Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Grace and Free Choice · Book V: Grace and Free Choice in Moral Works
Chapter 7: That no true temptation can be overcome by the powers of nature alone
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio, Book V. 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 second proposition, which taught that no commandment can be kept by the powers of nature alone if temptation press, is briefly to be explained, that it may be more easily proved.
It is to be observed, then, first, that a temptation can be conquered in three ways. In one way, by succumbing to another temptation — as when someone, to catch the popular breeze and be held a brave or continent man, abstains from a disgrace toward which he was otherwise not lightly goaded. For often (as St. Gregory admonishes, homily 12 [al. 16] on Ezechiel) we are assailed at one time by several enemies; and while one shows himself openly in front, another lies secretly in wait behind. But of this first way there can be no question; for it is agreed well enough that a man can yield to one vice rather than another — or, what is truer, that in the same man one vice can be overcome by another greater one; nor is this to cast down the temptation, but to be laid low by the temptation: “For carnal desire” (as St. Augustine speaks, book 3 to Boniface, against the Two Epistles of the Pelagians, chapter 4 [al. 7]) “is not healed by another desire.” In the second way, a temptation can be so conquered that not only is sin simply avoided, but also from the victory merit is acquired — which happens when the temptation is resisted from the charity of God. Of which way the Apostle seems to speak when he says, in the first to the Corinthians, chapter 10: God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able, but will make also with temptation issue. And St. Augustine, book 21 On the City of God, chapter 16: “Then are vices to be counted conquered, when they are conquered by the love of God.” Of this way we do not discourse at present, but take for established (what we shall treat in another place) that no work of piety can be done without the aid of grace. In the third way, then, a temptation can be conquered so that neither is any sin admitted, nor yet merit procured; and of this way alone we dispute at present.
It is to be observed, second, that when we say no temptation can be conquered by the powers of nature alone, we speak of a true temptation, not of some very light titillation, which does not absolutely and properly deserve the name of temptation. Moreover, it must be known that we do not always require, for conquering temptations, special help properly so called — that is, an internal illustration or supernatural motion — but any help of God whatever: whether it consist in this, that God by his singular providence remove the occasions of sinning; or in this, that he not permit the devil to rage as much as he would; or in whatever other way God help us. For there are many temptations which of themselves do not surpass human powers; and yet, if God utterly abandon men, and let the devil act as much as he can, they will become most grave and intolerable — so great is human fragility for resisting, and the diabolic power for hurting. And hence perhaps can be reconciled the authors who say that no temptation can be conquered without the help of God, with those who say that some can. For the latter speak of supernatural help, and consider the measure of human powers in comparison with some light temptation absolutely taken; while the former by the help of God take any singular providence of God whatever — which often uses natural things to accomplish what it desires to be done — and consider human powers by comparison with the temptation, not as it is of itself, but as it would be if God permitted, and did not help, whether by adding strength to us or by withdrawing it from our adversaries. But although each manner of speaking can have a good sense, yet they speak more consonantly to the Scriptures and the Fathers who say that no temptation can be conquered without the help of God.
Which indeed is proved, first, from the Scriptures. For that place of Wisdom 8 — No one can be continent, except God give it — properly pertains to the conquering of temptations; for it is not difficult to be continent when no temptation invites to sin. Moreover, those words of blessed Paul, 1 Corinthians 10 — God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are able — indicate openly enough that temptations can grow above what we are able, if God permit. To these come very many testimonies of the Psalms, which attribute the victory in temptation simply to God. Psalm 17: In thee I shall be delivered from temptation. Psalm 26: Be thou my helper; forsake me not. Psalm 29: And in my abundance I said: I shall never be moved. Thou turnedst away thy face from me, and I became troubled. Psalm 117: Being pushed, I was overturned that I might fall; and the Lord supported me. That prayer also, And lead us not into temptation, Matthew 6; and that exhortation, Pray that ye enter not into temptation, Matthew 26 — show well enough that temptations cannot be resisted without the aid of God.
