Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book II: On Inhering Justice
Chapter 6: That our justification does not consist in the remission of sins alone
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 third error was Calvin’s, who, although with the Lutherans he acknowledges the imputation of the justice of Christ, and the non-imputation of sins, and also an inchoate renovation and sanctification, yet contends, as we showed above, that justification is properly placed in the sole remission — that is, non-imputation — of sins; while the Lutherans contend that it is properly placed rather in the imputation of the justice of Christ. We have refuted this error above, chapter 3, and shall refute it more copiously in the book On the Justice of Works. For this above all Calvin tries to effect, that there be no justice of works in this life. Now, therefore, we shall prove only this, from Scripture, from Augustine, and from reason: that justification does not consist in the sole remission of sins, but also in internal renovation, so that the renovation itself is to be called justice, and not only the effect of justification.
First, then, the Apostle Paul, Romans 4, thus speaks of Christ: Who was delivered up for our sins, and rose again for our justification. Here the Apostle attributes the name of justification rather to internal renovation than to the remission of sins, and thereby teaches that justification not only does not consist in the sole remission of sins, but does not even chiefly consist in it. For it cannot be doubted that the Apostle would have the death of Christ to be the exemplar of the death of sins — that is, of the remission and blotting out of our sins; but the resurrection the exemplar of internal renovation and regeneration, through which we walk in newness of life. For this he explains in many words in chapter 6, where he also teaches that the ceremony of Baptism, by which we are plunged into the water and emerge from the water, represents the death and resurrection of Christ, and at the same time the mortification of vices and the newness of life. Since, then, the Apostle says that Christ was delivered up to death for our sins — namely, to be remitted — and rose again for our justification — that is, that we may walk in newness of life — he most openly demonstrates that justification is placed in the very renovation; otherwise he ought to have said: Who was delivered up for our justification from sins, and rose again for the newness of life. But it is here to be briefly noted that the death of Christ, which was the price of redemption, was the cause not only of the remission of sins, but also of internal renovation. For according to the doctrine of the Catholic Church these two cannot be separated, since one and the same grace, infused into us through the merit of Christ and inhering in us, both blots out sins and adorns the soul with justice. But although this is so, yet for our justification the death of Christ was not enough, but the resurrection also was necessary. For God had so ordained that first Christ himself should be glorified; then the Holy Spirit be sent, the Gospel be preached, the nations be converted, and be justified through faith and the Sacraments: The Spirit was not yet given (says John in the Gospel, chapter 7), because Jesus was not yet glorified. And the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 15: If Christ be not risen again, your faith is vain, you are yet in your sins. And so, since both the death and the resurrection were necessary unto justification, blessed Paul could have attributed both parts of justification — that is, the remission of sin and the gift of renovation — to the death of Christ, or to the resurrection; but he preferred to distinguish, and to attribute to the death indeed the remission of sin, but to the resurrection the renovation, on account of the likeness which the extinction of sin has with the death of the flesh, and spiritual renovation with bodily resurrection.
Second, the same is proved from chapter 5 to the Romans. For when the Apostle says, Romans 5, As sin hath reigned unto death, so also grace may reign by justice unto life everlasting, he opposes justice to sin, and by justice understands internal renovation, from which proceed the works of life. For this the antithesis requires. For sin is said to have reigned unto death, because it wrought deadly works; contrariwise, then, the grace of God will be said to reign by justice unto life, because through infused justice it will work the works of life. But if internal renovation, which is the principle of good works, is rightly called justice, without doubt justification is to be constituted in that renovation, and not in the sole remission of sins. Again, the same is proved from chapter 6 to the Romans, where the Apostle says: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of iniquity unto sin; but present yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of justice unto God. For he teaches that in us there is justice in the place of sin, and by justice understands something inhering, whence works proceed. For he therefore says that we are alive from the dead, and that our members ought to be instruments of the justice of God, namely, that we may use our members to do the works of justice unto the glory of God. Fourth, the same is proved from chapter 8 to the Romans, where among other things the Apostle says: The spirit liveth because of justification; or (as the Greek has) the spirit is life because of justice. For justification, or justice, which makes one live and thereby work, cannot be the sole remission of sin, but something internal and inhering. Fifth, the same is proved from chapter 3 to the Galatians, where when the Apostle says, If there had been a law given which could give life, verily justice should have been by the law, he openly demonstrates that the justice whence justification is named is something which affords life to the soul, and constitutes it in motion and action. Sixth, the same is clear from that of Ephesians 4: Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth. Where the Apostle explains “to be renewed in the spirit” by “to put on the new man”; but the new man he calls one created in justice and holiness of truth. Accordingly he calls the renovation justice and holiness.
