Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book V: On the Merits of Works
Chapter 8: That it is lawful to do good works in view of the eternal reward
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. VI, De Justificatione, Book V. 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).
The other question is on the regard of the reward: whether it be lawful to work good works with a view to the eternal reward. John Calvin, in book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 16, section 3, and chapter 18, section 2, seems to deny that one ought to work with a view to the reward; and because he could not deny that the Scriptures sometimes exhort men to good by hope of reward, he adds that at least one ought not to make a beginning from such exhortation. In the Antidote of the Council too, session 6, canon 31, he says that the Apostle, to the Ephesians 1, delivers a far other doctrine on the regard of reward than the Council does. There was also in Catalonia a certain Buganrius publicly condemned, as Bernard of Luxemburg relates in his Catalogue, because he said that good works are vitiated if they be done with a view to the eternal reward. The contrary doctrine the Council of Trent delivers, session 6, chapter 11, and canon 31 — where yet the Council says not that one ought to work only from affection for the reward, as Calvin in the Antidote signifies, when he on the contrary asserts that one ought not to work only from affection for the reward. For these are the words of the Council, chapter 11: “It is plain that they are adversaries of the doctrine of the orthodox religion who hold that the just sin when, rousing their own sloth and exhorting themselves to run in the course, they, together with this, that God may above all be glorified, regard also the eternal reward.” Where we clearly see that, by the doctrine of the Council, one ought not to work only, nor chiefly, from love of the reward, but first indeed for the glory of God, then also for the reward of eternal felicity. Which doctrine we shall prove from the Scriptures, the Fathers, and natural reason itself. First, then, Christ himself, Matthew 4, thus began his preaching: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Likewise Matthew 5 he began the apostolic instruction: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. From a like hope of the kingdom of heaven John the Baptist took his beginning, Matthew 3; from the same Christ bade the Apostles to begin, Matthew 10. What then is it that Calvin says, that one ought not to take a beginning from the promise of reward? Whether, I pray, are Christ, and his forerunner, and the Apostles deceived, or does Calvin err? Second, we have not only Christ’s exhortation, but also his precept, Matthew 6: Seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. And Luke 16: Make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings. Like is the Apostle’s precept, 1 Corinthians 9: He that plougheth should plough in hope, and he that thresheth, in hope to receive fruit.
Third, we have the examples of the saints. Psalm 118: I have inclined my heart to do thy justifications for the reward. Nor does it stand in the way that in the Hebrew is had that which is, “unto the end for ever,” or “reward.” For the sense is the same; for it is as if he had said, “because the reward which I expect shall be everlasting.” Which Ecclesiasticus expressed, chapter 18, when he says: Be not afraid to be justified even to death, for the reward of God continueth for ever. And so not only the Seventy rendered it, “for the reward,” but St. Jerome also rendered it, “for the eternal reward.” Another example is Hebrews 11: Moses, when he was grown up, denied himself to be the son of Pharao’s daughter, rather choosing to be afflicted with the people of God than to have the pleasure of sin for a time, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasure of the Egyptians; for he looked unto the reward. Another example is the Apostle himself, Philippians 3: I press toward the mark, to the prize of the supernal vocation in Christ Jesus. Fourth, we have very many exhortations of the Apostle. For 1 Corinthians 9 he says: So run that you may obtain. Galatians 6: And in doing good let us not fail; for in due time we shall reap. Colossians 3: Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance. But what Calvin means, when on the contrary he alleges the first chapter to the Ephesians, I utterly know not. For there is nothing in that chapter which bears even the image of an argument against our opinion. But contrary to him is that the Apostle prays God to enlighten the minds of the Ephesians, that they may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Which prayer of the Apostle tends to this, that the Ephesians, the greatness of the reward being known, may be rendered prompt to do good works, and to bear all evils for Christ.
