opinio asserit peccatum etiam mortale in Die festo commissum non habere ex illa temporis circumstantia specialâ—m malitiam quae in confessione necessario operienda sit illam docent Cajetan Corduba Soto Victoria Almayn Sylvester Armilla Tabiena Angl. Navar. Covarruvias Gutier pro hac etiam sententia potest referri D. Thomas in 4. dist 32. art 5. q. 1. Suarez l. 2. de festis cap. 18. n. 3. vid. Bonacin Tom. 2. disp 5. p. 274. nor by any wickedness whatsoever is holy time prophaned but only by those opposite thereto viz. not hearing Mass and bodily labours So that the days may be sanctified well enough according to the holiness of that Church if after an irreligious presence at Mass for half an hour the precept for which may be satisfied without minding God or abstaining from wickedness while they are at it the rest thereof be spent in beastly Drunkenness or Gluttony in Perjuries Blasphemies or Cursing God or Man in Murders Whoring Sodomy or Bestiality or the most enormous debauches And though they are not bound as they teach to be at the pains of one good act of mind or heart in serving God at the only time set apart for his Service Scotus is almost worried by the Herd of their Divines (x) Scotus sentire videtur hoc nos praecepto juberi diebus festis bonum habere mentis actum circa Deum Soto de just jur l. 2. q. 4. art 4. p. 51. for seeming to think that a good act of mind towards God was injoyned on these days yet they may spend their bodys and toyl themselves more in the service of their lusts without prophaning them than in servile works The reason why they hold that no excess of wickness does prophane these days is (y) Nec valet dicere inter ista servilia computari peccatum quia hoc falsum est Sylv. Sum. v. Dominic n. 8. nisi esset opus servile in festis prohibitum quale non est peccatum juxta S. Thomam in 3. sent dist 37. art 5. q. 2. Navar. c. 6. n. 10. probatur a Cajetano caeteris quia opus peccati ut sic non est servile Suar. ibid n. 6. because wicked acts are not servile works It seems slavery to Sathan and the service of the vilest lusts is not servile whatsoever Christ or the Apostle thought thereof John 8. 34. Rom. 6. 16. that is consistent enough with the liberty and honour of such Christians as they are However hereby it is manifest that their Religious observation of all holy times and so all the Religiousness which that Church requires of her Catholicks is consistent with the lewdest acts of ungodliness and debauchery In fine God can have no honour from men nor they salvation from him without Religion this cannot be kept up in the world without the solemn exercises of it these cannot or will not be performed without time for that end therefore hath the Lord appointed time to be set apart for these purposes the Church of Rome hath reduced all religious Exercises at the times appointed by God or themselves to the peoples hearing of Mass and there will not have the precept oblige them to any real Religiousness not so much as to a thought of God or any thing Divine yea or the forbearance of wicked thoughts and acts while they are at Mass Thus far is Religion upon which the interest of God and Man so much depends sunk among them And it must of necessity sink all but the shadow or froth in any part of the world where these principles prevail But though they declare them not obliged to serve God any better at this or at any other time yet they maintain for them as much liberty to serve the Devil and their Lusts on these Holy times as any other Let all concerned judge of the Roman Religion and Holiness hereby if there were nothing else by which the measures thereof could be taken this would suffice Sect. 6. In the next place in reference to Hereticks to go no further for that is far enough since in their Charity the far greatest part of Christians are no better all Relatives are discharged of their respective dutys injoyned them by the Laws of God or Man Their Decretall the Law of their Church which presumes to over-rule all other Law Natural Divine or Civil deprives Hereticks immediatly of all (a) Ipso jure privatos esse haereticos omni debito fidelitatis Dominij obligationis obsequij quo illis quicunque tenebantur astricti Decretal Gregor 9. l. 5. c. ult de haeret due fidelity right duty observance which any whosoever do owe them (b) Amittunt omnia quae juris civilis sunt Graff l. 2. c. 11. n. 12. privantur jâ—…e Dominij naturalis oeconomici civilis vid. Ovandus in 4. dist 13. p. 347. They lose all which they have by civil right (c) Eorum vassalli absoluti sunt a debito fidelitatis totius obsequij idem de vassallis Dominorum qui contra haereticos sunt negligentes Sylvest v. haereses 1. n. 14. Angelus v. haeret n. 15. Subjects owe no Allegeance or duty at all to Princes or Magistrates (d) Perdunt patriam potestatem quia non habent filios in potestate Graff ibid. Fillj haereticorum ipso facto quo sententiatum est contra eorum parentes de haeresi efficiuntur sâ—i juris effecti intelliguntur a Die commissi criminis Angel