Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Church Triumphant, Book I: On the Beatitude and Canonization of the Saints
Chapter 15: The Controversy on the Invocation of the Saints Is Put
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Ecclesia quae Triumphat in Coelis, the fourth general controversy. 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).
Chapter 15. The Controversy on the Invocation of the Saints Is Put
We have shown that the saints are to be honoured; but because there is a special difficulty about the cult of invocation, it now follows in right order that we treat of the invocation of the saints.
On this question there are two extreme errors; the truth is in the middle, as it almost always is. The first error is that St. Mary, who is chief of the saints, can and ought to be invoked not otherwise than God is invoked. So once certain people held, whom Epiphanius reports and refutes, heresy 78 at the end, and heresy 79 throughout. The other error is that none of the saints ought to be invoked in any way after death: either because the dead cannot pray for the living; or, if they can, they pray only in general, because they cannot know our prayers, which we pour out to them. This error is the error of many.
The first of all who struck against this stone seems to have been Vigilantius. For Alfonso de Castro, in the book On Heresies, under the word “Saints,” attributes this error to Eustathius, who lived before Vigilantius; but this cannot easily be proved. For Eustathius despised the basilicas of the martyrs, and perhaps the relics too; but he taught nothing on invocation. See Socrates, book 2, chapter 33, and the Council of Gangra. Vigilantius, then, as is in the book of St. Jerome against Vigilantius, taught that after death no one's prayer [is heard for another, and so that the saints who are dead] do not pray for the living; from which it follows that they are invoked in vain.
Next, in the time of St. Bernard, the invocation of the saints was openly attacked by [the heretics] called Petrobrusians and Apostolics, as St. Bernard himself reports, sermon 66 on the Canticle, and the author of the Life of St. Bernard, book 3, chapter 5. A little after, the Waldenses taught the same, as St. Antoninus is the author, part 4, title 11, chapter 7, section 2. The same afterwards a certain man by the name of [Walter? the name is damaged in the scan], as Torquemada is the author, book 4, part 2, chapter 35, of the Summa on the Church. The same afterwards John Wyclif, as Thomas Waldensis writes, volume 3, title 12, chapter 108 and following; and also the Taborites, who are of the sect of John Hus, as Aeneas Sylvius writes, On the Origin of the Bohemians, chapter 35. Although Wyclif did not so much say that the saints are not to be [prayed to], but only that it is useless and superfluous. For he said it was vile folly to run to the jesters of some prince when the prince himself is most ready to hear by himself, or to follow muddy streams when the fountain itself lies open: by which words he compared the saints in passing to jesters and muddy streams, which is proper to heretics.
Lastly, the heretics of our time, as Luther in the book to the Waldenses; Melanchthon in the Apology, article 21 of the Augsburg Confession; Brenz, chapter 21 of the Württemberg Confession; and Calvin, book 1, chapter [11?], section 12, and book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 20, section 20 and following, teach three things about the prayers of the saints. First, that it is not had from the divine letters that the dead saints pray for the living, and so that it is not certain. Second, that if the saints pray, they pray only in general for the whole Church of the elect, not for this man or that in particular. Third, that it is useless and unlawful to invoke the saints, whether angels or men, or to ask them to pray for us: useless, because they do not have such long ears (for so Calvin speaks) as to be able to hear our prayers; unlawful, because by this the glory of Christ is darkened, who is our only mediator and intercessor.
Chapter 16. Some Frauds and Lies of the Heretics Are Exposed
We have then the opinion of the adversaries; but before we refute it, it will be useful to know briefly by what slanders and lies Melanchthon and Calvin persuade the simple of it.
Philip, in the place noted, tells three lies. First: that we attribute divinity to the saints, that is, the power of knowing the thoughts of minds. It is an open lie; for no Catholic says this, or ever said it. For we assert that they know our prayers, not as they are in our minds, but as they are in God, whom they see, and who shows them to them.
