CHAP. XI.] *SNASOS--4?Tmr,cTms. 355 not know, but believe it is 8o; it is therefore probable that it is lawful ?o swear iq because a grave doctor says it, and then it is safe enough to do so. "And upon this account, who could find fault with Pope Constantine IV., who, when he was accused in the Lateran Council'* for holding the see apostolic when he was not in orders, justifind himself by the example of Sergius, bishop of Ravenna, and Stephen, bishop of Naples ? Here was' ez'emp/urn bonor?rn'--honest men had done so before him, and therefore he was innocent. When it is observed by Cardinal Campegius,?' and Albertus Pighius did teach, that a priest lives more holily and chastely that keeps a concubine than he that hath a married wife; and then shall find in the pope's law, that a priest is not to ? removed for fomicatioo ;?: who will not, or may not, practically conclude, that since, by the law of God, marriage is holy, and yet to some men fornication is more lawful, and does not make a priest irregular, that therefore to keep a concubine is very lawful? especially since, ab- sWacting from the consideration of a man's being in orders or not, forni- cation itself is probably no sin at all ? For so says Durandus,�Simple fornication of itself is not a deadly sin, according to the natural law, and excluding all positive law ;' and Martinus de Magistris says,!] ' To believe simple fornication to be no deadly sin is not heretical, because the testimonies of Scripture are not express.' These are grave doc- tors, and therefore the opinion is probable, and the practice safe. When the good people of the Church of Rome hear it read that Pope Clement VIII., in the Index of prohibited books, says,�That the Bible, published in vulgar tongues, ought not to be read and retained :' no, not so much as a compend of the history of the Bible: and Bellar- mine says, ' That it is not necessary to salvation to believe that there are any Scriptures at all written ;' and that Cardinal Hosius saith, ' Perhaps it had been better for the church i� no Scriptures had been written ;' they cannot but say that this doctrine is probable, and think themselves safe when they walk without the light of God's word, and rely wholly upon the pope, or their priest, in whax he is pleased to tell them; and that they are no way obliged to keep that commandment of Christ, ' Search the Scriptures.' Cardinal Tolet says,'*" ' That if a nobleman be set upon and may escape by going away, he is not tied to it, but may kill him that intends to strike him with a stick ;?t that if a man be in a great passion, and so transported that he considers not what he says; if, in that case, he does blaspheme, he doe? not always sin :?: that if a man be beastly drunk, and then commit fornication, that fornication is no sin :�hat if a man desires carnal pollution, that he may be eased of his carnal temptations for his health, it were no sin :1111 that it is lawful for a man to expose his bastards to the hospital, to conceal his own shame.'�e says it out of 8oto, and he from Apud Nmsder'm?s. Generat. xxi, 26. Dmt. 82. Can. Presbyter in Gloats. ? Qu. 7, Lata Extra . de Bigamis. Quia circa. Communiter dicitur quod alerieus pro simplici fornicatio?eV?eponi non debet, dist. 21. Maximianus, Glo?a in Oratiau. �nt., lib. iv, dht. 3!?. II Lib. de Temp., qu. 2, de Luxuria.
- /Vide Dan. Tilen. de Verbo non Scripto, lib. iv, c. 8.
'* Instruct. Sacerd., lib. v, c. 6, n. l&. t't Lib. iv, c. 111, n. 4. ? Lib. v, c. 10, n.a. ? Lib. v, c. Ill, u. 10. ill Lib. v, ?. 11, n.&. q'q' I,ib, viik c. 4?, u. 4. l
�
