XI. OF VICES WHICH ARE THE PRINCIPLE OF MAN'S BAD ACTIONS
Is there another life man can lead on earth other than a virtuous life?
Yes, it is the life of sin or vice .
What is understood by vice?
By vice is understood the state of man who lives in sin
What is sin?
Sin is an act or a voluntary omission which is bad.
When is an act or a voluntary omission bad?
When this act is contrary to the good of God, or of our neighbour, or of man himself
How comes it that man can thus wish a thing which is opposed to the good of God, to the good of his neighbour, or to his own good?
It is because man can will some good which is opposed to the good of God, or to the good of his neighbour, or to his own good
What is this other good which man can will?
It is the good that gratifies his senses, or his ambition, or his pride
Whence comes it that man can thus will a good that gratifies his senses, or his ambition, or his pride?
The reason is because the senses can be borne towards what is agreeable to them by forestalling or by enticing the reason and the will which do not oppose this movement of the senses when they might and when they should
It is then the unlawful seeking after sensible and temporal goods which is, for man, the beginning and, in some sort, the reason of all his sins?
Yes, it is the unlawful seeking after sensible and temporal goods that is, for man, the beginning and, in some sort, the reason of all his sins.
What is this inclination in man to seek unlawfully sensible and temporal goods called?
It is called concupiscence
XII. OF ORIGINAL SIN, AND OF ITS CONSEQUENCES, OR OF THE WOUNDING OF HUMAN NATURE
Did this concupiscence exist in man in the first state in which he was created by God?
No.
Why then does it exist now in man?
It exists in man now because of his fall
What do you mean by the fall of man?
By this is meant that state which followed upon the first sin of the first man, and which is the effect of this first sin
Why are we now all in this state which followed upon the sin of Adam?
We are all in this state now because we received our nature from Adam
If Adam had not sinned would we have received our nature from him in another state?
Yes, if Adam had not sinned we would have received our nature from him in the state of integrity, or original justice
Is the state in which we now receive our nature from Adam a state of sin?
Yes, the state in which we now receive our nature from the first man is a state of sin
Why is this nature which we now receive from Adam in a state of sin?
Because we receive it from him such as it really is, that is as affected by his sin
And what is this state called?
It is called the state of original sin
By the very fact then that we receive our nature in this state from Adam, original sin is transmitted to each one of us?
Yes, it is by the very fact that we receive our nature in this state from Adam that original sin is transmitted to each one of us
What does this state of sin in which each one of us is born, and which is called original sin, entail?
It entails the privation of all the supernatural or gratuitous gifts which God had implanted in our nature in the person of Adam, our common father
What were these supernatural or gratuitous gifts, the privation of which constitutes in us the state of original sin?
These supernatural or gratuitous gifts were: first of all, sanctifying grace with the supernaturally infused virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit; and also the privilege of integrity which was associated with these supernatural gifts.
What did this privilege of integrity granted to the soul imply?
It implied the entire subordination of the senses to the reason and of the body to the soul.
What was the effect of this perfect subordination of the senses to reason and of the body to the soul?
The effect was that in man's sensitive appetite there could be no inordinate movement; and his body was rendered impassable and immortal.
Are death and all other bodily ailments the result of sin?
Yes, death and all other bodily ailments are the result of sin
What are the consequences of this sin in the soul called?
They are called the wounds of the soul.
What are these wounds in the soul?
They are ignorance, malice, weakness, and concupiscence
What is meant by ignorance?
By this is meant that state in which the reason is deprived of that inherent relation it had towards the truth in the state of integrity
What is meant by malice?
By this is meant that state of the will in which it is deprived of the inherent relation it had to good in the state of integrity
What is meant by weakness?
By this is meant that state of the sensitive appetite in which it is deprived of the inherent relation to all that is arduous and difficult which it had in the state of integrity
What is meant by concupiscence?
By this is meant that state of the sensitive appetite in which it is deprived of the inherent relation towards sensitive pleasures tempered by reason which it had in the state of integrity
Are the four wounds in our nature the effects, properly speaking, of the sin of Adam?
Yes, these four wounds in our nature are the effects, properly speaking, of the sin of Adam
Are they rendered worse by the personal sins of parents and of individuals?
Yes
Are there certain personal sins which in particular have an evil influence upon man by leading to commit other sins?
Yes, they are the capital sins.
What are the capital sins?
They are pride, avarice, gluttony, lust, idleness, envy, and anger.
In spite of all these causes of sin in man which come either from the sin of Adam, or from the personal sins of man, may we yet say that man is free in his moral acts, and that he is never necessitated to commit sin?
Yes, in spite of all these causes of sin in man which come either from the first sin of the first man, or from the personal sins of man, we are bound to say that he is still free in his moral acts, and that he is never necessitated to commit sin.
What would be necessary for man to cease to be free in his acts considering all these consequences of sin?
It would be necessary for them to affect man in such a way as to make him lose his reason
Unless man then loses his reason he always remains free in his acts in such wise that it depends upon him whether he sin?
Yes, unless man loses his reason his acts always remain free in such wise that it depends upon him whether he sin.
Can this liberty, however, become less perfect and less virile on account of the consequences of sin, even to the extent that when man relapses into sin he is less culpable?
Yes, man's liberty becomes less perfect and less virile owing to the effects of sin, so much so that when he relapses into sin he is less culpable, unless his personal sins are themselves in part cause of this abatement of his perfect liberty.
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