Second: that before the times of St. Gregory there is no mention of the invocation of the saints. A little more liberal was Martin Chemnitz, who in the Examination of session 25 of the Council of Trent says that the invocation of the saints began after the times of Augustine; as in the same place he says that the author of the invocation of blessed Mary was Peter the Fuller, who lived about the year of the Lord 480. Which is an impudence or a folly not to be borne in a man [who would be a master in Israel], since there are countless places in Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Basil, Athanasius, Irenaeus and others, which we will cite afterwards, and which are cited even by the Centuriators, Century 4, chapter 4, and Century 5, chapter 4.
Third: that the Papists are asses, who teach from the book of St. Jerome against Vigilantius that Vigilantius denied the invocation of the saints, when in that whole book of Jerome there is not one syllable on the invocation of the saints, but only on the honour of relics. But this very thing shows that Philip was, not indeed an ass, but surely very dull. For although Vigilantius did not say that the saints are not to be invoked, yet he said that they cannot pray for us: and if from this we did not gather that he denied the invocation of the saints, then we would truly be slower than asses. For who would invoke one who cannot give any help? More wisely, then, did the Magdeburgers, Century 5, chapter [8?], who, seeing that it could not be denied that Vigilantius held the same as they, say that he was not a heretic but a holy priest, and that he contended with Jerome and won.
Calvin, however, says many wonderful things. First he affirms, book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 20, section 21, that in all the hymns and litanies of the Papists there is never any mention of Christ; and that while we always pray to the dead saints, Christ never comes to us in our prayers. [What shameless lie is this,] that there is a danger lest the devil lose his name of liar? Do we not say in the litanies, “Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Father of heaven, God,” and so on? Are not almost all the hymns that we read in the Breviary by Ambrose, or Gregory, or Prudentius, or Sedulius, most ancient authors? And are not all directed to God, and ended with “Glory be to thee, O Lord,” or something like it? Are not all the prayers of the Church which are read in the Mass also directed to God, and ended “Through Christ our Lord”?
Second: again and again in that chapter 20 of book 3 he calls the saints reigning with Christ dead men, ghosts, shades, offscourings; which is an incredible blasphemy.
Third he says, book 3, chapter 20, section 20, that Christ alone has entered into the sanctuary of heaven, and that he alone carries to God the prayers of the people standing far off in the court. By which words he signifies that not only holy men but even the holy angels cannot offer our prayers to God, but Christ alone; which is against most open Scripture. Tobias 12: “I,” says Raphael, “offered thy prayer to the Lord.” And Apocalypse 8: “And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel.” Against Calvin also is Calvin himself, who below, forgetting himself, admits that the angels offer our prayers to God.
Fourth he says, book 3, chapter 20, section 22, that we invoke the saints plainly as gods, and that we have very many gods, not according to the number of the cities, as is said in Jeremias 2 of the Jews, but according to the number of the heads of the multitude. Which is a manifest slander, as is plain from the litanies. For who would dare to say to God, “Holy God, pray for us”? Nor is it a new slander; for the old enemies of the Church too lied that the Catholics held dead men for gods, as is plain from Cyril, book 6 against Julian, past the middle, and book 10, before the middle; and from Eusebius, book 4 of the History, chapter 15, and book 8, chapter 6; and from Augustine, book 20 against Faustus, chapter 4; and from Jerome against Vigilantius.
Fifth he says in the same place that we ask the Virgin to bid her Son do what we ask. But who of us says this? Why does he not prove it by any example? Besides, if in Josue 10 it is said, “The Lord obeying the voice of a man,” why could it not be said in some way that the Son of God obeys his mother when she asks something?
Sixth he says in the same place that we murmur the Our Father before the statues of Barbara or Catherine, and that the pastors approve this use with their applause. But the faithful, even the simplest, if they are asked, are wont to answer that they direct the Lord's Prayer to God, but that they do it before the images of the saints, hoping that by the help of the saints their prayer will reach God better and more happily. But even if some were so dull as to say “Our Father” to St. Barbara, must the ignorance of some be paraded as if it were a doctrine of the Church? And who are the pastors who approve this abuse?
