The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 8 · Section 20
Sect. 20. Intemperance, which they call Gula, comprizing both Gluttony and Drunkenneſs, may well paſs for a Cardinal crime, yet both together, by an after reckoning, make but a poor Venial (r)In general with them, all ſins againſt temperance and modeſty are regularly Venial, vid. Nav.. They define it an inordinate appetite of eating and drinking, (viz.) to exceſs, not for neceſſity but for pleaſure. This when it is exceſſive every way in the charge, the time, the quality, the pleaſure, the quantity, (s)Dico ſecundum S. Thom. (2. 2. q. 148. art. 1.) & ſecundum mentem ejus in multis lecis, quod (Gula) non eſt mortale ex ſuo genere, licet ſit vitium capitale, id eſt, ex quo vitia multa naſcuntur, Sylv. v. Gula. n. 2.is not in its own nature a mortal ſin, according to the doctrine of Aquinas, though it be a Capital Vice, and the cauſe of many other. But then it may be deadly by accident, (t)Quando quis ſcienter comedit vel bibit, in grave corporis nocumentum ſecundum, S. Thom. Idem. ibid.if it be grievouſly hurtful to the body. So it becomes thoſe to determine, who are more tender of the concerns of the body than of the ſoul. Yet that we may underſtand how the pleaſure of ſenſuality may be preferred before either ſoul or body, they tell us, that if the damage done to the body by intemperance, be not grievous, (u)Si hoc (grave nocumentum) fiat inadvertenter, non eſt mortale, niſi adeo frequenter fiat, quod tenetur advertere, ſicut de ebrietate dictum eſt. Similiter nec ſi nocumentum ſit modicum, Idem. ibid.or if it prove ſo great, yet if the Glutton do not obſerve it; or if the great prejudice done to his health be not ſo frequent, that he is bound to obſerve it, it will be Venial ſtill. But Cajetan troubles us not with this reſpect to health, but concludes (x)Frequenter autem eſt veniale & quandoque valde grave, ut cum delectatio cibi allicit ad comedendum uſque ad vomitum, aut alia inconvenientia, & ſimiliter cum inducit ad alia peccata: puta ad nimium ſumptum, vel ad nocendum propriae ſanitati, & ad quaecunque alia peccata, Cajetan. v. Gula.it may be Venial (and of a large ſize ſometimes), not only when it brings upon us other inconveniencies, but other ſins; and particularly when it is prejudicial to health. He has but one caſe wherein it will be more than Venial; (y)Tunc ſolum eſt mortale, quando delectationem cibi habet quis pro ultimo fine juxta il…u…; qu…rum Deus venter eſt: hoc autem cognoſcitur ex hoc, quod homo ob delectationem in com…dendo, non curat tranſgredi praeceptum Dei aut Eccleſiae: ut ſi propter hoc furetur, &c Idem. ibid. vid. Sylv. ibid. Angelus. v. Gula. n. 2. paratus facere quaecunque ut eam conſequatur.then only is it mortal, ſays he, when this pleaſure in eating is a mans chief end, and his belly his God; that is, when for the pleaſure of it, he (not only tranſgreſſes all rules of temperance, but) has no regard of any command of God, or the Church; as if a man will Steal to play the Glutton, &c. It ſeems this ſenſual Luſt will never be criminal, unleſs one be ſo much at its devotion, (z)Sylveſt. ibid.as to contemn God, and make nothing of any other wickedneſs to gratifie it. And though there be no danger here, but when one makes his belly his God; yet there's no great danger of that, ſince a man may be a perfect Epicure, like the rich Glutton in the Goſpel, and yet eſcape. (a)Quum propter talem delectationem appetitus, ducit totam vitam hujuſmodi delectation bus deputare, ſicut Dives qui epulabatur quotidie. Et hoc eſt multum vicimum mortali. Sum. …bid. n. 2.When one, ſays Angelus, for delight of his Appetite, reſolves to give up his whole life to ſuch (Gluttonous) pleaſures as Dives, &c. this is near to mortal ſin. It ſeems then it is not deadly, but only near it; though it brought the Epicure, not only near Hell, but into the torment of its flames. Yea further, if Intemperance proceed to beaſtlineſs, and pollute not