Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Members of the Church · On Monks (Book II)
Chapter 8: The Various Opinions on the Counsels Are Set Forth
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Monachis (De Membris Ecclesiae, Book II), On Monks (On the Members of the Church, Book II). 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).
As to the second point, there are four opinions on this matter: three false, one true. For some will have it that those things which we call counsels — such as voluntary poverty and continence — are not counsels but precepts. Others, that they are neither counsels nor precepts, but indifferent things. Others, that they are neither counsels nor precepts, but evil and forbidden. Others, finally, that they are counsels.
The first opinion is the most ancient one, of those who called themselves Apostolics, who (as Epiphanius testifies, heresy 61, and Augustine, heresy 40) affirmed that those could not be saved who did not live in celibacy and poverty, after the manner of the Apostles. The same, in part, the Encratites taught, on the authority of Tatian, disciple of Saint Justin, who taught that all Christians ought to abstain from marriage and live celibate, as Irenaeus testifies (Book 1, chapter 30). Likewise the Pelagians, who (as Augustine testifies, epistles 89 and 106) denied hope of salvation to those who did not actually renounce all that they possessed. Which same thing Julian the Apostate either thought or pretended to think; for (as Nazianzen testifies, oration 1 against Julian) he decreed by a law that Christians should not defend themselves by any means, even if they were despoiled or unjustly killed; and rendering the reason of the law, he said that he wished to compel the Christians to observe the Gospel, in which it was commanded that Christians should possess nothing, and to him that struck one cheek should offer the other.
The second opinion was that of Jovinian, Vigilantius, and the Lampetians. For Jovinian taught that there is no counsel, nor precept, of continence, since virgins and married women are of the same merit, as Jerome (Book 1 against Jovinian) and Augustine (heresy 82) are witnesses. Vigilantius asserted the same of poverty; for, as Jerome reports in the book against Vigilantius, he asserted that it is better to possess one’s wealth and out of it to give alms, than to let all go at once. The Lampetians held the same of obedience; for, as the Damascene writes (heresy 98), the Lampetians would have it that monks in the cenobia ought to be free, and not to depend on the choice of any superior.
The third opinion is that of John Wycliffe and the Lutherans, who first began to vituperate the religious orders as evil. John Wycliffe (article 21, in the Council of Constance, session 8) says that those who enter the religious orders are by that very fact rendered unfit for keeping the commandments of God; from which it follows that religious continence, obedience, and poverty are not counseled by God, but forbidden. Luther in the Epithalamium and the book On Monastic Vows. Philip in the Common Places, chapter on the distinction of precept and counsel, and in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, article 27. Peter Martyr in the book On Celibacy and Monastic Vows. Calvin (Book 4 of the Institutes, chapter 13). Brentius in the Wurttemberg Confession, chapter on monastic vows. And the other heretics in general teach that there is no evangelical counsel. For although Luther in the assertion of article 30 admitted one counsel — that is, virginity — yet he afterward revoked the opinion in the Epithalamium.
In particular they say three things. First, that to lead a poor and celibate life under the obedience of a prelate is mere impiety and superstition, if it be done to worship God — that is, if one think these things please God and are of themselves meritorious. Secondly, they say that voluntary poverty, and obedience shown to one to whom otherwise it is not due, if it be not undertaken to worship God, is not indeed impious, yet is foolish and empty, and accordingly evil. For it is enough, they say, to bear the poverty which necessity brings, and to obey parents and magistrates. Thirdly, they say that continence, if it be not undertaken with the notion of worship, but as an instrument for more expeditiously discharging the offices of the Gospel, is good and praiseworthy, and thus is praised by the Apostle (1 Corinthians 7); yet that it is not possible except to those who know that they have a peculiar gift of God, which they will have to be so rare that Luther in the Epithalamium says that no one can be continent except by a divine miracle, and that where there is one continent man, there are more than a hundred thousand to whom marriage is necessary.
