tion at issue, it must be observed that the fomes is nothing but
a certain inordinate, but habitual, concupiscence of the sensitive
appetite, for actual concupiscence is a sinful motion. Now sensual
concupiscence is said to be inordinate, in so far as it rebels
against reason; and this it does by inclining to evil, or hindering
from good. Consequently it is essential to the fomes to incline to
evil, or hinder from good. Wherefore to say that the fomes was in the
Blessed Virgin without an inclination to evil, is to combine two
contradictory statements.

In like manner it seems to imply a contradiction to say that the
fomes remained as to the corruption of nature, but not as to the
personal corruption. For, according to Augustine (De Nup. et Concup.
i.), it is lust that transmits original sin to the offspring. Now
lust implies inordinate concupiscence, not entirely subject to
reason: and therefore, if the fomes were entirely taken away as to
personal corruption, it could not remain as to the corruption of
nature.

It remains, therefore, for us to say, either that the fomes was
entirely taken away from her by her first sanctification or that it
was fettered. Now that the fomes was entirely taken away, might be
understood in this way, that, by the abundance of grace bestowed on
the Blessed Virgin, such a disposition of the soul's powers was
granted to her, that the lower powers were never moved without the
command of her reason: just as we have stated to have been the case
with Christ (Q. 15, A. 2), who certainly did not have the fomes of
sin; as also was the case with Adam, before he sinned, by reason of
original justice: so that, in this respect, the grace of
sanctification in the Virgin had the force of original justice. And
although this appears to be part of the dignity of the Virgin Mother,
yet it is somewhat derogatory to the dignity of Christ, without whose
power no one had been freed from the first sentence of condemnation.
And though, through faith in Christ, some were freed from that
condemnation, according to the spirit, before Christ's Incarnation,
yet it does not seem fitting that any one should be freed from that
condemnation, according to the flesh, except after His Incarnation,
for it was then that immunity from condemnation was first to appear.
Consequently, just as before the immortality of the flesh of Christ
rising again, none obtained immortality of the flesh, so it seems
unfitting to say that befor