Through the Fall (peccatum originans) man has lost his concreate righteousness and holiness (iustitia original is concreata), so that he is now in a state of corruption (in statu corruptionis). This state is defined by Quenstedt as follows (II, 48): "The state of corruption is that condition into which man voluntarily precipitated himself by his own departure from the chief Good, thus becoming both wicked and miserable." Doctr. Theol., p. 231. The fall of man was therefore neither his exaltation (Gnosticism)~ nor the most fortunate event in human history (Schiller), nor a critical stage in his evolutionistic development (modern evolutionism), nor a necessary step in his moral and intellectual progress (pantheism). The fall of man was apostasy from God, Gen. 3, 14-19, and therefore evil both in its nature and in its effects, Gen. 3, 22-24; Rom. 5, 12. Hence it is as a sinner (homo peccator) that fallen man is the subject of sacred theology (subiectum operationis theologiae), whose purpose it is to restore in him the image of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 2 Cor. 3, 5. 6. 18. For this reason the doctrine of sin constitutes an essential part in Christian theology, Rom. 1, 18-32; 2, 1-12. - Commonly the doctrine of sin is treated under three heads : a) Sin in General (De peccato in genere); b) Original Sin (De peccato originali); c) Actual Sins (De peccatis actualibus).