Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Word of God · Book IV: On the Unwritten Word (Tradition)
Chapter 5: That there are some true Traditions, shown from Scripture
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).
We have hitherto demonstrated that the Scriptures without Traditions were neither altogether necessary nor sufficient; now we shall show what I proposed in the second place, namely that there are some true Traditions. And first, it can be gathered from the things we have said. For if the Scripture does not contain all things, and an unwritten word is necessary, it follows that there is some unwritten word, otherwise God would not have provided well for the Church. Secondly it is proved by the testimonies of the Scriptures. The first is John 16: I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. And John last chapter: But there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written. It is established, then, that the Lord did and said many things which are not written. For these books which exist, one hand can hold; but John says that the whole world could not hold the books that should be written. And besides, those things which the Lord promised he would say, John 16, he doubtless said after his resurrection, as Luke testifies Acts 1, Appearing to them for forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. But of the deeds and words of the Lord after the resurrection the Evangelists wrote very few. And it is in no way credible that the Apostles, who had seen and heard those things, did not deliver them to the Churches; for they were not envious or forgetful, that they would not or could not tell them.
They answer: even though not all things which Jesus said or did are written, yet all necessary things are written. But this is already refuted; for many necessary things are not written, especially of the institution of the Sacraments, which without doubt the Lord delivered in those forty days.
The second testimony is 1 Corinthians 11, where Paul treats two questions, one of the manner of praying in the Church, the other of the manner of receiving the Eucharist. The first he begins from Tradition: I praise you, he says, that in all things you are mindful of me, and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you. For these ordinances, of the manner of praying, are nowhere found written. And Chrysostom and Theophylact openly note on this place that the Apostle speaks of unwritten precepts; and also Epiphanius heresy 61, which is that of the Apostolics, and Basil book On the Holy Ghost chapter 29, and Damascene on 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 at the end. Then, because something was still wanting to the delivered precepts, he adds that they keep this too, that men in the Church pray with head uncovered, women with head veiled. And to show that much is to be attributed to the Tradition and custom of the Church, even without writing, he concludes: But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God. And so he will have the contentious repressed by the custom of the Church. The other question also he begins from Tradition: For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. And he concludes: The rest I will set in order when I come; but what he set in order is nowhere found written. And the Catholics rightly judge that he not only set in order the things pertaining to rites and ceremonies, but also delivered other graver things — as of the Ordination of ministers, of the sacrifice of the altar, of the form and matter of the other Sacraments; nor can the heretics in any way show the contrary.
The third testimony is 2 Thessalonians 2: Therefore, brethren, hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word or by our epistle. To this place Kemnitz and Hermann answer in two ways. First they say: the Apostle delivered the same things first by word, then by epistle, and therefore speaks not of unwritten Tradition. But it is a ridiculous exposition. First, because that disjunctive particle whether openly indicates that the things he had delivered and the things he had written were diverse. Secondly, because if it were so, one epistle to the Thessalonians would have to contain all the doctrine which the Apostle had preached to them. But without doubt he had fully preached to them the whole Gospel, as is also gathered from chapters 1 and 2 of the former epistle; that epistle, therefore, would have to embrace the whole Gospel; but it does not contain the hundredth part, as is plain.
Secondly they answer: the Apostle here speaks of the discourse which he had pronounced by mouth, and which he himself had not written, but which was then written, or was afterward, by the Evangelists. For the Apostle, as they say, taught nothing at all which is not somewhere written in the New Testament. To which solution Brentius too subscribes in his Prolegomena. But on the contrary. For first, in this very chapter the Apostle says that he had preached to them of Antichrist, and, besides other things, had taught when he was to come: And now you know what withholdeth, he says. And, Remember you not, that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? But this is nowhere written, namely when Antichrist is to come. Wherefore blessed Augustine book 20 chapter 10 of the City of God says that they knew what the Apostle had taught by living voice, but that we cannot know it, who did not hear the Apostle; therefore not all things are written which the Apostle said. Besides, whether the things the Apostle had taught were afterward written or not, it matters not much as to the argument which we gather from this place. For the Apostle does not promise that he or another will write the things which he had delivered by mouth, but simply commands that they observe no less the things they had received without writing than the things by epistle. And in this way the ancients understood this place.
