The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 9 · Section 17
Sect. 17. Let me but add ſome of the Rules they lay down for the direction, and relief of ſcrupulous Conſciences. They muſt (e)Sexta (medicina) uſus aequitatis circa leges de qua S. Thom. perſuadendo ſibi non p…ccare—qui (legem) in ſenſu benigniori ſervet, quamvis in dariore violet. Navar. c. 27. n 283. Caeteris paribus inter ſententiam benignam & duram circa praecepta potius benigna inter pretatio facienda eſt, ſecundum. Jo. de Amb. Vervec. & Archi. & ratio eſt, quia praecepta Dei & eccleſiae non ſuat ad tollendam dalcedinem, quam aufert interpretatio ſerupuloſa. Sylveſt. v. Scrupul. n. 4.perſwade themſelves that they ſin not, though they break the Law in a ſtrict ſenſe, if they obſerve it, according to ſome complaiſant interpretation. A benign ſenſe, is rather to be put upon any precept, than that which is ſtrict: for the precepts of God and the Church, are not againſt that pleaſantneſs, which a ſcrupulons interpretation takes away. And that a perſon may the better be pleaſed, he may make the interpretation himſelf, and ſo make it as benign as he deſires; and as favourable as his inclination and intereſt would have it. (f)Interpretando diſcrete praecepta non ſolum humana, ſed & divina, maxime affirmativa: quae interpretatio licet in foro contentioſo ad eum ſpectet ad quem & editio legis: t…m…n ſecundum Archi. in foro conſcientiae, pertinet ad qu…mlib…t pro facto ſuo. Idem. ibid. n. 3.For though in other Courts, the interpretation belongs to him who makes the Law; yet according to their St. Antoninus in the Court of Conſcience, it belongs to every one to do it for his own practice. Or if he will be ſo over cautious, as not to reſt in his own ſenſe, but inquire the opinion of others (and he may eaſily meet with thoſe amongſt them, who will either make that which he has a mind to, no ſin; or will mince it for him ſo ſmall, that it may go down without hurt) yet (g)Septimum eſt eligere opinionem magis facientem ad propoſitum proprium. Ibid.he may chooſe that opinion which is moſt for his purpoſe (that which is moſt complaiſant, and ſo will beſt ſerve his turn). And (h)Si credat probabiliter ſic eſſe faciendum, etiamſ… ſit …um formidine alterius partis, non peccat illud agendo, etiamſi falſa eſſet ejus opinio. Sylveſt. Autoninus. in F…ll. tr. 21. n. 182 Sylv. ibid. n. 3. ad. ob. 2.if he thinks it probable, though he fear the contrary, and it be falſe indeed; yet he may act according to it, and ſin without fault. Nor is he concerned, whether the Doctors opinion be true or no; for (i)Excuſatur, …iam ſi ſequatur conſilium falſum, quia fecit quod potuit. Sylv. ibid. n. 5.though it be falſe, he may notwithſtanding thereupon caſt off all ſcruple, and break the Law without ſin. Thus if either himſelf, or any other will give him liberty to ſin, when the Law gives it not; yet he may take it, and his ſin will be no ſin.
Secondly, he muſt perſwade himſelf he ſins not, when he breaks the Law, not only if it be impoſſible, but if it be (k)Non peccare—qui eam non ſervat, ubi & quando eſt impoſſibile aut val… difficile. Navar ibid. Nec Deus nec eccleſia intendit obligare ad vix poſſibile alicui, ſecundam Jo. de Amb—illud eſſe impoſſibile dicatur quod vix eſt poſſibile: utputa nimiam habens difficultatem—Vid. ſupra. v. potent. Sylv. ibid.very difficult to keep it; now it may be very difficult to avoid ſin, when his imployment leads, or when his complexion inclines him to it, or when he has got a habit of ſinning, or otherwiſe, when he is under Temptation: and if it will be no ſin to break the Law in theſe, and the like caſes; he may make wickedneſs his daily practice without danger of ſinning. But they ſeem to take difficult, or impoſſible in a great latitude, as though in might be no more than incommodious, and ſo Sylveſter explains it in the place to which he here refers (l)Aliquid dicitur ali…ui poſſibile, quia poteſt illud commode—eodem modo dicitur impotentia, ſcil. quia non eſt aliquid poſſibile de jure, vel commode vel honeſte. Idem. v. potentia.us. Now it may be judged incommodious, to obſerve the commands of God, when they ſuit not his fancy, or humour, or inclination, or intereſt, that of his eaſe or advantage: and if then it will be no ſin, not to obey the Divine commands; a man may go near to be excuſed from ſinning all his life, though he do little or nothing elſe but ſin. The obligation of the whole Law and Goſpel too, will be ſuperſeded by our conveniencies, he may omit what is injoyned, or practiſe what is forbidden, and it will be no ſin; if he judge the obſervance of the Rule too difficult or incommodious.
