Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 16 – Section 17
SECT. XVI. Of Infuſed Habits, and the Holy Ghoſt Given us▪The Schoolmen that ſpeak moſt for the neceſſity of Infuſed Habits, cannot agree what uſe they are for; Aureolus ſuppoſeth chiefly for the right circumſtantiating of Acts, rather than for promptitude to them and pleaſure in them. And when all is ſaid, they give men but ſmall comfort from them, ſaying (as Aureolus, Brianſon, &c.) that no man can be ſure that he hath them, ſeeing acquired Habits may do the ſame things that Infuſed do. [Utrum Beatitudo ſupernaturalis hujus vitae ſit magis in Habitibus quam in operationibus, vid. Suarez Metaph. diſp. 44. ſect. 8. n. 18. & Molina 1. p. q. 12. ar. 5. diſp. 2. ar. 2. pro habitibus. Sed contra inquit Aegid. de Sancta Praeſentatione Li. 4. de beatit. q. 5. a. 3. p…. 471. His non obſtantibus oppoſitum▪ affirmant omnes Theologi qui bac de re ſcripſerunt: nec videtur poſſe de hoc dubitari. And yet Alenſ. 2. p. q. 104. m. 3. Aquin. 1. 2. q. 51. a. 2. ad 3. & q. 63. a. 2. ad 3. & Valenti…. To. diſp. 4. q. 3. punct. 2. &c. are for preferring Habits. Idem Aegid. de Praeſentat. li. 4. p. 443, 444. tells us that by Grace God is Preſent in the ſoul as his Temple otherwiſe than by Immenſity and ſuſtentation; But his praeſentia Amicitia can mean nothing but the ſpecial effects of Gods Love. Noſtrâ tempeſtate non ſolum eſt temerarium, & periculoſum, ſed ferè hareticum habitus inſuſos negare; Nam Concil. Vienenſ. &c. & univerſi Theologi uno conſenſu affirmant dari habitus inſuſos: Medina in 1. 2. q. 51. a. 4. 282. But Soto li. 2. de nat. & grat. c. 17, 18. ſaith that the Concil. Trid. purpoſely forbore to define the caſe of infuſed habits. Let the Reader note that Janſenius proveth that Pelagius himſelf aſſerted infuſed Habits given in baptiſm, and that without merit. Janſ. Aug. To. 1. li. 5. c. 22. p. 126.
§. 1. EVery operation of the Holy Ghoſt is not the Giving of the Holy Ghoſt, which is ſpecially promiſed in the Goſpel to believers. For there are 1. Many common works of the Spirit; 2. And the ſpecial effect of faith it ſelf before it.
§. 2. This gift of the Holy Ghoſt unto Believers, was formerly two fold, the Gift of Miracles or wonders, and of ſpecial Holineſs; of which the latter continueth to the end of the world.
§. 3. The ſpirit is Given to Believers in ſeveral reſpects conjunct. 1. In that he is Given to Chriſt their Head, with whom by Union they are Relatively one Body▪ 2. In that He is Given to them by the Baptiſmal Covenant, in ſpecial Relation to their own perſons, to be their ſanctifier: In which reſpect they are Baptized into the name of the Holy Ghoſt, as being now in Covenant theirs. 3. In that he worketh in them▪ the Acts and Habits of Holineſs, even of Love to God and to his Image; and helpeth them in all duties, and againſt all temptations, enemies and ſins. But not that his eſſence is more in them than elſewhere, but his Operations from thoſe Relations.
§. 4. This Gift of the ſpirit is the great priviledge of believers, and of Goſpel times in the eminent degree, and He is the great Agent, Advocate and witneſs of Chriſt in us, the divine nature, and name of God and his mark upon us: our witneſs, earneſt, pledge, and firſt-fruits of life eternal; and the great difference between Chriſts living members and the unregenerate world.
§. 5. So powerful and fixed is this Habitual Holineſs or Love of God (for that is the ſumm of it) that though it be no ſubſtance, nor alter not mans ſpecies, nor operate not by natural neceſſitating determination, yet it ſtrongly and conſtantly inclineth the ſoul per modum nature to the act of Love; and ſo emulateth nature, that it is called in Scripture the Divine Nature, and the new man.
§. 6. The greateſt bleſſing in this world is to have more of this Spirit, and the greateſt puniſhment, to be for ſaken by the ſpirit, and deprived of it: And believers themſelves muſt fear moſt, leſt they ſhould quench and grieve the ſpirit, and be puniſhed with any meaſure of its deſertion: And their great work is to cheriſh it carefully, and obey it faithfully and conſtantly.
§. 7. The word [Infuſion] as to Habits being metaphorical, is ambiguous. 1. If the queſtion be, Whether Habits be ſo Infuſed as that they are cauſed without Means? we muſt deny it ordinarily.
2. If it be, Whether they are not at all procured by any cogitations, deſires, or preparatory duties of our own, to fit us to receive them? It is to be denyed as to the ordinary way.
3. If the queſtion be, Whether the Act of faith do ever go before the Habit, as a cauſe of it? It muſt be affirmed of the ordinary caſe.
