Manual — Daniele Concina, O.P.
Christian Theology, Dogmatic and Moral, Volume III: On the Decalogue
First published 1749. Volume III, In Decalogum, of Concina's Theologia christiana dogmatico-moralis (Rome, 1749; sold at Venice by Simone Occhi): Books III-V, the whole of the volume's text. The volume's own contents of its Dissertations, Chapters and Questions, and its alphabetical index of subjects, were translated for this site from the print. The English translation is from a friend of this site who wished to remain anonymous. Concina's paragraph numbers are kept as he printed them, beginning again in every chapter; the paragraphing otherwise follows the translation, and may differ from the print in places. Passages the English lacked, or where it departed from the print, were translated for this site from the Latin, and are marked (ed.). Download: · EPUB The original this transcription was made from: Internet Archive — the Latin, Tomus III (Rome, 1749).
The full treatise, from Concina's twelve-volume Theologia, on the first two commandments: adoration and the worship of the saints, images and relics; superstition, divination, magic and witchcraft; tempting God, sacrilege and blasphemy; vows, their matter, obligation, invalidation, dispensation and commutation; and the oath, with his long treatment of lying and of mental restriction against the more recent casuists.
The book’s own contents, as printed: Contents (as printed) · Index of Subjects (as printed)
Contents
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- Contents (as printed)
Book Three — On the Decalogue
Dissertation I — On Adoration, and the Worship by which God and the Saints are to be Honored
- Chapter I — What adoration is; its division, and the precept, are explained
- Chapter II — The worship of latria is owed to God alone, one and triune, and to Christ the Lord
- Chapter III — On the worship of the Cross, and whether the other instruments of Christ's most sacred Passion can be worshipped, and with the worship of latria
- Chapter IV — On the adoration owed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Angels, and the Saints
- Chapter V — On the worship with which the images of the Most Holy Trinity, of Christ the Lord, and of the Saints are to be honored
- Chapter VI — On the worship of relics
Dissertation II — On the Vices Opposed to Religion, or On Superstition and Its Species
- Chapter I — Definition and division of superstition
- Chapter II — Various cases are here examined, in which it is determined whether superstition, properly speaking, is present
- Chapter III — The nature of idolatry, and the gravity of its malice, are here set forth
- Chapter IV — What divination is, and how many its species are
- Chapter V — On judicial astrology, or divination by the stars
- Chapter VI — On divination by dreams
- Chapter VII — On divination by augury, omens, and other such observations of external things
- Chapter VIII — On divination that is carried out by the use of lots
- Chapter IX — On vain observance
- Chapter X — On natural magic and its effects
- Chapter XI — On superstitious magic, or on sorcery
- Chapter XII — On witches, sorcerers, and "striges"
- Chapter XIII — On the penalties established against witches, and against all who enter into a pact — explicit or tacit — with demons
Dissertation III — On Tempting God, on Sacrilege, and on Blasphemy
- Chapter I — What the tempting of God is
- Chapter II — On sacrilege, and its species
- Chapter III — On blasphemy: what it is, and how many kinds there are
- Chapter IV — On the gravity of blasphemy, and on blasphemies arising from habit and from anger
- Chapter V — On the various formulas of blaspheming against God and against the Saints
- Chapter VI — On the penalties established against blasphemers, and on their judges
Book Four — On the Decalogue
Dissertation I — On the Vow
- Chapter I — The errors of the heretics against vows
- Chapter II — A review of condemned opinions, and of the laxer views of certain recent authors
- Chapter III — The notion of the vow, and the conditions required for it to be lawful and valid
- Chapter IV — The last part of the definition of a vow is explained — a promise made to God — so that it may become clear in what sense it is said that vows are made to Prelates and to the Saints, and are discussed among Catholics and against the heretics
- Chapter V — On the matter subject to a vow. The true meaning of that phrase, "a better good," is explained. The vow not to marry, and Leander's opinion, teaching that a vow of chastity is never valid on account of subsequent temptations and lapses, is refuted as lax and improbable
- Chapter VI — Indifferent, useless, or viciously impossible things are not the matter of a vow. Various little questions are explained
- Chapter VII — On the division of vows
Dissertation II — What the Obligation of a Vow Is: on the Doubtful Vow, the Indeterminate Vow, One Extorted by Fear or Error, the Conditional Vow, and the Penal Vow
- Chapter I — The obligation of a vow is explained: to what virtue it belongs — religion, or another; whether a smallness of matter can exist; and whether this obligation can pass on to others
- Chapter II — Can the obligation of a vow be fulfilled by others, or does it pass to one's heirs?