Seventh he says that in the third Council of Carthage it was forbidden to say in the public prayers, “St. Peter, pray for us.” But that decree, unless Calvin added it in his own copy, is found nowhere. For the Council only defines that the prayer of him who sacrifices be directed to the Father, not to the Son or the Holy Spirit; of the saints there is no mention. But Calvin by his logic deduces from this, that prayer ought to be directed to the Father, that the saints cannot be invoked; and from that he deduces further that the Council decreed that one should not say, “St. Peter, pray for us.”
Eighth he says that it is a horrible sacrilege to call the saints guardians of salvation, and that what some say to the saints, “Look upon us from heaven and help us,” can be defended by no colour. But the first are the words of Ambrose in the book On Widows; the second of Gregory Nazianzen in the orations on Cyprian, on Athanasius and on Basil: and antiquity had nothing wiser than these two men.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XV.
Proponitur controversia de invocatione
sanctorum.
Demoslravimus sanclos essc colendos: sed quia
peculiaris ddlicullas est de cullu invocalionis, id-
circo nunc reclo ordine sequitur, ut trucleraus de
invocatione sanctorum,
Duo sunt de liac qii;ieslionc errores extieini ve-
rilas est in inedio, ut fere semper essc solet. Pri-
inus error est. posse ac debere s. Muriam, quae
praecipua sanclorum est, invocari, non secus ac
Deus invoc;itur. Ila olim quidam. quos Epiphaniiis
refert el relellil, haeresi 78. in line,et haeresi 7i).
per toluin. Aller esl error. nulliira s;inclorum post
inurlcm debtre iuvocari ullo modo, quia vel non
possunt orare morlui pro vivenlibus; vel si pos-
suiil. non nisi in genere orant, quia non possunt
cognoscere nuslras preces, quas ad illos fundi-
niiis. Ilic crror mullurum est.
Prinius omniuui videtur fuisse Vigilanlius, qui
in hunc lapidem oITendil. Nara quod AI|)honsus dn
Caslro in libro de liaeresibus, verbo, sancli, Iri-
builhunc errorem Euslathio,qui anle Vigilanlium
\ixil, non facilc probaii potesl. Si(|uidein Eusla-
lliius basilicas raartyruin coiilemncbal. el furle re-
liquias eliam: at de invocalione nihil docuil, Vide
Sdcratcm lib. 2. cap. 3;{, etcunciliiim gaiigrensc.
Igilur Vigilanlius, ul est in lib. s, Ilierunymi con-
ira Vigilautium, docebul. pusl luurlfiu iiuliius pru
iitii I ninii s
4i7
alliTO rxiniilin (iialiDiuMii.cl iijni ^iiiiilns iiimiIiiiih
iinii iiriiin |ii'<) vivnilihus, m i|iiii M'i|iiiiiir, iiiHlra
oos iiiviiciiri.
nniiili! liiviiciiliiiiiciii siiiirliiriiiii iipnliii^ iM lnr
luis ii|i|iii^'iiiii'iiiil li-iii|Mirr li. lliMii.inli llniririiiiil,
sni 1'i'lrnlirii.siiiiii cl Apnslolin, iil rrlnl I|iho h.
I'ni iiiiniiis sniii. (KJ. in llinilirii, i«l iinrlnr vilnc h.
Ilcriiiirill lili. .'(. ciip. .*>. Iilnti piniln pn.sl ilnciii*-
iiiiit WiililiMisc.s.iil iiiiclor csl 1). Aiiloiiiiiiis f . pnr.
Iil. H. c. 7. § 2. Iilciii postcii (piiiliiiii nniiiinc (!ii-
lliiiri. til iiiiclnr csl 'ritrrccrniiiilii. Iili. I. piir. 2.
ciip. .'(.'>. sitinttiiic ilc Kcclcsiii. Idnii poslni Jniiii.
Wiclcl. iil scrilnl riiniiins Wiililotisis Iniit. '.\. lil.
