Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Word of God · Book IV: On the Unwritten Word (Tradition)
Chapter 12: The arguments from reason are solved
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).
There remains the third kind of arguments, which is drawn from reason. The first reason, then, is that it seems impossible that unwritten Traditions could have been preserved, since there have always been very many impediments — forgetfulness, unskillfulness, negligence, perversity — which are never wanting in the human race. Whence also we see it has come to pass that the doctrines of Lycurgus, Pythagoras, and the like, who taught and did not write, have utterly perished.
I answer: not only is it not impossible that Traditions be preserved, but it is even impossible that they be not preserved; for this care lies not chiefly upon men, but upon God, who rules the Church. As therefore God preserved the true Church down to this day against so many persecutions of Emperors, Philosophers, Jews, and heretics; and as he could preserve Traditions from Adam to Moses through two thousand years, and then the Scriptures from Moses down to this time through three thousand years and more, so without doubt he could preserve Traditions from Christ down to us through 1500 years, especially since, besides the providence of God, which is the chief cause, there are four other helping causes.
The first is Scripture. For although Traditions are not written in the divine Letters, they are yet written in the monuments of the ancients and in the Ecclesiastical books. The second is continual use; for most Traditions are in continual observation, as the rites of administering the Sacraments, the feast days, the times of fasts, the celebration of the Mass and of the divine offices, and other things of the kind. As therefore vernacular tongues are preserved, even though sometimes no Grammars exist, on account of continual use — as the Hebrew tongue, which was preserved vernacular in the people of God from Adam to the captivity of Babylon through so many thousands of years — so also, without any Scripture, such Traditions could be preserved by use. The third cause is certain external monuments which last for the longest time, as most ancient temples, and in them altars, sacred fonts, memorials of the Saints, crosses, images, Ecclesiastical books, and the like. At Bailleul in Flanders in the year 1571, when I happened to come to those parts, the Pastor of that place related to me that, when a heretic minister had persuaded the people that the erection of stone altars was a new invention, scarcely a hundred years old, the citizens began to demolish the altars; but while they were at the work, they observed certain most ancient letters carved in one of those altars, by which was noted the year in which that altar had been dedicated; and from that notation they understood that that altar had been erected long before, and, if I am not mistaken, some centuries of years before that time in which the heretic had said altars began. So the stone monument confounded the heretic and preserved the Ecclesiastical Tradition. The fourth cause is heresy; for God wonderfully uses the enemies of the Church to preserve the Church. For because in every age new heretics have arisen who assailed diverse doctrines of the Church, therefore also in every age there have arisen learned men who, to resist the heretics, diligently investigated the doctrine of the Church and the ancient Traditions, and with great diligence commended them to posterity. Just as he who long peaceably possesses his goods easily loses the instruments and documents in which is contained whence those goods came to him and by what right he possesses them; but he who is always in litigation keeps them most diligently, and by no means suffers them to be lost.
The second argument: The divine Letters were written that we might have a rule and norm of Faith and morals, as Augustine teaches book 19 of the City of God chapter 18 and book 11 against Faustus chapter 5; but the works of God are perfect; therefore Scripture is a perfect and adequate rule of our Faith; therefore whatever is in Scripture is of Faith, and whatever is not in Scripture is not of Faith; therefore Scripture alone is necessary and sufficient for preserving the Faith. I answer to the major proposition in two ways. First: the proper and chief end of Scripture was not that it should be a rule of Faith, but that it should be a certain useful memorial, for preserving and fostering the doctrine received from preaching. That it is not the chief end of Scripture to be a rule of Faith is proved. For then it would have to contain all and only those things which of themselves pertain to Faith, as we see was done in the Creed, which is truly said to be, and is, composed to be a certain brief rule of Faith; but in the Scriptures there are very many things which of themselves do not pertain to Faith — that is, which were not written because they were necessarily to be believed, but are necessarily believed because they are written — as is plain of all the histories of the Old Testament, of many histories too of the Gospel and of the Acts of the Apostles, of the salutations of Paul in his epistles, and other things of the kind. And that many things are to be believed which are not in the Scriptures has been copiously shown above; therefore the chief end of Scripture is not that it should be a rule of Faith, but that by various documents, examples, exhortations — now terrifying, now instructing, now threatening, now consoling — it should help us in this pilgrimage. Hence it is that Scripture is not one continuous work, such as a rule of Faith ought to be, but contains various works — histories, sermons, prophecies, poems, epistles, etc. Which end Paul expressed Romans 15: Whatever things were written, were written for our learning, that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope. And 2 Peter 1: I think it just, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. And chapter 3: Behold, this second epistle I write to you, in which I stir up your sincere mind by way of remembrance, etc.
