Article — Konings, Theologia Moralis
ARTICLE III: ON THE VICES OPPOSED TO FAITH
- Each virtue has vices opposed to itself; therefore Faith also. But vices are opposed to the virtue of faith insofar as they either impede it from being acquired, and this is infidelity; - or extinguish it once acquired, either in part, and this is heresy; - or in whole, and this is apostasy, which is also called perfidy.
§ I. On Infidelity.
- Definition. - Infidelity, taken generally, is the lack of Faith in a man not baptized. For those are called infidels who have not received the habit of Faith through Baptism.
Division. A threefold infidelity is distinguished, namely positive, negative, and privative.
1° Positive or formal infidelity is the lack of Faith in him to whom it has been sufficiently proposed, and who positively rejects it.
2° Negative or material infidelity is the lack of Faith in him who has never heard anything concerning the true Religion, or to whom revelation indeed has been proposed in some way, yet not yet so sufficiently that he is now held to believe, although perhaps he can be held to inquire.
3° Privative infidelity is the lack of Faith in him who, once the occasion has been given, neglects to procure for himself knowledge of the Faith.
The chief species of infidelity are: Paganism, Judaism, Mohammedanism, and other sects, to which can be joined Deism, Atheism, Pantheism, and Rationalism, which in our times spreads so widely.
- Principles. - I. Infidelity, both positive or formal, and also privative if, after at least suspicions concerning the necessity of inquiry, gravely culpable negligence has been present in inquiring, is a most grave sin. The reason is because the former explicitly, the latter virtually, contains grave injury and contempt of the First Truth, or the authority of God revealing.
II. But negative or purely material infidelity, in itself, is not a sin, but only a punishment of sin. The reason is because there cannot be sin where there is invincible ignorance. - Moreover this is established from the condemnation of the 68th proposition of Baius, proscribed by Pius V and Gregory XIII. See p. XII. - Yet unbelievers, even negative ones, are most wretched, since they wander far from the way of salvation. Nevertheless, that the way which lies open through baptism of desire is not closed to them, St. Thomas excellently intimates.1
§ II. On Heresy.
- Definition. - Heresy, properly taken, is voluntary and pertinacious error against some truth of Faith proposed by the Church, in him who has received the Faith.2
Notes to n. 265. (1) 1, 2, q. 89, a. 6. (2) Dist. 15, c. 2. Decr. L. V, T. VII, c. 7.
- Division. - Heresy is distinguished:
1° Formal, which is heresy properly so called, or in the strict sense; or material, by which someone adheres to error without pertinacity.
2° Internal, or external or manifested, or purely external, according as it is held internally, or externally only, or in both modes.
3° Occult, or notorious, according as it is known to no one or only to few, or to many.
Apostasy is referred to heresy; it is a total defection from the Christian Faith. Concerning it, as concerning formal heresy, the things to be stated must be said.
- Principles. - I. Formal Heresy is always a most grave sin, as infidelity itself is. The reason is: 1° Because the virtue of Faith, as being theological, is one of the chief virtues, and therefore a sin directly opposed to it is most grave. 2° Faith is the foundation of justice, without which it is impossible to please God; therefore heresy, by expelling Faith, deprives man of all justice. 3° Because heresy is contempt of the authority of God revealing, and thus directly and immediately against God.
II. Purely material heresy is free from every fault. The reason is clear from its definition: for someone here and now is supposed to err from invincible ignorance; but sin with such ignorance is impossible. Therefore, etc.
- Questions. - Quaer. 1° What are the signs of material and formal heresy?
Resp. to the first. The following are judged signs of material heresy only: 1° He who is prepared to submit himself to the judgment of the Church when the error is removed. - 2° He who never knew anything true and certain concerning the Faith, and concerning his Religion never doubted. - 3° He who, doubting, strove to know the truth as much as he could.
Resp. to the second. Formal heretics are judged: 1° he who, after the truth has been known, still contradicts the Church; - 2° a sectarian doubting and not inquiring, or turning away his ears through malicious intellect from the motives of authority; - 3° he who by act is so disposed that, even if the truth should occur to his mind, he would nevertheless confirm his soul in the false sect, for the sake of persevering in his own sect. - But if someone with Catholic intention has not so compared his soul, but through affected ignorance, because he would not dare to oppose himself to the authority of the Church in some other matter, and in the meantime wills to be ignorant, so that he may cling without obstacle to his own opinion, he sins indeed, but is not a heretic, since he has the will of believing if the doctrine revealed is sufficiently proposed to him.1
Quaer. 2° Is he a formal heretic who doubts concerning some truth which he knows to have been revealed by God and proposed by the Church?
Resp. Affirmatively; because thus doubting is to be uncertain concerning whether God commands one to believe as certain; therefore he equally denies the highest truth of God with him who judges false what God commands to be believed as certain. L. VI. 302.
Notes to n. 268. (1) L. VII. 301, 302.