cometh to be converted he shall receive in an instant all the graces which were due to so many Communions though they were received in an unworthy manner Mascarenhas tr 1. de Sacr. in gen disp 4. c. 5. n. 211. From this admirable doctrine it followeth That a man may become most holy in an instant and will surpass in holiness many of those who have lived in innocency when he was plunged in Sin and the greater and more sins he hath committed the more holy he is 9. It 's not necessary that the Priest who finds himself guilty of mortal sin should confess himself before he administers the Sacrament Discast tr 2. de Sacr. d. 3. d. 10. n. 200. 10. The Priest may administer the Sacrament to one who sinneth publickly provided that he doth not receive it publickly through contempt of the Sacrament or of Religion but for some other end and that he threaten the Priest with death or loss of reputation or to do some great wrong to him in his goods and this is rather to permit sin in another for some just cause than to co-operate therewith Escob lib. 4. Theol. Mor. c. 3. 11. In extream necessity we are obliged to do alms of such things as are not necessary unto life though they be needful to support us in our condition Escob tr 5. Exam. 5. n. 43. p. 632. By Extream Necessity we must understand that on which the life of man depends so that if he be not assisted he will surely dye in this case we are obliged to give that which is superfluous 12. A person who hath abundance after he hath satisfied all his own necessaries and those of his own family having yet a superfluity is not obliged in a public Famine to give unto the Poor nor to any one whomsoever if he see him not in eminent danger to die with famine Escob tr 5. exam 5. n. 47. p. 633. 13. We are not obliged to assist or give alms unto the poor with any notable diminution of our wealth honour or life Tolet. lib. 4. Inst. Sacerd. c. 10. n. 5. p. 635. 14. We may fulfill the Precept of Alms by lending only without giving any thing Tolet. lib. 8. c. 85. n. 2. p. 1242. And that unless in extream necessity in evident danger of death Alms are not commanded under mortal sin Ibid. And in that case we are not obliged any further to provide for them if we have not Wealth to spare and Riches which are superfluous which very few persons believe they have because Covetousness and Ambition make all men in a manner necessitous so that it 's clear by the doctrine of these Doctors the Rich are not obliged to give Alms but out of their superfluity and not then but in case of great necessity Those things which may exalt us unto a better condition as Honour Preferment or Places are not to be accounted superfluous Granad 22. controver 4. d. 2. lib. 4. n. 18. So that rarely it happens that we can have superfluous goods and so by consequence we must rarely give alms Tamb lib 5. decal c. 1. sect 1. n. 14. 15. Amongst Christians there are few who are damned for failing to exercise the works of corporal mercy none being obliged thereunto under mortal sin unless in the utmost and greatest necessity of his Neighbour which happens very rarely so as to impose any great obligation on any particular person Less lib. 13. de perfect divin v. 22. n. 142. And though we are not to give Alms but in the greatest necessity yet when that happens no person is particularly obliged to provide against it because the obligation is to assist our Neighbour in general to all those who have means to do it but none in particular so that a poor man may die of hunger in the view of many persons who may and ought to assist him while they expect and attend one another none being bound in particular to satisfie an obligation which is in common to them all 16. It 's certain there is no obligation to love our Neighbour by any intern al act of the Will expresly terminated in him whence it is if you hate him not and for his sake observe the outward works of good will you love him sufficiently Suarez c. 5. d. 1. lib. 4. n. 4. Filut. Tom. 2. mor. q. q. tr 22. c. 9. n. 283. p. 92. Of 32 Parables which is the most frequent manner of Christ's discourse he applyes but one for the recommendation of the love of our Neighbour in the person of the distressed poor man abused by Thieves betwixt Jericho and Jerusalem Sermond tr 2. p. 121. It 's no mortal sin to have such a hatred against our Neighbour as not to be willing to keep company with him to have such and so violent an aversion from him as upon no terms or occasion to be willing to speak with him nor help him in his business nor at all to forgive him when he acknowledgeth his fault and offers satisfaction Bauny's Sum. p. 81. 