Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Sacrament of Penance · Book II: On Contrition
Chapter 2: That Contrition Is a Good and Free Action, and Belongs to the Gospel
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. III, De Sacramento Poenitentiae, Book II, 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).
To make a beginning from the first question: it must be known that a great part of the Lutherans are of the opinion that contrition is nothing else than a certain terror conceived from the consideration of sins and of the punishments which the divine law threatens to sinners. To this dogma they add three paradoxes, as it were. First, that contrition is not free, but forced and extorted; nay, that it is not an action but a mere passion; for a man does not crush himself, as they say, but it is God who crushes him with the hammer of the law and its threats. Second, that contrition pertains to the law, not to the Gospel; for it is the law that terrifies by threatening punishments, while the Gospel consoles by offering Christ; therefore Penance, which consists (as they speak) of contrition and faith, depends partly on the law and partly on the Gospel. Third, that contrition not only is not a good work, but even strips a man of every good work, and fills him with sins and curses, and in that way mortifies and kills him, so that afterwards through faith he may be vivified and rise again and be filled with all good things.
Luther, in the first disputation against the Antinomians, proposition 2, writes that contrition is the touch and sense of the law in the conscience; and in proposition 10 he writes that it is an affliction and passion which the conscience is compelled to suffer, even against its will. In the Smalcald Articles too, under the title of Penance, he says that contrition is not active but passive, and compares the law to a thunderbolt striking a man down, and cites those words of Jeremiah 23, “My words are as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.” The same opinion is sharply defended by Johannes Wigand and the other rigid Lutherans, as can be understood from the colloquy of Altenburg; for in the fourth conference, where the rigid Lutherans answer the third paper of the Wittenbergers, or soft Lutherans, or (as they are named in that colloquy) electoral Lutherans, in argument 21 these words are found: “Both the law and the Gospel pertain to the doctrine of conversion; which nevertheless are not to be confounded. The law indeed pertains to contrition, Romans 3, but the Gospel is to be referred to the second part of conversion, namely to faith.” And below: “Contrition is not our work; it is rather our passion, by which we are crushed and shaken.” And below: “We are passive only; we do nothing, but suffer; God himself crushes us, not we ourselves.” And below: “The properties of contrition are to strip and despoil a man, whether obstinate or a hypocrite, of all his good works, and to fill him with innumerable sins, that is, with the knowledge of sins, to shake him with fear, trembling, horror.” And below: “It is manifest, therefore, that the law pertains to contrition, and that contrition deprives us of all good works before God in the business of salvation, and fills us with sins and with the curse.” To the same opinion Chemnitz seems to come near, who in the second part of the Examination of the Council of Trent, chapter 3 on Penance, pages 942 and 943, teaches that contrition pertains to the law, faith to the Gospel. And chapter 4, page 955, he writes that contrition is not a work of free will, since the Holy Spirit, through the word preached, heard and pondered, stirs it up, begins, works and effects it in us. The same writes that contrition, unless faith is added which resolves that our sins are forgiven us on account of the Son of God, is a flight from God and a raging against God, by which at last one rushes into eternal destruction. So he.
On the contrary, the soft Lutherans hold that contrition is a good work, and our action, and pertains to the Gospel, as is plain from the colloquy of Altenburg cited, where the answer of the electoral theologians to the fourth paper of the Saxons is set down; with whom Calvin also agrees, book 3 of the Institutes, chapter 3, section 20. And this is the truer opinion, and that of all Catholics; but that the truth may be more easily and clearly approved, I shall subjoin several propositions.
The first proposition: Contrition is not a terror conceived from the threats of the law. This proposition was proved in the preceding book, chapter 19; and indeed, besides the arguments adduced in that place, the very names, and the metaphors from which those names are taken, teach plainly enough that it is one thing to be terrified and to tremble, and another to be crushed, softened and broken. For a thing whole and hard can be shaken and tremble; but it cannot remain at once hard and soft, whole and broken or crushed. And as when a stony mass is so crushed as to be reduced to powder, it lays aside its hardness and swelling, so that it now easily allows itself to be bent and formed at the craftsman’s will; so also the heart of the sinner, hard and swollen, resisting the laws and command of God, is through contrition softened, humbled, subjected to the law of God, and lays aside its former hardness and swelling. And therefore in the Scriptures a contrite heart and a heart of flesh are the same thing; for God crushes rocks as with a hammer, as is said in Jeremiah 23, when he takes away the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh, according to Ezekiel, chapter 11, as Jerome expounds in the commentary on Jeremiah at chapter 23. Again, humility is almost always joined with contrition, as Psalm 33: “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and will save the humble of spirit.” On which place Basil and Augustine read “contrite” for “troubled,” and say that a contrite heart is a humble heart, because it follows in the psalm, “and the humble of spirit shall be saved.” Likewise in Psalm 50: “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise”; treating which place Chrysostom, homily 9 on the Epistle to the Hebrews, teaches that contrition cannot exist without humility. Since, then, contrition does not suffer with itself hardness and swelling, and therefore the affection of sin, it cannot be doubted that contrition is one thing and simple terror another. For terrors can exist in a hard and proud heart, as is plain first of all in Satan and his angels, who believe and tremble, James 2, and yet neither hate their sin, nor ever lay aside their swelling or obstinacy. It is plain also in that Felix, governor of Syria, who, hearing Paul dispute of the judgement to come, conceived no light terror, as Saint Luke writes, Acts 24; and yet cannot be said to have had contrition, since he kept his heart of stone, and gave up neither his unbelief nor his other sins. Next, Scripture attributes such force to contrition that David says, “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise,” Psalm 50; and the Lord in Isaiah, “To whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and contrite of spirit, and that trembleth at my words?” Isaiah 66; and what we cited above, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a troubled,” that is, contrite, “heart,” Psalm 33. But who would believe that those terrors, which can exist in impious men and in the very devils, cannot be despised by God, and that on those who are so terrified the Lord always looks with clemency, and that God is nigh to those who so fear punishments and torments as meanwhile not to forsake their sins? Finally, the divine Scriptures, and the holy Fathers too, when they describe true contrition of mind, set before us not mere fears and terrors, but groans, tears and sighs of a mind grieving and detesting its sins.
