Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book II: On Inhering Justice
Chapter 5: That the formal cause of justification is not the essential and divine justice of God
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book II. 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 second error is Osiander’s, who said that a man is justified through that very justice by which Christ, not as man, but as God, is essentially just. This error is refuted by the Apostle, Romans 4, where justification is discoursed of set purpose, and it is most openly demonstrated that the justice through which we are justified is faith — namely, living, and working through love; for that faith God holds for justice, and, since God is not deceived, the same faith is truly justice, and is named the justice of faith: To him that believeth in him who justifieth the impious, his faith is reputed unto justice. And below: We say that faith was reputed to Abraham unto justice. And below: He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the justice of the faith which he had in his uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all them that believe through uncircumcision, that it might be reputed to them also unto justice. And like things are had, Galatians 3: We in the Spirit, by faith, wait for the hope of justice; for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by charity. But if faith working through love is that justice through which we are justified, certainly we are not justified through the essential justice of God, unless one so dote as to define our faith to be the essential justice of God.
Second, it is refuted from Augustine, who most often repeats and inculcates that we are justified by the justice of God — not that by which he himself is just, but that by which he makes us just. Book On the Spirit and the Letter, chapter 9: “As the faith of Christ is so called, not by which Christ believes, so the justice of God, not by which God is just.” And a little before: “The justice of God, not by which God is just, but by which he clothes a man, while he justifies the impious.” And chapter 31 he says that the justice by which we are justified is called the justice of God, as the charity of God is called that by which we love God, and the faith of God that by which we believe in him, and the salvation of God that by which we are saved. And in epistle 120, chapter 30: “Being ignorant of the justice of God, by which we are just by his grace, so that we ourselves are the justice of God, when we live justly, believing in him who justifieth the impious — not that by which he himself is just, by his eternal and unchangeable justice.” And in book 3 Against Two Epistles of the Pelagians, chapter 7: “It is not therefore called the justice of God because God is just, but because it is to a man from God.” Like things he repeats in the book On Grace and Free Choice, chapter 12, and often elsewhere.
Third, it is refuted by various reasons. The first reason: Justification precedes the indwelling of God; therefore a man is not justified through the essential justice indwelling. That it precedes justification Scripture testifies, Wisdom 1, where it is said that the Holy Spirit does not dwell in a body subject to sins. Augustine testifies the same, epistle 105 to Sixtus: “After the remission of sins, unless the Holy Spirit inhabit the cleansed house, does not the unclean spirit return with seven others? But that the Holy Spirit may inhabit, does he not breathe where he wills, and is not the charity of God diffused in our hearts, not by us, but by the Holy Spirit who is given to us?” Here we see that first sins are remitted, and the house is cleansed, and adorned also with charity, that in it the Holy Spirit may deign to dwell. Nor is it repugnant to these that the Holy Spirit seems to be given before charity is diffused, since he it is who diffuses it and remits sins. For, as the same Augustine says, sermon 11 on the words of the Lord: “By whom we are cleansed, receiving indulgence, him we receive as inhabitant, to make, increase, and perfect justice.” And in epistle 103: “The Spirit helps in one way when not yet indwelling, in another when indwelling; for he helps that we may be made faithful, when he does not indwell; but when he indwells, he helps those already faithful. And so he purges and justifies, that he may indwell the purged and justified.” And this same Scripture openly demonstrates, when it says, Ephesians 3, that Christ dwells by faith in our hearts; and 1 John 4, that he who abides in charity abides in God, and God in him. Since, namely, God does not dwell in us unless faith and charity precede. The indwelling of God, then, does not make just, as Osiander thinks, but God indwelling helps those already justified (as Augustine speaks) to make, increase, and perfect justice.
The second reason: If we were just by the essential justice of God indwelling us, we should all be equally just with Christ himself. For he too could be just no otherwise than through the essential justice of God, if God accepts no justice but his own essential, as Osiander dreams. But Scripture, John 1, in express words testifies that we all have received of the fulness of Christ; and Ephesians 4, that to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ. Therefore we are not just by that essential justice, but by a created justice, which can be greater and less, and fall under a certain measure. The third reason: Scripture teaches that some men are truly just, as Noe, Genesis 6, Zachary, Luke 1, Abel and many others, Hebrews 11. But a man cannot be truly denominated from a form indwelling from without, but only from an inhering one; otherwise, if indwelling justice suffice for us to be said to be truly just, why are we not also called immortal, eternal, blessed, omnipotent, since the immortality of God, his eternity, beatitude, omnipotence, and all his other attributes indwell us? And why are not all men called just — nay, all stones, all trees, all stars — why will they not be rightly called just, if the indwelling of God can attribute that denomination? For although God does not indwell all things through faith and charity, yet through power, essence, and presence he altogether indwells all things. But Osiander makes us just not because we are indwelt through faith and charity, but because we are indwelt by the essential justice simply.