17. There is no absolute Commandment to love God because every Command carries some threatning with it to keep them in their duty to whom it is made and then some penalty or punishment against those who violate it now the Commandment which God gave us to love him contains neither threat nor punishment and so by consequence it 's no Commandment truly so called Sermond in his Defence of Virtue Tr. 2. p. 28. God commanding us to love him contents himself that we should obey him in his other Commandments for God hath not obliged us absolutely to testifie our affections to him otherwise than by yielding obedience to him Ibid. p. 11. And God hath not commanded us so much to love as not to hate him Ibid. p. 19. And all those which in Scripture are vulgarly called Commands to love God they are Advices and Counsels but not Commands Ibidem p. 20 21. God ought to be content that we love him a little as we please because to love him more and to a certain degree is only an Advice it sufficeth that we love him much under what we could if we would because the least degree of love is enough for him and to satisfie the Commandment Amic Tom. 4. d. 23. sect 2. n. 21 22 19. Whereas it 's said we must love God above all things we must not extend these words All things to the rigour in its utmost extent and according to its natural sence so as it comprehend under it all Creatures but that we must understand by all things only those which are evil contrary to God and which destroy the friendship we have with him by Grace that is to say mortal sin only Amic Tom. 4. disp 29. sect 2. n. 16. And if we be obliged to love God we are not obliged to love him above three or four moments in our life whereof the first is when we begin to have the use of Reason Secondly at the
Councellors hold probable if it be more favourable and acceptable to the Client though he doth know and believe assuredly that the opinion of the other Councellor is false in the Theory and therefore not to be followed in the Practice Layman lib. 1. tr 1. c. 5. Nay a Learned Councellor may give to Plaintiff and Defendent counsels quite contrary according to contrary probable opinions Layman ibidem Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 9. n. 20. 3. It 's lawful in Conscience for a man to quit his own proper opinion though more probable to follow the probable opinion of another though less sure because he who believes an opinion probable acting according to that opinion ought not to be deemed as rash and imprudent Upon this Principle Pilat acted when he put Jesus Christ to death quitting his proper Judgment by which he believed him to be innocent to follow the opinion of the Jews who maintained that he was worthy of death Nay Pilat herein according to the Jesuits ought to be justified because he followed a probable Opinion and more than probable because it was not the opinion of one Doctor but of all the Doctors and Priests of the Jews That Jesus was a Malefactor and deserved death Matth. 25. 4. When one believes assuredly that an Opinion is false and that we cannot follow it directly in the conduct of some person we may send this person to those who hold with it and counsel him to follow their advice Layman lib. 1. c. 5. p. 7. 5. If you meet with two contrary Opinions you may follow them both in different affairs and even in the same affair also acting and giving contrary counsels now after the one and then after the other Layman lib. 1. c. 5. p. 6. 6. A man may hold an opinion probable when he is persuaded that he himself or some other can answer the reasons upon which that opinion is grounded and it 's safe in Conscience to act according to such a probable opinion Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 9. n. 6. p. 28. 7. When a Superior and those which are under his charge be of different opinions the Inferior is not bound to obey his Superior and therefore when a Subject believes according to a probable opinion that the Commands of his Prince are unjust or that he exceedeth the bounds of his Jurisdiction he may disobey him because it 's lawful for all men to follow a probable opinion Escob in praem Exam. 3. n. 31. p. 30. 