Question XX: Whether it is certain that faith remains without charity

From what has been said it is clear that Faith remains without Charity. But this must be proved more deeply against the heretical sectaries, who mock that distinction of faith formed and unformed, as Luther and his followers do.

It is DEFINED, moreover, in C. Trident. sess. 6. cap. 15. et can. 28. that true Theological faith remains unformed in a sinner.

It is PROVED first by D. Bonau. ad 12. Ioannis with those words: Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in him: but they did not confess him; for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God.

But S. Doct. OBSERVES that they had true faith, yet out of fear abandoned the confession due. He adds, however, that these men did not have perfect faith, which demands also the confession that is necessary. So D. August. tract. 54.

The adversaries RESPOND that these men did not have true faith, but a certain imperfect knowledge.

TO THE CONTRARY; because in the same chapter he often uses the same phrase, and always means true faith: Many went away because of him, and believed in Jesus. Though he had done so many signs, they did not believe in him: that the word of Isaiah might be fulfilled: Lord, who hath believed our hearing? which passage of Isaiah Paul alleges Rom. 10. of justifying faith: I am come: that every one who believeth in me may not remain in darkness. Ioan. 12.

The faith of these men is said to be not right, because by their deeds they denied what they believed in their heart. Therefore he said to them cap. 5.: How can you believe, who receive glory from one another? As he expounds with D. August. serm. 3. post Pentec. Dom. 23.

It is PROVED secondly by D. Bonav. 3. dist. 25. dub. 4. ex 13. primae ad Corinth.: If I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing.

Some RESPOND that the Apostle speaks of the faith of signs.

TO THE CONTRARY: For the faith of signs is an effect of Christian faith, as is said at the end of Mark: He that believeth shall be saved. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils, etc. And cap. 11. ad Hebr., speaking of the faith by which the just man lives, enumerates the signs: the saints by faith conquered kingdoms, etc. stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, as S. Doct. runs through it at length serm. 1. de pluribus Martyribus. For this reason (he says) S. Bonav., for the same faith some were racked, sawn asunder, etc., namely the Martyrs, for the Christian, or Theological, faith. Therefore the faith of signs is an excellent Christian faith. Therefore the Apostle says: If I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, etc.

S. Doct. explains this more fully at those words, Lucae 17.: If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mulberry tree: be thou rooted up, and transplanted into the sea: and it shall obey you. But that it is the justifying Theological faith S. Doct. proves: for when Christ was urging works of piety, of charity, etc., of which works faith is the root, and when for those works the disciples confessed themselves weak, namely for always forgiving injuries; they said: Increase our faith; and they ask for faith as the primary gift, which the Apostle defines in Hebr. 11.: It is the substance of things to be hoped for, etc. And: Without faith it is impossible to please God. And which extends even to signs: the saints by faith conquered kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions, etc.

At last the Apostle concludes: There remain faith, hope, Charity, these three: where he concludes that he is dealing with the Theological faith, which is the same as the faith of signs, as D. Bonav. notes in 3. dist. 36. quaest. quinta. And more clearly in the Diaeta tit. 5. cap. 1., and with him Boëtius demonstr. 2. Symb. 2. art. 3., and D. August. lib. 1. de Bapt. cap. 8. et de fide et oper. cap. 4., Hier. in Matth. lib. 2. cap. 13., Chrysost. serm. de Ava hem.,¹ Anselm. in cap. 13., here Cypr. de unit. Eccl., Basil. Reg. brev. cap. 179. ¹ Editor's note: the print/OCR reads 'serm. de Ava hem.'; rendered as 'de Eleemo.' (Chrysostom, sermo de eleemosyna), the only recognizable Chrysostom title behind the garbled italic letters.

They RESPOND secondly that the Apostle speaks, drawing the argument from the impossible, to show the necessity of charity, without which we should be nothing, even if we were Angels.

BUT it is not an argument from the impossible; for to move mountains by faith is possible, as is clear in B. Gregory Thaumaturgus: to give away also all one's substance to the poor, to hand over one's body to Martyrdom, is not impossible: to speak even in all tongues, as the Apostles could, or those of Angels, unfolding the thoughts within, can come to pass, God granting.

It is PROVED thirdly by S. Doct. at the aforesaid passage of Luke, from that Iacobi 2. where he took it upon himself to prove that faith without works exists, but does not justify: What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? But that he speaks of true faith, not of the shadow of faith which Calvin dreams of in lib. 3. Inst. cap. 2., is proved by D. Bonav., because, speaking of Abraham, he says he was justified by works, with which faith cooperated: But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Abraham our father, was he not justified by works, offering up his son Isaac upon the altar? Thou seest that faith cooperated with his works: and by his works faith was made perfect. Who will deny that Abraham had true faith? and he calls it dead without works. It is confirmed by the Fathers, who understood this passage of true faith: Hieron. ad Galat. in cap. 5., Chrysost. homil. 2. in Genes. et homil. 2. in epist. ad Philem., August. lib. 21. de civit. Dei, cap. 26. et Libro unico de baptismo, cap. 10., Cyrillus libro 10. in Ioannem, capite decimo octavo.

