Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book III: On the Uncertainty, Mutability, and Inequality of Justice
Chapter 13: Objections are solved
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book III. 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).
Although the error which we have refuted seems tried and most open, yet there are not lacking some arguments which Bucer, Calvin, and Chemnitz devised for its defense. First, then, Bucer thus reasons: “It is not doubtful that we must assiduously pray for the gift of perseverance; but James says, chapter 1, of him who desires to obtain something from God, that he ask in faith, nothing hesitating; therefore we ought nothing to hesitate, but to believe for certain that we shall receive perseverance, and accordingly also that we are predestined.” I answer: prayer in faith without hesitation can very well cohere with uncertainty about attaining the thing which is asked. For in prayer there is required both faith and confidence, and to each in its own way hesitation is contrary. And of faith there is no difficulty. For by faith we ought to believe that God can do what we ask, and is faithful too in all his words, and thereby wills also to do what we ask, unless there be a defect on our part; and of these things we ought not to hesitate even the least. But we are not bound to believe for certain that we shall absolutely obtain what we ask; otherwise faith could be false. Certainly, when the Apostle thrice asked to be freed from the sting of the flesh, he prayed in faith nothing hesitating, and yet did not obtain what he asked; from which we understand that he did not believe absolutely that he would be freed. But the Lord, Mark 11, says: “Whatsoever you ask when you pray, believe that you shall receive, and it shall come unto you.” I answer: we must believe that we shall receive, if we ask good things, and if it be expedient for us, not absolutely. Further, the gift of perseverance is plainly expedient for us, but he does not ask well who does not ask assiduously. For perseverance is not a thing of such kind as can be asked and received in one day, but must be asked daily, that it may be given daily, and so at last it come to pass that we persevere unto the end. For then perseverance is understood to be given when it has been persevered unto the end. And so we ought to believe that we shall receive perseverance, if we shall have asked it perseveringly; but whether we shall ask it perseveringly, who can know but God, and to whom God shall have willed to reveal it? But as regards confidence, we ought to trust that we shall receive what we ask, and not to hesitate — that is, not to distrust. But as confidence is not in the understanding, but in the will, so hesitation, when it is opposed to confidence, is not the uncertainty of the understanding, but the weakness and instability of the will. Wherefore confidence without hesitation requires not certitude of the understanding about the thing to be obtained, but a firm adhesion of the will toward the goodness of God, from which a man hopes that he will obtain what he asks. The reasoning of Bucer, then, concludes nothing.
Second, the same author objects that of 1 John 5: These things I write to you, that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. I answer: many things could here be said, but we have already often spoken of this matter. I say, then, that those who believe have eternal life, but in hope, not in fact. For by hope we are saved, says blessed Paul, Romans 8. Further, that eternal life be had in fact, there is required (besides many other things) perseverance in faith. For thus the Apostle writes, Hebrews 3: Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God; but exhort one another every day, whilst it is called today, that none of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, yet so, if we hold the beginning of his substance firm unto the end. And the same John, who said that believers have eternal life, writes to certain believers, in his second epistle: Look to yourselves, that you lose not the things which you have wrought. Wherefore, if Bucer desires to prove his opinion, he must labor to find a testimony of Scripture in which it is had that he and others in particular will persevere unto the end. Third, Calvin objects chapter 1 of the epistle to the Ephesians, where the Apostle says that we have the pledge of our inheritance; but he who has a pledge is certain of the inheritance. Likewise in the same place the Apostle prays God to illumine the eyes of the Ephesians, that they may know, and plainly perceive, that they are predestined to the adoption of sons. I answer: those who have the Spirit indwelling without doubt have the pledge of the inheritance; for this the Apostle says. But who can be certain, with the certitude of faith, that he has the Spirit indwelling? Then, those who have the pledge of the inheritance will without doubt attain the inheritance, provided they diligently keep the pledge. For if perhaps they lose it before they receive the inheritance, it will profit them nothing to have once received a pledge of that kind. But the Apostle does not write that all who have the pledge will without doubt keep it, and present it to the head of the family in its own time. Nor is there any way, God’s revelation excepted, by which we can be made certain of this matter. Further, the same Apostle prays God to illumine the eyes of the Ephesians, not that they may know that they are predestined, but that they may understand what is the hope of their calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints — that is, how great is that glory which God has prepared for those that love him. But I would gladly ask of Calvin, if from faith everyone who is justified is certain that he is predestined, why those Ephesians, long since faithful and justified, needed a new illumination to know that they were predestined? For if they knew not this for certain, they were not faithful and justified, if the dogma of Calvin be true; but if they were faithful and just, nay even holy, as the Apostle calls them, then either they needed not that new light, and Paul prayed for them in vain, or (which is truer) they were not certain from faith that they were predestined.