The fourth opinion is that of all Catholics: that there are many things truly and properly evangelical counsels, but chiefly three — Continence, Obedience, and Poverty — which are neither precepts nor indifferent, but pleasing to God and commended by Him.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VIII. Ponuntur varice sententice de Consiliis. Quantum ad secundum , quatuor sunt de hac re sententiae, tres falsae, una vera. Qui¬ dam enim volunt ea, quae nos vocamus con¬ silia, ut voluntariam paupertatem, et conti¬ nentiam, non esse consilia, sed praecepta. Alii, non esse consilia necpraecepta, sed res indifferentes. Alii, non esse consilia nec prae¬ cepta , sed mala et prohibita. Alii denique, esse consilia. Prima opinio est vetustissima eorum, qui se Apostolicos dicebant, qui , teste Epipha- nio liaeresi 61. et Augustino haeresi 40. af¬ firmabant, non posse salvari eos , qui non viverent in coelibatu , et paupertate , more Apostolorum. Idem , ex parte , docuerunt Encratitae, auctore Tatiano, S. Justini disci¬ pulo, qui docebant omnes Christianos debe¬ re a nuptiis abstinere, et.coelibes vivere, ut Irenaeus testatur lib. I , cap. 30. Item Pela- giani, qui teste Augustino, epist. 89 et 106. negabant spem salutis iis , qui non renun¬ tiarent actu omnibus quae possidebant. Quod idem aut sensit, aut sentire se simulavit Ju¬ lianos Apostata; nam, teste Nazianzeno orat. 1. in Julianum, lege lata decrevit, ne Christiani ultase ratione defenderent, etiam¬ si spoliarentur, vel occiderentur injuste , et rationem legis reddens , dicebat : velle se Christianos cogere, ut Evangelium observa¬ rent, quo praeceptum esset, ut Christiani ni¬ hil possiderent , et percutienti unam maxil¬ lam, alteram praeberent. Secundo opinio fuit Joviniani, Vigilantii, Lampetianorum.Jovinianus enim docuit, nul¬ lum esse consilium, neque praeceptum con¬ tinentiae, cum ejusdem meriti sintvirgines et conjugatae, utHieronymus 1. 1 in Jovinianum, et Augustinus haeresi 82. festes sunt. Vigi¬ lantius idem asseruit de paupertate ; nam, ut Hieronymus refert in libro contra Vigi¬ lantium, asserebat ille melius esse opes suas possidere; et ex iis Eleemosynas facere, quam omnia simul dimittere. Lampetiani idem senserunt de obedientia; nam, ut scri¬ bit Damascenus haeresi 98. volebant Lam¬ petiani, Monachos in coenobiis liberos esse CAPUT IX. 521 debere , nec pendere ex praepositi alicujus arbitrio. Tertia opinio est Joannis Wiclefi, et Lu- theranorura, qui primi coeperunt religiones ut malas, vituperare. Joannes Wiclef artic. 21. in Concilio Constantiensi, sess. VIII. di¬ cit , eos qui ingrediuntur religiones eo ipso reddi ineptos ad servanda mandata Dei , ex quo sequitur, continentiam, obedientiam, et paupertatem religiosam non consuli a Deo, sed prohiberi. Lutherus in epithalamio , et libro de votis monasticis. Philippus in locis communibus, cap. de discrimine praecepti et consilii , et in Apologia Confessionis Au¬ gustanae, articul. 27. Petrus Martyr in libro de coelibatu , et votis monasticis. Calvinus lib. IV Institut. cap. 13. Brentius in Confes¬ sione Wirtembergica, capite devotis monas¬ ticis, et alii haeretici in genere docent, nul¬ lum esse consilium Evangelicum. Quamvis enim Lutherus in assertione art. 30. admi¬ serit unum consilium, id est, virginitatem, tamen revocavit postea sententiam in epi¬ thalamio. In particulari tria dicunt. Primo , vitam pauperem et ccelibem ducere sub obedien- tia Praelati , esse meram impietatem et su¬ perstitionem , si id fiat ad colendum Deum, id est, si quis putet haec placere Deo ; et es¬ se per se meritoria. Secundo dicunt, volun¬ tariam paupertatem, et obedientiam exhibi¬ tam ei, cui alioqui non debetur, si non assu¬ matur ad colendum Deum, non esse quidem impiam, tamen esse stultam , et inanem, et proinde malam. Satis enim esse, ferre pau¬ periem , quam necessitas adfert, et obedire parentibus et magistratibus. Tertio dicunt, continentiam, si non assumatur cum opinio¬ ne cultus , sed ut instrumentum ad expedi¬ tius obeunda munera Evangelii, esse bonam et laudabilem, et sic laudari ab Apostolo, 1. Corinth. VII. tamen non esse possibilem, ni¬ si illis, qui sciunt, se habere peculiare Dei donum, quod tam rarum esse volunt, ut Lutherus in epithalamio dicat, neminem posse continere, nisi divino miraculo. Et ubi est unus continens, ibi esse plus quam cen¬ tum millia, quibus matrimonium necessarium sit. Quarta sententia est Catholicorum omnium, multa esse vere et proprie consilia Evange- lica, sed praecipue tria : Continentiam, Obe¬ dientiam, et Paupertatem, quae nec sint prae¬ cepta, nec indifferentia, sed Deo grata, et ab illo commendata.