Single Question: On the Precept of Faith Itself

S. Th. II-II, q. 16.

789. By the natural-divine law there is given a precept of faith obliging under grave obligation, as is clear:

1. from reason: for supposing that God reveals, reverence toward him demands that we believe him;

2. from Scripture, which imposes the act of faith as a means of justification and establishes the command: He who has not believed will be condemned (Mk. XVI, 16; Jn. III, 16 and at the same time I Jn. III, 23; cf. prop. 16 condemned by Innocent XI1; Vatican Council, sess. 3, c. 3, can. 1).

This precept is both negative, by which we are prohibited from denying faith or doubting concerning it, and this obliges always; and affirmative, by which we are obliged to elicit an act of faith, and this does not oblige always.

1. "Faith is not judged to fall under a special precept and according to itself."

790. The virtue and precept of faith itself oblige us to elicit an act of faith, and indeed under grave obligation:

A. per se, that is, in circumstances common to the condition of all men. For it is altogether necessary, indeed also the greatest precept, to tend to the ultimate supernatural end; which nevertheless we do only by acts of faith, hope, and charity. Moreover this is especially necessary:

1. at the beginning of the use of reason, when man is bound to turn himself to God and to choose for himself the ultimate end;

2. in the article of death (that is, toward the end of life), when he is at the point of attaining the end;

3. several times in life. For it does not suffice that we tend to God once or twice, but during the whole of life we must acknowledge our dependence upon God; hence those acts are to be elicited several times.¹ Some determine this by saying: at least once a year; others each month (St. Alphonsus) or even each week (Scotus); others finally, and more probably, three or four times a year.

¹ Hence prop. 17 condemned by Innocent XI: "It is enough to elicit an act of faith once in life."

If at the beginning of the use of reason the supernatural end is unknown because of defect of the proposal of faith, man will be bound to an act of faith as soon as it is sufficiently proposed.

B. per accidens, that is, on the occasion of some special circumstance:

1. when a temptation against faith arises which is hoped to be overcome only by an act of faith; yet this is not fitting for the scrupulous, who torture themselves by repeating that act; hence they should contemn these temptations by turning to other things;

2. when faith has been lost, which happens by a sin directly contrary, namely, of infidelity, because the tendency to the ultimate end thus removed must be renewed and restored;

3. when we manifest faith outwardly, for example, in a profession of faith; otherwise that manifestation would be simulation.

791. Other virtues and precepts sometimes oblige us to elicit an act of faith at least implicitly:

1. when temptations against other virtues arise, which are hoped to be overcome only by an act of faith;

2. when someone must or intends to receive the sacraments;

3. when he must or intends to exercise an act of another virtue which cannot be exercised without faith, for example, prayer, hearing Mass, contrition for sins, etc.; and thus we are obliged to faith when we are obliged to hope or charity.

But in these cases the obligation does not arise from the precept of faith itself; hence if this act is omitted, we do not sin against this virtue, but only against another precept by force of which it was required.

792. In the positive divine law there is not given an explicit precept of believing in God. - For, as St. Thomas has it, a. 1: "Law is not imposed by some lord except upon his subjects; and therefore the precepts of law presuppose the subjection of each one receiving the law to him who gives the law. But the first subjection of man to God is through faith, according to Heb. XI, 6: One coming to God must believe that he is; and therefore faith is presupposed to the precepts of the law; and on this account in Exod. XX, 2, that which is of faith is put before the precepts of the law, when it is said: I am the Lord thy God..., and afterward it immediately begins to treat of the precepts.

"But because in faith many things are contained ordered to the faith by which we believe that God is, which is first and principal among all believable things..., therefore, presupposing faith concerning God, by which the human mind is subjected to God, precepts can be given concerning other things to be believed." Nevertheless:

a) "in the old law the secrets of faith were not to be set forth to the people; and therefore, presupposing faith in one God, no other precepts were given in the old law concerning faith";

b) but, supposing subjection to God through faith in one God, in the new law precepts concerning other believable things were added, as concerning the incarnation, by which one is God and man. Hence Christ says, Jn. XIV, 1: You believe in God, believe also in me (ad 2);

c) in addition, presupposing faith in one God, even in the old law prohibitive precepts had to be given, by which men would be prohibited from particular defects and sins through which faith could be corrupted (ad 3);

d) indeed, presupposing the subjection of man to God through faith, already in the old law precepts had to be given pertaining to the confession of faith or to the doctrine of faith, yet not to faith itself (ad 4).

Precepts which regard the doctrine of faith pertain to understanding and knowledge, which are read to have been commanded more abundantly in the New Testament both in evangelical and in apostolic doctrine (a. 2).

793. Practical counsels. - 1. The precept of faith is satisfied even if the act of faith is not elicited professedly and explicitly, but only implicitly, by fulfilling another precept, for example, by receiving a sacrament, which cannot be fulfilled without faith (cf. n. 791).

2. Penitents should not examine themselves nor be questioned about the fulfillment of this precept: for those who live as Christians often have occasion to exercise it; but for others, from those things which they confess, it is fairly easily clear whether they have fulfilled it or not.

3. Especially priests should exhort the faithful to exercise faith more often; and in danger of death they should recite an act of faith with the sick person.