ibid. n. 10. Sylvest ibid. Children owe no duty to their Parents they have by their Law no power over them and this from the first day of their Heresie (e) Viro debitum reddere non tenetur Simanca Instit Cathol c. 45. n. 27. Wives owe not conjugal duty to their Husbands and if (f) Uxoreâ— scienter cum haereticis contrahentis perdunt ipso facto dotem Sylvest ibid. Angelus ibid. n. 11. they knew they were not Papists when contracted they lose their Dowry (g) Et quicunque alij aliqua obligatione adstricti ut famuli liberti hujusmodi ipso facto liberantur Ut dicitur notatur in c. fi eo ti Angelus ibid. n. 15. Sylvest ibid. Servants are freed from all Fidelity to and observance of their Masters (h) Omnes haereticos obligatos ex juramento fidelitate obsequij pactione vel promissione liberari ita habetur c. ultimo de Haeret. Propterea si aliquis promisisset haereticis solvere sub paena vel juramento certo Die non tenetur ut notat Glossa ibid. Ego teneo quod eo ipso quod est manifestum in haeresin incidisse tales absoluti sunt quantumcunque sententia non feratur contra eos Angel ibid. n. 15. Sylvest ibid. n. 14. Armilla v. haeres n. 11. Ovandus in 4. dist 13. propos 30. p. 348. Yea Debtors are freed from paying what they owe to Hereticks though bound thereto either by Penalty or Oath They hereby oblige their
in its own nature a venial When they play the Epicures like Dives and resolve to give up their whole life to Gluttonous pleasures it is but near to a motal sin When it proceeds to beastliness and the Glutton so burdens nature that 't is forced to ease it self by vomiting or other nasty loathsome wayes it is still venial When he eats till he vomit on purpose that he may be ready to eat again it is no worse Drinking till the house in the Drunkards fancie run round is venial Nor will it be worse till reason be totally drowned The rare vertues of Drunkenness compleat drunkenness will make any wickedness then acted to be no sin at all And half-drunkenness will make it to be but a venial Sect. 20. to page 297. The multitude of particular crimes which issue from these seven Capitals need not be taken notice of as mortal They have no warrant from Scripture to count any sin venial Yet they venture to reduce to this account what the law of God forbids not only when it is of less but greatest importance To make a sin mortal requires so very much that the sinner may easily miss some of it and so venture upon it without fear that it is deadly This declared particularly They shew them a VVay to pass any mortal crime as venial How they represent venials as so very harmless that all have incouragement enough to practise them continually all their life and even when they are dying Though some few of them may make any look like Monsters in the judgment of a sober Pagan Sect. 21. to page 305. CHAP. IX THey conclude many crimes inconsistent with holiness of life to be no sins at all and so warrant all to live in the practice of them Some particulars of this nature before insisted on here only pointed at It is no sin to quench the motions of Gods Spirit drawing them to the observance of his Will any way Yet may they invite others to wickedness when they are ready for it They may lawfully deal with the Devil divers ways Sect. 1. to page 306. It is sufficient to pray with the mouth without the heart Sect. 2. to page 308. How it is no sin to worship the utensils of worship Or the word Jesus pronounced or written Or the accidents of Bread and Wine in the Eucharist Or the picture of the Manger Thorns or Spear which touched Christ Or the Ass he rode on or the lips of Judas for kissing Christ though to betray him Or the imaginary blood of a Crucifix Or to worship any person whatever as the image of God or any other Creature in the World Toad Serpent or a wisp of Straw Or the apparition of the Devil himself in a beam of light or the form of a Crucifix Sect. 3. to page 314. Perjury no sin When one takes an Oath and intends not to swear Or swears and intends not to be obliged Or swears in another sense than be knows is intended in the Oath So they may use equivocation or mental restrictions in swearing And think this lawful either to gain some advantage or to avoid any damage Many instances of such artifice of words or inward reserves which they may use to elude Oaths They may swear with such ambiguities or reserves when they are swearing not to use them No Oath can be contrived which they may not thus elude Sect. 4. to page 322. The irreligion of the Roman Church palpable in the observance required of the Lords Day and others set a part for holy imployments When the people are discharged from Religious duties at other times nothing is injoyned them on these days but presence at Mass At Mass they need neither mind God nor Divine things It would be no sin to imploy themselves in servile works on these days if it were but the custome Nor to give them no observance at all after Mass This may be dispatched before Sun rise These days are not prophaned by any acts of wickedness