18 SIN 



of our thesis the oft-quoted text, "A just man shall fall 

 seven times and shall rise again;" for, as St. Augustine 

 pointed out many centuries ago, there is question here not 

 of sins but of misfortunes. 10 



In i John V, 16 "sin unto death" is probably not ordi- 

 nary mortal sin but that which is technically known as 

 the sin against the Holy Ghost. 11 



The scriptural locus classicus for our thesis is i Cor. 

 Ill, 8 sqq., in which the difference between mortal and 

 venial sin is developed very graphically and with a deep 

 insight into human nature. This text was made much of 

 by the Scholastics. 12 



2. Ecclesiastical Tradition furnishes a long and 

 uninterrupted series of testimonies in support of 

 the distinction with which we are dealing. 



The ancient penitential discipline distinguished 

 between unpardonable and pardonable sins, 13 and 

 among the latter classed some as more grievous 

 than others. 



St. Augustine draws a sharp line between 

 "magna crimina" and unavoidable "quotidiana 

 peccata" which, he says, are wiped out by the 

 Lord's Prayer. 14 



lOProv. XXIV, 16.— Cfr. St Au- cateurs, 2nd ed., Paris 1906, pp. ioa 



gustine, De Civ. Dei, XI, c. 31: sq. 



"Septies cadit iustus et rcsurget, id 11 Cfr. A. Zahn, De Notione Pec- 



est, quotiescunque ceciderit, non per- cati, Halle 1872, pp. 13, 28, 51. 



ibit. Quod non de iniquitaiibus, 12 Cfr. St Thomas, Sumtna 



sed de tribulationibus ad humilita- Theol., ia 2ae, qu. 89. art. 2; Schee- 



tem perducentibus intellegi voluit." ben, Dogmatik, Vol. II, p. 53<>- 



(Migne, P. L., XLI, 34s). Cfr. 18 Matth. XII, 31 sq. ; John XX, 



Enarr. in Ps., 118, s. 31, n. 4 (P. L., 22 sq. 



XXXVII, 1529).— J. V. Bainvel, 14 St. Augustine, Contra Jul., II, 



Les Contresens Bibliques des Prcdi- c. 10, n. 33: "In hoc bello [cum 



