Treatise IV: On Sins

St. Thomas, 1.2, q. 75; St. Alphonsus, V, n. 1; ed. G., II, p. 705; H. Ap., tr. III, c. 2; Suarez, tr. V, de Virt. et Pecc., disp. 3; Lacroix, Theol. mor., tr. 2, c. 4; Lehmkuhl, I, 320; Aertnys, I, n. 218.

316. DEFINITION. Sin is an evil human act, and is defined: A free transgression of the divine law (V, 1).

It is said: 1. transgression, as if a step outside the way; 2. free, because sin essentially consists in an act of free choice; 3. of law, that is, of any precept imposing a strict obligation, and thus it differs from imperfection, which per se is not sin, yet is so per accidens (cf. n. 341); 4. divine, under which name comes every law or precept obliging in conscience. For every law borrows its force and strength, ultimately, from the eternal law of God. Thus the immense malice of sin is sufficiently suggested, which consists wholly in this, that the created will is repugnant to the obliging divine will.¹

Sin is also sometimes called vice, but improperly; for sin is the act itself, but vice is a habit, or disposition. It is also called crime or delict, namely where it tends to the detriment of the Church or of the republic. Of this kind are apostasy, heresy, schism, simony, sacrilege, sorcery, homicide, adultery, theft, etc. It is called an offense of God insofar as it is against the will of God. An injury insofar as it is against the right of a person.

DIVISION. Sin is distinguished:

1. By reason of existence, into original and personal. Original is that which, committed in the will of Adam, is transmitted by way of generation: concerning this dogmatic Theology treats. Personal is that which man commits by his own will.

2. By reason of entity, into actual and habitual. Actual sin is the sinful act itself. Habitual sin, abstraction being made from the controversies of the schools concerning the nature of sin, is actual sin morally enduring or persevering.

ACTUAL sin, concerning which the discourse here properly is, is subdivided:

1. By reason of precept, into sin of commission and omission. The former is that by which a negative precept is violated: of which kind is, for example, theft. The latter is that by which an affirmative precept is violated, for example, omission of the sacred rite on a feast day.

2. By reason of the mode of consummation, into sin of heart, of mouth, and of work. The first is that which by its nature is consummated in the heart, as heresy, hatred, etc. The second, that which is perfected by the mouth or tongue, as detraction, perjury, blasphemy. The third, that which is completed in an external deed, as theft, homicide. Sins of heart are also called internal; sins of mouth and work, external.

3. By reason of object, into sin against God, against neighbor, and against oneself. Against God is said of that which is specially opposed to the reverence due to God: such is sin opposed to faith, hope, charity, or religion. Against neighbor, that which brings harm upon the neighbor, as homicide, detraction, etc. Against oneself, that by which the order of reason is violated, for the right government of oneself, as drunkenness, base delectation.

4. By reason of cause, into sin of ignorance, of infirmity, and of malice. A sin of ignorance is said of that which proceeds from culpable error; of infirmity, that which proceeds from temptation or antecedent passion; of malice, that which proceeds from a perverse determination of the will (St. Thom., 1.2, q. 75-78).

5. By reason of gravity or effect, into mortal and venial sin. Mortal is that which gravely offends God and brings death to the soul. Venial, that which lightly offends God, and which of itself preserves in the soul the root of pardon, that is, sanctifying grace (cf. n. 335, 340).

6. By reason of imputability, into material and formal. Material sin is the evil act itself, considered according to itself, or an involuntary transgression of law, and therefore not imputable to fault. Formal sin is the very malice of the act, or deliberate transgression of law, which therefore is imputable.

7. Lastly sin, by reason of the agent, can be divided into one's own and another's. One's own is said of that which is perfected by one's own action. Another's, that which indeed is committed completely by another, yet is deservedly imputed to one's own will, as to a cause in some way concurring. Concerning others' sins the matter will be treated below, where the matter concerns those cooperating in sin (n. 517), and especially where we shall treat of those cooperating in harm inflicted upon the neighbor (n. 976 seqq.). Cf. Suarez, tr. V, de Vitiis, disp. 3, sect. 1.

With these distinctions and definitions premised, we shall treat: 1. of the requisites for sin; 2. of the distinction of sins; 3. of the gravity of sins; 4. of internal sins; 5. of capital sins; 6. of the danger of sinning.