4. If it be, Whether the Habit ever go before the Act? we muſt ſay, that ſome Impulſe diſpoſing to it doth. And God can cauſe a Habit before the Act: But we cannot prove that he ever doth ſo, much leſs that it is his ordinary way.
§. 8. Whence it is plain that ordinarily All Infuſed Habits are ſo far alſo Acquired, as that they follow means and the Act: But all Acquired Habits are not ſuch as are called Infuſed.
§. 9. The difference is in this, that Habits are ſaid to be Infuſed when the Holy Ghoſt doth excite the ſoul to the Act, and by that Act unto a ſetled Habit, by ſuch a ſpecial powerful Impulſe as would not follow Gods ordinary operation by meer natural ſecond Cauſes. As the ſeal ſet home on the wax by a ſtrong hand maketh a deep impreſſion, more than when it's laid on lightly by a child: ſo are ſacred objects and means and motives when ſet home by the ſpirit (allowing for the differences of the things.)
§. 10. Whether in every true Believer a fixed Habit of Love inſtantaneouſly follow the firſt act of true faith, though weak: or whether in many God only give after the firſt act ſo ſmall an increaſe of the Diſpoſition, as is ſhort of the true nature of a habit, till increaſed by frequent acts, is a caſe that I think more difficult than needful to reſolve.
§. 11. That which God worketh in Infants, is a ſeminal fixed diſpoſition: But I cannot prove that it is a proper Habit.
§. 12. Whether Adams Natural ſanity or ſanctity antecedent to his firſt Act, was to be called more properly a Habit, or only a ſeminal diſpoſition, I leave to others. But if his, and Infants be to be called Habits, you muſt ſay that they are only certain General Habits, ſuch as Health in the Body, and not thoſe particular Habits, which are ſtrictly ſo called.
§. 13. The nature of a Habit is not well known to mortal men. We know that it is a ſtrong and fixed Diſpoſition to prompt and facile action of this or that ſpecial ſort. But what that Diſpoſition is, we well know not: That is, whether it be the robur of the eſſential virtues or faculties of the ſoul, (Intellection, Will, Activity?) And if ſo, wherein that ſecond Gradus Virtutis, which is not eſſential differeth from the firſt that is? And whether it be any thing elſe than a ſecret conſtant Act, in and by which the ſoul is excited to more ſenſible acts, it's hard to know. But certain I am that beſides thoſe Acts which taking in ſomewhat of Imagination or ſenſe are ordinarily perceived by us (which are our ordinary converſation,) the ſoul hath alſo ſome deep ſecret fixed acts, which make no uſe of ſenſe or Imagination, or none that is obſerved; and yet are the ruling acts of the man. Such commonly is the Intentio finis which operateth conſtantly without memory or obſervation in all uſe of means. As a travailer on his journey keepeth on his way, while he ſeemeth wholly taken up with the occurrences, company and talk of his way, and thinketh not ſenſibly of his end: And yet had he not an unobſerved Intention of it, he would not go on. And night and day the ſoul hath this ſecret inſenſible ſort of Action.
§. 14. As when a ſpark of fire is blown up to a flame, and the excited Act doth tend to more, and the more it burneth (caeteris paribus) the more it is ſtrongly inclined to burn; And yet no man can ſay that here is any new Matter that was not before exiſtent, nor that the ſecond degree of fire is not of the ſame nature with the firſt, nor that there is any thing but nature and action which inclineth it to more action; And yet how the ſame eſſence before not perceived is ſuddenly blown up by Action to ſuch obſervable appearance and effects, is paſt the power of man to underſtand aright: So ſome ſuch thing there is in the preſent caſe, allowing for the difference of natures, and kinds of operation.
SECT. XVII. Whether man be meerly Paſſive as to the firſt ſpecial Grace.
§. 1. Anſw. 1. THe Nature of mans ſoul is to be an Active Spirit, * Indifferentia Voluntatis in ordine ad auxilium praevium eſt indifferentia paſſiva: caeterum in ordint ad actum liberum, qu…m producit praedeterminata tali motion… praevia, indifferentia Voluntatis eſt activa & libera. Alvarez de Aux. diſp. 23. pag. 115.and therefore what ever it receiveth, it receiveth it as it is in that nature.
2. But the ſame ſoul is Paſſive as well as Active, and that in the prior inſtant of nature; For it muſt receive from God the firſt cauſe: which made the Greek antient Doctors and many of the Latines ſay as Damaſcene in ſenſe, (though in groſſer words) that the ſoul in reſpect to bodies was immaterial (or incorporeal) but it was material in reſpect of God.
§. 2. Not only in its Receiving the Spirits firſt Impulſe to Believe, the ſoul is Paſſive before it is Active: but alſo in its Reception of every ſort of Divine Influx, even to every natural act. So that in this there is no difference between Converſion and any common act. For the ſoul is firſt paſſive in all…: even in receiving that Natural Influx by which we Live and Move and Be.
§. 3. But the ſoul which is paſſive in Receiving Gods Impulſe to believe, (the firſt effect,) is Active in the producing of its own Act of believing, (which is the effect of many Concauſes.) And, as I ſaid, It is not the Habit of faith properly ſo called, which it paſsively Receiveth before the Act.