Dist. 22, Art. 1, Q. 3
Book II: On the Creation of Things · Distinction 22
Quaestio III. Quis gravius peccaverit, utrum vir, an mulier.
Tertio quaeritur, quis eorum gravius peccaverit, utrum vir, aut mulier. Et quod vir gravius peccaverit, videtur.
1. Gravius est peccatum, ubi maior est ingratitudo; sed ubi maiora sunt dona, ibi maior est ingratitudo in peccando; sed Adam praecellebat mulierem in naturalibus datis et gratuitis: ergo cum peccavit, magis ingratus fuit: ergo etc.
2. Item, tanto maius est peccatum, quanto peccans est in altiori gradu constitutus; gravius enim peccat praelatus quam subditus eodem genere peccati; sed vir erat caput mulieris1 et ei praepositus: ergo videtur, quod peccaverit gravius.
3. Item, tanto gravior est culpa, quanto ibi maior est contemptus; sed maior est contemptus in transgressione mandati immediate suscepti a Domino, quam mediante alio: si ergo mandatum per virum pervenerat ad mulierem2, videtur, quod magis contempserit vir quam mulier: ergo etc.
4. Item, tanto gravior est culpa, quanto maior est ibi laesio et corruptio, quia peccatum de se corruptio est; sed peccatum Adae magis fuit corruptivum quam peccatum Evae, quia ex peccato Adae fuit totius posteritatis corruptio, secundum quod dicitur ad Romanos quinto3: Per unius inobedientiam peccatores constituti sunt multi: ergo etc.
Sed contra: 1. Augustinus super Genesim, et Magister refert in littera4: « Peccaverunt in impari sexu pari fastu »; sed ubi est par fastus, ibi est par transgressio: ergo non videtur, quod magis peccaverit vir quam mulier.
2. Item, sicut in bonis quod similius est meliori est melius, ita quod similius est peiori est peius, per se loquendo5; sed peccatum Evae similius fuit peccato luciferi quam peccatum Adae propter maiorem elationem superbiae: ergo maius fuit peccatum Evae quam Adae.
3. Item, tanto gravior est culpa, quanto maiori digna est poena; sed mulier magis fuit punita quam vir, sicut patet Genesis tertio6, et a Deo, qui iuste punit: ergo amplius peccavit quam vir.
4. Item, gravius peccat qui peccat in se et in alterum, quam qui peccat in se tantum; sed mulier peccavit in se et in virum, dum pertraxit eum ad peccatum, vir autem peccavit in se tantum, de peccato actuali loquendo: ergo gravius peccavit mulier quam vir7.
Conclusio. Licet peccatum Evae respectu peccati Adae uno modo excedatur, alio modo excedat; tamen simpliciter loquendo gravius illo fuit.
Respondeo: Dicendum, quod, sicut praedictum fuit supra8, peccatum potest dici gravius alterum altero tribus modis, videlicet ingratitudine, libidine et ex consequenti corruptione. — Si igitur loquamur de maiori gravitate quantum ad ingratitudinem, gravius peccavit vir quam mulier, pro eo quod abundantiora dona suscepit; et ideo, cum beneficiorum oblitus, benefactorem suum contempsit et offendit, magis ingratus fuit et in sui ingratitudine maiori culpabilior exstitit. — Si autem loquamur de maioritate quantum ad libidinem, sic amplius peccavit mulier quam vir, pro eo quod magis improba voluntate peccavit, dum concupivit Deo assimilari; et ardentius appetiit, dum credidit, hoc se obtinere posse quod diabolus ei suggessit; et ideo propter voluntatem magis improbam mulier peccavit ex maiori libidine, et quantum ad hoc culpabilior viro fuit. — Si autem loquamur de maioritate culpae quantum ad corruptionem consequentem, distinguendum est, quia aliquid potest dici corrumpere dupliciter: aut per modum causae, aut per modum occasionis. Si per modum causae, sic, quia peccatum viri fuit causa transfusionis peccati in posteros, et ita corrupit se et alios, maior consecuta est ex peccato viri corruptio, et quantum ad hoc culpa viri dicitur fuisse gravior. Si vero per modum occasionis, sic, quia peccatum mulieris fuit occasio peccati viri et ita per consequens omnium aliorum, hoc modo mulier potest dici ceteros corrupisse, non solum posteros, sed etiam virum suum. Unde non solum peccavit in se, sed etiam in proximum. Et quantum ad hoc dici potest, in muliere gravius fuisse peccatum. — Per hanc distinctionem responderi potest ad rationes, quae ad utramque partem adducuntur, pro eo quod secundum diversa membra huius distinctionis procedunt.
