The Effects of Sin

The good of human nature means one or all ofthree things: (a) the constitution and properties of human nature itself; (b) the inclination to virtue; (c) the original justice. Now, sin does not diminish or destroy the constitution of human nature. Nor does sin take away the original justice, for this was taken away in the beginning by Adam’s sin. Sin diminishes the good of human nature inasmuch as this good is the inclination to virtue.

Thus sin can never destroy the entire good of human nature, although it may go on diminishing a man’s inclination to virtue.

The wounds which sin inflicts on human nature may be listed as four: weakness, ignorance, malice, and concupiscence. Theconcupiscence mentioned here is an expression or stressing of theconcupiscence which is often used as a name for original sin itself.

A thing has good in its species, its mode, its order (cf. Ia, q. 5). Its species is a thing’s complete essential kind. Its mode is discerned in both essential and accidental qualities that it has. Its order is its purpose or direction to an end or goal. Now, sin destroys or diminishes all three types of goodness in the soul’s inclinations,virtues, and actions. But sin does not diminish or destroy the good of species, mode, and order in the soul’s essence and substance.

By the sin of the first man, the original justice was forfeited. In consequence, human nature was stricken with disorder in the soul, and, through this disorder, with corruption in the body. Hence, death came by sin; bodily disorders and defects came by sin.

Human nature, like every existing nature, tends top reserve itself and to hold on to its perfections. In view ofthis fact, death and defects are not natural to man. Yet, despite the inclination of bodily natures to preserve and perfect themselves, the matter or bodiliness of their constitution cannot support them in endless existence. For matter as such is subject to corruption, that is, to essential breakup. Therefore, in this view,death and defects are natural to man. In our first parents, God supplied for the deficiency of matter, and bestowed on human nature the supernatural gift of incorruptibility or immortality. This gift was rejected, together with the original justice, by human nature in Adam’s sin. Hence, death came through sin, and is a penalty consequent upon sin.