Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book II: On Inhering Justice
Chapter 13: The arguments from the Fathers are solved
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).
Besides the places of Scripture, Calvin brings forward also three testimonies of the Fathers. The first is of St. Ambrose, on Psalm 118, sermon 3: “He who tells his sins is justified,” says Ambrose. If to tell one’s sins is to be justified, justification will be nothing else than the remission of sins. For therefore he who tells his sins is justified, because to the confessing God pardons, according to that: I said, I will confess against myself my injustice, and thou hast forgiven the impiety of my sin. I answer: we have already often said that justification is the remission of sin, and the remission of sin is justification; but that this remission of sin is not the sole liberation from the debt of paying the punishment, but is the cleansing of the very iniquity and stain residing in the soul, through the infusion of grace and justice. Which can be understood even from one Psalm of David. For what David says, 2 Kings 12, I have sinned against the Lord, and heard, The Lord also hath taken away thy sin from thee; and what he said in Psalm 31, I said, I will confess against myself my injustice, and thou hast forgiven the impiety of my sin — he explains more fully in Psalm 50, where from what he asked we understand what he received. For thus he says: Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within my bowels. In this manner we confess that he who tells his sins is justified, and that justification is the remission of sin — so that the soul before filthy is cleansed, and made whiter than snow, and the unclean and distorted heart is reformed and renewed, so that it can now seem another, and as it were freshly created.
The other testimony is of St. Augustine, book 19 On the City of God, chapter 27, where he thus writes: “Our very justice, although it be true, on account of the end of the true good to which it is referred, is yet so great in this life that it consists rather in the remission of sins than in the perfection of virtues.” By which words St. Augustine seems to deny that our justice is a virtue infused by God. For he who says, “I will this rather than that,” is as if he said, “I will this, not that.” I answer: that “rather” in this place does not exclude the perfection of virtues, but sets before it the remission of sin, so that the sense is that our justice, which is placed partly in the remission of sin, partly in the perfection of virtues, consists more in the remission of sin than in the perfection of virtue. And that this is so is manifestly proved. First, from what Augustine says, that this is a true justice on account of the end of the true good to which it is referred. For this justice is not the imputed justice of Christ, nor absolution from sins, but a justice inhering in us, which he says is true on account of the end of the true good, so distinguishing it from the justice of the philosophers, whose works were just of their kind, but lacked a right end, because they were not referred to God, since they were not done from faith — as the same Augustine disputes at length, book 4 against Julian. But our justice is true, because through it we do just works not only in kind, but also in all circumstances, and chiefly in the end. Since, then, there is in us a true justice, on Augustine’s testimony, and that justice is a virtue divinely infused, how would Augustine say that our justice consists not in the perfection of virtue, but in the sole remission of sin? Second, the same is proved from this, that in the same chapter, a little below, the same Augustine says: “This, then, in each one is justice, that God command the obedient man, the soul the body, and reason command the vices, even resisting, whether by subduing or by resisting; and that from God himself be asked both the grace of merits and the pardon of offences, and for goods received be paid the giving of thanks.” Where you see that justice is defined not by the sole remission of sin, but also by the perfection of virtue, by which reason obeys God, and commands the body, and rules over the vices. Third, it is proved from all those places which we adduced in chapter 8, and by the confession of Calvin himself, who (as we noted there) confesses that Augustine referred the grace of justification to sanctification and renovation.
