Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book I: On Justifying Faith
Chapter 8: That the object of justifying faith is not special mercy, but all things that God has revealed, is proved from the divine writings
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book I. 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).
Now at last let us come to that which is most proper to this place, and prove from the divine writings that the object of justifying faith is not special mercy, but all the things that God has deigned to reveal.
Let us begin from the Gospels. The faith, certainly, which Christ demanded, and in confirmation of which he did miracles, was justifying faith; for it was for this cause that he preached and confirmed faith: that through it men might be saved. For he came to seek and to save that which was lost, Luke 19; and he came into this world to save sinners, 1 Timothy 1; and therefore the Father so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting, John 3. Let us see, then, what faith Christ demanded, what he praised, to what he exhorted, what, finally, he proved by signs and prodigies. Matthew 9: the Lord, to the blind men asking for light, says, Do you believe that I can do this unto you? They answering, “Yea, Lord,” he says: According to your faith, be it done unto you. In which place the Lord demanded the faith of his omnipotence, and thereby of his divinity — not of special mercy. Matthew 16: when St. Peter had uttered the confession of his faith in those words, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, the Lord so commended that faith as to say: Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And this same faith of St. Peter all the Fathers extol with wonderful praises, as having been a perfect faith. See Hilary, book 6 On the Trinity; Chrysostom, homily 55 on Matthew; Augustine, tractate 10 on the epistle of John; Cyril, dialogue 4 On the Trinity; and Leo, sermon 2 on his assumption to the Pontificate. And what did Peter then believe, but the divinity of Christ? Like was the confession of faith in the Centurion, Luke 7, at which Christ so wondered as to say that he had not found so great faith in Israel; nor did that Centurion profess that he believed anything else than the omnipotence and divinity of Christ, saying: Say but the word, and my servant shall be healed. John 1: when Nathanael had said, Rabbi,... thou art the King of Israel, thou art the Son of God, the Lord, approving his faith, says: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest. John 6: when the Lord had exhorted the Jews to faith in a long discourse, and they, not believing, were departing, he asked the Apostles whether they too would go away; and Peter answered in the name of all: To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. From which we understand that this very faith was that which the Lord required. John 11: when the Lord had said to Martha, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me... shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? she answered: Yea, Lord, I have believed that thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, who art come into this world. John 10: the Lord himself, teaching what is the object of the faith which he requires in us: Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake. And chapter 20: when Thomas, for some time unbelieving, at last, having seen the Lord, had cried out, My Lord and my God, the Lord subjoined: Because thou hast seen me, Thomas, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and have believed. Where certainly they are called blessed who believe that Christ has risen from the dead, and is Lord and God — for that is what Thomas believed. Finally, in the same place: These are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing, you may have life in his name. This faith, then, which regards the divinity of Christ, is itself that which bestows both justice and eternal life. And these testimonies indeed prove that justifying faith has for its object something other besides special mercy.
But let us add other testimonies, by which we may prove not only that justifying faith regards other objects, but also that faith is justifying although it regard not special mercy — and is not justifying faith, if perchance it regard that mercy. Mark 1: to the leper saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, the Lord says: I will. Be thou made clean. That leper without doubt was in doubt about the will of the Lord, and thereby about special mercy — otherwise he would not have said, “if thou wilt, thou canst”; and yet, because the faith of omnipotence and divinity was not wanting to him, he obtained what he asked. From which we understand that his faith was such as the Lord demanded, and in confirmation of which he did miracles — although certainty about special mercy was wanting to him. Luke 18: the pharisee trusted that he was just, and therefore, praying, said: I give thee thanks, O Lord, that I am not as the rest of men, etc. Contrariwise, the Publican durst not lift up his eyes toward heaven, but, standing afar off and striking his breast, prayed: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. And yet this man went down justified rather than the other. And so the Pharisee had the faith of special benevolence, and yet suffered repulse; the publican lacked that confidence, and approached God with fear and trembling, and was justified. Nor can it be said that the pharisee had the faith, or confidence, of benevolence on account of his own merits, as though he believed he had his justice of himself; for he gave thanks to God for his justice, and accordingly believed he had it from God. He is not justified, then, who trusts that he is just, but he who with fear and trembling works out his salvation. Let there come, last, the testimony from the final chapter of Mark, where, when the Lord had said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned, he soon adjoined: And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, etc. Where we see most openly that the faith of miracles is one and the same with the justifying and saving faith; but it is certain that the faith of miracles regards not, as its object, the special mercy of the remission of sins, but the omnipotence and divinity of the Son of God.
