Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that pride was not the first man's first sin. For the Apostle says (Rm. 5:19) that "by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners." Now the first man's first sin is the one by which all men were made sinners in the point of original sin. Therefore disobedience, and not pride, was the first man's first sin.

Objection 2: Further, Ambrose says, commenting on Lk. 4:3, "And the devil said to Him," that the devil in tempting Christ observed the same order as in overcoming the first man. Now Christ was first tempted to gluttony, as appears from Mt. 4:3, where it was said to Him: "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Therefore the first man's first sin was not pride but gluttony.

Objection 3: Further, man sinned at the devil's suggestion. Now the devil in tempting man promised him knowledge (Gn. 3:5). Therefore inordinateness in man was through the desire of knowledge, which pertains to curiosity. Therefore curiosity, and not pride, was the first sin.

Objection 4: Further, a gloss on 1 Tim. 2:14, "The woman being seduced was in the transgression," says: "The Apostle rightly calls this seduction, for they were persuaded to accept a falsehood as being true; namely that God had forbidden them to touch that tree, because He knew that if they touched it, they would be like gods, as though He who made them men, begrudged them the godhead . . ." Now it pertains to unbelief to believe such a thing. Therefore man's first sin was unbelief and not pride.

On the contrary, It is written (Ecclus. 10:15): "Pride is the beginning of all sin." Now man's first sin is the beginning of all sin, according to Rm. 5:12, "By one man sin entered into this world." Therefore man's first sin was pride.

I answer that, Many movements may concur towards one sin, and the character of sin attaches to that one in which inordinateness is first found. And it is evident that inordinateness is in the inward movement of the soul before being in the outward act of the body; since, as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i, 18), the sanctity of the body is not forfeited so long as the sanctity of the soul remains. Also, among the inward movements, the appetite is moved towards the end before being moved towards that which is desired for the sake of the end; and consequently man's first sin was where it was possible for his appetite to be directed to an inordinate end. Now man was so appointed in the state of innocence, that there was no rebellion of the flesh against the spirit. Wherefore it was not possible for the first inordinateness in the human appetite to result from his coveting a sensible good, to which the concupiscence of the flesh tends against the order of reason. It remains therefore that the first inordinateness of the human appetite resulted from his coveting inordinately some spiritual good. Now he would not have coveted it inordinately, by desiring it according to his measure as established by the Divine rule. Hence it follows that man's first sin consisted in his coveting some spiritual good above his measure: and this pertains to pride. Therefore it is evident that man's first sin was pride.

Reply to Objection 1: Man's disobedience to the Divine command was not willed by man for his own sake, for this could not happen unless one presuppose inordinateness in his will. It remains therefore that he willed it for the sake of something else. Now the first thing he coveted inordinately was his own excellence; and consequently his disobedience was the result of his pride. This agrees with the statement of Augustine, who says (Ad Oros ) that "man puffed up with pride obeyed the serpent's prompting, and scorned God's commands."

Reply to Objection 2: Gluttony also had a place in the sin of our first parents. For it is written (Gn. 3:6): "The woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold, and she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat." Yet the very goodness and beauty of the fruit was not their first motive for sinning, but the persuasive words of the serpent, who said (Gn. 3:5): "Your eyes shall be opened and you shall be as Gods": and it was by coveting this that the woman fell into pride. Hence the sin of gluttony resulted from the sin of pride.

Reply to Objection 3: The desire for knowledge resulted in our first parents from their inordinate desire for excellence. Hence the serpent began by saying: "You shall be as Gods," and added: "Knowing good and evil."

Reply to Objection 4: According to Augustine (Gen. ad lit. xi, 30), "the woman had not believed the serpent's statement that they were debarred by God from a good and useful thing, were her mind not already filled with the love of her own power, and a certain proud self-presumption." This does not mean that pride preceded the promptings of the serpent, but that as soon as the serpent had spoken his words of persuasion, her mind was puffed up, the result being that she believed the demon to have spoken truly.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod superbia non fuerit primi hominis peccatum.

Dicit enim apostolus, Rom. V, quod per inobedientiam unius hominis peccatores constituti sunt multi.

Sed primi hominis peccatum est ex quo omnes peccatores constituti sunt originali peccato. Ergo inobedientia fuit primi hominis peccatum, et non superbia.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, Ambrosius dicit, super Luc., quod eo ordine diabolus christum tentavit quo primum hominem deiecit.