Aliter posset dici, et quasi in idem redit, quod peccatum potest dici gravius altero, aut pensatis conditionibus ex parte peccantis, aut pensatis conditionibus ex parte peccati. Si igitur pensemus conditiones ex parte peccantis, gravius peccasse dicitur vir quam mulier, tum propter donorum praecellentiam, tum etiam propter status praesidentiam, quia mulieri quodam modo praelatus erat. — Si autem pensantur conditiones ex parte peccati, gravius peccavit mulier quam vir, tum propter impietatem in Deum, tum propter iniquitatem in proximum. Deum enim sua ambitione exhonoravit9 et proximum sua suggestione deiecit. — Et secundum hoc procedunt rationes similiter ad oppositas partes.
Quod autem dicit Augustinus, quod pari fastu peccaverunt; hoc intelligitur non quantum ad interiorem affectionem, sed quantum ad exteriorem mandati transgressionem, ad quod uterque eorum aequaliter obligabatur. — Vel par fastus dicitur non per omnimodam aequalitatem, sed per quandam conformitatem.
Et sic ex dictis colligitur, quod peccatum Evae aliquo modo excedebat peccatum Adae, et aliquo modo e contrario. — Si autem aliquis quaerat, quod eorum magis excedebat aliud; ad hoc dicendum est, quod cum peccatum Evae excedat peccatum Adae in conditionibus, quae respiciunt peccatum essentialiter, utpote in maiori improbitate libidinis, in hoc quod et maius et magis ambivit, peccatum Evae magis excessit et gravius fuit, simpliciter loquendo. Et huius signum est, quia magis punita fuit, et si ad infernum descendisset, maiorem poenam habuisset.
Nec obstant rationes ad oppositum adductae, quia sumuntur a conditionibus peccantis, quae non faciunt peccatum gravius simpliciter, sed quodam modo.
I. S. Thom. docet, quod simpliciter gravius fuerit peccatum Evae quam peccatum Adae; quam sententiam etiam Scotus, Richard. a Med., Petr. a Tar., Aegid. R. aliique multi praeferunt. Eandem tenet cum Alexandro Hal. etiam S. Bonav., ut patet ex conclusione ultima. II. Alex. Hal., S. p. II. q. 104. m. 4. — Scot., I. Sent. d. 21. q. 2. n. 4. — S. Thom., hic q. I. a. 3; S. II. II. q. 163. a. 4. — B. Albert., hic a. 5; S. p. II. tr. 14. q. 88. m. 3. partic. 2. — Petr. a Tar., hic q. I. a. 3. — Richard. a Med., hic a. I. q. 3. — Aegid. R., hic q. 1. a. 3.
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Question III. Which of them sinned more gravely, the man or the woman.
Thirdly it is asked which of them sinned more gravely, the man or the woman. And that the man sinned more gravely seems to be the case.
1. A sin is graver where the ingratitude is greater; but where the gifts are greater, there the ingratitude in sinning is greater; but Adam excelled the woman in natural and gratuitous endowments: therefore when he sinned, he was more ungrateful: therefore etc.
2. Likewise, a sin is the greater the higher the rank in which the sinner is constituted; for a prelate sins more gravely than a subject in the same kind of sin; but the man was the head of the woman1 and set over her: therefore it seems that he sinned more gravely.
3. Likewise, a fault is the graver the greater the contempt in it; but the contempt is greater in the transgression of a command received immediately from the Lord than through another: if therefore the command had reached the woman through the man2, it seems that the man showed more contempt than the woman: therefore etc.
