"During another chaotic time in the Church, St Philip Neri used to tell his directees that he didn’t care what they read, as long as the author’s name began with the letters ST. That advice is just as helpful today as it was then, and with his Bellarmine Project, Ryan Grant is making the writings of one such author, the great Doctor of the Church St Robert Bellarmine, available to the English speaking public." -Fr. Philip Wolfe, FSSP, from the foreword.
The first English translation of St. Robert Bellarmine's autobiography is the only account of the saint currently in print. Though Bellarmine never set out to compose any writings, but always did so out of obedience. He wrote his autobiography for 2 of his brother Jesuits out of courtesy for their request to have an account of his life. Though he never intended it for any eyes but theirs, it was discovered and published in the 18th century, and became a great success. It is a brief and simple account of the life and travails of a great soul that loved Jesus Christ above all things.
Also contained in this volume are St. Robert's advice philosophy for writing sermons, as well as his many sermons on the Gospel Missus est, exploring the depths of the mysteries contained in the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin, taken from sermons that he preached in Italy while he was a Cardinal in Rome.
Appendices have also been added to this addition to add some explanation of historical details that St. Robert relates that are not as clear to us today.Discover in yet another groundbreaking translation from Mediatrix Press!

The Autobiography of St. Robert Bellarmine: Also containing: A Guide to Composing Sermons - Sermons on the Annunciation

Religion & Spirituality

Bellarmine, SJ St. Robert

Christian Books & Bibles

Mediatrix Press

St. Robert Bellarmine's treatises on the main controversies in Theology between Catholics and Protestants is unparalleled in its breadth and depth of scholarship and argumentation—4 centuries later. In the second installment of the Controversies, Bellarmine takes up the Controversies on Councils, the Church Militant, and the Marks of the Church so as to present the totality of the Catholic teaching on Ecclesiology and refute the arguments of the Protestants of his day, preeminently Luther, Calvin and Ochenius, and in addition, Greek Orthodox objections. Bellarmine's work in this area was not only standard reading, but the foundation of all subsequent treatises on Ecclesiology. For the first time, these treatises are available in English.

On the Church: On Councils, The Church Militant, On the Marks of the Church (De Controversiis)

In this Theological treatise St. Robert Bellarmine takes on Protestant as well as Greek Orthodox objections to the Papacy in five books. In the first, he argues that Christ established the Primacy of Peter by means of an Ecclesiastical Monarchy, why it is fitting that the Church's government should be a monarchy; Exegetical Commentary on the Lord's words in Matthew 16 and John 21, along with copious Patristic testimony. In Book 2 is whether Peter has successors in the Ecclesiastical Monarchy, wherein Bellarmine defends the Church's position on the true history of Peter; that Peter truly went to Rome; that Peter was truly a Bishop there. In Book 3 Bellarmine shows the Pope is not Antichrist. In Book 4, Bellarmine argues why the Pope is infallible when he defines a doctrine on faith and morals and proceeds to defend Popes whom Protestants and others argued had erred while defining faith. In book 5, Bellarmine takes up the question of the Popes' power in civil affairs.

De Controversiis I: On the Roman Pontiff

Grant (Translator), Ryan

lulu.com

The original of this little work was written by Cardinal Bellarmine towards the close of his life, when he had retired to the House of his Order at San Andrea. It was intended primarily for religious, but the thoughts it embodies should help many to follow the author in his faithful imitation of Christ Crucified. In the attempt to give the gist of St. Robert's work in a few pages, much condensation and much omission was necessary. This will account, in some measure, for the abrupt transition of thought noticeable in a few places.