But what we have proved from the Scriptures can be proved far more easily from the testimony of St. Augustine. For in epistle 105 to Sixtus, beyond the middle: “Nor is anyone freed and justified save by the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord — not only by the remission of sins, but first by the inspiration of faith itself, and the fear of God, the affection and effect of prayer being wholesomely imparted.” Likewise in the Enchiridion, chapter 52: “As in him true death took place, so in us true remission of sins; and as in him true resurrection, so in us true justification.” Where St. Augustine, following the Apostle, preferred to attribute the name of justification to internal renovation rather than to the remission of sins. Likewise book 1 On the Merits and Remission of Sins, chapter 13: “What is it that they receive abundance of grace and of justice, but that not only to that sin in which all sinned, but also to those which they added, the grace of remission is given, and to those men so great justice is granted that, whereas Adam consented to the one persuading to sin, these yield not even to the one compelling?” Does not St. Augustine here most openly, besides the remission of sins, place in a man a justice by which he keeps the divine precepts, even the devil tempting, and almost compelling to transgress? Likewise sermon 16 on the words of the Apostle: “We are justified, but the justice itself grows as we advance.” But the remission of sins is not properly said to grow; but the virtue of faith, hope, and charity is itself the justice which grows as we advance, and in the same place the same Doctor expounds this more fully. Finally, in the book On the Spirit and the Letter, chapter 17: “There the law was set from without, by which the unjust might be terrified; here it is given from within, by which they might be justified.” In which place he says that a man is justified through the law written in hearts, which, as he there explains, is nothing else than the charity of God diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given to us. And so of the sentence of St. Augustine no doubt at all is left.
Let there be added to these testimonies a natural reason. For justification without doubt is a certain motion from sin to justice, and takes its name from the term to which it leads, as all other like motions — illumination, heating, and the rest. Therefore true justification cannot be understood unless, besides the remission of sin, some justice be acquired. Just as neither will there be true illumination, nor true heating, if, the darkness being put to flight, or the cold driven away, no light and no heat follow in the subject body. Then, justification is conferred on us by God not only that we may escape the pains of gehenna, but also that we may acquire the rewards of the heavenly life; which the Apostle signified, Romans 6, when he says: You have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting. And chapter 8: Whom he predestinated, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. Where glorification is set as the effect of justification, as justification itself is the effect of calling, and calling of predestination. Hither pertains also that of 2 Timothy, last chapter: There is laid up for me a crown of justice. But certainly the sole remission of sins frees from punishment, does not confer glory. Which very thing we daily see in forensic judgment. For those who are absolved by a judge are snatched from death, but do not obtain new rewards for this alone, that they are judged not to have been, or not to be, guilty. Finally, justification of enemies makes friends, sons, beloved, fellow-citizens of the saints, the household of God, heirs of the kingdom, as the Scriptures everywhere speak; therefore it does not consist in the sole remission of sins, but also in the infusion of the virtues, on account of which a man is held worthy of such signal appellations. For no one is worthy of love for this alone, that his debts are pardoned him, when he could not discharge them. Nor is he straightway made a son, or a citizen, or of the household, or an heir, who by the clemency of the judgment will not undergo the punishment to which he had justly been adjudged. The arguments which Calvin devised for his opinion will be more conveniently dissolved at the end of the disputation, with the arguments of the other heretics.
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CAPUT VI.
J usti ficationen nostram non constare sola re¬
missione peccatorum.