The second proposition: Contrition is not a passion but an action, and that free, not forced. This proposition can be confirmed against the same Lutherans without any trouble. For in the first place there are extant most open divine precepts on contrition. Joel 2: “Rend your hearts.” Matthew 3: “Do penance.” Acts 17: “Now he declareth unto men that all should everywhere do penance.” But it is ridiculous to refer precepts of this kind to a forced passion, and not rather to a free action. For to what purpose would those things be commanded which are not in our power, and which, willing or unwilling, we are compelled to endure? Who but a madman would exhort someone to be afraid when a thunderbolt falls from heaven or a lion meets him? Next, contrition is a sacrifice most pleasing to God, as we showed above from Psalm 50; and it draws the eyes of the Lord to itself, as can be understood from chapter 66 of Isaiah; and it has the promise of mercy and grace, as the Scriptures everywhere testify. But a forced passion has nothing by which it may please God, as is known; contrition therefore is not a mere passion, but an action, and that ought to be voluntary and free. Finally, for no other reason do the adversaries hold contrition to be a passion, extorted and forced, except that they have persuaded themselves that contrition is nothing else than those terrors conceived from the threats of the precepts; for it does not seem possible that one’s own sin be set before the mind, and at the same time the wrath of God against sinners and the eternal punishments prepared for sinners, without terror and vast fear seizing the man who thinks of these things. But we have already sufficiently shown that contrition is something far different from those terrors. And even if those terrors could be called contrition, still they ought to be called not forced but free; for those punishments which God threatens to sinners are not set before the eyes as present and visible, but before the mind as future, absent, invisible. Therefore unless one seriously applies his mind to thinking of them, he is not easily moved; and to apply the mind to them, or to call the same mind away from them, is in our power. Wherefore very many hear sermons and read the sacred books who nevertheless are not afraid; and the Lord himself, both through the prophets and by himself, exhorts to this fear, which surely he would not do if to fear or not to fear were not in our power. Ecclesiastes 12: “Fear God, and keep his commandments.” Ecclesiasticus 7: “With all thy soul fear the Lord.” Psalm 33: “Fear the Lord, all ye his saints.” Luke 12: “Fear ye him, who after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say to you, fear him.” But there is one argument which both Luther and the Lutherans everywhere object, Jeremiah 23: “What hath the chaff to do with the wheat, saith the Lord? Are not my words as a fire, saith the Lord, and as a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Certainly fire violently burns whatever is put to it, and a hammer crushes rocks without any cooperation of theirs. But the answer is easy. For, as Saint Jerome warns in the commentary on this place, the Lord compares his words with the words of the false prophets, and puts the difference in this, that they preached what pleased their hearers and could profit them nothing, since they were vain and false; whence also he calls them chaff, which has no marrow, and can neither nourish nor satisfy; whereas he through his prophets announced impending scourges and punishments, and preached things not sweet but useful, which had power to move to Penance. So the Lord called his words wheat, fire and hammer: wheat, because they were useful and solid; fire, because they sharply pricked and shamed their hearers; hammer, because they availed not a little to crush and humble hearts. Therefore the metaphor of fire and hammer is to be referred not to taking away the cooperation of men, but to indicating the efficacy of prophetic preaching, and to distinguishing it from the dreams and false promises of the false prophets. Otherwise, as the Lord himself is said by his word to crush rocks as with a hammer, because he works contrition in us partly by the inward breathing of grace, partly by outward preaching; so also men are said to crush their own hearts, because by free will they cooperate with the divine operation. For so Augustine reads in Psalm 33, “The Lord is nigh unto them that have crushed their heart,” for what our edition has, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a troubled heart.” And clearly in Joel 2 the Lord cries, “Rend your hearts.” And as in Ezekiel 36 the Lord says, “I will give you a new heart and a new spirit,” so also he says in Ezekiel 18, “Make you a new heart and a new spirit.” And as we read in Micah 7, “Thou wilt cast all our sins into the bottom of the sea,” so also we read in Ezekiel 18, “Cast away from you all your transgressions.” And as we pray God, “Convert us, O God our saviour,” Psalm 84, so he in turn demands of us, “Be converted, and do penance,” Ezekiel 18. Wherefore since God both crushes our hearts and commands us to rend and crush them; since he gives us a new heart and wills that we ourselves make ourselves a new heart; since he casts away our sins and commands us to cast them away; since he himself converts us and inspires Penance in us, and at the same time bids us be converted and do penance; no doubt remains that we truly cooperate towards our contrition, and that contrition is not a mere passion, but also an action, and that voluntary and free.
