Page:Ninety-nine homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas upon the epistles and gospels for forty-nine Sundays of the Christian year (IA ninetyninehomili00thom).pdf/48

 own nature.” (3) Nature, by restraining it—Tobit iv. 16, “ See thou never do to another what thou would hate to have done thee by another.” Of the two sick that are healed in the Gospel for the day, the leprous is a proud and the paralytic is an avaricious man. They are cured for two reasons, which the Apostle unfolds in this Epistle. (1) “Live peaceably with all men,” which prohibits pride, the great destroyer of peace. (2) “ Provide things honest,” which prohibits avarice.

MORALLY, by this leper the sinner is understood, and this for four qualities of leprosy. Firstly, it is a corruption of humours. Secondly, it is a corruption of the members. Thirdly, it is infectious to others. Fourthly, it causes a separation from others. Sin is, therefore (i), a corruption of natural powers; (2) a failing of the gifts of grace; (3) an infection of one’s neighbours ; (4) a separation from the joys of saints and angels. S. Austin calls sin a corruption of manner, form, and order. It takes away grace, since grace cannot exist with mortal sin—Wisd. i. 4, “Nor dwell in a body subject to sins.” It infects neighbours and the unreasoning creatures — Ps. cv. 38, 39 (Vulg.), “And the land.was defiled with their works ;” Jer. iii. 2, “ Thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms.” It separates man from fellowship of God and the angels—Wisd. i. 3, “ Perverse thoughts separate from God.” Of these four— Ps. xiv. 12, “ They are corrupt,” behold the corruption of natural things ; “ they have done abominable works,” behold the separation came not for effect; abomination is a cause of separation ; “ those that doeth good,” behold the loss of grace : when grace is lost no one can do good works ; “ they are altogether become filthy,” behold the infection. The leprous man chiefly infects by his breath. These four particulars of leprosy are described in Leviticus xiii. 45. The