I say secondly: Scripture, although it was not made chiefly to be a rule of Faith, is yet a rule of Faith, not the total, but a partial one. For the total rule of Faith is the word of God, or the revelation of God made to the Church, which is divided into two partial rules, Scripture and Tradition. And indeed Scripture, because it is a rule, has from thence that whatever it contains is necessarily true and to be believed, and whatever is repugnant to it is necessarily false and to be repudiated; but because it is not a total rule, but a partial one, thence it happens to it that it does not measure all things, and therefore something is of Faith which is not contained in it. And in this way are to be understood the words of blessed Augustine; for he nowhere says that Scripture alone is the rule, but says that Scripture is a rule by which the writings of the ancient Fathers ought to be examined, that we may receive those which are consonant to Scripture and reject those which are opposed to Scripture.
The third argument they take from the inconvenience which Traditions carry with them. For if this door is opened, that we say some doctrines are to be received which can be proved by no testimony of Scripture, occasion will be given to many of feigning and introducing into the Church many false things under the name of Tradition. For we see that of old even most holy men were deceived in this way. For Papias is reported to have taught, from Tradition, that the reign of Christ would be for a thousand years after the resurrection here on earth, to whom Irenaeus, Tertullian, Lactantius, and very many others gave credit (see Eusebius book 3 of the History chapter 39). Besides, Irenaeus book 2 chapters 39 and 40 teaches, from Tradition, that Christ suffered in about the fiftieth year of his age; but on the contrary Tertullian, in the book against the Jews chapter 5, and Clement of Alexandria book 1 of the Stromata teach that Christ suffered in the thirtieth year of his age; all which Traditions are false. I answer first: if this argument availed anything, not only Traditions but even Scriptures would have to be rejected. For many false and pernicious books too were of old adorned with the title of canonical books — of Peter, Paul, Bartholomew, and other Apostles — as is plain from Gelasius in the Council of 70 Bishops, and from Jerome in the book On Illustrious Men, in Luke. Wherefore also 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul says: Be not terrified, neither by discourse, nor by epistle, as sent from us; because forsooth the false apostles promulgated both discourses by living voice and written epistles under the name of the true Apostles. Besides, Papias took that error of his about the thousand years not so much from unwritten Tradition as from Scripture ill understood, of the Gospels and the Apocalypse, as Jerome teaches on chapter 49 of Isaiah and on chapter 19 of Matthew. Irenaeus too tries to prove from Tradition and from Scripture that the Lord reached nearly the fiftieth year; for he proves it from that of John 8: Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Finally Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria strive to prove their error from Scripture alone ill understood. In vain therefore and rashly did Kemnitz bring these things against Traditions. I say secondly: this inconvenience, which is common to Traditions and Scriptures, does not much hurt either the true Traditions or the true Scriptures. For there is in the Church authority, and also a certain way and means of discerning the true Traditions and Scriptures from the false; nor was any apocryphal book ever received by the public judgment of the Church for canonical, nor a false Tradition for true.
