Whether If Eve, and Not Adam, Had Sinned, Their Children Would Have
Contracted Original Sin?
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 (Rom. 5:12): "In whom all
have sinned." Now a man pre-exists 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.
Obj. 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.
Obj. 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 (Rom. 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 (A. 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 (A. 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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 First Part (Q. 97, AA. 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 Obj. 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" [*Cf.
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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