Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book III: On the Uncertainty, Mutability, and Inequality of Justice
Chapter 16: That all the just are not equal among themselves
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).
There remains the fourth error to be briefly refuted. For, as we said at the beginning, the Lutherans agree in this, to say that all the just are equally just, so that one is not juster than another, nor does the same man grow in justice. A like error Jovinian once taught, St. Jerome witnessing, in book 2 against Jovinian — though not from the same foundation. For Jovinian taught that virtues are equal, and sins also equal, according to the ancient sentence of the Stoics. But the Lutherans do not say (that I know) that virtues are equal, or sins equal, nor do they deny that a man can grow in faith, hope, love, and the other virtues, nor do they say that one is not greater than another as regards virtues of this kind; but they affirm that by these virtues no one is justified, and thereby that to grow in faith and charity is not to grow in justice; and that from the fact that one is greater than another in faith and charity, it is not made out that one is juster than another, since they teach that all are justified by one and the same justice of Christ, apprehended by faith and imputed by God. We, then, first will bring forward against Jovinian certain few testimonies of the Scriptures and Fathers; then certain others separately against the Lutherans.
As regards Jovinian, his error is evidently refuted by these testimonies. Job 1: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth? 1 Kings 9: There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. Ecclesiasticus 44: There was not found the like to him, who kept the law of the Most High. Psalm 83: Blessed is the man whose help is from thee; in his heart he hath disposed to ascend by steps, in the vale of tears, in the place which he hath set. For the lawgiver shall give a blessing; they shall go from virtue to virtue, etc. Which place St. Gregory, treating it, homily 15 on Ezechiel: “It is no wonder if there are steps from virtue to virtue, when each single virtue itself is increased as it were by certain steps, and so through increases of merits is brought to its summit.” Luke 17: the Apostles ask that faith be increased to them. From which place St. Jerome draws an argument, book 2 against Jovinian: “Why do the Apostles say, Increase our faith, if there is one measure of all?” Matthew 11: There hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Matthew 8: I have not found so great faith in Israel. Luke 7: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. Hither pertain various similitudes. For Matthew 13 the Church is compared to the earth, which, according to its various disposition, in one place yields fruit thirtyfold, in another sixtyfold, in another a hundredfold. Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, the Church is compared to the human body, in which are various members, some higher, some lower, some nobler, some baser. 2 Timothy 2, by another no less apt similitude, it is said that in the house of God there are vessels of gold and silver, of wood and earthenware. And without doubt the golden are more excellent than the silver, and the silver than the wooden or earthen. Hither also looks that similitude of the same Apostle, 1 Corinthians 3, of those who upon the foundation of faith build gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. Finally, the same is proved by all the testimonies which teach that the rewards in heaven are not equal, as that of John 14, In my Father’s house there are many mansions; and 1 Corinthians 15, One is the glory of the sun, another the glory of the moon, and another the glory of the stars; for star differeth from star in glory, etc. Nor is it repugnant to these that, Matthew 20, the same reward seems to be given to all the laborers — namely, a certain daily penny. For that penny signifies the equality of eternity, not of glory and excellence. Beautifully St. Ambrose, book 7 on Luke, expounding chapter 15: “Thou deignest to pay an equal reward — an equal reward of life, not of glory.” And so the same penny is given to all, since all the saints will reign without end, though not all reign with the same eminence. Just as it is common to all the stars to shine perpetually in heaven, though some glitter more brightly than others. And in this manner the holy Fathers expound this place — Ambrose in the place cited, Jerome book 2 against Jovinian, Augustine in the book On Holy Virginity, chapter 26, Gregory book 1 of the Morals, chapter 42. But (you will say) if the daily penny does not signify an altogether equal reward, whence did the laborers murmur, who had labored more, because they received the same reward with those who had labored less? That murmur is introduced in the parable, not because in heaven there will be any murmur, but that it may be shown that there is no iniquity in God, if he will be more liberal with some than with others; and if (which cannot be) a murmur should arise among the blessed, it would plainly be unjust. For God does no injury to him to whom he has rendered the due reward, if from his kindness he give to another an equal or greater. To these testimonies of Scripture can be added testimonies of the Fathers. St. Ambrose, in epistle 81 to Siricius: “It is a rustic howl, to keep no grace of virginity, no order of chastity, to will to confound all things promiscuously, to abrogate the degrees of diverse merits, and to introduce a certain poverty of the heavenly rewards, as though Christ had one palm which he bestows, and there abounded not very many titles of merits.” St. Jerome, book 2 against Jovinian, treats this of set purpose, so that it is superfluous to adduce his testimony. St. Augustine, in epistle 57 to Dardanus: “God, whole, can be present to all things, and whole to each; although those in whom he dwells have him, according to the diversity of their capacity, some more, some less, whom he himself builds as a temple most beloved to himself by the grace of his goodness.” And in the same place: “Whence, among all the saints, are some holier than others, save by having God as inhabitant more abundantly?” St. Gregory, book 4 of the Morals, chapter 42: “Since in this life there is to us a distinction of works, there will without doubt be in that a distinction of dignities, that as here one surpasses another by merit, there one may transcend another by retribution.” And these things against Jovinian.
