Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Word of God · Book IV: On the Unwritten Word (Tradition)
Chapter 1: Who chiefly defended or attacked unwritten Traditions
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. I, De Verbo Dei, Book IV: On the Unwritten Word of God (Tradition). 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).
Of the written word of God we have hitherto discoursed; now we will briefly set about to dispute of the unwritten Word of God, if first, however, for the benefit of students, we have noted who chiefly in this age have written of Traditions, or at least those whom we ourselves have read; for it has not been permitted us to see all.
On this argument, then, there wrote excellently Cardinal Hosius in book 4 against the Prolegomena of Brentius; likewise Peter a Soto in his defense against the same Brentius, part 2, from chapter 50 to 66; Melchior Cano book 3 On theological topics; Martin Peresius at the beginning of his work On Tradition; Jodocus of Tielt in his Apology for the Council of Trent against Kemnitz; Alphonsus a Castro book 1 chapter 5 of his work against heresies; and the Bishop of Rochester also at the beginning of his work against the assertions of Luther's articles; the Doctors of Cologne in the Examination of the Catechism of Monheim, in the reprehension of the sixth Dialogue; Peter Canisius in his Catechism, on the precepts of the Church; and William Lindanus book 5 of his Panoplia; John of Louvain in the book On the invocation of the Saints chapters 23, 24, and 25; Felician Ninguarda in his assertion of the Catholic Faith; Caspar Cardileus Villalpandeus in the book On Tradition.
Of the heretics, there wrote especially against Traditions John Calvin book 4 of the Institutes chapter 8 sections 6, 7, 8, and chapter 10 sections 18, 19, 20, and in the Antidote to the fourth session of the Council of Trent; John Brentius in his Prolegomena against Peter a Soto; Martin Kemnitz in the book which he entitled The chief heads of the Theology of the Jesuits, and most prolixly in his Examination of the Council of Trent, examining the decree on Traditions which is had in session 4; and one Hermann Hamelmann, who lately published a huge volume against Traditions, which he divided into three books of Prolegomena, and then into three parts of the principal work, each of which has many books.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT I. Qui potissimum defenderint vel oppugnaverint non scriptas Traditiones . De verbo Dei scripto hactenus disserui¬ mus ; nunc de Verbo Dei non scripto brevi¬ ter disputare aggrediemur, si prius tamen in gratiam studiosorum annotaverimus, qui potissimum hoc seeculo de Traditionibus scripserint, vel certe quos ipsi legerimus. Nec enim omnes videre nobis licuit. Igitur scripsit de hoc argumento prseclare Cardinalis Ilosius in IV lib. advers. Prole- gom. Brentii; item Petrus a Soto in sua de- fens. advers. eumdem Brent. par. II, a cap. 50. usque ad 66; Melchior Canus lib. III, De loc. Theolog., Martinus Peresius initio ope¬ ris sui De Tradit., Jodocus Tiletanus in Apo- log. conf. Kemnit. pro Cone. Trident., Al- phonsus a Castro lib. I, cap. 5, sui operis contra liseres., et Episcopus Roffensis initio etiam sui operis cont. assert. articul. Luthe- ri ; Doctores Colonienses in Exam Catech. Monhem., in reprehens. VI, Dialogi; Petrus Ganisius in suo Catechis. de praecep. Eccles., et Gulielmus Lindanus lib. V, suae Panop., Joannes a Lovanio in lib. De invocat. Sanet, c. 23, 24 et 25 ; Felicianus Ninguarda in as¬ sert. Fid. Cathol. ; Caspar Cardileus Villal- pandeeus in lib. De Tradit. Ex haereticis praecipue contra Traditiones scripserunt Joannes Calvinus lib. IV, Insti- tut. cap. 8, §. 6, 7, 8 et cap. 10, §. 18, 19, 20 et in Antidoto ad sess. IV, Concil. Trid. ; Joannes Brentius in suis Prolegomenis con¬ tra Petrum a Soto ; Martinus Kemnitius" in libro quem inscripsit : Theologiae Jesuitarum praecipua capita ; et prolixissime in exam. Concil. Trid. examinans decretum de Tradi¬ tionibus, quod habetur sess. IV ; et quidam Hermannus Hamelmannus, qui nuper edidit ingens volumen contra Traditiones, quod divisit in tres libros Prolegomenorum, et deinde in tres partes operis praecipui, quarum quaelibet multos libros habet.