Tract V. On Sins In General

Cf. St. Thomas, S. theol. 1, 2, q. 71-89; St. Alphonsus, Theol. mor. l. 5, n. 1-84; Billuart, Sum. S. Thom., tract. de peccatis; Billot, Disquisitio de natura et ratione peccati 3 (Rome 1900); Noldin, De principiis n. 286-352; Otto Schilling, Lehrbuch der Moraltheologie I, § 41 ff.; Tanquerey, Synopsis Theol. mor. de peccatis et vitiis. (It is a very commendable treatise.)

Praenotamen. The rules of human acts are law and conscience, as is clear from what was said above. Human acts which are conformed to these rules lead into man's last end, namely, into eternal beatitude; but those which are deformed constitute sins and turn away from the last end and eternal beatitude. Acts conformed to these rules are virtuous acts; but deformed acts are sinful acts. Therefore according to order one must now treat of virtues and sins. But because it seems fitting that to the treatise on virtues in general there should immediately be joined the treatise on virtues in species, we invert the order, treating first of sins in general and then of virtues in general and in species. But we refer those things which must be said about individual sins to the treatises on the individual virtues, to which the individual sins are opposed. - We divide the whole treatise on sins in general into eight chapters: 1. on the nature of sin; 2. on the division of sins; 3. on the specific distinction of sins; 4. on the numerical distinction of sins; 5. on the causes of sins; 6. on the effects of sins; 7. on internal sins; 8. on the vices called capital.