354 ?W?SOS---?TmI,?OT?OW. [Boos II. by this means, and in such cases when things are come to this pass. they have gotten an imperfect warrant to sin a great deal and a great while, without any new great inconvenience: which evil state of things ought to be in/initely avoided by all Christians that would be saved by all means; and, therefore, all such teachers and all such doctrines are carefully to be declined, who g/re 8o much easine? not only to the remedies, but to the sins themselves." 16. The Roman Catholics furthermore teach that the opinion of one grave doctor is sufficient to make a matter The great foundation on which their castfists rely in deciding doubt- ful cases of conscience is, "That if an opinion or speculation be pro- bable, it may, in practice, be safely followed." And "the opinion of one grave doctor is sufficient to make a matter probable." Nay, the e. zomp/e of those reputed good men is a sufficient rttle of conduct. It is of no avail to answer that such an opinion is nothing more than the private sentiment of one or more of their doctors. For though, in matters of faith, this would not be sufficient to ascribe a doctrine to whole church; but in a matter of practice, as far as the practice ex- tends, it is sufficient to allege the sayings of their doctors, because these sayings are their ru/e of life. And because their rules of con- science are not decreed by councils, but by their casuists, it is to the htter we must look for their sentiments on this topic. True, we do not say this is an article of their faith; it is only a rule of conduct. It is not contained in a public decree, nor is it condemned by any council. They suffer their casuists to determine all cases, with verity or indulgence, with strictness or laxity, so as to suit the wicked and righteous, those that serve God and those that serve him not. The Jesuits have taught great laxity of morals in the Church of Rome. They were warmly opposed by the .]anseuists, and those of the clergy who were in fayour of sound morals; but the Jestfits, though depressed ?nd even-deposed for a time, soon gained the ascendency, and w/th their restoration they have restored their own favourite morality. Their system is to a//ow, and therefore generally to tolerate, persons of good moral character in the church. But as the greater number are not good, or moral, or pious, the Jesuits have precisely adopted their moral code to suit every class oi sinners, so that they may all be indulged in following those sins to which they are individually prone, and yet be saved in the end. The following quotation from Bishop Jeremy Taylor, in his Dissu&- aive from Popery,** w/ll present this subject to the reader in a clear and convincing light :--" Suppose one great doctor among them (as many of them do) shall say, ' It is lawful to kill a king whom the pope declares heretic ;' by the doctr/ne of probability here is his warranty. And though the church do not declare that doctrine, that ha, the church do not make it certain in speculation, yet it may be safely done in practice. Here is enough to g/re peact of conscience to him that due8 it; nay, if the contrary be more 8are, yet if the other be but bable by reason or authority, you may do the len safe and refuse what is more. For that also is the opinion of some grave doctors ;'? if one doctor, it is safe to swear a thing, an of our knowledge, which we do
- D/#u--ive, ch. i/, see. 6, vol. '? p. ??6. L0? 1835.
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