Whether Also Other Sins of the First Parent or of Nearer Ancestors
Are Transmitted to Their Descendants?
Objection 1: It would seem that also other sins, whether of the first
parent or of nearer ancestors, are transmitted to their descendants.
For punishment is never due unless for fault. Now some are punished
by the judgment of God for the sin of their immediate parents,
according to Ex. 20:5: "I am . . . God . . . jealous, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth
generation." Furthermore, according to human law, the children of
those who are guilty of high treason are disinherited. Therefore the
guilt of nearer ancestors is also transmitted to their descendants.
Obj. 2: Further, a man can better transmit to another, that which he
has of himself, than that which he has received from another: thus
fire heats better than hot water does. Now a man transmits to his
children, by the way, of origin, the sin which he has from Adam. Much
more therefore should he transmit the sin which he has contracted of
himself.
Obj. 3: Further, the reason why we contract original sin from our
first parent is because we were in him as in the principle of our
nature, which he corrupted. But we were likewise in our nearer
ancestors, as in principles of our nature, which however it be
corrupt, can be corrupted yet more by sin, according to Apoc. 22:11:
"He that is filthy, let him be filthier still." Therefore children
contract, by the way of origin, the sins of their nearer ancestors,
even as they contract the sin of their first parent.
_On the contrary,_ Good is more self-diffusive than evil. But the
merits of the nearer ancestors are not transmitted to their
descendants. Much less therefore are their sins.
_I answer that,_ Augustine puts this question in the _Enchiridion_
xlvi, xlvii, and leaves it unsolved. Yet if we look into the matter
carefully we shall see that it is impossible for the sins of the
nearer ancestors, or even any other but the first sin of our first
parent to be transmitted by way of origin. The reason is that a man
begets his like in species but not in individual. Consequently those
things that pertain directly to the individual, such as personal
actions and matters affecting them, are not transmitted by parents to
their children: for a grammarian does not transmit to his son the
knowledge of grammar that he has acquired by his own studies. On the
other hand, those things that concern the nature of the species, are
transmitted by parents to their children, unless there be a defect of
nature: thus a man with eyes begets a son having eyes, unless nature
fails. And if nature be strong, even certain accidents of the
individual pertaining to natural disposition, are transmitted to the
children, e.g. fleetness of body, acuteness of intellect, and so
forth; but nowise those that are purely personal, as stated above.
Now just as something may belong to the person as such, and also
something through the gift of grace, so may something belong to the
nature as such, viz. whatever is caused by the principles of nature,
and something too through the gift of grace. In this way original
justice, as stated in the First Part (Q. 100, A. 1), was a gift of
grace, conferred by God on all human nature in our first parent. This
gift the first man lost by his first sin. Wherefore as that original
justice together with the nature was to have been transmitted to his
posterity, so also was its disorder. Other actual sins, however,
whether of the first parent or of others, do not corrupt the nature
as nature, but only as the nature of that person, i.e. in respect of
the proneness to sin: and consequently other sins are not transmitted.
Reply Obj. 1: According to Augustine in his letter to Avitus [*Ep. ad
Auxilium ccl.], children are never inflicted with spiritual punishment
on account of their parents, unless they share in their guilt, either
in their origin, or by imitation, because every soul is God's
immediate property, as stated in Ezech. 18:4. Sometimes, however, by
Divine or human judgment, children receive bodily punishment on their
parents' account, inasmuch as the child, as to its body, is part of
its father.
Reply Obj. 2: A man can more easily transmit that which he has of
himself, provided it be transmissible. But the actual sins of our
nearer ancestors are not transmissible, because they are purely
personal, as stated above.
Reply Obj. 3: The first sin infects nature with a human corruption
pertaining to nature; whereas other sins infect it with a corruption
pertaining only to the person.
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