14 SIN 



ingratitude and formal contempt, committed 

 with the full knowledge that it would injure not 

 only themselves but all their descendants. 46 



Moreover, Christ became man and suffered and 

 died because of sin. 47 



Again, men continue to sin, though their intel- 

 lect is enlightened by revelation and their will 

 strengthened by grace, and in spite of the incom- 

 prehensible love shown in the atonement. 48 



Every serious transgression of the divine law, 

 i. e., every actual mortal sin, deserves temporal 

 and eternal death and delivers the sinner into the 

 bondage of Satan. 49 But not every transgres- 

 sion of the law is mortally sinful. There are 

 slight offenses, called "levia et quotidiana, quae 

 etiam venialia dicuntur peccata" by the Triden- 

 tine Council, and these do not destroy sanctifying 

 grace. 50 



It is to the important distinction between mor- 

 tal and venial sin that we must now turn our at- 

 tention. 



Readings. — St. Thomas, Summa Theologica, ia 2ae, qu. 71-89. 

 — Suarez, Tractatus de Vitiis et Peccatis, disp. 1-6 {Opera Omnia, 

 Vol. IV, pp. 515 sqq.). — J. Miiller, Die christliche Lehre von der 



46 Cfr. St. Augustine, De Civ. 48 John III, 16; XV, 13; Eph. I, 

 Dei, XXIV, c. 15, n. 1; Enchiridion, 3-14; III, 16-19; 1 John III, 16; 

 c. 27, 45, 48; De Corrept. et Gratia, IV, 9. — Cfr. St. Thomas, Summa 

 C. 12, n. 35. — St. Bonaventure, Com- Theol., 2a 2ae, qu. 14, art. 2. 

 ment. in Sent., II, dist. 21, art. 3, 49 Gen. II, 17; Rom. VI, 23; Jas. 

 qu. 1 and 2. I, 15. 



47 Cfr. Matth. I, 21; Mark X, 45; so Cone. Trident., Sess. VI, c. It. 

 John III, 16 sq. ; Rom. V, 8 sqq.; Cfr. Cat. Rom., P. II, c. 6, qu. 14. 

 a Cor. V, 15; Eph. I, 7. 



