e. PECCATA MORTALIA ET VENALIA

As to their effect, sins are divided into mortal sins and venial sins. Mortal sins are those which result in the death of the sinner. This term takes in all the sins of the unbelievers. In the case of the believers those sins are called mortal which force the Holy Spirit to depart from one’s heart, which destroy faith. Venial sins are sins which, though they in themselves merit eternal death, are daily forgiven to the believer.56 They are also called sins of weakness. They do not drive the Holy Spirit from the heart, do not extinguish faith.

The Romanists teach that certain actual sins are venial in themselves and do not deserve eternal, but only temporal punishments.57 The Arminians hold essentially the same view as the Catholics.58 The Calvinists teach that in the case of the elect even peccata enormia do not destroy faith nor deprive them of the Holy Ghost59 The Scholastics enumerate seven sins as mortal sins: superbia, avaritia, luxuria, ira, gula [gluttony], invidia, acedia.60 This list is misleading; any sin may become a mortal sin if we persevere in it against the admonition of our conscience.