Now against the Lutherans there fights, first, that of Proverbs 4: The path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day. For here is described the progress of justice itself by the similitude of light, which from the dawn advances to noon. For as it is true light which shines at dawn, and is always increased, and grows unto the perfection of noon, so also there is true justice in justified men, and yet it is always more and more increased, until it attain to the perfection of the blessed in heavenly felicity. Second, that of the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 9: He will increase the growth of the fruits of your justice. For how will God increase the growth of the fruits of our justice, if there is no justice in us but Christ’s, which cannot be increased? Third, that of St. John in the Apocalypse, last chapter: He that is just, let him be justified still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. But who doubts that those who are filthy can truly be filthy still, and that one is filthier than another? Why, then, do they not grant that the just too can be made juster, and that one is greater than another in justice? Fourth, there fight against them all the places in which charity is said to be increased, and to be greater in one than in another, as John, last chapter, Lovest thou me more than these? And Luke 7, Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much; and, To whom less is forgiven, he loveth less. And John 15, Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And 1 John 4, Perfect charity casteth out fear; and, He that feareth is not perfect in charity. For according to the Scriptures, justice is nothing else than charity. For 1 John 3 the Apostle takes for the same to be just, and to love: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, and he who loveth not his brother. For this is the declaration which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another. And in the same place: He that loveth not abideth in death. And, We are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren. Likewise the Apostle Paul, when he says, Romans 14, The kingdom of God is justice, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, by justice understands charity, of which the proper effects are peace and joy, according to that of Galatians 5, The fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace. And the Lord, Matthew 5, when he admonishes that our justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, speaks chiefly of charity. For the justice of the Scribes and Pharisees was to love friends and prosecute enemies with hatred; but Christ bids that we love even enemies, and so our justice abound more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees. And so, since the adversaries deny not that there is a disparity of charity in the regenerate, they cannot deny either that there is a disparity of justice, unless they would conflict with the word of God. Fifth, there fight against them all the places which teach that in heaven there is a variety of rewards and crowns, which were cited above against Jovinian. For the rewards of the kingdom of heaven are properly prepared for the just, as the Lord says, Matthew 25, The just shall go into life everlasting. And Philippians 3 the Apostle calls beatitude the prize of the supernal vocation. And more openly, 2 Timothy 4, he calls it the crown of justice, which the just judge will render. Wherefore, if there is in heaven a diversity of rewards, without doubt there is on earth a diversity of merits; and if the crown of justice is various, the justice itself too is various. Not all the regenerate, then, are equally just. Let there be