It is proved, second, from the Ecclesiastical tradition. The Synod of Palestine, in Augustine, epistle 106: “Let him (Pelagius) confess that, when we fight against temptations and unlawful concupiscences, although even there we have our own will, yet our victory comes not from it, but from the aid of God.” The Synod of Milevis, in the epistle to Innocent, which is Augustine’s 92nd: “That petition, ‘lead us not into temptation,’ they (the Pelagians) say is not to be so understood as though we ought to ask the divine aid, lest, being tempted, we fall into sin; but that this is placed in our own power, and that for fulfilling it the will of man alone suffices.” Not dissimilar things has the Synod of Carthage, in the epistle to the same Innocent, which is Augustine’s 90th. St. Innocent I, in the epistle to the Council of Carthage, in Augustine, epistle 94 [al. 91]: “Unless grace, implored with great prayers, descend upon us, in no wise do we strive to conquer the errors of earthly corruption and of the worldly body; since not free choice, but the help of God alone, can make us equal to resisting.” And below: “He affords daily remedies; and unless, relying and trusting on these, we strive, we shall in no way be able to conquer human errors. For it is necessary that, as with his help we conquer, so again, with him not helping, we be conquered.” The same, in the epistle to the Council of Milevis, in Augustine, 93: “Deprived of grace, he must fall, ensnared in the toils of the devil.” St. Zosimus, Pope, Innocent’s successor, in the epistle which Celestine mentions in the epistle to the Gauls, chapter 9: “What time intervenes in which we do not need his help? In all acts, therefore, and causes, and thoughts, and motions, he must be prayed to as helper and protector. For it is proud that human nature presume anything to itself, the Apostle crying out: Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, etc.” St. Celestine I, in the epistle already cited to the Gauls, chapter 6: “No one, even renewed by the grace of Baptism, is fit for overcoming the snares of the devil, and for vanquishing the concupiscences of the flesh, unless through the daily aid of God he shall have received perseverance in a good manner of life.”
St. Cyprian, in sermon 7 [al. the treatise] on the Lord’s Prayer: “When we ask that we fall not into temptation, we are admonished of our infirmity and weakness while we so ask, lest anyone insolently exalt himself, lest anyone proudly and arrogantly assume anything to himself; that, while a humble and submissive confession goes before, and the whole is given to the Lord, whatever is asked as a suppliant, with the fear and honor of God, may be granted by his own loving-kindness.” St. Basil, in the book of the Moral Summaries, summary 62, chapter 3: “One ought for a time to depart from those who lie in wait; but where anyone has been permitted to fall into temptation, he ought to ask through prayer that he may be able to bear the event, and the will of God.” St. John Chrysostom, homily 24 on the first to the Corinthians: “There are temptations which we cannot bear. And what are they? All, so to say; for the possibility lies in the divine nod, which we win by our will. Wherefore, that thou mayst know for certain that not only those which surpass our strength, but not even these human ones, can we easily sustain without the divine help, he added: But he will make with temptation issue, that you may be able to bear it. And what does this signify? Not even those middling ones, he says, as I said, shall we bear by our own strength; but here too we need the divine help, that we may either escape them, or at least endure them.” The author of the unfinished work on Matthew, homily 37: “As a ship, its rudder broken, is carried thither whither