Divine Charity: Its Nature And Necessity

CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. THE NECESSITY OF CHARITY. Teachingof New Testament Extent ofthe obligation Charity and the last end Morality of acts independent of reference to last end Such reference required for merit Act of charity not difficult 1-13 CHAPTER II. THE NATURE OF MORTAL SIN. Various aspects of sin Formal malice consists in aversion from the last end St. Thomas and Suarez No mortal sin without such aversion Act of repentance formal opposite of sinful act All mortal sins directly opposed to charity Love of charity and love of concupiscence Sins against charity .... .... .... .... .... 14-27 CHAPTER III. HOPE. Variety of views View of Suarez Difficulties of this view Loss of hope by mortal sin Hope does not abide in heaven Alternative view, of New hope is trust in God s fidelity Teaching Testament Despair Certainty of .... hope 28-46 CHAPTER IV. MERIT. Merit requires reference of act to last end View of St. Thomas The command of charity Essential and accidental rewards View of Suarez on reference to last end Variousmodes of reference Innate reference Charity the form ofthe virtues All good acts not meritorious .... .... 47-67 IV CONTENTS. CHAPTER V. CONTRITION AND ATTRITION, a The Scholastic Teaching. Charity in the Old Law Justification easier in the New Sacrament of Penance Necessity of contrition and efficacy of absolution Scholastic teaching St. Anselm of Canterbury Hugh of St. Victor Peter Lombard First use of word quot quot attrition Alanus of Lille and William of Auvergne St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Ex attrito fit contritus 68-87 CHAPTER VI. CONTRITION AND ATTRITION. b The Council of Trent and subsequent teaching. quot quot Decree on Justification The beginning of love Attritionfrom motive of fear Change in original draft of decree Controversy in Belgium Decree of Alexander VII. Teaching of Suarez Attrition must be supreme Modern theologians .... 88-112 CHAPTER VII. THE NATURE OF CHARITY. Formal object of charity Absolute love of God Love of concupiscence Meaning of the absolute good Meanings of love of concupiscence Teaching of Cardinal Billot Error of Quietism View of Suarez, Tanquerey, Hurter, etc., on motive of perfect charity .... .... .... 113-134 PREFACE. THE student of the treatise on the Theological Virtues will not have failed to notice that in their dissertations on the virtue of charity most theologians seem to convey the impression that an act of the virtue is extremely difficult. That such cannot really be the case will, however, be evident from the consideration that acts of charity are required from the ordinary man very frequently during life, and it is not to be supposed that he must need any extraordinary graces to fulfil so important an obligation. The following pages, therefore, are an attempt to demonstrate that the practice of charity is easy and within the reach of all, by showing that the most commonly accepted theory of the nature of the virtue is open to considerable difficulty, and, even in the hands of its own supporters, is rarely applicable to real life. Various considerations will, it is hoped, point to the conclusion that an act of love of God as our supreme good and last end, generally called an act of love of concupiscence, is in reality an act of perfect charity. This conclusion seems to be forcing itself upon many modern theologians, almost against their will, but they are compelled to recognise that it is more truly atestimony to VI PREFACE. the infinite mercy of God than the ordinarily accepted notion of absolute love. Mortal sin derives its essential malice, according to St...