Tertius error Calvini erat, qui, quamvis
cum Lutheranis agnoscat imputationem ju¬
stitiae Christi, et non imputationem peccato¬
rum, et inchoatam etiam renovationem et
sanctificationem : tamen contendit, ut supra
ostendimus justificationem proprie in sola
remissione, id est, non imputatione peccato¬
rum positam esse ; cum Lutherani in impu¬
tatione potius justitiae Christi eam proprie
sitam esse contendant.
Refutavimus hunc errorem supra capite
tertio, et refutabimus copiosiusinlib. de justi¬
tia operum. Id enim potissimum Calvinus effi¬
cere conatur ut nulla sit justitia operum in
hac vita. Nunc igitur id solum ex Scriptu¬
ra, ex Augustino, et ex ratione probabimus,
justificationem non consistere in sola remis¬
sione, peccatorum, sed etiam in interna re¬
novatione ita ut ipsarenovatio justita dicenda
sit, et non tantum justificationis effectus.
Primum igitur Apostolus Petrus ad Roma¬
nos iv. ita loquitur de Christo : Qui traditus
est propter delicta nostra, et resurrexit pi'o-
pter justificationem nostram (6). Hic Apostolus
nomen justificationistribuit potius renovationi
internai, quamremissioni peccatorum, ac per
hoc docet justificationem non modo non con¬
stare sola remissione peccatorum, sed neque
praecipue ea constare. Neque enim dubitari
potest, quin Apostolus velit mortem Christi
fuisse exemplar mortis peccatorum, id est,
remissionis et deletionis peccatorum nostro¬
rum; resurrectionem autem exemplar reno¬
vationis et regenerationis internae, per quam
in novitate vitae ambulamus. Id enim expli¬
cat multis verbis in cap. C, nbi etiam docet,
Baptismi caeremoniam, qua mergimur in
aquam et emergimus ex aqua repraesentare
(1) Joan. II!, I ; ibid. IV, 7; 1! Pet. I, 4. — (2) Hier. XXXI, 33; Ezech. XXVI, i6.—(:*) Rom. VIII,
15. - (4) Gen. VII, \ ; Heb. XI, 4. - (5) II Tim. IV, 8. — (6) Rom., IV, 25.
CAPUT VI.
223
Christi mortem et resurrectionem, et simul
mortificationem vitiorum et novitatem vitee.
Cum igitur Apostolus dicit, Christum tra¬
ditum esse ad mortem, propter delicta no¬
stra, videlicet remittenda, et resurrexisse
propter justificationem nostram, id est, ut in
vitae novitate ambulemus, apertissime de¬
monstrat in ipsa renovatione justificationem
esse positam, alioqui dicere debuisset : Qui
traditus est propter justific&tionem a pecca¬
tis, et resurrexit propter vitae novitatem;
Est autem hoc loco breviter annotandum,
mortem Christi, quae pretium fuit redempti¬
onis, non solum causam fuisse remissionis
peccatorum, sed etiam internae renovationis.
Nam secundum Ecclesiae Catholicae doctri¬
nam haec duo separari nequeunt, cum una et
eadem gratia perChristi meritum nobis in¬
fusa, atque nobis inhaerens, et peccata de¬
leat, et animam justitia exornet.
Sed quamvis hoc ita sit, tamen ad justifica¬
tionem nostram non satis erat mors Christi,
sed necessaria erat etiam resurrectio. Deus
enim ita constituerat, ut primum Christus
ipse glorificaretur; deinde, mitteretur Spiritus
sanctus, Evangelium praedicaretur, gentes
converterentur, et per fidem, et Sacramenta
justificarentur : Non e?*at[ inquit Joannes in
Evangelio cap. vir ) Spiritus datus, quiaJesus
nondum erat glori fica tus. Et Apostolus I ad
Corinth. xv: Si Christus non resurrexit, inanis
est fides vestra, adhuc estis in peccatis vestris (1).
Itaque cum tam mors, quam resurrectio ad
justificationem necessaria esset, potuisset B.