The third proposition: Contrition pertains especially to the Gospel. This is against the same Lutherans, and is proved first from the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapters 11 and 36, where the Lord promises to the children of the New Testament a new spirit and a heart of flesh for a heart of stone; for a heart of stone and a hard heart are the same, and a heart of flesh and a contrite heart also the same, as Saint Jerome teaches on that of Jeremiah 23, “As a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces.” Secondly it is proved thus: Christ, the author of the Gospel, preached contrition when he said, “Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” Matthew 4; and again, “I came not,” he says, “to call the just, but sinners to penance,” Luke 5. The Apostles too, sent by Christ to preach the Gospel, going out preached that men should do penance, Mark 6. And again after his resurrection Christ, explaining in the last chapter of Luke what Gospel was to be preached in his name: “It behoved that penance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations.” Acts 5: Peter says that Christ was exalted by the Father to give penance to Israel. Acts 11: “God then hath also to the Gentiles given penance unto life.” Acts 17: “And God indeed having winked at the times of this ignorance, now declareth unto men that all should everywhere do penance.” In Acts 20 Paul says that he preached to Jews and Gentiles penance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; and in chapter 26 again he affirms that he preached that they should do penance and be converted to God, doing works worthy of penance. And not to pursue everything, the Gospel and Apostolic volumes are full of testimonies. Wherefore unless they wish to exclude contrition from Penance, or to make Christ and the Apostles preachers not of the Gospel but of the old law, they can in no way deny that contrition properly pertains to the Gospel. Moreover, the old law, as it is distinguished from the new, has no promise of grace, nor are its works pleasing to God. “For if justice be by the law, then Christ died in vain,” says the Apostle, Galatians 2; and, “He that worketh,” namely without grace, which is proper to the New Testament, “hath glory, but not before God,” Romans 4; and, “He hath made us fit ministers of the New Testament, not in the letter but in the spirit; for the letter killeth, but the spirit quickeneth,” 2 Corinthians 3; where the letter of the law without the spirit of the Gospel, so far from being said to bring life, is even said to kill. But contrition is most pleasing to God, and has the promise of grace and life. “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit,” Psalm 50; and it is called a sacrifice because contrition is, like a sacrifice, pleasing and acceptable to God. Likewise in the same psalm: “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” And Isaiah 66: “To whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and contrite of spirit?” And Deuteronomy 4: “Thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart, and all the affliction of thy soul.” And Ezekiel 18: “If the wicked do penance,” and so on, “living he shall live.” Since, then, contrition, or Penance, which consists chiefly in contrition, has the promise of grace and life, without doubt it is to be said to pertain to the Gospel rather than to the law. Finally, if there were any reason, it would be because it is proper to the law to terrify, as it is proper to the Gospel to console. But we have already shown that contrition is not a terror struck in by the law. And besides, neither is that true, that consolation, and not threats, is proper to the Gospel; since the Gospel, as it wonderfully consoles the obedient and faithful, so it vehemently terrifies the disobedient and unfaithful. For so John preaches of Christ: “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire,” Matthew 3. And does not the Lord himself everywhere, Matthew 5, 13, 24 and 25, Mark 9, Luke 12 and elsewhere, threaten hell, unquenchable fire, the worm that dieth not, the outer darkness, the gnashing of teeth, everlasting punishment? And what is it that the Apostle says at the very beginning of the Epistle to the Romans: “I am not ashamed of the Gospel; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and to the Greek. For the justice of God is revealed therein, from faith unto faith, as it is written: The just man liveth by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those men that detain the truth of God in injustice”? Certainly in this place Paul clearly teaches that the Gospel contains not only the salvation of believers, but also the threats of the wrath of God against sinners. Wherefore no doubt at all remains that contrition is to be said to pertain to the Gospel.
The fourth proposition: Contrition does not strip a man of good works, and fill him with sins and curses; but on the contrary rather, it is itself a good work, and frees from sins, and brings good works and blessings. This proposition will be sufficiently proved if the foundations of the adversaries are known and overthrown. Now their foundations are two. One, that experience testifies that those who have true contrition for sins despise and detest themselves, and acknowledge nothing good in themselves but many evils, and therefore judge themselves unworthy of grace, worthy of hatred and punishments. The other, that those terrors which they call contrition, before the certain faith of the remission of sins is added, they hold to be nothing else than a flight from God, a raging against God, a way to desperation and everlasting destruction. But in both they err greatly. For that a man sees himself empty of good works and laden with sins is not the effect of contrition, but partly of humility, partly of the examination and knowledge of himself; and contrition is not the cause of that knowledge, but its effect. For it is not because one is crushed that he acknowledges himself full of sins, but on the contrary, because he sees himself covered with very many sins, therefore he is crushed, distressed, grieved. As in bodily matters, we are not filled with wounds and diseases because we are in pain, but because we see ourselves full of wounds and diseases, therefore we are in pain. And criminals are not filled with thefts, robberies and murders because they fear punishment and are terrified at the sight of the gallows and the judge; but on the contrary, therefore they fear and are terrified, because they know their thefts, robberies and murders. Wrongly, then, do the adversaries speak when they affirm that through contrition we are stripped of all good works and filled with sins and curses. Next, as regards the other foundation: nothing more absurd can be said than that contrition, before that certain faith of the remission of sins, is a flight from God, a raging against God, a way to desperation and everlasting destruction; especially among the adversaries, who contend that contrition, even as it precedes faith, is from God alone. For Chemnitz too, in the place noted, says that contrition is a work of the Holy Spirit in us, and not of free will; and those Saxon, or rigid, Lutherans, in the colloquy of Altenburg, in the place cited before, say that contrition is a good work, but of God, not of man; for a man suffers, does not act, while he is crushed. But if that contrition is a work of God, how is it so evil as to be a flight from God, a raging against God, and a way to desperation and everlasting destruction? Does God bring it about in us that we flee from him, that we rage against him, that we rush into desperation and everlasting destruction? Such works are worthy not of God but of the devil as their author; unless with the Manichees you make even the devil a god. Next, the Ninevites, on the witness of Jonah, chapter 3, did they not doubt of the remission of sins, when they said, “Who knows if God will turn and forgive?” And yet, terrified and pricked at the preaching of Jonah, they did not flee from God, nor rage against him, but rather strove to appease him with works of Penance, and by that means at last obtained mercy. True contrition, then, even without certain faith of the remission of sins, is not a flight from God, nor does it fill a man with sins, nor deprive him of good works; but it is rather a sacrifice most pleasing to God, and an antidote to sins, and a way to grace and salvation. “Compunction,” says Saint Ephrem in the book on the last judgement, chapter 4, “is the health of the soul, is the illumination of the mind; compunction acquires for us the remission of offences; compunction makes Jesus the only-begotten dwell in us.” And below: “Great,” he says, “is the virtue of tears, and much do the tears prevail which are according to God.” And Saint John Chrysostom, homily 5 on Penance: “Penance,” he says, “is a medicine extinguishing sin, a gift given from heaven, an admirable virtue, a grace surpassing the force of laws.” And in the same way speak the other Fathers, whom there is no need to adduce in this place, since their testimonies in praise of Penance or contrition occur everywhere. Yet we do not concede that contrition can exist without all hope of pardon, but only without that certain faith of the remission of sins which the Lutherans require; for we follow Saint Cyprian in the sermon On the Lapsed, speaking thus: “Neither despairing of the mercy of the Lord, nor yet already claiming pardon.” From which opinion the Council of Trent has by no means departed, since both in session 6, chapter 9, it detests the empty confidence of the heretics, who teach that it is to be believed with certain faith that sins are forgiven; and in session 14, chapter 4, it affirms that with true contrition the hope of obtaining mercy ought to be joined.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT II.