So that all the Religiousness which that Church requires of their Catholicks when they make the best shew of it is consistent with the lewdest acts of ungodliness and debauchery Sect. 5. to page 328. In reference to those whom they count Hereticks all relatives are discharged from their respective duties Subjects Wives Children Servants yea debtors too It is no murder to kill a Heretick or those that are excommunicated Sect. 6. to page 329. Vpon what occasion they may kill one another A man may with impunity kill his Wife taken in Adultery or his Daughter or Sister or his own Mother and this thougb they be big with child A woman married or unmarried being unlawfully got with child may procure Abortion not only to secure her life but her state and credit It is lawful to cut up an honest Mother quick and she bound to procure it that the child in her womb do not want Baptism They may without sin kill any one assaulting them unjustly not only to secure their life but to avoid a wound or a blow a Priest may do it while he is Celebrating though the Aggressor be frantick or in drink or asleep Or though he have had intollerable provocation and be the sufferer They may kill an innocent to escape themselves They may kill one before he actually assaults them though his Soul be like to perish with his life if they know he is prepared for it or does but design it So the Adulteress may prevent her Husband and kill him first with the poyson or weapon prepared for her They may kill one to secure their Goods or recover them when they may be recovered in a legal way Yea though they be of small value worth but three or four Duckets yea but one Crown or less They may kill men for their Reputation If he sees one approach to assault him he may kill him rather than retire A blow with a Cudgel or a light Switch yea or a box on the ear is a just ground to kill him that gives it yea or does but offer at it They may kill men for ill language though they allow it to be as common as any they speak Yea for an affront by mere signs though he that gives such an affront runs for it They speak favourably of Duels But allow them to kill men more privily and by surprize when they impeach their Reputation publickly or privately yea or do but threaten to do it Jesuits scarce so extravagant here as some of other Orders If the civil law did but give so much liberty to murder as their rules for Conscience no man near them could have security for his life Sect. 7. to page 337. How indulgent their doctrine is to uncleanness They oblige them not to avoid such occasions of this sin by which they very frequently fall unless they fall thereby in a manner alwayes Diverse instances What liberty they give to unclean thoughts Obscene words Lascivious writings Filthy Songs Such ditties
11. 40. Lopez c. 41. p. 224. Si adest solum oportunitas manifestandi Divinam gloriam aedisicandi ecclesiam martyrium est supererogationis non necessitatis Angel sum v. charit n. 5. Sylvest sum v. Martyr Secundum Bonavent S. Thom. sum Rosel v. charitas n. 10. when it serves for nothing more than the glory of God and the advancing of the Faith and this according to the judgment of Aquinas If it be no more than an opportunity of manifesting the divine glory and edifying the Church it is a work of supererogation and of no necessity saith another f Math. 19. Omnis qui reliquerit Domum vel fratres c. Vide quam cuâ—ctis rebus eum denudet qui optaverit esse perfectus Soto ibid. art 2. p. 244. Religio nihil aliud significat quam quod Christus Evangelicum adolescentulum docuit Sivis perfectus esse vade vende c. Et sequere me Parting with other things for Christ is no more a duty to forsake Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for Christ's sake Matth. 19. 29. is not a duty of any Christian but only such as profess perfection such forsaking all for Christ to follow him is more than needs it was so in (g) Et quod subinde Petrus subjunxit ecce nos reliquimus omnia secuti sumus te Ibid. art 3. the Apostles In short taking up the Cross is more than is commanded when it is joyn'd by Christ with self-denyal and following him as the best character of his Disciples Luk. 9. (h) De voto obedientiae intelligit Luc. 9. Si quis vult post me venire abneget semeipsum tollat crucem suam quotidie sequatur me Ibid. art 1. p. 243. vid. art 4. p. 247. They take it to be but matter of Counsel and so quit themselves of the full character of Christians at once If there be any vertue left requisite for the practice of a Christian which this Engine hath not yet demolished and brought to discretion by working it otherwise it will make clear work The least degree of vertue they say is all that is necessary (i) Bellarm. de paenit l. 2. c. 11. supra none can be assigned above the lowest in Faith Hope Love Repentance or other Vertues which is enjoyned Now that which is lowest of all is next to nothing and that which is no more can act no further so that all exercise of Vertue which their doctrine makes needful is either