12. c. lOS. cl sci|. i\i'c itnit 'r.ilinriliic, ipii ilr hi-
lliiliii siiiil .Iniiiiiiis jliiss, nl sciilnl Vimhms Sylviiis
ilo ori^Miic linltctitor. c. .'!.'>. (jiiiiitnpiiitii NViclcliis
iinii illii iliini Cssc iliccliiil nr.nc siiiiclns.scil snliiiit
iiiiililc. cl sitpiMniuiiit; itiicliiil (Mtiiit viiln i slititi-
liatii rocitrriMT ait sciirras iilicnjiis priitcipis.iptitit-
iln ipso priit(M'ps esl piiraiissiiitiis piM* s(! aititirc.
\cl s(M'l!iri liirtiiilns rivns, (jitiiiiitn Inits ipsc piilcl:
i|itil)iis vcrliis oliilcr siiiiclns scitrris ci ri\is litrlii-
ilis coiiriM'cl)iil, (piod i»sl haorclicoriiiti jiropriiim.
Dcniiiuc, tiiicrclici nnslri liMitpnris, iil l.iiilintts
iii litiris iiii >^.il(lciiscs; .Uctiiiicttltinii iii .\pnt, iirl.
21. (loiifcss. Autjiislaiiae: llrcnlius oap. 2i. C.on-
lcss. Wirlcmti. cl ('iitviiius lili. I. ca|>. H. § 12. cl
til). .'{. Iiislil. ciip. 2(». § 20. cl SC(|. iria (tocnil di;
oralioitihits simclnruiit. IMiiiio, e.x diviiiis tilcris
tinii hahcri, (]uod saitcli lunrliti oreul prn vivis; ac
|M-niudc tinc unii esse corliim. .Sccuitdo, si sincti
nraul, eos itnu oiiire uisi iii jj;euere pro lola Kcclc,-
s!a eleclorum. iion auleiti pio islo, aut illo iu sjie-
riiili. Terlio, iniilile et illicilum esse iiivocare sau-
elos, sive aii>j;elns, sive tinuiiiics, iic pel(M'e, ul pro
nohis oreul: inulilo (luideut, (iiiia unit Itahenl liiui
lnitj;as aiires ( ila enini Catviniis lo(|uiliir) ul pre-
ccs noslras audire possint: illiciluiii aulein, quia
liiiic ohscuralur jiloria Clirisli, (jui esl uuicus lue-
dialor el iiUercessor itoslcr.
CAPUT XYI.
Delcguntur aliquot frandos et mendacia
haerelicorum.
Ilahemus igilurtiune sitsententiaadversarioruin
sed anlecpiani eam refellamus, ulile eril cognosce-
vc hreviler, (]uil)us caluniniis et mendnciis 3Ie-
lanclillton, et Calvinus eam simplicihus persua-
deant.
Phiiippus loco nolalo Iria mendacia dicit.Primo:
Kos tribuerc sanctis divinitalem, idest, vim cofjno-
scendi mcntium cogitaliones. Mendacium est nper-
liim: nec enim ullus eatholicorum Itoc dicil , vel
divit unquam; asseriinus cnim eos cognoscere no-
slrns preces, non ut sunt in luentibus uoslris . sed
ul sunt in Deo, quem vident , et qui ens ipsis o-
sleudit,
Secundo: Anle lempora s. firegnrii nou oxslare
mcutionem invocalionis snnclorum. Paulo lihiira-
lior fuit iMartinus Jvemnitius, qui in examine sess.
:'i. c.oiirltii lirtiMiliiii dii il . iiiviiciilioiieiii Kiiiiclij-
nilll coeplSM; ponl Iniipnru A(i({ii-«ltiii; iil ili «'iiitiii.
