The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 8 · Section 15 – Section 16
SECT. XV.
PRide is another capital crime, they ſtyle it (f)Ipſa vitiorum regina, ſuperbia. Gregor. moral. 31. Aquinas 2. 2. q. 162. art. 8.the Queen of mo… tal ſins; but then they will have it advanced ſo high, before it be mortal, that the proudeſt perſon amongſt Chriſtians can ſeldom reach it; and ſo all pride which is not of an extraordinary ſize, and ſuch as is rarely found, muſt paſs for Venial. In Aquinas (g)Exparte averſionis ſuperbia habet maximam gravitatem, quia in aliis peccatis homo à Deo avertitur vel propter ignorantiam vel propter infirmitatem, ſive propter diſiderium cujuſcunque alterius boni. Sed ſuperbia habet averſionem à Deo ex hoc ipſo qui non vult Deo & ejus regulae ſubject—cujus natus eſt Dei contemptus. Aquin. 22. q. 162. n. 6.it is an averſion to God, in that he will not be ſubject to him …d his will; not upon other accounts (to wit deſire of pleaſure or profit, &c.) but out of contempt. So (h)Sum. v. ſuperbia, vid. Sylveſt. v. ſuperbia.Cajetan alſo, … others after him. Navar ſays (i)Requirunt uterque Thomas communiter recepti ad ejus eſſentiam actualem contemptum ſubjiciendi ſe Deo & legi ejus—cum id (Gratia Deo) pauci Chriſtiani faci… & v…r… omnes aliquo modo ſuperbiamus, c. 23. n. 5. certe pauciſſimi Chriſtiani, &c. 2. 6.they make it an actual conte… of being ſubject to God, and adds, thanks be to God, this is but … in few Chriſtians, though all are truly proud; ſo that mortal pride, by that account which the Oracle of their School, and his followers give of it; is rarely to be found in the Chriſtian world, 'Tis queſtionable whether Scotus did count that pride mortal, which Aquinas judg'd to be ſo, he ſays (k)Quilibet tenetur vitare omne peccatum mortale, tamen non tenetur ſcire in quo grade, ſuperbia eſt peccatum mortale, quia nec multi experti ſciunt. Scotus, in St. Cl…r. Probl. 15. p. 94.few learned men know in what degree it is deadly, and others are not bound to know it. However (l)Sum. v. ſuperbia.Cajetan ventures to tell us what pride is Venial; and his account is worth our view. It is thus at large: He that ſhews himſelf ſo irreligious and ungrateful, as if he had not received all from God, is proud (ſays he) in the firſt kind; for of a like effect the Apoſtle ſays, what haſt thou which thou haſt not received? why doſt thou glory, as if thou hadſt not received? where by glorying, as the effect, the inward pride is manifeſted, as though he had not received it. Likewiſe when one is ſo affected, as to be ſ…cure concerning the good he hath, or querulous for the good which is loſt; or wonders that he is not heard of God, this is the ſecond kind of pride: becauſe ſuch a one makes account that ſuch things are due to him. But he that prefers himſelf before others, and is prone to ſpie in his mind or fancie, the defects of others or to excuſe his own naughtineſs, and to aggravate that of others, has a third ſort of pride; when he will have himſelf to be great, as if he alone were great. Further, he who caring little for the Hvaeenly countrey; for the members of Chriſt, for the expiation of his ſins, paſſing his days as one dreaming, or ſcarce …ake, has a fourth kind of pride: for he preſumes he is a Heavenly Citi…h, a friend of God, a Son, a Member; when ſuch negligence and careleſneſs are no evidence of his favours: the love of God where it is produeing (thoſe) great things. And likewiſe in reference to his Neighbours crudeneſs of mind, and incompaſſionateneſs to others, counting injuries intolerable, impatience, not induring to be ſlighted, indignation, and the like, do ſhew, that the man thinks better of himſelf than he is, &c. So great a littler of this monſter he expoſes to our view, telling us its iſſue is much more numerous; and then ſtroaks all gently over, calling them Venials. (m)Sunt autem haec & multa alia, quae imperfectae ſunt ſuperbiae, communiter venialia peccata propter imperfectionem actus, dum per modum paſſionum occurrunt abſque injuria Dei & proximorum. Impediunt autem hujuſmo li peccata valde vitam ſpiritualem: utpote ex genere ſuperbiae exiſtentia: quum ſcriptum ſit ſuperbis Deus reſiſtit. Ibid. p. 548.Theſe, ſays he, and many others are a ſort of imperfect pride, and are commonly Venial ſins for the imperfectneſs of them, ſince they occur in the manner of paſſions, without injury to God or others. Yet (that we may be the more amazed, to ſee all this paſs for a little fault) ſuch ſins (he adds) hinder ſpiritual life exceedingly; being of the ſtock of pride; when it is written, that God reſiſts the proud. As for that pride which they count mortal, and grown to its full heighth; (n)22 q. 142. art. 4.Aquinas out of Gregory, and (o)Angelus, v. ſuperb. Sylveſt. v. ſuperb. Navar. c. 23. n. 7. alii communiter.others after both, give an account of it in ſome particulars; the prime are theſe, (p)Secundum hoc ſumuntur duae primae ſuperbiae ſpecies, ſcilicet cum quis à ſemet ipſo habere aeſtimat quod à Deo habet, vel oum propriis meritis ſibi datum deſuper credit.