Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Grace and Free Choice · Book II: On Predestination and Sufficient Grace
Chapter 10: That predestination has no cause in us is proved from the divine writings
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio, Book II. 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).
That eighth conclusion must now be proved: first from the divine writings; then from ecclesiastical tradition; last from reason — which yet has its foundation in the Scriptures and the Fathers.
Scripture, then, teaches that certain men are elected out of the whole human race; and that they are elected unto the kingdom of heaven; and elected efficaciously, so that they infallibly arrive at the kingdom; and finally elected altogether gratuitously, and before all foreseeing of works. That there are some elect these Scriptures teach: many are called, but few chosen, Matthew 20 and 22; they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, Matthew 24; Who shall accuse against the elect of God? Romans 8; he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1. That they are elected unto the kingdom the Lord teaches, Luke 12: Fear not, little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom. Likewise the Apostle, Romans 11: there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace. That they are infallibly to be saved the same Lord teaches, Matthew 24: for the sake of the elect those days shall be shortened. And: they shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch as to deceive (if possible) even the elect. And John 6: Now this is the will of the Father… that of all that he hath given me, I should lose nothing; but should raise it up again in the last day — that is, that I lose none, but raise up all. And John 10: no man shall pluck them out of my hand. And again: no one can snatch them out of the hand of my Father. I and the Father are one. And the Apostle, Romans 11: the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. And Romans 8: whom he predestinated, them he also called — namely, according to purpose; and whom he called — that is, according to purpose — them he also justified; and whom he justified — likewise according to purpose — them he also glorified.
That they are elected out of the mere grace and mercy of God the Lord teaches first, Luke 12: it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom — certainly that word, “it hath pleased,” indicates the pure benignity of God; but more manifestly John 15: You have not chosen me: but I have chosen you; and have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit; and your fruit should remain. God, then, does not elect men because he sees that he will be chosen by them, and that they will bring the fruit of good work, and persevere in good work; but he elects that he may make them work well, and persevere in good. And yet more manifestly the Apostle Paul, Romans 11: I have left me seven thousand men, that have not bowed their knees to Baal. Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace. He does not say, “they were left,” or “they remained,” but, “I have left me”; and therefore he says the remnant is saved according to the election of grace — that is, not owed, but gratuitous. And more clearly, Ephesians 1: he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and unspotted. And: Who hath predestinated us unto the adoption of children… according to the purpose of his will: Unto the praise of the glory of his grace. He does not say, he chose us because he saw we would be holy, but that we should be holy; nor does he say, he chose us on account of the good use of free choice, or of grace, but according to the purpose of his will — and this unto the praise of the glory of his grace, that his grace might be praised and glorified. He adds also in the same chapter: In whom we also are called by lot, being predestinated according to his purpose — where he shows that the calling of the elect, with respect to the men themselves, can be called fortuitous, since they were doing nothing that they should be called, nor were even thinking of the calling; but with respect to God it is not lot, but determinate election and purpose.
Finally, that they are elected not only gratuitously but also without any foreseeing of works the same Apostle teaches, Romans 9: For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil (that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand,) Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written: Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. And Romans 11, after he had said, there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace, he adds straightway: And if by grace, it is not now by works: otherwise grace is no more grace. And 2 Timothy 1: labour with the gospel, according to the power of God, Who hath delivered us and called us by his holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the times of the world.
But let us explain a little more fully that primary place from chapter 9 to the Romans, since Ambrose Catharinus, and certain other more recent men, expound it not rightly. The Apostle's purpose was to demonstrate that the adoption of the sons of God does not depend on carnal generation from Abraham, as the Jews judged, nor on our works or those of our parents, but on the mere good pleasure of God. And so, to demonstrate this, he brought the figure of Jacob and Esau, of whom God loved the former, hated the latter, though they were altogether equal between themselves; for he shows they were equal because sprung from the same parents, begotten of the same lying-together, and brought forth at the same birth — lest perchance it be said that the merits of the parents profited the one and profited not the other. And he says they were equal not only as to their parents, but also as to themselves, since they had done nothing of good or evil, nor could do anything, when it was said of them, Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated. Since then they were equal between themselves, the Apostle concludes that so great a distinction proceeded not from their works, or their parents', but from the will of God, that the purpose of God according to election might stand — that is, that the decree of God might be accomplished by which he had elected the one and reprobated the other. And since this might seem in some manner unjust, blessed Paul objects to himself: What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? and answers, God forbid. For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy. And: O man, who art thou that repliest against God?… Or hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? But if God loved the one and hated the other from foreseen works, it would have been ready for blessed Paul to say this, and with one word to take out of the way all suspicion of injustice in God. Since, however, he did not this, but referred all things back to the will of God, who has mercy on whom he wills, and on whom he wills not, has not mercy: it ought to be certain, from the Apostle's judgment, that predestination and election — or the distinction out of the mass of perdition — depends on no foreseeing of our works, but on the mere good pleasure of God.