Basil book On the Holy Ghost chapter 29: “I judge it apostolic,” he says, “to adhere also to unwritten Traditions. I praise you, he says, that you remember all my things, and, as I delivered to you, hold the Traditions; and, Hold the Traditions which you have received, whether by word or by epistle.” Chrysostom on this place: “Hence it is plain,” he says, “that they delivered not all things by epistles, but many also without letters. And both the one and the other are equally worthy of faith.” The same words Oecumenius and Theophylact use on this place; to whom is added Damascene book 4 On the Faith chapter 17: “That the Apostles delivered very many things without writing, Paul writes: Therefore, brethren, stand, and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by epistle.” In the same way the Eighth general Synod expounds, in the last act, canon 1.
To these five Fathers, who expressly expound this place for us, Hermann objects five others — Jerome, Ambrose, Primasius, Theodoret, and Anselm on this place — whom he says expounded against us. But I answer: those Commentaries on the epistles inscribed with the name of Jerome are not Jerome's, but the heretic Pelagius's, as blessed Augustine teaches book 3 On the merits and remission of sins chapters 1, 5, and 12; and the very words of the Commentary on chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9 to the Romans cry out that the author is Pelagius. Then neither is Pelagius in this matter against us; for he only says: “When he wills his own things to be held, he wills not extraneous things to be superadded; but it is an apostolic Tradition, by which the Sacraments of Baptism are preached in the whole world.” What here is against us? For we admit that extraneous things — that is, foreign and supposititious fabrications of false apostles — are not to be added to the true doctrines of the Apostle. But what follows is for us. For Pelagius said that the Sacrament of Baptism is an apostolic Tradition, because he knew that there are many mysteries about Baptism which are kept in the Church from the unwritten Tradition of the Apostles — as the exorcism, the exsufflation, the anointing, etc.
Primasius too is for us; for he first sets down, almost word for word, the exposition of Pelagius of which we have spoken, and adds that the Apostle speaks not only of the Sacraments of Baptism, but also of those Traditions which are observed in the whole world, and which therefore are recognized to be apostolic. Hermann thinks that he speaks of the written Gospel, because it is kept in the whole world; but he ought to have observed that many unwritten things too are kept in the whole world, as the feasts of the Nativity, of the Pasch, of the Ascension, of Pentecost, as Augustine teaches in epistle 118. Besides, when Primasius says that the Apostle speaks of those Traditions which are recognized to be apostolic because they are observed in the whole world, without doubt he speaks of unwritten ones. For he, being a disciple of Augustine, knew the rule of Augustine to be, in the same epistle 118, that the things which are observed in the whole world, even though not written, are observed from apostolic Tradition. Ambrose is neither against us nor for us; for he only says that the Apostle in this place admonishes that we persevere in the doctrine of the Gospel, but says nothing of written or unwritten. Anselm is rather for us; for he thus expounds: “Hold in heart and in works the Traditions which you have learned, whether by our word while we were present, or by the epistle which we sent you when absent.” What here is against us; what rather not for us? Finally Theodoret also I judge to be for us; for he thus says: “You have a rule of doctrine, the discourses which we delivered to you, which we both preached to you being present and wrote being absent.” This place Hermann says makes for him, because Theodoret seems to indicate that the Apostle wrote the same discourses which he had before preached; but Hermann says this falsely. For the words of Theodoret can also be understood of diverse discourses, in this way: “You have a rule of doctrine, the discourses which — that is, those which we preached, and those which we wrote in the epistle.” And that this sense is more according to the mind of Theodoret is plain, both because it is more conformable to the exposition of Chrysostom, whom Theodoret is wont everywhere to follow, and also because the former sense is false, since it is certain that not all things were written in that epistle which the Apostle preached by mouth. Our argument therefore from that place of Paul remains in its strength.
