account no act of love nor of any other grace will be needful for them that they may be saved Thus in fine here 's a Religion which pretends to be Christian but excuseth and disingageth all that profess it from the love of Christ a Doctrine which bereaves Religion of that which themselves count its life and quite stifles all the spirits of Christianity chops off all Christian vertues all gracious acts and qualities in this one neck and leaves nothing but a gastly Carkase For obliging them to neglect love as needless it makes the rest impossible without it there can be no saving faith no godly sorrow no filial fear no delight in God no desire to enjoy him no genuine gratitude When the life of a true Christian should be made up of these they leave it not possible for him to have one act of true Christian vertue for without love they say themselves there cannot be any one true vertue Here is a way to Heaven for those that never loved God in life or death a path that pretends to Heaven but lies quite Cross to the way of Christ and leads directly to outer darkness A Doctrine that incourageth them to live in hatred of God all their dayes and in the end sends them out of the World under the dreadful sentence of the Apostle 1 Cor. 16 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be Anathema Maranatha To conclude this head It is a Doctrine which is damning not only meritoriously but effectually and will certainly ruine eternally all that believe and practise it and hath in it the mortal poyson and malignity of a hundred such speculative Opinions as pass for Heresies And beside the danger and horrible impiety of this Doctrine it is ridiculous to the very highest degree For can any thing be more senseless than to ask how often a man ought to love his best friend and Benefactor whether once in his life be not enough in all Conscience nay whether it be not very fair not to hate him And indeed they state the business all along in such a manner and manage it with such nicety and caution not as if they were afraid lest men should love God too little but as if all the danger lay on the other hand and their great care were that no body should love him too much or love him at all I do not believe that things so palpably impious and ridiculous were ever so solemnly debated by men of any Religion whatsoever CHAP. IV. There is no necessity of saving or justifying faith by the Romish Doctrine Sect. 1. THat no man can be justified or saved without faith is so evident in Scripture that none but an Infidel can question it The Romanists do not express any doubt of it and yet they make no other faith necessary than that which is neither justifying nor saving They have two sorts of faith one for the unlearned and ignorant which they call Implicite The other for the learned and more knowing which they say should be Explicite The former as they describe it is an assent to some general including many particulars with a mind to believe nothing contrary thereunto the general is this That what ever the Roman Church which cannot err believes is true the particulars included are they know not what for they are supposed ignorant Now this we say is no Christian faith and make it apparent that it is no such thing For first it is no belief of any one particular or article of the Christian faith It is only a belief of a general which is no truth at all much less Christian that the Church of Rome cannot err or believe any thing but what is true when the ignorant person neither knows what this Church is nor what she believes nor why he should give her such credit So that the act is a blind conceit unworthy of a Man or a Christian and the object a general error And then as to the particulars which are necessary for Christians to believe this implicite faith doth not actually believe any of them at all if it did it would not be what it is implicite It apprehends them not therefore cannot believe them for as themselves acknowledge (a) Neque enim credi potest quod non cognoscitur Fill. tr 22. n. 39. That cannot be believed which is not known To render this clear to us they thus explain it When (b) Bannes 22. q. 2. art 8. Sect. dubitatur secundo Sum. Rosel verb. fides n. 1. a man is asked whether Christ were born of the Virgin Mary and whether there be one God and three persons and he answers that he knows not but believes touching these things as the Church holds this is to believe implicitely So that a man may have this faith compleatly and yet not believe an article of the Creed and if this be Christian faith a man may have it who believes nothing of Christ They are believers at this rate who have a mind to hold what the Church doth concerning Christ or the Creed though they never know what that is They know not what the Church holds unless the Churches knowing be their knowledge and so believe nothing unless the Churche's believing be their faith and so have no faith to save them unless it be saving faith to believe by an Attorney Secondly as this faith may be without the knowledge and belief of any of the particular Articles which are necessary to be believed by Christians so which is yet more strange it may be with the belief of what is opposite and repugnant to the Christian faith This they acknowledge and clear it to us by instances A man may be disposed to believe what the Church holds and yet may believe that God the Father and God the Son are not equal but one greater and elder than the other or that the persons in the Trinity are locally distant Such is the vertue of implicite faith faith (c) In tantum valet fides implicita quod si quis habens eam falso opinaretur ratione naturali motus Patrem majorem vel priorem Filio vel tres personas localiter distare aâ— simile quid non sit haereticus non peccet dummodo hunc errorem pertinaciter non defendat hoc ipsum credat quia credat ecclesiam sic credere Verb. Credere Sum Rosel v. fides n. 2. After Pope Innocent and Hostiensis Altenstaig that if he who hath it believes these errors or any like them he would be no Heretick he would not sin provided he doth not maintain his error pertinaciously and that he believes because he thinks the Church believes it Or such a Catholick may believe (d) Ut puta vetula credit Trinitatem esse unam Faeminam quoniam credit ecclesiam sic tenere sic credit tamen non est haeretica quia conditionaliter credit si ecclesia sic tenet credit Verb. sides n. 6. that the
three persons in the God-head are one Woman it would be but a small fault with Angelus to believe this thinking the Church believes the same (e) Siquis non crederet Christum esse verum Deum hominem idem sentiret papa eum non iri damnatum Cardin. St. Angeli ad legaros Bohem. an 1447. Or he may believe that Christ is not true God and Man and yet not be condemned for it if the Pope believed it too (g) Rusticus imperitus qui suo Parocho fidem habens credit aliquid contra articulos fidei excusatur a peccato Probl. 15. p. 98. If trusting a Priest who tells him the Church holds it he believes any thing against the Articles of faith he is excused saith Sancta Clara after Scotus and Gabriel and others (h) Licet alicui articulo fidei discredat explicite credit tamen implicite eidem in generali fide c. ibid. Corduba Though he expresly disbelieve any Article of faith yet he may be said to believe it implicitely So that he may believe that the Creed or the Gospel is not to be believed he may count it a Fable as Pope Leo called it and yet be a Christian as to his belief if this be the Christian faith He may be expresly an Heretick or a monstrous mis-believer and yet implicitely be a faithful Roman-Catholick Thirdly such a faith as this Jewes and Turks and Pagans have even the worst of these who do but acknowledge a God of truth For they believe what this God reveals is true and this general involves all the particulars of the Christian belief so that if the belief of such a general without other faith as to the particulars may be sufficient for Papists such Infidels may pass for as true believers as Roman-Catholicks Yea the faith of such Catholicks will be so much worse than that of these Infidels as it is better to believe Gods veracity and Revelation than to believe the infallibility of the Roman Church or the truth of all therein believed Indeed such a faith was not counted sufficient for Christians till Christians were thought to be something like Asses Aquinas inquires whether all be a like obliged to have an explicite saith He answers negatively and the ground of his conclusion is Job 1. 14. The Oxen were plowing and the Asses were feeding beside them From whence he argues gravely (i) Quia videlicet minores qui significantur per asinos dâ—bent in credendis adhaereâ—… majoribus qui per boves significantur ut Gregorius expouit in 2 moral Aquinas 2. 