Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Members of the Church · On Monks (Book II)
Chapter 11: The Same Asserted from the Testimonies of the Fathers
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).
Thirdly, it is proved from the most clear testimonies of the Fathers, both Greek and Latin; and because we abound in witnesses, I will omit those whose testimonies the heretics do not receive, such as Dionysius, and Ignatius, and the like.
Origen (on Romans chapter 15): “Those things,” he says, “which we do above what is due, we do not do from precepts. For example: virginity is not paid as a debt, for it is not demanded by a precept, but is offered above what is due.”
Eusebius (Book 1 of the Demonstration of the Gospel, chapter 8): “Wherefore,” he says, “in the Church of God two modes of living are instituted. The one, indeed, exceeding our nature and the common manner of human life, requiring not marriage, not offspring, not substance, not the faculty of wealth, and devoted, from an immense love of heavenly things, to the divine worship alone; and such is the mode of the perfect life in Christianity. But the other, more remiss and more human, is involved both in modest marriage and in the procreation of offspring, and takes on the care of family affairs, and describes to those warring justly what things are to be done, and does not neglect the fields and trade, religion being joined; and to these is attributed the second grade of piety.” And that each mode of life was instituted by Christ he openly taught at the beginning of the chapter.
Athanasius (in the book On the Humanity of the Word, beyond the middle): “Who,” he says, “of men, either after death or in life, was the author of keeping virginity? but did he not rather judge that that virtue could not be attained? And yet our Savior and King of all, Christ, so prevailed in precepts of this kind, that boys not yet ripe for the discipline of the laws profess virginity, which is above the laws.” Note that here “precepts” are called not obliging laws, but institutions and doctrine; otherwise he would fight with himself, since he both calls it a precept and says it is above the law.
Basil (in the book On Virginity, beyond the middle): “For the Lord willed,” he says, “that the right deed of virginity itself be not a precept, but a mark of a soul zealous of virtue, of its own free power performing of itself that which is above the commandment and above nature.”
Epiphanius (heresy 48): “The Church, namely, rejoices in those who, being able to render approved worship to God, love to exercise virginity; but yet she honors a single marriage,” etc.
John Chrysostom (homily 8 on penance): “By no means,” he says, “accuse the Lord; He commands not impossible things; many even surpass the commandments themselves.” And below, after he had set examples of continence and poverty, he says in the person of God: “I do not compel, I do not burden, but I will indeed crown him that advances; him that does not advance I do not punish.”
Gregory Nazianzen (oration 1 against Julian, beyond the middle): “How,” he says, “dost thou not observe that most wisely and most ingeniously of all, and confining Christians to the citadel and summit of the virtues, in our laws some things impose a necessity of obeying, and cannot without danger be passed over, but others bind not by necessity, but are placed in choice and will, and accordingly have this reasoning, that those who keep them are adorned with honor and rewards, but those who fulfill them less fear no danger?”
Now from the Latins. Cyprian (in the book On the Habit of Virgins, near the end): “Neither does the Lord command this,” he says, “but exhorts; nor does He impose the yoke of necessity, since the free choice of the will remains; but since He says that there are many mansions with His Father, He shows the lodgings of a better dwelling. Those dwellings better than that you seek, castrating the desires of the flesh, obtaining the reward of a greater grace in the heavens.”
Ambrose (in the book On Widows, beyond the middle): “Those who have fulfilled the precept,” he says, “can say, We are unprofitable servants; what we ought to do, we do. This the virgin does not say; he does not say it who has sold his goods.” And below: “Therefore, then, a precept is not given, a counsel is given; for the precept is of chastity, the counsel of integrity.”
Jerome (Book 1 against Jovinian): “The giver of the prize sets before us a reward; He invites to the race; He holds in His hand the prize of virginity; He shows the purest fountain, and cries out: If any man thirst, let him come and drink. He does not say, Whether you will or not, you must drink and run; but, He that shall will, he that shall be able to run and to drink, he shall conquer, he shall be satisfied. And therefore Christ loves virgins the more, because they of their own accord give what had not been commanded them; and it is of greater grace to offer what you owe not, than to render what you are required.”