Fourth, the same Calvin objects that of 1 Thessalonians 1: Knowing, brethren beloved of God, your election, for our Gospel hath not been unto you in word only, but in power also, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much fulness. Where the Apostle proves that the Thessalonians were elect, from the fact that they had faith, through which they had received the Gospel. From which it follows that faith is proper to the elect, and that those who have it know also that they are in the number of the elect. I answer: first, that, “Knowing your election,” is referred not to the Thessalonians themselves, as though they knew their own election, but to Paul, who says that he, with Silvanus and Timothy, knows their election. Then, the Apostle speaks of knowledge not from revelation, but from signs, because he knew that he had preached to them with the adjunction of miracles and with much fulness — in Greek plerophoria, that is, with a great abundance of divine testimonies, which were apt to beget a certain persuasion. The same too he proves from the works of the Thessalonians, because in much tribulation with joy they had received the word of God. And so nothing else is gathered from that place than that the Apostle had a very good hope of the election of the Thessalonians, from many signs which he had of their election. Fifth, Chemnitz objects that of Romans 8: Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. For in this place, says Chemnitz, is laid open the foundation of this certitude which the just have from faith of their own election. I answer: if all the called were elect, the argument of Chemnitz would be most solid; but the Lord, saying, Matthew 22, Many are called, but few are chosen, shows that argument to be of no strength. When, then, the Apostle says, “Whom he called, them he also justified,” he speaks not of all the called, but of the called according to purpose; and when he adds, “whom he justified, them he also glorified,” he speaks not of all the justified, but of the justified according to purpose, of whom it is said in the same chapter: We know that to them that love God all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints. See Augustine in the book On the Good of Perseverance, chapter 13. But who are called and justified according to purpose, no one can know. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? Lastly, Chemnitz objects many places which make nothing to the matter, as John 10, No one shall snatch them out of my hand; Romans 8, Who shall accuse against the elect of God? 1 Corinthians 1, He will confirm you unto the end; Ephesians 1, He chose us before the foundation of the world. I answer: the first two places teach that the elect cannot perish; but they teach not that the elect know of themselves in particular that they are such. But what is that consequence: No one snatches the sheep out of the hand of Christ, therefore Chemnitz certainly knows, with the certitude of faith, that he is of the number of the elect? The two latter places, as also many other like ones, testify that the Apostle hoped well of the salvation of the Corinthians and Ephesians, but not that he was certain, with the certitude of faith, that all these would be saved. Hence St. Augustine prudently admonishes, in the book On the Good of Perseverance, chapter 22, that when in a sermon to the people we speak of the elect, we use the first or second person, placing in that number ourselves and our hearers, that we may show that we hope well both of ourselves and of them; but when we speak of the reprobate, we use words of the third person, lest we seem to augur ill of ourselves or of our hearers.
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CAPUT XIII. Solvuntur objectiones. Quamvis autem is, quem refutavimus er¬ ror exploratus et apertissimus esse videatur, non tamen desunt argumenta aliqua, quae pro illius defensione Bucerus, Calvinus et Kemnitius excogitarunt. Primum igitur ita ratiocinatur Bucerus : « Assidue pro dono persoverantise nobis orandum esse non dubium est : dicit autem Jacobus, cap. 1. de eo, qui cupit a Deo ali¬ quid impetrare, postulet in fide nihil haesi¬ tanti igitur nihil haesitare debemus, sed certo credere, nos accepturos perseverantiam, ac proinde etiam esse praedestinatos ». Respondeo, potest optime cohaerere oratio in fide sine haesitatione cum incertitudine de re illa adipiscenda, quae petitur. Nam in ora¬ tione requiritur tum fides, tum etiam fiducia, et utrique suo modo contraria est haesitatio. Et quidem de fide nulla est difficultas. Nam fide credere debemus, Deum posse facere quod petimug, fidelem quoque esse in omni- - bus verbis suis, et per hoc velle etiam facere quod petimus, nisi ex parte nostra sit defe¬ ctus, et de bis rebus non debemus vel minimum haesitare. Non autem tenemur cer¬ to credere, nos absolute impetraturos quod petimus : alioqui fides falsa esse posset. Certe eum Apostolus ter rogavit, ut libera¬ retur a stimulo carnis, in fide nihil haesitans «ravit, et non impetravit tamen quod petiit: ex quo intelligimus, eum non credidisse ab¬ solute se liberandum. At Dominus Mare. xi. dicit : <. Quidquid orantes petitis, credite quia accipietis, et fiet vobis». Respondeo, credendum esse quia accipiemus, si bona petamus, et si expedit nobis, non absolute. Porro perseverantiae donum plane expedit nobis, sed non bene petit, qui non assidue petit. Non enim per¬ severantia res est ejusmodi, quae uno die peti et accipi possit, sed quotidie petenda est, ut quotidie detur, et sic tandem fiat, ut in finem usque perseveremus. Tunc enim data intclligitur perseverantia cum perseve¬ ratum est usque in finem. Itaque credere debemus nos accepturos perseverantiam, si perseveranter eam postulaverimus, utrum autem perseveranter eam postulaturi simus, quis scire potest, nisi Deus, et cui voluerit Deus revelare ? Quod autem attinet ad fiduciam, confidere debemus, nos accepturos quod petimus, et non haesitare, id est, non diffidere. Caeterum sicut fiducia non est in intellectu, sed in vo¬ luntate, ita haesitatio cum opponitur fiducix, non est incertitudo intellectus, sed infirmitas et instabilitas voluntatis. Quare fiducia sine haesitatione non requirit certitudinem intel¬ lectus de re impetranda, sed firmam adhae¬ sionem voluntatis erga bonitatem Dei, a qua sperat homo se impetraturum quod postu¬ lat. Nihil igitur concludit Buceri ratiocina- tio. Secundo, objicit idem auctor illud, I Joan. v. Haec scribo vobis , ut sciatis , quia vi¬ tam habetis aeternam, qui creditis in nomine filii Dei (1). Respondeo : multa hic dici pos¬ sent, sed jam saepe de hac re locuti sumus. Dico igitur eos qui credunt, habere vitam aeternam, sed in spe, non in re. Spe enim salvi facti sumus, inquit B. Paulus ad Rom. viii porro ut in re vita habeatur aeterna, re¬ quiritur (praeter alia multa) perseverantia in fide. Sic enim scribit Apostolus ad Hebraeos iii. Videte fratres ne forte sit in aliquo ve¬ strum cor malum incredulitatis discedendi a Deo vivo. Sed adhortamini vosmelipsos per singulos dies, donec hodie cognominatur, ut non obduretur quis ex vobis fallacia peccati. Participes enim Christi effecti sumus, si ta¬ men initium substantiae usque ad finem firmum retineamus. Et idem ipse Joannes, qui dixit, credentes habere vitam aeternam , scribit quibusdam credentibus, in epistol. ii. Vi¬ dete vosmelipsos , ne perdatis quae operati estis (2). Quare si probare Bucerus cupit sen¬ tentiam suam, laborare debet, ut inveniat Scripturae testimonium, in quo habeatur, se, ct alios in particulari usque in finem perse¬ veraturos. Tertio, objicit Calvinus, i. cap. epist. ad Eplics. ubi Apostolus dicit, nos habere pi¬ gnus haeredi tatis : at qui pignus habet, cer¬ tus est de haereditate. Item ibidem Aposto- £l) I Jaain. V, 13. — (2, Rom. VIII, 24 ; Heb III, 12; Joan. II, 8. CAPUT XIII. Ius orat Deum, ut illumiuct oculos Ephesio¬ rum, ut cognoscant, planeque perspiciunt se praedestinatos in adoptionem filiorum. Respondeo : qui spiritum habent inhabi¬ tantem, sine dubio pignus habent haeredita- tis : hoc enim Apostolus dicit. At quis certus esse potest certitudine fulei, se spiritum in¬ habitantem habere ? Deinde, qui pignus ha¬ bent heereditatis, sine dubio consequcntur hsereditatem, modo pignus diligenter con¬ servent. Nara si forte illud amiserint, ante¬ quam hsereditatem accipiant, nihil eis pro¬ derit aliquando pignus ejusmodi accepisse. Non scribit autem Apostolus, omnes, qui pignus habent, illud sine dubio servaturos, ac patrifamilias suo tempore repraesentatu¬ ros. Neque est aliqua ratio, Dei revelatione excepta, per quam hujus rei certi reddi va¬ leamus. Porro rogat idem Apostolus Deum ut illu¬ minet Ephesiorum oculos, non ut