Whether Original Sin Would Be Contracted by a Person Formed
Miraculously from Human Flesh?
Objection 1: It would seem that original sin would be contracted by a
person formed miraculously from human flesh. For a gloss on Gen. 4:1
says that "Adam's entire posterity was corrupted in his loins,
because they were not severed from him in the place of life, before
he sinned, but in the place of exile after he had sinned." But if a
man were to be formed in the aforesaid manner, his flesh would be
severed in the place of exile. Therefore it would contract original
sin.
Obj. 2: Further, original sin is caused in us by the soul being
infected through the flesh. But man's flesh is entirely corrupted.
Therefore a man's soul would contract the infection of original sin,
from whatever part of the flesh it was formed.
Obj. 3: Further, original sin comes upon all from our first parent,
in so far as we were all in him when he sinned. But those who might
be formed out of human flesh, would have been in Adam. Therefore they
would contract original sin.
_On the contrary,_ They would not have been in Adam _according to
seminal virtue,_ which alone is the cause of the transmission of
original sin, as Augustine states (Gen. ad lit. x, 18, seqq.).
_I answer that,_ As stated above (AA. 1, 3), original sin is
transmitted from the first parent to his posterity, inasmuch as they
are moved by him through generation, even as the members are moved by
the soul to actual sin. Now there is no movement to generation except
by the active power of generation: so that those alone contract
original sin, who are descended from Adam through the active power of
generation originally derived from Adam, i.e. who are descended from
him through seminal power; for the seminal power is nothing else than
the active power of generation. But if anyone were to be formed by
God out of human flesh, it is evident that the active power would not
be derived from Adam. Consequently he would not contract original
sin: even as a hand would have no part in a human sin, if it were
moved, not by the man's will, but by some external power.
Reply Obj. 1: Adam was not in the place of exile until after his sin.
Consequently it is not on account of the place of exile, but on
account of the sin, that original sin is transmitted to those to whom
his active generation extends.
Reply Obj. 2: The flesh does not corrupt the soul, except in so far
as it is the active principle in generation, as we have stated.
Reply Obj. 3: If a man were to be formed from human flesh, he would
have been in Adam, "by way of bodily substance" [*The expression is
St. Augustine's (Gen. ad lit. x). Cf. Summa Theologica, III, Q. 31,
A. 6, Reply to First Objection.], but not according to seminal
virtue, as stated above. Therefore he would not contract original sin.
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