Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of the Eucharist · Book II: On the Real Presence, from the Testimonies of the Fathers
Chapter 38: Testimonies of the Remaining Ages
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. IV, De Sacramento Eucharistiae, Book II: On the Truth of the Body of the Lord in the Eucharist, from the Testimonies of the Fathers. 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).
In the thirteenth age, besides very many testimonies of notable Theologians—of Alensis, Albert, Saint Thomas, Saint Bonaventure, and others—there exists the testimony of the general Lateran Council under Innocent III, in the very first chapter of the decrees of that Council; where we read thus: “The body and blood of Christ are truly contained in the Sacrament of the altar under the species of bread and wine,” and so forth.
In the fourteenth age, besides very many testimonies of the doctors—Scotus, Henry, Durandus, and others—there exists the decree of the general Council of Vienne under Clement V, On the Feast of the Body of the Lord, where very many express testimonies are read of the truth of the body of the Lord in the Eucharist. See the Clementine Unic., On the Relics and Veneration of the Saints. There exists also a decree on the adoration of this Sacrament against the errors of the Beghards. See the Clementine Ad Nostrum, On Heretics.
In the fifteenth age there exist the testimonies of two general Councils—of Constance, session 13, and of Florence, both in the decree on the union with the Greeks and in the instruction of the Armenians. At which time not only many of the Latins wrote of this matter, as Thomas Waldensis, John Gerson, and others, but also many Greek writers, as Samonas bishop of Gaza, Nicholas of Methone, Nicholas Cabasilas, Mark of Ephesus, and Bessarion the Cardinal, who all expressly assert the true and real transmutation of the bread into the body of Christ. See volume 4 of the Library of the Holy Fathers.
In the sixteenth age, finally, there exists the testimony of the general Council of Trent, session 13. There exists also a plain testimony of the Greeks, in the censure which a few years ago they published on the Confession of the Lutherans. For in chapter 10 of that censure they affirm in express words that the bread is by consecration truly converted into the very true body of Christ. We have, therefore, the continuation of the Catholic doctrine through all the ages of the Church, not only in the West, but also in the East.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XXXVIII. Testimonia letatum reliquarum. I11 aetate XIII. praeter plurima testimonia insignium Theologorum Alensis , Albcrti , sancti Thomae, sancti Bonavcnlurae, ct alio¬ rum, exstat testimonium Concilii generalis Lateranensis sub Innoccntio III. in ipso primo cap. decretorum ejus Concilii ; ubi sic legimus : « Christi corpus et sanguis in Sacramento altaris, sub speciebus panis, et vini veraciter continetur etc. » In aetate XIV. praeter plurima doctorum testimonia, ut Scoti, Henrici, Durandi, et aliorum, exstat decretum Concili generalis Viennensis sub Clementc V. de festo corpo¬ ris Domini , ubi expressa testimonia per¬ multa leguntur de veritate corporis Domini in Eucharistia. Vide Glementinam unie, dc Reliquiis ct venerat. Sanctor. Exstat etiam decretum de adoratione hujus Sacramenti contra errores Begardorum. Vide Clementi - namAd Nostrum, de haeret. In celate XV. exstant testimonia duorum generalium Conciliorum, Constantiensis sess. xin. ct Florentini, tum in decreto dc unione cum Graecis, tum in instructione Arme nor. 9 130 LIBER 11. Quo etiam tempore non solum multi Latino¬ rum de hac re scripserunt, ut Thomas Wal- dens, Joannes Gerson, et alii ; sed etiam multi Gra?ci scriptores, ut Samonas Episco¬ pus Gazse, Nicolaus Methonensis, Nicolaus Cabasilas Marcus Ephesius, et Bessarion, Cardinalis, qui omnes diserte asserunt ve¬ ram ac realem transmutationem panis in corpus Christi. Vide tomum iv. Bibliotheca? sanctorum Patrum. In a?tate denique XVI. exstat testimonium Concilii generalis Tridentini, sess. xm. Ex¬ stat etiam Greecorum perspicuum testimo¬ nium, in censura, quam ante paucos annos ediderunt ad Confessionem Lutheranorum, Nam cap. 10. ejus censura? disertis verbis affirmant, panem per consecrationem vere converti in ipsum verum Christi corpus. Ha¬ bemus igitur continuationem Catholica? do¬ ctrina? per omnes a?tates Ecclesiee, non so¬ lum in Occidente, sed etiam in Oriente.