To this testimony of the Apostle it could be answered that that saying, The elder shall serve the younger, and, Jacob I have loved, Esau I have hated, is understood not of those singular persons Jacob and Esau, but of two peoples, the Israelite and the Idumean; and that what is said of hatred and love is understood not of eternal election and reprobation, but of the temporal goods and evils of this life. For in Genesis 25, when Rebecca consulted God why the little ones she bore in her womb struggled together, it was answered her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. And in Malachias 1, when God had said, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated, he explains how he loved and hated, saying: I have made his mountains — Esau's, namely — a wilderness, and given his inheritance to the dragons of the desert. And so God loved Jacob, since he gave him a land flowing with milk and honey; he hated Esau, since he gave him a sterile and desert land. And although the Apostle seems to take these things spiritually and transfer them to the Christian mysteries, yet he transfers them not to the election and reprobation of single persons, but to the election of the gentile world and the reprobation of the Jews — in which sense also seem to be taken the things said in Romans 11 and Ephesians 1; otherwise it would follow that all those to whom Paul was writing, each and every one, had been predestinated: for he speaks in general of the predestination and election of all who had been called to the Church. It seems, then, that from the places alleged it can only be gathered that God, out of his mere mercy, predestinated the gentiles to receive the faith of Christ, and thereby also unto salvation.
I answer: we are not disputing in this place about the testimony of Genesis or of Malachias, but only about the testimony of the Apostle, Romans 9. For the Apostle speaks most openly of the adoption of the sons of God, and of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; and by Esau he understands the reprobate; by Jacob, the elect; by the land of promise, eternal life with God; by the wildernesses of the dragons, eternal death with the devil. And although from the mystical sense a solid argument is not wont to be made for proving dogmas of the faith, yet when the mystical sense is expounded in Scripture itself, a most solid argument is framed: for that exposition of the mystical sense of the Scripture of the Old Testament is not a mystical but the literal sentence of the Scripture of the New Testament. But the Apostle speaks not of the election and reprobation of single men, but of the gentile world and of Jewry? Not so: nay, he speaks of the election and reprobation of singles, both from the gentile world and from Jewry; but since the Jews judged that they alone pertained to God, and that the gentiles were altogether excluded, therefore blessed Paul often discourses of the calling of the gentiles and the hardening of the Jews, and concludes that the sons of Abraham are to be reckoned not those who are born of the flesh of Abraham, but those who follow the faith of Abraham, whether they be gentiles or Jews. For in this same chapter 9 the Apostle says: that he might shew the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared unto glory? Even us, whom also he hath called, not only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles. And chapter 11: Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. And that the Apostle speaks of the election and reprobation of singles in particular is clear from that similitude of the potter, the lump, and the vessels unto honor and unto dishonor. For the vessels unto honor cannot be said to be the gentiles alone, since many of the Hebrews are saved; nor the Hebrews alone, since very many of the gentiles are saved; nor again, contrariwise, can the vessels unto dishonor be said to be the Hebrews alone, or the gentiles alone, for the same reason. The vessels unto honor, then, are all the elect; the vessels unto dishonor, all the reprobate, whether Jews or gentiles. The same is also evident from the hardening of Pharao, who was a particular man, and whose example the Apostle sets forth in this