2. q. 2. art 6. That the people who are signified by Asses are to lye down in the faith of their Superiors who are signified by the Oxen as Gregory expounds it But what if the Oxen go a stray what must become of the Asses then Why they may follow them without hurt believing that they are right when they are in a wrong way for they must not have their names for nothing So he resolves this difficulty (k) Humana cognitio non sit regula fidei sed veritas Divina a qua si aliqui majorum dificiunt non praejudicat fidei simplicium qui eos rectam fidem habere credunt Aquinas ibid. ad tertium Human knowledge is not the rule of faith but Divine truth from which if some of the Superiors the Oxen make defection that hurts not the faith of the simple the Asses who believe them to have the right faith After these two Saints their best Pope and their Angelical Doctor that we may see we owe not this rare notion where their whole Church is so subtilly divided into Oxen and Asses to any lower than the most eminent amongst them Cardinal (l) De justific l. 1. c. 7. p. 706. Bellarmine their great Champion makes use of the same exposition of that Text to maintain the sufficiency of such a faith Stapleton would have us believe that they admit not of this implicite faith save in points of less moment but herein he misrepresents them and would delude us For it is the common Doctrine of the Romanists That an implicite faith in Christ such as Pagans may have and for which none should have the name of Christians is sufficient under the Gospel to pass any into (m) For these are alledged Altisiodorensis Gulielmus Parisiensis Richardusde Media villa Scotus Bradwardin Gabriel Baptista Troâ—amala Vega Medina Corduba Faber Patigianis Herrera c. Victoria Soto Canus Bannes Alvarez in Sta. Clara. Probl. 15. in Bannes in 22. q. 2. art 8. a justifying or saving state This is it which our Divines commonly teach saith (n) Vega pro conc Trident. l. 6. c. 15. p. 92. Vega when they say the faith of one Mediatour either explicite or implicite is enough for justification And (o) Probl. 15. p. 89. haec est communior in Scholis ut declarat sequitur Herrera c. So Bartholom de Ledesma sum de sacram paenit cum ad primam justificationem sides explicita Christi non requiratur ut supponimus tanquam magis probabile commune in Scholis c. Sancta Clara with others tell us this is the more common tenet in their Schools And whereas they make some difference between justification and salvation in this point Bannes helps to remove it (p) in 22. q. 2. art 8. dub ult Dicendum quod gratia est sufficiens causa gloriae unde omne illud sine quo obtineri potest gratia non est de necessitate salutis Aquinas in 4. dist 9. art 1. vid. Soto in 4. dist 5. q. unica art 2. dub ult It is neither Heresie saith he nor Error nor Rashness nor Scandal to assert that a man may also in the same manner he saved because justification being the last disposition to glory it is very probable that he which is justified by an implicite faith may also by the same faith without alteration be saved It is true they say there is a precept for a more express faith though no more than this implicite belief in Christ be needful necessitate medij But they have so many wayes to exempt Infidells even under the profession of Christians from its obligation that few in comparison will be culpable for not observing it By their Doctors they are excused if they (q) Fill. tr 22. n. 40. be dull or gross-witted If they be (r) n. 54. Dico secundo obligationem praedictam esse sub peccato mortali nisi ignorantia aut impotentia excuset Communis doctorum ignorant or impotent or (s) Probabilis est ignorantia quando quis habit fundamentum probabile ut dum rusticus credit aliquid ductus testimonio sui Parochi aut parentum sic doctores Communiter Sancta Clar. ibid. p 87. if their Priest or their Parents mislead them or (t) Quando articuli fidei non modo debito proponuntur ut rationibus frivolis vel ab hominibus
were Writers before their Order was founded or appeared to the World on this Subject To these I have added other Casuists of this last Age not that there is need to produce any worse than the former but to shew that time hath made little or no alteration amongst them for the better The Romanists when they are ashamed of their Doctrine or think the World will cry shame of it are wont to disown it It is like they may do so here and tell us that these points not being determined by Councils are not the Doctrine of their Church but the opinions of particular Doctors This serves them for a shift in other cases with some colour but it will be absurd to offer at it here For though this be not their Doctrine of Faith which with some generals most about the Sacraments reflected on in the sequel as there is occasion is the business of their Councils yet it is the Practical Doctrine of their Church if it have any and f they think their Catholicks concerned to be Christians more than meerly in opinion And this under several Heads I have collected out of such Writings as are the proper place of it Therefore to say that this is not the Doctrine of their Church because the particulars are not found decided by Councils is to tell us that they are not charged with it unless we can find it where they know it cannot be found and where with any reason it cannot be looked for It is no more reasonable than if one who hath taken a purse should plead though it be found in his hand that he is not to be charged with it unless we can spy it in his mouth when yet he never opens it That Councils should give particular Directions for Conscience and Practice in Cases innumerable was never attempted nor ever can be expeâ—…ed Their Church leaves this to her Divines and Casuists and that nothing may pass them but what is agreeable to her sense no Books are to be published but with the approbation and authority of such as are counted competent Judges hereof So that the Doctrine of their authorized Writers that especially wherein they commonly agree is the Practical Doctrine of that Church or else she hath none such and consequently no care of the lives and consciences of her Members And though this be not Infallible or de fide as they count the Decisions of Councils yet is it as certain they say as the nature of the subject requires nor do they pretend to have any infallible Doctrine for particular directions herein Which yet may justly seem very strange to any man that considers that gross faults in Life and Practice are more infallibly damnable than errours in Faith and Speculation Now upon this their Common Doctrine the substance of the Charge ensuing and the principal articles thereof are grounded As for the opinions of particular Doctors wherein there is no such common concurrence though they be not so certain as the other yet they are even the worst of them safe in practice any of their people may follow them without danger and with a good conscience for this as will appear hereafter is the common judgement of their Schools and Doctors and so far the Doctrine of their Church And if that Church did no farther own these opinions common or particular then under this character this is enough for our purpose when the question is of the danger of Popery in reference to mens Salvation that she counts such rules of life safe and publickly allows them as direction for practice which tend to ruin Religion and mens Souls If they were not counted safe that Church which pretends to so much care of Souls since all in her Communion are exposed to the Danger would be concerned to give warning of it and brand these Maximes as pernicious but this was never yet done not ever like to be These opinions all or the greatest part of them were taught and published in that Church before the Council of Trent there was time enough in Eighteen years to take cognizance of them and their pernicious consequence Yet when they bestowed Anathama's so liberally where there was occasion and for the most part where there was none they thought not fit to bestow one Curse upon these Doctrines how execrable so ever yea some part thereof of worse consequence had there an express Confirmation Their Popes since though they could see occasion to condemn such Propositions as the Five ascribed to Jansenius and those of Baius White and many others could not by the help of a judgement counted infallible discern any thing in the worst of these Doctrines worthy of or fit for their Censure The Cardinals of the Inquisition at Rome and their Setters in other Countries whose business it is to spie whatever in Books particularly is against Faith and Good Manners see nothing of this nature in that which destroys both No Expurgatory Index what havock soever has been made by those Tools in their best Authors hath so far as I have observed touched the Common Opinions here exposed It 's true some others have been expunged and I find above Forty Opinions of the late Casuists censured by Alexander the Seventh and the Cardinals of their Sacred Congregation (p) Index Expurg sub Alexand. VII An. 1666. but hereby more authority is added to those I insist on being thought good enough to pass untouched which must therefore be counted sound Doctrine and safe for Practice in the Judgment of their Virtual Church and the chief parts of their Church Representative There is no ground to expect that this Doctrine as to the principal and most pernicious parts of it will ever be condemned by any Popes or Councils of such Complexion and Principles as that of Trent where it was a Maxime observed religiously that no Determination should pass which either in matter or form would disoblige any considerable Party among them much less all the Roman interest is supported by such Politicks and must be secured whatever become of Souls or Saving Doctrine There are indeed some Dissenters amongst them as there are elsewhere who complain of their Moral Divinity but they are such whose power and interest can reach little further than Complaints and these are so far from being the Voice or Sense of their Church that their Writings which exhibite such Complaints are condemned at Rome (q) Ibid. by the Supreme Tribunal as they call it of the Inquisition In short by the known Custom and settled Order of the Roman Church the people for regulating of their Hearts and Lives are to be directed by their Confessors their Confessors have their direction herein from their Casuists and Practical Authors both Priests and People must believe this to be safe because the Church hath made this provision for them approves the course and obligeth them to take no other And thus that Doctrine the deadly Venome whereof I here discover must be conveyed from