' Paulus utramque partem justificationis, id
est, remissionem peccati, et donum renova¬
tionis tribuere morti Christi vel resurrectioni,
sed maluit distinguere, et morti quidem tri¬
buere remissionem peccati, resurrectioni au¬
tem renovationem proptei* similitudinem,
quam habet extinctio peccati cum morte car¬
nis, et renovatio spiritualis, cum resurrecti¬
one corporali.
Secunno, probatur idem ex cap. v. ad
Romanos. Nam cum Apostolus ait ad Rom.
v : Sicut regnavit peccatum in mortem, ita et
gratia regnet per justitiam in vitam aeternam (2) ;
opponit justitiam peccato, et per justitiam
intelligit internam renovationem, ex qua pro¬
cedunt opera vita?. Id enim requirit antithe-
sis. Peccatum enim regnasse dicitur in mor¬
tem, quia operabatur opera mortifera, con¬
tra igitur, gratia Dei regnare dicetur per ju¬
sti tam in vitam, quia per justitiam infusam
operabitur opera vitae. Quod si renovatio in¬
terna, quae est principium operum bonorum,
recte vocatur justitia, procul dubio justifica¬
tio in illa renovatione, et non in sola pecca¬
torum remissione constituenda erit.
Rursus idem probatur ex cap. vi. ad Ro¬
manos, ubi Apostolus dicit : Neque exhibeatis
membra vestra arma iniquitatis peccato, sed
exhibete vos Deo, tamquam ex mortuis viven¬
tes, et membra vestra arma justitiae Deo (3).
Docet enim in nobis esse justitiam loco pec¬
cati, et per justitiam intelligit aliquid inhae¬
rens, unde procedunt opera. Nam ideo dicit,
nos esse ex mortuis viventes, et membra
nostra esse debere arma justitiae Dei, ut vi¬
delicet membris utamur ad opera justitia?
facienda ad gloriam Dei.
Quarto, idem probatur ex cap. vm. ad
Rom. ubi praeter alia dicit Apostolus : Spi¬
ritus vivit propter justificationem (4). Vel
(ut habent Graeca) Spiritus vita (videlicet
est) propter justitiam. Justificatio enim, si¬
ve justitia, quae facit vivere, et per hoc ope¬
rari, non potest esse sola remissio peccati,
sed aliquid internum et inhaerens.
Quinto idem probatur ex cap. Hi ad Ga-
lat. ubi cum Apostolus dicit : Si data esset
lex, quae posset vivificare, vere ex lege esset
justitia (5), aperte demonstrat, justitiam,
unde dicitur justificatio, esse aliquid, quod
vitam animae praebet, eamque in motu, et
actione constituit.
Sexto, idem patet ex illo ad Ephes. iv.
Renovamini spiritu mentis vestrae, et induite
novum hominem, qui secundum Deum creatus
est injustitia, et sanctitate veritatis (6). Ubi
renovari in spiritu explicat Apostolus per in¬
duere novum hominem, novum autem ho¬
minem appellat, creatum injustitia et sancti¬
tate veritatis. Proinde renovationem, ju¬
stitiam et sanctitatem vocat.
Quod autem ex Scripturis probavimus,
longe adhuc facilius ex testimonio S. Au¬
gustini probari potest. Nam in epist. 103. ad
Sixtum, ultra medium : « Nec quisquam,
inquit, Ijberatur et justificatur, nisi gratia
Dei per Jesum Christum dominum nostrum,
non solum remissione peccatorum, sed prius
ipsius inspiratione fidei, et timoris Dei im-
partito salubriter orationis affectu et effe-
(l) Joan. VII, 30; l Corin. XV, 14. — (2) Rom. VI, 13. - (3) Rom, VI, 13.- (4) Rom. VIII, 10.
— (5) Gal III, 21. - (0) Eph. IV, 23.
224
LIBER II.
ctu ». Item in Enchirid. cap. o2. a Quemad-’
modum, inquit, in illo vera mors facta est,
sic in nobis vera remissio peccatorum, et
quemadmodum in illo vera resurrectio, ita
in nobis vera justificatio ». Ubi S. Augu¬
stinus Apostolum secutus, justificationis no¬
men tribuere maluit internee renovationi
quam remissioni peccatorum.
