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Objection 1: It would seem that if Eve, and not Adam, had
sinned, their children would have contracted original sin. Because we
contract original sin from our parents, in so far as we were once in
them, according to the word of the Apostle (Rm. 5:12): "In
whom all have sinned." Now a man pre-exist in his mother as well as
in his father. Therefore a man would have contracted original sin from
his mother's sin as well as from his father's.
Objection 2: Further, if Eve, and not Adam, had sinned, their
children would have been born liable to suffering and death, since it
is "the mother" that "provides the matter in generation" as the
Philosopher states (De Gener. Animal. ii, 1,4), when death
and liability to suffering are the necessary results of matter. Now
liability to suffering and the necessity of dying are punishments of
original sin. Therefore if Eve, and not Adam, had sinned, their
children would contract original sin.
Objection 3: Further, Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii,
3) that "the Holy Ghost came upon the Virgin," (of whom Christ
was to be born without original sin) "purifying her." But this
purification would not have been necessary, if the infection of
original sin were not contracted from the mother. Therefore the
infection of original sin is contracted from the mother: so that if
Eve had sinned, her children would have contracted original sin, even
if Adam had not sinned.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Rm. 5:12): "By one man
sin entered into this world." Now if the woman would have transmitted
original sin to her children, he should have said that it entered by
two, since both of them sinned, or rather that it entered by a woman,
since she sinned first. Therefore original sin is transmitted to the
children, not by the mother, but by the father.
I answer that, The solution of this question is made clear by what
has been said. For it has been stated (Article 1) that original
sin is transmitted by the first parent in so far as he is the mover in
the begetting of his children: wherefore it has been said (Article
4) that if anyone were begotten materially only, of human flesh,
they would not contract original sin. Now it is evident that in the
opinion of philosophers, the active principle of generation is from the
father, while the mother provides the matter. Therefore original
sin, is contracted, not from the mother, but from the father: so
that, accordingly, if Eve, and not Adam, had sinned, their
children would not contract original sin: whereas, if Adam, and not
Eve, had sinned, they would contract it.
Reply to Objection 1: The child pre-exists in its father as in its
active principle, and in its mother, as in its material and passive
principle. Consequently the comparison fails.
Reply to Objection 2: Some hold that if Eve, and not Adam, had
sinned, their children would be immune from the sin, but would have
been subject to the necessity of dying and to other forms of suffering
that are a necessary result of the matter which is provided by the
mother, not as punishments, but as actual defects. This, however,
seems unreasonable. Because, as stated in the FP, Question 97,
Articles 1, 2, ad 4, immortality and impassibility, in the
original state, were a result, not of the condition of matter, but of
original justice, whereby the body was subjected to the soul, so long
as the soul remained subject to God. Now privation of original
justice is original sin. If, therefore, supposing Adam had not
sinned, original sin would not have been transmitted to posterity on
account of Eve's sin; it is evident that the children would not have
been deprived of original justice: and consequently they would not have
been liable to suffer and subject to the necessity of dying.
Reply to Objection 3: This prevenient purification in the Blessed
Virgin was not needed to hinder the transmission of original sin, but
because it behooved the Mother of God "to shine with the greatest
purity" [Anselm, De Concep. Virg. xviii.]. For nothing is
worthy to receive God unless it be pure, according to Ps. 92:5:
"Holiness becometh Thy House, O Lord."
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