Guilt also is principally predicated of the will: hence comes
the common observation, that everyone has the guilt of evil from
inheritance, but that the evil is from the man. Hence these adulteries
of the fourth degree are imputed as evils of purpose, and remain in as
guilt.
494. XIV. ADULTERIES OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH DEGREES ARE EVILS OF SIN,
ACCORDING TO THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF UNDERSTANDING AND WILL IN THEM,
WHETHER THEY ARE ACTUALLY COMMITTED OR NOT. That adulteries of the
reason or the understanding, which are of the third degree, and
adulteries of the will, which are of the fourth, are grievous,
consequently evils of sin, according to the quality of the understanding
and of the will in them, may be seen from the comment above concerning
them, n. 490-493. The reason of this is, because a man (_homo_) is a man
by virtue of the will and the understanding; for from these two
principles exist not only all the things which are done in the mind, but
also all those which are done in the body. Who does not know, that the
body does not act of itself, but the will by the body? also that the
mouth does not speak of itself, but the thought by the mouth? Wherefore
if the will were to be taken away, action would instantly be at a stand,
and if thought were to be taken away, the speech of the mouth would
instantly cease.
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