the tempest will, so also man, the help of divine grace being lost through sin, does not what he wills, but what the devil wills.” St. Ambrose, on Psalm 43, explaining that verse, All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten thee: “Who is so strong that he be in no wise moved in temptation, unless the Lord stand by him as helper?” St. Jerome, book 2 against the Pelagians, cites those words of the Lord, Matthew 26, Rise, watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation, and straightway subjoins: “He ought to have said, according to you: Rise and resist; for you have free choice, and, the power once granted you by the Lord, you need no other’s help.” The same, at the beginning of book 3: “Our victory, and the crown of victory, is procured by his protection and shield.” St. Augustine, in the book On the Perfection of Justice, at the end: “Whoever denies that we ought to pray that we enter not into temptation — and he denies this who contends that for not sinning the aid of the grace of God is not necessary to man, but that, the law alone being received, the human will suffices — I do not doubt that he is to be removed from the ears of all, and anathematized by the mouth of all.” The same, in the book On the Grace of Christ, chapter 27: “In the book to the sacred virgin, when he (Pelagius) says, ‘that we may merit divine grace, and more easily resist the wicked spirit with the help of the Holy Spirit,’ he assuredly signifies what he means. For why did he interpose this word, ‘more easily’? Was not the sense complete thus: ‘that we may resist the wicked spirit with the help of the Holy Spirit’? But how great a damage he wrought by this addition, who does not understand? — wishing it, forsooth, to be believed that the powers of nature, which by extolling he casts headlong, are so great that even without the help of the Holy Spirit, though less easily, yet in some way, the wicked spirit is resisted.” St. Gregory, book 9 of the Morals, chapter 37 [al. 22]: “He is aptly said to be brought back into dust, because, left to himself, he is snatched away by the breeze of any temptation whatever.” The same, on the third penitential Psalm, explaining that verse, Forsake me not, O Lord my God: “Those beyond doubt the Lord forsakes to whom he does not grant constancy in tribulation. For it necessarily follows that whoever shall have been forsaken by God is subject to every temptation.” St. Prosper, in the book against the Collator, chapter 35 [al. 13], treating the passage on the temptations of holy Job, shows that the whole victory of that holy man was won from the help and grace of God; and among other things he speaks thus: “Whoever, then, does not fail in tribulation, let him not doubt that he is helped by him to whom daily the hearts of all the faithful cry: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Let there come, last of all, the custom of the Church, which among its daily prayers repeats nothing more often than that: O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me. And in the prayer which is read at the hour of Prime, invoking the protection of God against temptations, it says: “Save us today by thy power, that we may decline to no sin, but that ever to the doing of thy justice our words may proceed, our thoughts and works be directed: through Christ our Lord.”