—Sic eſt tertia ſpecies ſuperbiae cum ſcilicet aliquis jactat ſe habere quod non babet. Aquinas, ibid.When o… thinks that good he has, is from himſelf. When he thinks that what he has from God, is for his merits. And when he boaſts that he hath what he has not. If their great Azpilcue…a could ſee none of this moſt deadly crime amongſt Chriſtians, having the merit of congruity and condignity before him; either his ſight fail'd him, or his Church was not viſible. Others, with his eyes, can ſee not only mortal pride, but (as deadly a ſin) infidelity, (q)Credere id (viz. predicta) in genere eſt actus—infidelitatis. Navar. ibid. n. 8. In univerſali dicere—bonum aliquod habere à ſe & non à Deo, vel ſuis meritis, hoc p…rtinet ad infidelitatem & eſt mortale peccatum infidelitatis. Angel. ſum. v. ſuper…i….where this is part of a Creed: To make up one article, of two deadly ſins, muſt be a ſure mark of the only Church. Seriouſly, finding ſo many of their Authors on this head, charging the opinion of merit, with mortal pride; and therein following not only the greateſt of their Doctors, but the moſt infallible of their Biſhops; I have wondred why they did not either make that none of their faith, or this no ſuch ſin. What ſal… they will find againſt deadly ſin, when it is in their faith, I know not: but if part of their belief had proved arrogance (though that founds like the worſt of pride) they might have come off well enough, for arrogance is a Venial ſin, except in ſome rare caſes. It is ſays Cajetan, (r) Est autem frequenter venialis arrogantia dum abſque prejudicio proximi aſtimat quis▪ ſe plus ſcientiae, aut bonitatis aut authoritatis habere, quam habet Sum. v. arrogantia peccatum est quia contra rectam rationem eſt. Sed mortale non eſt niſi vel id quod ſibi uſurpat, ſit contra divinam reverentiam: ut Rex Tyri, Ego Deus Sum. aut contra proximum: ut tyrannis, vel finis ultimus in bujuſmodi elatione ponatur. Ibid.)frequently Venial, when without prejudice of others, a man values himſelf as having more knowledg, or goodneſs, or authority than he hath; and again, it is a ſin, but it is not mortal, unleſs when it uſurps againſt God, as the King of Tyre, when he ſaid, I am God (now none are obſerved to do this, except the Pope, who has the Law in his own hand); or againſt others by Tyranny (which is ſo odious as all diſclaim it: and affecting it, is no worſe than affecting to kill men without conſent; which, with him is (s)Ibid, v. vovendi condit.not deadly): or unleſs it be made ones ultimate end (which none will own). Accordingly, Angelus determines, that (t)Utrum ſit mortale peccatum? Reſp. quod ſic, quum ex tali ſuperbia vel contentione fit quae ſit mortalis—alias communiter peccatum veniale erit. Sum. v. arrogantia.arrogancy is commonly a Venial fault, unleſs upon the account of ſomething elſe that is mortal, as when it ariſes from mortal pride; but that (as he and others define it, we heard before) is ſcarce to be found amongſt Chriſtians.
SECT. XVI.
AMbition was wont to be counted a deadly crime; the world and the Church too, has reaſon to judg it ſo, ſince the moſt of their miſeries and ruins, may be imputed to it; but the Church of Rome and her Champions are concerned not to think ſo ill of it; ſtilo curiae, in the ſenſe of the Court, it may paſs for Venial. Angelus inquires, (u)Utrum ambitio ſit peccatum mortale? Reſp. quod non ſimpliciter ſed pro ratione finis—vel ſecundo ratione rei quae appetitu. Sum. v. ambitio.whether ambition be a mortal ſin? he anſwers▪ negatively it is not ſo ſimply, but may be ſo, in reſpect of its end (and ſo may any thing in it ſelf lawful be, if its end be criminal); or it may be ſo, if the thing affected be▪ a crime; but that is accidental, and ſtill ambitiouſneſs; the inordinacy of the affection is excuſed, and may tranſgreſs all bounds, if the honour and power affected, be lawful. Thus Cajetan he will yield it more than (x)Non eſt autem mortale peccatum, niſi vel ex parte rei in qua appetitur honor: puta, ſi quis vult honorari ob crimen aliquod; vel ex parte finis—quia vult haheri ut Deus. Cajetan. v. ambit.Venial, when one will be honoured for a crime, or would be counted a God; accordingly it is reſolved by Sylveſter, (y)Sum. v. ſuperbia. n. 7.with Navar, (z)Quamvis regulariter, appetitus inordinatus honoris, non excedat metas culpae venialis, Cap. 23. n. 15.regularly an inordinate appetite (or greedineſs) of Honour, exceeds not the bounds of a Venial fault. Indeed if pride and ambition had been branded as damnable; two Cardinal vertues had been concern'd; and, which is more, the Vatican Throne, both in its foundation and ſupports.