The fourth argument: It is proper to heretics to hide their doctrines and to say that Christ and the Apostles preached some things openly to all, and delivered some things secretly to certain only. For Irenaeus book 1 chapter 23 writes of the Basilidians that they assert that their mysteries ought not to be uttered, but kept hidden by silence. And chapter 24 of the Carpocratians: “Saying that Jesus spoke in mystery apart to his disciples and Apostles, and that they demanded that these things be delivered apart to the worthy and assenting.” Tertullian too in the book On prescription: “They are wont to say that not all the Apostles knew, or that they knew all things indeed, but did not deliver all things to all.” I answer: the heretics are apes of the Catholics, as Cyprian teaches in the epistle to Jubaianus, and therefore they too wish to have mysteries. Yet there is this difference between their mysteries and ours, that their mysteries seek secrecy because they are most shameful — as is plain of those very Gnostics who made the Eucharist out of the seed of man and the menses of women, as Epiphanius relates; which Augustine also relates of the Manichees, book On heresies chapter 46; and it is established that the mysteries of the Anabaptists are like. And the same, that they will have those secrets hidden from the learned, and manifest only to the unskilled. For of this Irenaeus and Tertullian argue against the old heretics, that they said Christ did not deliver those mysteries to the Apostles, nor the Apostles to their successors the Bishops, but to I know not what others. But our mysteries are delivered only to certain, not because they fear the light, but either because there is no need that they be known by all, or because not all are capable. Otherwise they are such that they can be publicly preached; for nothing is done by the Church but what is pure and chaste. And this I think the Lord meant when he says Matthew 10: What you hear in the ear, preach upon the housetops — namely if there be need. And John 18: I have spoken openly to the world, and in the synagogue, whither all the Jews resort, and in secret I have spoken nothing — that is, I said nothing which cannot be said everywhere, as far as concerns the truth and purity of the sayings; with which nevertheless it does not fight that he expounded some things apart to his disciples.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT XV. Solvuntur rationes adversariorum. Superest tertium genus argumentorum , quod ducitur a ratione. Igitur prima ratio est, quia videtur impossibile, potuisse con¬ servari Traditiones non scriptas; cum plu¬ rima semper fuerint impedimenta, oblivio, imperitia, negligentia, perversitas, quae numquam desunt in genere humano. Ex quo etiam factum esse videmus, ut dogmata Ly¬ curgi, Pythagoree, et similium, qui doce¬ bant et non scribebant, penitus interie¬ rint. Respondeo : non solum non esse impossi¬ bile Traditiones conservari, sed etiam esse non incumbit praecipue hominibus, sed Deo qui Ecclesiam regit. Sicut ergo Deus con¬ servavit veram Ecclesiam usque ad hanc diem contra tot persecutiones Imperatorum, Philosophorum, Judaeorum, haereticorum : et sicut potuit conservare Traditiones ab Adam usque ad Mosen per duo annorum millia ; et deinde Scripturas a Mose usque ad hoc tempus per tria millia annorum et amplius, ita potuit sine dubio conservare Traditiones a Christo usque ad nos per 1500 annos, praesertim cum praeter Dei pro¬ videntiam, quae est praecipua causa, sint aliae quatuor causae adjuvantes. Prima est Scriptura. Etsi enim non sint scriptae Traditiones in divinis Litteris, sunt tamen scriptae in monumentis Veterum, et in libris Ecclesiasticis. Secunda est, usus continuus : pleraeque enim Traditiones sunt in continua observa¬ tione, ut ritus Sacramentorum administran¬ dorum, dies festi, jejuniorum tempora, ce¬ lebratio Missae, et officiorum divinorum, et alia generis ejusdem. Ut ergo conservantur linguae vulgares, etiamsi nullae quandoque exstent Grammaticae , propter . continuum usum, ut lingua Hebraica, quae conservata est vulgaris in populo Dei ab Adam usque ad captivitatem Babylonis per tot millia anno¬ rum, ita etiam sine ulla Scriptura usu con¬ servari possent ejusmodi Traditiones. CAPUT XII. 229 Tertia causa sunt monumenta quaedam ex¬ terna, quae ad longissimum tempus durant, ut templa antiquissima, et in iis altaria, sa¬ cri fontes, memoria; Sanctorum, cruces, imagines, libri Ecclesiastici, et similia. Ba- leoli in Flandria anno 1571, narravit mihi, cum forte ad ea loca venissem, Pastor ejus loci, quod cum minister ha;reticus persua¬ sisset populo, altarium lapideorum erectio¬ nem esse novum inventum, et vix centum annorum; coeperunt cives altaria demoliri : sed cum essent in opere, adverterunt litte¬ ras quasdam antiquissimas incisas esse in uno eorum altarium, quibus notabatur an¬ nus, quo altare illud dedicatum fuerat : ex illa autem notatione intellexerunt, altare il¬ lud fuisse erectum multo ante, et ni fallor, aliquot centuriis