Pars 3, Cap. 9
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/5/d/3/q/bon-brev-p3-c9
----------------------------------------
### Chapter IX. *On the origin and distinction of the capital sins.*

Next we must come down to the origin of sins *in particular*; among which some are *capital*, some *penal*, some *final* or irremissible, as it were first, middle and last.

Concerning the origin of the *capital* sins this is to be held in summary: that of actual sins there is one *beginning*, a twofold *root*, a threefold *fuel*, and a sevenfold *head* or capital sin.

There is one *beginning*, namely pride, according to what is written: *The beginning of every sin is pride*; a twofold *root*, namely *fear* that humbles badly and *love* that inflames badly; a threefold *fuel*, according to the three things that are in the world, namely *the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life*; and a sevenfold *head*, namely pride, envy, anger, sloth, avarice, gluttony and lust. Among which the five preceding are spiritual sins, but the two last carnal.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since mortal sin is an actual withdrawal from the first principle; and to withdraw from the first principle cannot be except through contempt of it, either in itself or in its precept; and contempt of the first principle is pride: it is necessary, therefore, that every mortal fault or offence take its *beginning* from pride.

But because no one despises the supreme principle, or its precept, of itself, except through this, that he either *wills* to acquire, or *fears* to lose, something else besides it: hence it is that it is necessary that every actual sin draw its origin from a twofold *root*, namely from *fear* and *love*; which roots are the roots of evils, although not equally first.

For all fear takes its rise from love; for no one fears to lose anything except because he loves to have it; and therefore fear has to be fostered by those things by which love too is fostered. But inordinate love is with respect to the changeable good; and since that is threefold — inward, namely *excellence*; outward, *money*; lower, the flesh's *wantonness* — hence it is that there must needs be three radical *fuels* of actual sins, which were touched on above, and when the soul is borne toward them inordinately, all actual sins arise.

And because this comes about in a sevenfold manner, therefore there are seven *capital* sins, from which the whole array of vices is generated. For our will is put out of order either because it *desires* what is not to be desired, or because it *shuns* what is not to be shunned. If because it *desires* what is not to be desired — as, for instance, a good as-of-now, or a changeable or apparent good — this is either *inward*, and so it is *private excellence*, which pride loves; or it is *outward*, and so it is *sufficiency*, which avarice loves; or it is *lower*, and so either it is delightful because it is for the preservation of the *individual*, and so it is food, which is delightful according to *taste* and is desired by *gluttony*; or because it is for the preservation of the *species*, and so it is intercourse, which is delightful according to *touch* and is desired by *lust*. — But if the will is put out of order because it *shuns* what is not to be shunned, this can be in three ways, according to the threefold manner of shunning. For it shuns either according to the perverse instinct of the *rational* power, and so it is *envy*; or according to the instinct of the *irascible*, and so it is *anger*; or according to the instinct of the *concupiscible*, and so it is *sloth*. Hence, because there are four principal *objects of desire* and three *powers*, according to whose instinct flight is, therefore there are only seven capital sins.

Again, because the sensing of a desirable thing is with delight, but the sensing of a thing to be fled is with pain, hence it is that four have joy joined to them, but the three others have sadness and penalty attached; yet all are called capital, because they are principal disorderings and, in their own way, the influencing principles of many other disorderings. Hence, although some of these principally regard *flight*, they too have nevertheless their own delightful objects. For *envy* wills to possess a private good without a *sharer*, and so entirely; *anger*, without an *adversary*, and so undisturbedly; *sloth*, without any *labor*, and so untiringly. And because they do not easily obtain this, therefore they draw with them a great army of vices for the attaining of the things of this sort which they desire, or for the avoiding of those which they reject; with respect to which they are called capital sins, as it were heads, from which very many others flow.

---