Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book IV: On the Justice of Works
Chapter 13: That the law of God is not impossible is proved by reasons
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book IV. 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).
Let there be added, lastly, reasons also. The first reason: a man can do more than God commands; therefore much more can he fulfil the commandment. But that more can be done than God commands the Lord testifies, Matthew 19, who, after he had said, If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, and one had answered, All these have I kept from my youth, again says to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast, etc. St. John Chrysostom testifies the same, in the place cited, homily 8 On Penance: “Many even surpass the very commandments.” St. Augustine testifies it, finally, sermon 18 on the words of the Apostle: “No great burden is imposed on virgins; a greater love imposed a greater burden, as if they said, What commandest thou? Dost thou command this, that we be not adulteresses? By loving thee we do more than thou commandest.” The second reason: if the precepts were impossible, they would obligate no one, and thereby the precepts would not be precepts. For it cannot be imagined how anyone sins in that which he cannot avoid. But if he sins not who cannot avoid the transgression of the law, surely he neither transgresses the law nor has any law. For it cannot be that the transgression of the law be not sin, since sin is nothing else than the transgression of the law. The third reason: if the law of the Lord were impossible, it would follow that God is crueler and more foolish than any tyrant, seeing he would exact even from his friends a tribute which no one could pay, and would enact laws which he knew would be observed by no one. But as to what Philip and Chemnitz say, that political justice is not to be heard, which teaches that nothing can or ought to be commanded which cannot be kept, it would perhaps have place unless to this political justice, or rather right reason, we had the consonant testimonies of the Scriptures and Fathers. But since the political reason in this part wonderfully agrees with the authority of the divine Scripture, why should we not hear the political reason rather than the raving of Luther? The fourth reason: Christ suffered that the justification of the law might be fulfilled in us, as is said Romans 8. Likewise he taught us to pray: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, Matthew 6 — where we ask the grace of fulfilling the precepts, as St. Cyprian expounds in the sermon on the Lord’s Prayer, and St. Augustine, book 3 to Boniface, chapter 7. Finally, Christ was made to all that obey him the cause of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5. But if the law cannot be fulfilled, Christ obtained not what he willed, we pray in vain daily, and no one at all will be able to be saved. For if the law cannot be fulfilled, the justification of the law is never fulfilled in us, even though Christ came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and of sin — that is, being a victim for sin — condemned sin; nor is the will of God ever done on earth as in heaven, even though, relying on Christ our master, we assiduously frequent this prayer; nor do we ever truly obey Christ, and thereby he will be to none of us the cause of eternal salvation. The fifth reason: all the truly justified have the Holy Spirit, as the Scriptures everywhere testify, Romans 5 and 8, 1 Corinthians 3, Galatians 3, Titus 3, and elsewhere. But the Holy Spirit brings forth his fruits, which are numbered Galatians 5: Charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. But he who has these fruits is not accused by the law, seeing he transgresses it not, but fulfils it. For this signifies what is subjoined in the same place, against such there is no law. For the law has not that whereof to accuse those who are endowed with charity, patience, etc.; and therefore a little before the same Apostle had said, If you be led by the spirit, you are not under the law. And Romans 8: The law of the spirit of life hath delivered me from the law of sin and of death. Since, namely, the law written in the heart — that is, the Holy Spirit diffused in the heart — effects, by fulfilling the law, that the law no longer accuses, nor kills, as transgressors. Therefore, from first to last, he who is justified, on account of the Spirit which he receives, altogether fulfils the law; and if he fulfils it not, neither has he received the Spirit, nor is he truly justified. The sixth reason: all the justified are born of God, as is clear from very many places of the divine Scripture. John 1: Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 3: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost. 1 Peter 2: As newborn infants. James 1: He hath begotten us by the word of truth. 1 John 4: Every one that loveth is born of God. Romans 8: You have received the spirit of the adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. But he who is born of God sins not, nor can sin, because he is born of God, as is had 1 John 3; and he who sins not transgresses not, but fulfils the law; for he who fulfils not the law by this very thing transgresses and sins. Therefore every one who is truly justified fulfils the law, nor can it be that he remain justified and fulfil not the law. Wherefore those who say the law is impossible are compelled, against the most open testimonies of the Scriptures, to deny that a justified man is born of God.