Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of Penance · Book I: On the Kind and the Parts of the Sacrament of Penance
Chapter 14: The Objections Are Solved
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramento Poenitentiae, Book I, the fourth general controversy on the sacraments. 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).
But now the arguments of the adversaries must be dissolved. And since in the book On Baptism, chapter 18, we solved the arguments of Luther, Chemnitz and Calvin which they had brought forward in the disputations on Baptism, now only those arguments remain to be dissolved which Calvin added in book 4 of the Institutes, chapter 19, section 17, where he disputes properly of the sacrament of Penance. So then he argues: Baptism is not blotted out by sin; therefore it can be useful through the whole of life, if it is recalled to memory as often as the sinner thinks of remission: “As if indeed,” he says, “Baptism were blotted out by sins, and were not rather to be recalled to memory by the sinner as often as he thinks of the remission of sin, that from there he may collect himself, recover his mind and confirm his faith,” and so on. I answer: there are many things in Baptism. First, the very action of washing, which properly with the word makes the sacrament; and this does not remain, but passes while it is done, as is known. Next, the grace of regeneration and renewal, which is acquired through Baptism; and this indeed remains in the soul until it is cast out by mortal sin. For those who sin after Baptism cease to be sons of God and heirs of the kingdom, and begin to belong to the members of the devil and to hell; which is most plain in the Scriptures. Thirdly, a certain spiritual character; and this indeed always remains, nor can it be abolished by any sin, and by reason of it Baptism cannot be repeated. But neither does Calvin admit that character, nor is the character a visible and external sign, such that, joined to the word, it properly makes a sacrament. Wherefore although Baptism always remains in a certain effect of its own, yet it does not have that force, that by way of a visible sign it can confirm and, as they speak, seal the promise. They will say perhaps that the very visible and external action of Baptism always remains, not indeed in itself, but in the mind and thought of the baptised man. But that does not suffice for the sacrament of Baptism to be said to remain; and if it sufficed, certainly the eating of the Eucharist also, once performed, would always remain, and so would be repeated in vain.
Secondly, Calvin in the same place adduces the testimony of Saint Jerome: “What Jerome,” he says, “said harshly and improperly, that Baptism is repaired by Penance (from which those fall away who deserve to be excommunicated from the Church), these good interpreters draw to their impiety.” I answer: the very comparison of the plank of a shipwreck, which Saint Jerome uses in so many places, teaches plainly enough that Calvin strays by the whole heaven, or rather the whole sea. For if Jerome wished to signify that Baptism is repaired by Penance, he would not say that Penance is a plank after shipwreck, but a skiff by which one might return to the ship. For those who are in peril of their life do not usually snatch at planks of this kind so as by them to return to the ship, which they know to be broken, but so that in some way, though with difficulty and discomfort, they may be able to swim to shore. For so Saint Jerome explains that comparison in the letter to Sabinian: “But if,” he says, “he will not do penance, and, the ship being broken, does not hold on to the plank by which he could be saved, I am compelled to say,” and so on.
Thirdly, from the testimony of Scripture and of the ancient Church he draws an argument in these words: “Most aptly you would speak, if you called Baptism the sacrament of Penance, since it was given for the confirmation of grace and as a seal of faith to those who meditate Penance. And that you may not think this an invention of ours, besides that it agrees with the words of Scripture, it appears that in the ancient Church it was commonly received as a most certain axiom. For in the little book On Faith to Peter, which is ascribed to Augustine, it is called the sacrament of faith and Penance. And why do we flee to uncertain things? As if indeed anything plainer were to be required than what the evangelist relates, that John preached the Baptism of Penance unto the remission of sins.” I answer: that a certain Penance before Baptism is necessary, and again another before the reconciliation which is given after Baptism, is beyond controversy. For of the former we read, Acts 2, “Do penance, and be baptised every one of you”; of the latter, Acts 8, “Do penance from this thy wickedness”; for Saint Peter is addressing Simon Magus, already baptised. Calvin, therefore, would have had to prove that Baptism is given as a seal of faith to those who meditate Penance after Baptism, or that it is called the sacrament of that Penance which is done after Baptism; and since he has not done this, he has done nothing at all. For in the book On Faith to Peter, chapter 30, Baptism is called the sacrament of faith and Penance, not of any Penance whatever, but of that which ought to be done before Baptism. And in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1, and of Luke, chapter 3, the Baptism of John, not the Baptism of Christ, of which we are treating, is called the Baptism of Penance; nor was that which John preached called the Baptism of Penance unto the remission of sins because it forgave sins to penitents, but because it called to Penance; and those who did that Penance as was fitting obtained the remission of sins. So the Baptism of John begot Penance, and Penance remission; but the Baptism of Christ does not beget Penance, but purges from sins those prepared by Penance, and renews and regenerates them. And therefore in the Scriptures the Baptism of John is everywhere called the Baptism of Penance, because it invited to penance, Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, Acts 13 and 19; but the Baptism of Christ is called not the Baptism of Penance, but the laver of regeneration and renewal, Titus 3, Ephesians 5. See more on this matter in the book On Baptism, chapter 23.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XIV.