Let these, then, from the Gospels suffice; to which can be added other not dissimilar ones from the Acts and the epistles of the Apostles. For in Acts 2, 4, 10, 13, and 17 are narrated the discourses of Peter and Paul, in which is contained the explication and doctrine of the faith; and in these there is no word about special mercy, but they are wholly spent in explaining and urging the resurrection and divinity of Jesus Christ. Likewise, Acts 8: when Philip had asked the Eunuch, who was seeking baptism, whether he believed with his whole heart, he answered: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And content with this answer, Philip straightway baptized the Eunuch. The truly justifying faith, then, is not that by which we believe that God is propitious to us — otherwise Philip would have acted wrongly, who baptized the Eunuch without such a faith — but that by which with the whole heart, that is, without any hesitation, we believe that Jesus is the Christ, and the Son of God, and thereby also God. The Apostle Paul, in the epistle to the Romans, chapter 4, explaining the faith of Abraham, which was reputed to him unto justice, does not say that he believed that his sins had been remitted him through special mercy, but that he would be the father of many nations, from a son whom his wife, ninety years old and barren, would bear to him, a hundred years old, beyond the accustomed order and course of nature. For to believe that was nothing else than to believe that God, who had promised, is omnipotent and most faithful. And so the faith of Abraham is praised by the Apostle with so great a proclamation, and is set as an example to all the faithful, because (as he himself says) in the promise of God he staggered not,... neither did he consider his own body now dead, and the dead womb of Sara; but gave glory to God, most fully persuaded that whatsoever God has promised, he is able also to perform. Likewise chapter 10: This (says the same Apostle) is the word of faith, which we preach: that if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Here too we see most openly that the object of the justifying and saving faith is the resurrection of the Son of God. The same, in the first to the Corinthians, chapter 13, conjoins the faith by which mountains can be removed — which they call the faith of miracles — with hope and charity; that we may understand that the faith of miracles is no other than the faith which, with hope and charity, justifies. The same, in the same epistle, chapter 15: Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, wherein also you stand; by which also you are saved — unless you have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all, which I also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; and that he was buried; and that he rose again the third day, according to the scriptures, etc. Where without doubt the object of saving faith is explained; and yet it is not said, “I delivered unto you that each one should certainly believe himself to have been justified through Christ,” but, “I delivered unto you to be believed the Passion, burial, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Finally, St. John, in the first epistle, chapter 5: Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And below: This is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? We have, then, the object of justifying faith so clearly and so copiously explained in the sacred writings that the adversaries cannot persuade men of their heresy, unless, the old Scriptures being abolished, they forge new ones with their wonted rashness.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VIII. Fidei justificantis objectum non esse specialem misericordiam , sed omnia quse Deus revela¬ vit , probatur ex divinis litteris. Nunc demum ad id, quod maxime pro¬ prium est hujus loci, veniamus, ac ex divinis litteris probemus, fidei justificantis objectum non esse specialem misericordiam, sed oiu- nia qua) Deus revelare dignatus est. Incipiamus ab Evangeliis. Fides certe , quam Christus exigebat, et in cujus confir¬ mationem miracula faciebat, fides erat ju¬ stificans. Hujus enim rei causa fidem prre- dicabat et confirmabat, ut per eam homines salvarentur. Venit enim quievere , et salvum facere quod perierat. Luc. xix. Et : Venit in 'hunc mundum peccatores salvos facere. I ad Timoth. i. Et ideo pater sic dilexit mundum ut filium suum unigenitum daret, ut o-mnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam x ternam (2). Joan. iii. Videamus igitur, quam fidem Christus exigeret, quam laudaret, ad quam hortare¬ tur, quam denique signis et prodigiis com¬ probaret. Matth. ix, Dominus caecis petenti¬ bus lumen : Creditis , inquit, quia hoc possum facere vobis? Illis respondentibus, utique. Domine, ait, secundum fidem vestrum fiat vo¬ bis. Quo loco Dominus fidem omnipotentia), ac per hoc divinitatis sua), non misericordia) specialis exegit. Matth. xvi. cum sanctus Petrus confessio¬ nem fidei sua; illis verbis edidisset : Tu es Christus filius Dei vivi (3). Eam fidem ita Dominus commendavit, ut diceret : Beatus es Simon Bar dona, quia non revelavit tibi caro et sanguis, sed Pater meus, qui in cce/is est. Eamdemquc sancti Petri fidem, omnes Patres miris laudibus efferunt. Ut quae per¬ fecta fides fuerit. Vide Hilarium lib. vi. de Trinit. Chrysostomum homil. 55. in Matth. Augustinum tract. 10. in epist. Joannis. Gyrillum Dialog. 4. de Trinit. Et Leonem serm. 2. de assumptione sua nd Pontificatum. Quid autem Petrus tunc credidit, nisi Christi divinitatem ? Similis fuit confessio fidei' in Centurione, Luc. vn. quam Christus ita miratus est, ut dicerot : Tantam fidem se non invenisse in (I) Job. I, 14. -(2) Luc. XIX, 10: 1 Tiro, 1, 15 : Jppn. III, 16. - [?,) Matth. JJVI, 16., i CAPUT VIIT, 16! Israel (1). Neque enim aliuci se credere Centurio ille professus est, nisi Christi omni¬ potentiam et divinitatem, dicens : Dic tan¬ tum verbum, et sanabitur puer meus. Joan. i. cum Nathanael dixisset: Rabbi , tu es Rex Israel, tu es filius Dei. Dominus fi¬ dem ejus approbans ait : Quia dixi, vidi te sub ficu, credis (2). Joan. vi. cum Dominus longa oratione ad fidem cohortatus esset Judams, et illi non credentes abirent, interrogavit Apostolos, num et ipsi vellent abire ; respondit autem Petrus uoinine omnium : Ad quem ibimus? verba vitae aeternae habes, et nos credimus, quia tu es Christus filius Dei vivi (3). Ex quo intelligimus hanc ipsam fuisse fidem, quam Dominus requirebat. Joan. xi. cum Dominus Marthte dixisset : Ego sum resurrectio et vita, qui credit in me, non morietur in aeternum, Credis hoc ? Re¬ spondit illa : Utique Domine, ego credidi, quia ta es Christus filius Dei vivi, qui in hunc mundum venisti (4). Joan. x. Dominus ipse docens, quod sit objectum fidei, quam in nobis requirit. Non creditis, inquit, quia ego in Patre, et Pater in me est? alioqui propter opera ipsa credite (3). Et cap. xx. cum Thomas, aliquandiu incre¬ dulus, tandem viso Domino exclamasset : Dominus meus , et Deus meus, subjunxit Do¬ minus : Quia vidisti me Thoma, credidisti , beati qui non viderunt et crediderunt (6). Ubi certe beati dicuntur, qui credunt, Christum resurrexisse a mortuis, et Dominum , ac Deum esse. Id enim est, quod Thomas cre¬ didit. Denique ibidem : Hxc scripta sunt, ut credatis , quia Jesus est Christus filius Dei, et ut credentes, vitam habeatis in nomine ejus. Hffic igitur fides, quae respicit Christi divini¬ tatem, ipsa est, quae et justitiam, et vitam aeternam tribuit. Atque haec quidem testi¬ monia probant, fidem justificantem habere pro objecto aliquid aliud praeter misericor¬ diam specialem. Sed addamus alia testimonia, quibus pro¬ bemus, non solum fidem justificantem respi¬ cere alia objecta, sed etiam fidem esse justi¬ ficantem, quamvis non respiciat misericor¬ diam specialem, et non esse fidem justifican¬ tem, si eam misericordiam forte respiciat. Mare. i. leproso dicenti : Domi.ie si vis, po¬ tes me mundare,. Dominus ait : Volo, munda¬ re (7). Leprosus iste de voluntate Domini, ac per hoc de misericordia speciali sine dubio ambigebat, alioqui non dixisset, si vis' potes. Et tamen quia non defuit illi fides omnipo¬ tentiae, et divinitatis, impetravit quod petiit.' Ex quo intelligimus, fidem ejus fuisse talem, qualem Dominus exigebat, et in cujus con¬ firmationem miracula faciebat ; quamvis deesset illi certitudo de misericordia spe¬ ciali. Luc xviii. phariseeus confidebat se esse justum, et ideo orans dicebat : Gratias tibi ago Domine, quia non sum sicut exteri homi¬ nes, etc. Contra : Publicamus non audebat oculos ad coelum levare, sed a longe stans, et pectus percutieris orabat, Deus propitius esto mihi peccatori. Et tamen descendit hic justi¬ ficatus ab illo (8), id est, pree illo. Itaque Pharisaeus habuit fidem specialis benevolen¬ tia?, et tamen repulsam passus est : publica¬ nus caruit fiducia illa, et cum timore ac tre¬ more ad Deum accessit, et justificatus est. Neque dici potest