good acts are no more than Counsels but only in the article of necessity And all acts that have more than moral goodness And all actings in a vertuous manner and from a good principle Exercise of vertue not necessary either in Worship or common conversation Not in those cases where if in any at all it would be needful A way they have for any man to turn whatever precept pinches him into a Counsel There is no danger nor any sin at all in rejecting the counsel of God No not when Conscience dictates that it is good to follow them No nor when God further calls thereto by inspirations or motions of his Spirit They may be neglected out of Contempt And with some abhorrence of them They may boast and glory in such neglects They may bind themselves by Oaths not to observe Gods Counsels Sect. 9. to page 181. No exercise of vertue necessary but only during the Pope's pleasure for if be should forbid vertue as he hath done already in diverse instances the Church would be bound to believe those vertues to be evils and so to avoid them Further their Doctrine incourages the continual practice of such wickedness as is inconsistent with all holiness of life reduced to three heads Sect. 10. to page 183. CHAP. VII MAny hainous crimes are vertues or necessary duties with them Their Blasphemies waved because insisted on by others Also a great part of their Idolatry Their Plea in excuse of this Crime from the distinction of terminative and transient worship removed by their own Doctrine formerly opened Sect. 1. to page 185. Their Idolatry as to Relicks These are to be Religiously worshipped though many of them be ridiculous and loathsome though many Thousands be confessed to be counterfeit and great and detestable impostures be therein acknowledged To worship false Relicks or the Devil upon a mistaken belief is meritorious What worshipful things miscarriages in the Mass furnish them with Sect. 2. to page 188. They give Divine worship to Relicks though they give it not the name They give both name and thing expresly to vast multitudes All which they count Relicks of Christare to have Christs honour Among these they reckon all thidgs that were near him or touched him on earth even the earth water stones c. Not only the things but persons that touched him thereby become his Relicks and are to have his worship The Virgin Mary expresly and Thousands more may have it by the same reason they will not absolutely except the Ass on which he rode Yea all the Relicks of such persons may have it For they commonly teach that the Relicks may have the same worship with the person whose they are The best of their Relicks impostures that which passes for the foreskin of Christ his Shirt Coat Blood the Crown of Thorns Launce Nails Cross and its Liquor Their Relicks numerous beyond account How they came to be so their own Authors tell us The Devil furnished their Church with some of them and crafty knaves with others Yet their whole Religion in a manner consists in worshipping such things as these as some of themselves tell us Sect. 3. to page 203. Perjury necessary by their Doctrine If a Prince swear solemnly not to prosecute his supposed heretical subjects unless he break his Oath he is in danger to be damned No faith to be kept with Hereticks Their Doctrine ruines all securities that Popish Princes or Subjects can give to Protestants These can with prudence trust to nothing but what will keep them out of the Papal reach Sect. 4. to page 205. Robhery and Murder as necessary a Duty To deprive Hereticks of Estate or life a meritorious act All Papists Princes or others are bound in Conscience by that which is most obliging in their Religion utterly to root out all they account Hereticks and to seize on all they have A decree of a general Council for it which incourages the execution with promises of the greatest rewards and enforces it with threatnings of most dreadful import They must not be counted Catholicks unless they do it It hath been effected or attempted in all Countreys where the Papists had power to do it or but thought that they had it The reason why they do it not in England and some other places is as themselves declare because they have not yet power enough Sect. 5. to page 210. Sorcery and Conjuration part of their Religion This manifested in their Sacramentals where by their own rules there is a tacit invocation of the Devil Their excuses here insufficient Even their mode of praying too like conjuring Sect. 6. to page 215. The chief act of their Religion is to destroy Christ by Sacrificing him daily in the Mass which they maintain they do truly and really Sect. 7. to page 220. CHAP. VIII THeir Doctrine tends to destroy holiness of life by incouraging the continual practice of all sort of wickedness under the notion of venials What hatred of God What acts of Infidelity and Idolatry What distrustful cares What irreligiousness in all Religious exercises What use of Witches Or dealing with the Devil VVhat irreverence towards God in adjuration Sect. 1. to page 213. What impious Swearing almost at every word In horrid terms Without offering to break off this ungodly custome Binding themselves by Oaths and threatning God that they will sin against him And never comply with his will in things which he commends to them as most excellent What fraudulent Oaths What Perjuries of all sorts both as to assertory and promissory Oaths not worse for being most frequent and customary Sect. 2. to page 221. What Blasphemies Out of levity passion or inconsiderateness Or from wicked custome and contempt of a mans own Salvation The more habitual and customary Blaspheming is the better Sect. 3. to page 223. What Prophaning of holy time Where it is manifest that little or nothing at all of Religion need be made Conscience of amongst them even at the only time set apart for the acts and exercises of it Sect. 4. to page 228. What irreverence in Children to Parents They may be ashamed of them And curse them as Parents may curse them again VVhat unaffectionateness They may desire the death of their Parents for some outward advantage Or by accusations procure their death VVhat disobedience in all things out of negligence or sensuality And in matters of greatest importance as to this life Or in matters which concern their Salvation Parents have no right to oblige their Daughters not to be VVhores Sect. 5. to page 231. VVhat Murder of Soul or Body As to acts inward and outward VVhat hatred VVhat outragious anger VVhat revenge Desires of the death not only of Enemies but nearest Relations because they are poor or not handsome may be innocent Actual killing them without deliberation is no fault when not fully deliberate when ordinarily many things may hinder it from being so is but little worse Sect. 6. to page 233. VVhat
this seem too much with that of their ancienter Doctors which is less than none And what must they attend to who need neither hear nor see nor understand what is said or done It would puzle one as subtile as himself to tell one how he can attend to that which is neither offered to his senses nor his intellect And therefore the Jesuite though he seems more strict yet herein is less rational than Medina and not so consistent with himself or their common Doctrine Also he would not have the Discourse at Masse so grave and serious as that of Merchants (h) Qui voluntarie confabulatur non satisfacere nisi vel confabulatio esset discontinua partim scil loquendo partim attendendo ut communiter fieri solet vel non de re seria sed levi c. Idem ibid. it should be more light more idle than that about Trade and Business It seems the levity of the Stage suits with the Masse better than the seriousness of the Exchange Answerably if their (i) Soto m 4. dist 13. q. 2. art 3. dicit quod licet indecentia sint colloquia inter audiendam missum non tamen propterea fit transgressor praecepti Ibid. Discourse be not decent nor the Subject of it very modest the Masse will comport with it and the Churches precept will bear it without a breach And no wonder since it hath been the custome of that Church as many of their (k) Cornelius Agrippa de vanit Scient cap. 17. Cajetan Sum. v. Organ Soto de just jur l. 10. q. 5. art 2. p. 336. Navar. Cap. 13. n. 87. Lopez cap. 51. p. 263. Writers inform us to sing not only prophane but fâ—lâ—hy Songs at high Masse and that to the Organ that the people might not only be refreshed by their own private immodest Discourse but edified more effectually this way by the lowder voice of the Church And how we learn by a grave Cardinal though little herein more rigid than others who tells us that the (m) In cujus signum audientes ex illo sono excitantur ad illa profana seu turpia ut experientia testatur ita quod non est inficiationi locus Cajetan ibid. hearers were thereby excited to what was prophane and filthy as experience witnessed And still notwithstanding any pretence of Reformation tunes to the Organ at Divine service or Masse though lascivious and very prophane will pass for a small fault (n) Canticus ratione soni quia est lascivus aut valde saecularis potest esse venialis culpa