added, lastly, the testimonies of St. Augustine, sermon 16 on the words of the Apostle: “We are justified; but the justice itself, as it advances, grows.” Likewise in epistle 29 to Jerome: “The saints are clothed with justice, one more, another less.” Likewise tractate 6 on John: “The very spiritual saints in the Church are some holier than others, some better than others.” No contrary arguments remain to be solved in this place, since they are none other than those which we dissolved in the preceding book — by which, namely, the adversaries endeavored to impugn inhering justice, and to defend the imputative.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XVI. Non esse omnes justos inter se pares. Quartus restat error breviter refellendus. Nam ut initio diximus in eo conveniunt Lu- therani, ut dicant, omnes justos aequaliter esse justos, ita ut neque unus sit justior alio, neque idem homo in justitia crescat. Simi¬ lem errorem docuit olirn Jovinianus, teste S. Hieronymo, in lib. 2. adversus Jovinia¬ num : quamvis non ex fundamento eodem. Jovinianus enim docebat virtutes esse pares, et peccata etiam paria, juxta antiquam sen¬ tentiam Stoicorum. Lutherani vero non di¬ cunt (quod sciam) virtutes esse pares, aut peccata paria, neque negant, posse hominem crescere in fide, spe dilectione, aliisque vir¬ tutibus, neque dicunt, non esse unum alio majorem, quod attinet ad ejusmodi virtutes : sed affirmant, per has virtutes neminem ju¬ stificari, ac per hoc crescere in fide et chari¬ tate, non esse crescere in justitia : et ex eo quod alius alio fide et charitate sit major, non effici, ut unus sit alio justior, quando¬ quidem una et eadem Christi justitia fide ap¬ prehensa, atque a Deo imputata omnes justi¬ ficari docent. Nos igitur primum adversus Jovinianum proferemus pauca quaedam testimonia Scri¬ pturarum et Patrum : deinde alia quaedam seorsim adversus Lutheranos. Quod attinet ad Jovinianum, evidenter re¬ fellitur error ipsius ex his testimoniis. Job i. Numquid considerasti servum meum Job , quod non sit ei similis in terra ? I Reg ix. non erat vir de filiis Israel melior illo. Ecclesiast xliv. Non est inventus similis illi, qui conservaret le¬ gem Excelsi. Psal. lxxxiii. Beatus vir , cujus est auxilium abs te, ascensiones in corde suo disposuit in valle lacrymarum, in loco quem posuit. E t enim benedictionem dabit legislator , ibunt de virtute in virtutem etc. (I). Quem lo¬ cum tractans S. Gregorius, hom. 15. in Eze- chiel. «Non mirum, inquit, si de virtute in virtutem gradus sunt, quando ipsa unaquae¬ que virtus quasi quibusdam gradibus auge¬ tur, jet sic per incrementa meritorum ad sum¬ ma perducitur ». Lucae xvn. Apostoli petunt (I) Job. I, 8; IReg. IX, 2; Eccl. XLIV, 20; Psal. LXXXIII, 0. 292 LIBER III. sibi fidem augeri. Ex quo loco ducit argumen¬ tum S. Hieronymus, lib. 11. in Jovinianum : « Quare, inquit, dicunt Apostoli : Adauge nobis fidem, si omnium una mensura est ». Matth. xi. Non surrexit major Joanne Bapti¬ sta. Matth. viii. Non inveni tantam fidem in Israel. Luc. vii. Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum (1). Huc pertinent variae similitudines. Nam Matth. xiii. comparatur Ecclesia teme, quae pro varia dispositione alicubi reddit fructum triconum, alicubi sexagenum, alicubi cente¬ num. Rom. xii. et I Gorinth. xn, comparatur 'Ecclesia corpori humano, in quo sunt varia membra, alia sublimiora, alia inferiora, alia nobiliora, alia viliora, II Timoth. n, alia non. minus apta similitudine dicuntur in domo Dei esse vasa aurea et argentea, lignea et ficti¬ lia. -Et sine dubio praestantiora sunt aurea quam argentea, et argentea quam lignea vel fictilia. Quo etiam spectat illa similitudo ejusdem Apostoli, I Corinth. m. de his, qui supra