Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Justification · Book V: On the Merits of Works
Chapter 20: That eternal life, even as to its first degree, is rendered to the merits of good works
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).
We have explained three parts of the disputation on merit; there follows the fourth, which is also the last, in which it is very briefly to be taught what those things are which fall under merit of condignity. And there are in all five things which can be called into doubt: eternal life, the grace of justification, the increase of grace, reparation after a fall, and perseverance in faith and charity unto the end. Of which St. Thomas disputes, in 1a 2ae, question 114, article 3 and following. We shall in few words indicate what seem to us the truer things on all these questions. First, then, of eternal life the only question is whether eternal life itself, or only the more excellent degrees in it, fall under merit of condignity. For there are those who hold that eternal life, or its first degree, falls not under merit, since it is owed by the right of inheritance to all the sons of God, by this very thing that they are sons of God. There are also those who think that eternal life, or its first degree, is rendered to the merits of works, if that love of God, which is the last disposition to justification, arise from the grace of justification itself; but otherwise is not rendered to merits. We think that eternal life, both as to its first degree and as to the rest, is rendered to the good merits of the sons of God; and that it makes not much to the matter whether that last disposition proceed from justifying grace, or precede it. For the divine Scripture everywhere teaches that not only the increase of glory, but glory itself simply, is the reward of good works. As Matthew 19: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. And in the same place: He that shall leave father or mother, etc., shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting. And James 1: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life. Galatians 6: He that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And to the Colossians 3 the Apostle writes that the inheritance itself is rendered to good works: Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to God, and not to men, knowing that you shall receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance. Serve ye the Lord Christ. From which we understand that that very degree of glory which is owed by the right of inheritance is retributed also by the right of a wage. For it is not absurd (as we said above more than once) that the same thing be owed by a double right — namely, by the title of inheritance, and by the title of merits. And this shall the adults do for the infants in heaven, not only that they shall obtain an ampler glory, but also that they shall have glory itself, and its first degree — whereas the infants shall have it by the sole right of inheritance, but to the adults that glory shall be at once both the inheritance of the father and the crown of victory. Further, that last disposition, if it precede the grace of adoption, will not be meritorious of eternal life of condignity, because none can merit eternal life of condignity save the sons of God, as was demonstrated above; but if it be born of that grace, and follow it, at least in the order of nature, it will not be able to merit the first degree of glory, if the opinion of those be true who say that that falls not under merit which is already owed by the title of inheritance; for the first degree of glory is by nature prior owed by the title of inheritance to the justified man, before that last disposition proceeds from the grace of justification. For as in a man grace of adoption is prior to the disposition proceeding from grace itself, so the right to the inheritance, which cannot be separated from the grace of adoption, is prior to that disposition proceeding from the grace of adoption. Thou seest, therefore, that it makes not to the matter whether that disposition precede grace or follow it. For in neither way will it be able to be meritorious of the first degree of glory, if that which is already owed cannot fall under merit. But if that be granted which we contend, and which St. Thomas teaches, in book 3 of the Sentences, distinction 18, question 1, article 3, that one and the same thing can be owed by various titles, without doubt that last disposition, continued after the infusion of grace, will be meritorious of eternal life, as St. Thomas confirms in 1a 2ae, question 112, article 2, ad 1.