same place. Again, the same is proved from this, that all the elect are certainly saved, as we showed above from the Scriptures; but not all the gentiles called to the Church and admitted into it through Baptism are certainly saved, but only some, as is known; those alone, therefore, truly are, and are called, elect. Finally, blessed Paul, who by nation was a Jew, always places himself in the number of the elect when he speaks of predestination, Romans 8, 9, and 11, and Ephesians 1; he does not, then, by the elect understand the gentiles alone, nor speak of the predestination of the Church of the gentiles in general, but of the single predestinated and elect. And that he seems to place in this number all Christians, above all in chapter 1 to the Ephesians, is not repugnant to what we have said; for the Apostle does this because he hoped well of all whom he saw called to the faith — not because he wished to affirm that all those were truly and properly elect.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT X. Praedestinationis nullam esse causam in nobis , probatur ex divinis litteris. Probanda nunc est octava illa conclusio, primum ex divinis litteris ; deinde 'ex tradi¬ tione Ecclesiastica; postremo ex ratione, quae tamen in Scripturis et Patribus funda¬ mentum habeat. Scriptura igitur docet, quosdam electos esse ex omni genere humano, eosque electos esse ad regnum ccelorum, et electos efficaci¬ ter, ut infallibiliter ad regnum perveniant, denique electos omnino gratis, et ante om¬ nem operum praevisionem. Esse aliquos ele¬ ctos docent hae Scripturae : Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi , Matth. xx. et xxn; Congre¬ gabant electos ejus a quatuor ventis, Matth. xxiv ; Quis accusabit adversus electos Dei ? ad Roman. vm; Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem , ad Ephes. i. (1). Esse electos ad regnum, docet Dominus Luc. xii : Nolite timere pusillus grex, quia complacuit Patri vestro dare vobis regnum. Item Apostolus ad Rora, i : Reliquiae secun¬ dum electionem gratiae salvae factae sunt (2). 357 Esse infallibiliter salvandos, docet idem Dominus Mafth. xxiv. Propter electos brevia¬ buntur dies illi. Et : Dabunt signa et prodigia, ut in errorem inducantur, si fieri potest, etiam, electi. Et Joan. vi : Haec est voluntas Patris , ut omne quod dedit mihi, non perdam , sed re¬ suscitem in novissimo die, hoc est, ut nullum perdam, sed omnes resuscitem. Et Joan. x : Nemo rapiet eas de manu mea. Et iterum : Nemo potest rapere de manu Patris mei: Ego et Pater unum sumus. Et Apostolus ad Rom. ii : Sine poenitentia , inquit , sunt dona et voca¬ tio Dei. Et ad Rom. 8 : Quos prxdestinavit, hos vocavit , nimirum secundum propositum; et quos vocavit, videlicet secundum prosi- tum, hos justificavit, et equos justificavit, item secundum propositum, hos magnificavit (3). Esse electos ex mera Dei gratia, et mise¬ ricordia, docet in primis Dominus Luc. xii : Complacuit Patri vestro dare vobis regnum (4). Certe vox illa : Complacuit , indicat puram Dei benignitatem, sed manifestius Joan. xv : Non vos me elegistis, sed ego elegi vos , et posui vos, ut eatis, et fructum afferatis, et fructus vester maneat (5); non igitur elegit Deus ho¬ mines, quia videt se eligendum ab eis, ip- sosque boni operis fructum allaturos, et in bono opere perseveraturos, sed eligit ut fa¬ ciat bene operantes, et in bono perseve¬ rantes. Et adhuc manifestius Apostolus Paulus ad Rom. ii : Reliqui mihi septem millia virorum, qui non curvaverunt genu ante Baal, sic ergo in hoc tempore reliquiae secundum electionem gratiae salvae factae sunt (6), non dicit, relicti sunt, aut remanserunt, sed, ego reliqui mihi ; et ideo reliquias dicit salvari secundum ele¬ ctionem gratiae, id est, non debitam, sed gratuitam. Et clarius ad Ephes. i : Elegit nos in ipso ante mundi constitutionem, ut essemus sancti et immaculati. Et : Qui prxdestinavit nos in adoptionem filiorum secundum , propositum voluntatis sux in laudem glorix gratix sux (7), non ait, elegit nos, quia sanctos vidit futu¬ ros, sed ut essemus sancti, neque ait, elegit nos propter bonum usum liberi arbitrii, aut gratiae, sed secundum propositum voluntatis sux, et hoc in laudem glorix gratix sux, ut laudaretur et