fundamentum fidei aedificant aurum, argentum, lapides pretiosos, ligna, fcenum, stipulas. Denique idem probant omnia testimonia, quae docent, praemia in ccelo non esse paria, ut illud Joan. xiv. In domo patris mei man¬ siones multae sunt. Et I Corinth. xv. Alia cla¬ ritas Solis, alia claritas Lunae , alia claritas stellarum , et stella differt a stella in claritate etc. (2). Neque his repugnat, quod Matth. xx. dari videtur idem praemium omnibus opera¬ riis, videlicet denarius quidam diurnus. Nam denarius ille significat aequalitatem aeterni¬ tatis, non gloriae et excellentiae. Pulchre S. Ambrosius lib. vii. in Lucam, exponens cap. 15. « Aiqualem (inquit) digna¬ ris solvere mercedem, aequalem mercedem vitae, non gloriae ». Itaque datur omnibus idem denarius, quoniam sancti omnes sine fine regnabunt, quamvis non omnes eadem eminentia regnabunt. Quemadmodum com¬ mune stellis omnibus est perpetuo fulgere in ccelo, tametsi aliae aliis clarius micent. Atque hoc modo locum istum exponunt sancti Pa¬ tres, Ambrosius loco citato, Hieronymus lib. ii. in Jovinianum. Augustinus lib. de sancta Virginitate, cap. 26. Gregorius lib. i. moral. cap. 42. At (inquies) si denarius diernus non signi¬ ficat omnino par praemium, unde murmura¬ bant operariii, qui plus laboraverant, quod eamdem mercedem acciperent cum iis, qui minus laboraverant ? Introducitur murmur illud in parabola, non quod in ccelo ullum futurum sit murmur ; sed ut ostendatur, nul¬ lam esse in Deo iniquitatem, si cum aliis li¬ beralior, quam cum aliis esse velit. Et si (quod fieri non potest) murmur inter beatos oriretur, illud esse plane injustum. Non enim facit Deus injuriam ei, cui debitam mercedem reddidit, si parem, vel majorem alteri ex be¬ nignitate donaverit. Ad haec testimonia Scripturae addi possunt testimonia Patrum. S. Ambrosius, in epist. 81. ad Siricium : « Agrestis, inquit, ululatus est, nullam virginitatis gratiam, nullum ca¬ stitatis ordinem servare, promiscue omnia velle confundere, diversorum gradus abro¬ gare meritorum, et paupertatem quamdam coelestium remunerationum inducere, quasi Christo una sit palma, quam tribuat, nec plurimi abundent tituli meritorum ». S. Hieronymus lib. ii. adversus Jovinia¬ num, ex instituto hoc agit, ut supervacaneum sit testimonium ejus adducere. S. Augustinus in epist. 57. ad Dardanum : « Deus, inquit, totus adesse rebus omnibus potest, et singulis totus : quamvis in quibus habitat, habeant eum pro sum capacitatis di¬ versitate alii amplius, alii minus, quos ipse sibi dilectissimum templum gratia suae boni¬ tatis aedificat. » Et ibidem : « Unde in omnibus sanctis sunt alii aliis sanctiores, nisi abundan¬ tius habendo habitatorem Deum » ? S. Gregorius lib. iv. moral. cap. 42. « Quia (inquit) in hac vita nobis est discretio ope¬ rum, erit proculdubio in illa discretio digni¬ tatum, ut quo hic alius alium merito superat, illic alius alium retributione transcendat ». Atque haec in Jovinianum. Nunc adversus Lutheranos primo pugnat illud Proverb. iv. Justorumsemita quasi Lux splendens procedit et crescit usque ad perfec¬ tum diem (3). Hic enim describitur justitiae ipsius progressus per similitudinem lucis, quae ab aurora progreditur ad meridiem. Sic¬ ut enim vera lux est, quae fulget in aurora, et semper augetur, et crescit usque ad per¬ fectionem meridianam ; sic etiam vera justi¬ tia est in hominibus justificatis, et ea tamen semper magis ac magis augetur, donec ad perfectionem beatorum in coelesti felicitato pertingat. Secundo, illud Apostoli, II Corinth. ix. (-1) Matth. XI, 2; ihid. VIII, 10: Luc. VII, 47.— (2) Joan. XIV. 2: I Cor. XV. 41.