- Chapter III — On the time by which a vow must be fulfilled
- Chapter IV — On the doubtful vow. When the one vowing, in doubt, must fulfill it
- Chapter V — How indeterminate vows are to be interpreted
- Chapter VI — Several cases concerning vows indeterminate as to the quantity, or quality, of the matter, are resolved
- Chapter VII — On vows extorted by error, or by fear
- Chapter VIII — On the conditional vow, and on the penal vow
- Chapter IX — On the vow of assuming the religious state
Dissertation III — On Those Who Can Vow
- Chapter I — On those who possess the use of reason
- Chapter II — On the cessation of vows on account of the cessation of the final cause, and the change of circumstances
- Chapter III — On the invalidation of vows, and on those who possess the faculty of invalidating them
- Chapter IV — On the power which Prelates of Regulars have to invalidate the vows of their subjects
- Chapter V — Which vows of children parents, guardians, and curators can invalidate
- Chapter VI — On the vows of wives
- Chapter VII — On the power of masters over the vows of servants
- Chapter VIII — On the relaxation of vows by force of dispensation
- Chapter IX — To whom, by ordinary right, the power of dispensing in vows belongs
- Chapter X — On the power of Prelates of Regulars in dispensing vows
- Chapter XI — On the power of Prelates of Regulars, and of Confessors, in dispensing the vows of secular persons
- Chapter XII — On vows reserved to the Supreme Pontiff. The true interpretation of this reservation
- Chapter XIII — For a valid and licit dispensation, a reasonable cause is necessary
- Chapter XIV — On the commutation of vows, and on those who have the faculty of commuting them
- Chapter XV — What equality legitimate commuters of vows ought to observe; what causes are required for a legitimate commutation
- Chapter XVI — On the commutation of vows by force of the jubilee, or of the crusade bull
- Chapter XVII — On returning to the prior matter after the commutation of a vow, once accepted by the one vowing
- Chapter XVIII — What rule ought to be observed in the commutation of vows
Book Five — On the Decalogue — Treating of the Second Commandment:nn. 15–28
Dissertation I — On the Oathnn. 15–28
- Chapter I — What God commands, or forbids, by this second precept of the Decalogue, is explained
- Chapter II — Several heretics who condemn the sacred oath as unlawful. Their errors are reviewed. The oath is shown to be an honorable act, lawful for Christians, and the fruit of the virtue of religion, or of latria
- Chapter III — Propositions are reviewed which, holding the oath cheap, the Church has proscribed. Innocent XI condemned themnn. 15–28
- Chapter IV — Lax, or improbable, propositions are reviewed, which not a few Casuists teach
- Chapter V — What an oath is; various formulas of swearing are explained
- Chapter VI — Some further little questions concerning oath formulas are resolved. Rules too are assigned for distinguishing what counts, or does not count, as an oath, especially concerning this formula: "By God"
- Chapter VII — The divisions of oaths are given, and whether all oaths are of the same species is explained
- Chapter VIII — Under what conditions an oath is lawful; a threefold condition is necessary for it: truth, judgment, justice. Other rules of swearing are assigned by St. Thomas
- Chapter IX — What truth is required in an assertory oath. The defect of even the smallest truth in this oath is a mortal sin. Some little questions concerning perjury are resolved
- Chapter X — On the defect of justice, and of judgment, in an assertory oath. Some little questions are resolved
Dissertation II — On the Promissory Oath
- Chapter I — On the truth and judgment necessary in a promissory oath. Little questions of no small moment are examined
- Chapter II — On the justice necessary for a promissory oath
- Chapter III — On the matter of a promissory oath, which induces an obligation
- Chapter IV — What the obligation of a promissory oath is. It is compared with the obligation of a vow. What intention, or resolve, is required in a promissory oath. To swear without the intention of swearing is always a mortal sin
Dissertation III — On the Deceitful, Equivocal, Ambiguous, and Amphibological Oath: On Mental Restrictions, and on Lying