But why Augustine says that our justice in this life consists rather — that is, more — in the remission of sin than in the perfection of virtue, there is a double reason. One, because sins in Baptism are perfectly blotted out and purged, so that nothing at all remains which has the notion of fault; but the infused virtues are so, in their own manner, perfect, that they must daily be more and more perfected. The other, because the remission of sin, once made, needs no new infusion of virtues; but a virtue once infused needs daily a new remission of sin — not deadly, which cannot be together with justice, but venial. For the just, although they do many good and just works, yet often also fall into light and venial sins. And this is what St. Augustine chiefly intends in that place. For when he had said that our justice in this life consists rather in the remission of sin than in the perfection of virtue, at once, to prove it, he subjoined these words: “Witness is the prayer of the whole city of God, which sojourns on earth. For through all its members it cries to God, Forgive us our debts. Nor is this prayer efficacious for those whose faith without works is dead, but for those whose faith worketh by love. For because reason, though subject to God, in this mortal condition, and in the corruptible body which weighs down the soul, does not perfectly command the vices, therefore such a prayer is necessary for the just.” You see that they are just who so pray, and thereby need the indulgence of venial offences, which do not take away justice, but not the remission of deadly sins, which if the just committed, by this very thing they would not be just. The third testimony is of St. Bernard, who in epistle 190 to Innocent thus says: “I would not call myself just, but by his justice. What is it? Christ is the end of the law, unto justice to every one that believeth. In fine, who is made to us, he says, justice from God the Father.” And sermon 22 on the Canticles, expounding that, “Who is made to us wisdom, justice, sanctification, and redemption”: “Wisdom in preaching, justice in the absolution of sins.” And below: “The sins of my youth and my ignorances remember not, and I am just.” And sermon 23: “It suffices me for all justice to have him alone propitious, against whom alone I have sinned.” And a little after: “Not to sin is the justice of God; the justice of man is the indulgence of God.” I answer: in epistle 190 St. Bernard would have the justice of Christ to be ours, in the manner that the sin of Adam was ours — because, namely, we partake of the justice of Christ through regeneration, as of the sin of Adam through generation. And accordingly, as the sin of Adam transmitted into us is not that which inhered in Adam, but another inhering in us, but derived from it, so the justice of Christ given to us is not that by which he himself is just, but another, which inheres in us, but without doubt is derived from it. But let us hear his words: “Who is made to us,” he says, “justice from God the Father. The justice, then, which is made mine — is it not mine? If my fault was transmitted, why not also the justice granted me mine? And surely it is safer for me given than innate.” And below: “Did he then teach justice, and not give it? Did he show charity, but not infuse it?” Where he reprehends Peter Abelard, who said that Christ profited men by doctrine and example, but did not redeem us, nor infuse justice and charity. But in the sermons on the Canticles he says indeed that Christ is our justice, who justified us from sin, and that the indulgence of God is our justice; but by the name of indulgence and remission he understands full justification, since (as we have often said) the fault is never remitted but that justice is at the same time infused. But if sometimes by indulgence he understands the sole remission, he then adds also justification; as when he says, sermon 22: “Thou art as mighty to justify as many to pardon.” And below: “Thus, touched by the sinful woman, the just one imparts justice, loses it not, nor with the filth of sin, in which he washes her, defiles himself.” You see here plainly distinguished the two parts of justification, when Christ imparts justice to Magdalen, and wipes away her stains. And below, of St. Peter: “Who, having fallen, wept bitterly, that he might wash away the fault, and recover justice.” The same St. Bernard also, in sermon 5 on the words of Isaias, “I saw the Lord,” etc., luminously delivers the justice inhering in us, and distinguishes it from the justice by which Christ is just — because ours in this life is right, but not pure, on account of the admixture of venial offences; but that of Christ is both right and pure.
