ORIGIN OF SIN 13 



Theologians are at variance with regard to the nature 

 of the sin committed by the fallen angels and that of 

 our first parents. 43 The crime of the angels probably was 

 pride. Some rationalists hold that Adam and Eve died 

 because the fruit of the tree of which they ate was pois- 

 onous. This theory is as untenable as that the first human 

 sin was an act of fornication. 44 



The question why God did not prevent the sin of our 

 first parents, is answered by St. Augustine as follows: 

 "God did not lack the power of creating man so that 

 he could not sin, but chose to make him so that he could 

 sin if he wished, or abstain from sin if he preferred, by 

 forbidding this and prescribing that; thus it was first a 

 merit not to sin, and later a just reward not to be able to 

 sin." 45 



b) To understand the nature and gravity of 

 sin, we must remember that the disobedience of 

 our first parents was a very grievous, nay, in some 

 respects the most grievous offense a human being 

 could commit. And this for two reasons: 



«) Adam and Eve sinned in spite of the ex- 

 traordinary natural and supernatural privileges 

 which they enjoyed; 



/?) Their disobedience was an act of flagrant 



deratus earum lapisque angularis, qui 45 De Continentia, c. VI, n. 16: 



facts utraque unum: veni et salva "Non potestas Deo defutt, talent 



hominem, quern de limo formasti." facere hominem, qui peccare non 



43 Cfr. Scheeben, Dogmatik, Vol. posset, sed maluit eum talent facere, 

 II. PP- 578 sqq., 593 sqq. ; Pesch, cui adiaceret peccare, si vellet, non 

 Praelectiones Dogmaticae, Vol. Ill, peccare, si nollet, hoc prohibens, il- 

 3rd ed., pp. 220 sqq.; A. Schopfer, lud praecipiens, ut prius illi [Adae] 

 Geschichte des Alten Testamentes, esset bonum meritum non peccare, et 

 pp. 47 sqq.; Pohle-Preus, God the postea iustum praemium non posse 

 Author of Nature, p. 342. peccare." (Migne, P. L., XL, 359). 



44 Cfr. 2 Cor. XI, 3. 



