The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 8 · Section 21
Sect. 21. By the premiſes we may ſee what, and how many ſins may paſs for Venial in the Church of Rome, and they have preſumed to make them ſo without evidence from Scripture, as even a (p)Ex Scripturis divinis quamvis de multis peccatis conſtat, quod ſunt mortalia, tamen vix de ullis expreſſe ſatis videtur conſtare, quod ſint tantum venialia, Greg. de V… lent. Tom. 2. diſp. 6. q. 18.Jeſuit will acknowledge. The Maxims they proceed on therein (though eternal life or death depend on it) are purely their own conceits; no wonder if they leave them at great uncertainty. (q)Multa enim creduntur eſſe venialia, quae mortalia ſunt, & difficillimum eſt in talibus diſcernere, 2. diſt. 24. n. 53.Many ſins are believed to be venials, which are mortal, ſays Bonaventure, and it is moſt difficult to diſcern them. So that they have no ſufficient direction from any rule, no not their own, but they are incouraged to venture upon all this wickedneſs in the dark and blindfold. The inſtances I have given, may ſerve for a taſt, there is a world more, nor have I pickt out all the worſt, more time and diligence may diſcover more, as bad or worſe. But by theſe we may diſcern, that what-ever the Lord hath forbidden in his Law, they have ways to reduce it to the rank of Venials; for the whole matter of the divine Law, is, in it ſelf, either of leſs, or greater weight; if it be ſmall, or they pleaſe to count it ſo, they conclude preſently upon that account, it is not mortal: what-ever appears not to be a grand enormity, whether it be againſt God, others, or our ſelves, muſt be venial, according to that of Richard de Sancto Victore. (r)Mortale non poteſt a quoquam committi ſine grandi corruptione ſui, aut contemptu Dei, aut gravi laeſione proximi; & reliquaomnia eſſe venialia, vid. St. Clar. Probl. 14. p. 8….Mortal ſin cannot be committed by any, but by a grand corrupting of himſelf, or contempt of God; or grievous miſchief of others; all the reſt are Venial. Whatever is not in their apprehenſion, grand and grievous, is next to nothing. Yea, one Member of the three, is in a manner, wholly ſhrivell'd away into Venials. (s)Quando ſunt contra bonum proprium tantum, ſunt magna ex parte venialia.A man can ſcarce do any thing againſt himſelf, which will be big enough to make a mortal ſin of. Indeed, it may ſeem no more than requiſite to make it no crime for a man to damn himſelf, when they animate him to venture on ſo many damnable things, as if they were nothing. Thus they ſerve whatever the great God hath forbidden, which they have the confidence to count ſmall; but if they cannot chooſe but think it great, they have other expedients to level it (according to the exigence of mens Luſts), and diminiſh it into a Venial. To make it more, they require ſo very much, that a Sinner may make ſhift enough to be without ſome of it, and ſo ſcape the mortalneſs (as they will have him dream) though he practiſe the wickedneſs. That any ſin may be mortal, there muſt be judicium integrum (t)Ad conſtituendum peccatum mortale judicium integrum requiritur, Navar. cap. 16. n. 8. Ad conſtituendum peccatum mortale integrum judicium requiri debet, cap. 1. de delict. puer. Graff. l. 1. c. 14. n. 4. requiritur plena advertentia, & non ſufficit ſemiplena, qualis in ſemiebrijs, ſemidormientibus, & eis qui alio diſtrabuntur ut Cajetan, Navar. & alij communiter cum Bonacin de Matr. q. 4. punct. 7. n. 6. p. 313.an intire judgment, not diſtracted, not weakened, not diſturbed, as they prove out of their Canon Law: Alſo there muſt be (u)Vid. St. Clar. Probl. 