glorificaretur gratia ipsius. Addit etiam in eodem cap. In quo nos (1) Matth. XX, 16; XXII, 14; ibid. XXIV, 31; Rom. VIII, 33; Eph. I, 4. — (2) Luc. XII, 32; Rom. XI, 15. — (3) Matthi XXIV, 22; Joan. VI, 40; Joan. X. 28 29; Rom. XI, 29; ibid. VIII, 30. —(4) Luc^ XII, 32. — (5) Joan. XV, 16. — (6) Rom. XI, 5. — (7) Eph. I, 14. • . , - ' - ; . serte vocati sumus praedestinati secundum pro¬ positum ejus, ubi ostendit, vocationem ele¬ ctorum respectu ipsorum hominum dici posse fortuitam, quoniam ipsi nihil agebant, ut vocarentur, «ac ne cogitabant quidem de vocatione : sed respectu Dei non esse sor¬ tem, sed determinatam electionem, et pro¬ positum. Esse denique electos, non solum gratis sed etiam absque ulla praevisione operum, docet idem Apostolus ad Rom. ix. Cum non¬ dum nati essent, aut aliquid boni vel mali egis¬ sent, ut secundum electionem propositum Dei maneret, non ex operibus, sed ex vocante di¬ ctum est ei, quia major serviet minori, sicut scriptum est, Jacob dilexi, Esau autem odio habui. Et ad Rom. xi,Jpostcaquam dixerat, Reliquix secundum electionem gratix salvx factx sunt, addit continuo : Si autem gratia jam non ex operibus, alioqui gratia jam non est gratia. Et II ad Timot. i : Collabora Euange¬ lio secundum virtutem Dei, qui nos liberavit et vocavit vocatione sua sancta, non secundum opera nostra, sed secundum propositum suum, et gratiam, qux data est nobis in Christo ante tempora sxcularia (1). Sed explicemus paulo fusius illum locum primarium ex cap. ix. ad Roman. quoniam illum praecipue Ambrosius Catharinus, et alii quid«im reccntiores non recte exponunt. Propositum erat Apostolo demonstrare, ad¬ optionem filiorum Dei non pendere ex car¬ nali generatione Abrahami, ut Judaji existi¬ mabant, neque ex operibus nostris, aut pa¬ rentum nostrorum : sed ex mero Dei bene¬ placito. Itaque ut hoc demonstraret, attulit figuram Jacob et Esau, quorum priorem Deus dilexit, posteriorem odio habuit, cum essent inter se omnino pares, nam pares fuisse demonstrat, quia orti ex iisdem pa¬ rentibus et eodem cum cubitu generati, et eo¬ dem partu editi, ne forte diceretur, uni pro¬ fuisse merita parentum, alteri non profuisse. Et non solum pares fuisse dicit, quantum ad parentes, sed etiam quantum ad se, quoniam nihil boni aut mali egerant, neque agere po¬ tuerant, quando diclum est de eis, Jacob di¬ lexi, Esau odio habui. Cum igitur inter se pares essent, tantam illam discretionem, non ex operibus eorum, aut parentum pro¬ fectam esse concludit Apostolus, sed ex vo¬ luntate Dei, ut secundum electionem propo. situm Dei maneret, id est, ut decretum Dei perficeretur, quo unum elegerat, alterum reprobaverat. Quoni.am autem videri posset hoc, aliquo modo, injustum; objicit sibi ipse beatus Pau- lus : Quid ergo dicemus? numquid iniquitas apud Deum? et respondet, absit; Mosi enim dicit, miserebor cujus misereor et misericor¬ diam prxslabo, cui miserebor. Et, ohomo tu. quis es, qui respondeas Deo ? an non habet po¬ testatem figulus luti facere aliud vas in hono¬ rem, aliud in contumeliam ? At si ex -operibus praevisis Deus unum diligeret, alterum odio haberet, promptum fuisset beato Paulo hoc dicere, et omnem suspicionem injustitiae Dei, uno verbo, de medio tollere. Cum nu¬ tem hoc non fecerit, sed omnia revocaverit ad voluntatem Dei, qui miseretur, cujus vo¬ luerit, et cujus non voluerit, non miseretur : certum esse debetexApostoli sententia, prae¬ destinationem et electionem, sive discretio¬ nem, ex massa perditionis non pendere ex ulla praevisione operurn nostrorum, sed ex mero beneplacito Dei. Ad hoc testimonium Apostoli responderi posset, illud : Major serviet minori, Et : Ja¬ cob dilexi , Esau odio habui, non intelligi de personis illis singularibus, Jacob et Esau, sed de duobus populis, Israelitico et Idu- lo. Et, quod dicitur de odio et aimore, non intelligi . de electione et reprobatione ae¬ terna, sed de bonis malisque temporalibus hujus vitae. Nam Genes, xxv. cum Rebccca consuleret Deum, cur parvuli, quos gerebat in utero, inter sc colliderentur. Responsum est ei : Dux gentes sunt in utero tuo, et duo populi ex ventre tuo dividentur, populusquc populum superabit, et major serviet minori (2), Et Malaeh. i. cufn dixisset Deus : Jacob, dilexi, Esau autem odio habui, explicat, quo¬ modo dilexerit et oderit, dicens : Posui mon¬ tes ejus, nimirum Esau, in solitudinem et hx- reditatem ejus in dracones deserti. Itaque di¬ lexit Deus Jacob, quoniam dedit ei terram linentem lacte et meile : odio habuit Esau, quoniam dedit ei terram sterilem et deser¬ tam. Quamvis autem Apostolus luee videatur spiritualiter accipere et transferre ad myste¬ ria Christiana, tamen non transfert ad ele¬ ctionem et reprobationem singularum perso¬ narum, sed ad electionem gentilitatis et re¬ probationem Judaeorum, quo sensu etiam ac¬ cipienda videntur, quae dicuntur ad Roman. .