Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 11
SECT. XI. Whether God bind Men to Impoſſibilities.
230. THis leads us to the queſtion, Whether God bind men to Quaudo praeceptum ſupernaturale obligat, non poteſt vitari peccatum contra illud abſque auxilio gratiae. Pet. à S. Joſeph. Theſ. Univerſ. Theol. de auxiliis p. 83. Alliac. Camerac. 1. q. 14. R. ſaith, 1. We cannot be bound to a ſimple impoſſibility: 2. We may be bound to Will an Impoſſibility (as that his ſin paſt had not been, though he doubt of this.) 4. He may be bound to that which is not in his power, to do of himſelf: So every one is bound habere gratiam; & quilibet viator fidem infuſam: & tamen non eſt in creaturae poteſtate activâ.things Impoſsible. Where we muſt needs diſtinguiſh 1. Of diſability Antecedent to the Law, and Conſequent. 2. Mediate and Immediate. 3. Between Impoſſibles as ſuch, and as Things Hated or Nilled. 4. Between Primary and Secondary Moral acts. And ſo I anſwer,
231. 1. No Law of God (or juſt men) bindeth to things Naturally Impoſsible before the Law was made and broken, by an Immediate obligation.
232. A juſt Law may antecedently bind us mediately to that which is immediately impoſſible. So he that cannot Read, may be bound to Read mediately; that is, firſt to Learn, and then to Read. And Paul requireth men to work with their hands, that they may have to give to him that needeth, (and then to give;) which yet before they have got it, is impoſſible.
233. The obligation of a Law ceaſeth, when the thing commanded becometh Impoſsible without the ſubjects fault.
234. Every ſin is Voluntarium-prohibitum: And ſo far as Impoſsible things may be Voluntaria-prohibita (which is all the doubt) ſo far they may be ſins.
235. Gods Law is Antecedent to our practice, and mediately ex parte ſui bindeth us at once to all that we muſt do to the End of our Lives. As if a Maſter in the Morning command his ſervant his work till night. Therefore as if that ſervant purpoſely break his Spade or other Tools that he may not work, he is not therefore ſo diſobliged as to be guiltleſs; even ſo when man by ſin diſableth himſelf to his commanded duty, the Law is not changed, but is ſtill the ſame, nor is he thereby excuſed.
236. Here the Primary ſin is that which contracted the Impotency: The Secondary ſin is the Impotency it ſelf, thus wilfully contracted and ſeated in the will. The third rank is the not doing of all that was firſt commanded, and the doing of all that was forbidden.
237. But if it be not only a Moral Vicious Impotency that is contracted (ſuch as the habitual unwillingneſs in queſtion) but a Phyſical Impotency (as if a man drunk himſelf ſtark mad, or blind, &c.) this is a ſin (and the conſequent acts and omiſſions) not ſimply in it ſelf conſidered, but ſecundum quid, and participatively, as it partaketh of the firſt ſin, which is deſcribed it ſelf to be [a Voluntary forbidden act diſabling us to future duty, and That a neceſſity contracted by our own fault (as by drunkenneſs) excuſeth not from guilt, ſee Auguſt. l. de Natur. & Grat. c. 67. & Aquin. n. 4. d. 50. q. 2. a. 1.virtually containing a ſinful life to the end.]
238. But if it be this Phyſical Impoſſibility that is contracted, then though the Law change not, yet the Subjects capacity being changed, ſtrictly and properly God is not ſaid after to Oblige him by that Law, becauſe he is not Receptive and Capable of ſuch new obligations; And yet he is not diſobliged as to his benefit. For no man getteth a right to any benefit by his fault. What then? Why, the Precept to that man is paſt into a Virtual Judiciary Sentence, condemning him as diſobedient; even as it is with thoſe in Hell.
239. Therefore ſince the fall, the Law of Innocency in it ſelf is the ſame, which once ſaid [Thou ſhalt continue perfectly Innocent;] but it doth not properly oblige us as a Law to that Innocency or perfection which we were born without, becauſe we are become uncapable ſubjects: Much leſs is that Innocency now the Condition of any Promiſe or Covenant of God; as if he ſtill ſaid [Be perſonally and perpetually Innocent, and thou ſhalt live; and that thou maiſt live.] But the Law being ſtill the ſame, we that are uncapable of the duty, are not uncapable of the guilt and condemnation: Vid. Bellarmin. de Grat. & lib. a…b. li. 5. per totum, &c. 30. de diſt. neceſſitates.And therefore the Law and Covenant are now become a Virtual Sentence of Condemnation for not obeying perſonally, perfectly and perpetually to the death. For he that hath once made Innocency Naturally Impoſſible to him, is Virtually in the caſe of one that hath perſevered to the death in ſin
240. But if the contracted Impoſſibility be not Phyſical but Moral, the caſe is quite different. For then the thing is a threefold ſin in it ſelf as aforeſaid; 1. The diſabling ſin. 2. The vicious Diſability or Malignity of the Will. 3. And the after ſin thereby committed, and omiſſion of duty.
More of Phyſical and Moral Impotency.