8. The priviledges of Probability cannot only dispense with an Inferior for the obedience which he owes to his Superior but may elevate him above his Superior and to oblige the Superior to obey his Subject Upon this Principle a Confessor is obliged to follow the probable opinion of his Penitent and quit his own opinion though more probable because the Penitent grounding himself upon a probable opinion hath a right unto absolution Escob in praem Exam. 3. c. 6. n. 27. p. 25. And the Confessor is obliged to absolve the Penitent against his own proper opinion when the Penitent following the Maxims of a probable opinion believes that he may do that which the Confessor believes he may not do according to his probable opinion Amicus Tom. 3. disp 15. sect 2. n. 90. p. 212. 9. It 's probable that an Excise is justly established by a Prince it 's probable on the other side that it 's unjust you being at present appointed by the Prince to collect this Impost require it according to this Opinion which maintains that it 's just and therefore it 's lawful for you to levy it without doing any injustice but if to morrow or the same day you being a Merchant may secretly defraud this Impost or Excise following the Opinion that it 's unjust Tamb. lib. 1. Theol. c. 3. sect 5. n. 1 2 3. p. 21. 10. A man may relying on an Opinion sweet and indulgent but probable disobey his Prince or Superior in a thing in which it's probable that he is not obliged to obey but it 's more probable that he is obliged to the Prince or Superior following the Opinion which is more safe judges that he ought to obey and therefore that he hath sinned the Prince or Superior hath reason to command obedience the Inferior hath reason not to obey both founded upon probable Opinions inthis case the Prince or Superior is rash if he judges that the Inferior sins because it 's not probable that he sins who follows a probable Opinion and so it being probable that the Inferior hath not sinned the Prince or Superior shall be unjust if he treats him as guilty for where there is no fault there is no punishment Cat. in Com. in Reg. 6. Bernard lib. 1. n. 65. 11. He who believes that it 's more probable that we cannot in Conscience follow that of the two Opinions which is most probable may yet follow it himself if he believes that it 's also probable that he may follow it Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 17. p. 30. 12. It 's probable that the loss of Reputation may and may not be compensated with Mony therefore this day you being defamed desire satisfaction in Mony and to morrow or this day you having defamed another may safely deny to allow him the same compensation Tamb. lib. 1. Theol. c. 3. sect 5. n. 1 2 3. p. 21. 13. A lawful Prince doth publish Just Laws for his Subjects to obey and they have no cause to complain thereof or just reason to refuse them the Subjects do sin and it may be said they do not sin at all for there is great Authority and Reasons on each side to make both Opinions probable and to give liberty to which the Jesuits please but the more safe and more probable is to disobey Esc. Tom. 1. lib. 5. s. 2. c. 14. prob 13. p. 160. But Priests and Ecclesiastics must be exempted from obedience to the Laws of Princes for they are not Subjects of necessity and obligation but only out of respect and good example towards Princes Laws which regard the Government of their States and which derogate not from the Ecclesiastic State Escob Theol. mor. To. 1. lib. 5. c. 15. prob 19. p. 162. 14. All probable Opinions are of themselves as safe the one as the other but the more pleasant though they be less probable are always more profitable and more safe because they are more easie and by consequence more favourable to Temporal Interest Cat. in Com. in Regal Sancti Bernardi lib. 1. d. 6. n. 58. Idem Theol. fundam p. 134. 15. As it 's impossible that an Opinion which hath the approbation of many Learned Doctors should not be probable so it 's impossible to reject it none of their Propositions can cease to be probable if the contrary doth not become an Article of Faith Layman lib. 1. c. 5. p. 2. By these Maxims following a probable Opinion you are exempted from all sin you may act
that it is a sin to command another to commit it through invincible ignorance is excused from sin in doing it Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 16. n. 19. Therefore if a Peasant should hear it spoken by a man reputed to be Pious and Knowing that it was a sin to steal and commit fornication outwardly but that it was lawful to desire the one or the other in this case the interior act is exempt from all sin because of invincible ignorance Ibidem 8. To sin mortally it 's not enough to see the evil that is done and the danger incurred in doing but he ought to have a full and perfect knowledg and besides this both time and means to deliberate on it therefore such actions which are