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XX. Vitam aeternam etiam quoad primum ejus gradum reddi meritis operum bonorum. Explicavimus tres partes disputationis de merito ; sequitur quarta, quae est etiam ul¬ tima, in qua brevissime docendum est, quae¬ nam sint illa, quae cadunt sub meritum de condigno. Sunt autem omnino quinque res, quae in dubium revocari possunt, vita aeterna, gratia justificationis, gratiae incrementum, repa¬ ratio post lapsum, et perseverantia in fide et charitate usque in finem. De quibus disputat S. Thomas in 1. 2. quaest. 114. art 3. et se¬ quent. Nos paucis indicabimus, quae veriora de his omnibus quaestionibus nobis esse vide¬ antur. Primum igitur de vita aeterna solum quae¬ stio est, utrum ipsa vita aeterna, an gradus tantum in ea praestantiores cadant sub rneii- tum de condigno. Sunt enim qui sentiant, vitam aeternam, sive primum ejus gradum non cadere sub meritum, cum debeatur jure haereditatis omnibus filiis Dei, hoc ipso quod sunt filii Dei. Sunt etiam, qui existimant vi¬ tam aeternam, sive primum ejus gradum, reddi meritis operum, si dilectio illa Dei, quae est ultima dispositio ad justificationem, oria¬ tur ex ipsa gratia justificationis, alioqui me¬ ritis non reddi. Nos existimamus, vitam aeternam, tum quoad primum gradum, tum quoad caeteros reddi bonis meritis filiorum Dei : nec multum ad rem facere, utrum ultima illa dispositio procedat ex gratia justificante, vel eam prae¬ cedat. Nam Scriptura divina passim docet, non solum gloriae incrementum, sed ipsam gloriam simpliciter praemium esse operum bonorum. Ut Matthaei xix. Si vis ad vitam ingredi, serva mandata. Et ibidem : Qui reli¬ querit patrem, vel matrem etc., centuplum ac¬ cipiet, et vitam aeternam possidebit. Et Jaco- bi 1. Beatus vir, qui suffert tentationem, quo¬ niam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronam vitse. Galat. vi. Qui seminat in spiritu, de' spiritu metet vitam aeternam. Et ad Colos, m. ipsam haereditatem scribit Apostolus, reddi operibus bonis ; Quodcumque facitis, ex ani¬ mo operamini, sicut Deo, et non hominibus, scientes quod a Domino recipietis retributionem haereditatis, Domino Christo servite (4). Ex quo intelligamus illum ipsum gradum gloriae, qui debetur jure haereditario, retri¬ bui etiam jure mercedis. Non enim est absur¬ dum (ut supra non semel diximus) eamdem rem duplici jure deberi, titulo videlicet hae¬ reditatis, et titulo meritorum. Atque hoc praestabunt in coelo adulti infantibus, non solum quod illi ampliorem gloriam obtine¬ bunt, sed etiam quod ipsam gloriam, et pri¬ mum ejus gradum habebunt infaptes solo jure haereditatis, adultis vero gloria illa- si¬ mul erit et patris haereditas, et corona victo¬ riae. Porro dispositio illa ultima, si gratiam adoptionis praecedat, non erit mexitoria vitae aeternae de condigno, quia non possunt me¬ reri vitam aeternam de condigno, nisi filii Dei, ut supra demonstratum est : si vero ex gratia illa nascatur, eamque sequatur, saltem ordi¬ nem naturae, non poterit mereri primum gra¬ dum gloriae, si vera sit illorum opinio, qui di¬ cunt, non cadere sub meritum id, quod jam debetur titulo haereditatis : nam primus gm- dus gloriae prius natura debetur titulo haere¬ ditatis homini justificato quam ultima illa dis¬ positio ex gratia justificationis procedat. Si¬ cut enim prius est in homine gratia adopti¬ onis, quam dispositio ex gratia ipsa proce¬ dat, ita prius est jus ad haereditatem, quod (I) Jacob. 11, 13. - (21 Math. V, 7. — (3) Ap. XVIII. 7. - (4) Mat. XIX, 17 ; ibid. 29; Jacob. I, <2; Gal. VI, 8; Coi. III, 23. CAPUT xxn. a gratia adoptionis separari nequit, quam ex gratia adoptionis dispositio illa procedat. Vides igitur ad rem non facere, utrum illa dispositio gratiam praecedat, vel sequatur. Neutro enim modo meritoria esse poterit primi gradus gloriae, si quod jamdebetur, non potest sub meritum cadere. At si concedatur, quod nos contendimus, et quod S. Thomas docet, in 3. sentent. dist. 18. quaest. 1. art. 3. rem unam et eamdem variis titulis posse deberi ; sine dubio ultima illa dispositio post infusionem gratiae continuata meritoria erit vitae aeternae, ut S. Thomas confirmat in 4. 2. quaest. 412. art. 2. ad 1.