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Objection 1: It would seem that death and other bodily defects are
not the result of sin. Because equal causes have equal effects. Now
these defects are not equal in all, but abound in some more than in
others, whereas original sin, from which especially these defects seem
to result, is equal in all, as stated above (Question 82,
Article 4). Therefore death and suchlike defects are not the result
of sin.
Objection 2: Further, if the cause is removed, the effect is
removed. But these defects are not removed, when all sin is removed
by Baptism or Penance. Therefore they are not the effect of sin.
Objection 3: Further, actual sin has more of the character of guilt
than original sin has. But actual sin does not change the nature of
the body by subjecting it to some defect. Much less, therefore, does
original sin. Therefore death and other bodily defects are not the
result of sin.
On the contrary, The Apostle says (Rm. 5:12), "By one man
sin entered into this world, and by sin death."
I answer that, One thing causes another in two ways: first, by
reason of itself; secondly, accidentally. By reason of itself, one
thing is the cause of another, if it produces its effect by reason of
the power of its nature or form, the result being that the effect is
directly intended by the cause. Consequently, as death and such like
defects are beside the intention of the sinner, it is evident that sin
is not, of itself, the cause of these defects. Accidentally, one
thing is the cause of another if it causes it by removing an obstacle:
thus it is stated in Phys. viii, text. 32, that "by displacing a
pillar a man moves accidentally the stone resting thereon." In this
way the sin of our first parent is the cause of death and all such like
defects in human nature, in so far as by the sin of our first parent
original justice was taken away, whereby not only were the lower powers
of the soul held together under the control of reason, without any
disorder whatever, but also the whole body was held together in
subjection to the soul, without any defect, as stated in the FP,
Question 97, Article 1. Wherefore, original justice being
forfeited through the sin of our first parent; just as human nature was
stricken in the soul by the disorder among the powers, as stated above
(Article 3; Question 82, Article 3), so also it became
subject to corruption, by reason of disorder in the body.
Now the withdrawal of original justice has the character of
punishment, even as the withdrawal of grace has. Consequently, death
and all consequent bodily defects are punishments of original sin. And
although the defects are not intended by the sinner, nevertheless they
are ordered according to the justice of God Who inflicts them as
punishments.
Reply to Objection 1: Causes that produce their effects of
themselves, if equal, produce equal effects: for if such causes be
increased or diminished, the effect is increased or diminished. But
equal causes of an obstacle being removed, do not point to equal
effects. For supposing a man employs equal force in displacing two
columns, it does not follow that the movements of the stones resting on
them will be equal; but that one will move with greater velocity,
which has the greater weight according to the property of its nature,
to which it is left when the obstacle to its falling is removed.
Accordingly, when original justice is removed, the nature of the
human body is left to itself, so that according to diverse natural
temperaments, some men's bodies are subject to more defects, some to
fewer, although original sin is equal in all.
Reply to Objection 2: Both original and actual sin are removed by
the same cause that removes these defects, according to the Apostle
(Rm. 8:11): "He . . . shall quicken . . . your mortal
bodies, because of His Spirit that dwelleth in you": but each is
done according to the order of Divine wisdom, at a fitting time.
Because it is right that we should first of all be conformed to
Christ's sufferings, before attaining to the immortality and
impassibility of glory, which was begun in Him, and by Him acquired
for us. Hence it behooves that our bodies should remain, for a time,
subject to suffering, in order that we may merit the impassibility of
glory, in conformity with Christ.
Reply to Objection 3: Two things may be considered in actual sin,
the substance of the act, and the aspect of fault. As regards the
substance of the act, actual sin can cause a bodily defect: thus some
sicken and die through eating too much. But as regards the fault, it
deprives us of grace which is given to us that we may regulate the acts
of the soul, but not that we may ward off defects of the body, as
original justice did. Wherefore actual sin does not cause those
defects, as original sin does.
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