recepts. Wherefore the affirmative and negative
precepts do not belong to different virtues, but to different degrees
of virtue; and consequently they are not, of necessity, opposed to
sins of different species. Moreover sin is not specified by that from
which it turns away, because in this respect it is a negation or
privation, but by that to which it turns, in so far as sin is an act.
Consequently sins do not differ specifically according to the various
precepts of the Law.

Reply Obj. 3: This objection considers the material diversity of
sins. It must be observed, however, that although, properly speaking,
negation is not in a species, yet it is allotted to a species by
reduction to the affirmation on which it is based.
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SEVENTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 72, Art. 7]

Whether Sins Are Fittingly Divided into Sins of Thought, Word, and
Deed?

Objection 1: It would seem that sins are unfittingly divided into
sins of thought, word, and deed. For Augustine (De Trin. xii, 12)
describes three stages of sin, of which the first is "when the carnal
sense offers a bait," which is the sin of thought; the second stage
is reached "when one is satisfied with the mere pleasure of thought";
and the third stage, "when consent is given to the deed." Now these
three belong to the sin of thought. Therefore it is unfitting to
reckon sin of thought as one kind of sin.

Obj. 2: Further, Gregory (Moral. iv, 25) reckons four degrees of sin;
the first of which is "a fault hidden in the heart"; the second,
"when it is done openly"; the third, "when it is formed into a
habit"; and the fourth, "when man goes so far as to presume on God's
mercy or to give himself up to despair": where no distinction is made
between sins of deed and sins of word, and two other degrees of sin
are added. Therefore the first division was unfitting.

Obj. 3: Further, there can be no sin of word or deed unless there
precede sin of thought. Therefore these sins do not differ
specifically. Therefore they should not be condivided with one
another.

_On the contrary,_ Jerome in commenting on Ezech. 43:23, says: "The
human race is subject to three kinds of sin, for when we sin, it is
either by thought, or word, or deed."

_I answer that,_ Things differ specifically in two ways: first, when
each has the complete species; thus a horse and an ox differ
specifically: secondly, when the diversity of species is derived from
diversity of degree in genera