annorum ante illud tem¬ pus, quo dixerat haereticus altaria incoe- pisse. Ita lapideum monumentum haereticum confudit, et Traditionem Ecclesiasticam con¬ servavit. Quarta causa est haeresis : Deus enim mi¬ rabiliter utitur hostibus Ecclesia; ad Eccle¬ siam conservandam; quia enim singulis aeta- tibus orti sunt novi haeretici, qui diversa dogmata Ecclesiae oppugnarunt, ideo etiam singulis aetatibus exstiterunt homines docti, qui ut haereticis resisterent, diligenter in¬ vestigarunt doctrinam Ecclesia;, et Tradi¬ tiones antiquas, et magna diligentia eas pos¬ teris commendarunt. Quemadmodum qui diu pacifice possidet bona sua, facile amittit instrumenta et litteras, quibus continetur unde illa bona ad eum pervenerint, et quo jure bona illa possideat : at qui semper liti¬ gat, diligentissime ilia custodit, nec excidere ulla ratione patitur. Argumentum secundum. Littera; divina; scripta; sunt, ut habeamus regulam et nor¬ mam Fidei, et morum, ut Augustinus docet lib. XIX de Civitate Dei, cap. 18. et lib. XI Cont. Faustum, cap. 5. at Dei perfecta sunt opera ; igitur Scriptura est regula perfecta, et adaequata Fidei nostrae; igitur quidquid est in Scriptura, est de Fide ; et quidquid non est in Scriptura, non est de Fide; igi¬ tur sola Scriptura est necessaria et sufficiens ad Fidem conservandam. Respondeo ad majorem propositionem dupliciter. Primo : Scriptura; finem pro¬ prium et praecipuum non fuisse, ut esset re¬ gula Fidei , sed ut esset commonitorium quoddam utile, ad conservandam et foven¬ dam doctrinam ex praedicatione acceptam. Quod non sit finis pra;cipuus Scriptura; ut sit regula Fidei, probatur. Nam tunc conti¬ nere deberet omnia et sola illa, qua; ex se ad fidem pertinent, sicut videmus factum esse in Symbolo, quod vere dicitur et est compositum, ut sit brevis quaedam regula Fidei : at in Scripturis plurima sunt, qua; ex se non pertinent ad fidem, id est, qua; non ideo scripta sunt, quia necessario credenda erant, sed necessario creduntur, quia scripta sunt, ut patet de omnibus historiis Testa¬ menti veteris, de multis etiam historiis Evangelii, et Actuum Apostolorum, de sa¬ lutationibus Pauli in epistolis, aliisque id genus rebus. Quod autem multa sint credenda , qua; non sunt in Scripturis, supra copiose osten¬ sum est ; igitur finis Scriptura; praecipuus non est, ut sit regula Fidei, sed ut variis do¬ cumentis, exemplis, adhortationibus, nunc terrendo, nunc instruendo, nunc minando, nunc consolando adjuvet nos in hac peregri¬ natione. Hinc enim est, quod Scriptura non est unum opus continuum, quale esse debe¬ ret regula Fidei, sed continet varia opera, historias, conciones, vaticinia, carmina, epi¬ stolas, etc. Quem finem expressit Paulus Kom. XV : Quacumque scripta sunt , ad nos¬ tram doctrinam scripta sunt, ut 'per patientiam et consolationem Scripturarum spem habea¬ mus. Et II Petr. I : Justum arbitror , quamdiu sum in hoc tabernaculo , suscitare vos in com¬ monitione. Et cap. III : Hanc ecce vobis se¬ cundam scribo epistolam , in quibus vestram excito in commonitione sinceram mentem , etc. (1). Dico secundo : Scripturam, etsi non est facta praecipue ut sit regula Fidei, esse ta¬ men regulam Fidei, non totalem, sed partia¬ lem. Totalis enim regula Fidei est verbum Dei, sive revelatio Dei Ecclesia; facta, qua; dividitur in duas regulas partiales, Scriptu¬ ram et Traditionem. Et quidem Scriptura quia est regula, inde habet, ut quidquid con¬ tinet sit necessario verum et credendum, et quidquid ei repugnat sit necessario falsum et repudiandum : quia vero non est regula totalis, sed partialis; inde illi accidit, ut non omnia mensuret, et propterea aliquid sit de Fide, quod in ipsa non continetur. Et hoc rnodo intelligi debent B. Augustini verba , fl) Rorn. XV. 4: II. Petr. I. 13: IVid. III. 1. 