all
circumstances is necessary, but the want of one only is sufficient for an
evil, so that howsoever among the works considered in general, some are
indifferent, yet in the singular there is no medium between having all the
circumstances and wanting some; therefore every particular action is good
or evil; and because among the circumstances the end is one, all works
referred to a bad end are infected. He further alleged St. Augustine, that
it is sin not only to refer the action to a bad end, but also not to refer
it to a good end. Thus spake the learned friar very appositely; and the
same is the judgment of our own divines. _De bis rebus indifferentibus_
(saith Martyr(1207)) _statuendum est, quod tantummodo ex genere atque
natura sua indifferentiam habeant, sed quando ad electionem descenditur
nihil est indifferens_; and so saith Pareus likewise.(1208)

_Sect._ 5. These things are so plain and undeniable, that Dr
Forbesse(1209) himself acknowledged no less than that every individual
human action is either good or bad morally; and that there is a goodness
which is necessary to every action, namely, the referring of it to the
last end, and the doing of it in faith; which goodness, if it be wanting,
the action is evil. Notwithstanding, he will have some actions, even _quo
ad individuum_, called indifferent, for this respect, because they are
neither commanded of God, and so necessary to be done, nor yet forbidden,
and so necessary to be omitted.

Of an individual action of this kind, he saith: _Manet homini respectu
istius actus plena arbitrii libertas moralis; tum ea quae exercitii seu
contradictionis dicitur, tum etiam ea quae specificationis seu
contrarietatis libertas appellatur._ He holdeth, that though such an
action be done in faith, and for the right end (which general goodness, he
saith, is necessary to the action, and commendeth a man to God), yet the
action itself is indifferent, because it is not necessary; for a man hath
liberty to omit the same, or to do another thing; which he illustrateth by
this example:--

If the widow Sempronia marry at all, it is faith, because, as the Apostle
teacheth, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Now whilst everything is
condemned which is not of faith, two sorts of actions are rejected, as
Calvin observeth:(1210) 1. Such actions as are not grounded upon, nor
approven by the word of God. 2. Such actions, as though they be approven
by the word of God, yet the mind, wanting th