Article — Noldin, Summa of Moral Theology
Article First. On Infidelity
26. Definition. 1. Infidelity properly so called is the lack of faith in a man not baptized: for properly that man is called an unbeliever who has not received the infused habit of faith. Infidelity improperly so called is any defect of internal faith; in this sense infidelity also comprehends heresy and apostasy from faith.
- Infidelity properly so called is one thing when negative, which is the lack of faith in him who has never heard anything concerning faith; another when privative, which is the lack of faith in him who neglects to acquire for himself the knowledge of faith when the occasion has been given; another when positive, which is the lack of faith in him to whom the truths of faith have been sufficiently proposed.
27. Moral malice. 1. Negative infidelity is not a sin, because it is not voluntary; therefore Baian proposition 68 was condemned.1
Privative infidelity is a grave sin of omission, by which the means necessary for salvation is neglected. A similar sin is committed by him who neglects the inquiry of truth after reasonable doubt concerning the truth of his own religion.
Positive infidelity is a grave sin of commission, by which the means necessary for salvation is rejected; besides this, it contains formal contempt of God revealing.
The species of infidelity are paganism, Judaism, Mohammedanism, deism, atheism, pantheism: they are taken from the diverse errors to which unbelievers adhere, but these errors do not pertain to moral theology.
1 Purely negative infidelity in those to whom Christ has not been preached is a sin.