The fourth reason: If God accepts no justice but his own essential, and on that account indwells us through it to make us just, certainly it follows that God does not accept the justice of Christ by which he willed to satisfy the Father for us by suffering and dying. For that justice of Christ was a created justice, not divine and essential. But if the justice of Christ did not satisfy the Father, to what end did he take flesh? To what end did he will to suffer so much? To what end did he humble himself, made obedient unto death, even the death of the cross? Was it that at so great a cost he should redeem nothing? But Isaias and Paul teach us far otherwise. For Isaias, chapter 53, writes of Christ: My just servant shall justify many. And Paul, Romans 3 and 5, says that we are reconciled to the Father in the blood of his Son. And the Apostle John — does he not affirm, epistle 1, chapter 1, that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin? And chapter 2, that Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world? Finally, nothing does all Scripture testify more frequently than that the passion and death of Christ was a full and perfect satisfaction for sins. Wherefore the opinion of Osiander cannot be received, unless one would overturn the whole mystery of human redemption and reconciliation.
Nor do the arguments on which he relies have any solidity. The chief are: that blessed Peter, epistle 2, chapter 1, writes that we are made partakers of the divine nature; and that God accepts no justice but his own. But the Apostle Peter does not say that we are made partakers of the divine nature through the indwelling of the essential justice. For this is the gloss of Osiander, not the sentence of blessed Peter. But how we are made partakers of the divine nature the same Peter indicates, when he says: “that by these we may be made,” etc. But that “these” refers to the preceding sentence, “by whom he hath given us most great and precious promises.” Where by the name of promises are understood the things promised, not the promises themselves; for, properly speaking, not promises are given, but the gifts which had been promised. And so God gave us, through the merits of Christ, most great and precious things, which he had before promised; and through these gifts we are made partakers of the divine nature. Since through these gifts we are made sons of God, and coheirs of Christ, and in this manner we participate the nature of God, in the manner in which sons participate the nature of the father; whence is that: I have said, You are gods, and all of you the sons of the most High. Where they are called gods — that is, partakers of the divine nature — who are the sons of God. But what the gifts are which make us sons of God the Apostle John explains, epistle 1, chapter 3, when he says: Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be named, and should be, the sons of God. And chapter 4: Every one that loveth is born of God. And in the same place: God is charity; and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him. And blessed Peter himself, therefore, after he had said, That you may be made partakers of the divine nature, adjoined, flying the corruption of that concupiscence which is in the world. For to cupidity is opposed charity, and he who through the gift of charity is made a partaker of the divine nature by this very thing flies the corruption of concupiscence which is in the world. But this gift was promised to us by God, first through the prophet Jeremias, chapter 31, I will give my law in their hearts; and Ezechiel, chapter 36, I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit in the midst of you, and I will cause you to walk in my commandments. Then through Christ himself most often, John 14 and Acts 1 and elsewhere. And of the same gift promised and given the Apostle speaks, Romans 8: You have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of the adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