HOiiit. 2.». iliclt , niiclorciii iiivoniliniHH li. Mjiriiio
IiiIhsc Prlrniii (iiiiiplinnn. ipn vixit clrra iiiiiiiiiti
liiiiiiiiii iNO. ipi.ii' tiiipi'rili.1 vitl iiiiilili.i ctt iiilnlit-
r.ihiliK iii liiiillH Mni^isiiiH lii iMrtiel, cuiii hiiiI Iocii
iiiiiiiiiicrahiliii III Amhinsio.Aii^iisliiin, llirrniiyiiio,
ll.isilin, Alli.in.isin, liciiiico, cl aliis ipins pn-^lca
iil.il)iiiiiis,i'l ipiiie eliiiiii ciliiiiliir ii Cniliiriiiloilhuil
C.nilur. (. ciip. i. i;l CiMilitr. ■'>. ciip. (.
'rcilio: PiiplsliiS esse iisinoH. rpii dnrnil r\ tildu
s. lli(!roiiyiiii cniiira Vi^iliiiitiiiiii , Vi^it.iiitiiiin iie-
;(.isse iiivnciiliniMMll stinclorillil, imiiii iii loln illo |i-
liii) lliiM'oityiiii iinit sit iiitii syll.iha (lc iiivnciilinii<>.
s.iiic.lnriiiii, M'i| sntnm dr. huiinic rcliipiiiriim. Al
linc ipsiiui osliMnlil Pliiti|)|)iiiii iioii (|uidiMn asiiiiim,
si>i| ccrlc viilde sliipiilitm liiissi; : n.iiii ctsi Vi{.'it<iii-
liiis 11(111 dixit, saiiclns iinii csse iiivocaiidos.lameit
dtxil, eo.'; itoii posse oriire pro iiohis: liiiic auliMii
si iinti cnlti'p'i'riMiius , ciiui iii'^'ii2i.se invocaliniinit
siiiicloruiit , tuitc vcre laidiorcs asiiiis essemiis.
(Miis niiiti iitvocarel iMim.ipii iinii potcst iillitiit ati-
xiliitut |)riiei)('re'/.Sapienlius ii^tliir leccriint .Ma^'iie-
liiir^^niscs. Cniliir. 'i.ciii). S. (pti vidniles imn
pnsse iic;;iiri, ipiiii \ iiitliiiiliiis idnii sniseiit (juod
ipsi, dicuitl, cum iioit hiisse hacri^licum , seil san-
cliim jircshyteruiit, et ('11111 llicruiiyiiio conteiidibsc
iic vicisse.
Porro Calviiiiis nitilla ('liitnt dicil inirahilia. Pri-
ittuut iiHirmiil lit). ',). Inslilul. eap. 20. § 21 . iii 0-
miiitiiis tiyiiiiiis el liliiuiis Piipistiintiit, iiiiltaiii iiu-
(jiiaiii tini Cliiisli mnilinuem: el ciim snn|icr nre-
miis Siinclos ittorlitos, numquam nohis iii precihus
Clirislum nccitrrere. (Minil cnie lidc mcndiicimii
esl. iil periciilum sit. iie (iiabolus cn^Miouten iiini-
diicis amittaUquid eiiitti? itnitueiu liliiuiis dicimns:
Kijrie elcixon, Clirisle vleison , Poler de cuelis
Deus cle. Xonne lere omiies Itytuni . quos in hre-
viario lcgimus, suutvel Amlirosii, vid (iregoni, vel
Prudeulii. vcl Sedulii aiiliipiissimorum auctorum?
Kl noune omucs diriguiiliir ad Deum, et leritiinan-
lur per Gloria lihi Doniine, vel quid simile ? .\on-
ne omues oralioues Ecclesiac , quae leguiilur in
luissn. dirigunlur etiam ad Deum. et turiuinaulur
Ver Christnm Doniifiuui Ji o.s/riun.^
Secundo: Sauclos cum Clirislo regnantes pas-
siin iii illo capile 20. libri 3. vocal morluos , lar-
viis, umbras, colluviem: quae incredibilis blnsphe-
min est.