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VII. Non posse solis natur, v viribus ullam veram tentationem superari. / Altera illa propositio, quae docebat, non posse solis naturae viribus ullum mandatum servari, si tentatio urgeat; breviter expli¬ canda est, ut facilius comprobetur. Observandum est igitur primo , tribus modis posse vinci tentationem aliquam. Uno modo succumbendo alteri tentationi ; ut cum quis ut auram popularem captet, et vir for¬ iis aut continens habeatur, abstinet se a fla- gitio, ad quod alioqui non leviter stimulaba¬ tur. Saepe enim (ut monet sanctus Gregorius homil. 12. in Ezcchiclem) uno tempore a pluribus hostibus oppugnamur, et dum unus a fronte se palam ostentat, alius a tergo clam insidiatur. Sed de hoc primo modo nulla quajstio esse potest; satis enim constat, posse hominem uni potius vitio, quam alteri cedere, vel, quod est verius, posse in eodem homine unum vitium ab alio majore supe¬ rari : neque hoc est tentationem dejicere, sed a tentatione prosterni : « Carnalis enim cupiditas » (ut loquitur sanctus Augustinus lib. hi. ad Bonifacium, contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum cap. 4.) « cupiditate alia non sanatur » . (1) Rom. II, 14. CAPUT VII. 49 Altero modo potest tentatio ita vinci, ut non solum peccatum simpliciter evitetur, sed etiam ex victoria meritum acquiratur, quod fit, cum cx charitate Dei tentationi re¬ sistitur. De quo modo loqui videtur Aposto¬ lus, cum dicit in priore ad Corinthios c. x : Fidelis Deus , qui non patietur vos tentari su¬ pra id, quod potestis, sed faciet etiam cum ten¬ tatione proventum (1). Et S. Augustinus lib. xxi. de civit. Dei cap. 16. « Tunc, inquit, victa vitia deputanda sunt, cum Dei amore vincuntur ». De hoc modo non disserimus in pixcsentia, sed pro comperto sumimus (quod alio loco tractabimus) nullum opus pietatis sine adjutorio gratiae fieri posse. Tertio igitur modo tentatio vinci potest, ita ut nec peccatum ullum admittatur, nec tamen meritum comparetur; et de hoc solo modo in praesentia disputamus. Observandum est secundo, Nos cum dici¬ mus, nullam tentationem solis naturae viri¬ bus vinci posse, loqui de vera tentatione, non de levissima aliqua titillatione, quae no¬ men tentationis absolute et proprie non me¬ retur. Praeterea sciendum est, nos non sem- per requirere ad vincendas tentationes, au¬ xilium speciale, proprie dictum, hoc est, internam illustrationem vel motionem su- pernaturalem , sed quodeumque auxilium Dei, sive consistat in eo, quod Deus singu¬ lari providentia sua, removeat occasiones peccandi, sive in eo, quod non permittat diabolum saevire, quantum vellet, sive quo¬ cumque alio modo Deus nos juvet. Multae enim tentationes sunt, quae per se non supe¬ rant vires humanas ; et tamen si Deus homi¬ nes prorsus destituat, et diabolum sinat agere quantum potest, illae fient gravissimae et intolerabiles ; tanta est humana fragilitas ad resistendum, et diabolica potentia ad no¬ cendum. Atque hinc fortasse conciliari possunt au¬ ctores, qui dicunt nullam tentationem sine auxilio Dei vinci posse, cum iis, qui dicunt, aliquas posse. Nam ii posteriores loquuntur de auxilio supernaturali, et considerant men¬ suram virium humanarum, in comparatione ad levem aliquam tentationem absolute sum¬ ptam : priores autem per auxilium Dei acci¬ piunt quamcumque singularem Dei provi¬ dentiam, qute saepe utitur rebus naturalibus ad ea, quae fieri cupit, perficienda : et vires humanas considerant per comparationem ad tentationem, non qualis est per se, sed qua¬ lis esset, si Deus permitteret, et non juvaret, aut vires nobis addendo, aut adversariis subtrahendo. Sed quamquam uterque mo¬ dus dicendi, bonum sensum habere possit, tamen magis consentanee ad Scriptufas et Patres loquuntur, qui dicunt, nullam tenta¬ tionem sine Dei auxilio vinci posse. Quod quidem probatur primum ex Scri¬ pturis; nam locus ille Sap. vm. Nemo potest esse continens , nisi Deus det (2) : proprie ad vincendas tentationes pertinet. Neque enim difficile est continere, quando nulla tentatio ad peccandum invitat. Praeterea verba illa B. Pauli 1. ad Cor. x. Fidelis Deus, qui non patietur vos tentari supra id , quod potestis (3), satis aperte indicant, tentationes supra id, quod possumus, crescere posse, si Deus per¬ mittat. His accedunt plurima testimonia Psalmo¬ rum, quae victoriam in tentatione simplici¬ ter Deo tribuunt. Psal. xxvn. In te eripikr a tentatione. Psal. xxvi. Adjutor meus esto, ne derelinquas me. Psal. xxix. Ego dixi in abun¬ dantia mea , non movebor in seternum : aver¬ tisti faciem tuam , et factus sum conturbatus. Psalm. cxvn. Impulsus eversus sum ut. cade¬ rem, et Dominus suscepit me. Illa quoque ora¬ tio. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem. Matt. vi. Et illa adhortatio : Orate, ne intretis in tentationem (4). Matth. xxvi. satis ostendunt, sine Dei adjutorio tentationibus resisti non posse. Probatur secundo ex traditione Ecclesia¬ stica, Synodus Palaestina apud Aug. in ep. 106. « Fateatur (Pelagius) quando contra tentationes, concupiscentiasque illicitas di¬ micamus, quamvis et illic habeamus pro¬ priam voluntatem, non tamen ex illa, sed ex adjutorio Dei nostram provenire victoriam» . Synodus Milevitana in epist. ad Innocen¬ tium, quae est apud Aug. 92. « Illud (inquit) ne nos inferas in tentationem, non ita intel- ligendum dicunt (Pelagiani) tamquam divi¬ num adjutorium poscere debeamus, ne in peccatum tentati decidamus, sed hoc in no¬ stra esse positum potestate, et ad hoc im¬ plendum, solam sufficere voluntatem homi¬ nis ». Non dissimilia habet Synodus Cartha¬ giniensis, in epistola ad eumdem Innocen¬ tium, quae est apud Augustinum epist. 90. (I) I Corin. X, 13. - (2) Sap. VIII, 2t. - (3) Corin. X, 13. - (4) Psal. XXVI!, 30; ibid. XXVI, 9 ; bid. XXIX, 7 ; ibid. CXVII, 13; Matth, VI, 13 ; ibid, XXVI, 41. so LIBER Y. S. Innocentius I. in epist. ad Concilium Carthaginiense, apud Augustinum epist. 94. « Nisi magnis precibus, inquit, gratia in nos implorata descendat, ne quicquam terrenae labis, et mundani corporis vincere conamur errores, cum pares nos ad resistendum, non liberum arbitrium, sed Dei solum facere possit auxilium. » Et infra : « Quotidiana prae¬ stat ille remedia, quibus nisi freti, confisique nitamur, nullatenus vincere humanos pote¬ rimus errores. Necesse est enim, ut quo au- xiliante vincimus, eodem rursus non adju¬ vante vincamur » . Idem in epistola ad Con¬ cilium Milevitanum, apud Augustinum 93. « Gratia, inquit, privatus, necesse est in diaboli laqueis irretitus occumbat » . S. Zozimus Papa, Innocentii successor, in epistola, cujus meminit Celestinus in epist. ad Gallos, cap. 9 : « Quod, inquit, tempus intervenit, quo ejus non egeamus auxilio? in omnibus igitur actibus, causisque, cogita¬ tionibus, motibus, adjutor et protector oran¬ dus est. Superbum est enim, ut quidquam sibi humana natura praesumat, clamante Apostolo, Non est nobis colluctatio adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed contra Principes et potestates, ete » . Sanctus Cfelestinus I. in epistola, jam ci¬ tata ad Gallos cap. vi. <iNemo, inquit, etiam Baptismatis gratia renovatus, idoneus est ad superandas diaboli insidias, et ad evincen¬ das carnis concupiscentias, nisi per quoti¬ dianum adjutorium Dei perseverantiam bonse conversationis acceperit ». S. Cyprianus in serm. 7. de oratione Do¬ minica. a Quando, inquit, rogamus, ne in tentationem incidamus, admonemur infirmi¬ tatis imbecillitatis nostrae, dum sic rogamus, ne quis se insolenter extollat, ne quis sibi superbe atque arroganter aliquid assumat». Et infra : « ut dum praecedit humilis et sub¬ missa confessio, et datur totum Domino, quidquid suppliciter cum timore et honore Dei petitur, ipsius pietate praestatur. » S. Basilius in lib. Moralium summarum, Summa 62. cap. 3. « Oportet, inquit, ad tempus ab insidiantibus discedere : ubi ta¬ men quis permissus est, in tentationem in¬ cidere, eventum ut sufferre possit, et volun¬ tatem Dei per orationem petere ». S. Joannes Chrysostomus homil. 