230 LIBtiR IV. nusquam emim dicit, Scripturam solam esse regulam, sed dicit, Scripturam esse regu¬ lam, ad quam examinari debent scripta ve¬ terum Patrum, ut ea recipiamus, quae Scrip¬ turae consona sunt; illa rejiciamus, quae Scripturae adversantur. Argumentum tertium sumunt ex incom¬ modo, quod secum ferunt Traditiones. Si enim aperitur haec porta, ut dicamus esse accipienda dogmata aliqua, quae nullo Scrip¬ turae testimonio probari possunt, dabitur oc¬ casio multis fingendi et introducendi in Ec¬ clesiam multa falsa sub nomine Traditionis. Nam videmus, olim etiam sanctissimos vi¬ ros hoc modo fuisse deceptos. Papias enim ex Traditione fertur docuisse , Regnum Christi futurum mille annorum post resur¬ rectionem his in terris, cui fidem habuerunt Irenaeus, Tertullianus, Lactantius , aliique permulti. Vide Euseb. lib. III hist. cap. 39. Praeterea Irenaeus lib. II, cap. 39 et 40. ex Traditione docet, Christum anno aetatis suae quinquagesimo aut circiter passum esse : e contrario vero Tertullianus lib. Cont. Jud. cap. 5. et Clemens Alexandrinus lib. I Strom. docent, Christum anno 30. aetatis suae esse passum, quae omnes Traditiones falsae sunt. Respondeo primo : si quid valeret hoc ar¬ gumentum, non solum Traditiones, sed etiam Scripturae rejiciendae essent. Nam multi etiam libri falsi et perniciosi Ornati fuerunt olim titulo librorum canonicorum , Petri, Pauli, Bartholomaei, atque aliorum Aposto¬ lorum, ut patet ex Gelasio in Cone. 70 Episc. ex Hieronymo in lib. de viris illustr. in Lud. Quocirca etiam II Thess. II, Paulus ait : Ne terreamini neque per sermonem, neque 'per epistolam , tanquam per nos missam (1). Quia nimirum et sermones viva toce, et epistolas scriptas nomine verorum Apostolorum pro¬ mulgabant falsi Apostoli. Praeterea PapiaS errorem illum suum de mille annis, non tam ex Traditione non scripta, quam ex Scrip¬ tura male intellecta Evangeliorum, et Apo¬ calypsis desumpsit, ut Hieroh. docet in cap. XLIX Isa. et in cap. XIX Matth. Irenaeus quoque ex Traditione et ex Scriptura cona* tur probare, Dominum ad annum fere quin¬ quagesimum pervenisse. Id enim probat ex illo Joan. VIII : Quinquaginta annos nondum habes, et Abraham vidisti ? (2) Denique Ter* tullianus et Clemens Alexandrinus ex sola Scriptura male intellecta nituntur probare errorem suum. Frustra igitur et temere ista contra Traditiones Kemnitius attulit. Dico secundo : istud incommodum, quod est commune Traditionibus et Scripturis, non multum obesse, neque veris Traditioni¬ bus, neque veris Scripturis. Est enim in Ec¬ clesia auctoritas, et certa etiam via ac ratio discernendi veras Traditiones et Scripturas a falsis : neque unquam publico judicio Ec¬ clesiae receptus fuit liber aliquis apocryphus pro canonico, nec falsa Traditio pro vera. Argumentum quartum. Proprium est hae¬ reticorum abscondere sua dogmata ac di¬ cere, Christum et Apostolos quaedam palam omnibus praedicasse, quaedam occulte qui¬ busdam tantum tradidisse. Siquidem Ire* naeus lib. I, cap. 23. scribit de Basilidianis quod asserant, non oportere eorum myste¬ ria effari, sed in abscondito continere per silentium. Et cap. 24. de Carpocratianis : « Jesum, inquit, dicentes in mysterio disci¬ pulis suis et Apostolis seorsum locutum, et illos expostulasse, ut dignis et assentienti- bus seorsum haec traderent. » Tertullianus quoque lib. de praescript. : « Solent, inquit, dicere, non omnes Apostolos scivisse; vel omnia quidem scivisse, sed non omnia omni¬ bus tradidisse. » Respondeo : haereticos esse simios Catho¬ licorum, ut Cyprianus docet in epist. ad Ju- bajan. et propterea velle etiam ipsos habere mysteria, lnterest tamen inter mysteria illo¬ rum et nostra, quod eorum mysteria ideo secretum petunt, quia turpissima sunt, ut patet de illis ipsis gnosticis, qui ex semine viri, et menstruis mulierum conficiebant Eucharistiam, ut Epiphatiius refert ; quod etiam refert Augustinus de Manichaeis, lib. De haeresib. cap. 46. et similia constat esse mysteria Anabaptistarum. Et idem, quod ipsi volunt, ea secreta esse hominibus doctis, et solum imperitis manifesta. De hoc enim arguunt Irenaeus et Tertullianus veteres hae¬ reticos, quod dicerent, Christum non tradi¬ disse ea mysteria Apostolis, nec Apostolos suis successoribus Episcopis, sed nescio qui¬ bus aliis. At mysteria nostra non traduntur solum quibusdam, quia timeant lucem, sed vel quia non est opus ut illa sciantur ab omnibus, vel quia non sunt omnes capaces. Alioqui talia sunt ut possint publice praedicari : nihil (1) II. Thessal. II, 2. — (2) Joan. VIII, 57. CAPUT XII. 231 enim nisi purum et castum agitur ab Eccle- veniunt , et in occulto locutus sum nihil (2), id sia. Et hoc puto voluisse Dominum, cum est, nihil dixi, quod non possit ubique dici, ait Matth. X : Quod in aure auditis , praedi- quod attinet ad veritatem et puritatem dic- cate super tecta (1), nimirum si opus fuerit, torum : cum quo tamen non pugnat, ut ali- Et Joan. XVIII : Ego palam locutus sum qua seorsim discipulis exposuerit. Mundo , et in synagoga , quo omnes Judaei con¬