§ VI. On the Participant

A participant is twofold: one in the booty, another in the damaging action.

I say. A participant in the booty is held to restoring only that part which he accepted and retains in his possession, because only as to that is he compared to the thief. But a participant in the damaging action is held for the whole as often as his cooperation truly exerted influence on the substance of the damage and cannot be excused from formal sin; because then his action will be truly, efficaciously, and unjustly damaging. Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 571. - Billuart, dissert. 8, art. 13. - Carrière, n. 1197.

You Will Resolve. - 1st. He is not held to restitution who from so grave a fear cooperates with respect to damage in the goods of fortune, whether the cooperation is mediate or immediate, so that the damage inflicted upon the neighbor is much less than that which threatens you and of such a nature that the neighbor must then be judged not to be reasonably unwilling. - I said with respect to damage in the goods of fortune, because as to the goods of life, the owner must always necessarily be unwilling. Cf. St. Alphonsus, n. 571.

2nd. Merchants who sell weapons indiscriminately are not held to restitution, even if they know that some in general will abuse them; because since the necessity of carrying on trade excuses them from sin, necessarily it also excuses them from the obligation of restoring. But if they foresee specifically that some are proximately about to abuse the aforesaid weapons, they cannot sell them on account of ordinary gain, but a grave cause is required, according as the hope of preventing the abuse is greater or less. Cf. Vogler, n. 315.