vel ratione materiae minimae vel ex bona intentione vel inadvertentia ut Cajetanus dixit in Suar. de horis Can. l. 4. Cap. 13 n. 17. materia parva si organista loco kyrie eleison cantilenam profanam organo canat Villalobus in Dian. v. Blasph n. 4. in the judgment of those who seem most severe in the case if either the matter be slight or the intention good or the Actors inconsiderate Here 's provision enough that the Scenes in their Masse may not be dull and heavy Yet further they may laugh and be pleasant and when the Musick which sounds not alwayes doth it not they may make themselves merry in the height of their worship But this with some caution (o) Sed possent voces risus in tantum prorumpere quod esset peccatum irreverentiae scandali Lopez c. 52. Soto in 4. dist 13. quaest 2. art 1. their talk and laughter may break out into such noyse that possibly it may prove a sin of irreverence Here is some shew of danger but it will vanish presently For if it should be a very loud extravagance and the irreverence great (p) Jac. de Graff l. 2. c. 52. Supra yet great irreverence may with them be but a small fault and they have the authority of a Pope to warrant this Nor must this seem strange to us since they will not have all contempt (q) Contemptus ille qui continetur in irreverentia Dei per se ut talis est non semper est formalis sed materialis qui non semper sufficit ad malitiam mortalem Nos autem loquimur de contemptu formali quo ipsa Dei irreverentia intenditur Suar. de juram l. 3. c. 12. n. 4. 6. vid. Cajetan sum v. Contempt vid. Bonacin de legibus disp 2. q. 3. p. 5. n. 10. l. 15. of God criminal that which is material may be venial and it is not formal unless besides the contempt of God there be also an intention to contemn him Such is the most solemn worship in the Roman-Church and so is God worshipped amongst them and that not by the unwarranted presumption of the prophane multitude but by the Rules and Conclusions of those who direct their worship and guide their Consciences Here we may see in the Masse the Religion of Roman-Catholicks they call it (r) In qua sc missa praecipua pars Religionis nostrae Bellar. de miss lib. 1. cap. 1. p. 679. the chiefest the best part of their Religion that we may not look for any thing better amongst them nor any thing Religious if it be not found here yea it is all better and worse that the people are obliged to in publick and in private their Church doth not trouble them with any He that views it well and believes he hath a Soul and that there is a God must have little or no regard of either if he do not bless himself from it as a thing which hath nothing of Religion but the name and that merely usurped A Religion which needs nothing by the Doctrine of its chief Professors that is either Godly or so good as humane no regard of God at all so much as in one thought of him nor any act of Reason yea or of sense either about any thing Religious or Divine yet allowes a free exercise of both about that which is prophane and irreligious He that counts this Religion indeed must stifle the common notions of Religion and Christianity and he that understanding it makes choice thereof had need first be very indifferent whether he have any Religion or none Had the ancient Fathers talk'd after this senseless lewd extravagant rate concerning the worship of God how would Celsus Porphyrie and Julian have Triumph'd over them nay they might justly have challeng'd them to have instanced in any one that bore the name of a Philosopher that ever treated of the worship of God with so little Reverence and Discretion Had such loose and wild Doctrines been broach'd by the first Teachers of Christianity the Heathens needed not have rais'd so fierce a persecution against it they might with ease have hiss'd it out of the World But this is not the worst they encourage that in the Mass which they cannot but condemn as wicked and maintain that the precept for hearing Mass may be satisfied by such wickedness Melchior Canos
to this Objection that the Command of God or the Church cannot be fulfilled by sin answers according to the opinion commonly maintained amongst them (a) Nos cum communi opinione in praesentia teneamus non esse transgressorem praecepti qui actui bono ex genere suo quem lex praecipiebat apponit aliquam malam circumstantiam Relect de paenit part 4. p. 936. vid. Bonacinum de legibus disp 1. q. 1. punct 9. n. 1. ibi S. Thomas Soto Navar Medina plures alij That he is no Transgressor of the precept who to the Act enjoyn'd and good in its kind adds something sinful He supposeth that the Act commanded by the Church is some way good but withal that the precept may be satisfied though it be done wickedly and that by their common Doctrine Whether the circumstances may be venially or mortally wicked he saith not but leaves us to understand it of either Dominicus a Sato tells us expresly that though what is added to the Act (b) Quamvis simul habeat propositum aliud mortale satisfaciet praecepto quantum ad substantiam Ibid. l. 10. q. 5. a. 5. enjoyned be a mortal wickedness yet the Precept may thereby be satisfied substantially With these Divines of greatest reputation amongst them concurs Navarre (c) Non tamen est tenendum illud Antonini quia praesupponit malo praesertim mortali non posse adimpleri praeceptum quod esse falsum late probavimus c. 21. n. 7. no less renowned and none of them Jesuites the opinion of Antoninus which he is disproving presupposeth saith he that by a sinful Act especially if it be a mortal sin the Command of the Church cannot be fulfilled but that this is false we have largely proved He would have us know that he hath fully demonstrated that the Precept for hearing Mass may be intirely accomplished by deadly crimes This is the judgment of the most eminent Doctors amongst them such as are not of the Society and if they will believe their famous Bishop of the Canaries the common Doctrine in the Roman Church and by this the world may judge what a Church it is what her Religion what her Worship what her Precepts for it are When all that she requires for that worship which is the principal part of her Religion may be satisfied by acts of wickedness such as are mortal and damnable to the Worshippers and most of all others dishonourable to God whom they pretend to worship And let those that are seduced or may be tempted by Seducers seriously consider whether they can wisely trust their souls to such a conduct or be safe in such a communion where there is no more tenderness for the salvation of souls than to be satisfied with such a worshiping of God as will confessedly damn them Sect. 3. Thus much for the manner of their publick worship all of it who ever amongst them it concerns whereby it appears that they count it not necessary that God should have any real worship from them This will be further manifest by what they teach concerning the end of it They maintain that it is lawful for their Clergy and Monasticks too who profess perfection to serve God for their own ends viz. to get preferment or compass a dignity or gain some wordly advantage and so to prostitute the Honour and Worship of God to such low earthly sordid designes as Religious persons would never appear to own but that Irreligion is grown too monstrously big for its vizard He that riseth to their morning Service for this end that he may have his daily devidend if it be not principally for this he sins not So their glossa celeberrima the two Popes Vrbane Caelestine determine that it is lawful for their Clergy to serve God in their Churches for this design and hope to get Ecclesiastical dignity in (d) Glossa illa celeberrima ait peccare quidem eum qui surgit ad matutinas preces principaliter propter distributiones quotidianas non autem illum qui surgit principaliter ut Deo inserviat minus principaliter secundario ut eas lucretur Urbanus Papa Coelestinus determinarunt licere clericis servire Deo in Ecclesijs ob spem ascendendi ad dignitates illarum Imo Gelasius dixit eos ad hunc ascensum spe maioris commodi compellendos Glossa recepta dicit expresse per illum textum licere clerico servire in Ecclesia ad quaerendam aliquam dignitatem modo principaliter ob id non serviat c. cap. 23. n. 101. Navarre But then this great Casuist of so high esteem amongst them that he was sent for from Spain to Rome to give advice and direction to the old Gentleman there that cannot erre understands after (a) Ut probavimus non est bona definitio illa Bartoli qua definit causam principalem esse causam qua cessante cessat effectus id ibid. Ut aliquis finis sit principalis non sufficit quod ille non fieret sine illo sed oportet quod pluris vel tanti aestimetur ac alius finis propter quem ille fit id c. 17. n. 209. c. 20. n. 11. p. 459. Aquinas Jo. Major as he pretends the principal end to be something else than others do It is not that which so much moves the Agent as that without it he would not be drawn to act by any other end and accordingly he will have the premised testimony to be understood (b) Per supra dictos textus glossas quae habent locum etiam in his qui non servirent Ecclesijs vel praelatis nisi sperarent beneficia c. 23. n. 101. So that one of their Perfectionists who riseth to morning prayer for this end that he may have his dividend would not stir (c) Surgens ad matutinas ob distributiones alias non surrecturus ibid. out of his Bed to attend the Worship of God for God's sake or any other end beseeming a Religious person if the consideration of his daily allowance did not rouse him yet he serves God so well herein as that he is sinless and not so much as venially tainted Likewise the Clergy who address themselves to the Worship of God moved thereto more by hopes to gain preferment and dignity than any respect to God yet they sin not That is they worship God well enough though they respect themselves and their own ends more than him or which is all one though they serve themselves rather than God whom they are to worship They are all concerned to maintain this for he tells them if (d) Alioqui enim omnes fere actus nostri essent vitiosi quia paucissimi fiunt pure propter solum Deum solam virtutem c. ibid. p. 590. such acts of Vertue or Worship were Vicious all their acts in a manner would be stark naught since there are extremely few amongst them that are purely done for God
