Pars 3, Cap. 6
Breviloquium · Pars III: De corruptela peccati
Capitulum VI. De originalis peccati transfusione.
Modus autem traductionis peccati originalis hic est, quod licet anima non sit ex traduce, originalis tamen culpa ab anima Adae transit ad animas posterorum, mediante carne per concupiscentiam generata, ita quod, sicut ab anima peccante infecta fuit caro Adae et prona effecta ad libidinem, sic, per libidinem seminata et secum trahens infectionem vitiosam, inficit et vitiat animam; quae quidem infectio in anima non tantum est poena, verum etiam culpa. Et sic persona corrumpit naturam, et natura corrupta corrumpit personam2, salva in omnibus divina iustitia, cui nullo modo potest imputari infectio animae, licet eam creando infundat et infundendo uniat cum carne infecta.
Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum primum principium hominem fecerit ad suam imaginem propter sui ipsius expressionem; sic condidit eum ex parte corporis, ut omnes homines propagarentur a primo homine tanquam ab uno radicali principio; sic ex parte animae, ut propter expressam similitudinem, tam in essendo et durando quam intelligendo et amando, immediate emanarent omnes spiritus rationales ab ipso Deo tanquam a primo principio et immediato. Et quoniam spiritus, tanquam excellentior, magis accedit ad primum principium; sic condidit Deus hominem, ut spiritus corpori praeesset, et corpus subesset spiritui creato, quamdiu ille obediret3 Spiritui increato; et econtra, si spiritus non obediret Deo, iusto Dei iudicio corpus suum inciperet sibi rebellare; quod et factum est, cum Adam peccavit.
Sicut igitur, si Adam stetisset, corpus suum obediens spiritui fuisset, et tale ad posteros transmitteret, et Deus illi animam infunderet, ita quod, unita corpori immortali et sibi obedienti, haberet ordinem iustitiae et immunitatem omnis poenae: sic, ex quo Adam peccavit, et caro facta est rebellis spiritui, oportet, quod talem ad posteros transmittat, et quod Deus animam infundat secundum institutionem primariam; anima vero, cum unitur carni rebelli, incurrit defectum ordinis naturalis iustitiae, quo debebat omnibus inferioribus imperare. Et quia anima carni unita est, oportet, quod ipsam trahat, vel trahatur ab ipsa; et quia ipsam non potest trahere tanquam rebellem, necesse est, ut ab ipsa trahatur et incurrat morbum concupiscentiae. Et sic incurrit simul carentiam debitae iustitiae et morbum concupiscentiae; ex quibus duobus tanquam ex aversione et conversione dicitur integrari, secundum Augustinum et Anselmum, peccatum originale4.
Quoniam ergo ordinatissimum fuit, quod natura humana ita conderetur, et quod condita ita propagaretur, et quod peccans ita puniretur, sicut dictum est prius5, ita quod in conditione servatur ordo sapientiae; in propagatione, ordo naturae; in punitione, ordo iustitiae: patet, quod non est contra divinam iustitiam, si ad posteros transmittitur culpa.
Rursus, quia culpa originalis in animam transfundi non posset, nisi poena rebellionis in carne praecederet; et poena non esset, nisi culpa praecessisset; nec culpa processit6 a voluntate ordinata, sed inordinata, ac per hoc non a voluntate divina, sed humana: patet ergo, quod originalis peccati transfusio est a peccato primi hominis, non a Deo, non a natura condita, sed a vitio perpetrato. Et sic verum est quod dicit Augustinus7, quod « peccatum originale non transmittit ad posteros propagatio, sed libido ».
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Chapter VI. On the transmission of original sin.
Now the manner of the transmission of original sin is this: that although the soul is not from the seed, nevertheless the original guilt passes from the soul of Adam to the souls of his posterity, by the mediation of the flesh generated through concupiscence — in such wise that, just as the flesh of Adam was infected by the sinning soul and made prone to lust, so, being sown through lust and drawing along with itself the vicious infection, it infects and vitiates the soul; which infection indeed is in the soul not only a punishment, but also a guilt. And thus the person corrupts the nature, and the corrupted nature corrupts the person2, the divine justice being in all things preserved intact, to which the infection of the soul can in no way be imputed, although it pours the soul in by creating it, and by pouring it in unites it with the infected flesh.
Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since the first principle made man to its own image for the sake of the expression of itself, it so founded him on the side of the body that all men should be propagated from the first man as from one radical principle; and so on the side of the soul that, on account of the express likeness — both in being and enduring and in understanding and loving — all rational spirits should emanate immediately from God himself as from the first and immediate principle. And since the spirit, as the more excellent, comes nearer to the first principle, God so founded man that the spirit should preside over the body, and the body be subject to the created spirit, so long as that spirit obeyed3 the uncreated Spirit; and conversely, that if the spirit did not obey God, by the just judgment of God his own body should begin to rebel against him — which also came to pass when Adam sinned.
Just as, therefore, if Adam had stood, his body would have been obedient to the spirit, and he would have transmitted it such to his posterity, and God would have poured a soul into it, so that, united to a body immortal and obedient to itself, it would have had the order of justice and immunity from every punishment: so, from the time that Adam sinned and the flesh was made rebellious to the spirit, it must be that he transmits it such to his posterity, and that God pours in the soul according to the primary institution; but the soul, when it is united to the rebellious flesh, incurs the defect of the natural order of justice, by which it ought to command all lower things. And because the soul is united to the flesh, it must be either that it draws the flesh, or that it is drawn by it; and because it cannot draw it, as being rebellious, it is necessary that it be drawn by it and incur the disease of concupiscence. And thus it incurs at once the lack of the justice owed and the disease of concupiscence; out of which two, as out of an aversion and a conversion, original sin is said to be made up, according to Augustine and Anselm4.
Since, therefore, it was most orderly that human nature should be so founded, and that, once founded, it should be so propagated, and that, sinning, it should be so punished, as was said before5 — in such wise that in its founding the order of wisdom is kept; in its propagation, the order of nature; in its punishment, the order of justice — it is clear that it is not against the divine justice if guilt is transmitted to posterity.
Again, because the original guilt could not be poured into the soul unless the punishment of rebellion in the flesh preceded; and there would be no punishment unless guilt had gone before; and the guilt proceeded6 not from an ordered will, but from a disordered one, and thereby not from the divine will, but from the human: it is clear, therefore, that the transmission of original sin is from the sin of the first man, not from God, not from the nature as founded, but from the vice committed. And thus that is true which Augustine says7, that « propagation does not transmit original sin to posterity, but lust does ».
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- 2Anselm., de Conceptu virgin. et orig. pecc. c. 23: Sic spoliavit persona naturam bono iustitiae in Adam, et natura egens facta omnes personas, quas ipsa de se procreat, eadem egestate peccatrices et iniustas facit. — De modo traductionis cfr. II. Sent. d. 31. per totam; quod originale peccatum non tantum sit poena, sed etiam culpa, ostenditur ibid. d. 30. a. 1. q. 2; de aequitate divini iudicii in infusione animae agitur ibid. d. 32. a. 3. — In principio, seq. cap. pro hic est 2 est talis, aliae edd. videtur esse talis.Anselm, On the Virginal Conception and Original Sin c. 23: "Thus the person despoiled the nature of the good of justice in Adam, and the nature, having been made destitute, makes all the persons which it procreates of itself sinful and unjust with the same destitution." — On the manner of the transmission cf. II Sent., d. 31, throughout; that original sin is not only a punishment but also a guilt is shown in the same place, d. 30, a. 1, q. 2; on the equity of the divine judgment in the infusion of the soul the same place, d. 32, a. 3, treats. — At the beginning of the following chapter, for hic est 2 has est talis, other editions videtur esse talis.
- 3Ita A B S, alii codd. et edd. subesset, Q obediret et subesset. Inferius pro factum est A B et 2 fecit; post stetisset edd., excepta 2, addunt in obedientia Dei; pro fuisset edd. cum pluribus codd. esset, et pro transmitteret P transmisisset.So A B S; the other codices and the editions have subesset, Q obediret et subesset. Below, for factum est A B and 2 have fecit; after stetisset the editions, except 2, add in obedientia Dei; for fuisset the editions together with several codices have esset, and for transmitteret P has transmisisset.
- 4Vide II. Sent. d. 30. a. 2. q. 1, ubi sententia August. et Anselmi conciliatur.See II Sent., d. 30, a. 2, q. 1, where the opinion of Augustine and that of Anselm are reconciled.
- 5Hic et cap. praeced. nec non p. II. c. 11.Here and in the preceding chapter, and also in p. II, c. 11.
- 6Codd. et edd. praecessit; sed est error.The codices and the editions have praecessit; but it is an error.
- 7Potius Fulgentius in libro de Fide ad Petrum, c. 2. n. 16 Cfr. supra pag. 170, nota 3.Rather Fulgentius, in the book On the Faith, to Peter, c. 2, n. 16. Cf. above, p. 170, note 3. ---