24. in priorem ad Corinth. « Sunt, inquit, tenta- tiones, quas sufferre non possumus, et quae¬ nam sunt illae ? omnes, ut ita dicam : possi¬ bilitas enim in divino nutu est, quam nostra allicimus voluntate. Quare ut certo cogno¬ scas, non solum illas, quae virtutem nostram exuperant, non posse sine divino auxilio fa¬ cile sustinere, sed ne has quidem humanas, addidit, sed faciet cum tentatione proven¬ tum, ut possitis sustinere. Et quidnam hoc significat ? neque enim mediocres illas, quod dixi, inquit, propria virtute sufferemus, sed hic quoque divino indigemus auxilio, ut eas vel effugiamus, vel certe perferamus ». Auctor operis imperfecti in Matthaeum, hom. 37. « Sicut navis, inquit, fracto gu¬ bernaculo, illuc ducitur, quo tempestas vo¬ luerit, sic et homo divinae gratiae auxilio per¬ dito per peccatum, agit non fyiod vult, sed quod diabolus vult » . S. Ambrosius in Psalm. xxxxm. explicans illud : <( Haec omnia venerunt super nos, nec obliti sumus te. Quis, inquit, est tam fortis, ut nequaquam in tentationem moveatur,' nisi Dominus ei adjutor assistat. » Sanctus Hieronymus lib. n. adversus Pe- lagianos, citat illa verba Domini, Matth. xxvi. Surgite vigitate et orate, ne intretis in tenta¬ tionem. Et continuo subjungit « Debuisset dicere, juxta vos, Surgite et resistite. Libe¬ rum enim habetis arbitrium et semel vobis concessa a Domino potestate, nullius alterius indigetis auxilio. « Idem initio lib. m ». « Nostra, inquit, victbria et corona victoriae, illius protectione et clipeo paratur » . Sanctus Augustinus in libro de perfectione justitise, extremo : « Quisquis, inquit, negat, nos orare debere, ne intremus in tentatio¬ nem, negat autem hoc, qui contendit, ad non peccandum gratiaj Dei adjutorium non esse homini necessarium, sed sola lege accepta, humanam sufficere voluntatem, ab auribus omnium removendum, et ore ornnium ana¬ thematizandum esse non dubito. Idem in libro de gratia Christi, cap. 27. « In libro, inquit, ad virginem sacram, cum dicit (Pelagius) divinam mereamur gratiam, facilius nequam spiritui, Sancti Spiritus auxilio resistamus : Significat profecto quid sapiat. Ut quid enim hoc verbum interposuit, id est, facilius ? an vero non erat integer sensus, ut nequam spiritui, sancti Spiritus auxilio resistamus ? Sed quantum d<*trimcn- tum hoc additamento fecerit, quis non in- telligat? volens utique credi tantas esse na¬ tur® vires, quas extollendo preeeipitat, ut etiam sine auxilio Spiritus sancti, et si mi¬ nus facile, tamen aliquo modo nequam spi¬ ritui resistatur ». CAPUT VIII. 51 Sanctus Grcgorius lib. ix. Moralium, cap. 37. « Qui apte, inquit, reduci in pulverem dicitur, quia dimissus sibi; cujuslibet tenta- tionis aura raptatur » . Idem in Psalmum ter¬ tium pcenitentialem, explicans illud: « Ne de¬ relinquas me Domine Deus meus. Illos, inquit, procul dubio Dominus relinquit, quibus con¬ stantiam in tribulatione non tribuit. Neces¬ sario enim sequitur, ut omni tentationi sit subditus , quicumque a Deo fuerit dere¬ lictus ». Sanctus Prosper in libro adversus colla¬ torem, cap. 35. tractans locum de tentatio- nibus sancti Job, ostendit, totam illam sancti viri victoriam ex Dei auxilio et gratia par¬ tam, et iifter alia sic loquitur : « Quisquis igitur in tribulatione non deficit, ab illo se non dubitet adjuvari, ad quem quotidie cor¬ da universorum fidelium clamant, ne nos in¬ feras in tentationem , sed libera nos a malo ». Accedat postremo Ecclesiae consuetudo, quae inter quotidianas preces nihil magis fre¬ quentat, quam illud : Deus in adjutorium meum intende, Domine ad adjuvandum me festina ». Et in oratione, quae legitur ad ho¬ ram orationis primam, protectionem Dei contra tentationes invocans, dicit : « Tua nos hodie salva virtute, ut ad nullum decli¬ nemus peccatum, sed semper ad tuam justi¬ tiam faciendam, nostra procedant eloquia, dirigantur cogitationes et opera, per Chri¬ stum Dominum nostrum » .