Roman Catholic's View of Man's Primitive Condition — John Murray

Let us pray. O Lord, our God, do Thou grant that we may ever have discernment to discern between truth and falsehood, between right and wrong, and do Thou grant that we may have such sensitivity to the truth and to that which is right, that we shall be aroused to opposition and even to indignation against all that is contrary to Thy holiness, to Thy revealed will, and to the demands of Thy law.

Grant that we may crucify the flesh with the affections and unlusts in ourselves, and do Thou forbid that we should ever compromise with the unbelief that is in the world or in the church. Grant, O Lord, that we may be jealous of the honor of Christ, for the purity of His body, and for the faithful witness of those whom He has called to be His witnesses in the world.

May we, O Lord, be ever alert to the demands of His vocation, and may we fulfill our ministry with fidelity and joy, for Jesus' sake. Amen. Our own tantric position respects the man's primitive condition.

The Roman Catholic State of Pure Nature

And first of all, we have what they themselves, the Roman tantrics, call the state of pure nature. The state of pure nature, that man was created at the beginning of soul and body, that is, of two distinct and diverse elements, one with corporeal impulses and desires, and the other with the higher exercises of reason, conscience, and will.

This primitive condition, this condition which arose from God's original creative act, is one in which man is endowed simply with natural gifts. Natural gifts, dona naturalia, is called in Roman tantric theology a state of impuris naturalibus, in a state of pure nature, impuris naturalibus.

This state is one in which man possesses all the attributes necessary to his nature as man, destitute of those graces which adorn human nature. In which there is contribution of sinful, it isn't sinful, simply a state in which there are these diverse appetites and impulses.

In which there are these diverse appetites and impulses arising from the corporeal and higher exercises of reason arising from the spiritual. And the forethought to this concupiscence, it is not a diversity that arises from the will of man, proceeds from the very constitution with which man was created.

We come to Roman II, which I have called the quidna concupiscentiae, the conflict arising from concupiscence. Conflict arising from concupiscence. For this state of nature is not one of sin, it is nevertheless one in which there is a tendency, a tendency on the part of the lower impulses to break through the limits of reason.

A tendency to break through the limits of reason. And when they do break through the limits of reason, then you have a concupiscence of the flesh which is sinful. A concupiscence of the flesh which is sinful.

In many Roman Catholic theologians, this tendency is not more, is not construed to be more than tendency. But in some of the ablest and most representative of Romish theologians, it is construed as a conflict between the lower and higher elements in man's nature.

Development. Degrees. Inevitably development. Because of the composite man's being. You'll find the quotation from Bellarmine on page 104 of the textbook, which is very, very clear to this effect. It calls it a fight, battle, conflict.

Bellarmine on Humanity’s Affinity With Beasts and Angels

And I'll translate that paragraph, it's at the middle of page 104. It must be understood, first of all, that man naturally consists of flesh and spirit. And therefore, partly with the beasts and partly with the angels, has affinity of, affinity of nature.

Has common nature. Partly with the beasts and partly with the angels, has a common nature. And therefore, by reason of the flesh and affinity with the beasts, with the other animate beings, affinity with the beasts, he has a certain propension to corporal good.

To corporal good. And sensible good in the sense of, not sensible in the sense of the word, but pertaining to the senses. That's corporal and sensuous good, is the best translation. Towards which he is borne along by sense and appetite.

By reason of the spirit and affinity with the angels, he has a propension to spiritual and intellectual good. To spiritual and rational good. Towards which he is borne by intelligence and will. Now here's the insignificance.

But from these two diverse or contrary propensions, from these two diverse and contrary propensions, there exists in the one and the same man a certain fight, a certain conflict, a certain battle, pugna-kvandam, a certain battle, and from this conflict, still battle, pugna, and from this conflict, an inherent difficulty of doing what is good, while one propension hinders the other.

Now here's the importance. There exists in the one and the same man a certain fight, and from that fight, an inherent difficulty of doing good, as long as the one propension hinders the other. Now there is no Bellarmine quite representative on that, because Thomas Aquinas, much earlier than Bellarmine, took the very same position.

He used this term pugna. Now we come to the third. The superadded gifts. Donas superadded. This condition of concupiscence is regarded as simply tendency, or as actual conflict, created the necessity of the bestowal of the donas superadded.

Preternatural and Supernatural Gifts

In an older Roman Catholic theology, this is spoken of as dorum superadditum, as the superadded gift, and it is called origin of righteousness. Supernatural, or superadded grace, is that the sensual and supersensual elements in man's being were maintained in harmony, the one with the other.

