Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Grace and Free Choice · Book III: On Free Choice
Chapter 2: On the name of free choice
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio, Book III. 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 name of free choice is explained by authors in three ways. Some judge that the name of free choice signifies the conjunction of two acts — that is, of the judgment of reason and the election of the will — and that by reason of the judgment it is named choice (arbitrium), by reason of the election it is called free. And so they will have it that free choice is nothing else than judgment with election, or election with judgment. So the author of the Hypognosticon, book 3, seems to have taken this word, and after him Peter Lombard, in book 2 of the Sentences, distinction 24, letter E.
Others will have the name of free choice said properly of the act of reason — that is, of the judgment; for to arbitrate is the same as to judge. And why the judgment of reason should be called free, two causes are wont to be given. The former is St. Bernard's, in the book On Grace and Free Choice, who teaches that the judgment of reason is called free because it freely judges of the act of its own will. The latter is Ruard Tapper's, in the explication of article 7 of the Louvain articles, who thinks the judgment is called free both because it is indifferent to many things, and because in doubtful matters, and above all in the particular, we judge as we will.
Others, finally — whose judgment seems the best and truest — teach that by free choice is signified the act of the will alone; for that alone is truly and properly free. And this is the judgment of St. Thomas, part 1, question 83, article 3, reply to the second, and of the holy Fathers, who everywhere add to the name of choice the name of the will, and say “the free choice of the will.” Let us bring some testimonies. St. Ambrose, book 2 On the Faith, chapter 3: “He works as he wills,” says he, “that is, by the free choice of the will.” St. Augustine, book On Grace and Free Choice, chapter 2: “God has revealed to us through the holy Scriptures that there is in man a free choice of the will.” And book 5 On the City of God, chapter 9: “Of these two,” says he, “he chose the free choice of the will.” St. Prosper, book 1 On the Calling of the Gentiles, chapter 3: “The judgment of the will,” says he, “was depraved, not taken away.” The Council of Orange, canon 13: “The choice of the will in the first man,” etc. Nor ought it to seem strange that the name of choice is accommodated to the will, though properly it pertains to the intellect: for the election of the will is as it were a certain sentence and last judgment of the will itself; whence also we commonly say, “it is in my choice to do this” — that is, in my election and power. And it is called arbitrium rather than judgment, since this is the difference between judges and arbiters: that arbiters are much freer than judges. For judges are bound to follow the laws, and if they do not judge according to the laws, appeal can be made from them; but arbiters are unbound and free, and pass sentence as they will, nor is any appeal given. And so Justin spoke properly when, at the beginning of the first book, he wrote that in the first times of the world the arbitraments of princes stood in place of laws. Thus, then, the free option, or election, of the will is more rightly named choice (arbitrium) than judgment.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT II. De nomine liben arbitrii. Nomen liberi arbitrii tribus modis ab au¬ ctoribus explicatur. Aliqui existimant, nomen liberi arbitrii significare conjunctionem du¬ orum actuum, id est, judicii rationis, et ele¬ ctionis voluntatis, et ratione judicii, nominari arbitrium , ratione electionis , appellari li¬ berum. Itaque volunt, liberum arbitrium ni¬ hil esse aliud, nisi judicium cum electione, sive electionem cum judicio. Ita videtur hoc vocabulum accepisse auctor Hypognostici lib. m. et post eum Petrus Lombardus in ii. lib. Sententiar. dist. 24. Iit. E. Alii volunt, nomen liberi arbitrii dici pro¬ prie de actu rationis, id est, de judicio. Ar¬ bitrari enim idem est, quod judicare. Cur autem judicium rationis dicatur liberum, Duae causae reddi solent. Prior est S. Ber- nardi in libro de gratia et libero arbitrio, qui docet, judicium rationis dici liberum, quia libere judicat de actu suae voluntatis. Po¬ sterior est Ruardi Tapperi in explicatione ar¬ ticuli 7. Lovanien. qui censet judicium ap¬ pellari liberum, tum quia est indifferens ad CAPUT I1F. 583 multa, tum quia in rebus dubiis, ac praeser¬ tim in particulari judicamus, ut volumus. Alii denique, quorum videtur esse optima, verissimaque sententia, per liberum arbi¬ trium solius voluntatis actum significari do¬ cent. Nam is solus vere et proprie liber est. Atque haec est sententia S. Thomae 1. part. quaest. 83. art. 3. ad 2. et sanctorum Pa¬ trum, qui passim ad nomen arbitrii, addunt voluntatis nomen, ac dicunt liberum volun¬ tatis arbitrium. Adferamus aliqua testimo¬ nia. S. Ambrosius lib. n. de fide cap. 3: « Ope¬ ratur, inquit, pro ut vult, id est, pro libero voluntatis arbitrio. » S. Augustinus lib. de gratia et libero arbitrio cap. 2 : « Revelavit nobis Deus per Scripturas sanctas, esse in homine liberum voluntatis arbitrium. » Et lib. v. de Civitate Dei cap. 9 : « Ex his du¬ obus, inquit, elegit liberum voluntatis arbi¬ trium. » S. Prosper lib. i. de vocatione gen¬ tium cap. 3. « Judicium, inquit, voluntatis, depravatum est, non ablatum. « Concilium Arausicanum, can. 13. « Arbitrium volun¬ tatis in primo homine etc. » Neque mirum videri debet, nomen arbitrii accommodari voluntati, cum proprie ad intellectum perti¬ neat. » Nam electio voluntatis est quasi sententia quasdam et judicium ultimum ipsius volun¬ tatis. Unde etiam vulgo dicimus, in fneo ar¬ bitrio est hoc facere, id est, in mea electione et potestate. Dicitur autem arbitrium potius, quam ju¬ dicium. Quoniam hoc interest inter judices et arbitros, quod arbitri multo sunt liberi¬ ores, quamjudices. Siquidem judices tenen¬ tur sequi leges, et si non judicant secundum leges, ab eis appellari potest ; arbitri vero soluti sunt et liberi, et sententiam ferunt, pro ut volunt, neque ulla datur appellatio. Itaque proprie Justinus locutus est, cum initio primi libri scripsit, primis mundi tem¬ poribus arbitria Principium pro legibus fuisse. Sic igitur libera optio, sive electio volun¬ tatis rectius arbitrium, quam judicium nomi¬ natur.