Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Grace of the First Man
Chapter 17: Why a certain tree was called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Gratia Primi Hominis. 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).
There is another question, about the tree of knowledge of good and evil: “Whence, namely, that tree had this name.” Josephus, book 1 of the Antiquities, chapter 2, writes that that tree had the power of sharpening the wit and increasing prudence. Which opinion those heretics seem to have followed who by Tertullian, On the Prescription of Heretics, and by Epiphanius, heresy 37, are called Ophites, who worship the serpent in place of Christ, because he was to men the author of winning knowledge, when he persuaded the eating of the forbidden tree. John Damascene, book 2 On the Faith, chapter 11, teaches that that tree was called the tree of knowledge because it brought the knowledge of one's own nature; and that that knowledge is useful to the grown and perfect, but useless and noxious to the imperfect and those prone to concupiscence; and that therefore it was forbidden to Adam, being still imperfect, to touch that tree.
But these things are improbable. For neither would God have forbidden men a tree which increased prudence, and thereby would be most useful to them; nor was Adam at that time uncouth and imperfect, but perfect and wise, seeing that he imposed names on all the living creatures; nor could he be ignorant of his own nature, who knew the natures of all things. The true opinion, then, is that the tree of knowledge of good and evil was so called because, being tasted, it would, on account of the fault of disobedience, bring many evils, and thereby men would learn by experience the difference of good and evil, which before they had learned by contemplation alone. So teach St. Augustine, book 14 On the City of God, chapter 17, and book 8 On Genesis, chapter 6; St. Cyril, book 3 against Julian; Theodoret, question 26 [al. 27] on Genesis; and Eucherius, book 1 on Genesis.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
scienlix boni et mali. Est alia quaestio de ligno scientia; boni et mali ; «Unde videlicet ea arbor hoc nomen habuerit. » Josephus lib. i. antiquitatum, cap. 2, scribit eam arborem vim habuisse acuendi ingenium, ac prudentiam augendi. Quam sententiam secuti videntur haeretici il¬ li, qui a Tertulliano de praescript. haeretico¬ rum, et ab Epiphanio haeres. 37. dicuntur Ophitae, qui pro Christo serpentem colunt, quod hominibus auctor fuerit adipiscendi scientiam, cum esum ligni vetiti persuasit. Joan. Damasc. lib. ii. de fide cap. 11. docet arborem illam lignum scientiae appellatam, quodadferret cognitionem propriae naturae. Eam vero cognitionem adultis, et perfectis utilem esse, imperfectis autem, et ad con¬ cupiscentiam pronis, inutilem, et noxiam, et ideo prohibitum fuisse Adamo adhuc im¬ perfecto existenti, ne arborem illam contin¬ geret. Sed htee improbabilia sunt. Nam nec Deus prohibuisset hominibus arborem, quae prudentiam augeret, ac per hoc utilissima illis esset : neque Adam eo tempore rudis, et imperfectus erat, sed perfectus et sapiens, quippe qui nomina omnibus animantibus imposuit : neque naturam suam ignorare potuit, qui naturas rerum omnium noverat. Vera igitur sententia est, lignum scientiae boni et mali sic appellatum, quod gustatum, ob inobedientiae culpam, multa mala aidfer- ret, ac per hoc homines experiendo discerent discrimen boni et mali, quod antea sola contemplatione didicerant. Ita docet S. Au¬ gustinus lib. xiv. de civit, cap. 17. et lib. vin. Genes, cap. 6. S. Cyrillus lib. ni in Ju¬ liam. Theodoret. qua;st. 26, in Genes, et Eucherius lib. i in Genes. CAPUT XVIII Lignum vitx perfectam immortalitatem