Contrilionem cssc actioncm bonam ct liberam
atque ad evangelinm pcrtinenlem.
Ul a Prima quacslionc principium faciamus :
Sciendum est. magiiam parlcm Lulheranorum, in
ea sentenlia csse, ul Conlrilio niliil sit aliud. nisi
terror (juidam conceplus cx considcrationc pecca-
torum: et suppliciis, quac divina lex peccatoribus
comminalur. Cui dogiuati tria vcluli paradoxa ad-
jungunt. Primum: Conlrilioncm nnn esse libcram,
scd coaclam et (!Xtorlam;imino non esse aclioncm,
sed meram passionem: non enim liomo se ipsc
contcrit, ut ipsi dirunt , sed Dcus esl qui cuni
conlcrit niallco logis et minaruu). Socundum :
Conlritionem ad Icgom, non ad cvangolium pcrli-
nere;Iex enim est,quae supplicia comminando ler-
ret, evangolium auloiu Chrislum (dVorondo conso-
latur: proindc Pocnilcntia, (juac Coulriliouc cl fidc
(ul ipsi loquunlur) conslat ; parlim a lcgc, partim
ab evangclio pendct. Tcrtiuin : Conlnlioiicm non
modo non cssc opus boiium , scd oliam homincin
omni bono oporc spoliarc; ct pcccatis ac malcdi-
clionibus rcplere,el co inodo mortilicarc atque oc-
cid(!rc, ut dcinde pcr fidoui vivilicctur cl resurgal
ac bonis omnibus roploalur.
Lulbcrus iu priina disputalione cnnlra Antino-
mos, proposilionc 2. scribil: Conlritioncm cssc ta-
63 i
i)E i'oi:Mri:Mi\
ilimi el sonsuin U"^\s in coiiscienlin: el proposilio-
iie M). scril>il , csse iillliclionein ac passionein,
(piain fOiiscitMilia pali co^iliir , cliamsi norinl. In
arlicuiis (puxpic SmalciiaMicis, lit. ile Poeiiitenlia,
(licil coiilrilionem non csse aclivam. scd passi-
vam: el comparal logom fiilmini proslenioiili, ol
cilat vcrba illa Uierein, 1\\. Ycrha nicii suiil (nutsi
iiiaUcus conlcrcn^ pclras.
Eandcm scnlenliam acriler lucnlur Joanncs Wi-
paiulns. ot alii rij^idi Lulliorani, ul inlelliiii jiolosl
e\ colloiiuio allomljiirj^ensi: nam iii collalionc 4.
nl)i respoiulenl rifridi Lutlierani nd lcrtiuin scri-
ptum Wirlembergensimn, sive mollinm, el (iil in
co coIIo(iuio nomiiianlur ) elccloralium rutlicra-
norum, in ar^umonlo 21. baec vorl)a babonlur :
Tani lex, quam evanfjclium.ad conversionis do-
ctrinam pcrUiicnl : quac tamcn confundcnda
710/1 sunt. Lcx quidcm ad contrilioncm pcrtinel,
lioni. 3. sed evangelium ad secundani parlcm
conversionis. nempe ad fidem, refcrcndum cst.
Va infra: Contritio non cst opus noslrum. cstpo-
lius passio nostra.qua conlcrimur ct concutimur,
Et infra: ^os pnssivi tantum sumns, nosniliila-
<jimus, scd patiinur: ipsc Deus nos contcril, non
ipsi nos. El infra: 1'roprictates contnlionis sunt ,
liomincni vel pertinncem.vcl liypocrilam, cxuere
et expliare ab omnihus suis bonis operibus,cim-
que replerc innumerabilibus j^cccatis , hoc cst ,
coqnitionc pcccatoruni, concutcrc euni timorc ,
trcmorc. /lorroro.El infra: IHanifeslum ifjilur est,
legcni ad contritionem perlinerc , contritioncm
aulem nos privare omnibus opcribus bonis co-
rani Deo in ncgotio salutis; et i)cccalis , alque
nialedictione nos replcre.
Ad candom scntonliam accedere videtur Remni-
tius. qui in 2. parlc cxaminis Iridenlini concilii
cap. 3. de Pucnitenlia pag. 912. el 943. docct :
Contritionem ad lcgem perlincrc, Fidom ad evan-
golium. El cap. 4. pap-. 9j.>. scribil: Contrilioncm
iion esse opus liberi arbilrii, cum Spirilns sanclus
per verbum praedicatum, audilum et cogilalum,il-
lam in nobis excilet, inchoiU, operctur et efTicial.
