The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 8 · Section 17
SECT. XVII.
VAin glory is another capital crime in their account, and pregnant with many other; they define it to be an inordinate affecting of humane glory; and yet determine, that an (a)Appetitus eorum etiam inordinatus regulariter eſt venialis. &c. Idem ibid. n. 9.inordinate affecting of praiſe, or favour, or honour, or reverence, or glory, is but regularly a Venial ſin; only it may happen to be mortal in ſome caſe, as when one would inordinately have glory from others for a deadly end, or for a mortal ſin, or that which he makes his laſt end; in all other caſes, this capital evil is but a ſlight fault. According to their common Doctrine, Cajetan will have it to be mortal (b)Solum peccat mortaliter, qui gloriatur de aliquo quod eſt peccatum mortale: ſecundo qui ponit ſuum finem ultimum in gloria humana. Sum. v. glor. van.then only, when one glories in mortal ſin (but to glory in Venials they count it a ſmall fault) or ſets his ultimate end in vain glory. (c)Colligo ex Alex. in 2. 2. & Thom. 2. 2. q. 132. & Henr. de Gandavo in quodl. 1. q. 24. quod vana gloria de ſe non dicit aliquid quod ſit contra charitatem Dei aut proximi. Sum. v. van. glor. n. 1.Angelus collects out of Alexander and Aquinas, that vain glory of it ſelf imports not any thing contrary to the love of God or man. Aquinas himſelf ſays, (d)Inanis gloria non eſt mortale peccatum, uiſi charitati perfecte adverſatur. Aquinas 2. 2. q. 132. art. 3.that if love of humane glory, though vain, be not perfectly repugnant to charity, it is not Mortal. And Sylveſter (e)Intendit ergo S. Tho. quod appetitus vanae gloriae ex ſuo genere non ſit mortale. Sum. v. van. gl. n. 2.delivers this as the ſenſe of their Oracle, that the deſire of vain glory in its own nature is not mortal. Angelus (f)Si aliquid aliud quod non pertinet ad divinam ſcripturam vel ſacramenta propter gloriam faceret, peccaret venialiter. Sum. ibid.concludes, that this may be a mans end in all things, but the Scripture and the Sacraments; but this limitation is too ſtrict in the judgment of their Doctors which are of greateſt repute: for they determine, that he who does thoſe things which are (g)Navar. Cap. 23. n. 13. ſupra. Quamvis eximius vir ille Angelus teneat, concionari, miſſam celebrare & alia principaliter divino cultui dedicata facere propter honorem aut inanem gloriam, eſſe mortale, contrarium tamen tenendum eſt, ut latiſſime demonſtravimus. Idem c. 21. n. 40. Vid. Soto, in Suarez. ſupra.principally inſtituted for the honour and worſhip of God, and the Salvation of Souls for vain glory as his chief end, as for example, he that in Preaching, or Praying, or celebrating, makes vain glory his Principal end, and aims at nothing higher, ſins but Venially. Angelus had made it worſe, but others had confuted him effectually, and Navar after them. Aquinas the Angel of their Schools, was it ſeems of this perſwaſion, that vain glory may be actually our principal end in worſhipping God, without any mortal ſin: for Sylveſter tells us, that Angelus did (h)Contra S. Tho. & veritatem dicit quod eſt mortale quando ea quae ordinata ſunt ad gloriam Dei quis principaliter facit ad gloriam ſuam, ut ſacramenta & ſcripturae ſacrae. Sum. v. van. glor. n. 4.contradict, not only the truth, but Saint Thomas, in ſaying it is a mortal evil when thoſe things which were ordained for the glory of God, are done principally for a mans own glory, as the Sacraments and the Scripture. And they are highly concern'd to maintain this, for ſays he, if (i)Alias ſi is qui gloriatur de ſacris veſtibus, aut cautu diviuorum, vel conditions theologica, actualiter nullum allum finem intendens, peccaret mortaliter, totus poene clerus eſſet in malo ſtatu.this were a mortal ſin, the whole Clergy in a manner were in an ill condition; he means they were in a ſtate of damnation. So that it was high time for the Roman Doctors to form a Divinity of new Maxims, ſince thoſe of Scripture and Antiquity, left them in a damnable condition. One would think, that to count it but a peccadillo, to make vain glory the cauſe or motive without which a man would not Preach, or pray, or perform any worſhip, ſhould be a prodigious thing for any that calls himſelf a Chriſtian: but he that will allow it, under no greater cenſure than that of a petty fault, to be the principal end of worſhip, and the great concern of Salvation, (k)Vid. Navar. c. 20. n. 11. &c. 21. n. 40. &c. 23. n. 101.advances it higher. He (l)Peccat. Qui accipit beneficium Eccleſiaſticum ſpirituale principaliter propter honorem aut utilitatem temporariam ſecundum S. Antonin. Quod limito procedere in eo qui eſt eo indignus ob ignorantiam, vel alium defectum: Nam ſupra diximus, quod falſum eſt eſſe mortale facere ordinata ad cultum divinum principaliter ob bona temporalia. Idem c. 23. n. 15.that takes a Church-living or Spiritual benefice, principally for honour or temporal profit offends but Venially, unleſs he be unworthy becauſe of his ignorance, or other defect. So that in their Church, for any or all of them, from the Pope to the meaneſt officer, to make honour and profit their chief end, in taking the charge of Souls, or other place or imployment, which concern the worſhip of God, or the Salvation of the people, is ſo ſlight a thing as needs never trouble them; ten thouſand faults of this nature, ten thouſand times▪ over▪ would never hazard their Souls. Theſe two laſt concluſions; will help us to diſcern of what complexion Popery is upon what it is founded; for what ends they may think it ſafe to maintain it, and perſiſt in it, without, or againſt any conſcientious or Spiritual conſideration: And why they may make Religion all along ſerve a worldly intereſt and truckle under it. There's no danger in all this; it's a harmleſs Venial by their Doctrine, to thruſt the great God and his glory into an inferiour place, below their honour and profit; even in thoſe things which they ſay were principally inſtituted for his Soveraign Honour; this is a fault, with them, next to nothing. If they ſhould in the worſhip of God, aim at him in the firſt place, and at their own glory and profit in the next, there might be ſome danger, leſt they ſhould too much oblige him: for thus to joyn God and their carnal intereſt together, as their end in any religious concern, is, (m)Nullum autem peccatum immo meritum eſt ſacere illa principaliter propter Deum, vel quia honeſta ſunt & Sancta, & ſecundario propter gloriam, vel laudem humanam in finem aptum relatum. Idem ibid. poſt Sanctum Thomum.a meritorious act, according to Aquinas. Further (n)Peccat. Qui per jactantiam ſe aut ſuos laudat cum irreverentia notabili Dei, aut cum injuria vel ſcandalo proximi notabili: alias enim ſolum eſt veniale juxta S. Tho. receptum. Alexand. Allenſ. Idem ibid. n. 16.vain glorious boaſting, though it be with irreverence to God, and injury and ſcandal to others, if that be not much; is only Venial, according to Aquinas and Alenſis. And a man may vain-gloriouſly praiſe himſelf for ſomething that is good, though it be falſe; or ſomething that is evil, (o)Idem ibid. n. 13. Cajetan. ſum. v. jactantia, Angel ſum. v. van. glor. n. 1.if it be not deadly; and yet offend but Venially, when he does no great miſchief to others.