Let us add to these also testimonies of the Fathers. St. Cyprian, in the book On the Exhortation to Martyrdom, in the last chapter, after he had taught how great a reward awaits the martyrs in heaven: “These thoughts, what persecution can conquer? what torments can overcome?” And below: “These things ought to be contemplated in mind and thought; these to be meditated day and night. If the day of persecution find such a soldier of Christ, virtue prompt to its reward cannot be overcome.” St. Ambrose, on chapter 15 of Luke, treating that, “How many hired servants,” etc., distinguishes good hired servants from bad hired servants; and he says that they are bad who serve God for the little gains of temporal goods. From which it follows that they are good who serve for the gain of the eternal reward. St. Jerome, book 2 against Jovinian, discoursing against the fourth proposition: “Therefore does Paul this, that laboring more, he may also receive more of reward.” St. Augustine, on Psalm 120, upon that, The Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand: “What is it, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth? that is, when thou dost a good work, do it for the sake of eternal life. For if thou do a good work on earth for this end, that earthly things may give thee food, thy left hand knoweth what thy right hand doth — thou hast mingled the right hand with the left. Do it not, save for the sake of eternal life; therefore do it, and thou shalt do it securely. For this God hath commanded.” St. Gregory, homily 13 on the Gospels: “Neither is chastity great without good work, nor is any good work anything without chastity. But if both be done, it remains that whosoever he is, he tend by hope to the supernal country, and by no means contain himself from vices for the honor of this world.” Nor are the best of reasons wanting to confirm the same matter. For first, if eternal life is the end of faith and of the works of the just — Romans 6: You have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end life everlasting; and 1 Peter 1: That you may receive the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls — who can doubt whether it be lawful to regard eternal life, and to direct good works toward it, since it is certain that the end is to be regarded in working, and that all means are to be referred to it? Then, if it be lawful, for fear of hell, to restrain the hand and the eyes and the very heart from sin, and to fulfil the commandments of the law, as was proved in the first book, why shall it not much more be lawful to do the same for hope of eternal felicity? Besides, penance and the reception of the Sacraments are not vitiated when they are done for the cause of obtaining the grace of God; why then shall good works be vitiated, if they be done for the cause of obtaining beatitude, which is grace consummated and perfected? Lastly, it is lawful, by the consent of all, in temporal works to regard the temporal end — as to take medicine for the sake of health, to plough and to sow in hope of receiving fruit, to run or to contend in the stadium for the cause of obtaining victory. Why, then, shall it not be lawful in a spiritual work, in the course and contest set forth by God himself, to attend to the prize of the supernal vocation?