(1) Rom. IX, 11; Rom. XI, 5; II Tirp, I, 8. — (2) Gcn. XXV, 23. CAPUT XI. xi. el ad Ephes. i. alioqui sequeretur omnes illos et singulos, ad quos Paulus scribebat, fuisse praedestinatos. Nara in genere loqui¬ tur de praedestinatione et electione omnium qui ad Ecclesiam locati fuerant. Solum igi¬ tur ex locis allegatis colligi posse videtur, Deum ex mera sua misericordia prsedesti- nasse gentiles ad fidem Christi recipiendam, et per hoc etiam ad salutem. Respondeo, non disputare nos hoc loco de testimonio Gen. aut Malach. sed solum de testimonio Apostoli ad Roman. ix. Apostolus enim apertissime loquitur de adoptione filio¬ rum Dei, et de mysteriis regni coelorum ; et per Esau intelligit reprobos ; per Jaeob ele¬ ctos; per terram promissionis vitam aeternam cum Deo; per solitudines draconum mortem aeternam cum diabolo. Et quamvis ex mysti¬ co sensu non soleat fieri solidum argumen¬ tum ad prodanda dogmata fidei , tamen cum mysticus sensus in ipsa Scriptura ex¬ ponitur, solidissimum argumentum confici¬ tur, illa enim expositio mystici sensus Scri¬ pturae veteris testamen li non est mystica, sed litteralis sententia Scriptu rse novi testamenti. At non loquitur Apostolus de electione et reprobatione singulorum hominum, sed gen¬ tilitatis et Judaismi. Non ita est, imo lo¬ quitur de electione et reprobatione singulo¬ rum, tum ex gentilitate, tum ex Judaismo : sed quoniam Judaei existimabant, se solos ad Deum pertinere, gentiles autem omnino esse exclusos, ideo siepe beatus Paulus concio- natur de vocatione gentium et induratione J u decorum, el concludit filios Abrahre non debere existimari eos, qui nascuntur ex carne Abralia?, sed qui sectantur fidem Abralue, sive gentiles sint, sive Judaei; nam in hne ipso cap. ix. dicit Apostolus : Ut ostenderet divitias gloriae sux in vasa miseri- eordix, qux praeparavit in gloriam , i quos et roravit, non solum ex Judaeis , sed etiam ex gentibus. Et cap. ni : Numquid Deus repulit populum suum. ? absit, nam et ego Jsraelita sum, ex semine Abra lix, de tribu Benjamin ; non repulit Deus plebem suam, quam praesci¬ vit (1). Quod autem loquatur Apostolus de ele¬ ctione et reprobatione singulorum in parti¬ culari, perspicuum est ex illa simulitudine figuli, massae et vasorum in honorem ct in contumeliam. Neque enim vasa in honorem dici possunt soii gentiles, cum multi ex He¬ braeis salvi sint ; neque soli Hebraei, cuui plurimi ex gentilibus salventur ; neque etiam contra, vasa in contumeliam dici possunt soli Hebraei, vel soli gentiles, eadem ratione. Vasa igitur in honorem sunt omnes electi, vasa in contumeliam omnes reprobi, sive Judaei, sive gentiles. Idem etiam patet ex induratione Pharao- nL:, qui particularis homo erat, et cujus ex¬ emplum hoc eodem loco proponit Apostolus. Rursus, idem probatur ex eo, quod omnes electi certo salvantur, ut supra ostendimus ox Scripturis. At non eorto salvantur omnes gentiies ad Ecclesiam vocati, et per Bapti¬ smum in eam admissi ; sed solum aliqui, ut notum est. Illi igitur soli vere sunt, ct di¬ cuntur electi. Denique B. Paulus, qui gente Judams erat, seniper sc in numero electorum ponit, cum de praedestinatione loquitur, ad ltom. 8. 9. et 11. et ad Ephes. I. non igitur per electos intelligit solos gentiles, neque loquitur de praedestinatione Ecclesiae gentium in genere, sed de singulis praedestinatis et electis. Quod autem in hoc numero videatur ponere om¬ nes Christianos, ac praesertim in i. cap. ad Ephes. non repugnat iis quae diximus. Id enim facit Apostolus, quod bene speraret de omnibus quos videbat ad fidem vocatos; non quod affirmare vellet omnes illos vere acproprie esse electos.