Calvin PRESSES first, because the Apostle says: What shall it profit, if a man say he hath faith, when he ought to have said: if he hath faith.

It is RESPONDED that the Apostle noted the boast of the wicked, who indeed have true faith, but without charity. Therefore he adds: Shall faith be able to save him? — therefore they are supposed to have faith, and to say this boastfully.

He presses secondly that that faith is called dead, and the faith of devils.

S. Doct. RESPONDS in serm. 3. Dominic. 23. post Pentec. et in 3. dist. 23. dub. 2. et art. 2. quaest. 1. ad argumenta, that it is true faith, as a lifeless body is a true body; and as water that does not move is called dead; yet it is still true water. Secondly, Faith is called dead through the defect of the extrinsic accidental form, and of the intrinsic one, in the order of meriting eternal life.

To that about the faith of devils, he responds in 3. dist. 23. quaest. 3. that the faith of devils is true on the side of the object, as D. August. notes loc. cit. de bapt. even if extorted, because against their will they believe those things to be true which we believe; while they see that those who have the faith of Christ, and answer to it with works, cannot be damned; for hence they are tormented into believing that our faith is true. And so they are not compared with us in the habit of faith, but in the object, or act of believing, as is clear.

It is PROVED fourthly by D. Bonav. 3. dist. 25. art. 1. quaest. 1. et 2. with the argument drawn from the Scriptures and from experience, which show that there are given some sinners who are nevertheless faithful, and strive for the faith. So Matth. 22. All came to the marriage. Matth. 25. The five faithful Virgins confessing: Lord, Lord, open to us, were rejected, because they lacked the lighted oil of charity; and in the judgment very many are condemned, not from defect of faith, but of works; although they knew, and believed, that these things are necessary and that by them obedience is rendered to Christ. So observe D. August. de fide, et oper. cap. 15. and other Fathers.

It is PROVED fifthly by S. Bonav. lib. 2. Pharetrae cap. 23. ex P. P. Augustino de verbis Domini, serm. 61. et 15. de Trinitate, cap. 18. In 3. autem dist. 23. art. 2. quaest. 1. he brings forward D. Augustine lib. de vera innocentia. The same has lib. 6. in Iulianum, cap. 117. Isidore de summo bono, lib. 2. cap. 2. The same assert Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 25., Cyprianus serm. de Zelo., Ambros. lib. 2. offic. cap. 2. et in Psal. 1., Hieronym. in 32. Hieremiae, and others in Valentia quaest. 4. p. 4., Bellarm. lib. 1. de Iustificatione, cap. 15., where D. Bonav. argues with the same means.

It is PROVED by S. Doct. here. For that which is not perfected by another intrinsically, but comes to it extrinsically and freely, can stand without it: such is faith, which is perfected by charity extrinsically only, which comes freely from justification: Therefore: so also D. Thom. argues.

You OBJECT first with Calvin, that the assent of faith is an affection toward God, as we have it Rom. 10.: With the heart we believe unto justice.

It is RESPONDED that by these Calvin is run through; for the Apostle wants the confession of the divinity and of the resurrection of Christ to be unto salvation, if it be made from the heart, not feignedly; but from true faith, which is the basis of their justice. So Chrysostom homil. 25. in 9. Matth.; and Augustine accords, tract. 26. in Ioan.

You OBJECT secondly with some PP. saying that Faith without charity is not true faith.

It is RESPONDED from D. Bonav. dist. 23. art. 2. quaest. 1. that Faith is called not true in that sense, that is, imperfect, lacking its own operations for merit, as I shall say in the next quaest.

You OBJECT thirdly with the many passages of Scripture ascribing Justification to Faith Matth. 9. Lucae 8. Ioan. 3. Rom. 5. They press especially that passage of Luke: Believe only, and she shall be safe.

S. Doct. responds that faith is the beginning and root of salvation; yet not faith alone. But in that passage of Luke only faith is demanded for a miracle. So also Ioan. 11. says: If thou believest, thou shalt see the glory of God, but I have treated of this in prima 2. tract. 5. disp. 3. quaest. 11.

Truly Justification is ascribed also to Love, Lucae septimo. to Hope, Rom. 8. to Fear, Ecclesiastici 2. See the question cited.