nothing or next to it All growth in grace with them is (k) Nisi forte in religioso qui tenetur habere propositum proficiendi quia nullibi est praeceptum ut istam curam habeamus sed consulitur tantum Sylvest v. peccat n. 4. c. needless for the first degree they attain is not only a sufficiency but all the perfection that is necessary (h) l Perfectio una necessaria ad esse altera necessaria ad bene esse quae consistit in consilijs Bellarm. de Monach l. 2. c. 12. p. 1158. what is more may be profitable but not simply needful The first and least degree of Vertue in every kind satisfies the precept and that being satisfied requires no more So all other degrees will be but under Counsel it will be no duty to look after more than the least nor will the grossest negligence as to endeavours for more be any sin And since encrease of Vertue is by the exercise of it where the increase is not necessary the exercise is needless Further no Act of Vertue in any degree is requisite but only in the article of necessity for then only affirmative precepts oblige at all other times they bind no more than mere Counsels nor than neither unless it can be known when this Article occurs and how shall it be known the Scriptures have not declared it they say nor Councels neither why they have a rule in the case (m) Quae indefinita relinquuntur a lege arbitrio boni viri sunt definienda Navar. Things not determined are left to the Arbitrement of an honest man so it is left to every mans will who can suppose himself honest if he never find time for any act of vertue he will not be obliged to any or if he will be so cautious to consult their Divines in the case some of them declare that such a vertuous Act is rarely needful nor can they certainly tell when others conclude there is no necessity of it all Now he may follow which please him best even those if he list which discharge him from all obligations to the acts in question and this he may do safely not only by their doctrine of probability but by the determination of their Oracle The Council of Trent will secure him though he never perform one act of Vertue all his life nor repent thereof at his death by a fine device which is neither Repentance nor a Vertue of which before Besides all acts which have more than moral goodness seem by their doctrine to be under Counsel and all acts supernatural and truly Christian more than needs They are not truly Christian unless they be done out of respect to God with an intent to please and honour him as the Apostle requires 1 Cor. 10. 30. But this rule as Soto tells us (n) Potest tamen accipi in sensu ut sit consilium hic videtur propinquior literae scilicet sive comeditis sive bibitis c. omnia actu referatis in Deum De nat grat l. 1. c. 23. p. 60. taken in that sense which is neerest to the letter that all be actually referred to God is but a Counsel But may not a vertual intent to glorifie God be necessary though an actual respect thereto be but advice No not that neither for without such a vertual reference the acts we speak of may be morally good as they say they were in those that knew not God and so no sin Now in any degree above this viz. wherein they are more than not sins or any thing better than meerly inculpable (o) Si addam alterum gradum viz. praeter eum quo non pecco eo modo facio actum supererogationis consilij De Monach. l. 2. c. 13. p. 1162. they are works of supererogation if their great Cardinal be not mistaken There is yet another Maxime pregnant for this purpose (p) Modus virtutis non cadit sub praecepto neque legis divinae neque legis humanae The mode of Vertue falls not under the Precept that is we are not enjoyn'd to act in a vertuous manner or as becomes vertuous persons viz. out of a vertuous habit or principle Aquinas who delivers and maintains this maxime explains it by this instance (q) Neque enim ab homine neque a Deo punitur tanquam praecepti transgressor qui debitum parentibus honorem impendit
extremae necessitatis proximi quantumvis divitiae superfluant non tantum naturae sed statui etiam congruae sustentationi Gabriel Alexander Major Gerson reputant probabilem Antoninus Conradus Durandus Durandus asserit se non audere dicere esse aliud tempuâ— praecepti extra extremam necessitatem ne â—ot divites condemnet Idem ibid. n. 11. Jo. Medina in Sa. v. Elecmosyn only when it is apparent they will dye for want of necessaries if we relieve them not Now such a case rarely happens and a man may never meet with one in such extremity all his life but if he do yet he may be excused for want of evidence that his necessity is so great he need not take the party's word for it no not though in publick places there seem to be also clear signs of it he need not take the word of any other no not the judgment of his parish Priest or Confessor though upon their opinion he may safely venture upon acts of wickedness unless they can assure him thereof as eye witnesses (*) Bonacin 1. praecept d. 3. q. 4. p. 6. n. 3. or if he be morally certain of the extremity