Item lib. i. de peccator, meritis et remiss.
cap. 13. « Quid est, inquit, quod abundan¬
tiam gratia; et justitia; accipiunt, nisi quod
non ei tantum peccato, in quo omnes pecca¬
verunt, sed eis etiam, quae addiderunt, gra¬
tia remissionis datur, eisque hominibus tan¬
ta justitia donatur, ut cum Adam consense¬
rit ad peccatum suadenti, non cedant isti
etiam cogenti ». An non apertissime hoc
loco S. Augustinus praeter remissionem pec¬
catorum, ponit in homine justitiam, per
quam divina praecepta, diabolo etiam ten-
tante, ac pene ad praevaricandum cogente,
custodiat ?
Item serm. 16. de verbis Apostoli : « Ju¬
stificati sumus, inquit, sed ipsa justitia cum
proficimus crescit ». At remissio peccato¬
rum non proprie dicitur crescere, sed virtus
fidei, spei et charitatis, ipsa est justitia, quae
cum proficimus crescit, et eodem loco fusius
idem Doctor exponit.
Denique in libro de spiritu et litera cap.
17 : « Ibi lex, inquit, extrinsecus posita est,
qua injusti terrerentur, hic intrinsecus data
est, qua justificarentur ». Quo loco dicit,
hominem justificari per legem scriptam in
cordibus, quae ut ipse ibidem explicat, ni¬
hil est aliud, nisi charitas Dei diffusa in cor¬
dibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum, qui da¬
tus est nobis. Itaque de sententia S. Augu¬
stini nulla omnino relinquitur dubitatio.
Accedat ad haec testimonia ratio naturalis.
Nam justificatio sine dubio motus quidam
est de peccato ad justitiam, et nomen acci¬
pit a termino, ad quem ducit, ut omnes alii
similes motus, illuminatio, calefactio, et cae-
teri : non igitur potest intelligi vera justifi¬
catio, nisi aliqua praeter remissionem pec¬
cati, justitia acquiratur. Quemadmodum nec
vera erit illuminatio, nec vera calefactio, si
tenebris fugatis, ,vel frigore depulso nulla,
lux, nullusque calor in subjecto corpore
subsequatur.
Deinde, justificatio non ideo solum nobis
confertur a Deo, ut gehenna; penas evada¬
mus. sed etiam ut praemia vitae coelestis ac¬
quiramus : id quod significavit Apostolus
ad Rom. vi. cum ait : Habetis fructum ve¬
strum in sanctificationem, . finem vero vitam
;e ternam. Et cap. vm : Quos praedestinavit,
hos vocavit; quos vocavit, hos justificavit ;
quos justificavit, hos et magnificavit, ubi
ponitur magnificatio effectus justificatio¬
nis, sicut est ipsa justificatio vocatio
nis , et vocatio praedestinationis effectus.
Quo etiam pertiuet illud II ad Timot. ult.
Reposita est mihi corona justitiae { I). At cer¬
te sola remissio peccatorum liberat a poena,
non tribuit gloriam. Quod ipsum quotidie in
forensi judicio videmus. Qui enim a judice
absolvuntur, eripiuntur a morte, sed non'
consequuntur nova praemia propter hoc so¬
lum, quod judicentur non fuisse, aut non
esse rei.
Denique justificatio ex inimicis facit ami¬
cos, filios, dilectos, cives Sanctorum, do¬
mesticos Dei, haeredes regni, ut Scripturae
passim loquuntur : non igitur sola remissio¬
ne peccatorum constat, sedet infusione vir¬
tutum, ob quas homo dignus tam insigni¬
bus appellationibus habeatur. Non enim di¬
gnus est amore aliquis ob hoc solum, quod
ei debita condonata sunt, cum ea dissolvere
non posset. Neque continup efficitur filius,
aut civis, aut domesticus, aut haeres, qus
poenam, cui juste adjudicatus erat, judicii
clementia non subibit.
Argumenta qua; pro senteutia sua Calvi¬
nus excogitavit, in extrema disputatione cum
argumentis aliorum haereticorum commo¬
dius diluentur.