Idom scribil: Conlrilioncm, nisi acccdat fidcs.quae
statiial nobis remilli peccala propler rilium Dci ;
csse fugam Dei, cl frcmilum adversus Deum, qui-
l)us tamlcm ruilur iii aclernum exilium. Haec ille,
Contra aulem sonliunt: Contritioncm esse opus
bonnm. et noslram actionem , el ad cvangelium
perlinere. Lulborani mollcs, ut porspicuum csl ex
colloqiiio alloniburgensi citalo.ubi ponilur rcspon-
sio elocloralium Ibcologorum ad quarlum soriplum
Saxonicnnim: cum quibus etiam Calvinus sentit
lib. 3. Inslitut. cap. 3. § 20. Et hacc esl vorior
sentenlia ol omnium calbolicorum: ul anlem faci-
lius el darius verilas comprobelur, subjiciam ali-
quot proposiliones,
Prima propositin: Conlrilio non est terror ex
«ijnis lcgis conceplus. llaec proi)OSilio probala est
m libro superiore cap. 19, el sane practer argu-
menla eo looo adducla, nomina ipsa, el metapbo-
rae unde sumpta snnl ea nomina. salis apertc do-
ceiit, aliud cssc, torreri el conlrcmiscere ; aliud
vero, conteri , mblliri et scindi. Potcst enim res
intcgra ct dura coramoveri et tremare: al non po-
losl dura simul ct mollis , intcgra ol scissa seu
contrila pormancrc. Quomadinodnm aiitem cum
lapidca molos ilii conleriliir, ut iii piilvcrcm n>di-
galur; durilicm cl tumorcm dcponit, nl jain llecli
ct formari so facile sinat ad arlilicis arbilriiim: sic
etiain cor i^occaloris durum ac lumidiim, Dei logi-
bns cl impcrio rcsislons.iier coiilrilioncm imdlilur,
biimilialur, lcgi Dci siibditiir, prisliuiim suain du-
riticm cl tumorem deponit, Et ideo in Scripluris
idoin osl.cor coiilrilnm ol cor cariuuim: Deus enim
quasi malloo conlcril potras. ut dicilur llic^r. 23.
(piando aufcrl cor lapideum ct doiiat cor carncum,
juxla Iv/.ccbiolom Ciip, 11. ul cxponit llicronymus
in commcntiirio llicrcmiiic ;id cap, 23.
Rursus fcrc scmper bumililas cum contritione
coniungilur, ul psalm. 33, Prope csl Dominus iis,
qui tribulalo sunl cordc,el humilcs sj^iiritu salva-
buntur. In quein locum Basilius ct Auguslinus
j)ro tribulalo, Conlrilo lcgunl ; cl cor contritum,
cor humile essc dicunt. quia scquitur in psalmo :
El hu,milcsspiritusalvabunlur.^\ccA'mn in psalm.
50. Cor conlritum el liuniiliatum Deus non de-
spicies. Qucm locum tractans Chrysoslomus hom.
9. in cpistol.ad Hebr, docet Conlritionom sine liu-
raililatc csse non posse. Ciim igitur Contritio du-
rilicm cl lumorcm, ac proinde peccali afTcctum ,
sccum non patiatur. dubilari non potest, quin a-
liud sit Conlrilio, aliud simplox terror, Siquidem
tcrrorcs in cordc duro cl superbo esse possunl ,
ut perspicuum est in primis dc Salana et angclis
ejus, qui crcdunt et conlremiscunt,Jacobi 2, ct ta-
mcn nec peccatura suum oderunl: ncc tumorem
aut obslinalionem unquam deponunt, Planurn est
eliam de Felice illo Syriae praesidc, qui audiens
Paulum de futuro judicio disputantem, non lcvem
terrorcm concepit, ut scribil s, Lucas Aclor, 24,
nec lamcn conlrilionem biibuissc dici potcst, cum
retinueril cor lapideum, et nec infidelitatem, nec
caelera sua pcccala dimiserit,
Deindc: Scriplura Conlntioni tantam vim tribuit,
ul David dical: Cor conlrituni et humiliatuni Deus
non despicics, psalm.50.ct Dominusapud Isaiam:
Ad qucm rcspiciani, nisi ad pauperculum.ct con-
trilum spirilu,eltrcmentemscrmoncs meos? Isai.
66, et quod supra cilavimus: Prope est Dominus
iis, qui iribidato,'\6e^l,con[\'i\.o,sunt corde.psalm.
33. Quis anlem credat, terrorcs illos, qui in homi-
nibus impiis, et in ipsis daemonibus esse qucurit ,
a Deo non possc despici, el super eos, qui ila ter-
renlur, semper Dominum clemenler aspiccre ac
prope essel)oum liis, qui snpplicia et tormenla sic
timenl, ut intcrim peccata non dcscrant?
Denique Scripturac divinae, ct sancti eliam Pa-
tres cum describunl veram animi contritionem,non
solos pavorcs el terrores, sed geraitus, lacbrymas,
suspiria, dolenlis animi, et pcccala deteslantis,no-
bis proponunt.
Secuiida propositio: Contrilio non est passio ,
sed actio, el ea libcra, non coacta. llaec |)roposi-
lio advcrsuseosdem Lulheranos niillo negolio con-
firmari polest. Nain in primis extant :iportissiina
pracccpla divina dc Conirilione. Joiilis 2. Scindile
corda veslra. Matth, ^.Poenitentiamagile.kcior.
17. Nunc annu7iciat ho7ninibus,utomnes,ubiquc
L\m\ Si^CU.NDUS
635
Poenitcnliam aganl. At ridiculum est, ad passio-
iiom coaclam, el non polius atl liberam actionem ,
ojiismodi praeccpla relerre. Quorsum enim impc-
renUir ea. quae non sunt in noslra poteslalc. ct
quae vcliraus, nolimus. tolcrare cogimur? quis nisi
amens, iiorlarelur aliqucm , ul rulmine dc coelo
cadenle, aut lconc sibi occurrcnle. pavcrel?
Deinde: Conlrilio gralissimum Dco sacrificium
cst, ut ex psalm. 50. supra oslendimus; et oculos
Domini ad sc Irabit. ut ex cap. 60. Isaiac inlelligi
polesl: et promissioncm habet misericordiae et
graliae, ul Scriplurac passim lestanlur. Al passio
coacla nihil habet, unde placeat Deo, ul nolum esl:
Conlrilio igilur non mcra passio, sed actio, eaque
voiuntaria ac libera esse dcbet.
