e of his parents by way of origin.

Obj. 2: Further, an accident is not transmitted by way of origin,
unless its subject be also transmitted, since accidents do not pass
from one subject to another. Now the rational soul which is the
subject of sin, is not transmitted by way of origin, as was shown in
the First Part (Q. 118, A. 2). Therefore neither can any sin be
transmitted by way of origin.

Obj. 3: Further, whatever is transmitted by way of human origin, is
caused by the semen. But the semen cannot cause sin, because it lacks
the rational part of the soul, which alone can be a cause of sin.
Therefore no sin can be contracted by way of origin.

Obj. 4: Further, that which is more perfect in nature, is more
powerful in action. Now perfect flesh cannot infect the soul united
to it, else the soul could not be cleansed of original sin, so long
as it is united to the body. Much less, therefore, can the semen
infect the soul.

Obj. 5: Further, the Philosopher says (Ethic. iii, 5): "No one finds
fault with those who are ugly by nature, but only those who are so
through want of exercise and through carelessness." Now those are
said to be "naturally ugly," who are so from their origin. Therefore
nothing which comes by way of origin is blameworthy or sinful.

_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 5:12): "By one man sin
entered into this world, and by sin death." Nor can this be
understood as denoting imitation or suggestion, since it is written
(Wis. 2:24): "By the envy of the devil, death came into this world."
It follows therefore that through origin from the first man sin
entered into the world.

_I answer that,_ According to the Catholic Faith we are bound to hold
that the first sin of the first man is transmitted to his
descendants, by way of origin. For this reason children are taken to
be baptized soon after their birth, to show that they have to be
washed from some uncleanness. The contrary is part of the Pelagian
heresy, as is clear from Augustine in many of his books [*For
instance, Retract. i, 9; De Pecc. Merit. et Remiss. ix; Contra
Julian. iii, 1; De Dono Persev. xi, xii.]

In endeavoring to explain how the sin of our first parent could be
transmitted by way of origin to his descendants, various writers have
gone about it in various ways. For some, considering that the subject
of sin is the rational soul, maintained that the rational soul is
transmitted with the semen, so that thus an infected soul wo