The fourth testimony is 1 Timothy last chapter: O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust. And 2 Timothy 1: Hold the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me. Keep the good thing committed to thy trust by the Holy Ghost, who dwelleth in us. And chapter 2: Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus; and the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also. In these places by the name of the deposit cannot be understood the Scripture, but the treasure of doctrine, the understanding of the divine doctrines — that is, both the sense of the Scriptures and of other doctrines — the whole doctrine which he willed to be propagated by Tradition, as Chrysostom and Theophylact explain on this place; to which Irenaeus also alludes book 3 chapter 4, when he says: “The Apostles, as into a rich storehouse, most fully brought together into the Church all things that are of the truth.” And book 4 chapter 43: “Wherefore,” he says, “we ought to obey those presbyters who are in the Church, who have the succession from the Apostles, who with the succession of the episcopate have received the certain Chrism of truth according to the good pleasure of the Father.” And it is easily gathered from the very words. For if he spoke of written words, he would not so anxiously commend the deposit, for Scriptures are easily preserved in chests and by copyists; but the Apostle wills it to be kept by the Holy Ghost in the breast of Timothy. And then he would not add, These things commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also, but would say, commend to copyists, that they transcribe many copies. Nor would he say, which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, but which I wrote to thee. And so the Apostle commends to Timothy not the words only, but also the sense, and much more this than those, and bids him deliver it by hand to his successors. See of this place the Commonitory of Vincent of Lerins against the profane novelties of words.
The last testimony is the second and third epistles of John: Having more things to write to you, I would not by paper and ink, etc. For from these we understand that many things were said by the Apostle John to his disciples, and through the disciples to the universal Church, which nevertheless are not written.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT V. Esse aliquas veras Traditiones demonstratur ex Scripturis. Demonstravimus hactenus, Scripturas sine Traditionibus nec omnino necessarias, nec sufficientes fuisse : nunc quod secundo loco proposui ostendemus , esse videlicet aliquas veras Traditiones. Ac primum colligi potest ex iis quee dixi¬ mus. Nam si Scriptura non continet omnia, et necessarium est verbum traditum ; sequi¬ tur, esse aliquod verbum traditum , alioqui Deus' non bene providisset Ecclesiae. Secun¬ do probatur testimoniis Scripturarum. Pri¬ mum est Jo. XVI. Multa habeo vobis dicere , sed non potestis portare modo. Et Jo. ult. : Sunt autem et alia multa quee fecit Jesus, quae si scribantur per singula , nec ipsum arbitror Mundum capere posse eos, qui scribendi sunt, libros (2). Constat igitur, multa Dominum fe¬ cisse et dixisse, quee non sunt scripta. Nam istos libros qui exstant, una manus capere potest : Joannes autem dicit, totum Mun¬ dum non capere libros, qui scribendi essent. Et praeterea illa, quee promittebat Dominus se dicturum Jo. XVI. dixit haud dubie post resurrectionem suam , ut Lucas testatur Ac¬ tor. I. Per dies quadraginta apparens eis, etlo- quens de regno Dei (3). At de gestis et ver¬ bis Domini post resurrectionem paucissima