Solvuniur objectiones.
Scd jnm argumenla adversariorum diluenda
sunl. El quoniam in libro de Baptismo , cap. 18.
solvimns argumenta Luthcri. Kemnilii et Calvini ,
quae ipsi attuleranl in disputationibus de Baplis-
mo: nunc ca solum argumcnla dissolvenda restaul,
quae Calvinus addidit lib. 4. inslit. cap. 11). § 17.
nbi de sacramcnln Pocnilenliao propric disputal.
Sic igilur illc argunicntatur: Baptismus pcr i)et:ca-
lum non dcletur; igitur tota vila ulilis csse pole-
rit, si ad memoriain revocelur , quotics peccator
dc remissioiic cogilal: Quasi vero, inquil,per pcc-
r.nla delealur Baplinmuii , el non jjolius in me-
inoriam revocandun hU percalori . qunliii-i dc
llhllAinilM Vul. III.
peccali remissione cogital . ul illinc sese colli-
fjat aniniumque recipiat el fidcm confirmet clc.
Rcspoudco: Mulla sunt in Bapiismo : Primuin ,
actio ipsa ablulioiiis, quae proprie cum verbo sa
criimcntum facil: aique haec nun pcrmanel , scii
dum ('fficilur, transil, ul noluin esl. Deinde, gralia
regeneralionis et rcnovationis.quae per Baplismuai
ac(iuirilur: haec vero manel in aniina , donec per
lelhalc peccaltim ejiciatur, Qui enim post Baplis-
mum peccant, dcsinunt essc filii Dei et haeredes
rcgiii. atqiie ad membra diaboli el gcliennain per-
tiucre iiicipiuiil:iil quod inScripluris apcrlissimum
esl. Terlio, characler quidam spiriliialis; et hic
quidem semper manel,ncque per ullum peccalura
aholcri poiest, et ratione ejus , Bciptismus repeli
ncquit. Scd neque Calvinus characlerem isturn
admitlit, neque eslcharacler signum visibile atque
e,xlernum, ul verbo adjunctum, proprie sacramen-
tiira efficiat. Quare licet Baplismus in suo quod;ini
effeclu semper mancal : non lamen eain vim ha-
bct . nt per modum signi visibilis promissionem
confirmarc, atquc, ut ipsi loquuntur , obsignare
possit.
Dicenl forlasse: Ipsam Baptismi actionem visibi-
lem atque exlernam semper manere, non quidem
iu se. sed iu mente et cogit;ilione hominis bapti-
zati. Al id non sulficit ut sacramentura Baptismi
miinere dicatur: et si id suniceret, cerle eti;im Eu-
cliarisliae manducalio semel peracla, semper ma-
neret; proinde frnslra repeteretur.
Secundo: Calvinus ibidem s.SIicronymi testimo-
nium adducit: Quod. inquit , Hieronymua dure
et improprie dixit, Poenitentia reparari Baplis-
mum(aquo excidunt, qui excnmmunicari ab
Ecclesia merentur) boni isii interpretcs ad suam
impietatcm Irakunt.
Uespondeo:Ipsa simililudo tabulae naufragii,qua
tot in locis s. Ilieronymus utilur , satis apcrle do-
ccl, lolo coelo. vel pnlius mari , aberraro C;ilvi-
num. Nam si Ilicronymus significare vellet . Poe-
nilentia reparari Baptismum : non diceret , Pocni-
tcnliam essc tabulam posl naufiagium , scd sca-
pham, qua rediretiir ad uiiviin, Ne(]ue enim ejus-
modi tabulas, qui in discrimino vilae versanlur,
iirripcrc solenl, ul per eas ad navim rcdeant.quam
fraclam esse sciunl; sed ul quoquo modo: licel
aegre atque incommode ad littus enataro queaut.
