Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book IV: On the Justice of Works
Chapter 18: That good works are not only truly just, but also justify, is proved from the Scriptures
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).
Now, before we propose the arguments of the Heretics against the justice of works, we shall endeavor to prove that which in the third place we said (in chapter 10) was to be proved. That by good works a just man is more justified, and so is made juster, we prove from the epistle of St. James, who thus speaks, chapter 2: Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up his son upon the altar? Seest thou that faith did cooperate with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only? And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?
To this testimony John Calvin tries to answer, book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 17, sections 11 and 12; and in sum he says three things. First, that the scope of James was to show what true faith is. Second, that by the faith which without works does not justify James understands not true faith, but a certain shadow of true faith. Third, that by the name of justification in this place is understood not the imputation of the justice of Christ, as with Paul, Romans 4, but the declaration of justice. From these he makes out that when James says Abraham was justified by works, we ought to understand that he was declared just, and therefore just because he had true faith. In all three we dissent from him. For, first, we say that the scope of James was to demonstrate, not what true faith is, but that true and Catholic faith does not suffice unto salvation without works, and that a faithful man who works well grows in justice, but he who works ill loses justice, and faith remains in him dead and idle. That this is so it were not necessary for us to prove, since Calvin has proved his opinion by no reason; yet we have it. First, the testimony of St. Augustine, who in the book On Faith and Works, chapter 14, in express words affirms that the scope of the epistle of James, as also of Peter, John, and Jude, is directed against the heresy then newly arisen of those who said that faith without works suffices unto salvation: “Since,” he says, “this opinion had then arisen, the other Apostolic epistles of Peter, John, James, and Jude chiefly direct their intention against it, to establish vehemently that faith without works profits nothing.” Then, the scope of James in this epistle is gathered clearly enough from the very context of his words. For at the end of chapter 1 he concludes: Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves, etc. And at the beginning of chapter 2 he says: My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with respect of persons — that is, do not, with the faith which you have in Christ, at the same time nourish sins, such as is respect of persons. Then he goes on to explain that it is a great evil to accept persons, and that this one thing suffices for eternal damnation, as also any other deadly sin whatever; since, as he says, Whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all. Then, since he knew that the false apostles gloried much of the faith by which, according to Paul, we are justified, he at once subjoins: What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? And, taking occasion hence, he demonstrates that faith, if it be destitute of works, is rendered idle; but if works be joined to it, a just man is made juster — which he shows by the example of Abraham and Rahab. And this concerning the scope.