scripserunt Evangelistee. Non autem est ullo modo credibile, Apostolos qui illa viderant (1) Deut. IV, 2. — (2) Joan. XVI, 12; et Joan. XXI, 25. — (3) Act. I, 3. CAPUT V. 205 et audierant, non tradidisse Ecclesiis, nec enim invidi, aut obliviosi erant, ut nollent, aut non possent ea dicere. Respondet : etiamsi non sint scripta om¬ nia, quae dixit, aut fecit Jesus , esse tamen scripta omnia necessaria. Sed hoc jam est refutatum : multa enim necessaria non sunt scripta, et praesertim de Sacramentorum institutione, quae sine dubio Dominus tradi¬ dit in illis diebus quadraginta. Secundum testimonium est, I. Cor. XI. ubi Paulus duas quaestiones tractat, unam de modo orandi in Ecclesia, alteram de mo¬ do sumendae Eucharistiae. Primam exordi¬ tur a Traditione : Laudo , inquit , vos , quod ; per omnia mei memores estis, et sicut tra¬ didi vobis , praecepta mea tenetis (1). Ista enim praecepta, de modo orandi, nusquam scripta inveniuntur. Et aperte Chrysosto- mus et Theophylactus notant hoc loco, Apo¬ stolum loqui de praeceptis non scriptis ; nec- non Epiphanius haeres. 61. quae est Aposto- licor., et Basilius lib. de Spir. sanet, c. 29. et Damasc. II. Thessal. cap. 2. §. fin. Dein¬ de, quia adhuc aliquid deerat praeceptis tra¬ ditis, addit, ut etiam hoc servent , ut viri in Ecclesia orent capite aperto, mulieres ca¬ pite velato. Et ut ostendat multum tribuen¬ dum esse Traditioni et consuetudini Eccle¬ siae, etiam sine scripto , concludit : Si quis autem videtur contentiosus esse, nos talem consuetudinem non habemus , neque Ecclesia Dei (2). Itaque vult reprimi contensiosos ex Ecclesiae consuetudine. Alteram, quaestionem exorditur etiam a Traditione : Ego enim, inquit, accepi a Do¬ mino, quod et tradidi vobis. Et concludit : Ccetera cum venere disponam (3), quid autem disposuerit, nusquam scriptum invenitur. Merito autem censent Catholici, eum non so¬ lum disposuisse quae ad ritus et caeremonias pertinebant, sed etiam tradidisse alia gra¬ viora, ut de Ordinatione ministrorum, de sacrificio altaris, de aliorum Sacramentorum forma et materia ; nec haeretici possunt ullo modo contrarium ostendere. Tertium testimonium est II. Thessal. II. Itaque fratres, tenete Traditiones quas didicis¬ tis, sive per sermonem , sive per epistolam nos¬ tram (4). Ad hunc locum respondent duobus modis Kemnitius et Hermannus. Primo di¬ cunt : Apostolum eadem tradidisse prius ser¬ mone deinde epistola, et idcirco non loqui de Traditione non scripta. At ridicula est ex¬ positio. Primo, quia illa particula disjunctiva sive aperte indicat , diversa esse quae tradi¬ derat, ct qua? scripserat. Secundo, quia si ita esset, deberet epistola una ad Thessalo- nicenses continere omnem doctrinam, quam Apostolus illis praedicaverat. Sine dubio au¬ tem totum Evangelium plene illis praedica¬ verat , ut etiam colligitur ex cap. I. et II. prioris epistolae ; deberet igitur illa epistola complecti totum Evangelium : non autem continet centesimam partem, ut patet. Secundo respondent : Apostolum hic lo¬ qui de sermone , quem ore pronuntiaverat, et quem ipse non scripserat, sed qui tum scriptus erat, vel fuit postea ab Evangelistis. Apostolus enim ut ipsi dicunt , nihil prorsus docuit, quod non sit alicubi scriptum in no¬ vo Testamento. Cui solutioni subscribit etiam Brentius in Prolegom. At contra. Nam primo, in hoc ipso capite Apostolus dicit, su illis praedicasse de Antichristo, et praeter alia, docuisse quando esset venturus : Et nunc, inquit, quid detineat scitis. Et, Num retinetis, quod cum essem apud vos , heee dice¬ bam vobis (5) ? Hoc autem nusquam scriptum est, quando scilicet sit Antichristus