temptations or are pleased with them or what they lead to And neither these nor any else can judge there is no other remedy but prayer if they believe their doctrine which offers them divers other remedies and those more relyed on than this To mention none else almost any of their Sacramentals of which they have multitudes will serve their turn even a little Salt (y) Exorciso te creatura salis c. I conjure thee Creature Salt that thou maiest be hallowed to drive away all the temptations of the Devil conjured after the mode of holy Church may do it Thus we see these Catholicks secured from all divine obligations to pray while they live But they have another way to do it for if any apprehend themselves in dangerous temptations and also that there is no other remedy against it but prayer they determine (z) Quando tentationes ingruunt cum periculo succumbendi tunc enim medium ad peccatorum veniam auxilium impetrandum adhibendum est quanquam a peccato multi excusantur ignorantes vel non advertentes ad hanc obligationem Bonacina divin offic disp 1. q. 2. p. 1. n. 12. ibi Medina Navar. Malderus Sylvester alij that if such be ignorant that it is then a duty or if they know it but do not consider it they are excused from sin though then they neglect to pray Now the people may well be ignorant that they are in such case obliged when their learned men scarce know it And for those that do know it the violence of the temptation and the case supposeth it violent may leave no place for consideration However no man considers this or other things unless he will and so it will be no sin to neglect prayer at that time when only they count it a duty unless he list Yea (a) Utrum excusetur a peccato qui praeceptum aliquod non implet ob inadvertentiam vel ignorantiam quae ipsius culpa contigit Respondeo excusari a peccato Idem de peccat disp 2. q. 8. p. 3. n. 28. ibi Clavis Regia alij though the ignorance or inconsiderateness be culpable and through his own default yet the neglect of the duty which is thereby occasioned they can excuse from sin Besides if (b) Scientes vero advertentes graviter peccant utpote negligentes medium ad vincendas tentationes omissio tamen orationis tunc temporis non habet malitiam distinctam ab eo peccato quod cavere tenemur Idem De divin offic d. 1. q. 2. p. 1. n. 12. ibi besides the chief of all the Jesuites Medina Sylvester Navar Malderus they should both know and consider that prayer is then their duty yet they teach that the omission of it is then no special sin i. no other sin then that which they should seek to avoyd by praying Whereby they plainly declare that there is in their account no special precept for prayer no not in that case wherein alone they would have it thought a duty otherwise they would judge it a special sin then to neglect it Sect. 11. But though their Catholicks be thus sufficiently eased of all Obligations to private prayer all their lives by vertue of any Divine command it may be there is some precept of the Church for it Can she be content that they should live so much without God or any acknowledgment of their dependance on him more like Atheists than Christians yes there 's not any thing for private addresses to God amongst all her precepts she is too indulgent to trouble them with any such thing she requires not of them the least prayer or such as are accounted best not so much as a Pater-noster there is no Ecclesiastical precept for this to make it so much as a venial fault not to use it sayes (c) Nullum esse de hac re praeceptum etiam Ecclesiasticum vel sub veniali Medina de Orat q. 10. in Suar. de Orat. l. 3. c. 6. n. 7. Solum tradidit Christus formam non vero dedit praeceptum obligans ad exercitium n. 5. Medina not a Salve-Regina no nor an Ave-Mary They have indeed a special respect to this last and prefer it Ten to one before any other though they might use this every minute without ever praying once to God all their life And Pope John the 22. ordained that thrice every Evening the Bell should sound that every one might say an Ave-Mary thrice and since it is grown a custome and a Church custome usually stands for a Law with them that not only at Evening but at Noon and Morning too a Bell should sound for the same purpose So that this if any is under injunction There is a fair shew for it but it is no more than a shew for they assure us this is only a (d) Consuetudo recepta est ratione devotionis non obligationis si haec nunquam recitet magnum indicium est ipsum non recte vivere etiamsi omissio illa speciale peccatum non sit Idem ibid. voluntary Devotion and hath nothing of Obligation in it Those that never use this and such prayers it is they say a shrewd sign they do not live well but the omission thereof is no special sin with respect unto any precept either of God or the Church And is not this a very pious concession that they are pleased to grant that for a man never to say his prayers is a general bad sign that he does not live as he ought though they will by no means allow it to be any special sin Oh! the Piety and tenderness of this Mother and head of all Churches If for all this any of them should conceive themselves obliged to pray sometimes or if without such opinion they should find some season for private prayer though God as they dream and the Church as they know hath prescribed none as when a Confessor enjoyns it for Pennance or out of voluntary Devotion when they have a mind to Supererogate and do better than God requires upon which accounts some of them may be found now and then very busie with their Beads yet in these cases there is by their principles no more need to worship God in their private than in their publick prayers where as we have shewed they account no actual observance of God at all necessary As for the prayer enjoyned them by way of Pennance these are not necessary for them but as their punishment and then they pray not for that is an act of the Soul but this a suffering of the outward man The Church as they say it cannot judge of inward acts so it cannot order them to be penal And the Male-factors here being their own executioners as there is no need so there is no fear that they will punish their Souls but leave them untouched unconcerned what ever their lips or fingers or Beads may suffer by that grievous penalty of praying But it
n. 9. Non tamen ad id tenemur quoties administramus aut accipimus Sacramenta quia non tenemur tunc habere contritionem ibid. n. 8. it is false saith Navarre that we are bound to fulfil this Command when we receive any Sacrament for it is enough that we be not in mortal sin or that we probably believe so although no such actual Love be conceived in the heart We are not bound to that Love saith he when we minister or receive the Sacraments because we are not then bound to have contrition Those that make such hard shifts to discharge themselves from the obligation of loving God when ever occasion is offered will scarce think it needful to love him upon no occasion and what occasion can we think of upon which it will be counted requisite if not on these already specified if not after sin if not upon the receipt of mercy if not on any day of worship if not in any part of worship if these be not occasions for it who can hope they will ever meet with any if an act of Love be not requisite once a week or once a year on such an account as would make it so if any imaginable could do it it will not be a duty in any week or any year in a whole life those that discharge themselves of it in such circumstances do plainly enough discharge it for ever But since they would make a shew of finding some time for it though their determinations all along are pregnant with a denyal of any let us proceed with them a little further If an act of Love be not due to God once a year yet may it be a duty once in four or five years Soto and Ledesma in Filliutius ventur'd to think it may be requisite once in five years and he gives this reason for it (b) Quia cum determinatum tempus non sit relinquitur arbitrio sapientum Sic autem sapientes theologi arbitrati sunt ut Soto Ledesma c. tr 22. l. 9. n. 290. aliqui pâ—tant satisfieri praecepto si semel in anno eliciatur actus amoris Dei alij si tertio quoque anno alij si non differatur ultra quinquennium Petr. a S. Joseph Sum. de 1. praecept art 4. Because the time is not determined but left to the judgment of the wise but saith he thus wise Divines have thought Thus Love to God the greatest duty that we owe the Divine Majesty and that which is the sum of all the rest is left to mens arbitrement and if two or three reputed wise shall judge that God is to have no love at all or but one act of Love in a whole life that must be the rule God and man must be