Ignorance, drowsiness, disorder by drink, inconsiderateness, negligence, forgetfulness, precipitancy natural or accidental, levity, passion, custom, 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, ⟨p. 301⟩that he will not forsake such a sin. (c)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)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 virtue 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 profanation of all time which is indeed, or in their account holy, in impiousness and disobedience to Parents or Superiors, 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; ⟨p. 302⟩every where and upon all occasions; in Slandering or Detraction, in Covetousness or Prodigality, which they will; in Unmercifulness and Outrageous passions; in Pride and Ambition;
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, ⟨p. 301⟩that he will not forsake such a sin. (c)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)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; ⟨p. 302⟩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;
- (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 uni 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.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.
- (d)Gofredus, Antoninus, Rosella, Armilla, Angelus, Sylvest. Conradus, Ledesma, Soto, Medina, Navarre. 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.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.