But as to that argument about the acceptance of justice: to accept justice is either to accept a satisfaction for sin, or to approve someone’s justice as true and solid, not feigned and apparent. In the former way God indeed accepts, as a true satisfaction for sin, no justice but an infinite one, since sin is an infinite offence; but that some justice be infinite — that is, of infinite price and value — it is not necessary that it be the essential justice of God, but it is enough that it be the justice of an infinite person, such as is Christ, God and man. And so the obedience, passion, and death of the Son of God, although in itself and essentially it was created and finite, yet by reason of the person obeying, suffering, and dying, was infinite, and by the true rigor of justice was a propitiation for our sins — and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. In the latter way God accepts not only infinite justice, but also finite, provided it be true justice, not painted. And that this is so is clear from the testimony of God himself. For to Noe God says, Genesis 7: Thee I have seen just before me in this generation. And of Abel the Apostle writes, Hebrews 11: He obtained a testimony that he was just, God giving testimony to his works. And certainly, if God accepted no justice but his own essential, the Apostle Paul would not truly say, 2 Timothy, last chapter: There is laid up for me a crown of justice, which the just judge will render to me in that day; and not only to me, but to them also that love his coming. And so let Osiander see in what Scripture he found that God accepts no justice but his own divine and essential. For we think that the contrary sentence is preached in all the divine books.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT V. Formalem causam justificationis non esse justitiam Dei essentialem, ac divinam. Secundus error Osiandri est, qui justificari hominem dixit per illam ipsam justitiam, qua Christus non ut homo, sed ut Deus essentia¬ liter justus est. Refellitur hic error ab Apo¬ stolo ad Roman. iv. ubi ex proposito de justi ficatione disseritur; et apertissime demon¬ stratur, justitiam, per quam justificamur, esse fidem, vivam videlicet et per dilectio¬ nem operantem ; illam enim fidem Deuspro justitia habet ; et quia Deus non fallitur; ea¬ dem fides vere justitia est, et justitia fidei no¬ minatur : Credenti , inquit, in eum , qui ju¬ stificat impium , reputatur fides ejus ad justi¬ tiam Et infra : Dicimus , quia reputata est Abrahae fides ad justitiam. Et infra : Sig¬ num accepit circumcisionis signaculum justitiae fidei , quae est in preputio , ut sit pater omnium credentium per praeputium, ut reputetur et illis ad justitiam. Et similia habentur ad Galat. m : Nos fide spem justitiae expectamus ; nam in Chrito Jesu neque circumcisio aliquid valet, neque praeputium, sed fides, equae per dilecti¬ onem operatue (i). Quod si fides per dilecti¬ onem operans, est illa justitia, per quam ju¬ stificamur, certe non justificamur per justi¬ tiam Dei essentialem, nisi quis ita desipiat, ut fidem nostram justitiam Dei essentialem esse definiat. Secundo, refellitur ex Augustino, qui sai- pissime repetit et inculcat, nos justificari ju¬ stitia Dei, non qua ille justus est, sed qua nos justos facit. Libro de spiritu et littera, cap. 9: « Sicut, inquit, fides Christi dicta est, non qua credit Christus, sic justitia Dei, non qua justus estDeus. »Et paulo ante: « Justitia Dei, non qua Deus justus est, sed qua induit homi¬ nem, dum justificat impium. » Et cap. 31. di¬ cit, Justitiam, qua justificamur, dici justiti¬ am Dei, sicut dicitur charitas Dei, qua Deum diligimus, et fides Dei, qua in eum credimus, et salus Dei, qua salvamur. Et in epist. 120. cap. 30: «Ignorantes, inquit, Dei justitiam, qua nos ejus gratia justi sumus, ut ipsa Dei justitia nos simus, cum juste vivimus creden¬ tes in eum, qui justificat impium, non illa, qua ipse justus est, aeterna sua et incommu¬ tabili justitia ». Et in libro ni. contra duas epistolas Pelagianorum, cap. 7. « Non pro- pterea, inquit, justitia Dei dicitur, quoniam Deus justus est, sed quia homini ex Deo». Similia repetit in lib. de gratia et libero arbi¬ trio cap. 12. et alibi saepe. Tertio, refellitur ratiouibns variis. Prima ratio. Justificatio praecedit inhabitationem Dei, non igitur homo justificatur per justitiam essentialem inhabitantem. Justificationem praecedere testatur Scriptura Sapient, i. ubi dicitur Spiritus sanctus non habitare in cor¬ pore subdito peccatis. Testatur item Augur stinus in epist. 