The gift of original righteousness, according to the older formulation, by this gift of original righteousness, man was brought into the closest communion with his creator. The closest communion with his creator.

Man was exalted above human nature, and made to participate in the nature of God. It is important to bear in mind that this gift, special grace from God's part, this special grace, what Müller calls a special condescension of the Almighty, God was under no obligation whatsoever to endow man with this added grace.

It is therefore superadded, not supernatural. But in more recent Roman Catholic theology, these superadded gifts, dona superaddita, are divided into preternatural and supernatural gifts. Preternatural and supernatural.

And what the older Roman Catholic theology calls preternatural. Of these preternatural gifts, there are two, immortality and integrity. Immortality, integrity. Now this preternatural, superadded gift of immortality, necessary to free man from the necessity of dying.

Deliver man from the necessity of dying. Roman Catholic theology is explicitly teaching that death is a necessity inherently corporeal nature of man. Necessity inherently is corporeal nature. Immortal is required a superadded grace, superadded gift.

The second preternatural gift is that of integrity. That refers to the harmony established between the component elements of man's nature. Between the component elements, component elements of man's nature.

It is this integrity that overcomes the conflict existing in the state of pure nature between the corporeal and the spiritual. The supernatural can be distinguished from the preternatural. And this is called sanctity, sanctity.

It was made a partaker of the divine nature to elevate it in order of existence. With that which is above the essence and exigency of any created nature. With that which is above the essence and exigency, that is need, of any created nature.

Adopted into the position occupied by the only begotten son and given the capacity for the beatific vision. The beatific vision, given the capacity for the beatific vision. Did I hear somebody speaking?

The Fall and the Loss of Superadded Gifts

Did I hear someone ask a question or something? Yes? Sir, did you say beatific or beatific? Beatific. B-E-A-T-I-F-I-C. Beatific vision. You said beatific. Beatific, you see, beatific. Well, now, at this point it is necessary to be reminded that when man fell, he lost all of these preternatural gifts.

Preternatural and supernatural gifts. Well, now, at this point it is necessary to be reminded that when man fell, he lost all of these preternatural gifts. Preternatural and supernatural gifts he lost.

And that is, after all, the calamity of the fall. And since he lost these gifts, he reverts to this condition called cognaconjubescentia. He reverts to the position in which he was in a state of pure nature.

He reverts to the position in which he was in a state of pure nature. Now, one other question arises in connection with this subject of the donor supra-avatar and with man endowed with these preternatural and supernatural gifts.

When Were the Superadded Gifts Given?

When, historically, there was sharp difference of opinion among Romanist theologians on that question. Those following them, scotists. The scotists maintained that there was an interval elapsed between the original creation, man in purest natural abode, and his elevation to grace.

That is the position taken by Peter Lombard and Bonaventura, Bonaventura, Bonaventura. But Thomas Aquinas contended that these supra-avatars were given act, creation, from the very beginning of creation.

That the state of pure nature that bestowed by the donor supra-avatar were contemporaneous. And that appears to be the prevailing view among Roman Catholic theologians today. More time elapsing between the original creation and endowment with donor supra-avatar.

We see that in some of the older Roman Catholic theologians, original righteousness, mysticia originalis, is defined in terms of what later is called integrity. You see that there has been a considerable refinement and expansion in more recent Roman Catholic theology on this question of the donor supra-avatar.

And therefore it is very necessary when dealing with Roman Catholic theology, how most representatively is to speak not simply of donor supra-avatar, after the pattern of older Roman Catholic theology consisting in original righteousness, but of the donor supra-avatar.

The supra-avatar is defined as preternatural and supra-natural. Now we come to number four which I have thought of, imago dei, the image of God. What does Roman Catholic theology say with respect to the image of God in this skepticism?

The Image of God in Roman Catholic Theology

Well, unfortunately, there is no unanimity. There is not unanimity on this question in Roman Catholic theology. Some Roman Catholic theologians make a distinction between image and likeness. Image and likeness.

Image is regarded as belonging to the state of pure nature, pertains to the spirit of man per se. God made the spirit of man to his image, to his image. And therefore the image of God belongs to man as man, belongs to man as man.

That is what you find, for example, in the older Roman Catholic theology. That is the viewpoint represented by the Council of Trent, for example. And you find it particularly in the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which is a companion volume and is very important, the Catechism of the Council of Trent.

