senectute, cum certum est, mortem longe abesse non posse, stu¬ dium incipiunt adhibere ad procurandam salutem ; tanta videlicet oblivio, tantus so¬ por, tanta securitas genus humanum me¬ rito prima; praevaricationis oppressit. Quartum est immoderata sollicitudo in temporalibus lucris captandis. Qui enim in veris et summis bonis qmerendis supra mo¬ dum ncgligentes sunt, iidem sunt in compa¬ randis bonis falsis, inanibus et fugacibus attentissimi. Quam sane calamitatem generis humani non solum noster Ecclesiastes mul¬ tis in locis deplorat, sed etiam ethnicus ille, qui Satyras suas ita coepit : « 0 curas homi¬ num, o quantum est in rebus inane. » Et quoniam ut S. Aug. loc. not. scribit, desi¬ dia, segnities, pigritia, negligentiu, vitia sunt, quibus labor fugitur, et tamen labor ipse etiam cum est utilis, poma est, ideo sivo la¬ bore desidiam vincimus, sive desidia labo¬ rem fugimus, semper miseri sumus. Quintum est mira quaedam perversitas vo¬ luntatis lnimana;, qua; ad verum Deum co- lendumtard issiina est, ctiain cum is se per multa miracula, vel beneficia patefacit : ad colendos autem Deos falsos promptissima, tametsi nihil omnino de eorum divinitate cog¬ noverit. Certe philosophi multi per ea, qux facta sant, ut Apostolus loquitur ad [toni, i, Deum cognoverunt , non tamen sicut Deum, glori fieaverunt (3). Hebrau quoque Deum ve¬ rum per innumerabilia siguu et prodigia cognitum facillime fastidiebant ae desere¬ bant ; et ad sacrificandum falsis Diis etiam Q ) Piov. II, |4/ — (2) Job. XV, fii. - (3) Itoni. I, 21. CAI»! 'I \f. filios proprios promptissimi accurrebant , quare Hicrem. 11, Deus ipse Juda?is expro¬ brat inconstantiam Dei veri colendi, exem¬ pto ethnicorum qui in cultu falsorum Deo¬ rum retinendo constantissimi erant. Sextum est inconstantia, instabilitas, pug¬ na quredam et contentio voluntatis humana?; nam res eiofera? tam superiores, ut Angeli, quam inferiores, .ut pecudes, semper idem volunt, aut nolunt, bonum prosequuntur, malum fugiunt. At homines rem eamdem modo volunt, modo nolunt, modo neque pla¬ ne volunt, neque plane nolunt. Placet adul¬ terium, dicit incontinens, sed nolo, quia lex prohibet. Neque solum pars inferior cum su¬ periore. sed superior secum ipsa confligit. « Unde hoc monstrum, inquit S. Augustinus Confess. lib. viti. cap. 9. et quare istud lu¬ ceat misericordia tua, et interrogem, si for¬ te mihi respondere possint latebra? poena¬ rum hominum, et tenebrosissima? contritio¬ nes filiorum Adam. Unde hoc monstrum, et quare istud ; imperat animus corpori, et pa¬ retur sfatim, imperat animus sibi, et resisti¬ tur. » Et cap. seq. : « Ego cum deliberabam ut jam servirem domino Deo meo, sicut diu disposueram, ego eram qui volebam, ego qui nolebam. Nec plene volebam, nec plene nolebam ; ideo mecum contendebam, ct dis¬ sipabar a me ipso, et ipsa dissipatio rae in¬ vito quidem fiebat, nec tamen ostendebat naturam mentis aliena;, sed poenam mea?. » Septimum est fastidium proprii status. Ma¬ gnum enim argumentum est corruptionis voluntatis humana?, quod nemo sorte sua contentus vivat ; sed laudet diversa sequen¬ tes, ut ille ait. Id enim signum est a?gritudi- nis manifesta?, nam res ca?tera?, si subsint qua? natura eorum requirit, facillime acquie¬ scunt, neque mutationem ullam expetunt. Proprium autem a?grotantium est nunc u- num, nunc aliud velle, fastidire cibos, le¬ ctum, modo hunc, modo illuc impatienter se convertere: « Nos, inquit S. Gregorius hom. 36. in Ev., nati in hujus peregrinationis a?- rumna, huc fastidiosi jam venimus, nescimus quid desiderare debeamus. » Et infra : « Fa¬ stidio ergo nostro tabescimus, et longa ine¬ dia? peste fatigamur. » Octavum est, quod nullus, nisi per gra¬ tiam renovetur, peccata omnia mortalia vi¬ tare potest, venialia vero, ne renovati qui¬ dem possunt, nisi privilegio singulari : quare ita proprium hominibus videtur esse pecca¬ tum, ut vulgo dici soleat « humanum esse 177 peccare. » Unde ille peccatum excusans : <( Persuasit, inquit, nox, amor, vinum, ado¬ lescentia ; humanum est. » Et alius quidam : « Nemo sine crimine vivit, optimus ille est qui minimis urgetur. » Magna est luee volun¬ tatis a?griludo, ut cum nemo peccare possit, nisi velit, et nihil sit. magis in potestate ho¬ minis, quam velle ; tamen non possit semper bene velle, et per hoc absque quini peccato vivere.