10. ad Sixtum : « Post re¬ missionem, inquit, peccatorum, nisi munda¬ tam domum habitet Spiritus sanctus, nonne cum aliis septem redit spiritus immundus. Ut autem in habitet Spiritus sanctus, nonne ubi vult spirat, et charitas Dei diffunditur in cordibus nostris, non a nobis, sed a Spiritu sancto, qui datus est nobis » ? Hic videmus, prius remitti peccata, et mundari domum, et ornari etiam eharitate, ut in illa Spiritus sanctus habitare dignetur. Neque his repugnat, quod Spiritus san¬ ctus prius dari videtur, quam charitas dif¬ fundi, cum ipse sit, qui eam diffundit, et peccata remittit. Nam, ut idem Augustinus ait serm. 11. de verbis Domini : a quo mun¬ damur, accipiendo indulgentiam, ipsum ac¬ cipimus habitatorem ad faciendam, augen¬ dam, perficicndamque justitiam. » Et in epist. 103. « Aliter adjuvat Spiritus nondum inhabitans, aliter inhabitans ; adjuvat enim, ut efficiamur fideles, cum non inhabitat; cum vero inhabitat adjuvat jam fideles. Ita¬ que purgat, et justificat, ut purgatos et justi¬ ficatos inhahitet. » Et hoc idem aperte Scri¬ ptura : demonstrat, cum dicit ad Ephes. iv. Christum habitare per fidem in cordibus no¬ stris. Et I Joan. iv. eum, qui manet in cha- ritate, in Deo manere, et Deum in eo. Quia nimirum non habitat Deus in nobis, nisi fides charitasque praecedant. Inhabitatio igitur (1) Gal. III, 6« 13. CAPUT V. 221 Dei non facit justos, ut Osiander existimat, sed jam justificatos Deus inhabitans adjuvat (ut loquitur Augustinus) ad faciendam, au¬ gendam, perficiendamque justitiam. Secunda ratio. Si essemus justi, justitia Dei essentiali nos inhabitante, essemus om¬ nes seque justi atque ipse Christus. Nam ipse quoque non aliter justus esse posset, nisi per justitiam Dei essentialem, si Deus nul¬ lam justitiam acceptat, nisi suam essentia¬ lem, ut Osiander somniat. AtScriptura, Joan. i, disertis verbis testatur, nos omnes de . ple¬ nitudine Christi accepisse ; et ad Ephes. iv, unicuique nostrum dari gratiam secundum mensuram donationis Christi, non igitur ju¬ sti sumus justitia illa essentiali, sed justitia creata, quae major et minor esse, et sub cer¬ tam mensuram cadere potest. Tertia ratio. Scriptura docet aliquos ho¬ mines vere esse justos, ut Noe, Genes, vi, Zachariam, Lucae xi, Abel et multos alios, ad Hebraeos xi. At non potest homo vere denominari a forma extrinsecus inhabitante, sed solum ab inhaerente, alioqui enim, si sa¬ tis est justitia in habitans , ut vere justi esse dicamur , cur non dicimur etiam im¬ mortales, aeterni, beati, omnipotentes, cum immortalitas Dei, aeternitas, beatitudo, om¬ nipotentia et alia omnia ejus attributa nos inhabitent? et cur non dicuntur omnes ho¬ mines justi imo et omnes lapides, omnia ligna, omnia sidera, cur non recte justa di¬ centur, si inhabitatio Dei denominatiouem illam tribuere potest? Quamvis enim non in¬ habitet Deus omnia per fidem et charitatem, tamen per potentiam essentiam et praesen¬ tiam omnia prorsus inhabitat. Osiander au¬ tem non facit nos justos, quoniam per fidem et charitatem inhabitamur, sed quoniam a justitia essentiali simpliciter inhabitamur. Quarta ratio. Si nullam justitiam Deus acceptat, nisi suam essentialem, ac propter- ea per illam nos inhabitat, ut justos efficiat ; certe sequitur, ut Christi justitiam, qua is pro nobis Patri satisfacere patiendo et moriendo voluit, Deus non acceptet. Illa enim Christi justitia, justitia fuit creata, non divina et essentialis. Quod si Christi justitia Patri non satisfecit, quorsum ille carnem suscepit ? quorsum tanta pati voluit? quorsum humi¬ liavit semetipsum, factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis ? numquid ut tantis sumptibus nihil redimeret? At longe aliud nos docent Isaias et Paulus. Ille enim cap. liii. scribit de Christo : Justi¬ ficavit ipse justus servus meus multos. Et iste ad Rom. m. et v. Reconciliatos nos dicit, Patri tn sanguine filii sui (1). Quid Apostolus Joannes? an non affirmat in epistola I. cap. i, sanguinem Christi mundare nos ab omni peccato ? Et cap. n. Christum propitiationem esse pro peccatis totius mundi. Denique, nihil frequentius omnis Scriptura testatur, quam Christi passionem et mortem, plenam, atque perfectam satisfactionem fuis¬ se pro peccatis. Quare Osiandri sententia recipi non potest, nisi quis velit totum my¬ sterium