determined by it Man will owe no more and the Lord must have no more Those of their Divines have had the repute of wise who thought it enough to love God once in a life time as well as such who conceive it probable that he should have an act of love once in five years or once in seven for thither it may be adjourned by our Authors leave The Jansenists charge this opinion upon the late Jesuits and would have all the odium cast upon them but they go about to lead us into a mistake if they would have us believe that these and other horrid conceits concerning an actual love to God are confined to that Society they are too common amongst those Doctors who are of greatest repute and judged free from extravagancies in their morality and more tenacious of what they would have accounted the genuine doctrine of their Church c Tr. 6. n. 208. There were many in the time of the Council of Trent when Jesuitisme was but in its Infancy who held it enough to love God actually but once in a life time One act of love (d) Semel in vita quod quidam satis arbitrantur de nat grat l. 1. c. 22. p. 58. once in a life which some count enough saith Soto and these some he tells us afterwards were very many In the time of Francis de Victoria who lived till the Council of Trent had sate a year this was the common doctrine that a man is but obliged to love God once in his life For upon the question when the Precept for love obligeth he says Nec videtur sufficiens solutio communis quod tenetur semel in vita Relect. part 3. n. 11. The common answer that one is bound to it once in a life seems not sufficient he speaks modestly as one loth to dissent from the common doctrine that Council who if it had been concerned for God and mens souls as it was for other things would have appear'd in all its thunder against such an error mends this as it did other matters by establishing a doctrine which makes it needless to love God so much as once in a life of which hereafter But when is that once They leave us at liberty for the time so it be but before we dye Suarez was not alone in this as he wants not followers so he had many that went before him in this conclusion and those not Jesuits only for it is grounded upon the notion which the Romish Doctors have of affirmative precepts when the time for their accomplishment is not expressed They teach that such divine commands divers of them are fulfilled and have sufficient observance if they be but obeyed semel in vita once in a life-time Those that are very cautious express it with a saltem once at least in a whole life intimating that though more may be better yet once is as much as is precisely needful and this they extend to such things as by the Lords constitution are means necessary to salvation (e) Alia vero praecepta sunt sine determinatione temporis quae videlicet nos obligant ut aliquando impleantur saltem semel in vita ut sunt media ad salutem necessaria pars 4. relect de paenit p. 968. There are Precepts saith Canus without determination of time which oblige us to observe them some times at least once in our life such as are the means necessary to salvation But in what part of our life must it be that the Lord must have this act of Love from us which is enough once in the whole Why since neither the Scripture nor the Church say they hath determined the time there is no reason for one time more than another it is left to a mans own discretion (*) Sed quaeras tandem quodnam sit tempus illud quo divina charitas obligat ante mortem ad babendam Dei dilectionem hoc est enim quod oppositum sentientes maxime movet nos etiam plurimum torquet quia non possumus tempus hoc in particulari certo definite designaâ—e Illud vero tempus si non sit positiva lege praescriptum prudenti arbitrio ipsius hominis vel
quam meretrix in lupanari tenet inde exeundi stare potest absoluta voluntas ibi manendi Cap. 15 p. 91. may stand with an absolute unwillingness to Repent sufficiently such a Will as a Whore may have to leave the Stews when she hath an absolute purpose to stay there and yet he himself (h) Non sufficit cum Sacramento Paenitentiae ad salutem nisi saltem attritio adsit ibid. vid. Suarez will have such a Velleity with attrition which is far from true Repentance to be sufficient in the want of it and this leads us further Sixthly Attrition though known by the Sinner to be short of true Repentance is sufficient without it to pass him into a saving state if the Sacrament be added Betwixt Contrition which with them is true or compleat Repentance and this Attrition the distance is great they give an account of it in (i) Vid. Soto in 4. sent dist 17. q. 2 art 3. Grasf l. 1. c. 2. n. 3. many particulars THAT is a grief for offending God THIS for temporal or eternal punishment as the greatest evil THAT proceeds from filial THIS from slavish fear THAT cannot be had without supernatural assistance THIS may be had by the power of nature say many of them THAT is an act formed by Grace and Love THIS an act unformed destitute of Grace and Love THAT can pass one into the state of Grace with a desire only of the Sacrament THIS cannot without an actual partaking of it So in fine THAT is compleat Repentance THIS but a defective remorse (k) Idem ibid. C. Judas C. Sceleratior de paen dist 3. such as was in Antiochus and Judas Attrition we see by their own account is very far from true Repentance yet being held sufficient for a saving state without it if the Sacrament be added by vertue hereof Repentance is most evidently rendred needless And such Attrition they think sufficient for this purpose as either ariseth from the turpitude of sin as it is disagreeable to reason or from fear of Hell or apprehensions of temporal punishments and damage as loss of Health Credit Estate c. The Council of Trent admitts of any of these (l) Quinimo minime malum est paenitere solum metu paenae infamiae vel alterius mali modo voluntatem peccandi excludat luculenter declarat Concil Trident. Sess 14. c. 4. Navar. cap. 1. n. 8. Vega lib. 13. in Trident. c. 14. Concedit detestationem ob metum aliarum paenarum esse attritionem contineri sub primo membro nam Conciâ—ium utrumque conjunxit scil ex metu gehennae paenarum in Suar. tom 4. disp 5. Sect. 2. n. 15. vid Bonacin ibid. punct 3. n. 3. Zerola Chamerota Pirigianus alij ibid. For Attrition by their declaration is either (m) Illam vero contritionem imperfectam quae Attritio dicitur quoniam vel ex turpitudinis peccati consideratione vel ex gehennae paenarum metu communiter concipitur Sess 14. cap. 4. that which proceeds from consideration of the turpitude of sin or fear of Hell or other punishment And such Attrition is with the Sacrament sufficient for pardon as is determined by that Councel in these words (n) Quo paenitens adjatus viam sibi ad justitiam parat quamvis sine paenitentiae Sacramento per se ad justificationem peccatorem perducere nequeat tamen eum ad Dei gratiam in Sacramento paenitentiae impetrandam disponit ibid. Hereby he makes his way to Righteousness and although without the Sacrament it Attrition cannot by it self bring a Sinner to justification yet it disposeth him to obtain the grace of God in the Sacrament of pennance So that by their doctrine Attrition so disposeth a Sinner for Justification that their Sacrament being added it actually justifies i. e. puts a Sinner into a state of Grace and Salvation From this sentence of the Council as Bellarmine tells us (o) Et de eo loquuntur theologi cum dicunt attritionem ex timore conceptam dispositionem esse ad justificationem Sacramento accedente revera justificari ut perspicuum est ex concilio Tridentino Sess 14. c. 4. de paenit l. 2. c. 18. p. 972. the Truth of what their Divines hold is conspicuous viz. That Attrition arising out of fear is a disposition to Justification and the Sacrament being added doth truly justifie How generally they hold with some difference of notion the sufficiency of Attrition with their Sacrament we may see in such as give an account of their Opinions distinctly not taking any of the Society into the reckoning it will be enough but to name some of them since their suffrages after the determination of a Council are less needful (p) Vid Suarez tom 4. disp 20. Sect. 1. n. 5. Some are for Attrition improved as Henricus Cajetan Ferrariensis Petrus Soto Some for Attrition mistaken for Contrition (q) n. 7. as Victoria Soto Ledesma Vega Corduba Some for Attrition known to be so (r) n. 9. as Aquinas Scotus Paludanus Capreolus Durandus Adrian Antoninus Sylvester Cano some (s) Soto Canus Vega n. for the opinion of Attrition without the reality But this is enough to shew that by the doctrine of their Church Attrition with the Sacrament is sufficient to put a Sinner into a saving state at any time living or dying Thus is true Repentance reduced to Attrition and this made enough to qualifie an impenitent Sinner for pardon so as he cannot fail of it and yet Attrition of what kind so ever can scarce pass for a good quality That sort of it which is rational a dislike of sin because it disagreeable to reason is not so good in their account as that which is servile because as such (t) Detestatio peccati quia est contra rationem non est sufficiens quia non respicit Deum ipsum nec peccatum ut est offensa ejus tum quia ex vi illius motivi non est supernaturalis Idem ibid. disp 4. Sect. 2. n. 11. Primum itaque genus imperfectae displicentiae est cum quis dolet de peccato propter humana naturaliaque motiva ut quia turpe est contra rationem Canus Relect. de paenit pars 3. p. 836. it is but a meer natural act and hath no respect to God and so hath nothing in it which looks like Godly sorrow As for that which is servile a dislike of sin only or principally for fear of punishment temporal or eternal this is so far from being spiritually good that it is morally evil So bad it is by the Authority and reason of their own Divines Thus Gregory Almain and Adrian conclude (u) Nonnuli Catholici operari ex timore tanquam ex fine proximo judicant esse malum ut Gregorius Almain Adrian Suar. ibid. disp 5. Sect. 2. n. 3. p. 65. Vid Angel Sum. v. Timor that it is evil to act out of fear