committed out of ignorance evil habits or passion are not mortal sins it 's not enough to commit a mortal sin to consider and to will with deliberation the evil that is done but this consideration and deliberation must be full Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 16. n. 21. Therefore when there occur in one and the same action two sorts of different wickedness it 's not sufficient to perceive one to make him guilty of both but we must have or be obliged to have an actual knowledg of the other Therefore when a man lyes with a woman whom he knowes to be not his Wife but is invincibly ignorant that she is his Kinswoman he is guilty of Fornication but not of Incest Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 1. n. 8. p. 2 70. Amic Tom. 3. d. 17. s. 8. n. 172. p. 205. Escob tr 2. Exam. 1. c. 3. n. 8. p. 275. 9. He who doth some unlawful act knowing well that it 's forbidden but not remembring it to be such when he doth it is exempt from mortal sin because forgetfulness or negligence which is the cause we think not of it the evil we are about to do is not imputed for sin if it be not voluntary and it 's not voluntary if we bethink us not to consider that we are obliged to examin what we are about to do Layman lib. 1. tr 12. c. 4. n. 6. p. 20. 10. To sin it 's not sufficient to do the evil that is forbidden or not to do that which is commanded by the Law of God Nature or the Church but it 's necessary to have a knowledg of the evil that we do and an intention to do it By this rule we are free from the greatest sins so we have a good intention in committing of them or that we have no evil intention we may wish evil or death to our Neighbour without sin when we are induced thereunto by some good motive as that he is given to suing or that he is a person of good reputation for his well living and therefore doth eclipse our credit Bauny's sum c. 6. p. 73. 11. He who doth maintain an Heretical Proposition without believing it or who shall be a Communicant or Auditor amongst Protestants without having his Heart there but out of pure derision or to comply with the Times and to accomplish his designs he ought not to be esteemed a Protestant therefore be cause his understanding is not infected with their errors Bonacina d. 3. q. 4. n. 7. 12. He who hath knowledg of the Law and is ignorant of the penalty which it ordains against those who violate it doth not incur the penalty which he is to undergo if he obey not Tambur Decal lib. 1. c. 2. sect 10. n. 12. 13. God cannot command or forbid a matter that is in it self slight under the penalty of mortal sin Em. Sa. verb. Praecept n. 1. p. 575. Amit Tom. 5. a. 5. de lege humana s. 8. n. 194. p. 64. 14. He that hath a will to commit all venial sins if he were able sins only venially Escob tr 2. exam 1. c. 12. n. 57. p. 385. 15. To make an action evil and unlawful is required first to make it appear that the reasons which prove the malice of the action be demonstrative that is that they be such as whereunto no probable answer can be given Secondly that the reasons which prove this same action to be good and lawful be not so much as probable Thirdly that the Opinions which maintain that this action is good hath not sufficient authority to be held probable all these must be observed otherwise the action is not evil Caram fund p. 138. 16. To tell a lye in Preaching on any doctrinal Point is but a venial sin Escobar tr 7. exam 4. n. 107. p. 816. 17. To perform the most sacred actions as to administer the Sacraments or to receive them or to celebrate the Mass for vain-glory is but a venial sin though vain-glory be proposed as the principal end Sanch. op mor. lib. 1. c. 3. n. 1. p. 9. 18. When a slight thing is commanded the commandment obliges not unto mortal sin although that be the intention of him who commands Em. sa verb. praecept n. 1. p. 575. 19. The greatness of the sin ought to be estimated from and according to its matter and subject Escobar Sanch. 20. No person is obliged to avoid the next occasion of sin when thereby some great loss will befall him in this case it cannot be said that he wills this occasion but permits it only because that he withdraws not from this occasion is not that he would absolutely abide in it but because he would decline the damage which this withdrawing would bring on him Sanch. in select disp 10. n. 20. For this reason a man is not obliged to put away his Concubine if her company be very advantagious to him and in departing with her he lose any great benefit 21. A thing is not the next occasion of sin unless it be vitious and a sin of it self Bauny's Theol. mor. par 1. lib. 4. de poenit q. 14. p. 94. 