od whence it derives its species. Now these goods,
to which the sinner's intention is directed when departing from
reason, are of various kinds, having no mutual connection; in fact
they are sometimes contrary to one another. Since, therefore, vices
and sins take their species from that to which they turn, it is
evident that, in respect of that which completes a sin's species,
sins are not connected with one another. For sin does not consist in
passing from the many to the one, as is the case with virtues, which
are connected, but rather in forsaking the one for the many.

Reply Obj. 1: James is speaking of sin, not as regards the thing to
which it turns and which causes the distinction of sins, as stated
above (Q. 72, A. 1), but as regards that from which sin turns away,
in as much as man, by sinning, departs from a commandment of the law.
Now all the commandments of the law are from one and the same, as he
also says in the same passage, so that the same God is despised in
every sin; and in this sense he says that whoever "offends in one
point, is become guilty of all," for as much as, by committing one
sin, he incurs the debt of punishment through his contempt of God,
which is the origin of all sins.

Reply Obj. 2: As stated above (Q. 71, A. 4), the opposite virtue is
not banished by every act of sin; because venial sin does not destroy
virtue; while mortal sin destroys infused virtue, by turning man away
from God. Yet one act, even of mortal sin, does not destroy the habit
of acquired virtue; though if such acts be repeated so as to engender
a contrary habit, the habit of acquired virtue is destroyed, the
destruction of which entails the loss of prudence, since when man
acts against any virtue whatever, he acts against prudence, without
which no moral virtue is possible, as stated above (Q. 58, A. 4; Q.
65, A. 1). Consequently all the moral virtues are destroyed as to the
perfect and formal being of virtue, which they have in so far as they
partake of prudence, yet there remain the inclinations to virtuous
acts, which inclinations, however, are not virtues. Nevertheless it
does not follow that for this reason man contracts all vices of
sins--first, because several vices are opposed to one virtue, so that
a virtue can be destroyed by one of them, without the others being
present; secondly, because sin is directly opposed to virtue, as
regards the virtue's inclination to act, as stated above (Q. 71, A.
1). Wherefore,