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XIII. Legem Dei non esse impossibilem , probatur rationibus. Accedant postremo etiam rationes. Prima ratio, potest homo facere plus quam Deus pra;cipiat, igitur multo magis potest im¬ plere prajeeptum. Posse autem fieri plus quam Deus praecipiat, testatur Dominus Matth. xix. qui posteaquam dixerat : Si vis ad vitam [ingredi, serva mandata , et quidam responderat, haec. omnia servavi a juventute mea ; Rursus eidem ait : Si vis perfectus es¬ se, vade, vende omnia quae habes, etc. (1). Testatur quoque S. Joannes Chrysosto- mus loco citato bom. 8. de poenitentia : a Multi, inquit, et ipsa superant mandata ». Testatur denique S. Augustinus serm. 18. de verbis Apostoli : Non grande onus impo¬ situm est virginibus, major amor imposuit majus onus, tamquam diGerent, quid jubes? ne adulterae simus hoc praecipis ? amando te plus facimus, quam praecipis ». Secunda ratio si praecepta essent impossi¬ bilia, neminem obligarent, ac per hoc prae¬ cepta non essent praecepta. Neque enim fin¬ gi potest, quomodo aliquis peccet in eo, quod vitare non potest. Quod si non peccat, qui legis transgressionem vitare non potest, profecto nec legem transgreditur, nec le¬ gem ullam habet. Non enim fieri potest, ut legis transgressio non sit peccatum, cum ni¬ hil sit adiud peccatum, nisi transgressio legis. Tertia, si lex Domini esset impossibilis, sequeretur, Deum omni tyranno esse cru¬ deliorem et stultiorem, quippe qui ab ipsis etiam amicis tributum exigeret, quod nemo solvere posset, et leges ferret, quas sciret a nemine observandas. Quod vero Philippus et Kemnitius dicunt, non esse audiendam po¬ liticam justitiam, quae docet, nihil praecipi posse aut debere, quod servari non possit, fortasse locum haberet, nisi huic justitiae politicae, vel potius rectae rationi Scriptura¬ rum et Patrum testimonia consentanea non haberemus. At cum politica in hac parte mirifice cum divinae Scripturae auctoritate consentiat, quid ni rationem politicam po¬ tius, quam Lutheri delirationem audia¬ mus. Quarta ratio, Christus passus est, ut justi¬ ficatio legis impleretur in nobis, ut dicitur ad Roman. vui. Item docuit nos orare : Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra (2), Matth. vi. ubi petimus gratiam implendi praecepta, ut exponunt S. Cyprianus in ser¬ mone de oratione Dominica. Et S. Augusti¬ nus lib. m. ad Bonifacium cap. 7. Denique Christus factus est omnibus obedientibus sibi causa salutis aeternae, Hebr. v. (3). At si lex impleri non potest, Christus non obtinuit quod voluit, frustra nos oramus quotidie, et nemo omnino salvari poterit. Nam si lex impleri non potest, justificatio legis num- quam impletur in nobis, etiamsi Christus venerit in similitudinem carnis peccati, et de peccato, id est, victima pro peccato, damnaverit peccatum, nec fit unquam Dei voluntas in terra, sicut in coelo, etiamsi Christo magistro freti hanc orationem assi¬ due frequentemus, nec unquam vere obedi¬ mus Christo, ac per hoc nulli nostrum erit causa salutis aeternae. Quinta ratio, omnes vere justificati Spiri¬ tum sanctum habent, ut Scripturae passim testantur, Rom. v. et vm. I Corinthios m. Galatas m, Titum m, et alibi. At Spiritus sanctus fructus suos parit, qui numerantur ad Galat. v : Charitas, gaudium, pax, pa¬ tientia, benignitas, bonitas, longanimitas, mansuetudo, fides, modestia, continentia, ca¬ stitas. Qui vero hos fructus habet, non ac¬ cusatur a lege, quippe qui eam non praeva¬ ricatur, sed implet. Idem enim significat quod in eodem loco subjungitur, adversus hujusmodi non est lex. Non enim lex habet, (1) Math.XlX,17.- : Rom. VIII, 4; Math. II, 10. — (3)Heb. V, 9.-(4)Gal.V,22.-(5) Rom. VIII, 2. 324 LIBEn IV. ia quo accuset eos, qui sunt praediti cha- ritate, patientia, etc. et ideo paulo ante di¬ xerat idem Apostolus : Si spiritu ducimini , non estis sub lege. Et ad Roman. vm. Lex spiritu vitee libera nt me a lege peccati et mor¬ tis (1). Quia videlicet lex in corde scripta, id est, Spiritus sanctus in corde diffusus fa¬ cit implendo legem, ut lex non accuset am¬ plius, neque occidat , ut praevaricatores : ergo de primo ad ultimum, qui est justifi¬ catus, propter Spiritum, quem accipit, le¬ gem omnino implet, et si non implet, nec spiritum accepit, nec vere justificatus est Sexta ratio omnes justificati ex Deo nati sunt ut perspicuum est ex plurimis loris di¬ vinae Scripturae, Joan, i. Qui non ex sangui¬ nibus, neque ex voluntate carnis, neque ex voluntate viri, sed ex Deo nati sunt. Joan. iii. Nisi quis renatus fuerit ex aqua et Spiritu sancto. I Petr. ii. Quasi modo geniti infan¬ tes. Jacobi i. Genuit nos verbo veritatis. I Joan. iv. Qui diligit, ex Deo natus est. Roman. vm. Accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus Abba Pater. At qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat, nec potest peccare, quia ex Deo natus est (2), ut habe¬ tur I Joan. iii. qui autem non peccat, non praevaricatur, sed implet legem, qui enim legem non implet, hoc ipso praevaricatur et peccat. Igitur omnis, qui vere justificatus est, implet legem, nec potest fieri, ut justifi¬ catus maneat, et legem non impleat. Quare qui legem impossibilem esse dicunt, contra Scripturarum apertissima testimonia, homi¬ nem justificatum ex Deo natum esse negare coguntur.