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CAPUT XIII. Solvuntur argumenta ex Patribus. Prseter loca Scripturarum profert etiam Calvinus tria testimonia Patrum. Primum est S. Ambrosii in Psalm. cxvm. serm. 3. « Qui dicit, inquit Ambrosius, pec¬ cata sua, justificatur». Si dicere peccata, justificari est, nihil erit aliud justificatio, nisi remissio peccatorum. Nam ideo qui di¬ cit peccata sua, justificatur; quia confitenti Deus ignoscit, juxta illud : Dixi, confitebor adversum me injustitiam meam , et tu remisisti impietatem peccati mei. Respondeo, Jam seepe diximus, Justifica¬ tionem, esse remissionem peccati, et remis¬ sionem peccati, esse justificationem, sed remissionem istam peccati non esse solam liberationem a debito luendi poenam, sed esse ipsius iniquitatis, et macula; in animo residentis per infusionem gratiee et justitiae mundationem. Id quod vel ex uno Davidis Psalmo intelligi potest. Quod enim ait Da- vid II Regum xii. Peccavi Domino; et au¬ divit, Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tuum a te : et quod dixit in Ps. xxxi. Dixi, confite¬ bor adversum me injustitiam meam, et tu re¬ misisti impietatem peccati mei ; explicat fusius in Psal. t. ubi ex eo, quod petiit, intelligimus quid acceperit. Sic igitur ait : Amplius lava me ab iniquitate mea, et a peccato meo munda me. A sperges me, Domine , hyssopo , et mundabor, lavabis me, et super nivern dealbabor. Averte faciem tuam a pec¬ catis meis, et omnes iniquitates meas dele. Cor mundum crea in me Deus, et spiritum rectum innova in visceribus meis (1). Hoc modo fatemur eum, qui dicit peccata, justificari ; et justificationem esse remissio¬ nem peccati, ita ut anima ante sordida mun¬ detur, et super nivem dealbetur, et cor im¬ mundum et distortum, reformetur ac reno¬ vetur, ut jam aliud, et quasi recens creatum videri possit. Alterum testimonium est S. Augustini lib. xix. de Civit. Dei cap. 27. ubi sic scribit : « Ipsa nostra justitia, quamvis vera sit, propter veri .boni finem, ad quem refertur; tanta tamen est in hac vita, ut potius pecca¬ torum remissione constet, quam perfectione virtutum ». Quibus verbis negare videtur S. Augustinus justitiam nostram esse virtutem a Deo infusam. Qui enim dicit, hoc potius volo, quam illud, idem est, ac si diceret, hoc volo, non illud. Respondeo ; Illud, «potius», hoc loco non excludit perfectionem virtutum, sed praeponit remissionem peccati, ut sensus sit, justitiam nostram, quae partim inremissione peccati, partim in perfectione virtutum sita est, magis constare remissione peccati, quam perfectione virtutis. Id autem ita esse, ma¬ nifeste probatur. Primo ex eo, quod dicit Augustinus, hanc esse veram justitiam pro¬ pter finem veri boni, ad quem refertur. Haec enim justitia non 'est justitia Christi im¬ putata, nec absolutio a peccatis, sed justitia nobis inhaerens, quam dicit esse veram, propter veri boni finem : ut eam distinguit a justitia philosophorum, quorum operajusta erant ex genere suo, sed carebant recto fine, quia non referebantur ad Deum, cum non fierent ex fide, ut prolixe disputat idem Au¬ gustinus lib. iv. in Julian. Nostra autem justitia vera est, quia per eam non solum facimus opera justa ex genere, sed etiam ex omnibus circumstantiis, ac potissimum ex fine. Cum igitur sit in nobis vera justitia, Augustini testimonio, et ea justitia sit virtus divinitus infusa ; quomodo diceret Augusti¬ nus, justitiam nostram non constare perfe¬ ctione virtutis, sed sola remissione peccati ? Secundo, idem probatur ex eo, quodinco- dem capite, paulo infra [idem Augustinus di¬ cit : « Heecitaque inunoquoquejustitiaest, ut obedienti Deus homini, animus corpori^ ra¬ tio autem, vitiis etiam repugnantibus impe¬ ret, vel subigendo, vel resistendo : atque ut ab ipso Deo petatur, et meritorum gratia, et venia delictorum, ac de acceptis bonis gra¬ tiarum actio persolvatur » . Ubi vides, justi¬ tiam definiri non sola remissione peccati, sed (1)1! Reg. XII, 13: Psal. XXXI, 5; Psal. L, 4. 