ought up amid their parents' crimes, both by becoming accustomed to
them, and by imitating their parents' example, conforming to their
authority as it were. Moreover they deserve heavier punishment if,
seeing the punishment of their parents, they fail to mend their ways.
The text adds, "to the third and fourth generation," because men are
wont to live long enough to see the third and fourth generation, so
that both the children can witness their parents' sins so as to
imitate them, and the parents can see their children's punishments so
as to grieve for them.

Reply Obj. 2: The punishments which human justice inflicts on one for
another's sin are bodily and temporal. They are also remedies or
medicines against future sins, in order that either they who are
punished, or others may be restrained from similar faults.

Reply Obj. 3: Those who are near of kin are said to be punished,
rather than outsiders, for the sins of others, both because the
punishment of kindred redounds somewhat upon those who sinned, as
stated above, in so far as the child is the father's property, and
because the examples and the punishments that occur in one's own
household are more moving. Consequently when a man is brought up amid
the sins of his parents, he is more eager to imitate them, and if he
is not deterred by their punishments, he would seem to be the more
obstinate, and, therefore, to deserve more severe punishment.
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QUESTION 88

OF VENIAL AND MORTAL SIN
(In Six Articles)

In the next place, since venial and mortal sins differ in respect of
the debt of punishment, we must consider them. First, we shall
consider venial sin as compared with mortal sin; secondly, we shall
consider venial sin in itself.

Under the first head there are six points of inquiry:

(1) Whether venial sin is fittingly condivided with mortal sin?

(2) Whether they differ generically?

(3) Whether venial sin is a disposition to mortal sin?

(4) Whether a venial sin can become mortal?

(5) Whether a venial sin can become mortal by reason of an
aggravating circumstance?

(6) Whether a mortal sin can become venial?
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FIRST ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 88, Art. 1]

Whether Venial Sin Is Fittingly Condivided with Mortal Sin?

Objection 1: It would seem that venial sin is unfittingly condivided
with mortal sin. For Augustine says (Contra Faust. xxii, 27): "Sin is
a word, deed or desire contrary to the eternal law."