\ 



76 SIN 



cration of the temple of God and a violation of the 

 property rights of Jesus Christ. 24 



These considerations will explain why of all 

 the capital sins impurity is most injurious to the 

 body and the moral character. 



b) Impurity not only causes concupiscence to 

 grow stronger, 25 but leads to self-deception, in- 

 constancy in the keeping of good resolutions, in- 

 difference toward considerations of honor and 

 property, intemperance in eating and drinking, 

 disgust for spiritual things, dread of eternity, 

 hatred of God, unbelief, and suicide. 26 The ef- 

 fects of this vice on the bodily and spiritual health 

 of its victims and the welfare of their descendants 

 are incalculable. "Sexual intercourse outside of 



24 Rom. Ill, 23-25; 1 Cor. Ill, vera. Ita duo committit maxima 

 16; VI, 13; Eph. V, 30; 1 Thess. crimina, opprobria carnis et mentis 

 IV, 7 sq.; 1 Pet. I, 18 sq. sacrilegia." (P. L., XVI, 1182).— 



25 Cfr. St. Jerome, Epist., 123 St. Bernard, In Cant., s. 39, n. 7: 

 (a/. 11), n. 14: "Libido transacta "Luxuriae currus quadriga nihil- 

 semper sui relinquit poenitudinem; ominus volvitur, ingluvie videlicet 

 nunquam satiatur et extincta reac- ventris, libidine coitus, mollitie ve> 

 cenditur. Usu crescit et deficit; nee stium, otii soporisque resolutione. 

 rationi paret, quae impetu ducitur." Trahitur equis aeque duobus, pro- 

 (Migne, P. L., XXII, 1055). speritate vitae et rerum abundantid, 



26 Os. IV, 11; 2 Kings XI, 4 et quis his praesident duo, ignaviae 

 sqq. ; XIII, 11 sqq. ; Prov. V, 1 torpor et infida securitas." (P. L., 

 sqq.; XXIX, 3; Ecclus. XIX, 2 sq.; CLXXXIII, 980).— St. Thomas, 

 Luke XV, 13, 30. — St. Ambrose, Summa Theol., 2a 2ae, qu. 153, art. 

 Epist., 27, n. 2: "Opus virtutis de- 5: "Per vitium luxuriae maxime ap- 

 testatur luxuriosus, heluo refugit. petitus inferior, scilicet concupisci- 

 Aegyptium itaque corpus, quod ille- bilis, vehementer intendit suo obiec- 

 cebras diligit, adversatur anitnae to, scilicet delectabili, propter vehe- 

 virtutcs, abominatur imperium, refu- mentiam passionis et delectationis. 

 git virtutum disciplinas et omnia Et idea consequens est, quod per 

 opera, quae huiusmodi sunt." luxuriant maxime supcriores vires 

 (Migne, P. L., XVI, 1047). — Idem, deordincntur, scilicet ratio et volun- 

 Epist., 58, n. 16: "Ubi coeperit tas." — J. Gerson, De Examinatione 

 quis luxuriari, incipit deviare a fide Doctr., P. I, consid. 6 {Opera, I, 