22. To sell a Woman paint which he knowes she will use to draw young men to unchast love it 's lawful otherwise he would lose a Customer and suffer loss and damage So to build the Temple of an Idol or to sell an Idol it self or to sell an Infidel a Lamb which he knew he would use in Sacrifice to an Idol is no sin Tamb. lib. 5. decal c. 1. s. 4. n. 38 34 35 36. 23. All the breaches of the first and second Table of the Decalogue are no sins at all when they are committed by any out of ignorance surprise or passion Myst. of Jesuit add p. 125. London 1658. 24. It 's no sin to contract a Marriage by personation as if it were in a Play upon the Stage by using equivocal expressions in the Church when one is forced thereunto by great fear Add. Myst. of Jesuitism p. 45. § 24. So that you may learn how comfortable and holy these Sacred Doctrines of the Jesuits are and how far their Gospel doth exceed that of Jesus Christ for he hath made the way to Heaven
lawfully kill the Husband of a Woman with whom he hath committed adultery if her Husband having surprised him in the fact doth assault him Molina de Just. Jure Tom. 4. disp 14 p. 1765. Tamb. lib. 16. decal c. 1. sect 1. n. 7. This is an excellent way for an Adulterer to expiate his crime by making away the Husband's life after he hath taken away the Wifes honour 17. A Thief being entred into a House to steal may in consequence kill him who would kill him for his Theft if he cannot escape death Molina de Justitia Jure Tom. 4. p. 1766. n. 2. 18. If a Thief fly away on Horseback he may be pursued with a Weapon or killed with a Pistol-shot when after he hath been threatned to be killed he cease not to bear away what he hath taken and though he be not threatned nor admonished thereof because time permit not and there is danger never to recover what he carries away Dicast. lib. 2. tr 1. disp 10. dub 5. n. 46. 19. It 's not against charity to kill a Thief who robs me of things which I cannot recover at Law without much trouble Dicast. ibidem 20. If an honourable person be assaulted and in danger to lose his reputation if he fly though by flying he might preserve his own life and his who assaults him he is not for all that obliged to fly but it 's lawful to kill him who invades him unjustly in defence of his life and honour Mol. Tom. 4. p. 1778. For when a man hath only his honour to defend he is not obliged to fly because he is to set more by his honour than money or goods therefore there is no reason to oblige Christians to lose possession of so pretious a thing as Honour by flying from him who assaults them so unjustly 21. It 's lawful to kill a slanderer or false witness secretly in an affair wherein not only life but even outward goods also of great importance are in question Amic Tom. 5. de Just. Jure disp 36. sect 4. n. 76. p. 537. 22. If any one assault you and makes use of an innocent person to shelter him you may kill him that you may hit him who invades you Escob tr 1. exam 7. n. 52. p. 121. If a man fly from his enemy and cannot escape but through some strait way wherein he will crush to death some Infant or lame person he may kill or ride over him though he be assured that he will die thereof because every man hath right to defend himself and his meeting with or interposure of an innocent person doth not take away his right Less de Just. lib. 2. c. 9. dub 9. n. 57. p. 86. You may observe how highly this new Theologie of the Jesuits hath obliged the World in granting this liberty to defend mens lives honours and goods against any aggressor which the Gospel of Jesus Christ hath denyed unto them By this Indulgence people are kept in obedience from invading the rights of others and peace established amongst them for fear of offending when the person offended is both Judge Party and Executioner by their divinity you may kill an Enemy a Slanderer a Thief an Informer in false crimes and even in true ones but secret and which is yet more an innocent person and from whom you never received any displeasure an Infant a Prince a King without excepting Fathers or Mothers you may Challenge into the fields assassinate publickly kill by surprise cause to die secret by poyson or otherwise for preservation of the life honour or goods and even for the least thing as for an Apple and all these without sin or punishment what mortals can desire more we know not CHAP. IX Of Theft 1. THeft is no mortal sin if he that steals doth believe that his Father Master or he from whom he steals the goods would have given him them if he had asked him or if he had known he had need of them or when he makes no account of the goods which are stollen from them or when he is of such a disposition that he would not have him that had stollen them from him obliged therefore to any great punishment Less de Just. Jure lib. 2. c. 41. d. 9. n. 79. p. 496. 