14. p. 79. & Tol. l. 4. c. 12. Cajetan. Sum. v. delect. mores. p. 112.perfect deliberation, 'tis venial (how grievous ſoever otherwiſe), where there is not perfect deliberation: If by any means, deliberation not only in it ſelf, but in its perfection, be either prevented (and the thing be done before the mind take due cognizance of it,) or hindered (while it is under debate) it cannot be mortal. And that deliberation may be perfect, there muſt be a (x)Veniale ex imperfectione operis, licet in re gravi, ubi deeſt perfecta deliberatio, vel preſentatio ſufficiens malitiae in objecto, &c. St. Clar. ibid.ſufficient preſenting of the evil in its object, and its circumſtances. If the mind only conſider the advantage, or pleaſure, and not the ſinfulneſs and danger; 'tis but a ſemi-deliberation, and not full enough to make a ſin mortal. Beſides it will require (y)Per ſufficientem deliberationem intelligit (Bonaventura) tempus ſufficiens ad deliberandum poſtquam ratio advertit. Sylveſt. v. Conſenſ. n. 1. Intelligitur ſi advertentia ſit ſatis deliberata. Nam ſi eſt motus ſurreptitius, adeo ut ſit ſubita deliberatio non autem plena, poterit eſſe veniale (perjurium): ſcilicet ſi tempus non ſuppetebat ad plene deliberandum, Soto de Juſt. lib. 8. q. 2. ar 3. p. 271. ſufficiens advertentia & deliberatio non habetur ſine diſcurſu: diſcurſus autem in tempore ſit, Suar. de Vot. l. 1. c. 9.time to perfect it, and here they may favour the Sinner as much as they pleaſe by determining what time is ſufficient for humane frailty; but if he be in haſt, and do not ſtay this time, becauſe he is ſo forward to ſin, he will but ſin Venially. Finally, there muſt be full conſent of will. If the inferiour and ſenſual part take never ſo much complacency in a wicked thing; yet ſo long as the Superiour takes no notice of it, there's no harm (z)Contingit igitur delectari ad apprehenſionem delectabilis, ante adverſionem delectationis, & hoc eſt ſenſualitatis, & abſque dubio est veniale peccatum. Bonaventura 2. diſt. 24. n. 74., 'tis certainly no more than a Venial: Or if the ſuperiour part takes cognizance of it, and be ſome way inclined to the wickedneſs, yet that may not make it criminal, for every (a)Vid. Bonavent. ibid. n. 64.inclination is not ſufficient for this purpoſe, but full conſent of will, ſuch as is perfectly deliberate; neither is a tacit and conſtructive conſent ſufficient. (b)Negligentia repellendi complacentiam, cum diſplicentia rationis de ea ſecundum Bonaventur. eſt conſenſus interpretativus: quod non eſt mortale▪ peccatum ſecundum multos magiſtros, Sylv. v. Conſenſus▪ n. 1. Neceſſaria eſt poſitiva complacentia—& non ſufficit conſenſus interpretativus, Cajetan. & alii in Bonacin. ibid. n. 8. Vid. Jo. Sanc. diſp. 21. n. 3. & ibi. Adrian. Cajetan. Armilla. Navar. D. Thom. D. Bonavent. & 30. alij.A neglect to repell or ſuppreſs the delight in ſin, with ſome reluctancy of reaſon, is with Bonaventure conſtructive conſent, which in the opinion of many Doctors is no mortal ſin. Now if there be not a concurrence of all theſe, the horrideſt crime that can be perpetrated will be a Venial. If a man ſhould Blaſpheme God, or Curſe Chriſt, or renounce the Faith, or Murder his own Father, or Raviſh his own Child, or Mother, or fire Citys and Countrys; yet if he did it not with ſuch perfection of judgment, deliberation, and conſent, as is expreſſed; it would be a petty fault. And he may be eaſily furniſhed with many things, which will any of them ſo weaken this, as not to hurt him. Ignorance, drowſineſs, diſorder by drink, inconſiderateneſs, negligence, forgetfulneſs, precipitancy natural or accidental, levity, paſſion, cuſtome, or habit, and the like, will ſerve to excuſe any wickedneſs from mortal guilt. Let me but add one more (which ſerves to make clear work) the opinion of their Doctors, one or more, will make any crime not to be mortal to him that follows it; any perſon upon this ground may venture upon the moſt deadly ſin, as if it were Venial. It will be no more dangerous, for he is to be Abſolved by their Doctrine, though he declares, that he will not forſake ſuch a ſin. (c)Si paenitens nollet agnoſcere tale quod peccatum, nihilominus abſolvat eum, &c. quia ex quo ille credit opinionem quam ſequitur eſſe veram, innixus authoritate probabili, non videtur peccare mortaliter: & ſic debet abſolvi. Sylveſt. ſecundum Gofredum. v. Confeſſ. 3. n. 11. Si diverſitas eſſet inter Doctores, & paenitens ex aliqua rationabili cauſa vult adhaerere vni opinioni, non eſt ſibi denegenda abſolutio: ſed ſuae conſcientiae relinquenda. Caveat igitur confeſſor, ne ſit praeceps in dando ſententiam de mortali, ubi ſunt variae opiniones doctorum Angel. Sum. v. Confeſſ. 4. n. 3. & 13.The Confeſſor ought to Abſolve him, though in his own opinion, and the judgment of other Divines alſo, it be a mortal crime. This is their common doctrine delivered (d)Gofredus, Antoninus, Roſella, Armilla, Angelus, Sylveſt. Conradus, Ledeſma, Soto, Medina, Navar. in cap. 23. n. 31. & in Suarez. tom. 4. diſp. 32. Sect. 5. & Victorel, l. 3. c. 20. Near 50. of their Authors are produced for this by Jo. Sancius, diſp. 33. n. 54. p. 223, 224. Vid. Bonacin, & in eo alios, Tom. 1. diſp. 5. q. 7. punct. 4. n. 26.by multitudes of their Writers. So that hereby a fair way is opened to leave no mortal ſin in the world, at leaſt in the Conſciences of all that will regard their Doctors. In the mean time, the far greateſt part of ſins the world is guilty of, are by this and their other maxims, become peccadilloes, and they bid fair for all. The principles, by vertue of which they have done ſo much already, a little improved (though extended no further than they will reach) would go near to leave no deadly ſin at all. To be ſure, he that will regulate himſelf by their maxims, may act any wickedneſs in the world without fear of deadly guilt. And hereby it appears plainly, how very needleſs holineſs of life is in that Church (which pretends to a Monopoly of all the holineſs on earth) ſince by their doctrine they may not only neglect acts of Piety, Righteouſneſs, and common Honeſty; but may live ſecurely in practices oppoſite to, and inconſiſtent therewith. They may continue in cuſtomary Blaſpheming of God, in common Swearing and Perjuries, in Perfidiouſneſs to God and Men, in a neglect of all that is acceptable in divine worſhip, In a total prophanation of all time which is indeed, or in their account holy, in impiouſneſs and diſobedience to Parents or Superiours, in divers degrees of uncleanneſs and Murder, in variety of Cheats and Stealing, in Unfaithfulneſs as to breach of Promiſe and compacts, in all Falſeneſs and Lying; every where and upon all occaſions; in Slandering or Detraction, in Covetouſneſs or Prodigality, which they will; in Unmercifulneſs and Outragious paſſions; in Pride and Ambition; in Vain-glory and Hypocriſie; in Flattery or Curſing; in Gluttony and Drunkenneſs, &c. In Sins againſt God and Man, againſt Godlineſs, Righteouſneſs, Mercy, Charity; in any of theſe, a little modified▪ in all of them, and many more than I can reckon. They