241. 1. No righteous Law forbiddeth Phyſical Impotency as ſuch, nor commandeth men Phyſical Impoſſibilities, as is ſaid; But Gods Laws primarily forbid the malignity of the Will, which is its Moral Impotency.Bradwa…dine plainly ſaith li. 3. c. 9. p. 675. that [Nullus actus noſter eſt ſimpliciter in noſtra poteſtate (we grant not abſolutely and independently) ſed tantum ſec…ndum quid, reſpectu Ca… ſarum ſecundarum. Nihil eſt in noſtra poteſtate niſi ſubactiva, ſubexec…tiva & ſubſervien…e neceſſari…, neceſſitate naturalit…r praecedente, reſpectu …oluntatis divinae. Quod ideo in noſtra dicitur poteſtate, quia cum volumus iliud facimus voluntarie & non in…iti. So that by him no creature was ever able to do more or leſs than it doth, except you call him able to do it, that can do it when God makes him do it: but that is not to be able before, or when he is not cauſed to do it.
242. 2. Rulers uſe not to make Puniſhments for Phyſical Impotency; But for the Wills Malignity God doth.
243. 3. Rulers uſe not to propound Rewards for Phyſical Impoſſibilities; But for the fruits of Moral Sanctity or Habits, and for themſelves, God doth.
244. 4. No juſt Judge condemneth men for Phyſical Impotency; But for Moral God and man do.
245. 5. No Good man hateth another for Phyſical Impotency; But for Moral malignity God and man do.
246. 6. An inlightned Conſcience accuſeth and tormenteth no man for meer Phyſical Impotency and Impoſſibilities: But for the Wills Malignity Conſcience will torment men. So that it is evident that one ſort of Impotency maketh an act no ſin (in its degree) and the other maketh it a greater ſin. For Nature and common notices teach men to judge that the More Willingneſs, the more culpability. But he that hath Actual and Habitual Wilfulneſs, and is as ſome Adulterers, drunkards, revengeful perſons, proud, covetous, &c. who are ſo bad that they ſay, I cannot chooſe, are the worſt of all the ſorts of ſinners, by ſuch diſability.
247. It is moſt probable that God overcometh Moral Impotency, and giveth Moral Power, by Moral Means, and Operations: For though God can give it by a proper Creation without Moral Means, and we cannot ſay that he never doth ſo, nor how oft he doth or doth not; yet it is moſt probable that his ſpecial Grace, doth by his Trine Influx of Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, Life, Light and Love, ſuſcitate the natural faculties of the ſoul to the firſt ſpecial Act, and by it cauſe a holy Habit, which he radicateth by degrees; And this is Metaphorically a Creation.
248. This is certain, that ſince the ſall we have the ſame eſſential faculties; that Original ſin is not as Illyricus ſo long and obſtinately maintained (though an excellently good and Learned man) a Subſtance, though it be the Pravity of a ſubſtance: And that ſin changed not the humane ſpecies; Nor doth Grace change our ſpecies. It is certain that the Acts of theſe ſame natural faculties are commanded to all men, even the unregenerate, under the names of Faith and Repentance; And ſo theſe are their duties. And it is certain, that a Courſe of Moral means (preaching, reading, meditating, conference, threatnings, promiſes, mercies, afflictions) are appointed and uſed to the procuring the ſaid faculties to perform theſe commanded acts: It is certain that theſe Means have an Aptitude to their end: And that God worketh by his own means: And appointeth not man to uſe them in vain; And that in working Grace, God preſerveth and reformeth Nature, and worketh on Man as Man: and according to the Nature of his means.
249. And I think none dare deny, but that God is Able by his Spirits powerful operation, without any Antecedent new Habit or diſpoſition, to ſet home theſe ſame means ſo effectually on the Natural powers of the ſoul, as ſhall excite them to the firſt Acts of Faith and Repentance: And by them imprint a Habit, as is ſaid, and ſhall be ſaid again in Part 3. And if he Can do ſo, and Can do otherwiſe, which then is likeſt to be his ordinary way, I leave to the obſervers of Scripture and Experience.
450. This is the Common ſenſe of Divines, who place Vocation, exciting the firſt act of Faith and Repentance, before Union with Chriſt, and before Sanctification, which giveth the habit, till Mr. Pemble Vind. Grat. taught otherwiſe, whom Biſhop G. Downame confuted in the Appendix to his Treatiſe of Perſeverance.
251. As to the queſtion, How this Grace is called Infuſed, and not Natural? I anſwer, It is called Infuſed and Supernatural, becauſe, 1. It is not wrought by any Natural-moral means only, but by Supernatural-moral means, viz. Revelation, in and by the Goſpel of Chriſt. 2. And this ſupernatural Revelation cannot work it, without the ſpecial extraordinary operation and impreſſion by the Holy Ghoſt, above the common concurſe of God with all his Creatures, as he is fons naturae. This the Schools have Metaphorically called Infuſion.
252. But it may be called Natural, 1. In that mans Natural faculties receive Gods Influx, 2. And perform the act: 3. And are perfected by it as the Natural body is by Health.
253. And what the difference is ex parte Dei agentis (& ex parte effectus) between Gods Natural and Gracious operations, I ſhall after open in the third Part.
254. The Schoolmen, eſpecially the Scotiſts and Ockam, and many Franciſcans, Benedictines, and other Fryers, (yea, ſuch Oratorians as Gibieuf) have fled ſo high in making Grace ſupernatural, (feigning a ſtate of pure Naturals that had none) and talk ſo phanatically of the Deification of the ſoul, as I think hath enſnared ſome Sectaries among us to imitate them, ſeigning that the firſt Covenant is Moral as a Law, and the ſecond Covenant is the very in-being of a Divine Nature, which they (though obſcurely) ſeem to deſcribe as ſomewhat above all Habits and Inclinations, put into our own nature, like another form or ſoul: Which over-doing tendeth to tempt men to Infidelity, by doubting whether mans Nature was made by the Creator to enjoy God in Heaven or not, when it muſt be made another thing to attain it.