The Practical Divinity of the Papists Discovered to be Destructive, Discourse · Chapter 8 · Section 6
SECT. VI.
THey hold that (y)Non autem (infringit illud) qui vult, precurat aut operatur detrimentum animae, ut ipſummet concilium ſenſit. Nav. c. 15. n. 1.he breaks not the ſixth (in their account the fifth) Commandment, who deſires, or procures, or does any miſchief, to anothers Soul. It ſeems it is no murder, to kill the Soul. It is a rule with them that (z)Aquinas, 1. 2. q. 72. art. 7.ſins in heart, word and deed, are of the ſame kind. So they yield to Chriſt in this, that anger and hatred, may be a kind of murder: yet they think fit to exempt theſe, for the moſt part, from mortal guilt. When there has been ſuch hatred and enmity betwixt two, as neither of them will be induced to ſpeak to the other; yet both are to be abſolved (ſays (a)Graff. l. 2. cap. 71. n. 6.de Graffiis). When there is ſuch indignation, that will admit of no affability, or converſe. It is a fault, ſays (b)Peccatum eſt propter inordinatam paſſionem: & communiter veniale. Sum. v. Indignatio.Cajetan, for the inordinacy of the paſſion, yet commonly Venial. They would reconcile us to anger when both the meaſure, and the effects of it, ſeem intolerable; when (c)Quando eſt inordinata quantum ad modum iraſcendi, non habet ex ſuo genere, eationem peccati mortalis. Sylveſt. v. Ira. n. 4. poteſt à recta ratione, ità diſcordare quantum ad modum iraſcendi puta, quia nimis ardenter intus quis iraſcitur, aut ſecundum exteriores motus nimis excandeſcit. Et ſic ſi exceſſivus modus ſit nudus, peccatum eſt veniale. Cajetan. Sum. v. ira.it is ſo extravagant, as that it both burns exceſſively within, and flames out no leſs in external ſignifications of its exceſs; yet ſuch an exceſs, is a ſmall fault. It will be as harmleſs though it be revengeful too, if it ſeek not a great revenge; yea a man as innocently ſeeks and takes the greateſt revenge, if he do it inconſiderately. (d) Poſſet eſt veniale, propter imperfectionem actus, quia ſcil. praevenit deliberationem; vel eſt de aliquo modico, ex S. Thom. Sylv. v. ira n. 4.This they deny not, when they tell us withall, that the paſſion may be but Venial, when it makes a perſon inconſiderate: So that a man may deſtroy all that he is angry at, if his paſſion be but quick, and great enough. (e)Licè mihi optare, ad bonum, mortem alicujus. Idem v. maledicit mortem ali…i optare poſſumut, licè nobis conde… via, n. 2. perditioois ingreſſum ire. Soto, de Juſt. & Jur. l. 5. q. 12. art. 1. Nabar. c. 21. n. 25. Lopez. Cap. 64. p. 321, 322. (Bonac…. t. 2. de leg. diſp. 3. q. 4. p. ult. n. 7.)To deſire that he whom we count our enemy, were killed; or to rejoyce that he is murdered, if it be for ſome good that enſues upon it, is no Crime. No more it ſeems than it is for the Cannibals, to delight …o▪ have others killed; it is for the good they reap thereby, they have the advantage to feed on them. They will ſcarce be able to perſwade one, that it is unlawful to act, what he may lawfully deſire; yet they count it no ſin to deſire the death, not only of thoſe that are miſchievous, and do or may do them hurt, but of ſuch as are innocent: not only of ſtrangers, or ſuch as they count enemies, but even of their neareſt Relations. A Woman may deſire the death of her daughters, becauſe they are unhandſome, or poor; ſo that ſhe cannot marry them according to her mind. And the reaſon (which muſt clear this from guilt) is becauſe, this is not a hatred of enmity to their perſons, but only a hatred of abomination, as to their unhandſomneſs and poverty. Thus ſhe may hate her own Children to any degree of abhorrence, ſo far as to will them the grandeſt evil in this world, death it ſelf, becauſe they are not rich; or becauſe they are not comely, ſhe may kill them ſo far as her mind and heart can do it, upon this account; and ſacrifice them inwardly to her covetouſneſs or ambition, or curioſity; and this very innocently. (f)Affectus ad occidendum inimicum abſque conſenſu rationis. Gum. v. Votum.A… affecting to kill ones enemy without conſent, is but a Venial fault with Cajetan. If he actually kill him, ſo it be done indeliberately, he does no great harm. The rule received by them without exception, will warrant it, (g)Inferre notabile damnum in proximi perſonam—ſubreptio & inconſideratio ejus quod aggrediebatur ipſum excuſare poſſit à mortali: Navar. c. 15. n. 8.ſurpiſe and inconſiderateneſs excuſes from mortal ſin. Thus if a man kills any he meets with, without any deliberation at all, through natural haſtineſs, drink, or paſſion, 'tis no mortal ſin; yea it may be done as eaſily, with ſome deliberation, if that be not full, and perfect: and there are ſo many things, which they tell us of, to hinder it from being full; that killing of others may be a common practice, with little or no fault. But when it is more voluntary, there are more caſes wherein they make murder no ſin at all, than ſo much as a Venial fault, of which in its proper place.