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VIII. Licitum esse operari bona opera intuitu mercedis ;e ternae. Altera qufestio est dc intuitu mercedis; iieeatne operari opera bona intuitu mer¬ cedis aeterna). Joannes Calvinus in lib. in. Instit. cap. 16. §. 3. et cap. 18. §. 2. ne¬ gare videtur operandum esse intuitu mer¬ cedis, et quoniam negare non potuit, Scri¬ pturas interdum hortari homines ad bonum spe mercedis, addit, saltem non esse a tali exhortatione ducendum exordium. In Anti¬ doto quoque Concilii, sess. 6. can. 31. dicit, Apostolum ad Ephes. i. longe aliam doctri¬ nam tradere de intuitu mercedis, quam Con¬ cilium faciat. Fuit etiam in Catalonia quidam Buganrius publice damnatus , ut Bernardus Lutzemburgensis in suo Catalogo refert , quod diceret, opera bona vitiari, si fierent intuitu mercedis teterna). Contrariam doctrinam tradit Concilium Tridentinum sess. 6. cap. 11. et can. 31. ubi tamen non dicit Concilium, operandum esse tantum affectu mercedis, ut Calvinus in An- tidoto significat, cum contra ipse asserit, non tantum affectu mercedis operandum esse. Htec enim sunt verba Concilii, cap. 11. n Constat eos orthodoxa! religionis doctrinas adversari, qui statuunt, justos peccare, si suam ipsorum socordiam excitando, et sese ad currendum in stadio exhortando,' cum hoc ut in primis glorificetur Deus, mercedem quoque intuentur aeternam ». Ubi clare vide¬ mus, non tantum, nec preeeipue amore mer¬ cedis operandum esse ex doctrina Concilii, sed primum! quidem propter gloriam Dei, deinde etiam propter mercedem felicitatis ai terna). Quam doctrinam ex Scripturis et Patribus, et ipsa naturali ratione probabi¬ mus. Primum igitur Christus ipse Mattii, iv. praidicationem suam ita exorsus est : Poeni¬ tentiam agite, appropinquabit enim regnum coelorum. Item Matth. v. Instructionem Apo- stolicain inchoavit : Beati pauperes spiritu, quoniam ipsor um est regnum cadorum (1). A simili spe regni ctelorum exordium sumpsit Jo. Baptista Matth. m. ab eodem jussit Chri¬ stus, Matth. x. ut Apostoli exordirentur. Quid igitur est, quod Calvinus dicit, non esse du¬ cendum exordium a promissione mercedis ? utrum, quaeso, Christus, et ejus prmeursor, et Apostoli falluntur, an Calvinus errat? Secundo, habemus Christi non soluin ex¬ hortationem, sed etiam praeceptum, Matth. vi. Primum quaerite regnum Dei , ct justitiam ejus, et haec omnia adjicientur vobis. Et Luc. xvi. Facite vobis amicos de mammona iniqui¬ tatis , ut cum defeceritis, recipiant, vos in aeterna tabernacula. Simile est Apostoli prmeeptum I ad Corinth. ix. D:bet in spe, qui erat, arare, et qui triturat, in spe fructus perci- .piendi (2). Tertio, habemus exempla Sanctorum, in Ps. cxvrn. Inclinavi cor meum ad faciendas justificationes tuas propter retributionem (3;. Neque obstat, quod in Hcbrmo habetur, id est, in alternum finis, sive mer¬ ces. Nam idem est sensus; est enim ac si di¬ xisset, quoniam merces, quam expecto, sem¬ piterna erit. Quod expressit Ecclesiasticus cap. xviii. cum ait : Ne verearis usque ad mortem justificari, quoniam merces Dei manet in aeternum. Itaque non solum Septuaginta viri verterunt, propter retributionem ; sed etiam S. Hieronymus, reddidit, propter ster¬ nam mercedem. Aliud exemplum est ad Heb. xi. Moses grandis factus, negavit se esse filium filiae Pharoonis, magis eligens affigi cum po¬ pulo Dei, quam temporalis peccati habere ju¬ cunditatem, majores divitias aestimans thesau¬ ro /Egyptiorum improperium Christi; aspi¬ ciebat enim in renumerationem. Aliud exem¬ plum est ipsius Apostoli ad Philipp. iit. Ad destinatum persequor, ad braoium supernae vo¬ cationis in Christo Jesu (4). Quarto, habemus cohortationes Apostoli plurimas. Nam I ad Corinth. ix. ait : Sic currite, ut comprehendatis. Ad Galat. vi. Bo¬ num autem facientes non deficiamus : tempore enim suo metemus. Ad Coloss. iii. Quodam - que facitis, ex animo operamini, sicut Domino , ct non hominibus, scientes quod a Domino ac¬ cipietis retributionem harreditatis (3). Quid autem Calvinus sibi velit, cum con¬ tra allegat primum cap. ad