Gregory (Book 15 of the Morals, chapter 5): “The elect,” he says, “sometimes study to do more than the Lord has deigned to command them; for the virginity of the flesh is by no means commanded, but only praised. For if it were commanded, marriage would already be believed a fault; and yet many are strong in the virtue of virginity, so that, namely, they expend more in service than they received by precept.” So he. See also part 3 of the Pastoral, chapters 28 and 29.
Augustine (in the book On Holy Virginity, chapter 30), speaking of precepts and counsels: “In the former,” he says, “the Lord commands you what is due, but in the latter, if you supererogate anything more, at His return He will repay you.” And (sermon 18 on the words of the Apostle): “The virgins,” he says, “sought that greater beauty of their heart, as though they said: What dost Thou command? that we be not adulteresses? This dost Thou enjoin? By loving Thee we do more than Thou enjoinest.” And in the Enchiridion, chapter 121: “Whatsoever things God commands,” he says, “of which one is, Thou shalt not commit adultery; and whatsoever things are not commanded, but are advised by a special counsel, of which one is, It is good for a man not to touch a woman — these are rightly done when they are referred to the loving of God and neighbor, both in this age and in the future.” From these it appears with how great a lie Calvin says (Book 4 of the Institutes, chapter 13, §12) that it never came into the mind of any of the ancients that Christ counseled anything.
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CAPUT XI. Idem asseritur testimoniis Patrum . Tertio probatur ex clarissimis Patrum tes¬ timoniis, tum Graecorum, tum Latinorum; et quia testibus abundamus, omittam eos, quorum testimonia haeretici non recipiunt, ut Dionysium, et Ignatium, et similes. Origenes in cap. XV ad Rom. : a Ea, in¬ quit, quae supra debitum facimus, non faci¬ mus ex praeceptis. Verbi causa : Aiirginitas non ex debito solvitur, neque enim per prae¬ ceptum expetitur, sed supra debitum offer¬ tur. » Eusebius lib. I demonst. Evang. cap. 8. : « Quocirca, inquit, in Ecclesia Dei duo modi vivendi instituti sunt. Alter quidem naturam nostram, et communem hominum vitae ra¬ tionem excedens, non nuptias, non sobolem, non substantiam, non opum facultatem re¬ quirens, et soli divino cultui, ex immenso rerum coelestium amore addictus, et talis quidem existit in Christianismo perfectae vita3 modus. Alter vero remissior atque hu¬ manior, hic et modesto conjugio, et sobolis procreatione implicatur, et rei familiaris cu¬ ram assumit, et juste militantibus, quae sint agenda describit, agros quoque et mercatu¬ ram adjuncta religione non negligit, et his quidem secundus pietatis attributus est gra¬ dus. » Et quod uterque vitae modus a Christo sit institutus , initio capitis aperte docuit. Athanasius in lib. de Humanitate Verbi, ultra medium : « Quis, inquit, hominum, vel post mortem, vel in vita auctor servandae virginitatis fuit? at non contra arbitratus est, eam virtutem praestari non posse? Atta¬ men Salvator noster, et omnium Rex Chris¬ tus, tantum valuit in hujusmodi praeceptis, ut pueri nondum maturi legum disciplinae., virginitatem, quae supra leges est, profitean¬ tur. » Nota, vocari hic prmeepta, non leges obligantes, sed institutiones, et doctrinam, alioqui pugnaret ipse secum, cum et prae- i CAPUT XII. 533 ceptum vocat, et supra legem esse dicit. Basilius in lib. de Virginitate, ultra me¬ dium : « Voluit enim Dominus, inquit, non praeceptum esse ipsum virginitatis recte fac¬ tum, sed insigne animae, virtutis studiosae ex propria ac libera potestate, id quod supra mandatum, et supra naturam est, a seipsa perpetrantis. » Epiphanius, haeres. 