humanae redemptionis et reconcilia¬ tionis evertere. Neque argumenta, quibus ille nititur, ali¬ quid soliditatis habent. Praecipua sunt : quo¬ niam B. Petrus in epist. II cap. i. scribit, nos effici divinae consortes naturae : et quia Deus non acceptat ullam justitiam, nisi suam. Sed apostolus Petrus non dicit, nos effici divinae consortes naturae per inhabitationem justitiae essentialis. Haec enim est glossa Osiandri, non sententia B. Petri. Quomodo autem efficiamur divinae con¬ sortes naturae, indicat ipse idem, cum ait : « Ut per haec efficiamur etc. ». Illud autem, « haec », refert sententiam praecedentem, a Per quem nobis maxima et pretiosa pro¬ missa donavit » . Ubi nomine promissorum intelliguntur res promissae, non ipsae promis¬ siones, non enim donantur promissiones pro¬ prie loquendo, sed dona, quae fuerant pro¬ missa. Itaque donavit nobis Deus per Christi merita res maximas, et pretiosas, quas ante promiserat, et per haec dona facti sumus divinae consortes naturae. Quoniam per haec dona efficimur filii Dii, et cohaeredes Chri¬ sti, et hoc modo participamus naturam Dei, quomodo filii participant naturam patris ; unde est illud : Ego dixi , Dii estis, et filii ex¬ celsi omnes. Ubi dicuntur Dii, id est, divinae consortes naturae, qui Filii sunt Dei. Quae sint autem dona, quae nos filios Dei faciant, explicat Apostolus Joannes in epist. I. cap. n. cum ait : Videte qualem charitatem dede¬ rit nobis Pater , ut Filii Dei nominemur, et simus.' Et cap. iv. Omnis qui diligit, ex Deo na¬ tus est. Et ibidem : Deus charitas est, et qui manet in cliaritate, in Deo manet, et Deus in eo. Et ipse B. Petrus ideo, posteaquam dixerat : Ut divinse efficiamini consortes natu- 1 (0 Isai. LIII, 11; Rom. III, 25; V, ». 222 LIBER II. rse, adjunxit, fugientes eam , qux in mundo est, concupiscentias comcptionem (1). Nam cu¬ piditati opponitur charitas, et qui per chari- tatis donum efficitur divinae consors naturae, hoc ipso fugit eam, quae in mundo est, con¬ cupiscentiae corruptionem. * Fuit autem hoc donum promissum nobis a Deo, primum per prophetam Hieremiam cap. xxxi. Dabo legem meam in cordibus eo¬ rum. Et Ezechiel cap. xxxvi. Dabo vobis cor carnem et spiritum meum ponam in medio ve¬ stri et faciam ut in praeceptis meis ambuletis (2). Deinde per ipsum Christum saepissime Joan. xiv. et Actor, i. et alibi. Et de eodem dono promisso et dato loquitur Apostolus ad Rom. Vili. Non accepistis spirtium servitutis iterum in timore, sed accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus abba Pater (3). Quod vero attinet ad argumentum illud de acceptatione justitiae, vel acceptare justitiam, est acceptare satisfactionem pro peccato ; vel est approbare justitiam alicujus, tam¬ quam veram et solidam, non simulatam et apparentem. Priore modo non acceptat qui¬ dem Deus in veram satisfactionem pro pec¬ cato, nisi justitiam infinitam; quoniam pec¬ catum offensa est infinita : sed ut aliqua ju¬ stitia sit infinita, id est, infiniti pretii et valoris, non est [necesse, ut sit justitia Dei esssentialis, sed satis est, ut sit justitia per¬ sonae infinitae, qualis est Christus, Deus et homo. Itaque obedientia, passio et mors Filii Dei, quamvis in se et essentialiter fuerit crea¬ ta et finita, tamen ratione personae obedien- tis, patientis et morientis infinita fuit, et ex vero justitiae rigore propitiatio fuit pro pec¬ catis nostris, non pro nostris autem tantum, sed etiam pro totiusmundi. Posteriore modo acceptat Deus non solum justitiam infinitam, sed etiam finitam, modo vera sit justitia, non fucata. Id autem ita esse, perspicuum est ex ip¬ sius Dei testimonio. Nam ad Noe dicit Deus Genes, vn, Te vidi justum coram me in gene¬ ratione hac. Et de Abel scribit Apostolus ad Iiebr. XI. Testimonium consecutus est, esse ju¬ stus testimonium perhibente Deo operibus ejus (4). Et certe sinon acceptaret Deus ju¬ stitiam, nisi suam essentialem, non vere di¬ ceret Apostolus Paulus II ad Timoth. ul- tim. Reposita est mihi corona justitiae, quam reddet mihi in illa die justus judex, non solum autem mihi, sed etiam iis, qui diligunt adven¬ tum ejus (5). Itaque viderit Osiander, in qua Scriptura repererit, a Deo non acceptari justitiam, nisi suam divinam et essentialem. Nos enim contrariam sententiam in omnibus diviuis libris praedicari existimamus.