only the ſoul, but the body loathſomly, if the Glutton load himſelf with more than he can bear, and ſo burden nature, that it is forced to eaſe it ſelf in naſty ways, this will be no more a fault, (b)Gula regulariter eſt venialis, etiamſi abſque u…ilitate uſque ad vomitum, etiam intentum ſeſe quis cibo & potu ingurgitet, Ut ſentit Cajetan. Cap. 23. n. 119.Intemperance, ſays Navar, is regularly Venial, though without any profit. and out of deſign, one ſtuff himſelf ſo full with meat and drink, even to Vomiting. If he eat ſo much till he Vomit, on purpoſe that he may be at it again the ſooner, and ſo may be ſtill gormandizing, it is no worſe Ʋncleanneſs, ſays (c)Immundicia eſt filia gulae, quum quis provocat ſe ad vomitum, ut ſaepius comedere poſſit: vel tantum comedit quod neceſſe habet evomere, communiter eſt veniale peccatum, Sum. v. Immundicia.Angelus, which is the iſſue of Intemperance, when one provokes himſelf to Vomit, that he may eat the oftner; or when he eats ſo much, that he muſt of neceſſity Vomit, is commonly a venial fault. (d)Uſurpatur pro peccato inordinatae emiſſionis ſuperfluorum, ut cibi per vomitum, & ſimilium ex gula procedentium, & ſic ponitur filiagulae, frequenter eſt peccatum veniale, utpote nec contra Dei nec proximi dilectionem: turpe tamen, utpote etiam corporalem immunditiam inferens, Sum. v. Immunditia.Cajetan more fully. Ʋncleanneſs is uſed for the ſin of voyding Excrements exceſſively, as of meat by Vomiting, and the like, proceeding from Intemperance; it is frequently a Venial ſin, ſince it is neither againſt the love of God nor man; yet it is filthy, ſince it brings with it even bodily naſtineſs. So that intemperance, even when it bewrays it ſelf, and vents it filth, by all the paſſages, that oppreſſed Nature can find in the Gluttons body, is but a ſmall fault. To be half Drunk is no mortal ſin. So Lopez (e)Quando aliquis bene potatus, ita bene confo…tatus eſt capite quod rationis incompos non eſt factus, & tamen ſibi videtur quod domus moveatur, haec ſemiplena ebrietas, ſicut non eſt mortalis, licet ſit grave peccatum, quia ſecundum m…ntem.after (f)D. Tho. & Cajet. ibi. ratio non obumbratur, cap. 2. n. 11. 22. q. 150. art. 1. & 5.Aquinas; herein they all agree, ſays a learned (z)(g) Quando ebrietas non eſt perfecta, ſed imperfecta, quae turbat aliquo modo rationem, ſed non omnino, tunc eſt grave veniale. In his omnes conveniunt, Tol. Inſtr. l. 8. c 61.Cardinal. Take their ſenſe in the words of Cajetan (h)Ebrietas non plena (quando aliquis potu vini redditur nimis laetus, aut turbatur in phantaſia, dum videtur …i quod d…mus gyretur, aut hujuſmodi aliquid incurrit: non tamen perdit uſum rationis) peccatum proculdubio grave eſt, niſi cauſa medicinae fiat: quia immoderatus eſt potus ſecundum quantitatem vel qualitatem, & hoc ſi advertenter aut negligenter accidit. Pejus tamen, ſi ex intentione: eſt enim tunc prope mortale: non tamen eſt mortale, quia nec attingit ad completam ebrietatis rationem; nec notabile damnum rationis eligitur, Sum. v. Ebrietas.. Drunkenneſs not compleat, (when one by drinking Wine is made too merry, or is diſturbed i… his fancy, ſo that the Houſe ſeems to whirle round, or the like effect of intoxication befalls him, but he does not quite loſe the uſe of Reaſon), without doubt is a great ſin (but not big enough to be feared) unleſs it be done for medicine; becauſe it is exceſſive drinking in quantity or quality, when fallen into it knowingly or negligently: But it is worſe, when it is out of deſign (when one drinks too much, with an intention thus to diſorder himſelf); becauſe then it is almoſt mortal (there's no danger in all this, ſince he adds) but yet it is not mortal, ſince it reaches not the compleat notion of Drunkenneſs, and is wothout ſignal dammage to reaſon. So that if a man be not dead Drunk, and utterly deprived of the uſe of reaſon, he falls ſhort of that perfection which is requiſite to make this a deadly evil. In fine, however the