Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern AuthoritiesCallan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Religion
Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
Callan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Christian ethics -- Catholic authors
third unbelief, he sins against prudence, if he has no good grounds
for his opinion, or against the respect due the Church, if he is moved
by contempt for its judgment. In a conversation between A, B, C, D
and E, the following opinions are defended. A thinks that any use of
natural knowledge with reference to matters of faith is wrong; B, that
the theologian should employ mathematics and physical science, but
avoid reasoning and philosophy; C, that the method and principles of
Scholasticism are not suited to our ago or to all peoples; D, that the
psychology and cosmology of the Scholastics should be remade entirely;
E, that many hypotheses of Aristotle in physics have been proved false.
The opinion of A contains heresies condemned in the Vatican Council
regarding the preambles of faith and the motives of credibility. The
opinions of B and C are at least contrary to the religious assent due
the authority of the Church (see Denzinger, Enchiridion, nn. 1652,
1680, 1713, Code of Canon Law, Canon 1366, Sec.2, _Humani Generis_, n.
11-14). The opinion of D, as it stands, contains a denial of several
doctrines of faith, such as the immortality of the soul and the
creation of the world, and is thus implicitly heretical. The opinion of
E is true and admitted by all.
(c) By “opposed” to faith is meant any judgment which, according to the
logical rules of opposition between propositions, is irreconcilable
with the truth of a formula of dogma or of a censure of heresy.
Examples: The Council of Trent defined that “all sins committed after
Baptism can be forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance.” It would be
heretical, therefore, to hold that “no sins committed after Baptism can
be pardoned in the Sacrament of Penance” (contrary opposition), or that
“some sins committed after Baptism cannot be absolved” (contradictory
opposition), Similarly, the Council of Trent (Sess. VI, Can. 7)
rejected the proposition that “all Works done before justification are
sinful,” and hence according to Logic the contradictory--viz., that
“some works before justification are not sinful”--is of faith, for two
contradictories cannot both be false; the contrary--viz., that “no
works before justification are sinful”--is not, however, defined, for
two contraries can both be false.
(d) Heresy is “manifestly opposed to faith.” He who denies what is
only probably a matter of faith, is not guilty of heresy. Example: The
Instruction of Eugenius IV on the matter of the Sacraments is held by
some authorities of note not to be a definition, and hence those who
accept opposite theories are not on that account heretical.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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