Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Word of God · Book IV: On the Unwritten Word (Tradition)
Chapter 6: The same shown from the testimonies of Popes and Councils
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).
To the places of Scripture we shall add a few testimonies of the ancient holy Pontiffs and of Councils. And first, St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, in epistle 2 to the Eastern Bishops (as is had On consecration distinction 3 chapter Litteris), after he had taught that the sacred Chrism is to be renewed every year, thus subjoined: “These things we have received from the holy Apostles and their successors, and we command them to be held by you.” So he. And certainly of the renewing of the Chrism we read nothing in the sacred Letters.
St. Innocent I, in epistle 1, which is to Decentius: “If the Ecclesiastical institutions, as they were delivered by the blessed Apostles, the Priests of the Lord were willing to keep entire, there would be no variety in the Orders themselves and the consecrations.” So he. Where he treats of unwritten Traditions, and especially chapter 3, when he teaches that Confirmation is to be conferred even on little ones, and by the Bishop alone, and under a certain form of words; and he so testifies that such apostolic Traditions are unwritten that he was unwilling even in that epistle to write down that form of words: “The words,” he says, “I cannot tell, lest I should seem rather to betray than to answer a consultation.”
St. Leo I, sermon 6 On Lent: “Let the apostolic institution of the forty days be fulfilled by fasts.” And sermon 2 On the fast of Pentecost: “It is not to be doubted, dearly beloved, that all Christian observance is of divine erudition, and that whatever has been received by the Church into the custom of devotion proceeds from apostolic Tradition and from the doctrine of the Holy Ghost.” See also sermons 8 and 9 On the fast of the seventh month.
Now the most ancient and most celebrated Council, the First of Nicaea, condemned the heresy of Arius from unwritten doctrine, as Theodoret expressly testifies book 1 of the History chapter 8. For although certain Scriptures could be brought against Arius, yet because Arius too brought forward Scriptures, they condemned him from doctrine not written, but delivered by the hands of the Fathers succeeding one another in the Church.
The Second of Nicaea, act 6, volume A: “Besides,” it says, “together with many things which were delivered to us without writing, the making of images too in the Church was spread from the preaching of the Apostles.” And in act 7 at the end it thus has: “If anyone makes void every Ecclesiastical Tradition, whether written or unwritten, let him be anathema.” The same is found in the Eighth general Council, act 8; and after the last act, canon 1, the Fathers profess that they will keep all Traditions, not only apostolic, but also ecclesiastical. Whence it ought not to seem a marvel to the Lutherans if the Council of Trent session 4 also taught some such thing; for it established nothing new.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT VI. Idem ostenditur testimoniis Pontificum et Conciliorum. Ad loca Scripturarum addemus pauca quaedam veterum sanctorum Pontificum et Conciliorum testimonia. Ac primum, S. Fabianus Papa et Martyr, in epist. 2. ad Episc. Orien. ut habetur de consecr. dist. 3, c. Litteris, posteaquam docuerat, singu¬ lis annis sacrum Chrisma renovandum esse, ita subjunxit : « Ista a sanctis Apostolis, et successoribus eorum accepimus, et vobis te¬ nenda mandamus. » Haec ille. Et XI, certe de Chrismate renovando nihil in sacris Lit¬ teris legimus. S. Innocentius I, in epist. I, quae est ad Decentium : « Si instituta » , inquit, « Eccle¬ siastica, ut sunt a beatis Apostolis tradita, integra vellent servare Domini Sacerdotes, nulla varietas in ipsis Ordinibus et consecra¬ tionibus haberetur. » Haec ille. Ubi de Tra¬ ditionibus non scriptis agit, ac praesertim cap. 3, cum docet, Confirmationem etiam parvulis conferendam, et a solo Episcopo, et sub certa forma verborum ; atque adeo non scriptas ejusmodi Apostolicas Traditio¬ nes bsse testatur, ut nec in ea epistola for¬ mam illam verborum adscribere voluerit : <t Verba », inquit, « dicere non possum, ne magis prodere videar, quam ad consultatio¬ nem respondere . » Sanctus Leo I, serm. 6, de Quadrag. : « Apostolica », inquit, « institutio quadra¬ ginta dierum jejuniis impleatur. » Et serm. 2, de jejun. Pentec. : « Dubitandum non est dilectissimi, omnem observantiam Christia¬ nam eruditionis esse divinae, et quidquid ab Ecclesia in consuetudinem est devotionis re¬ ceptum, de Traditione Apostolica et de S. Spiritus prodire doctrina. » Vide etiam ser. 8 et 9, de jejun. sept. mens. Jam vero Concilium antiquissimam et ce¬ leberrimum Nicaenum I, ex doctrina non scripta damnavit haeresim Arii, ut diserte testatur Theodoretus lib. I, hist. cap. 8. Etsi enim quaedam Scripturae poterant adferri contra Arium, tamen quia Arius etiam pro¬ ferebat Scripturas ; ex doctrina non scripta, sed tradita pbr manus Patrum sibi in Eccle¬ sia succedentium eum damnaverunt. Nicaenum II, act. VI, tom. A. « Praeterea)) , inquit, a cum multis, quae nobis sine scripto tradita sunt, etiam imaginum factio in Ec¬ clesia ab Apostolorum praedicatione dilatata est. Et act. VII. in fine sic habet : Si quis omnem Traditionem Ecclesiasticam , sive scriptam, sive non scriptam irritam facit, anathema sit. » Idem reperitur in Goncilio VIII generali, act. VIII, et post act. ult. can. I, profitentur Patres , se servaturos omnes Traditiones, non solum Apostolicas, sed etiam Ecclesiasticas . Ex quo mirum vi¬ deri non deberet Lutheranis, si tale aliquid etiam docuit Goncil. Trident. sess. IV, nihil enim novi statuit. (1) II. Joan. 12; et III, 13. i 208 LIBER IV.