240 UBER IT. etiam perfectione virtutis, qua ratio Deo pa¬ ret, et corpori imperat, et vitiis dominatur. Tertio, probatur ex omnibus illis locis, quos adduximus cap. 8. et ipsius Calvini confes¬ sione, qui (ut ibi notavimus) fatetur, Augu¬ stinum ad sanctificationem et renovationem, justificationis gratiam retulisse. Cur autem dicat Augustinus, justitiam nos¬ tram in hac vita potius, id est, magis con¬ stare remissione peccati, quam perfectione virtutis, duplex est ratio ; Una, quia peccata in Baptisimo perfecte delentur et purgantur, ut nihil omnino remaneat, quod habeat ra¬ tionem culpae ; virtutes autem infusae, ita suo quodam modo perfecta) sunt, ut quotidie ma¬ gis, ac magis perfici debeant. Altera, quoniam remissio peccati, semel facta, non eget nova infusione virtutum ; at virtus semel infusa, eget quotidie nova x-e- missione peccati, nonlethalis, quod cum ju¬ stitia simul essenon potest, sed venialis, Justi enim, tametsi multa bona, et justa opera fa¬ ciunt, tamen saepe etiam labunturin peccata levia et venialia. Atque hoc est quod in eo loco potissimumS. Augustinus intendit. Nam cum dixisset, justitiam nostram in hac vita potius constare remissione peccati, quam per¬ fectione virtutis : Continuo, ut id probaret, subjunxit haec verba» : «Testis est oratio to¬ tius civitatis Dei, quae perogrinatur in terris. Per omnia quippe membra sua clamat ad Deum, Dimitte nobis debita nostra. Nec pro eis est efficax haec oratio, quorum fides sine operibus mortua est, sedpro eis, quorum fides per dilectionem operatur. Quia enim Deo quidem subdita, in hac tamen conditione mortali, et corpore corruptibili, quod aggra¬ vat animam, non pertecte ratio vitiis impe¬ rat, ideo necessaria est justis talis oratio ». Yides justos esse, qui sic orant, ac per hoc egere indulgentia venialium delictorum, quae justitiam non tollunt e medio, non autem re¬ missione lethalium, quae si justi committe¬ rent, hoc ipso justi non essent. Tertium testimonium est S. Bernardi, qui in epistola 190. ad Innocentium sic ait: « ju- stunime dixerim, sed illius justitia. Quaenam ipsa ? finis legis Christus ad justitiam omni credenti. Denique qui factus est nobis, inquit, justitia a Deo Patre. « Et serm. 22. in Can¬ tica, exponens illud : « Qui factus est nobis sapientia, justitia, sanctificatio et redemptio, Sapientia, inquit, in praedicatione, justitia in absolutione peccatorum : Et infra ; Deli¬ cta juventutis mece, et ignorantias meas ne memineris, et justus sum » . Et serm. 23. « Sufficit mihi ad omnem justitiam solum ha¬ bere propitium, cui soli peccavi ». Et paulo post : «Non peccare, Dei justitia est ; homi¬ nis justitia, indulgentia Dei ». Respondeo : In epist. 190. justitiam Chri¬ sti S. Bernardusvult esse nostram, quomodo peccatum Adami fuit nostrum, quia videlicet justitiam Christi participamus per regenera¬ tionem, sicut peccatum Adami per generati¬ onem. Proinde sicut peccatum Adae in nos traductum, non est illud, quod Adamo inhae¬ rebat, sed aliud nobis inhaerens, sed ab illo derivatum ; sic justitia Christi, nobis donata, non est illa, qua ipse justus est, sed alia, quae nobis inhaeret, sed ab illa sine dubioderi vata. Sed verba ejus audiamus : « Qui factus est, inquit, nobis justitia a Deo Patre, quae ergo mihi justitia facta est mea non est ? Si mea traducta culpa, cur non et mea indulta ju¬ stitia? Et sane mihi tutior donata, quam in¬ nata. Et infra : Ergo docuit justitiam, non dedit ? ostendit charitatem, sed non infu¬ dit » ? Ubi reprehendit Petrum Abailardum, qui dicebat, Christum profuisse hominibus doctrina, atque exemplo, non autem nos re¬ demisse, nec justitiam et charitatem infu¬ disse. In sermonibus autem in Cantica dicit qui¬ dem, Christum nobis esse justitiam, qui nos a peccato justificavit ; et indulgentiam Dei no¬ stram esse justitiam ;sed nomine indulgentiae et remissionis, intelligit plenam justificati¬ onem : quoniam ( ut siepe diximus ) num- quam remittitur culpa, quin simul infunda¬ tur justitia. Quod si aliquando per indulgen¬ tiam intelligit solam remissionem, adjungit tunc etiam justificationem ; ut cum ait in serm. 22. «Tam validus es ad justificandum, quam multus ad ignoscendum. Et infra : Sic tactus a peccatrice justus, justitiam impertit, non perdit, nec sorde peccati , qua illam inuhdat, se inquinat». Yides hic aperte di¬ stingui duas partes justificationis, cum Chri¬ stus justitiam Magdalense impertit, et macu¬ las tergit. Et infra de sancto Petro : « Qui lapsus flevit amare, quatenus culpam dilu¬ eret, recuperaret justitiam ». Idem etiam sanctus Bernardus inserm. 5. de verbis Isaia) : « Vidi Dominum elc. «luculenter tradit ju¬ stitiam nobis inhaerentem, eamque distinguit a justitia, qua justus est Christus, quod no- strain hac vita sit recta, sed non pura, ob ad¬ mixtionem venialium delictorum ; Christi au¬ tem et recta sit et pura. CAPUT XIV. 241