Terlio dicit, lib. 3. cap. 20. § 20. solum Chri-
sluiu introisse in snncluarium coeli.et solum ipsuin
deferro nd Deum vola popuii einiuns iu alrio exi-
sientis. Quibus verbis siguificat, non solum snn-
clos homines.sed eliam ss. angidos nou posse Deo
noslras preces oirerre, sed soiuni Cluislum: quod
esl conlra apcrtissimam Scripluinm. Tob. 12. Ego,
inquil Rapbael. o6ni/i orationeni luam Domino.
El Apocai. S.Ascendit fuinus incensorum de ora-
lionibus sanctorum de manu angeli coram Deo.
E\ coulra ipsum Cnlviuum , qui infra sui oblilus
ndmiltit augeios otTerre Deo noslras preces.
Qunrto dicit. lib. 3. cnp. 20. § 22. uos invocnre
sanctosplane ul Deos, et habere nos Deos pluri-
mos non pro numero urbium, ut dicilur Hierem. 2.
44S
DK SAiSCTORUM BK ATIl LULNE
(lc Judacis, sed pro nuiiicro capiluin inullituilinis,
(]u;ie est cnlumnia ninniresla, ut cx lilaniis appa-
rel. Quis cniin Deo diccre audcrel, s. Dcus, ora
pro nobis? Ncc esl nova cahimnia; iiam eliani anti-
qui liostes Ecclesiae menlicbanlur, liomincs mor-
luos pro Diis calholicos habcre, ut palel ex (lyrilio
lib. G. in Julian. ullra med. cl lib. 10. ante mcd.
ot cx Kusebio iib. i. Iiislor. cap. 1 j. el lib. 8. cap.
0. et ex Augustino lib. 22. contra Faustum, cap.
4. el ex Hieronymo contra Vigilanlium.
Quinlo ibidem dicit: Nos rogarc virginem, ul li-
iium jubeat lacere quod pelimus. At quis noslrum
hoc dicil?"cur non probal ullo cxemplo? Praeterea
si Josue 10, dicilur: Obedienle Deo roci hominis,
cur non posset aliquo modo dici, lilium Dei obedi-
re malri aliquid pelenli?
Scxlo ibidem dicit: Nos anle slatuns Barbarae,
vel Callmrinae demunnurnre Patcr nosler, el pa-
slores hunc usum suo plausu approbare. Al fide-
les eliam simplicissimi si interrogenlur, respon-
dere solent, se oralionem dominicam dirigcre ad
Deum , id autem se facere coram imaginibus san-
ctorum, spernnles pcrnuxilium sanclorum sunin
ornlionem nd Deum nielius , (sl felicius perventu-
rnni, sed etiamsi nliqui tam slupidi essent. uts.
Darbarac dicerenl, Pa^er iiObter,nun) imperilia ali-
quorum Iraduci debet qunsi essel dogma ecclesia-
slicum? el qui sunl paslores, qui liunc abusum
probant?
Seplimo dicil: In concilio IH. cnrihaginensi ve-
tilum fuisse, ne in publicis precibus (licerelur:
Sancte Petre, ora pro nobis, sed istud decrelum,
nisi in suo codice Cnlvinus nddidcril, nusquamre-
perilur. Concilium enim solum definit. ut oralio
sacrificantis dirigalur ad Palrem , non ad Filiuin
vel Spiritiim sanclum.de snnclis nulla mcntiu. Sod
Calvinus per suam dinleclicnm ex eo, quod ornlio
debel dirigi ad Pnlrem, deducit non posse invoca-
ri sanctos, el inde ulterius deducit, concilium sla-
luisse, ut non dicalur, s. Petre ora pro nobis.
Octnvo dicil: Horrcndum esse sncriiegium, snn-
clos vocnre praesules salulis, et nullo 'colore de-
fendi, quod quidnm sanctis dicunt,e coelo nos re-
spice ct ndjuvn, At priora sunl vcrba Ambrosii li-
bro de viduis: posleriora Gregorii nazinnzeni ora-
tione in Cyprianum, in Alhanasium, in Basilium:
islis aiitem duobus viris niliil habuilanliquitas sa-
pienlius.