Thirdly, He muſt make account, that he ſins not by breaking the Law, when he may be thought a fool for keeping it, (m)Ne que cum non ſervat, ut pro ſtulto non habeatur. Navar. ibid. Nec Deus nec eccleſia intendit obligare ad hoc, ut quis appareat fatuus, & ridiculo ſit. Sylv. ibid. ſecundum. Jo. de Amb. Gloſſ. Innocent. Antoninum. v. Scrupul. n. 4.or when the obſervance of it may he ridiculous. Now when ſin is general, and the common uſage of the times and places where he is; it may be as ridiculous to avoid it, as to be out of the faſhion, or to appear in an Antick garb. And thoſe who reap pleaſure and advantage by ſin, will be ready to account them fools, who abſtain from it.
As Nic. de Clemangis ſays, they did in his time (*)De corrupt ſtat. eccleſ. Cap. 25.a bleſſed time when their could be no ſin, becauſe Piety and Vertue were grown ridiculous. He muſt not think he ſins who obſerves the Law according to the common uſage of good (Catholicks) (*)Navar. ibid. Sylveſt. ibid.and makes that his example and rule, and what Conſcience he is like to make of ſin by this rule, we may underſtand by the Character which the Count of Mirandula gave of the good Catholicks (the chief of them) to Pope Leo. Amongſt the moſt (ſays he) of the moſt eminent in our Religion, to whoſe example the ſilly multitude ſhould be conformed, there is either no worſhip of God, or certainly very little, no regard at all of good life, no ſhame, no modeſty: righteouſneſs is declined into hatred or favour, and Godlineſs even ſunk into Superſtition (*)Franciſcus Picus Mirandula de reformand. moribus. Apud pleroſ que religionis noſtrae primores, ad quorum exemplum componi at que formari plebs ignara debuiſſet, aut nullus aut certe exiguus Dei cultus, nulla bene vivendi ratio, at que inſtitutio, nullus pudor, nulla modeſtia: Juſtitiavel in odium vel in gratiam declinavit: pietas in ſuperſtitionem pene procubuit. Quamobrem dico & exclamo, (ne que enim metuo homines, Deo fretus) neminem mea aetate fuiſſe fidelem diſpenſatorem, imo Papa ipſe pacatis populis bella infert, opes alienas ſitit, & ſuas exſorbet, nulla ſanctitas, nulla religio, nullus Dei timor, & quod horreſ… referens, omnium ſcelerum, impij homines a papa ſumunt excuſationem. Valla de donar. Conſtant..
And if there be danger, it will be accounted folly indeed, to expoſe himſelf; and whether it be accounted ſo or not, the apprehenſion of danger may excuſe a man from ſin in any caſe, So Sylveſter (n)In quolibet caſu pretermittens facere quod lex imponit. Excuſari poteſt a peccato, ſi hoc facit per virtutem Epikeiae, ſine contempt…, ratione alicujus periculi conſiderati. Joh. de Amb. Antoninus. in Sylveſt. ibid.after others.
There's no need to inſiſt upon their other Rules, as that the ſcrupulous ought to exerciſe himſelf, in chooſing what is leſs ſafe (more dangerous) amongſt probable opinions; and not to regard (though he cannot anſwer) the arguments againſt it; it is enough that he believe what another ſays. Or this, (o)Bonacin. de peccat. diſp. 2. q. 4. punct. 8. n. 3. ubi Sayrus. & alij & n. 4.the Confeſſor may tell him, that he ſhould count no ſin mortal, but what is manifeſt to be ſuch; and ſo manifeſt ſometimes, that he cannot ſwear it is not: or any elſe, though they have ſtore of like nature; the former are ſufficient to leave no Conſcience of ſin amongſt them in ordinary practice; and to incourage ſinners commonly to venture upon any violation of the Divine Rule, with warrant from their Doctrine, that it will be no ſin to them. Thus they take a courſe to eaſe mens Conſciences, by leaving them none. And what clearer way can there be to remove ſcruples, than to perſwade them (who would retain ſome Conſcience, if they would ſuffer them) that there is little or no ſin to be ſcrupled at.