As regards faith, we discoursed of this whole place in book 1, chapter 13, where we showed by many reasons that James speaks of true faith, and dissolved the objections of Calvin; and certainly the matter is clearer than that it need proof. For James says that a man is justified from faith, but not from faith only, and that faith cooperates with works; but that a shadow of faith can neither justify nor cooperate with works, there is no doubt. Now, of the name of justification, is the chief controversy. For Calvin contends that justification in this place must necessarily be taken for the declaration of justice, since otherwise James would manifestly conflict with Paul, seeing James says that a man is justified by works, but Paul, Romans 4, says that he is not justified by works. Whom Calvin so reconciles as to say that Paul speaks of the justification which is made by the imputation of the justice of Christ, but James of the declaration of justice. In both he dissents from the ancients and from the truth itself. We, then, say that Paul speaks of the first justification, by which a man is made just of impious; James of the second, by which the just man is made juster. And therefore Paul rightly says that a man is justified without works, James that he is justified by works. For as no one can by his own work procreate himself, or recall himself from death, but, being procreated, or recalled from death, nourishes and increases himself by eating and drinking, so also a man dead through sin cannot by the merit of his own works justify himself; but after he has been made just by God, he can by right living nourish and increase justice in himself, and so be justified by works. So the Council of Trent reconciles these places, session 6, chapters 8 and 10, and long before St. Augustine, in the preface on Psalm 31, in the book On Faith and Works, chapter 14, in the Questions to Dulcitius, question 1, and the book of 83 Questions, question 76. And lest we seem to rely on authority alone, it is proved that James by justification understands not a declaration, but an increase of justice: first, from this, that James says that the faith of Abraham cooperated with his works to justify him. For faith does not cooperate with works unto the declaration of justice. For neither do the adversaries say this, that faith justifies by way of declaration, nor does the nature of faith admit it.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XVIII. Opera bona non solum esse vere justa, sed etiam justificare , probatur ex cap. 2. Jacobi. Nunc antequam argumenta Haereticorum contra justitiam operum proponamus, pro¬ bare nitemur id, quod tertio loco proban¬ dum esse diximus in cap. 10. Operibus igitur bonis hominem justum magis justificari, atque adeo fieri justiorem probamus ex epist. S. Jacobi, qui sic loqui¬ tur cap. ii. Abraham pater noster nonne ex o- peribus justificatus est, offerens filium suum super altare ? Vides , quoniam fides cooperaba¬ tur operibus ejus, et ex operibus fides consum¬ mata est ? et impleta est Scriptura dicens , credidit A braham Deo, ct reputatum est illi ad justitiam, et amicus Dei appellatus est. Vi¬ detis quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum ? similiter autem et Ilaab meretrix nonne ex operibus justificata est, sus¬ cipiens nuncios , et alia via ejiciens (2)? Ad hoc testimonium respondere conatur Joannes Calvinus lib. 3. Institut. cap. 17. §. 11. et 12. et in summa Tria dicit. Primo, Scopum Jacobi fuisse ostendere, quae sit vera fides. Secundo per fidem, quae sine operibus non justificat, Jacobum accipere veram fi¬ dem, sed umbram quamdam verae fidei. Tertio, nomine justificationis hoc loco non intelligi imputationem justitiae Christi, sicut (l)Tit. II, 14. - (2) Jacob. II, 21. CAPUT XVIII. apud Paulum ad Rom. iv. sed declarationem justitiae. Ex his efficit, ut cum Jacobus dicit, Abrahamum ex operibus justificatum fuisse, intelligere debeamus justum fuisse declara¬ tum, et idec justum, quia veram fidem haberet. In omnibus tribus ab eo dissentimus ; pri¬ mum enim dicimus, scopum Jacobi fuisse demonstrare, non quae sit vera fides, sed fi¬ dem veram, atque Catholicam ad salutem sine operibus non sufficere, et fidelem, qui bene operatur , in justitia crescere ; qui male operatur, justitiam amittere, et fidem in eo mortuam, otiosamque manere. Td ita esse non esset nobis necesse probare, cum sententiam suam Calvinus nulla ratione probaverit, tamen habemus. In primis testi¬ monium S. Augustipi, qui in lib. de fide et operibus, cap. Ii. disertis verbis affirmat, scopum epistolae Jacobi , ut etiam Petri , Joannis et Judae, dirigi adversus heeresim tunc recens exortam eorum, qui dicebant fi¬ dem sine operibus ad salutem sufficere : « Quoniam, inquit, haec opinio