- Chapter I — The errors of Plato, Origen, Hilary, John Chrysostom, Cassian, John Climacus, and Martin of Braga, concerning the licit use of a lie in extreme necessity, are reviewed
- Chapter II — The authors who, before, or around, Augustine's time, declared war on lying, are recounted. After Augustine, none of the Catholics favored lying
- Chapter III — A compendious narration of everything that St. Augustine writes in his Book on Lying
- Chapter IV — A compendium of the Book Against Lying, which St. Augustine wrote to Consentius
- Chapter V — How opportune Augustine's teaching is for settling the controversy concerning the deceitful oath will be made plain from the following propositions
- Chapter VI — A historical narration of the doctrine which several more recent writers devised for concealing truth. Purely mental restrictions, not-purely-mental restrictions, equivocations, amphibologies, and material locutions are reviewed
- Chapter VII — The Supreme Pontiff Innocent XI condemned the principles of the aforesaid propositions. Later theologians devised new inventions, by which to conceal truth. A synopsis of the various doctrines, and of the various principles, of these theologians is woven together
- Chapter VIII — A comparison of the doctrine of certain more recent writers with the doctrine of Cassian, to whom lies were licit in extreme necessity, and of Augustine, who pronounces lies to be contrary in every event. The same cases, both proposed and resolved by Augustine, and by the contrary doctrine
- Chapter IX — The doctrine of more recent writers concerning purely mental restrictions is false, and was rightly condemned by the Church
- Chapter X — The opinion which asserts that words, by common consent of the human commonwealth, signify nothing, when they are employed to conceal a truth which cannot be manifested without grave harm, is rejected as altogether improbable, and false
- Chapter XI — The response of Tamburini is refuted, whose assertion seems altogether laxer than the very proposition condemned concerning mental restrictions
- Chapter XII — The opinion of Fr. Cattaneo, of Fr. La Croix, and of a few other authors, who compare a lie with a theft committed in extreme necessity, does not seem consonant with the teaching of the Church
- Chapter XIII — The common opinion of very many more recent writers, which defends restrictions not purely mental, by the benefit of communicable and incommunicable, useful and non-useful knowledge, is brought under examination. It does not differ from the opinion of authors upholding purely mental restrictions
- Chapter XIV — The causes why very many more recent writers really defend proscribed purely mental restrictions. Fr. Sánchez disapproves, beforehand, the opinion of later Casuists. More recent writers' opinions concerning oaths confirmed by restrictions are more dangerous than the ancients' doctrine on the licit use of lying. St. Augustine's invectives against restrictions
- Chapter XV — The causes are further explained why very many more recent writers really teach purely mental restrictions, and consequently lies. The explanation by which Fr. La Croix interprets the condemned propositions is rejected. His judgment concerning Fr. Cárdenas is approved, and extended to other authors
- Chapter XVI — Fr. Diego de la Fuente Hurtado upholds that purely mental restrictions are licit for an honorable cause, even after Innocent XI condemned these restrictions. Fr. Carlo Antonio Casnedi teaches that purely mental restrictions are not condemned
- Chapter XVII — Our own opinion is proposed. Amphibology is licit, which, whether by force of words, or of circumstances, admits a double sense, both intelligible to the hearer. Not all truths can always be concealed by amphibologies. The error of very many more recent writers on this matter is exposed. Various rules are assigned for full understanding of the question, and for practice
- Chapter XVIII — The texts of Sacred Scripture which the ancients oppose in defense of lies, and more recent writers in defense of mental restrictions, are expounded
- Chapter XIX — Certain Gospel texts are adduced, which are customarily brought forward in favor of mental restrictions, and are explained
- Chapter XX — Some objections, drawn both from reason, and from examples, and from the doctrine of the Saints — especially St. Raymond, and from the work of Annibaldus, commonly ascribed to St. Thomas — are resolved
- Index of Subjects (as printed)