cause which is most commonly done and may be always though he bind himself with ten thousand promises or covenants he may with a safe conscience break them all by their rules They hold that the firmest promise does but bind under Venial guilt Cajetan Armilla Rebellus Garzias in Bonacin ibid. n. 12. Or if it did of itself oblige further yet he that intends to bind himself no otherwise may break any promise without any more then Venial guilt whether the matter be small or great which is promised ibid. n. 11. (h) Ut sit vera requiritur primo quod adsit animus in promittente dum promittit obligandi se ad mortale Et sic inter promittendum nisi adhibuerit juramentum promissionis confirmatorium vel scripturam ut pro more hominum contingit fit ut non se censeant obligare ad culpam mortalem Hinc tollitur scrupulorum multitudo Pars 2. cap. 30. p 175. Lopez that a promise may bind under mortal guilt concludes it requisite that he who makes it should have a mind to be so bound by it and so in promising as he saies unless there be an Oath to confirm the promise or a writing as is usual they are not thought to oblige themselves to mortal sin and by this saies he a multitude of scruples is removed And he says true for hereby a man may without any scruplc break any promises that are not under (*) Promissio obligat nisi non habuisti animum te obligandi sed solum proposuisti facere Navar. Garzias in Sa. v. promiss Vix autem quis promittentium obligari intendit nisi juret aut faciat instrumentum Idem ibid. his hand or Oath But what if he had no mind so to oblige himself by his Oath or writing why then by his own rule he is no more bound by his written or sworn promise than by any other To this purpose he concludes again that (i) Qui dum aliquid promittit verbo tenus animo intentione se obligandi caret non fit reus in conscientia obligationis promissi Idem ibid. p. 176. Secundum cummuniter theologos nemo ex quacunque promissione obligaturâ— nisi qui habuit animum obligandi se Angel sum v. puctum n. 4. he who promises in word without mind or intenion to oblige himself is not bound in Conscience to perform it and this is their common Doctrine So that if a man intend not to be honest he need not be so whatever he promise These rules observed are more than sufficient to excuse men from all saith and honesty in contracts and promises of all sorts to fill the world with cheats and perfidiousness to take away all confidence and security from men in dealing one with another to ruine humane society and to render Roman Catholicks less conscientious and more faithless and intolerable to mankind than sober Heathens nor are they more like the rules of Christianity than those which bid defiance to it SECT XI HItherto thus much of deceit and lyes in word and promises c. Hypocrisie is a lye indeed both are equally sinful (k) Paria esse factis aut verbis mentiri Vid. Navar. cap. 18. n. 8. Non solum in verbo sed etiam in facto mendacium consistit cum in utroque sit eadem intentio fallendi uterque aequaliter peccat quia verbum factum assumuntur ut instrumentum fallendi nec refert quantum ad peccatum verbo nutu vel facto mentiri sicut nec quantum ad homicidium uti gladio vel securi Sylvest sum v. mendacium n. 5. Aquinas after some of the Antients asserts that it is all alike to lye in deeds as in words as that is a composing of words so this of acts to signifie and make one believe what is false both are used as instruments of deceit and it is all one which way you cozen another so he be but cheated as it is all one whether you kill a man with a Sword or an Axe as they express it and both by their Doctrine are made Venial Sylvester inquires (l) Sum. v. simulatio n. 4. ut pallietur iniquitas ipso bonus putetur quod est peccatum ad honorem Dei proximorum aedificationem hoc non est peccatum whether to make a false shew of sanctity be a sin he answers that if is he for the Honour of God and the profit of others it is no sin but if it be to palliate his own wickedness and that he may be accounted good then it is a sin because it is a false ostentation of fanctity But so is the other too which yet with him is no sin either both must be acquitted or neither So Cajetan (m) Si fâ—nis ille sit bonus puta ad aedificationem aliorum nihilominus peccatum est quia non sunt facienda mala ut-bona eveniant Sum. v. hypocris p. 340. will have it to be evil though the end be good because we must not do evil that good may ensue But they agree and it is their common Doctrine that (n) Solummodo intendit simulare se bonum seu meliorem quam sit hoc hypocrisis si nuda sit licet non sit peccatum mortale est tamen peccatum quia mendacii vim haber Cajetan ibid. Sylvest ibid. Navar. c. 18. n. 8. bare Hypocrisie when one feigns he is good and is not or better than he is is no mortal evil though it hath the force of a lye and be design'd to deceive others (o) Facere opera quibus bonus appareat cum non sit sine intentione ostendendi se bonum non est etiam veniale juxta mentem omnium Idem ibid. otherwise it would not be so bad as a Venial (p) Alias erit veniale puta cum in ipsa fictione delectetur magis vanus videtur quam malus Sylvest ibid. Although he delight in thus playing the Hypocrite it will not be worse this is but vanity not wickedness unless it be for an end mortally wicked such as will make an act otherwise indifferent to be criminal But if he made this false and deceiving shew (q) Si aâ—…m finis ille sit vana gloria non tamen ita quod in ea ponatur ultimus finis peccatum est veniale quidem sed duplicatum Cajetan ibid. for an evil end to wit for vain glory so long as it is not made his last end to wit his God such vain glorious Hypocrisie will be no worse for though the sin says Cajetan be here doubled yet the double sin is but a single Venial And if he do those works (r) Qui opera ad Dei servitium naturaliter ordinata â—ut sunt jejunium oratio eleemosyna facit ex intentione non serviendi Deo sed ob gloriam humanam hypocrisis peccatum incurrit formaliter implicite tamen Cajetan ibid. p. 341. Nonnunquam etiam fratres suos admonuisse ut aliquam
out of ignorance or infirmity but with a high hand (t) Non quasi ipse contemptus vilipensio venialium sit mortale quia nullibi est praeceptum ut istam curam habeamus sed consulitur tantum Sylvest v. peccat n. 4. peccare venialiter ex contemptu infra limites venialis non est peccatum mortale Cajetan Sum. v. contemptus Lopez cap. 1. p. 8. Metina ibi Graff l. 1. c. 14. n. 8. ibid. Aquinas 2. 2. q. 107. art 3. out of contempt They (u) Navar. cap. 23. n. 13. 16. may praise themselves or others for them they may (x) Secus etiamsi gloriaretur de repeccati Venialis solum quoniam sic nou esset mortalis vana gloria Angel Sum. v. van Gl. n. 1. Cajetin Sum. v. glor vana Est mortale cum laudant aliot jactant de peccatis mortalibus quae fecerunt secus esset de Veniali quoniam non est contra Deum Angel v. Jactantia n. 1. boast of and glory in them they may perpetrate them (y) Contingit tamen propter imperfectionem actus esse Veniale peccatum ex malitia ut siquis vana mendacia eligit dicere ex intentione bujus mali quod est vane mentire non propter aliud Cajetan Sum. v. malitia out of malice They may be so far from resolving to leave them as it will be but a small fault (z) Juramentum de peccato Veniali peccatum est si tamen fiat cum proposito implendi illud non est mortale Cajetan Soto Antoninus Sylvest Tabien Navar. in Suar. de Juram l. 3. c. 19. n. 3. to bind themselves by Oath to commit them and call God to witness that they will thus sin against him They (a) Potest quis dum moritur habere voluntatem permanendi in peccato Veniali Bellarm. de Purgat l. 1. c. 7. p. 1359. may dye with resolution to continue therein if they might live yea they may breath out their souls with delight (b) Potest quis mori in complacentia peccati Idem ibid. cap. 10. p. 1370. Cum Venialis complacentia potest mori ac salvari Sylvest Sum. v. Contritio n. 3. and complacency in these sins and yet be saved To conclude mark how they may act and multiply and persist in them and then view the nature and quality and number of them or guess thereat by the severals premised and then suppose a man living after the rules of these conscientious Doctors and Casuists and taking but part of that liberty which the Roman Divinity allows such a man would pass for a good Catholick with them and be holy enough according to the Holiness left among them and made necessary by them yet even by the rules of Heathen morality he would appear little better than a Monster So faithfully do they retain and so much do they regard the rules of Christ in forming the Maxims of their new Divinity that sober Heathenism would be ashamed thereof and so like is practical Popery to true Christianity in that wherein the reality and triumphant splendour of it consists Innocency and Purity If an Atheist had a mind to render the Christian name odious and to represent Christianity with a