tunc fuerat exorta, aliae Apostolicae epistolae Petri, Joan¬ nis, Jacobi, Judae, contra eam maxime diri¬ gunt intentionem, ut vehementer adstruant, fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse ». Deinde, scopus Jacobi in hac epistola satis aperte colligitur ex ipso contextu verborum ejus. Nam ad finem cap. 1. concludit : Estote fa¬ ctores verbi, et non auditores tantum, fallentes vosmetipsos etc. Et ad initium cap. ii. Fratres mei , inquit, nolite in personarum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostri Jesu Christi (1) ; hoc est, Nolite cum fide quam habetis in Christum, simul peccata nutrire, quale est acceptio personarum. Deinde pergit expli¬ care, magnum esse malum personas acci¬ pere, et hoc unum sufficere ad aeternam damnationem, sicut etiam quodcumque aliud lethale peccatum : Quoniam , ut ipse dicit, qui totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno , factus est omnium reus. Deinde quo¬ niam sciebat pseudo-apostolos multum glo¬ riari de fide, qua juxta Paulum justificamur, continuo subjungit : Quid proderit, fratres mei, si quis dixerit fidem se habere, opera au¬ tem non habeat, numquid poterit fides salvare illum? Atque hinc sumpta occasione demon¬ strat fidem, si operibus destituatur, i'eddi otiosam ; si vero opera illi adjungantur, ho¬ minem justum fieri justiorem, quod ostendit exemplo A brahae et Raab . Atque haec de scopo . 333 Quod attinet ad fidem , disseruimus de toto hoc loco in i. lib. c. 13. ubi ostendimus multis rationibus Jacobum loqui de vera fide, et objectiones Calvini diluimus; et certe res clarior est, quam ut probatione indi¬ geat. Jacobus enim dicit, hominem justifi¬ cari ex fide, sed non ex fide tantum, et fi¬ dem cooperari operibus; umbram autem fidei neque justificare, neque operibus coo¬ perari posse, non dubium est. Jam vero de nomine justificationis, prae¬ cipua controversia est : Calvinus enim con¬ tendit, justificationem hoc loco necessario pro declaratione justitiae accipiendam esse, quoniam alioqui manifeste pugnaret Jacobus cum Paulo, cum Jacobus dicat, hominem ex operibus justificari, Paulus autem ad Ro- man. 4. dicat, non ex operibus justificari. Quos ita Calvinus conciliat, ut dicat Paulum loqui de justificatione, quae fit per imputa¬ tionem justitiae Christi, Jacobum vero de declaratione justitiae. In utroque a veteribus, et ab ipsa veritate dissentit. Nos igitur dicimus, Paulum loqui de pri¬ ma justificatione, qua homo ex impio fit ju¬ stus; Jacobum de secunda, qua justus effi¬ citur justior. Et ideo recte Paulum dicere, justificari hominem sine operibus ; Jacohum, justificari ex operibus. Quemadmodum enim nemo potest opere suo se ipse procreare, aut a morte revocare ; procreatus autem, vel a morte revocatus, ipse se, comedendo et bibendo, nutrit et auget : sic etiam homo per peccatum mortuus, non potest merito operum suorum se justificare, sed postea- quam a Deo justus factus est, potest recte vivendo justitiam in se alere et augere, at¬ que ita operibus justificari. Ita conciliat haec loca Tridentinum Concilium sess. 6. cap. 8. et 10, et multo antea S. Augustinus praefa¬ tione in Psalra. xxxi. in lib. de fide et ope¬ ribus cap. 14. in quaestion. ad Dulcitium quaest. 1. et lib. lxxxiii. quaest. 76. Ac ne sola auctoritate niti videamur, pro¬ batur, Jacobum per justificationem non in¬ telligere declarationem, sed incrementum justitiae, primo ex eo, quod Jacobus dicit, fidem Abrahae cooperatam esse operibus ad eum justificandum. Neque enim fides coo¬ peratur operibus ad justitiae declarationem. Nam neque adversarii hoc dicunt, fidem ju¬ stificare per modum declarationis, neque id ratio fidei patitur. (1) Jacob. I, 22; ibid. II, 1 . LIBE ^eciiVi0b‘rpV(jMtnf ^ 'eic^ed,5 quod ! 'Jafcobus bir opteribii¥, et nbfiPerx ca+fiP sttiViLtifii- illp^l.ivaf inhr*. VfO cnii^ ■* in'chd<ind6“ jl^tifiiditi ~fo/irialcni' ¥'<&unctimi 3 C^Btfffcosfp’1^1 uapjn4be;fidenctp: qtfstftimii ChWstif^et^Iiduifi $Mre‘t lbbs. Tertio ex eo, ffl^^Kflgftu^l^gnf^AU^ati'^^ idfcfto^nrpOF' Metti, /bccepisse. iftwerifeW-''- e(Jra:M:<5r ^^6,' qiibtJ tiifcittir TiHabHiitH^fn-i' iixicii iiucirs, fJi Ca TircTciriQG ju$iu raCTci esi. ■ Norf^filur 'julhf^Hfiqy§f?$i jacohdtn 'pYo’