The Seven Last Words of Our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

In the first volume on the Sacraments, St. Robert follows the order of teaching in the Council of Trent to defend Catholic truth against the teaching of early Protestants. In his work On the Sacraments in General, He defends the Catholic notion of Sacraments as well as their use. He looks to the definition of a Sacrament, and then the matter and form, the author of the Sacraments, the difference between the Sacraments used in the Old Testament and in the New, whether one can change the matter and form, as well as the notion of the minister of the Sacrament, and what he must intend to do for the Sacraments to be valid. According St. Robert’s custom, he defends all of his argumentation first from Scripture, and then from Tradition, providing penetrating exegetical commentary combined with the consensus of the teaching of the Fathers in defense of the universal Catholic teaching upheld at Trent. He also adds argumentation from reason, and takes head on the arguments of the early Protestants at every turn, showing the contradictions of Luther, the misuse of Scripture of Calvin, and the foolishness of Martin Chemnitz.In book II, St. Robert defends their effects and their number, as well as the validity of ceremonies approved by the Church. St. Robert demonstrates, on the sure foundation of Scripture and the Fathers, that the Sacraments obtain their effect ex opere operato, what is meant by that term and how the Protestants misunderstood it. He also defends the Scholastics against attacks and abuses which Calvin and Chemnitz heap on them. Moving on to other matters, St. Robert defends that the effect of grace in the Sacraments is only found ex opere operato in the New Testament. Lastly, he proves that the Church has the power to effect new ceremonies for the Sacraments, and defends the use of the Latin language in the Western Church, or Greek and Aramaic in the Eastern Churches.In On Baptism and Confirmation, he defends the Catholic teaching on regeneration in Baptism, along with the existence and effects of Confirmation. As always, he draws his arguments from Scripture, and the Fathers, combining faithful exegesis with the witness of the Church in all ages. St. Robert defends the form and matter of Baptism, catches the Protestants in contradictions, and defends that it is necessary for salvation, whereas faith alone does not justify. He goes on to show that it can be administered to children against the Anabaptists, and the difference between the Baptism of Christ and that of John. Then, on Confirmation, St. Robert shows from Scripture and Tradition that Confirmation is attested to by the actions of the Apostles, and the teaching which they passed down to the Fathers, along with its effects, ceremonies, and refutation of Protestant arguments against it. Apart from Calvin, Bellarmine makes a systematic refutation of Martin Chemnitz’s Examination of the Council of Trent on any subjects touching upon the Sacraments.“For five years in Chablais, I preached with no books other than the Bible, and the Great Bellarmine.” —St. Francis de Sales

On the Sacraments in General, Baptism, and Confirmation

The Ascent of the Mind to God, stands apart from Bellarmine’s Apologetic works. Written after a retreat in 1614, he christened it his “Benjamin”, because it was born in old age, and the first of many other spiritual works which have been popular for centuries. 
The Ascent proposes 15 steps of a ladder, beginning with man, the microcosm of all creation, being a development of Homo creates est which are found in the first principle of St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. Moving the microcosm, he turns his attention to the macrocosm, nature, the elements, the heavens, and then the heavens above, the angels and the very nature of God. St. Robert stops at each step to search out the vestige of God within creation, and to challenge the soul to consider its final end at each turn. 
Every movement up this ladder is a lesson in itself of holy wisdom, assisting men in being more prayerful, and assist them in finding time for contemplation in their busy lives. St. Robert draws on his own experience, as he was a contemplative mystic in spite of his very busy life, and exhorts the reader to overcome struggles of prayer and focus on God, which he undoubtedly had to fight back at every turn. 
Published here in a new translation, the Ascent of the Mind to God by the Ladder of Creation will help the reader: 
-to contemplate God in everyday things; 
-to challenge their life, habits, and vices; 
-to fight distraction in prayer; 
-to see in all things the power, beauty, wisdom, mercy, and also justice of God.\nThis books is ideal for personal prayer and meditation, or for making a visit to the blessed Sacrament, whether in a Church or an hour of adoration.

The Ascent of the Mind to God: by the Ladder of Creation

In the De Controversiis, St. Robert Bellarmine defends the doctrines and teaching of the Church against all comers, starting from Scripture, the Church Fathers and also reason. His work was widely read and commented on by both Catholics and Protestants and quickly became one of the standard texts in Catholic theology for centuries. In On Purgatory, Bellarmine defends what is one of the more difficult doctrines to understand in his characteristic style beginning with Scripture and the Fathers, stopping at every step of the way to answer the objections of all the major Protestants of his day, not only Luther and Calvin, but also those less known to us such as Brenz and Peter Martyr. Dividing his work into two books, Bellarmine shows that there is such a place as Purgatory by copious exegesis on Old and New Testament passages, and the clear consensus of the Church Fathers who witness the fact that prayer was made for the dead in the early Church. Then, in book 2, he examines questions about the specifics of Purgatory, what souls there suffer, where it is located, how the faithful can assist the souls of Purgatory, and other questions. This treatise, translated into English for the first time, is the best and most in depth treatise on this subject available, and is just as relevant today as when it was first penned.

On Purgatory: The Members of the Church Suffering (De Controversiis)

Press, Mediatrix

On the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass

Independently published

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