Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church Militant · The Church Spread Throughout the Whole World
Chapter 29: The Ninth Mark: Efficacy of Doctrine
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia Militante, On the Church Militant (of the controversy On Councils and the Church). 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).
The ninth Mark is the efficacy of doctrine. For the true Church alone has a doctrine not only unspotted, but also converting souls, as is said Psalm 18, and a living word penetrating even to the division of the soul and the spirit, Hebrews 4. The ancient Philosophers, although they made a show of great wisdom, and with the highest eloquence persuaded their laws to peoples, yet could never draw even the neighboring towns to their laws, as Athanasius teaches, in his book on the humanity of the Word, and Theodoret in his book on the laws. Because their words were not living words, but dead; not the spirit of God, but the spirit of men. The Mohammedans indeed drew many, but by the terror of arms, not by the force and efficacy of doctrine. Wherefore Mohammed himself, in the Koran, chapters 18 and 19, teaches that men are to be forced to the faith by war. Moreover, the heretics are never read to have converted any Gentiles or Jews to the faith, but only to have perverted Christians; which Tertullian too noted, in his book on the prescription of heretics: “What shall I say of the administration of the word? Since this is their business, not to convert the heathen, but to overturn ours; they undermine our buildings that they may build their own, etc.”
But, you will say, Freculphus in his Chronicle, Book 4, chapter 20, relates that by the Arians, in the time of the Emperor Valens, the whole nation of the Goths was converted from paganism to the faith.
I answer that the Goths were not converted by the Arians, but miserably deceived. For the Goths, when, having already gone out from their own borders, they served under the auspices of the Roman Empire, and heard many excellent things of the Christians, of their own accord, no one impelling them, asked Bishops of the Emperor, by whom they might be taught, prepared to believe whatever should be said to them. But the Emperor, because he was an Arian, sent Arian Bishops; and so the Goths, miserably deceived, when they wished to be made Christians, were made Arians — yet not by any virtue or miracles of the Arians. For what difficulty is there in instilling poison into a man prepared to take it? Add that Freculphus does not relate this history fully; for it is established from Socrates, Book 4, chapter 27, Sozomen, Book 6, chapter 37, Theodoret, Book 4, last chapter, that the greater part of those Goths were Christian and Catholic, and afterward deceived by the Arians. The heretics therefore do not convert men to the faith, nor can they. For the heretics have indeed the Scripture, but they have not the true sense of the Scriptures, which properly is the sword of the spirit. For the words are not so much the sword as the sheath in which the sword of the spirit is contained. Since therefore they fight not with the sword, but with the sheath only, what wonder if they do not strike the hearts of the unbelievers? Nor is it a wonder that they pervert Catholics, for men are prone to the descent, to the broad and easy way which they open. And God suffers this to be done because of the ingratitude of those who are once enlightened, and do not answer the light received with good works.
But the truly holy and Apostolic Church once, in a very short time, through men contemptible in outward appearance, without arms and without pomp of words, drew the whole World — that is, men great and small, learned and unlearned, young and old, men and women; and it drew them, not to the delights of this age, but to things to be believed above all reason, and to the cross, and to straits, and to a most perfect life repugnant to flesh and blood, and all these for no reward in this life, but only in the life to come. And it so persuaded that very many chose rather to lose all their wealth, honors, friends, kinsmen, and life itself, than the faith of Christ; of which see Athanasius and Theodoret in the places noted, and Augustine, Book 22 of the City of God, chapter 5, where he sets among the chief miracles that a few Apostles, by the efficacy of the divine Word alone, without eloquence or arms, subdued the whole world.
Next, that from the time of blessed Gregory down to our times many were converted by our side can be proved by the testimony of the adversaries. For that in the sixth century, by the command of blessed Gregory, not heretics — who then too were not lacking — but the Pope's Monks converted the pagan English to the faith of Christ, the Centuriators testify, Century 6, chapter 2, column 37.
Next, in the time of Pope Canon, Saint Kilian, sent by the Pope, converted the Franconians, as the Centuriators themselves say, Century 7, chapter 2, column 31.