Dcnique non alia de caussa conlrilionem adver-
sarii passionem esse volunt, et extortam , atque
coactam,nisi quia sibi persuaserunt, Contritionem
nihil essc aliud, nisi terrores illos cx minis prae-
ceplorum conceptos: nequc enim fieri posse vide-
lur, ut racnli ol^jiciatur peccatura proprium, et si-
mul ita Dei in pcccatores,el supplicia aelerna pec-
caloribus pracparala, (|uin lerror ct pavor ingens
hominem isla cogitantem invadal. Alqui jam satis
ostendimus, longe aliud esse conlritionem . quam
islos lerrores. El iicel etiam lerrores isli conlrilio
dici possent, adhuc tamen nou coacli , sed liberi
dici deberent: nam supplicia ista, quae Deus pec-
catoribus comminatur, non ut pracsenlia et visi-
bilia oI)jiciunlur oculis, sed ulfutura.absenlia, in-
Tisibilia, objiciunlur menli. Proinde nisi quis se-
rio animura applicet ad ea cogilanda ; non facile
commovetur: applicare autem animum ad ea. vel
ab eis eundem animum avocare; in nostra potesla-
lc csl. Quocirca plurimi concioncs audiunt. el li-
bros sacros legunt, (jui tamen non extimescunt: et
Dominus ipse, cum pcr propiietas: lum per se i-
pse, ad hunc timorern horlatur , quod sane non
iaceret, si limcre, vel non limere. in potcslate no-
stra non esset. Ecclcsiast. \2.Time Deum el man-
dala ejus observa. Ecclesiasl. 7. In tola anima
tua lime Dominum.-' Vs;\\m. '.\?>.Timete Dominum
omnes sancti ejus.Luc.\2.Timele eum, qui post-
quam occidcril, habet potestatem mittere in gc-
hennam; ita dico vobis, hunc timete.
Sed unum est argumenlum. quod el Lulhorus ,
et Lutherani passim oljiiciuiU. Ilicremiae 2.*$. Quid
palcis ad triticum, dicit Domi7ius'? numquid nun
verba mea sunl qudsi ignis, dicil Dominus. et
quasi mattens rjmterens pelras? ccrtc iguis vio-
lenler comburil, quidquid illi objicilur; el malleus
pelras conlerit, sinc ulla ipsarum coopcralione.
Al facilis rcsponsio est. IVam , ut s. Ilicronymus
in commenlario loci hujus admonel, com|)aral l)o-
ininus vcri)a sua cum vcrbis ralsorura prophela-
rum, atquc in co discrimen ponil: quod iiti prae-
dicarenl ea , quae auditoriI)us placebant. (piafMiue
eis nihil prodcssc polcraut , ciim cssenl vana et
falsa; unde etiam palcas nominat , quae medullam
non iial>enl. neque alere cl saliare possunl; ipse
vero per proplictas suos flagclla ct supplicia iin-
minenlia nunciarel; cl non dulcia, scd ulilia con-
cionarelur, quae vim liabcbanl ad Pocmlenliam
commovendi. Itaque Domiuus vcrba sua, Inlicum,
igncm et raalleum appellavit:lrilicum,quod ulilia cl
solida essenl; ignem.quod acriler pungercnt acpu-
dorc alTicerent auditores; raalleuui, quod ad contc-
retida ct humilianda corda non parum valcrcnt.
Proinde mctaphora ignis ct mallci.non ad tollendam
hominum cooperationcm, sed ad enicaciam praedi-
catioiiis propheticae indicandain , atque ad eam, a
somniis ol falsis polllcitationibiis pseudoprophela-
rum distinguendara, relerenda esl. Alioqui , sicut
ipscDominusdicitur verbo suo quasi malleo pclras
conlerere, quia Contrilionem iu nobis. parlira in-
lerna gratiae aspiralioiie, parliin externa pracdi-
calionc operalur; sic eliam dicuntur homincs cor-
da sua conlerere, quia diviuae operalioni pcr libe-
rum coopcranlur arbitrium. Sic ciiiin legil Augu-
stinus in psalm. 3;». ,Juxta est Dominus iis, qui
obtriverunt, cor, pro eo quod noslracdilio habet:
Prope est Dominus his. qui tribulato sunt corde.
El perspicue Juelis 2. Domiuus clamal: Sciiidite
cordaveslra. El sicut Ezechiel. 30. Dominusail :
Dabo vobis cor novum et spiritum novum. Sic
etiam ail Ezecliiel. 18. Facite vobis cor novum
et spiritum novum. Et sicul Michcac 7. legimus:
Projicite in profundum maris omnia peccata no-
stra. Sic eliam legimus Ezcchiel. 18. Projicitea
vobis omnes praevaricationes vestras.El quemad-
modum nos Deum orainus ; Converte nos Deus
salutaris noster. psalra. 8i. sic ille vicissini po-
slulat a nobis: Convertimini, et agite Poeniten-
tiam, Ezechiel. 18.
Quare cum el Deus conlerat corda nostra, cl no-
bis irnperel ut ea scindamus ct contcramu.-^; cum
dcl nobis cor novura, el velit.ul nos ipsi nobis fa-
ciamus cor novum, cum projiciat peccala noslra ,
el nobis; ul ca projiciamus, luandct; cum nos ipse
convcrlat, et Poenilentiam nobis inspirel, el simul
ul convcrtamur. el Poenitentiain agamus, jubeal ;
nulla remanet dubilalio, quin ad contriliouem no-
slram vere coopercmur. et sit contritio non mcra
passio , sed ctiara actio eaque voluntaria ac li-
bera.
Terlia proposilio:Co?i/r«7to ad evangelium ma-
xiine pertinet. Ilaec esl adversus eosdem Lulhe-
ranos, et probalur Primo ex valicinio Ezechielis
cap. 11. et 30. ubi Dominus pollicehir filiis Te-
slamenti uovi, spiritum novum el cor caineum pro
corde lapideo: idcm enim esl, cor lapideum cl cor
durum. idcm etiam cor carncum ot cor conlrilum.
ul s. Ilieronymus docel in illud llicr. 23. Quasi
matleus conterens pelras.