Sic cnim cxplic;it s. Ilicronymus similitudincm il-
]ain in epist. ad S;ihinianiiin: Qaodsi, inquil. ncc
si Poenilenilam vult nqere, ct fracto naviijio. la-
bulam per quam salvari polcrat . non retcntat :
coqor dicere, etc.
Tertio: A testimonio Scriplurae,ct vctcris EccJr-
siae, argumenlum ducit his vcrbis : Aptissime di-
xcris, si Baptisvmm rocaveris Poenitentiae na-
cramentum, cum in conlirmationem graliac el
fidei sigiltum. iis dalus sil, qui Poenitcniiam
medilanlur. Qnod ne commenlum esse noslrum
putes, praclerquam qvnd Scriplnme verbis con-
furnie cst, (q^juirct in volcri Ecclesia fuisse pcr-
vulgatuni inslar ceriissimi axiomatis. Namin U-
beUo de fUlc ad Pclrum., qui Augmtino inscrihi-
lur. sacramerUuni fidc.i et Pocnitcniiae dicilvr.
El quid ad incrrla confngimu^:* qvasi vcro apvr-
liti
L>I': POKM IKNTIA
tiiis quhlpinvi veqiiircmhim s<7. quain qund re-
iilut ('iaiigclisla, Joaniunn jiraodicasso Baplis-
inum Vocnitenlide in rcwiasionem pcccalDnnn.
Hospoiuleo: PofiiiltMiliiun qiiaiuiniu iuile Baplis-
uuiin iiccessarinin esse. el rnrsiis aliaiu aulc re-
eoiirilialiouein. quae posl Baplisinuiu (.lalur, oxlra
«'.oiilroversiain esl, Naiu lie priore loi^imus, Ael. 2.
Pocnilcnliam n<;j/r , el bnptizelur umisqnisque
vestrum. De posleriore, Acl. 8. Pocnilc.nliamagc
ab )iac ncquitia tua: alloqiiiliir puiin s. Pelrus Si-
iju)iiem mai:;iiiu jain iiaplizaliim. Probaiuluiu ila(]iic
Calvino ftieral. IJaplismum liari iu si^illum lidei. iis
qiii Poeiiiteuliam mcdilaiilur posl Ha|)lisruum ; aul
ejus Poenileuliae, quae posl baplismum agilur,
saeramenliim appellari: quod cum nou rereril. iii-
liil omuiiio fecil. Naiu in lib. de llde aii l*ctriiiii ,
cap. ,^0. Baplismus vocalur sacramcnluin lidei el
roeniteutiae. i^on cujnscumqiie , sed ejus quae
aiile Baplisnuim agi debel. Kl in cvaiigelio Marci
cnp. 1. el Lucae cap. 3. vocalur Daplismus Joan-
nis, non aulem Coplisinus Cbrisli, de quo ac;imus,
Kaplismiis Poenilcntiae: neqiie dicebalur Baplis-
iiuis Poenilenliac in reinissionem peccalornm, is
quem Joannes praedicabaUquia poenilentibus pcc-
la remitleret , sed qiiia ad Pocnilenliam provoca-
bat, quam Poenitentiam qui an;erenl ut par erat ,
rcmissioneiu pcccatorum obtinerenl. Ilaque Ba-
plismus Joannis Pocuiteutiam pariebal, Poeniten-
lia remissionem; Clirisli vero Baptismus non Poc-
nitculiam gignit, sed Poenilenliam praeparatos a
peccatis purgat, eosque rcnoval et regcneral: et
ideo in Scripturis Baplismus Joannis passim ap-
pellatur Baplismiis Poenilenliae. quia ad poeniten-
liam inviiabat, Matlhaei 3. Marc. 1. Luc. 3. Act.
13. el 19. Cbrisli vero Baplismus, non Poenitcn-
liae Baptismus. sed lavacrum regcnerationis el re-
uovationis dicitur. Til. 3. Ephes. 5. Vide piura de
liac re in lib. de Baplismo, cap. 23.