Next, in the time of the Pontiffs Gregory II and Gregory III, and Zachary, a great part of Germany was converted to the faith — not by the Iconoclast heretics, with whom the world then abounded, but by Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr, whom Pope Gregory II had sent, as the Centuriators confess, Century 8, chapter 2, column 20, where they speak honorably of him in these words: “In this age, after the time shone forth which the Lord in His mercy had foreordained, the matter succeeded with greater fruit. For the Lord raised up Winfrid, whom the Romans called Boniface, with his colleagues, for the propagation of His Church in Germany, and Himself governed and promoted the work of their hands, etc.”
Here the Centuriators had forgotten that Saint Boniface was a Papist, and therefore they speak so well of him. For in the preface of the same Century, blasphemous and most ungrateful toward their own Apostle, they speak thus: “For this the Pope has his excellent runners, most skilled in such fowling, bold, rash, who, allured and ensnared by rewards and honors, ply diligent labor in all nations and kingdoms.” And below: “Such a runner was that Boniface, called the Apostle of the Germans, who applied himself with the utmost zeal, art, and force to bring all Germany into the power of the Roman Pope. And although in some places he is related to have abolished heathen idolatry, yet he did not sow the Christian religion pure and uncorrupted.” And below: “That Pseudo-apostle was so puffed up with insolence that he not only despised all admonishers from on high, but even enviously denounced them to that Roman tyrant as heretics and disturbers of the Church, etc.” Behold how they treat the Apostle of Germany, of whom all the historians of his time speak most honorably.
Next, Century 9, chapter 2, column 15, they confess that the Corbey Monks converted the Vandals; and column 18, they confess that the Bulgarians, Slavs, Poles, Danes, Moravians, converted in that age, were subject to the Roman Pontiffs — from which it appears that they were converted by Papists. Likewise Century 10, chapter 2, columns 18 and 15, they teach that many kings and peoples were converted to the faith by the labor of Henry I the Emperor, and of Adalbert Archbishop of the Bohemians, and Methodius of the Moravians — all of whom they cannot deny to have been Papists, since it is established that they were subject to the Roman Pontiffs.
Finally, Century 11, chapter 2, column 27, they teach that the Hungarians were for a great part converted in that age, and that Bishops given to that nation were confirmed by the Roman Pontiff, Saint Stephen King of the Hungarians, lately converted, asking this confirmation of them.
After those times there were not lacking, even in the Catholic Church, similar conversions; since Pope Adrian IV, before his Pontificate, sent by Pope Eugene, converted Norway to the faith, as Platina and others testify; and, if I am not mistaken, the Centuriators themselves too in Century 12, which I hear is published together with the 13th, but I have not yet seen. By Saint Vincent alone, of the Order of Preachers, it is established that twenty-five thousand were converted to the faith, partly of Jews, partly of Saracens, as blessed Antoninus writes, part 3 of his history, title 23, chapter 8, § 4, who flourished in the same age.
Finally, in this our age, in the new world, the Catholics converted many thousands of Gentiles. Of the Jews too, every year some are converted and baptized at Rome by Catholics devoted to the Roman Pontiff; nor are there lacking even Turks, who both at Rome and elsewhere are converted by Catholics. But the Lutherans have scarcely converted one or another, though they compare themselves with the Apostles and Evangelists, and have in Germany very many Jews, and in Poland and Hungary the Turks most near. Most rightly therefore blessed Augustine, Book 13 against Faustus, chapter 12, compares the heretics with partridges, which gather chicks that they did not hatch; while on the contrary the Church is a most fruitful dove, which daily brings forth new chicks.