2. Theft which Men and Maid-Servants commit in Meats and Drinks are no great sins though insensibly they amount unto a notable value if they steal them only to eat and drink them themselves Less de Just. Jure lib. 2. c. 12. d. 8. n. 48. p. 118. Escob tr 1. Exam. 9. n. 25. p. 162. 3. A Woman may take and purloin money from her Husband upon divers occasions and amongst others she may take it to game withal to buy her cloaths and to get other things she stands in need of Escob tr 1. exam 9. n. 13. 4. The poor in extraordinary necessity may steal from the rich with a safe Conscience Vasquez de Eleemosyna c. 4. n. 45. Provinc Letter 11. fo 177. Tambur lib. 5. decal c. 1. sect 1. n. 12. 5. He who taketh what is anothers doth him no wrong if he made no use of it or was not like to use it neither is he obliged to restitution Em. Sa. verbo Furtum c. 6. p. 292. 6. He who steals frequently by little at a time so to gather together a notable sum is not obliged to restitution when it 's not done with intention to steal this great sum Exam. Sa. verb. Furtum n. 8. Escob tr 1. Exam. 4. n. 23. p. 161. 7. Where a man hath by many petty Thefts proceeded unto a great sum he is not obliged under pain of damnation to restore any of it because he only sinned venially Bauny in his Sum. c. 10. p. 143. By this a man may enrich himself with the goods of another provided he takes not too much at once 8. If a man finds any thing which doth belong to another he may appropriate it to himself and though the true owner appears afterwards he is not obliged to quit the possession of it and if he shall alienate or spend it without fraud or unjust contrivance simply and honestly the Owner comes and presents himself he is not obliged to restore any thing unto him but what he hath put out to use and whereby he is become more wealthy Bauny in his Sum. c. 13. p. 185 186. Layman lib. 3. tr 1. c. 5. n. 24. 9. A person after he hath made a renuntiation of his Goods unto his Creditors may in Conscience substract and keep one part of his Goods to maintain his Family and his Port. Bauny's Sum. c. 11. p. 154. 10. It 's lawful for Servants to rob their Masters to make their Wages proportionable to their Service Myst. of Jesuit p. 126. Letter 6. fo 8. 11. A religious man may quit his habit and go and steal as well as go incognito to the Stewes Myst. of Jesuit p. 69. 12. A Son may
the Pope is the infallible rule of Faith and the holy Scripture hath taken its force and doth take it from his Holiness and he that doth not believe this is an Heretick 20. The Pope is he by whom Kings reign according as it 's said By me Kings reign CHAP. IV. 21. THere is no Precept which obligeth us directly to pray to God to love believe or hope in him but only when it 's necessary to acquire some good or to remove some evil 22. He who prayes not to God in a temptation against Chastity Sins only against Chastity for he Sins not omitting prayer but because of the danger he is in to violate Chastity 23. In our private Prayers which we make to God it 's not necessary to use any Devotion or Attention nor are we obliged thereunto and in those which are made by command we are not obliged unto any inward intention provided that we rehearse them outwardly and behave our selves decently and with respect 24. Whatsoever distractions or evil thoughts come into our minds when we are at prayer if they be not on contempt but negligence the sin is but venial 25. Christ commands us to receive the Sacrament of Baptism a Tyrant forbids us upon pain of our Lives we must obey the Tyrant rather then Christ. 