48. : « Gaudet qui¬ dem, nimirum Ecclesia, his qui approbatum Dei cultum praestare possunt, virginitatem exercere diligunt, verum unas nuptias ho¬ norat etc. » Joannes Chrysostomus homil. 8. de poe¬ nitentia : « Nequaquam, inquit, Dominum incuses, haud mandat impossibilia, multi et ipsa superant mandata. » Et infra, postea- quam exempla posuit de continentia et pau¬ pertate, ait in persona Dei : «Non cogo, non gravo, sed proficientem quidem coronabo; non proficientem non punio. » Gregorius Nazianzenus orat. 1. in Julia¬ num, ultra medium : « Quomodo, inquit, il¬ lud non animadvertis omnium sapientissime et ingeniosissime, atque ad virtutum arcem et verticem Christianos coarctans, qui in le¬ gibus nostris alia parendi necessitate impo¬ nunt, nec sine periculo praetermitti possunt, alia non necessitate constringunt, sed in electione, et voluntate posita sunt, ac proin¬ de hanc rationem habent, ut qui ea custo¬ dierint, honore, et praemiis exornentur, qui autem minus ea expleverint, nihil periculi pertimescant. » Jam ex Latinis. Cyprianus lib. de Habitu virginum, prope finem : « Neque hoc jubet Dominus, » inquit, « sed hortatur, neque jugum necessitatis imponit, quando manet voluntatis arbitrium liberum : sed cum habi¬ tationes multas apud Patrem suum esse di¬ cat, melioris habitaculi hospitia demonstrat. Habitacula isto meliora vos petitis, carnis desideria castrantes, majoris gratiae prae¬ mium in coelestibus obtinetis. » Ambrosius lib. de Viduis, ultra medium : « Qui praeceptum, inquit, impleverint, di¬ cere possunt, servi inutiles sumus, quod debuimus facere, facimus ; Hoc virgo non dicit, non dicit ille, qui bona sua vendidit. » Et infra , « Ideo ergo praeceptum non datur, consilium datur; praeceptum enim castitatis est, consilium integritatis. » Hieronymus lib. I. contra Jovinianum : « Proponit Agonothetes praemium , invitat ad cursum, tenet in manu virginitatis bra- vium, ostendit purissimum fontem, et cla¬ mitat : Si quis sitit, veniat, et bibat; non dicit, velitis nolitis, bibendum vobis est, atque currendum ; sed qui voluerit, qui potuerit currere atque potare, ille vincet, satiabitur, et ideo plus amat virgines Chris¬ tus, quia sponte tribuunt, quod sibi non fuerat imperatum, maj orisque gratiae est offerre quod non debeas, ,quam reddere quod exigaris. » Gregorius lib. XV Moralium cap.5:« Electi, inquit, nonnunquam plus student agere, quam eis dignatus est Dominus jubere; car¬ nis enim virginitas nequaquam jussa est, sed tantum laudata ; Nam si illa juberetur, nimi¬ rum conjugium jam culpa crederetur; et tamen multi virtute virginitatis pollent, ut videlicet plus impendant obsequio , quam acceperunt praecepto. » Haec ille. Vide etiam tertia parte pastoralis, cap. 28 et 29. Augustinus lib. de Sancta Virginitate cap. 30. loquens de praeceptis et consiliis : « In illis, » inquit, « Dominus debitum imperat vobis, in his autem, si quid amplius supere- rogaveritis, in redeundo reddet vobis. » Et serm. 18. de verbis Apostoli : « Ambierunt, » inquit, « virgines illam majorem pulchritu¬ dinem cordis sui, tanquam dicerent : quid jubes? ne adulterae simus? Hoc praecipis? amando te plus facimus, quam praecipis. » Et in Enchirid. capit. 121: « Quaecumque, » inquit, « mandat Deus, ex quibus unum est, Non moechaberis ; et quaecumque non juben¬ tur, sed speciali consilio monentur, ex qui¬ bus unum est, Bonum est homini mulierem non tangere, tunc recte fiunt, cum referun¬ tur ad diligendum Deum, et proximum, et in hoc saeculo, et in futuro. » Ex his apparet, quanto mendacio Calvinus dicat, lib. IV Instit. cap. 13. §. 12. nulli veterum venisse in mentem ; quod Christus aliquid consu¬ luerit.