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XII. Nota nona. Nona Nota est efficacia doctrinae. Sola enim vera Ecclesia habet doctrinam, non solum immaculatam, sed etiam converten¬ tem animas, ut dicitur Psalm. XVIII, et ser¬ monem vivum penetrantem usque ad divi¬ sionem animse, ac spiritus, Hebr. IV. Philo¬ sophi antiqui tametsi magnam sapientiam ostentarent, et summa eloquentia leges suas populis suaderent, numquam tamen vel vicina oppida ad suas leges trahere potue¬ runt, ut docet Athanasius lib. de humanitate verbi, et Theodoretus lib. de legibus. Quia non erant verba eorum verba viva, sed mor¬ tua, non spiritus Dei, sed spiritus hominum. Mahumetani autem traxerunt quidem mul¬ tos, sed terrore armorum, non vi, et effica¬ cia doctrinae. Quare ipsemet Mahumetus in Alcorano, cap. 18 et 19. docet bello cogen¬ dos homines ad fidem. Porro haeretici num¬ quam leguntur convertisse ullos Ethnicos, aut Judaeos ad fidem, sed solum pervertisse Christianos, quod etiam notavit Tertullianus in lib. de praescript. haeret. : « De verbi, in¬ quit, administratione quid dicam? Cum hoc sit negotium illis non Ethnicos convertendi, sed nostros evertendi, nostra suffodiunt, ut sua aedificant etc. » At, inquies, Freculphus in Chronico lib. IV, cap. 20. refert ab Arianis tempore Va¬ lentis Imperatoris totam gentem Gothorum a paganismo ad fidem conversam. Respondeo, non ab Arianis Gothos esse conversos, sed misere deceptos. Gothi enim cum jam de finibus suis egressi sub Romani Imperii auspiciis militarent, et multa prae¬ clara de Christianis audirent, sua sponte, nemine impellente, ab Imperatore petierunt Episcopos, a quibus docerentur, parati ad credendum quidquid eis diceretur. Impera¬ tor vero, quia Arianus erat, Arianos Episco¬ pos misit, atque ita Gothi misere decepti, cum Christiani fieri vellent, Ariani facti sunt, non tamen ulla virtute, aut miraculis Arianorum. Quae enim difficultas est instil¬ lare venenum homini parato ad illud sumen¬ dum? Adde, quod Freculphus non integre historiam hanc refert; constat enim ex So¬ crate, lib IV, cap. 27. Sozomeno, lib. VI, cap. 37. Theodoreto, lib. IV, cap. ult. ma¬ jorem partem illorum Gothorum fuisse Chris¬ tianam, et Catholicam, et ab Arianis postea deceptam. Non igitur convertunt homines ad fidem haeretici, nec possunt. Nam haere¬ tici habent quidem Scripturam, sed non ha¬ bent verum sensum Scripturarum, qui pro¬ prie est gladius spiritus. Verba enim non tam gladius, quam vagina sunt, qua gladius spiritus continetur. Cum ergo illi non pug¬ nent gladio, sed vagina tantum, quid mirum, si non feriunt corda infidelium? Neque etiam mirum est, quod Catholicos pervertant, nam proni sunt homines ad descensum, ad viam CAPUT XII. 393 latam et facilem, quam illi aperiunt. Et Deus id fieri sinit propter ingratitudinem eorum, qui semel sunt illuminati, et lumini accepto bonis operibus non respondent. At Ecclesia vere sancta, et Apostolica olim brevissimo tempore per homines contempti¬ biles externa specie, sine armis, et sine pompa verborum totum Mundum traxit, id est, homines magnos, parvos, doctos, indoc¬ tos, juvenes, senes, viros, foeminas; Et tra¬ xit, non ad delicias hujus saeculi, sed ad res credendas supre omnem rationem, et ad crucem, et angustias, et vitam perfectissi¬ mam repugnantem carni et sanguini, et haec omnia propter praemium nullum in hac vita, sed solum in futura. Et hoc ita persuasit, ut maluerint plurimi potius amittere omnes opes, honores, amicos, affines, et vitam ip¬ sam, quam Christi fidem ; De quo vide Atha- nasium, et Theodoretum locis notatis, et Au¬ gustinum lib. XXII de civit. Dei, cap. 5. Ubi ponit inter praecipua miracula, quod pauci Apostoli sola Yerbi divini efficacia sine eloquentia, aut armis totum mundum subegerint. Deinde a tempore B. Gregorii usque ad nostra tempora conversos multos a nostris probari potest testimonio adversariorum. Nam quod sexto saeculo jussu B. Gregorii Anglos paganos non haeretici, qui tunc etiam non deerant, sed Monachi Pontificii