venturus. Quare B. Augustinus lib. XX. cap. 10. Civit. Dei dicit, illos scivisse quod Apostolus do¬ cuerat viva voce : nos autem non posse id scire, qui Apostolum non audivimus; ergo non omnia scripta sunt , quae Apostolus dixit. Praeterea , sive scripta postea fue¬ rint , sive non quae Apostolus docue¬ rat , non multum refert quantum ad argu¬ mentum , quod ex hoc loco colligimus. Nam Apostolus non promittit se , vel alium ea scripturum, quae ore tradiderat, sed sim¬ pliciter praecipit, ut non minus observent, quae acceperant sine scripto, quam quae per epistolam. Et hofc modo hunc locum Veteres intellexerunt. Basilius lib. De Spir. sanet, cap. 29. «Ar¬ bitror Apostolicum , » inquit , e esse , etiam non scriptis Traditionibus inhaerere. Laudo, inquit, vos, quod omnia mea meministis, et quemadmodum tradidi vobis , Traditiones continetis. » Et, « Tenete Traditiones , quas accepistis, sive per sermonem, sive per epis¬ tolam. » Chrysostomus in hunc locum : « Hinc patet, » inquit, « quod non omnia per epistolas tradiderint, sed multa etiam sine litteris. Eadem vero fide digna sunt tam illa, (1) I. Cor. XI, 2. — (2) Ibid. 16. — (3) Ibid. 23 et 34. — (4) II. Thessal. II, 14. — (5) lbid. 5 et 6. 206 UBER IY. quam ista. » Iisdem vero verbis utuntur QE- cumenius et Theophylactus hoc loco, quibus accedit Damascenus lib. IV. De Fide c. 17. « Quod plurima , » inquit, « Apostoli tradi¬ derint sine scripto, scribit Paulus : Ergo, fratres, state et tenete Traditiones, quas edocti estis sive per sermonem, sive per epi¬ stolam. » Eodem modo exponit YIII Syno" dus generalis Act. ult. can. 1. His quinque Patribus, qui diserte expo¬ nunt hunc locum pro nobis, objicit Herman- nus alios quinque, Hieronymum, Ambro¬ sium, Primasium, Theodoretum, et Ansel- mum in hunc locum , quos dicit contra nos exposuisse. Sed respondeo : Commentaria illa in epistol. nomine Hieronymi inscripta non esse Hieronymi, sed Pelagii haeretici, ut B. Augustinus docet libr. III. De peccat, merit. et remiss. cap. 1. 5. et 12. et ipsa verba Commentarii in cap. 6. 7. 8. et 9. ad Rom. clamant, auctorem esse Pelagium. Deinde nec Pelagius in hac re est contra nos, solum enim dicit : « Quando, » inquit, « sua vult teneri, non vult extranea super addi : apostolica autem Traditio est , qua in toto Mundo praedicantur Baptismi Sacramen¬ ta. » Quid hio est contra nos ? Admittimus enim, non esse addenda extranea, id est, aliena , et supposititia Pseudo-Apostolorum commenta ad vera Apostoli dogmata. Quod autem sequitur, pro nobis est. Nam ideo dixit Pelagius, Baptismi Sacramentum esse Apostolicam Traditionem, non Baptismi Sa- cfamentum quia noverat multa esse myste¬ ria oirca Baptismum, quae servantur in Ec¬ clesia ex Traditione Apostolorum non scrip¬ ta , ut exorcismum, exsufflationem, unctio¬ nem etc. Primasius quoque est pro nobis , nam po¬ nit in primis quasi ad verbum Pelagii expo¬ sitionem, de qua jam diximus, et addit, lo¬ qui Apostolum non solum de Sacramentis Baptismi , sed etiam de iis Traditionibus, quae toto Mundo observantur, et quae prop- terea Apostolicae esse dignoscuntur. Herma- nus putat, eum loqui de Evangelio scripto, quia toto Mundo servatur : sed advertere de¬ buit, multa etiam non scripta toto Mundo servari, ut festa Natalis , Paschae, Ascensio¬ nis, Pentecostes, ut Augustinus docet in ep. 118. Praeterea cum dicit Primasius , loqui Apostolum de illis Traditionibus , quae dig¬ noscuntur Apostolicae, quia toto Mundo ser¬ vantur, sine dubio loquitur de non scriptis. Ipse enim, quippe qui discipulus est Augus¬ tini, noverat regulam Augustini esse in ea¬ dem epist. 