Is it needful on days of Fasting? It may seem so, because the main and proper end of Fasts, is the exercises of Repentance and Humiliation. No, say they, It is not needful then; for if this were the intention of God, or the Church, in enjoining Fasts, yet the intention of the Law-giver doth not bind us. (m)No exercise of Repentance is with them, requisite on their Fasts, but what they may perform in a Dream: for if they sleep the whole Fasting day, yet they fulfil the Precept for Fasting(*). To their Fasts they require nothing but abstinence from some sort of meat, not any Religious act at all: and if with them the Precept for the Mass, or Prayer, could not be fully accomplished without some penitent sense of sin, as it may; yet neither the Mass, nor Prayer public, or private, is requisite to their Fasts. Yea, in extraordinary times for Prayer, upon occasion of some great calamity befallen them for their sins; they think not contrition for sin needful: the people (n)know not there is then any necessity thereof; their Confessors and Preachers are never wont to mind them of this as a ⟨p. 129⟩thing necessary; and therefore Lopez saith, He would not condemn any private person, that neglects it in these circumstances, and so concludes he after others. As for their common Fasts, these (no more than their Festivals) require not abstinence from acts of wickedness, much less Repentance for them.
Is it needful on days of Fasting? It may seem so, because the main and proper end of Fasts, is the exercises of Repentance and Humiliation. No, say they, It is not needful then; for if this were the intention of God, or the Church, in injoyning Fasts, yet the intention of the Law-giver doth not bind us. (m)No exercise of Repentance is with them, requisite on their Fasts, but what they may perform in a Dream: for if they sleep the whole Fasting day, yet they fulfil the Precept for Fasting(*). To their Fasts they require nothing but abstinence from some sort of meat, not any Religious act at all: and if with them the Precept for the Mass, or Prayer, could not be fully accomplished without some penitent sense of sin, as it may; yet neither the Mass, nor Prayer publick, or private, is requisite to their Fasts. Yea, in extraordinary times for Prayer, upon occasion of some great calamity befalne them for their sins; they think not contrition for sin needful: the peopls (n)know not there is then any necessity thereof; their Confessors and Preachers are never wont to mind them of this as a ⟨p. 129⟩thing necessary; and therefore Lopez saith, He would not condemne any private person, that neglects it in these circumstances, and so concludes he after others. As for their common Fasts, these (no more than their Festivals) require not abstinence from acts of wickedness, much less Repentance for them.
- (m)Ex D. Thomae & graviorum autorum sententia ad finem legislatoris minime teneamur, Canus ibid. p. 871.
- (*)Si aliquis dormiret pro totum diem qua observari praecipitur jejunium, praeceptum jejunij impleret, Jo. Sanc. disp. 5•. n. 2.
- (n)Vid Bonacin. de Sacram. d. 5. q. 5. p. 2. n. 6. Quia non constat privatis hominibus tempore u•gentis necessitatis oraturis pro populi necessitate, quod contritio de suis peccatis sit remedium solitum ab ipsis adhiberi, & qui• ignorant id remedij esse necessarium, neque de hoc tanquam de re necessaria solent admontri a confessoribus vel praedicatoribus: ideo peccatorem privatum tempore calamitatis magna, qua premitur respublica, orantem Deum pro reipublicae liberation sine praevia contrition, ad peccatum mortale non ideo damnarem, &c. Lopez, cap. 16. p. 97.Vid Bonacin. de Sacram. d. 5. q. 5. p. 2. n. 6. Quia non constat privatis hominibus tempore u•gentis necessitatis oraturis pro populi necessitate, quod contritio de suis peccatis sit remedium solitum ab ipsis adhiberi, & qui• ignorant id remedij esse necessarium, neque de hoc tanquam de re necessaria solent admontri a confessoribus vel praedicatoribus: ideo peccatorem privatum tempore calamitatis magna, qua premitur respublica, orantem Deum pro reipublicae liberatione sine praevia contrition, ad peccatum mortale non ideo damnarem, &c. Lopez, cap. 16. p. 97.
