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Objection 1: It would seem that weakness, ignorance, malice and
concupiscence are not suitably reckoned as the wounds of nature
consequent upon sin. For one same thing is not both effect and cause
of the same thing. But these are reckoned to be causes of sin, as
appears from what has been said above (Question 76, Article 1;
Question 77, Articles 3,5; Question 78, Article 1).
Therefore they should not be reckoned as effects of sin.
Objection 2: Further, malice is the name of a sin. Therefore it
should have no place among the effects of sin.
Objection 3: Further, concupiscence is something natural, since it
is an act of the concupiscible power. But that which is natural should
not be reckoned a wound of nature. Therefore concupiscence should not
be reckoned a wound of nature.
Objection 4: Further, it has been stated (Question 77,
Article 3) that to sin from weakness is the same as to sin from
passion. But concupiscence is a passion. Therefore it should not be
condivided with weakness.
Objection 5: Further, Augustine (De Nat. et Grat. lxvii,
67) reckons "two things to be punishments inflicted on the soul of
the sinner, viz. ignorance and difficulty," from which arise "error
and vexation," which four do not coincide with the four in question.
Therefore it seems that one or the other reckoning is incomplete.
On the contrary, The authority of Bede suffices.
I answer that, As a result of original justice, the reason had
perfect hold over the lower parts of the soul, while reason itself was
perfected by God, and was subject to Him. Now this same original
justice was forfeited through the sin of our first parent, as already
stated (Question 81, Article 2); so that all the powers of the
soul are left, as it were, destitute of their proper order, whereby
they are naturally directed to virtue; which destitution is called a
wounding of nature.
Again, there are four of the soul's powers that can be subject of
virtue, as stated above (Question 61, Article 2), viz. the
reason, where prudence resides, the will, where justice is, the
irascible, the subject of fortitude, and the concupiscible, the
subject of temperance. Therefore in so far as the reason is deprived
of its order to the true, there is the wound of ignorance; in so far
as the will is deprived of its order of good, there is the wound of
malice; in so far as the irascible is deprived of its order to the
arduous, there is the wound of weakness; and in so far as the
concupiscible is deprived of its order to the delectable, moderated by
reason, there is the wound of concupiscence.
Accordingly these are the four wounds inflicted on the whole of human
nature as a result of our first parent's sin. But since the
inclination to the good of virtue is diminished in each individual on
account of actual sin, as was explained above (Articles 1, 2),
these four wounds are also the result of other sins, in so far as,
through sin, the reason is obscured, especially in practical matters,
the will hardened to evil, good actions become more difficult and
concupiscence more impetuous.
Reply to Objection 1: There is no reason why the effect of one sin
should not be the cause of another: because the soul, through sinning
once, is more easily inclined to sin again.
Reply to Objection 2: Malice is not to be taken here as a sin, but
as a certain proneness of the will to evil, according to the words of
Gn. 8:21: "Man's senses are prone to evil from his youth".
Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Question 82, Article
3, ad 1), concupiscence is natural to man, in so far as it is
subject to reason: whereas, in so far as it is goes beyond the bounds
of reason, it is unnatural to man.
Reply to Objection 4: Speaking in a general way, every passion can
be called a weakness, in so far as it weakens the soul's strength and
clogs the reason. Bede, however, took weakness in the strict sense,
as contrary to fortitude which pertains to the irascible.
Reply to Objection 5: The "difficulty" which is mentioned in this
book of Augustine, includes the three wounds affecting the appetitive
powers, viz. "malice," "weakness" and "concupiscence," for it
is owing to these three that a man finds it difficult to tend to the
good. "Error" and "vexation" are consequent wounds, since a man
is vexed through being weakened in respect of the objects of his
concupiscence.
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