black and detestable visage to the sober part of the world if he had a design to make men believe that Christ was a Minister of Unrighteousness and the Gospel a licencious doctrine tending to debauch mankind he would need no more but perswade them that the maxims of the Roman Divines were conformed to the rules of the Gospel but then if he should attempt to prove this conformity he might as easily demonstrate that darkness is light or the Alcoran the Christian Gospel CHAP. IX Many enormous Crimes are no Sins at all in the Roman account SECT 1. I Proceed to those sins which they will have to be no sins but need not stay long here having given a large account of those which they make Venial since betwixt these and no sins there is little difference in their Doctrine and none in their practice I need not stay to shew how it is no sin with them to vilifie the Scriptures the written Word of God or to rob him of the sole glory of his Mediation and to give much thereof to others in all its parts and specialities merit satisfaction intercession or to put their trust in others besides God for things which he alone can give and for which he only is to be relyed on and this not only in Saints and Angels but their Images and their imaginary Reliques And how it is no sin in their account to abide in ignorance unbelief impenitency or to live without the love and fear of God and the exercising of other graces by what is already premised this is sufficiently manifested (*) Si tamen contingat speciales inspirationes dari a'Deo quando se offâ—rt occasio frangendi aliquod praeceptum homo resistens inspirationibus praeceptum transgrediatur nullo modo speciale peccatum committit quia resistit inspirationi Jo. Sanc. select disp 7. n. 11. p. 36. To resist the inspirations of God drawing us to the observance of his commands or withdrawing us from wickedness is no special sin i. e. we contract no other kind of guilt thereby than if we had sinned without any such inspirations to with-hold us from it Thus it will be no fault at all to quench the motions of Gods spirit inducing us to turn to him to love him to repent c. or diswading us from Blasphemy Perjury Adultery Murder or any other crime And yet if a man be ready to commit any wickedness it will be no sin for another to invite him to do it Thus far men may promote all sin in others resist the spirit of God moving against it As for evil Spirits they conclude it no sin (a) Sylvest Sum. v. adjurat n. 2. for good men by special instinct or revelation to make use of the ministry of Devils they tell us that to apply themselves to Devils (b) Si quis eos adjuret ad aliquid ab ijs sciendum aut ad aliquod obsequium per eos consequendum est illicitum 1. quia hoc pertinet ad quandam societatem vel familiaritatem cum ipsis Sylvest Sum. v. adjura n. 2. Licite adjuramus in omnibus ut de corpore expellatur utputa quod suum nomen fateatur similiter ut dicat causam vexandi hominem licet non credamus c. to know or obtain any thing of them is to have some familiarity and society with those damned Spirits unless it be the better to expel them out of the possessed yet they teach it is no sin to inquire of the Devil in a possessed person what his name is and wherefore he vexes that person and what Devils are his associates and the like But he must not believe the Devil though he tell him (c) Quod si ei crederet
among the rest Valens the Monk was thus deluded the Devil frequently appearing to him as an Angel In fine Satan in an apparition feigned himself to be Christ and the Monk went and for Christ worshipped the Devil Idem in 2 Cor. 11. 15. They are concern'd to plead for that worship which had the same original with much of their Religion Sect. 4. For Oaths or Perjury I will only instance in those which are Fraudulent First they determine that he who (m) Quid ergo si quis exterius juret proferendo verba tangendo evangelia intus tamen non habeat jurandi animum Respondetur in illo casu non esse verum sed fictum juramentum Sed nunquid in conscientia qui sic jurat tenebitur adimplere Respondetur minime quidem c. Soto de just jur l. 8. q. 1. art 7. p. 262. Graff decis aur l. 2. c. 17. n. 5. Ut obligationem inducat necessarium est ut ab intentione jurandi procedat hoc câ—rtum est apud omnes D. Thom. Cajetan Soto Covarruvias Panormatan Glossa in Suar. l. 2. de Jurament c. 7. n 2. Necessarium est ut intentio jurandi sit sufficienter libera Communis est Idem ibid. n. 3. takes an Oath and intends not to swear the Oath binds not it is no sin to go against it (n) Tenet S. Bonaventura quod universaliter non obligat juramentum si jurans animum se obligandi non habuit Sylvest jurament 4. n. 19. vid. plures ibid. u. 7. n. 17. Nec qui sic jurat peccat Angelus v. juram 5. n. 9. Sylvest v. juram 4. n. 7. Qui jurat cum intentione non se obligandi non obligatur ex vi juramenti Ita D. Thom. Bonaventur Scotus Gabriel Richard Sylvest Angelus Medina Gutierrez Navar. Gloss Felinus Abbas Jo. Andr. in Suar. l. 2. de juram c. 7. n. 9. Hos alios vid. in Bonacina Tom. 2. disp 4. q. 1. punct 7. n. 3. Secondly when a man intends to swear but intends not to be obliged by swearing there he is not obliged but may lawfully break it as the antienter Casuists and School-Doctors generally determine There is real evidence for the practice of this from the Conclave for as their excellent Historian tells us (*) Hist of Counc of Tr. l. 1. p. 71. in the Vacancies of the Sea the Cardinals use to compose certain capitulations to reform the Papal Government which all swear to perform if they be assumed to the Popedom though it appear by all precedent examples that every one sweareth with a mind not to keep them in case he shall be Pope For so soon as he is Elected he saith hâ—â—ould not bind himself and that he is at liberty by gaining the Papacy This was remarkably exemplified in Paul 4. who resolving to break one of the Capitulations he was sworn to a little before and some of the Cardinals being ready to put him in mind of his Oath he declared in Consistory (†) Ibid. l. 5. p. 396. that it is an Article of Faith that the Pope cannot be bound and much less can bind himself that to say otherwise was a manifest Heresie and threatned the Inquisition to any that hold it It seems it is damnable error deserving something like a Hell upon Earth to believe that his Holiness intends to be honest whatever he swear It 's true every one has not the priviledg of a Pope to have it counted Haeresie for any to believe that he can be bound to keep any Oaths or ever to intend it but all have this liberty by their Doctrine that they may take Oaths without any intention to keep them and are not bound to keep them if they do not intend it Thirdly to elude an Oath and deceive those who give it or are concerned in it by aequivocation or other artifice of words yea or by mental Reservation is no sin and that in (o) Si judex juramentum exigens talis competens non fuerit vel esto quod sit competens interrogat tamen contra juris ordinem vel est alius homo privatus qui per metum aut importunitatem juramentum extorquet tunc jurare poterit quod secundum suam mentem est verum falsum autem secundum mentem alterius cui exhibit juramentum Sicuti fecisse B. Franciscum ferunt qui rogatus qua perrexisset quidam bomicida respondit non transisse illac intelligens per illas manicas Cum Adriano qui sic inique interrogatur potest optime respondere quod nescit intelligendo non eo modo se scire quo illud dicere teneatur Navar. cap. 12. n. 8. many cases As when a man has no mind to swear and thinks he is not bound to do it when he is drawn to it by force or induced by fear or brought to it by importunity or when the Judge is incompetent as they count all that are Hereticks or Excommunicate and that have not lawful jurisdiction or if the Judges are competent yet when (*) Vid Navar. c 18. n. 57. they proceed not juridically In these and other cases either (*) Qui alio sensu ju at quam alter intelligat non peccat modo justam habeat causam ita jurandi justa autem causa utendi his verbis amphibologicis est necessitas aut utilitas corporis aut honoris aut rerum familiarium Ex quo sequitur non esse illicitum uti verbis amphibologicis addendo restrictionem aliquam in mente retentam quoties aliquid incommodi vel injuriae nobis impendet loquendo ad mentem interrogantis adest enâ—m justa causa ita loquendi Bonacin Tom. 2. disp 4. quest 1. punct 12. n. 2. 3 4. Ejusmodi autem aequivocationibus uti addito etiam juramento absque causa non est peccatum mortale modo ne id fiat in fraudem tertij aut in judicio dum judex juridice interrogat Ibid. vid. Dian. v. aequivoc Videtur esse communis sententia juramentum simulatum id est cum justa prudenti amphibologia factum non obligare D. Tho. Cajetan Soto Abbas Tabiena Covarruvâ—as Navar. in Suar. l. 2. de juram cap. 8. n. 2. Juramentum autem dolosum cum injustitia obligare sed tantum secundum proprium sensum Scotus Bonavent Richard Gabriel Sylvest Angelus Antoninus ibid. n. 5. for avoiding harm or inconvenience or when it may be for their advantage in any respect they think it lawful to use these methods of deceit in swearing Indeed the reason they give to justifie the practice â—n these cases will make it as lawful in any other for they say what is so sworn is true in their own sense though not in the sense of the hearers and so they will have it in strictness to be neither Lie nor Perjury nor any mortal sin even when there is no honest nor reasonable occasion for swearing or promising in this fraudulent manner And that