Scripture, ancient Chriſtians, and all that are ſober, brand Drunkenneſs as a moſt deadly Vice; yet the Roman Doctors have diſcovered two admirable Vertues in it; one is that the full doſe, (perfect Drunkenneſs) will make the higheſt impieties the greateſt Outrages and Villanies to be no ſins at all. So (i)Quoad culpam excuſat a toto quod fecit in ebrietate ex quo eſt ſine uſu totali rationis. Sum. v Ebrictas. n. 3.Angelus, who proves it by the Canon Law. So likewiſe Roſella (k)In Sylveſt. v. Ebriat. n. 5. Tol. l. 5. c. 10. Roſella, v. Ebriat. n. 2. Actus vel omiſſiones contra praecepta contingentes tempore ſomni, vel Ebrietatis, etiamſi fuerint voluntarii in cauſa, non denominari tunc peccata, ſed tantum effectus peccati praecedentis; ut late defendit Vaſquez referens pro ea ſententia, Paludan, Major, Gabriel, & Adrian. Suar. de Juram. l. 3. c. 7. n. 7.after others. Thoſe of their Writers which ſeem moſt cautions, (l)An actus ma…i, quos Ebrius facit in ebrietate exiſtens, ſint peccata, ſi fornicetur, ſi occidat, &c. ad hoc Reſpondent, S. Tho. 2. 2. q. 150. art. 4. Cajetan. Sylveſt. & reſponſio in his conſiſtit—quando culpabilis ſuit ebrietas—quando non erat Solitus talia mala facere, nec timebantur, tunc non ſunt nova peccata, in Tol. l. 8. c. 61.except culpable Drunkenneſs; as to this only, when ſuch outrages are the uſual effects of it. So that unleſs both Drunkenneſs, and the criminal iſſues of it, be cuſtomary, this will not be ſin, or imputable to the Drunkard. Hereby they furniſh the Chriſtian world with a new Argument, to prove Mahomet a falſe Prophet, ſeeing he was ſo greatly miſtaken in making his Law ſo ſevere againſt wine; which in its greateſt abuſe, is of ſuch ſoveraign efficacy, as to drown ſo much mortal ſin, and to make all crimes what-ever, loſe their deadly quality. But that Impoſtors head was not ſo intoxicated, but he might diſcern, that ſuch who are guilty in the cauſe, are chargeable in the effects; nor was he ſo much a Prophet, as to fore-ſee, that in after-times, any thing under the diſguiſe of Divinity, ſhould ſtumble at this. The other vertue of this ſin, is, that the moiety of it (half Drunkenneſs) will make any the moſt horrid crimes to be but ſmall faults. (m)Parvitas judicii, qualem habent ſemidormientes & ſemiebrij vel adeo turbati, licet ſufficiat ad veniale, non tamen ad mortale, Navar. praelud. 9. n. 12.Weakneſs of judgement (ſaies one) ſuch as they have who are half aſleep, or half drunk; though it be enough to make a ſin venial, yet not mortal. When thoſe, ſaies (n)Quando ſemidormientes, vel ſemiebrij quidvis patraverint, cum parvitate judicij aperte laborent, & lethali culpa redduntur immunes. Graff. l. r. cap. 14. n. 4. Bonacin. de Matrim. q. 4. punct. 7. n. 6. ubi. Navar. Cajetan. & alij Communiter.another, that are half aſleep, or half drunk, perpetrate any wicked thing what-ever, ſince they are plainly under weakneſs of judgement, they are quitted of mortal guilt. So that if any one will but make himſelf half Drunk, every morning early (and it will be no worſe than a venial to do it purpoſely); he may, what-ever wickedneſs he acts, be free from mortal ſin all his life: and thus, he that lives all his days like a Devil, may eſcape Hell notwithſtanding, and be ſaved by being daily half Drunk.
There are multitudes of particular ſins which they compriſe under theſe ſeven Capitals, and call them their Daughters, after Gregory and Aquinas; but they need not be taken notice of as mortal, by common Confeſſors, much leſs by their Conſitents; for ſuch Confeſſors need not know whether they are mortal or no; (o)(n) Ali ſunt peecata, quae ſunt filiae peccatorum Capitalium, & de talibus non—ordinarius non tenetur ſcire, utrum ſint mortalia vel non. Sed curatus Ordinarius, ut Epiſcopus, Archiepiſcopus & caeteri alij ſuperiores ten…ntur ſcire. Sum. v. confeſſio. 4. n. 3.as Angelus tells us after Henricus, and ſo muſt Abſolve Sinners, though they never reſolve, or think of leaving their ſins.