Likeness, however, has been regarded by such Roman Catholic theologians as a superadded gift of grace. A superadded gift of grace. But there are others, other Roman Catholic theologians, and I think this is more representative of present-day Roman Catholic theology.

Other Roman Catholic theologians do not make this distinction between image and likeness. They do not make it. And regard both image and likeness as gifts of grace. As gifts of grace. However, that position does put Roman Catholic theology in a rather difficult position on its own premise.

Catholic theology in a rather difficult position. And so the position is taken that in a certain sense, in some sense, the image of God belongs to the very soul of man. In some sense, the image of God belongs to the very soul of man.

However, not in the full sense, not in the full sense. Because out of deference to such passages, 2 Peter 1 .4 speaks of our becoming partakers of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1 .4 and 1 John 3 .2 It has not yet been made manifest what we shall be, but we know that when it shall be manifested we shall be likened in the basis of such passages.

The image and likeness of God are more properly regarded as super-added, even as supernatural, and would belong, I think, if I might so judge, belong particularly to the gift of sanctity. Sanctity. Because when they are defining sanctity, the Roman Catholic theologians are defining sanctity, they use that very text from 2 Peter 1 .4 to support the doctrine that man is elevated above the essence and exigency of human nature.

He is above the essence and exigency of human nature. Now I could give you various references to support this latter view as the view that is represented in Roman Catholic theology today, that image and likeness are properly regarded as super-added, specifically supernatural, although in a certain sense, Charlie Pomodoro has referred to it earlier, in a certain way the image of God belongs to the very soul of man.

But how Roman Catholic theology would work out that sort of discrepancy, I don't know. Now by way of appendix to all this, I didn't want to perplex you, but I think it is implicit here for all of you, you know, I didn't want to perplex you by saying that, by noting that Roman Catholic theologians, two additional super-added gifts, namely impassibility and infused knowledge.

Impassibility and infused knowledge. Now impassibility would be freedom from suffering, and infused knowledge would be the importation of knowledge that did not belong to man in his state of pure nature.

But Roman Catholic dogma up to date, Roman Catholic dogma does not include these two additional gifts. Does not include these two additional gifts in the donor super-added term. Perhaps someday Roman Catholic dogma will evolve these, because there is always a development in Roman Catholic dogma from time to time.

Someday they may be included, and I suspect, I wouldn't be certain of this, but I definitely suspect that if they are included in Roman Catholic dogma, they would be regarded as preternatural rather than as supernatural.

Critique of the Roman Catholic View of Human Constitution

Well, that's the outline. I now come to the criticism, the criticism of this Roman Catholic position. I want to endorse its form and what it will do. Now, first of all, first of all it entertains a degrading view of man's metaphysical constitution.

A degrading view, because it supposes that there is an age of incompatibility between the component elements of man's being, namely between flesh and spirit. In Bellarmine terms, there is a disease, a languor, that needeth a remedy.

A disease, mortis, a languor, that needeth a remedy. Or in Aquinas terms, battle of concupiscence, which he says is not derogatory to human nature, nevertheless requires a supernatural grace or gift to prevent the sinful concupiscence, which inevitably results.

Supernatural grace to prevent the sinful concupiscence, which inevitably results. So, on the most restrained Roman Catholic construction, it makes proceeding from the composite nature of man necessarily arise.

Now I say that one's a thwart. One's a thwart the uniform representation of Scripture, that there is no inherent incompatibility in the nature of man. We found already when we were dealing earlier with the nature of man, I say that is what we found to be the distinctive feature of the Biblical teaching, in contrast with all pagan thought, respecting the incompatibility between the spirit, material elements in man's being, so that the ideal of human existence could be relieved of the degrading influence inevitably exerted by the corporeal, the material.

Criticism of the Alleged Twofold Creation of Man

Well, that's the first point. Now second, second point of criticism is that the Scripture offers no warrant whatsoever man's origin, twofold action, twofold action. The Bible speaks that of making man in his own image.

The remotest suggestion of any superadded action, superadded action whereby man was endowed with graces or qualities intended to meet the defect in man's nature as originally created. Before we delve into that, may I say for a second to me that it makes absolutely no difference as far as this criticism is concerned, whether you take the Scotish position or the Thomist.

The Thomist, although he posses contemporaneity in these two actions, nevertheless posses this differentiation, this magical differentiation. That is the point of significance. And that is the main point of criticism.