may perſiſt in them impenitently to the death, and yet (if Impoſtors may be truſted rather than the Word of God) not fall ſhort of Salvation; their doctrine gives them incouragement to live in them without Conſcience, and dye in them without Repentance. It takes off the motives which might work upon either fear or love (the main principles of ſuch motions in us) to forſake them. They are taught by their beſt Authors that theſe ſins may ſtand well with their love to God, that they do not ſo much as (e)Ex conſenſu omnium neque tollunt neque minuunt habitum charitatis, Bellarm. de Amiſſ. grat. l. 1. c. 13. p. 91.impair the habit of Charity; that they do not hinder the increaſe of (f)actuale peccatum veniale non eſſe obicem in—Euchariſtia (docet) D Thomas, unde à fortiore idem diceret de caeteris Sacramentis quae aninus digna ſunt, de Baptiſmo affirmat Scotus,—frequentiores Theologi, Suar. tom. 3. diſp. 7. p. 132.Grace, or the effects of their Sacraments; that they do (g)Aquinas proprie loquendo peccatum veniale non cauſat maculam in anima, 1. 2. q. 89. art. 1.not ſtain the ſoul; that they hazard not Gods favour thereby, (h)Bonavent. 2. diſt. 42. Soto de nat. & gr. l. 1. c. 4. p. 132.that they diſpleaſe not God, that they are not againſt his will; that they are (i)Neque obſtant quo minus juſti, perfecti etiam dicantur, Soto, ibid.conſiſtent with a perfect fulfilling of the Law; that (k)Non habet perfectam rationem peccati, Aquinas 1, 2. q. 88. art. 1. ad 1mum.they have not perfectly the nature of Sin; that they are not (l)Non eſt contra legem ſed praeter legem. Idem. ibid. Lombard. 2. Sentent. diſt. 35. Bonaventur. 2. diſt. 43. Scotus a quo vocatur conſilium, quod infringitur per peccatum veniale, in St. Clar. ibid. p. 79. Bellarm. de Juſtific. l. 4. c. 14.againſt the Law, but only beſide it; or if they be againſt it in any reſpect, as ſome of them think, (m)Durandus, Major, Vega Rada. Herrera.yet againſt no precept; the obſervance of which, is neceſſary for ſalvation, or (n)Eſtius. Becanu.not againſt the end of the Law, which is Charity; (o)Iſte ergo vitiorum atque lapſuum quotidiani naevuli licet Chriſtiani hominis vitam quaſi pulviſculo aſpergant handquaquam tamen defaedant turpiter Lindanus,that they are but as ſpecks or motes, (p)Modicum pro nihilo cenſetur Cajetan.we may look on them as nothing, that without the interpoſal of mercy, they are (q)Bellarm. De Amiſſ. grat. l. 1. c. 14. p. 95.ſuch in their own nature, as ought to be paſt by, they (r)Veniale ex ſe venia dignum, Aquinas 1. 2. q. 88. art. 1. Veniale dicitur quod eſt venia dignum, Bellarm. ibid. p. 81. Cajetan. Eſtius 2. ſent. diſt. 42. Sect. 6.deſerve pardon. They do not (as they teach) deſerve eternal puniſhment; (s)Negamus—poſſe Deum juſte punire peccatum quodlibet etiam veniale, poena omnium graviſſima, quae eſt mors aeterna, Bellarm. ibid. p. 92. & de Purgat. l. 1. c. 7. p. 1359.and the Lord (as they Blaſpheme) would be unjuſt, if he ſhould condemn any for them. So that not only as long as God is merciful, but while he is juſt, the practice of theſe ſins is ſafe. Neither love to God, nor fear of his diſpleaſure, nor dread of Hell, nor deſire of Heaven, nor a deſign for perfection, need move them to abandon any one of theſe ſins. They need not fear, how much ſoever they multiply, or abound in them: if they ſhould commit millions of them in a day, and continue the practice all the days of a long life; this would not damn them: (s)Etiamſi omnia peccata Venialia ſimul colligerentur in unum, nunquam effi…erent id, quod facit unum lethale, Bellarm. ibid. p. 