yet if there be a probability that any other will relieve the person ready to starve he may leave him to the mercy of others without doing any thing himself towards his relief for that is another limitation (e) Extreme egere dicitur non solum qui jam animam agit vel spirat sed etiam cum indicia probabilia apparent eo deventurum nisi ei subveniatur non se offert nec expectatur probabiliter alius qui ei subveniat juxta S. Thom. declarat Cajetan Idem cap. 24. n. 5. which they add in the case For example if he thought it likely that a Protestant would relieve the perishing party a Papist by their doctrine of good works might reserve his Money and Charity for another world nor would it be necessary to exercise one act thereof while he lives Or amongst themselves while each one expects that another may do it the Poor may perish and all that might relieve them are excused Besides in this case they conclude it lawful for the person in extremity to (f) Soto de just jur l. 4. q. 7. art 1. Licet alienum arripere sine peccato in extrema necessitate Sotus Cajetan Navar Adrian Armilla Covarruvius Et in urgenti Sylvest Angelus in Vasq ibid. dub 7. n. 28. in gravi licitum esse Sylvest Medina Angel Navar. Pet. Navarra Malderus plures alij apud Dian. p. 2. tr 3. Res 29. Bannes in 2. 2. q. 66. art 7. Steal either secretly or openly from those that have enough so that acts of Charity will not be necessary among them but when Theft is Lawful and no man need to relieve the Indigent with any thing he hath till they may justly take it from him But if it were possible in these cases whereto they confine it to find any place for the necessity of this duty yet one thing more added by their prime Doctors dashes all for they teach that it is not required to relieve the Necessitous (g) Adrian 4. de restit Navar. cap. 17. n. 61. cap. 24. n. 6. In quibus tamen duobus non est de praecepto subvenire donando sed satis est subvenire commodando vel mutuando Vid. Bellarm. de bon operibus l. 3. c. 8. haec doctrina vera non solum a S. Thom sed etiam ab aliis Theologis communiter tradi soleat Vid. plures in Vasq ibid. dub 6. n. 50. by giving them any thing but it is sufficient to Let or Sell or Lend to them Navar concludes it lawful (h) Licet eos emero illis emptioni suae consentire c. 23. n. 75. quia pater tempore famis extremae fi ium vendere potest tum quia nemo tenetur ad gratis subveniendum egenti etiam extreme modo commodando vel mutuando satis ei succurrat ibid. to buy persons in extream Necessity and lawful for them to consent to it his reasons among others are because a Father in time of extream Hunger may sell his Son also because no man is bound to relieve one though in extreme Necessity gratis if he can do it sufficiently by loan exchange c. So that if a man were in such extremity for want of Food that he might sell his Son to get it for the saving of his Life yet no Christian in that case were bound to give him relief freely by their doctrine it would suffice to let him have Money or Meat by the sale of his Child We cannot expect they will ever find it a duty To give to the Indigent if not in such circumstances and 't is a plain case where there is no obligation to give there 's no necessity to give Alms. But if they did make it necessary to give Alms yet is it not needful by their doctrine to do it so as it will be a good work or so to Fast or Pray or do any other act which have any goodness in them or pretend to it so good works will by their principles be still unnecessary For that any work may be good it must be from a right principle and for a good end but both these they make needless As to the former there 's no necessity as they teach to act out of (*) Alexander Alensis Petr. Lombard Aquinas Angelus Sylvester Canus Soto Jac. de Graffiis c. supra love to God for though this be the intention of God and the design of the Law in all good acts as they acknowledge from that Tim. 5. Rom. 13. yet they have a maxim generally received (i) Ex D. Thom. graviorum autorum sententia ad finem legislatoris minime teneamur sed ad media c. Canus Relect de paenit part 4. Soto de nat gr supra the intention of the command is not commanded herein they follow Aquinas and hence they conclude that (k) Modus talis charitatis non cadit sub praecepro c. Soto de just jur lib. 2. q. 3. art 10. such a mode of acting out of love to God is not required in any command of the divine Law but the whole and every part of it may be fulfilled sin avoyded if (*) Hinc ergo patet adimplentem praeceptum per actum ex aliqua circumstantia malum satisfacere praecepto etiamsi non adimpleat Modum aut etiam sinem a legislatore intentum Bonacin Tom. 2. disp 1. q. 1. punct 9. that which is required be done though not out of Love to God at all And particularly Soto takes much pains to argue us out of the love of God in all our actings and to prove that it is not necessary And all generally conclude that it is not needful in any acts of Piety Mercy or Charity required on their days for worship since there