Sed christus primo tentatus est de gula, ut patet Matth. IV, cum ei dictum est, si filius dei es, dic ut lapides isti panes fiant.

Ergo primum peccatum primi hominis non fuit superbia, sed gula.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, homo diabolo suggerente peccavit. Sed diabolus tentans hominem scientiam repromisit, ut patet Gen. III.

Ergo prima inordinatio hominis fuit per appetitum scientiae, quod pertinet ad curiositatem. Ergo curiositas fuit peccatum primum, et non superbia.

Argumentum 4

Praeterea, super illud I ad Tim. II, mulier seducta in praevaricatione fuit, dicit Glossa, hanc seductionem proprie appellavit apostolus, per quam id quod suadebatur, cum falsum esset, verum putatum est, scilicet quod deus lignum illud ideo tangere prohibuerit, quod sciebat eos, si tetigissent, velut deos futuros; tanquam eis divinitatem invideret qui eos homines fecerat.

Sed hoc credere pertinet ad infidelitatem. Ergo primum peccatum hominis fuit infidelitas, et non superbia.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Eccli. X, initium omnis peccati superbia.

Sed peccatum primi hominis est initium omnis peccati, secundum illud Rom. V, per unum hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intravit.

Ergo primum peccatum hominis fuit superbia.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod ad unum peccatum multi motus concurrere possunt, inter quos ille habet rationem primi peccati in quo primo inordinatio invenitur. Manifestum est autem quod primo invenitur inordinatio in motu interiori animae quam in actu exteriori corporis, quia, ut Augustinus dicit, in I de CIV. Dei, non amittitur corporis sanctitas manente animae sanctitate.

Inter motus autem interiores, prius movetur appetitus in finem quam in id quod quaeritur propter finem. Et ideo ibi fuit primum peccatum hominis ubi potuit esse primus appetitus inordinati finis. Sic autem homo erat in statu innocentiae institutus ut nulla esset rebellio carnis ad spiritum. Unde non potuit esse prima inordinatio appetitus humani ex hoc quod appetierit aliquod sensibile bonum, in quod carnis concupiscentia tendit praeter ordinem rationis. Relinquitur igitur quod prima inordinatio appetitus humani fuit ex hoc quod aliquod bonum spirituale inordinate appetiit. Non autem inordinate appetivisset, appetendo illud secundum suam mensuram ex divina regula praestitutam. Unde relinquitur quod primum peccatum eius fuit in hoc quod appetiit quoddam spirituale bonum supra suam mensuram. Quod pertinet ad superbiam. Unde manifestum est quod primum peccatum hominis fuit superbia.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod hoc quod homo divino praecepto non obediret, non fuit propter se ab eo volitum, quia hoc non posset contingere nisi praesupposita inordinatione voluntatis.

Relinquitur ergo quod voluerit propter aliquid aliud. Primum autem quod inordinate voluit fuit propria excellentia. Et ideo inobedientia in eo causata fuit ex superbia.

Et hoc est quod Augustinus dicit, ad Orosium, quod homo elatus superbia, suasioni serpentis obediens, praecepta dei contempsit.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod in peccato primorum parentum etiam gula locum habuit, dicitur enim Gen. III, vidit mulier quod lignum esset bonum ad vescendum, et pulchrum oculis, aspectuque delectabile, et tulit de fructu eius, et comedit.

Non tamen ipsa bonitas et pulchritudo cibi fuit primum motivum ad peccandum, sed potius suasio serpentis, qui dixit, aperientur oculi vestri, et eritis sicut dii; quod appetendo, superbiam mulier incurrit.

Et ideo peccatum gulae derivatum est ex peccato superbiae.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod appetitus scientiae causatus fuit in primis parentibus ex inordinato appetitu excellentiae.

Unde et in verbis serpentis praemittitur, eritis sicut dii; et postea subditur, scientes bonum et malum.

Ad 4

Ad quartum dicendum quod, sicut Augustinus dicit, XI super Gen. Ad litt., verbis serpentis mulier non crederet a bona atque utili re divinitus se fuisse prohibitos, nisi iam inesset menti amor ille propriae potestatis, et quaedam de se superba praesumptio.

Quod non est sic intelligendum quasi superbia praecesserit suasionem serpentis, sed quia statim post suasionem serpentis, invasit mentem eius elatio, ex qua consecutum est ut crederet verum esse quod Daemon dicebat.