ad fidem Christi converterint, testantur Centuriatores, Cent. YI, cap. 2, coi. 37. Deinde tempore Canonis Papae, S. Kilia- nus a Papa missus convertit Francones, ut dicunt ipsimet Centuriatores, Cent. Yil, cap. 2, coi. 31. Deinde tempore Gregorii II et Gregorii III, ac Zacharice Pontificum conversa est magna pars Germaniae ad fidem, non per haereticos Iconomachos, quibus tunc mundus abunda¬ bat, sed per S. Bonifacium Episcopum, et Martyrem, quem Papa Gregorius II miserat, ut fatentur Centuriatores, Cent. VIII, c. 2, coi. 20. ubi honorifice de eo loquuntur his verbis : « Hoc saeculo postquam illuxit tem¬ pus, quod Dominus sua misericordia prae¬ finivit, majori cum fructu res successit. Nam excitavit Dominus Vinofridum, quem Ro¬ mani dixerunt Bonifacium, cum suis collegis ad Ecclesiae suae in G ermania propagationem, et opus manuum eorum ipse gubernavit, et promovit etc. » Hic erant obliti Centuriatores S. Bonifa¬ cium fuisse Papistam, propterea tam bene de eo loquuntur. Nam in praefatione ejusdem Centuriae Blasphemi, et ingratissimi in suum Apostolum sic loquuntur : « Hanc ad rem habet Papa suos dromones egregios, peritis- simos ejusmodi aucupiorum, audaces, teme¬ rarios, qui praemiis, et honoribus illecti, et irretiti, sedulam operam in omnibus natio¬ nibus, et regnis navant. » Et infra : « Talis fuit dromo, Bonifacius ille, Germanorum Apostolus dictus, qui in hoc summo studio, arte, ac vi incubuit, ut universam Germa¬ niam in potestatem Papae Romani redigeret. Et si autem in nonnullis locis Ethnicam ido¬ lolatriam abolevisse narratur, tamen religio¬ nem Christianam non seminavit puram, et incorruptam. » Et infra : « Ea fuit insolentia inflatus iste Pseudoapostolus, ut non modo monitores omnes ex alto despiceret, verum etiam apud tyrannum illum Romanum invi¬ diose deferret tanquam haereticos, et turba¬ tores Ecclesiae etc. » Ecce quomodo tractant Apostolum Germaniae, de quo omnes histo¬ rici ejus temporis honorificentissime loquun¬ tur. Deinde Centur. IX, cap. 2, coi. Io. faten¬ tur, Monachos Corlpeienses convertisse Wan- dalos, et coi. 18. fatentur Bulgaros, Sclavos, Polonos, Danos, Moravos, eo saeculo conver¬ sos, subjectos fuisse Romanis Pontificibus. Ex quo apparet a Papistis fuisse conversos. Item Cent. X, cap. 2, coi. 18 et 10. plures reges, et populos ad fidem conversos docent opera Henrici I Imperatoris, et Adalberti Bohemorum, ac Methodii Moravorum Archi- prsesulum, quos omnes Papistas fuisse ne¬ gare non possunt, cum constet eos Pontifici¬ bus Romanis subjectos fuisse. Denique Cent. XI, cap. 2, coi. 27. docent, Hungaros magna ex parte hoc saeculo con¬ versos, et Episcopos illi genti datos, a Ro¬ mano Pontifice confirmatos fuisse, petente hanc eorum confirmationem S. Stephano Hungarorum Rege nuper converso. Post illa tempora non defuerunt etiam in Ecclesia Catholica similes conversiones, si¬ quidem Adrianus Pontifex IV, ante suum Pontificatum ab Eugenio Papa missus, Nor- wegiam ad fidem convertit, ut Platina, alii¬ que testantur; et ni fallor, ipsi etiam Gentu- riatores Centuria XII quam una cum XIII editam audio, sed nondum vidi. Ab uno S. Yincentio ordinis Praedicatorum constat esse conversos ad fidem vigintiquinque mil¬ lia, partim Judaeorum, partim Saracenorum, ut scribit B. Antoninus 3. parte hist. tit. 394 LIBER IV. XXIII, cap. 8, §. 4. qui floruit eadem aetate. Denique, hoc nostro saeculo in novo orbe multa millia Gentilium Catholici converte¬ runt. Judseorum quoque singulis annis con¬ vertuntur et baptizantur Roma) aliqui a Ca¬ tholicis Pontifici Romano addictis, nec de¬ sunt etiam Tureae, qui tum Romae, tum alibi a Catholicis convertantur. Lutherani vero vix unum aut alterum converterunt, cum tamen comparent se cum Apostolis, et Evan- gelistis, et habeant in Germania plurimos Judaeos, et in Polonia, et Hungaria vicinissi¬ mos Tureas. Rectissime igitur B. Augustinus lib. XIII contra Faustum, cap. 12. compa¬ rat haereticos cum perdicibus, quae congre¬ gant pullos, quos non pepererunt : cum e contrario Ecclesia sit columba foecundissi- ma, quae quotidie parit novos pullos.