Ephesios, peni¬ tus nescio. Nihil enim est in eo capite, quod vel imaginem pra) se ferat argumenti adver¬ sus sententiam nostram. Contra autem illud est, quod Apostolus orat Deum, ut illuminet ( ) Matth. IV, 17; ibid. V, 3. - (2) Maib. VI, 33; Luc. XVI, 9; I Cor. IX, 10. — (3, Ps. CXVHl, ili. - (4j Ecd. X\ III, 2.’; Heb. XI, 2i; Phil. III, 14. — (5) 1 Cor. IX. 24; Gal. VI, 9; Coi. III, 23. Tom. VI. 24 LIBER Y. 362 Ephesiorum mentes, ut sciant quae sit spes vocationis ejus et quse divitiae gloriae haeredi- tatis ejus in Sanctos. Quae oratio Apostoli eo tendit, ut Ephesii, cognita praemii magnitu¬ dine, prompti ad bona opera facienda, et mala omnia pro Christo ferenda reddan¬ tur. Addamus his etiam testimonia Patrum. S. Cyprianus in libro de exhortatione Mar¬ tyrii, cap. ult., posteaquam docuit, quam magnum praemium in coelo Martyres ma¬ neat : « Has cogitationes, quae persecutio potest vincere ? quae possunt tormenta supe¬ rare »? Et infra : « Haec oportet mente con¬ templari, et cogitatione ; haec die ac nocie meditari. Si talem persecutionis dies Christi militem invenerit, vinci non potest virtus ad praemium prompta ». Sanctus Ambrosius in cap. xv. Luc. tra¬ ctans illud : « Quanti mercenarii etc. » distin¬ guit bonos mercenarios a malis mercenariis : malos autem esse dicit, qui serviunt Deo propter lucella bonorum temporalium. Ex quo sequitur, ut boni sint, qui serviunt pro¬ pter lucrum mercedis aeternae. Sanctus Hieronymus iib. n. in Jovin. dis¬ serens contra quartam propositionem: «Ideo, inquit, Paulus hoc facit, ut plus laborans, plus etiam mercedis accipiat ». S. Augustinus in Psalm. cxx. super illud : Dominus protectio tua super manum dexte¬ ram tuam: « Quid est, inquit, nesciat sini¬ stra tua quid faciat dextera tua? id est, quando facis opus bonum, propter ~viiam aeternam fac. 3Natn si opus bonum in terra propterea feceris, ut terrena tibi cibum dent, scit sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua, mi¬ scuisti dexteram sinistrae. Noli facere, nisi propter vitam aeternam, ideo fac, et securus facies. Hoc enim mandavit Deus. » Sanctus Gregorius homil. 13. in Evange- lia : « Nec castitas, inquit, magna est sine •bono opere, nec opus bonum est aliquod sine castitate. Sed si utrumque agitur, re¬ stat, ut quisquis ille est, spe ad supernam patriam tendat, et nequaquam se a vitiis pro mundi hujus honestate contineat ». Neque desunt ad rem eamdem confirman¬ dam optimae rationes. Piimum enim, si vita aeterna est finis fidei, et operum justorum, ad Roman. vi. Habetis fructum vestrum in sanctificationem, finem vero vitam aeternam ; et I Pet. i. Ut reportetis finem fidei vestrae. salutem animarum vestrarum (1), quis ambi¬ gere potest, liceatne vitam aeternam intueri, atque ad eam opera bona dirigere, cum certo constet, finem spectandum esse inter operandum, atque ad eum media omnia esse referenda? Deinde, si licet propter metum gehennae continere manum, et oculos, et cor ipsum a- peccato, et mandata legis implere, ut in i. Iib. probatum est , cur non magis licebit idem facere, propter spem felicitatis aeter- nae? Adhaec, non vitiantur peenitentia, et Sa¬ cramentorum perceptio , cum ista fiunt causa obtinendae gratiae Dei : cur ergo vitia¬ buntur opera bona, si fiant causa obtinendae beatitudinis, quae est gratia consummata, atque perfecta? Postremo, licet omnium consensu in ope¬ ribus temporalibus spectare temporalem fi¬ nem, ut pharmacum sumere gratia sanitatis, arare et serere spe fructus percipiendi; cur¬ rere, vel decertare in stadio causa obtinen¬ dae victoriae. Cur igitur non liceat in opere spiritali, in cursu, et certamine ab ipso Deo proposito, ad bravium supernae vocationis attendere?