26. In receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper it 's not necessary to have actual Devotion for let one be distracted with evil thoughts in the receiving the Sacrament provided he contemns it not yet he is a worthy receiver and only sins venially and so if he commits any sin in the Communion it self 27. He who hath sinned mortally and hath remorse for his sins and hath confessed them to a Priest may well Communicate though a little before the Communion he hath sinned mortally 28. If a man after he hath communicated many times in a bad state cometh to be converted he shall receive in an instant all the graces which were due to so many Communions 29. It 's not necessary that the Priest who finds himself guilty of mortal sin should Confess himself before he Administers the Sacrament 30. A Person who hath abundance after he hath satisfied all his own necessaries and those of his Family having yet a superfluity is not obliged in a publick Famine to give unto the poor nor to any one whomsoever if he see him not in eminent danger to dye with Famine 31. The precept of giving Alms may be fulfilled by lending only without giving any thing 32. Rich men are not obliged to give Alms but out of their superfluity and not then but in case of great necessity those things which may exalt us to a better condition as to Places or Preferment are not to be accounted superfluous Therefore Alms are rarely to be given for it seldom happens that we have goods superfluous 33. There is no obligation to love our Neighbour it 's sufficient not to hate him 34. There is no absolute Commandment to love God but when in Scripture we are commanded to love God they are but Counsels and Advices and no Commands for God hath not commanded so much to love him as not to hate him and he ought to be content that we love him as little as we please and it sufficeth that we love him much under that we could if we would for the least degree of love is enough for him 35. If we be obliged to love God we are not obliged to love him above Three or Four Months in our Life whereof the first is when we begin to have the use of Reason 2. At the point of Death 3. Every Fifth year during Life For the rest of our time we may love God or the World as we please 36. If a man hath committed any mortal sin he is not obliged to contrition or sorrow for that sin before the Article of his Death 37. A man may be a Martyr not only without any act of Charity but also without any act of Faith and though he suffers without love to God and though he never thinks of him CHAP. V. 38. HE that by custom is transported to do evil as to Swear or Blaspheme sins not at all because a man cannot sin without reason but by an ill custom the use of Reason is taken away so that he who sinneth out of those ill habits is in a better condition than he that hath them not and by often sinning is put into a state of not sinning any more 39. Perjury which one commits through natural inadvertency or because of the custom he hath to Swear it 's no mortal sin 40. Those who in their Youth have committed many actions of a vitious nature which they did not believe to be such are not obliged to confess them when they know their nature because when they committed them they had not the full use of Reason and at most they were but venial sins if any sin at all 41. The pleasure which is taken in an action of mortal sin which is done in sleep drunkenness madness or through ignorance is no sin 42. He who doth some unlawful act knowing well that it 's forbidden but not remembring it to be such when he doth it is exempt from mortal sin because forgetfulness or negligence which is the cause we think not of it the evil we are about to do is not imputed for sin if it be not voluntary if we do not consider that we are obliged to examine that we are about to do 43. God cannot command or forbid a thing that is in it self slight under the penalty of mortal sin 44. He who hath knowledg in the Law and is ignorant of the penalty which it ordains against those who violate it doth not incur the penalty 45. He who hath a will to commit all venial sins if he were able sins only venially 46. No man is obliged to avoid the next occasion of sin if some great loss will thereby befall him 47. A thing is not the next occasion of sin unless it be vitious and a sin of it self 48. To tell a lye in Preaching on any Doctrinal Point is but a venial sin 49. All the breaches of the First and Second Table of the Decalogue are no sins at all when they are committed by any man out of ignorance surprise or passion CHAP. VI. Of directing the Intention 50. TO do evil there must be an evil Intention but to do good it 's not necessary to have a good Intention 51. Ecclesiasticks satisfie the Precept of the Church in saying Prayers when they read them without any inward Intention or Devotion so they observe outward Decency 52. If a man speaks never so dishonourably and irreverently of God it 's no blasphemy if he had not a formal intent to blaspheme God and dishonour him 53. If a man be at Prayers and hath a bad intent thereunto joyned as an intent of looking on a Woman dishonestly it 's no sin 54. If a man be to do an act