pharisseum habuisse fidem, vel fiduciam benevolentia? ob propria merita, quasi justitiam suam ex se habere se crede¬ ret. Nam agebat gratias Deo de sua justitia, proinde a Deo eam se habere credebat. Non igitur justificatur, qui justum se esse confidit, sed qui cum metu, et tremore salutem suam operatur. Accedat ultimo testimonium ex capite po¬ stremo Marci, ubi cum Dominus dixisset : Qui crediderit et baptizatus fuerit, salvus erit, qui vero non crediderit, condemnabitur ; mox adjunxit : Signa autem eos qui crediderint, hxc sequentur, in nomine meo dxmonia eji¬ cient, linguis loquentur novis, serpentes tol¬ lent, etc. (9). Ubi apertissime videmus, fidem miraculorum unam et eamdem esse cum fide justificante et salvante : certum autem est, fidem miraculorum non respicere tam¬ quam objectum -specialem misericordiam remissionis peccatorum, sed omnipotentiam, et divinitatem filii Dei. Haec igitur ex Evangeliis sufficiant ; qui¬ bus addi possunt alia non dissimilia ex Actis et epistolis Apostolorum. Nam Actorum ii. IV. x. xiii. et xvil. narrantur conciones Pe¬ tri et Pa.uli, quibus explicatio, et doctrina fidei continetur. In his autem nullum est verbum de speciali misericordia, sed tota? consumuntur in explicanda, et persuadenda (I) Luc. VII, 9. — (2) Joan. 1, 49. — (3) Joan. VI, 69. — (4) Joan. XI, 25. — (5) Joan X, II . — (6) Ibid, XX, 29. (7) Mare, I, 40. —(8) Luo. XVIII, 11. — (9) Mare. XVI, 16. 162 LIBEH I. resurrectione , et divinitate Jesu Christi. Item actor vm. cum Philippus ab Eunucho baptismum postulante quajsivisset, crederet ne ex toto corde, respondit ille : Credo filium Dei esse Jesum Christum (1). Atque hoc re¬ sponso contentus, Philippus Eunuchum con¬ tinuo baptizavit. Est igitur fides vere justifi¬ cans, non qua credimus, Deum nobis esse propitium, alioqui perperam egisset Philip¬ pus, qui sine tali fide Eunuchum baptizavit, sed qua toto corde, id est, sine ulla hajsita- tione credimus, Jesum esse Christum, ac filium Dei, ac per hoc etiam Deum. Apostolus Paulus in epist. ad Roman. cap. 4. explicans fidem Abrahse, quae repu¬ tata est illi ad justitiam, non dicit, eum cre¬ didisse sibi por misericordiam specialem, re¬ missa fuisse peccata, sed patrem se futurum multarum gentium ex filio quem sibi cente¬ nario uxor nonagenaria, et sterilis praeter solitum ordinem cursumque naturae paritura esset. Id enim credere, nihil aliud erat, nisi credere Deum, qui promiserat, omnipoten¬ tem, ac fidelissimum esse. Itaque Abrahae fides ideo tanto praeconio, ab Apostolo lau¬ datur, et in exemplum omnibus fidelibus ponitur, quia (ut ipse dicit) in repromissione Dei non haesitavit , neque consideravit corpus suum emortuum, et emortuam vulvam Sarse , sed dedit gloriam Deo , plenissime persuasus , quoniam quae promisit Deus, potens est et fa¬ cere (2). Item cap. x. Hoc (inquit idem Apostolus) est verbum fidei , quod praedicamus, quia si confitearis in ore tuo Dominum Jesum, et in corde tuo credideris , quia Deus eum suscitavit a mortuis salvus eris (3). Hic quoque aper¬ tissime videmus objectum fidei justificantis et salvantis, esse resurrectionem filii Dei. Idem in priore ad Corinthios cap. xiii. conjungit fidem, quam montes transferri possunt quam illi vocant fidem miraculorum, cum ipse et charitate ; ut iutelligamus, fidem miraculorum non esse aliam, quam fidem, quae cum spe et charitate justificat. Idem in eadem epistol. cap. 15. Notum, inquit, vobis facio Euangelium, quod praedicavi , in quo statis, jper quod et salvamini , nisi forte frustra credidistis. Tradidi enim vobis in primis , quod et accepi; quoniam Christus mortuus est pro peccatis nostris , secundum Scripturas , et quia sepultus est, et quia resurrexit tertia die, se¬ cundum Scriptia-as, etc. (4). Ubi sine dubio fi¬ dei salvantis objectum explicatur, nec ta¬ men dicitur, tradidi vobis, ut unusquisque se certo credat, per Christum esse justifica¬ tum ; sed tradidi vobis credendam Passio¬ nem, sepulturam, et Resurrectionem Do¬ mini nostri Jesu Christi. Denique sanctus Joannes, in epist. I cap. v. Omnis, inquit. qui credit, quoniam Jesus est Christus, ex Deo natus est. Et infra : Haec est victoria, quae vin¬ cit mundum, fides nostra. Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit , quoniam Jesus est fi¬ lius Dei (5) ? Habemus igitur objectum fidei justificantis tam perspicue, et tam copiose in sacris litteris explicatum, ut adversarii hseresim suam persuadere non possint, nisi novas Scripturas veteribus abolitis solita te¬ meritate confingant.