Sccundo id probaliir. iVam Cliristusauclor cvaii-
gelii, contrilioncm praedicavit cum diceret Poeni-
lentiam agite.appropimiuabit enim regnum coe-
lorum. Mallh. 4. cl rursus: iYo7i veni. iiKpiil, vo-
c.are juslos, sed peccntoros ad Poenitenliam.Lyic.
o. Apostoli (pio(pie a Chrislo missi ad cvangelizaii-
dum, cxcuntes praedicabant, ul Poeuilenliiim age-
rcnl, .Marc. (i.El rursus posl rcsurriictioiieut siiiim
explicaus Clirislus I.ucae ultim. qiiod evangclium
praedicaiidiim essct iii nomine siiii: (iporlet.prae-
dicari Poenilenlinm. et rcmis^ionem pcccalorum
iiiomnes genlos, Xciov. .'». Pclrus dicit Clirislum
«'.Xiiltaluiii a Piilre.ad dand;iiu Pnenileuliam l^r.iiili.
Aclor. W.Krgo ct genlibus Poenitentiain dedit
b:iti
i)K i'okmti:mia
Dcufi advUafn. .\(ior.l7./;/ lcmpora (luidcin liu-
Jus iiinoranUtic dcspicicns Dcux^nunc annunciat
huniinibus.ut omnca ubiquc Pocnilenliam nijant.
Acloruin ^O.P.nilus pr;icilio;iss(> dicil JiKliiois iil(|ii(;
j;;eiililil)us rdcnilciiluun iii Dcuiii, cl rKJcin lu Do-
mluuin uoslrum Jesuin Clirisluiu: cl (';ip.2(».ilcriiin
iinirmat so praedicasso,ul Poonilciiliam aj,'orcul, el
couNcrloreulur ad l)oum.di};n;i PocuilenluH' opora
lacioiilos. Ac ue oiuiiia pro>0(iu;imur, pioii;i suiil
volumiua (>vau}ielioa el aposlolica loslimouiis.Qua-
re uisi a l\»cuiloiili;i Conlrilionom oxcliidcre vo-
liiil, aul OiirisUim el aposlolos uon cvaiigclii, sod
Ioj,MS vcleris praedioaloros faoiaut,uon possuul ul-
lo modo no};are,quin coulrilio ad CYangolium pro-
prie porliiKMi.
I*r;ielcroa lox velus, ut a nova dislinguilur, non
liabel |)romissionem gr;ili;io.ue(]uc ejus opora Deo
suiit grala. N;im si cx log(i essot juslitia: Clirislus
(jralis morluu^ csscL ail .\poslulus Gal. 2. c[,Qui
upcratur, nimirum sino tiralia. quac propria osl
Tostamenti novi. habct gloriani, sed non apud
Dcum. Uoman. 4. ol. Idtnicos nos fccil minislros
novi Tcslamcnli. non litcra. scd spiritu: Ulcra
cnini occidil, spirilns vivilical, 2. Corinlh. 3.ubi
lilora loiiis sine spirilu ev;iugelii. tautum abesl, ut
vilam adlorro dicaUir, ut eliam dicalur occidero.
Al eontrilio Deo gr;itissima esl. cl graliue ac vila
promissionem iiabct. SacrificiumDeo spiritus
tontribulalus, psal.ii, 50. Sacrificium autcm ideo
iioiuiualur. quia instar sacrificii Deu ijrata etacce-
pla Conlrilio est. Item in eodem psalmo: Cor con-
tritum ct liumilialum Deusnon despicies.El Isaiae
GG. Ad quem respiciam. nisi ad pauperculum,
et contritum spiriiu? Ei Deul. 4. Invenies eum,
si quaesieris in toto corde tuo, el in tota iribula-
tionc animae tuae.FA Eie.c\)\e].\S.Si imjjius ege-
ril Pocnilenliam elc. vita vivet. Cum igiiur habe-
al Coulritio, sive Poenilenlia, quae potissiraum in
Contrilioire consislil, promissioiiem graliae et vi-
tac: sine dubilatione ad evangelium polius, quam
ad legem pertinore dicenda cst.
Denique si ulla raiio esset, quia proprium legis
05i lerrcre, ul evangelii proprium esl consolari. At
j;im oslendiuius, Coutrilionem non esse tcrrorem
a lege incussum. El praeterea neque iilud esl ve-
nim, evangelii propriam esse consolationcm, non
auiem niinas:siquidem ovangelium,ul mirifice con-
solaturobediontes el lidelcs,'ita veheraenter inobe-
dientes el iufideles exterret. Sic enim de Christo
Joanues concionalur: Ct/jus ventilabrum in manu
cjus, et permundabil aream suam, et congrega-
bit iriiicum in horreum suum.-paleas autem com-
burei igni inextinguibili. ftlatth. 3. et ipse Domi-
mis noune passim Malth. 5. 13. 24. el 25. Marc.
9. Luc. 12. etalibi, minalur gehennam,igncra ine-
Minguibilem, vermem qui non moritur,"lenebras
exleriores, stridorera dentium, supplicium sempi-
ternum? Et quid est, quod Apostolus ait in ipso
principio epist. ad Rom. Non erubesco evangeli-
um. virtus enim Dei esl,in salutem omni creden-
ti, Judeo primum etGracco.justitia enim Dei in
co rcvelalur ex fide in fidem: sicul scriptum esl:
Justus autcm ex fide vivit. Revelatur enim Dei
u'e coelo super omneyn imjjictatem et ivjustiliam
hominum corum. qui vcritafem Dci in justilia
(lclincnt:^ Corle hoc loco porspicue Paulus docet:
Evangelium conliucro non soluin credenlium sa-
IuUmu , seil etiam minas irae Dci erga pecca-
turos. Ouiire nulla oniniuo romanct dubihilio ,
(liiin Conlrilio ad cvangolium [lortincrc dicen-
(la sil.
