CHAPTER II 



THE PRINCIPAL KINDS OF SIN 



SECTION I 

 GENERAL DIVISION 



To enable men to understand the nature of sin, 

 and for the practical purposes of catechetical in- 

 struction and Penance, Catholic moralists have 

 divided sins into classes. 



The most important division is that of mortal 

 and venial sins, already dealt with in the previous 

 chapter. 



Other divisions are based respectively on the 

 Decalogue, the duties violated by sin, the nature 

 of man, the intrinsic character of different sins, 

 man's relation towards himself and others, and 

 the development of evil in the soul. 



i. Sins Against the Ten Commandments. 

 — The most popular division of sins is that which 

 follows the Decalogue or Ten Commandments. 

 This classification was confirmed by Christ Him- 

 self and adopted by St. Paul. 1 The order is not 

 strictly logical, however, nor is it quite exhaustive, 



1 Matth. V, 21 sqq.; XV, 19; XIX, sq. (different in Rom. XIII, 9) — 

 18; Mark X, 19 (a different order Cfr. N. Peters, Die alteste Abschrift 

 in Mark VII, 21 sq.); 1 Tim. I, 9 der sehn Gebote und dtr Papyrus 



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