e eternal punishment: whereas when a man sins
without turning away from God, by the very nature of his sin, his
disorder can be repaired, because the principle of the order is not
destroyed; wherefore he is said to sin venially, because, to wit, he
does not sin so as to deserve to be punished eternally.

Reply Obj. 1: Mortal and venial sins are infinitely apart as regards
what they _turn away from,_ not as regards what they _turn to,_ viz.
the object which specifies them. Hence nothing hinders the same
species from including mortal and venial sins; for instance, in the
species "adultery" the first movement is a venial sin; while an idle
word, which is, generally speaking, venial, may even be a mortal sin.

Reply Obj. 2: From the fact that one sin is mortal by reason of its
species, and another venial by reason of its species, it follows that
this difference is consequent to the specific difference of sins, not
that it is the cause thereof. And this difference may be found even
in things of the same species, as stated above.

Reply Obj. 3: The reward is intended by him that merits or acts
virtu[ous]ly; whereas the punishment is not intended by the sinner,
but, on the contrary, is against his will. Hence the comparison fails.
________________________

SIXTH ARTICLE [I-II, Q. 72, Art. 6]

Whether Sins of Commission and Omission Differ Specifically?

Objection 1: It would seem that sins of commission and omission
differ specifically. For "offense" and "sin" are condivided with one
another (Eph. 2:1), where it is written: "When you were dead in your
offenses and sins," which words a gloss explains, saying:
"'Offenses,' by omitting to do what was commanded, and 'sins,' by
doing what was forbidden." Whence it is evident that "offenses" here
denotes sins of omission; while "sin" denotes sins of commission.
Therefore they differ specifically, since they are contrasted with
one another as different species.

Obj. 2: Further, it is essential to sin to be against God's law, for
this is part of its definition, as is clear from what has been said
(Q. 71, A. 6). Now in God's law, the affirmative precepts, against
which is the sin of omission, are different from the negative
precepts, against which is the sin of omission. Therefore sins of
omission and commission differ specifically.

Obj. 3: Further, omission and commission differ as affirmation and
negation. Now affirmation and negation cannot be in the same species,
since