Whether the Gravity of Sins Depends on the Excellence of the Virtues
to Which They Are Opposed?
Objection 1: It would seem that the gravity of sins does not vary
according to the excellence of the virtues to which they are opposed,
so that, to wit, the graver sin is opposed to the greater virtue.
For, according to Prov. 15:5, "In abundant justice there is the
greatest strength." Now, as Our Lord says (Matt. 5:20, seqq.)
abundant justice restrains anger, which is a less grievous sin than
murder, which less abundant justice restrains. Therefore the least
grievous sin is opposed to the greatest virtue.
Obj. 2: Further, it is stated in _Ethic._ ii, 3 that "virtue is about
the difficult and the good": whence it seems to follow that the
greater virtue is about what is more difficult. But it is a less
grievous sin to fail in what is more difficult, than in what is less
difficult. Therefore the less grievous sin is opposed to the greater
virtue.
Obj. 3: Further, charity is a greater virtue than faith or hope (1
Cor. 13:13). Now hatred which is opposed to charity is a less
grievous sin than unbelief or despair which are opposed to faith and
hope. Therefore the less grievous sin is opposed to the greater
virtue.
_On the contrary,_ The Philosopher says (Ethic. 8:10) that the "worst
is opposed to the best." Now in morals the best is the greatest
virtue; and the worst is the most grievous sin. Therefore the most
grievous sin is opposed to the greatest virtue.
_I answer that,_ A sin is opposed to a virtue in two ways: first,
principally and directly; that sin, to wit, which is about the same
object: because contraries are about the same thing. In this way, the
more grievous sin must needs be opposed to the greater virtue:
because, just as the degrees of gravity in a sin depend on the
object, so also does the greatness of a virtue, since both sin and
virtue take their species from the object, as shown above (Q. 60, A.
5; Q. 72, A. 1). Wherefore the greatest sin must needs be directly
opposed to the greatest virtue, as being furthest removed from it in
the same genus. Secondly, the opposition of virtue to sin may be
considered in respect of a certain extension of the virtue in
checking sin. For the greater a virtue is, the further it removes man
from the contrary sin, so that it withdraws man not only from that
sin, but also from whatever leads to it. And thus it is evident that
the greater a virtue is, the more it withdraws man also from less
grievous sins: even as the more perfect health is, the more does it
ward off even minor ailments. And in this way the less grievous sin
is opposed to the greater virtue, on the part of the latter's effect.
Reply Obj. 1: This argument considers the opposition which consists
in restraining from sin; for thus abundant justice checks even minor
sins.
Reply Obj. 2: The greater virtue that is about a more difficult good
is opposed directly to the sin which is about a more difficult evil.
For in each case there is a certain superiority, in that the will is
shown to be more intent on good or evil, through not being overcome
by the difficulty.
Reply Obj. 3: Charity is not any kind of love, but the love of God:
hence not any kind of hatred is opposed to it directly, but the
hatred of God, which is the most grievous of all sins.
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