But is it credible, that they who sometimes seem to lay so great stress upon these graces, as necessary to salvation, should contradict, not only the Scriptures, but themselves, and make them needless, not only all a mans life before, but even when he is dying? sure, they must have some device, to supply, in pretence at least, the want of these; if not before, yet at the point of death, and will substitute something in their stead, of supposed equivalence to them. Indeed they are fruitful in inventions tending to ruin souls, and subvert the doctrine of salvation: and one particularly they have in this case; and that is, what we before mentioned, their Sacrament of Penance. When a man is near death, if he be Attrite, and confess his mortal sins to a Priest, and be absolved; by virtue thereof, he hath remission of sins, and together therewith infusion of grace, particularly of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Thus they come to have grace in a moment, who lived graceless all their days before; and had dyed so if such a Rite had not been provided for their relief. By virtue of this Sacrament Love is planted in their heart, and their Faith in God, and sorrow for sin, is formed by Love, and becomes saving; so that if they dye presently in that state, their salvation is secured. But what if they live, must not these habits be afterwards exercised? must not there be some act of contrition in those who never had any before? No, by their doctrine there is no necessity for it, though there be no true actual Repentance without it. The question is in one of their greatest Divines, ⟨p. 149⟩Whether (u)in the Law of Grace, after justification obtained by the Sacrament of Penance with Attrition alone; there remain any obligation to have Contrition? and it is resolved, that there is no such obligation, and that this is the judgment of all those who hold that the Sacrament of penance doth justify with Attrition alone, known to be so; and (x)these are the most for number, and the most considerable for authority in their Church and Schools, Aquinas and Scotus, both, whom the rest most commonly follow, concurring in it, besides their great Council.
But is it credible, that they who sometimes seem to lay so great stress upon these graces, as necessary to salvation, should contradict, not only the Scriptures, but themselves, and make them needless, not only all a mans life before, but even when he is dying? sure, they must have some device, to supply, in pretence at least, the want of these; if not before, yet at the point of death, and will substitute something in their stead, of supposed equivalence to them. Indeed they are fruitful in inventions tending to ruine souls, and subvert the doctrine of salvation: and one particularly they have in this case; and that is, what we before mentioned, their Sacrament of Pennance. When a man is near death, if he be Attrite, and confess his mortal sins to a Priest, and be absolved; by vertue thereof, he hath remission of sins, and together therewith infusion of grace, particularly of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Thus they come to have grace in a moment, who lived graceless all their days before; and had dyed so if such a Rite had not been provided for their relief. By vertue of this Sacrament Love is planted in their heart, and their Faith in God, and sorrow for sin, is formed by Love, and becomes saving; so that if they dye presently in that state, their salvation is secured. But what if they live, must not these habits be afterwards exercised? must not there be some act of contrition in those who never had any before? No, by their doctrine there is no necessity for it, though there be no true actual Repentance without it. The question is in one of their greatest Divines, ⟨p. 149⟩Whether (u)in the Law of Grace, after justification obtained by the Sacrament of Pennance with Attrition alone; there remain any obligation to have Contrition? and it is resolved, that there is no such obligation, and that this is the judgment of all those who hold that the Sacrament of pennance doth justifie with Attrition alone, known to be so; and (x)these are the most for number, and the most considerable for authority in their Church and Schools, Aquinas and Scotus, both, whom the rest most commonly follow, concurring in it, besides their great Council.
- (u)An etiam in lege gratiae post obtentam justificationem per Sacramentum paenitentiae cum sola attritione, maneat haec obligatio habendi contritionem? Dicendum est, per se loquendo, non manere in lege nova obligationem hanc post praedictam justificationem. Ita sentiunt omnes, qui putant Sacrameneum paenitentiae justificare cum sola attritione cognita Suarez. tom. 4. disp. 15. Sect. 4. n. 12. & 13.
- (x)Aquinas, Scotus, Paludanus, Capreolus, Durandus, Adrian, Antoninus, Sylvester, Cano, ibid. disp. 20. Sect. 1. n. 9. Corduba, Vega, Soto, in Vasquoz. (Corduba docet, quod qui justificatus est Sacramento paenitentiae, cum contritione tantum existimata, non tenetur eorundem peccatuo•m contri•ionem veram habere; & eam aperte colligere licet ex Soto. & ita Vega.) in 3. Thom. q. 86. a, 2. d. 2. n. 11.
