Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Grace and Free Choice · Book V: Grace and Free Choice in Moral Works
Chapter 24: Preface to the testimonies of the Fathers for free choice in moral matters
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).
The testimonies of the ancient Fathers Calvin did not dare to object against himself; yet, compelled by Pighius, he answered to a certain few places. Albert Pighius, in the second book on free choice, produced the testimonies of ten Fathers: of St. Peter the Apostle, St. Clement of Rome, St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, St. Hilary, St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Basil, St. Chrysostom.
To which testimonies Calvin so answered that he ordered Peter and Clement to be removed from the number of the witnesses, because their words had been drawn from the apocryphal books of the Recognitions; Origen and Tertullian, as heretics and men who had slipped in many things, he altogether contemned; the same, and Irenaeus too, he said could be expounded of free choice such as it was in the state of innocence, not such as it now is in the state of corrupt nature; Ambrose and Basil, he contended, had discoursed of liberty from coercion, not from necessity; only Hilary, Jerome, and Chrysostom, he affirmed, had properly undertaken the patronage of free choice — but the testimonies of three men are not the consent of the universal Church, as Pighius had vainly boasted; especially since contrary opinions are found in Augustine and in the Synod of Orange.
But this stands well, and pleases us wonderfully: that in the second book against Pighius, Calvin admits the ancient Fathers to sit as judges of our controversy. “I would have my readers admonished,” says he, “that Pighius and I can without difficulty come to agreement in this place, if only he would demonstrate the tradition of the Church from the certain and perpetual consent of the Saints and the Orthodox, not from testimonies ill excerpted from here and there; and then, if he would use them simply and candidly for the proving of the true and genuine doctrine of the Church, and not abuse them for the painting-over of the impious doctrines of these times.”
We, then, shall produce the testimonies of all the Fathers, Greek and Latin, and shall pass over no author of any name; and at the same time we shall diligently weigh, in each, whether the responses of Calvin can in any part fit them or not. But whether we use them simply and candidly for the proving of the true and genuine doctrine of the Church, or twist them for the painting-over of errors and impious doctrines, will be the reader’s judgment. Although, if we would speak properly, from the testimonies of the Fathers we ought to investigate this: what was the doctrine of the ancient Church — so that, since it is agreed between us that in the Church which flourished a thousand years ago the doctrine was true and genuine, it may be understood from comparison with it whether we hold the genuine doctrine, who defend that there is free choice in moral actions, or the adversaries, who, changing free choice into servile choice, contend that man after the fall of Adam sins from necessity.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XXIV. Prxfatio ad testimonia Patrum pro libero ar¬ bitrio in moralibus. Testimonia veterum Patrum Calvinus non fuit ausus contra se objicere: tamen coactus a Pighio ad pauca quadam loca respondit. Pro¬ duxit Albertus Pighius, in secundo libro de li¬ bero arbitrio, testimonia decem Patrum, S. Pe¬ tri Apostoli, S. Clementis Romani, S. Irenai, Tertulliani, Origenis, S. Ililarii, S. Ambrosii, S. Hieronymi, S. Basilii, S. Chrysostomi. Ad qua testimonia Calvinus ita respondit, ut Petrum ct Clementem, - de numero te. (1) Deut. XXX, 15, 19. - (2) Jos. XXIV, 15. — (3)Eccl. XXXI, 10, - Q) I Coria VI!, 37, 30, - (5) 11 Coria IX, 7. CAPUT XXV. 83 stium anferri juberet, quod eorum verba ex libris recognitionum apocryphis deprompta fuissent. Origencm et Tertullianum, ut heere- ticos et qui multis in rebus lapsi essent, om¬ nino contemneret : eosdem item,etlrena)um exponi posse diceret de libero arbitrio, qua¬ le fuit in statu innocentise, non quale nunc est in statu natura) corruptae ; Ambrosium et Basilium, de libertate a coactione, non a necessitate disseruisse contenderet: solos esse affirmaret Hilarium, Hieronymum et Chry- sostomum, qui proprie liberi arbitrii patroci¬ nium suscepissent, sed trium hominum testi¬ monia non esse consensum Ecclesiae univer¬ sae, ut Pighius frustra jactaverat : praesertim cum contrariae sententiae inveniantur in Au¬ gustino, et Synodo Ar^iusicana. Illud autem bene habet, et nobis mirifice placet, quod in secundo libro adversus Pi- ghium, Calvinus admittit veteres Patres, ut de controversia nostra judices sedeant. «Le¬ ctores, inquit, monitos velim, non difficulter posse inter me, et Pighiuni hoc loco conve¬ nire, si modo Ecclesiae traditionem ex certo, etperpctuo Sanctorum et Orthodoxorum con¬ sensu, non ex testimoniis hinc' inde male ex¬ cerptis demonstraret. Deinde si iis simpliciter, et candide uteretur ad veram, et germanam Ecclesiae doctrinam comprobandam, non ad pingendas horum temporum impias doctri¬ nas abuteretur». Nos igitur producemus testimonia omni¬ um Patrum Graecorum et Latinorum, nec ul¬ lum praetermittemus auctorem alicujus no¬ minis, et simul diligenter expendemus in singulis, possint necne illis Calvini respon¬ siones ulla exparte convenire. Utrum autem simpliciter, et candide illis utamur ad veram et germanam Ecclesiae doctrinam compro¬ bandam, an ea detorqueamus ad pingendos errores, impiasque doctrinas, lectoris erit judicium. Quamvis si proprie loqui velimus ex testimoniis Patrum, illud investigare de¬ beamus, quae fuerit Ecclesiae veteris doctrina, ut quoniam inter nos convenit, in Ecclesia, qua) ante mille annos floruit, veram et ger¬ manam fuisse doctrinam, ex comparatione illius infelligatur, utrum nos germanam doc¬ trinam teneamus, qui liberum arbitrium in aictionibus moralibus esse defendimus, an ad¬ versarii, qui liberum arbitrium, in servum arbitrium commutantes, hominem post lap¬ sum Adami, ex necessitate peccare conten¬ dunt.