Observations Natural and Moral, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. De connexione virtutum.
2 Pet. 1.5. Adde to your faith vortue, and to your vertue knowledge.
VIces are not coupled together, as feare and boldneſſe, prodigality and avarice; this farre vice may be ſaid to be coupled together, How vices may be ſaid to be coupled together.firſt in the fountaine, for as prudence is the beginning of all vertues, ſo is imprudency of all vices; Secondly, every vice departeth from vertue and ſtriveth againſt it. Every good gift commeth downe from the Father of lights, Iam. 1.17. So every vertue fighteth againſt vice.Mortall and theologicall vertues are not eſſentially coupled together.
Morall and theologicall vertues are not eſſentially coupled together, for faith is not of the eſſence of morall vertues, neither are they defined by it: for morall vertues are habitus electivi conſiſtentes ſecundum rationem, but faith is not …uch, therefore faith and morall vertues are not eſſentially joyned together.Theologicall vertues are not eſſentially coupled together.
Secondly, theologicall vertues are nor eſſentially coupled together, farre leſſe are morall and theologicall vertues; faith ſhall ceaſe in the life to come, but charity ſhall be perfited, 1 Cor. 12.13. Faith and workes are not eſſentially joyned together, for they are in divers categories.
Faith worketh by charity Gal. 5.6. Object.
Faith worketh by charity, Anſw. becauſe charity followeth it as the effect: Forma aſſiſtent conſlitueus. How faith worketh by charity.there is duplex forma aſſsiſtens vel conſtituens; Aſſiſtens, as the mariner to the ſhip vel conſtituens as the ſoule to the body, faith is forma aſſiſtens bonorum operum, non dans eſſe abſolutum.
Although theologicall vertues be not eſſentially coupled with morall vertues yet they are required for the perfection of a Chriſtian man: Simile. Theologicall and morall vertues are requiſite for the perfection of a Chriſtian.one vertie … not from another vertue that it is a vertue, but to … up one abſolute perfection, it is neceſſary that they be all joyned and agree in one tertio. Plearing and ſeeing are not eſſentially joyned together, yet to make up a perfect man it is neceſſary that he both heare and ſee: So it is requiſite that a Chriſtian man have both morall and theologicall vertues; and although theſe theefogicall vertues immediatly beget not morall vertues, yet they comfort and ſtreng then them, and ſo doth the morall vertues the theologicall. Theſe who have their paſſions unſetled, it hindreth them to call upon God, 1 Pet. 3.7. Matth. 7.24. So morall vertues require theologicall vertues to ſtrengthen them, for when a mans temperance faileth his faith correcteth it, for faith purtfieth the heart. Queſt.
What are we to judge of the heathens vertues which have no theologicall vertues joyned with them? Anſw.
If we conſider their workes materially and not conſider how they did them, The workes of the heathen are good materially.they may bee called good workes and approved by God, and ſo it is ſaid that Amaziah did that which was good in the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart, 2 Chro. 25.2. Object. the worke may be good in it ſelfe, Licet ſubjecto, objecto, & … malum. Anſw.
But the Fathers called the works of the heathen but falſe and counterfit vertues:Truth is oppoſite both to imperfection and falſhood.
The Fathers when they ſpeake ſo are thus to be underſtood, they are not … vertues, that is, they are not perfect vertues, but they are true vertues, that is, they are not falſe; truth is oppoſite to imperfection and ſo likewiſe to falſhood. Example, Arichalcum or Latten is a true mettall and not counterfit, but it is falſe gold, if yee will reſpect the perfection of it, for it diſ…eth much from gold; So the vertues of the heathen are true vertues, and oppoſite to counterfeite vertues, but they are falſe, oppoſite to Chriſtian vertues.
Againe, The manner and end of the he…thens workes were not good.if we will reſpect the manner how they did theſe things, and the end why they did them, then they were not good. Alexander when he overcame Darius, he ſent backe both his wives and his concubines untouched, this he did not for the feare of God as Ioſeph did, but onelyonly to get praiſe of men. An infidell giveth almes to the poore to helpe the poore; although he doth this for a particular good end to helpe him in his neede, yet he doth it not for the glory of God which ſhould be the ſupreme and laſt end.
Whether were all vertues coupled together in Adam before his fall? Queſt. Anſw.
Thomas ſaith that vertues were coupled in Adam after a divers manner, Thom. 1.1. queſt. 96.for ſome vertues he had both the habite and the act of them, ſuch as were theſe which imported no imperfection; ſuch as were juſtice, charity, holineſſe; others againe he had actually as they did import ſome imperfection, What vertues were coupled together in Adam before his fall.as faith and hope, for he had faith of the things which hee had not yet ſeene, and hope of theſe things which he had not as yet obtained; for he was not created in ſuch an eſtate to ſee the things which he was to beleeve, neyther to injoy thoſe things which he hoped for. Other vertues againe hee had the habite of them but not the act, ſuch as imported a greater imperfection and repugnant to his firſt eſtate; ſuch as were patience, mercy anger, theſe he had not actually, but he was ſo created at the firſt: if injuries had beene offered to him he ſhould have ſuffered them patiently and to have had pitie on other mens miſeries.