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Orthodox Confession
St Peter Mogila, tr. Lodvel, 1762
Part 3, 4. Questions 31–40
Question 31
What Sins do spring out from this Envy?
Answer.
Hatred, Backbiting, Contempt, Fraud, Circumventing, Bloodshed, and such like. Now, whosoever would strive to avoid this Sin, let him always consider that whatsoever Good happeneth unto any Man cometh altogether from the divine Favour; as it is said (1 Cor. iv. 7), What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? Whosoever, therefore, envieth another the good Things that he hath received from God, reproacheth God himself, and becometh altogether such as he to whom it was said (Matth. xx. 15), Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine Eye evil, because mine is good? The Opposite of this Vice is the Virtue of Benevolence and a Disposition of Mind to Goodwill.
Question 32
What is Gluttony?
Answer.
Gluttony, or Ravening, is the devouring an immoderate Quantity of Meat and Drink, more than usual and necessary. Of this Vice the Scripture thus speaketh (Luke xxi. 34), Take heed to yourselves, lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness, and the Cares of this Life, and so that Day come upon you unawares. And again (Rom. xiii. 13), Let us walk honestly, as in the Day; not in Rioting and Drunkenness, not in Chambering and Wantonness, not in Strife and Envying.
Question 33
What Sins proceed from Gluttony?
Answer.
Stupidity and Sloth, Laziness in the Exercises of Religion, Lascivious Inclinations, Vain Jests and Unseemly Mirth, Insolent Selflove and Contempt of Others, Foul Language, Brawling, Rudeness, Great Diseases, Profuse Luxury, and the like. To this Vice are opposite Sobriety and cheerful Frugality; as it is said (1 Cor. xiii. 40), Let all Things be done decently and in order.
Question 34
What is Remembrance of Injuries, or the Desire of Revenge?
Answer.
The Desire of Revenge is an inflamed Inclination wherewith an angry Man burns, of taking Vengeance on any Person who hath injured or offended him, or whom he thinks to have done so. Of this Sin the Scripture speaketh thus (James i. 19), Let every Man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to Wrath; for the Wrath of Man worketh not the Righteousness of God. And elsewhere (Eph. iv. 31), Let all Bitterness, and Wrath, and Anger, and Clamour, and Evil-speaking be put away from you, with all Malice.
Question 35
What Sins are caused by this inveterate Anger or Remembrance of Injuries?
Answer.
From this Desire of Revenge arises an Inclination to Strife, Grudging at another’s Good, Bloodshed, Raving, Mischief, and doing of Injuries, and the like. The Virtue of Patience is opposed to this Vice, as the Apostle declareth in these Words (Heb. x. 36), Ye have need of Patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the Promise.
Question 36
What is Sloth and Listlessness?
Answer.
Sloth is a Coldness and Negligence in obtaining the eternal Salvation of our Souls, causing one to do good Actions with Unwillingness and Aversion, and to avoid taking Pains to do anything that is good. Against this Vice the Apostle writes (Heb. vi. 12), Be not slothful, but Followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises. Our Saviour, also, speaking of such idle and slothful Servants, saith (Matth. xxv. 26), Thou wicked and slothful Servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed. And again (ver. 30), Cast ye the unprofitable Servant into outer Darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth.
Question 37
What Sins arise from Sloth?
Answer.
Voluntary Dissoluteness, Pretences for Sinning, Scandal, a Voluptuous Life, Haughtiness, and such like. The Virtue opposite to this Vice is Diligence and Wakeful Industry. To which Christ thus exhorteth us (Matth. xxv. 13), Watch, therefore; for ye know neither the Day nor the Hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. And the Apostle saith (1 Pet. v. 8), Be sober, be vigilant; because your Adversary the Devil, as a roaring Lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the Faith.
Question 38
What are the Sins that are committed against the Holy Ghost?
Answer.
An over-great and ill-grounded Confidence in the Grace of God; i.e., Presumption, and likewise Despair, which is when any one entirely distrusts the divine Mercy; for this is to contradict the manifest and established Truth, and a Denial of the orthodox Faith of Christians.
Question 39
What is over-great Confidence in the Grace of God?
Answer.
This over-great Confidence is a rash Dependence which any one takes upon the Mercy of God, and thereon presumes to hope that God will not withhold his Grace from him, nor punish him, notwithstanding he continues still in his Sins; and so thereby makes the Justice of God of none Account. Let those who have this most dangerous and grievous Error to conflict and struggle with hear the Apostle teaching them, thus (Rom. ii. 4), Or despisest thou the Riches of his Goodness, and Forbearance, and Long-suffering; not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance: But, after thy Hardness and impenitent Heart, treasurest up unto thyself Wrath against the Day of Wrath and Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God?
Of this Sort are those who, with unbridled Tongues, are not ashamed to declare openly thus: “If God pleases, I shall be saved; and if he doth not please, I shall not.” And thus, casting off all Care of amending their Lives, they rest in a destructive Security, and neglect the Salvation of their Souls. The Holy Scripture calls on these Men to be more provident, in these Words (Matth. xviii. 14), It is not the Will of your Father which is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish. And the Lord hath pronounced by his Prophets (Ezek. xxxiii. 11), As I live, saith the Lord God, I would not the Death of a Sinner, but that the Wicked turn from his Way and live. Also the Apostle in another Place saith (1 Tim. ii. 4), For this is good and acceptable in the Sight of God our Saviour, who will have all Men to be saved, and to come unto the Knowledge of the Truth. Those likewise partake of this Error who expect to obtain eternal Life by Faith only without good Works.
Question 40
What is Despair of the divine Mercy?
Answer.
Despair is a Distrust of the Mercy of God, which ariseth in a Sinner from a mistaken Opinion that God will not pardon him, and receive him again into Favour, because of the evil Deeds which he hath done, or the good Works which he hath left undone. He supposeth human Malice and Iniquity almost to exceed the divine Mercy and Goodness, as Cain said (Gen. iv. 13), Mine Iniquity is greater than that it may be remitted unto me; which horrid Blasphemy is the highest and most reproachful Affront to the Mercy and Goodness of God. Wherefore let not any one, howsoever great or heavy be his Sins, in the least think distrustfully or despairingly of the boundless Mercy of God toward Mankind. Let him, instead thereof, bethink himself of the Example of the prodigal Son, whom his heavenly Father received with a most gracious Countenance and Bosom full of Affection when he repented and turned again unto him; thereby most clearly teaching us that we should not only forgive our repenting Brother seven times that whatsoever he hath sinned against us in, but even until seventy times seven (Matth. xviii. 22). The same he hath said by the Mouth of his Prophet (Joel ii. 12, 13), Turn ye even ‘unto me with all your Heart, and with Fasting, and with Weeping, and with Mourning; and rend your Hearts, and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to Anger, and of great Kindness, and repenteth him of the Evil.