— (3) Prov. IV. 18. S CAPUT XVI. 293 Augebit incrementa frugum justitiae vestrae (1). Quomodo enim Deus augebit incrementa fru- . gurn justitia} nostra;, si nulla est in nobis ju¬ stitia, nisi Christi, qua; augeri non potest ? Tertio, illud S. Joannis in Apocalypsi, cap. ult. qui justus est, justificetur adhuc ; et qui sanctus est, sanctificetur adhuc, et qui in sor¬ dibus est, sordescat adhuc (2). Quis autem du¬ bitat, eos, qui in sordibus sunt, vere posse adhuc sordescere, et unum esse sordidiorem alio ? cur igitur non concedunt, posse etiam justos effici justiores, et unum alio injustitia esse majorem ? Quarto, pugnant abversus cos omnia loca, in quibus dicitur charitas augeri, et in uno major esse, quam in alio ut Joan. ult. Dili¬ gis me plus his ? Et Luc. vii. Remittuntur ei peccata multa, quoniam dilexit multum. Et : Cui minus dimittitur, minus diligit. Kt Joan. xv. Maj orem hac delectionem nemo habet, ut animati suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. Et I Joan. iv. Perfecta charitas foras mittit timorem. Et : Qui timet, non est perfectus in char itate (1). ,Nam secundum Scripturas, justitia nihil est aliud nisi charitas. Nam I Joan. ni. Apo¬ stolus pro eodem accipit esse justum, et di¬ ligere : In hoc, inquit, manifesti sunt filii Dei, et filii diaboli. Omnis qui non est justus, non est ex Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum. Quoniam haec est annunciatio, quam audistis ab initio, ut diligatis alterutrum. Et ibidem : Qui non diligit , manet in morte. Et : Translati su¬ mus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres. Item Apostolus Paulus cum ait, Rom. XIV. Regnum Dei est justitia, pax et gaudium in Spiritu- Sancto. Per justitiam intelligit cha- ritatem, cujus proprii sunt effectus pax et gaudium, juxta illud Galatas v. Fructus au¬ tem Spiritus sunt , charitas, gaudium , pax (4). Et Dominus Matth. 5. cum admonet, ut ju¬ stitia nostra abundet plus quam Scribarum et Pharismorum, prmeipue loquitur de cha- ritate. Scribarum enim et Pbarisamrum, justi¬ tia erat, diligere amicos et odio prosequi ini¬ micos ; jubet autem Christus, ut diligamus etiam inimiccfs, et sic justitia nostra abundet plus quam Scribarum et Pharisajorum. Ita¬ que cum adversarii non negent, disparitatem esse charitatis in regeneratis : non possunt etiam negare, disparitatem esse justitiee, nisi verbo Dei repugnare velint. Quinto, pugnant contra eos omnia loca, qua; docent, in ccelo varietatem esse pra3mi- orum et coronarum, qua; supra citata sunt contra Jovinianum. Nam pnemia regni coelo¬ rum proprie justis parata sunt, ut Dominus ait, Mattb. xxv. Ibunt justi in vitam aeternam. Et Philipp. nr. Apostolus vocat beatitudinem bravium supernae vocationis. Et apertius 11 Timoth. iv. vocat coronam justitiae, quam red¬ dit justus judex (5) Quare si diversitas est in ccelo praemiorum, sine dubio diversitas est in terra meritorum ; et si varia est corona ju¬ stitiae, varia quoque est ipsa justitia. Non sunt igitur omnes regenerati aeque justi. Accedant ultimo testimonia S. Augustini, ser. IG. de verbis Apostoli; « justificati, in¬ quit, sumus ; sed ipsa justitia, dum proficit, crescit » . Item in epist. 29. ad IIiei’onymum ; « Induti sunt sancti justitia, alius magis, aliiis minus ». Item tract. 6. in Joan. « Ipsi, inquit, spiritales sancti in Ecclesia, sunt alii aliis sanctiores, alii aliis meliores ». Argumenta contraria, nulla remanent hoc loco solvenda, quoniam non alia sunt, quam quie in libro superiore dissolvimus. Quibus videlicet inhaerentem justitiam oppugnare, et imputatitiam propugnare adversarii nite¬ bantur. (I) II Cor. IX, 10.- (2) Apo. XXII, II. - (3) Joan XXI, 15; Luc. VII, 47; ibid. 47; Joan. XV, 13. I Joan. IV, 18. - (4j ibid. III. 10; Rom. XIV, 17; Gal. V, 22. - (5) Matth. XXV, 46; Phil. III, 14 • II Tini. IV, 8. \ # CONTROVERSIARUM DE JUSTIFICATIONE