For the former, all acts of Religion and Righteousness, that they may be truly Christians such as the Gospel requires in order to Salvation; that they may have a real tincture of Divine and supernatural goodness, and be advanced above the pitch, at which Heathen, or graceless persons may arrive: they must proceed from love to God, and be ordered and directed by it. This they sometimes not only confess, but assert. And yet notwithstanding they teach, (*)that it is ⟨p. 90⟩not needful to perform any such acts, or to observe any commands of God out of love to him. (i)The commands of God, saith de Graffijs, doe not oblige us to perform them in love, he clears his meaning by an instance. For he sins not, nor is punished of God, who gives due honour to his Parents; although he have not the habit of piety (and so though he do it not out of such a principal) much less (adds he) doth the Church oblige any one to observe the command in love (k)for if the end of the precept be love saith Canus, we are not forthwith bound to observe all the commands out of love. The reason is premised, for in the opinion of Aquinas and the most grave Authors, we are not bound to observe the end or intention of the Law-giver (i. e. of Christ) but the means which the Law prescribes in order to it. Soto discourseth this at large, and concludes. (l)Love being considered as the universal condition and mode of acting all virtues, and performing all obedience; such a mode of acting out of love is not commanded as when we are enjoined to honour Parents, the precept binds us not to honour them out of love to God. This he delivers as the Doctrine of Aquinas, and finds but (m)one Doctor amongst them of opinion, that we are bound to do all out of love to God; but (n)condemns this as false and very near the Lutheran error condemned by the Council of Trent, because then all acts done without grace would be sins. So we must believe (if we will not venture to fall under the condemnation of their Council) that it is no sin not ⟨p. 91⟩to obey God, out of love to him; that all acts of virtue and obedience whatsoever, may be performed without sin, though they be done without love to God; that any man Baptized may be saved, though he never act out of love to God (no, not so much as once while he lives); though he perform not one act of a true Christian while he is on earth.
For the former, all acts of Religion and Righteousness, that they may be truly Christians such as the Gospel requires in order to Salvation; that they may have a real tincture of Divine and supernatural goodness, and be advanced above the pitch, at which Heathen, or graceless persons may arrive: they must proceed from love to God, and be ordered and directed by it. This they sometimes not only confess, but assert. And yet notwithstanding they teach, (*)that it is ⟨p. 90⟩not needful to perform any such acts, or to observe any commands of God out of love to him. (i)The commands of God, saith de Graffijs, doe not oblige us to perform them in love, he clears his meaning by an instance. For he sins not, nor is punished of God, who gives due honour to his Parents; although he have not the habit of piety (and so though he do it not out of such a principal) much less (adds he) doth the Church oblige any one to observe the command in love (k)for if the end of the precept be love saith Canus, we are not forthwith bound to observe all the commands out of love. The reason is premised, for in the opinion of Aquinas and the most grave Authours, we are not bound to observe the end or intention of the Law-giver (i. e. of Christ) but the means which the Law prescribes in order to it. Soto discourseth this at large, and concludes. (l)Love being considered as the universal condition and mode of acting all vertues, and performing all obedience; such a mode of acting out of love is not commanded as when we are enjoyned to honour Parents, the precept binds us not to honour them out of love to God. This he delivers as the Doctrine of Aquinas, and finds but (m)one Doctor amongst them of opinion, that we are bound to do all out of love to God; but (n)condemns this as false and very near the Lutheran error condemned by the Council of Trent, because then all acts done without grace would be sins. So we must believe (if we will not venture to fall under the condemnation of their Council) that it is no sin not ⟨p. 91⟩to obey God, out of love to him; that all acts of vertue and obedience whatsoever, may be performed without sin, though they be done without love to God; that any man Baptized may be saved, though he never act out of love to God (no, not so much as once while he lives); though he perform not one act of a true Christian while he is on earth.
- (*)Utrum tenemur conformare voluntatem in modo volendi cum Deo? Resp. secundum Alexand. & Lombard in 1 dist. 48. quod non absolute: quoniam si homo honorat patrem suum, non ex charitate, sed ex benevolentia, non peccat: sed tenetur conditionaliter scil. si vult merely vitam aeternam. Angel. sum. v. voluntas n. 6.Utrum tenemur conformare voluntatem in modo volendi cum Deo? Resp. secundum Alexand. & Lombard in 1 dist. 48. quod non absolute: quoniam si homo honorat patrem suum, non ex charitate, sed ex benevolentia, non peccat: sed tenetur conditionaliter scil. si vult mere•i vitam aeternam. Angel. sum. v. voluntas n. 6.
- (i)Praecepta D•i non obligant, ut perficiantur in charitate: non enim peccat, nec a Deo punitur, qui debitum honorem impendit parentibus, quamvis non habeat habitum pietatis, ergo multo minus ecclesia obligat quenquam, ut illud impleat in charitate. Decis. Aur. pars. 2. l. 3. c. 17. n 10. p. 176. Non tamen tenemur semper operari ex charitate, sed satis est operari ex aliqua honestate morally. Suarez. l. 1. de orat. c. 30. n. 3.Praecepta D•i non obligant, ut perficiantur in charitate: non enim peccat, nec a Deo punitur, qui debitum honorem impendit parentibus, quamvis non habeat habitum pietatis, ergo multo minus ecclesia obligat quenquam, ut illud impleat in charitate. Decis. Aur. pars. 2. l. 3. c. 17. n 10. p. 176. Non tamen tenemur semper operari ex charitate, sed satis est operari ex aliqua honestate morali. Suarez. l. 1. de orat. c. 30. n. 3.
- (k)Non enim si finis praecepti charitas est, tenemur pro•inus omnia praecepta legis implere ex charitate—Ex D. Thomae, & graviorum autorum sententia ad finem legislatoris minime teneamur, sed ad media, quae lex finis gratia consequendi praescribit. pars. 4. relect. de paenit. p. 871.
- (l)Actus charitatis consideratur ut est universalis conditio, & modus omnium virtutum—Modus talis cha itatis non cadit sub praecepto: quod est dicere, in hoc praecepto Honora patrem & matrem, non includitur ut sint parentes ex Dei charitate honorandi: sed quod exhibeatur eis exterior reverentia. De just. & jur. l. 2. q. 3. art. 10. p. 44.
- (m)Dionysius Cisterciensis.
- (n)Haec autem opinio non solum falsa, verum & errori quam proxima est Trid. Synodo Can. 7. adversus Lutheranos damnata, nempe cuncta opera, quae extra Dei gratiam fiunt, esse peccata. ibid.