QiKirla proposilio: Conlrilio non spolial hami-
ncm bonis operUyus; c.t pcccatis ac malediclio-
nibus replet, sed conlra potius. el ipsa esl opus
boiium ct a peccatis liberal.cl bona opera ac bc-
ncdiclioncs addncit. II;icc proposilio salis prob;i-
bilur, si nmdamcnla adversariorum coguoscanlur
ct evertanlur.
Doo siinl igilur fdndamcnta ipsorum.Unum.quiii
cxporionlia loshitur, eos, qui verjini Contritiouem
pccciitorum habcnl: seipsos contemncrc ac dete-
stari, nihilquc in se boni,sed multa mala agnosce-
rc, atque idcirco sc indignos gratia , dignos odio
cl suiipliciis judicare. Alteruin,quia lerroros illos,
quos ipsi Contritioncm vocant, antcquam fides cer-
ta remissionis pecc;itorum accedal, nihil aliud es-
se volunt, nisi fugam Dei, fromiluin adversus
Deum, viam ad desperalioncm,atque exitium sem-
pitcrnum.
Scd in ulroqe multum errant. Nam quod homo
sc bonis operibus vacuum, et peccatis onustum
cernat; non est Conlrilionis cffeclus, sed parlim
humilitatis, partim discussionis el cognilionis sui
ilisius: Contrilio vero, ejus cognilionis non causs;i
esl, sed effcclus. IVon enim quia conteriiur quis,
ideo se peccatis plenura agnoscit, sed ecoutrario,
quia se videt peccalis plurimis cooperlum: ideo
conterilur, angitur,dolet. Quemadmodum in rebus
corporalibus, non ideo vulneribus ac morbis re-
plemur, quia dolemus: sed quia vulneribus ac
morbis nos plenos cernimus, idco doleraus. Elfa-
cmorosi homines, non quia supplicium timcnt el
viso paUbulo ac judice, lerrcntur, ideo furtis, ra-
pinis, homicidiis replenlur; scd contra, ideo li-
menl ac terrentur, quia furla, rapinas, homicidia
sua noverunt. Pcrperam igitur loquunlur adversa-
rii, cum nos per Contrilionem oranibus bonisopc-
ribus spoliari, el peccalis ac raalediclionibus re-
pleri afiirmanl.
Deinde, quod attinel ad alterum fundamenlum:
nihil absurdius dici polesl, quam, Conlritionem
ante certam illam fidera remissionis peccatorum,
esse fugam Dei, fremitum contra Deum, viam ad
desperalionem el exiUum sempilernum; praeser-
tim apud adversarios, qui Conlritionem, eliam ut
iidem praecedit,a solo Deo esse contendunl. Nam
et Remnilius loco notato dicit, Contritionem esse
opus Spiritus sancti in nobis,non aulem liberi ar-
bilrii: et Lutherani illi Saxonici, sive rigidi,in col-
lo([uio altemburgensi,loco antea citalo,dicunlCon-
tritiouem esse opus bonum,sed Dei,non hominis;
hominera enim pati, non agere dura conteritur. At
si Contritio ista opus Dei est, quo pacto tam mala
est, ul sit fuga Dei fremituscontra Deum,el via ad
desperationera, et exiUum sempilernum?nura Deus
in nobis id efficit, ut eum fugiamus,ut contra eum
fremaraus, ul in desperaUonem et exiUum sem-
piternuni ruamus? Haec sane opera non Deo, .sed
\Mm\ sk(;i;m)US
g:j7
iliabolo aucloro, (ligua sunl: nisi cum Hlanicliaeis
cllain (Jiabolum Deum facialis.
Dcinde Ninivilae, lesU^ Jona cap. ?>. nonnc do
remissione pecralorum dubilabanl. cum dioerenl:
Quis scit. si converlatur el ignoscal Ums? ol ia-
nien liMTili el compuncli ad priiedicaliunein Joiiac,
non lugiebanl a Deo. nc(]ue adversus cum frcme-
banUscd eum poliusPoenitenliae opcribus placaro
salag<;banl.et oa ralionc landem misericortliam im-
pelraruul.Vera igilur Conlrilio eliam siiie cerla lide
reraissionis pocculorum. nou esl fuga Dei, neiiue
replet bominem peccalis, neque bonis operilius
prival.sed esl polius sacrificiuiirOeo griilissimum,
el anlidolus peccalorum, el via ad graliam, el sa-
lulcm.
Comimnclio, inqnil s.Ephrem in lib. dc judicio
exlromo cap. ^. sanilas aniinae est, illaniinalio
mentis est: conipunclio remiasioneni deliclorum
jliobis acquirit: compunctio Jesum unigenilum
facit in nobiy^ habUare. Et iulra: Grandis, inquil.
virtus Ciit lackrijmarum. muUumque praevalent
lachrijmae. quae secundum Deum sunt. El s. Jo-
annos (dirysosloiniis liom. 5. de Poeuileniia: Poe-
nitentia. inquil.esf modicamentum, peccalum ex-
tiiKjuens. donum coelitus datum. virtus admira-
bilis, fjralia vim legum superans. Alque ad eun-
dcm modum loquunlur caeleri Palres, quos uon
esl opus hoc b)co adducere, cum eorum leslimo-
nia iu iaudcm Puenilenliae sive conlrilionis pas-
sim occurrant.
IVequc lamen Contrilionem sine omni.spe voniae
esse posse concedimus, sed solum sine coria ili.i
fide remissionis peccaturum, quain Lutherani re-
quiruul: seqiiimus eium s. Cyprianum in serm. do
lansis iia loquenitMn: i>cc desperantes misericor-
diam f)oinini, ncc tamenjam veniam vindican-
tes. \ qua senloulia concilium tridenlinum nequa-
qiiam rc^iossit, cmn ot sess. G. cip. 9. deleslelur
inanem llduciam baerelicorum, qui certa fide cre-
dendum esse docent remissa esse po(;cata:et sess.
ii. cap. 4. cum vera Conirilione, spem misoricor-
diac consequendae conjunclam esse debcre af-
lirmet.
C.\PUT III.