cognoscant se esse praedestinatos ; sed ut intelligant quae sit -spes vocationis, et quae divitiae glo¬ riae haereditatis in Sanctos, id est, quanta sit ea gloria, quam Deus praeparavit diligen¬ tibus se. Sed libenter quaererem a Calvino, si ex fi¬ de certus est omnis, qui justificatur, se prae¬ destinatum esse, cur isti Ephesii jamdudum fideles, et justificati egebant illustratione nova, ut cognoscerent se esse praedestinatos? Nam si id non certo noverant, non erant fi¬ deles et justificati, si verum est dogma Cal¬ vini ; si autem fideles et justi, immo et san¬ cti erant, ut eos Apostolus vocat : igitur vel non egebant isto novo lumine, et Paulus frustra pro illis orabat, vel quod est verius, non certi erant ex fide, se esse praedestina¬ tos. Quarto , objicit idem Calvinus illud , I Thessalonices.' i. Scientes fratres dilecti a Deo electionem vestram, quia E vangelium no¬ strum non fuit ad vos in sermone tantum , " sed et in virtute, et in S piritu-Sancto et in plenitu¬ dine multa (1). Ubi probat Apostolus Thessa- lonicenses fuisse electos, ex eo quod fidem haberent, per quam Evangelium receperant. Ex quo sequitur, ut fides sit propria electo¬ rum, et qui illam habent, sciant etiam se esse in numero electorum. Respondeo : primo illud : Scientes electio¬ nem vestram, non refertur ad ipsos Thcssa- loniccnses, quasi ipsi scirent electionem suam, sed ad Paulum, qui dicit se cum Sil¬ vano et Timotheo scire electionem illorum. Deinde, loquitur Apostolus de scientia, non ex revelatione, sed ex signis, quia videlicet noverat se illis praedicasse cum adjunctione miraculorum et cum plenitudine multa, Graece TtX-^popopta, id est, cum magna co¬ pia testimoniorum divinorum, quae apta erant ad certam persuasionem gignendam. Idem etiam probat ex operibus Thessaloni- censium, quia in tribulatione multa cum gaudio verbum Dei receperant. Itaque nihil aliud ex eo loco colligitur, nisi Apostolum opi imam spem habuisse de electione Thes- salonicensium, ex multis signis, quae de ip¬ sorum electione habebat. Quinto, objicit Kemnitius illud, Rom. yni. Quos vocavit , hos et justificavit, quos, justifica¬ vit, hos et magni f cavit (2). Nam in hoc loco, dicit Kemnitius, patefactum esse fundamen¬ tum hujus certitudinis, quam habent justi ex fide de sua electione. Respondeo : si omnes vocati essent eleeti, argumentum Kemnitii solidissiqaum esset ; sed Dominus dicens Matth. 22. Multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi (3), nullius roboris argumentum illud esse ostendit. Cum igitur Apostolus ait : Quos vocavit, hos et justifica¬ vit, non loquitur de omnibus vocatis, sed de vocatis secundum propositum : et cum addit, quos justificavit, hos et magni ficavit, non loquitur de omnibus justificatis, se de justificatis secundum propositum, de quibus dicitur in eodem capite : Scimus quia dili¬ gentibus Deum , omnia cooperantur in bonum his, qui secundum propositum vocati sunt san¬ cti. Vide Augustinum in libro de bono per¬ severantia; cap. 13. qui sint autem vocati et justificati secundum propositum, nemo scire potest. Quis enim novit sensum Domini, aut quis consiliarius ejus fuit ? Ultimo, objicit Kemnitius multa loca, qua; nihil ad rem faciunt, ut Joan. x. Nemo ra¬ piet eas de manu mea. Rom. 8. Quis accusa¬ bit adversus electos Dei ? I Corinth. i. Con¬ firmabit vos usque in finem. Ephes. i. Elegit nos ante mundi constitutionem (4), Respondeo : priora duo loca docent, ele¬ ctos non posse perire : sed non docent elec¬ tos nosse de se in particulari, se esse tales. Qua; autem est ista consecutio ; Nemo rapie^ (1) 1 Thcss. 1, 4. — (2) Rom. VIII, 3o. — (3) Math, XXII, 14. — (4) Joan. X, “9 ; Rom. VIII, Cor. 1,8; Eph. I, 4. UBER III. m oves de manu Christi, ergo Kemnitius certo scit certitudine fidei se esse de numero ele¬ ctorum ? Duo loca posteriora, ut etiam mul¬ ta alia similia testantur Apostolum bene sperasse de salute Corinthiorum et Ephesio¬ rum; non autem certum fuisse certitudine fidei, eos omnes salvandos. Hinc prudenter monet S. Augustinus, in libro de bono perseverantiae cap. 22. ut cum in concione ad populum de electis loquimur, utamur prima vel secunda persona, ponen¬ tes in eo numero nos et auditores nostros, ut ostendamns, nos bene sperare cum de no¬ bis, tum etiam de illis : at cum loquimur de reprobis, utamur verbis tertiae personae, ne nobis aut auditoribus male ominari videa¬ mur.