91for all the Venial ſins in the world, if they meet in one man, would not amount to ſo much as one damning ſin. They may commit them not only out of ignorance or infirmity, but with a high hand (t)Non quaſi ipſe contemptus & vilipenſio venialium ſit mortale—quia nullibi eſt praeceptum ut iſtam curam habeamus, ſed conſulitur tantum, Sylveſt. v. peccat. n. 4. peccare venialiter ex contemptu infra limites venialis, non eſt peccatum mortale, Cajetan. Sum. v. contemptus, Lopez. cap. 1. p. 8. Metina ibi. Graff. l. 1. c. 14. n. 8. ibid. Aquinas 2. 2. q. 107. art. 3.out of contempt. They (u)Navar. cap. 23. n. 13. & 16.may praiſe themſelves or others for them; they may (x)Secus etiamſi gloriaretur de repeccati Venialis ſolum, quoniam ſic nou eſſet mortalis vana gloria, Angel. Sum. v. van. Gl. n. 1. Cajetin. Sum. v. glor. vana. Eſt mortale cum—laudant aliot & jactant de peccatis mortalibus quae fecerunt, ſecus eſſet de Veniali, quoniam non eſt contra Deum. Angel. v. Jactantia, n. 1.boaſt of and glory in them; they may perpetrate them (y)Contingit tamen propter imperfectionem actus, eſſe Veniale peccatum ex malitia: ut ſiquis vana mendacia eligit dicere ex intentione bujus mali, quod eſt vane mentire, & non propter aliud, Cajetan. Sum. v. malitia.out of malice. They may be ſo far from reſolving to leave them, as it will be but a ſmall fault (z)Juramentum de peccato Veniali peccatum eſt, ſi tamen fiat cum propoſito implendi illud, non eſt mortale, Cajetan, Soto, Antoninus, Sylveſt. Tabien. Navar. in Suar. de Juram. l. 3. c. 19. n. 3., to bind themſelves by Oath to commit them, and call God to witneſs, that they will thus ſin againſt him. They (a)Poteſt quis dum moritur, habere voluntatem permanendi in peccato Veniali, Bellarm. de Purgat. l. 1. c. 7. p. 1359.may dye with reſolution to continue therein, if they might live; yea, they may breath out their ſouls with delight (b)Poteſt quis mori in complacentia peccati, Idem. ibid. cap. 10. p. 1370. Cum Venialis complacentia poteſt mori ac ſalvari, Sylveſt. Sum. v. Contritio. n. 3.and complacency in theſe ſins, and yet be ſaved. To conclude, mark how they may act and multiply, and perſiſt in them, and then view the nature and quality, and number of them, or gueſs thereat by the ſeverals premiſed; and then ſuppoſe a man living after the rules of theſe conſcientious Doctors, and Caſuiſts, and taking but part of that liberty which the Roman Divinity allows; ſuch a man would paſs for a good Catholick with them, and be holy enough, according to the Holineſs left among them, and made neceſſary by them; yet even by the rules of Heathen morality, he would appear little better than a Monſter. So faithfully do they retain, and ſo much do they regard the rules of Chriſt in forming the Maxims of their new Divinity, that ſober Heatheniſm would be aſhamed thereof; and ſo like is practical Popery to true Chriſtianity, in that wherein the reality, and triumphant ſplendour of it conſiſts, Innocency and Purity. If an Atheiſt had a mind to render the Chriſtian name odious, and to repreſent Chriſtianity with a black and deteſtable viſage to the ſober part of the world; if he had a deſign to make men believe that Chriſt was a Miniſter of Unrighteouſneſs, and the Goſpel a licencious doctrine, tending to debauch mankind; he would need no more, but perſwade them that the maxims of the Roman Divines were conformed to the rules of the Goſpel; but then, if he ſhould attempt to prove this conformity, he might as eaſily demonſtrate that darkneſs is light, or the Alcoran the Chriſtian Goſpel.