is not defiled, but perfected,
by them. On the other hand, the act of the will consists in a
movement towards things themselves, so that love attaches the soul to
the thing loved. Thus it is that the soul is stained, when it cleaves
inordinately, according to Osee 9:10: "They . . . became abominable
as those things were which they loved."

Reply Obj. 3: The stain is neither something positive in the soul,
nor does it denote a pure privation: it denotes a privation of the
soul's brightness in relation to its cause, which is sin; wherefore
diverse sins occasion diverse stains. It is like a shadow, which is
the privation of light through the interposition of a body, and which
varies according to the diversity of the interposed bodies.
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SECOND ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 86, Art. 2]

Whether the Stain Remains in the Soul After the Act of Sin?

Objection 1: It would seem that the stain does not remain in the soul
after the act of sin. For after an action, nothing remains in the
soul except habit or disposition. But the stain is not a habit or
disposition, as stated above (A. 1, Obj. 3). Therefore the stain does
not remain in the soul after the act of sin.

Obj. 2: Further, the stain is to the sin what the shadow is to the
body, as stated above (A. 1, ad 3). But the shadow does not remain
when the body has passed by. Therefore the stain does not remain in
the soul when the act of sin is past.

Obj. 3: Further, every effect depends on its cause. Now the cause of
the stain is the act of sin. Therefore when the act of sin is no
longer there, neither is the stain in the soul.

_On the contrary,_ It is written (Jos. 22:17): "Is it a small thing
to you that you sinned with Beelphegor, and the stain of that crime
remaineth in you [Vulg.: 'us'] to this day?"

_I answer that,_ The stain of sin remains in the soul even when the
act of sin is past. The reason for this is that the stain, as stated
above (A. 1), denotes a blemish in the brightness of the soul, on
account of its withdrawing from the light of reason or of the Divine
law. And therefore so long as man remains out of this light, the
stain of sin remains in him: but as soon as, moved by grace, he
returns to the Divine light and to the light of reason, the stain is
removed. For although the act of sin ceases, whereby man withdrew
from the light of reason and of the Divine law, man does not at once
return to the state in which he was before, and it is ne