118. quae toto Mundo servantur, etiamsi scripta non sint , ex Apostolica Tra¬ ditione servari. Ambrosius neque est contra nos, neque pro nobis : solum enim dicit, Apostolum hoc loco monere, ut perseveremus in doctrina Evangelii : nihil autem dicit de scripto, vel non scripto. Anselmus est potius pro nobis ; sic enim exponit : « Tenete in corde, et ope¬ ribus Traditiones, quas didicistis, sive per sermonem nostrum, dum essemus praesen¬ tes, sive per epistolam quam vobis misimus absentes. » Quid hic est contra nos : quid non potius pro nobis? Denique Theodoretum etiam existimo esse pro nobis, sic ille ait : « Habetis », inquit, (c doctrinae regulam, sermones quos vobis tradimus, quos et praesentes vobis praedica¬ vimus, et absentes scripsimus. » Hunc locum pro se facere dicit Hermannus, quia Theo- doretus videtur indicare, Apostolum eosdem sermones scripsisse, quos antea praedicave¬ rat : sed falso hoc dicit Hermannus. Verba enim Theodoreti possunt etiam intelligi de diversis sermonibus , hoc modo : « Habetis doctrinae regulam sermones quos, id est, illos quos praedicavimus, et illos quos in epistola scripsimus. » Hunc autem sensum esse ma¬ gis ad mentem Theodoreti patet, tum quia est conformior expositioni Chrysostomq quam ubique sequi solet Theodoretus, tum etiam quia prior sensus est falsus, cum certum sit, non omnia in illa epistola scripta esse, quae Apostolus ore praedicavit. Manet igitur in suo robore argumentum nostrum ex isto loco Pauli. Quartum testimonium est I. Timoth. ult. : 0 Timothee , depositum custodi. Et II. Timoth. I. Formam habe sanorum verborum , quce a me audisti. Bonum depositum custodi per Spiritum sanctum , qui habitat in nobis , Et cap. II : Tu ergo, fili mi, confortare in gratia quce est in Christo Jesu , et quce audisti a me per multos testes , hcec commenda Fidelibus hominibus , qui idonei erunt et alios docere (I). In his locis nomine depositi non potest in¬ telligi Scriptura, sed thesaurus doctrinae, in- telligentia dogmatum divinorum, id est, tam sensus Scripturarum, quam aliorum dogma¬ tum, quam totam doctrinam propagari vo¬ ti) I. Timoth. VI, 20; II. Timoth. I, 13 , Ibid. II, 1 et 2. i CAPUT VI. 207 lebat per Traditionem, ut explicant Chryso- stomus et Theophylactus in hunc locum ; quo alludit etiam Trenaeus lib. III, cap. 4, cum ait : « Apostoli quasi in depositorium dives, plenissime in Ecclesiam contulerint omnia, qua3 sint veritatis. » Et lib. IV, cap. 43. (( Quapropter », inquit, « eis qui in Ec¬ clesia sint Praesbyteris obaudire oportet his, qui successionem habent ab Apostolis, qui cum Episcopatus successione Chrisma veritatis certum, secundum placitum Patris acceperunt. » Et facile ex ipsis verbis colli¬ gitur. Nam si loqueretur de verbis scriptis, non tam anxie commendaret depositum, Scripturae enim facile conservantur in the¬ cis, et a Librariis : Apostolus autem vult servari per Spiritum sanctum in pectore Timothei. Et deinde non adderet : Hcec commenda Fidelibus , qui idonei erunt et alios docere : sed diceret, commenda Librariis , ut multa exempla transcribant . Nec diceret : Quce audisti a me per multos testes , sed quod scripsi tibi. Itaque non verba solum, sed etiam sensum, ac multo magis hunc, quam illa Timotheo Apostolus commendat, ac ut per manus tradat successoribus suis jubet. Vide de hoc loco Commonitor. Vincentii Lirinen. adversus profanas vocum novita¬ tes. Ultimum testimonium II et III, epist. Joannis Plura habens scribere vobis , nolui per chartam , et atramentum , etc. (1). Ex his enim intelligimus, multa ab Apostolo Joanne dicta esse discipulis, et per discipulos Ecclesiae universae, quae tamen scripta non sunt.