4. Likewise, a fault is the graver the greater the injury and corruption in it, since sin of itself is corruption; but Adam's sin was more corruptive than Eve's sin, since from Adam's sin came the corruption of all posterity, according to what is said in Romans 53: Through the disobedience of one, many were made sinners: therefore etc.
On the contrary: 1. Augustine on Genesis, and the Master reports in the text4: « They sinned in an unequal sex with equal pride »; but where the pride is equal, there the transgression is equal: therefore it does not seem that the man sinned more than the woman.
2. Likewise, just as among goods what is more like the better is better, so what is more like the worse is worse, speaking per se5; but Eve's sin was more like Lucifer's sin than Adam's, on account of the greater elation of pride: therefore Eve's sin was greater than Adam's.
3. Likewise, a fault is the graver the greater the punishment it deserves; but the woman was punished more than the man, as is clear from Genesis 36, and by God, who punishes justly: therefore she sinned more than the man.
4. Likewise, he sins more gravely who sins against himself and against another, than he who sins against himself alone; but the woman sinned against herself and against the man, when she drew him into sin, whereas the man sinned against himself alone, speaking of the actual sin: therefore the woman sinned more gravely than the man7.
Conclusion. Although Eve's sin is in one way exceeded by Adam's sin, in another way it exceeds it; yet, speaking absolutely, it was graver than that one.
I respond: It must be said that, as was stated above8, one sin can be called graver than another in three ways, namely by ingratitude, by lust, and consequently by corruption. — If therefore we speak of greater gravity as to ingratitude, the man sinned more gravely than the woman, in that he had received more abundant gifts; and so, when, forgetful of the benefits, he despised and offended his benefactor, he was more ungrateful and in his greater ingratitude proved more culpable. — But if we speak of the greater measure as to lust, then the woman sinned more than the man, in that she sinned with a more wicked will, when she desired to be made like to God; and she desired more ardently, when she believed that she could obtain that which the devil suggested to her; and therefore on account of the more wicked will the woman sinned out of greater lust, and as to this was more culpable than the man. — But if we speak of the greater measure of fault as to the consequent corruption, a distinction must be made, because something can be said to corrupt in two ways: either by way of cause, or by way of occasion. If by way of cause, then, since the man's sin was the cause of the transfusion of sin into his descendants, and so corrupted himself and others, a greater corruption followed from the man's sin, and as to this the man's fault is said to have been graver. But if by way of occasion, then, since the woman's sin was the occasion of the man's sin and so consequently of all the others, in this way the woman can be said to have corrupted the rest, not only her posterity, but even her own husband. Hence she sinned not only against herself, but also against her neighbor. And as to this it can be said that the sin was graver in the woman. — By this distinction a reply can be made to the reasons brought forward for both sides, in that they proceed according to the different members of this distinction.
It could be put otherwise, and it comes back to the same thing, namely that one sin can be called graver than another either by weighing the conditions on the part of the one sinning, or by weighing the conditions on the part of the sin. If therefore we weigh the conditions on the part of the one sinning, the man is said to have sinned more gravely than the woman, both on account of the excellence of his gifts and also on account of his rank of presidency, since he was in a certain way set over the woman. — But if the conditions on the part of the sin are weighed, the woman sinned more gravely than the man, both on account of the impiety against God and on account of the iniquity against her neighbor. For by her ambition she dishonored9 God, and by her suggestion she cast down her neighbor. — And according to this the reasons likewise proceed for the opposite sides.
As for what Augustine says, that they sinned with equal pride; this is to be understood not as to the interior affection, but as to the exterior transgression of the command, to which each of them was equally bound. — Or equal pride is said not by an utter equality, but by a certain conformity.
And so from what has been said it is gathered that Eve's sin in some way exceeded Adam's sin, and in some way the contrary. — But if anyone asks which of them more exceeded the other; to this it must be said that, since Eve's sin exceeds Adam's sin in the conditions which regard the sin essentially, namely in the greater wickedness of lust, in that she both desired more and desired greater things, Eve's sin exceeded more and was graver, speaking absolutely. And a sign of this is that she was punished more, and if she had descended into hell, she would have had a greater punishment.
Nor do the reasons adduced for the opposite stand in the way, since they are drawn from the conditions of the one sinning, which do not make a sin graver absolutely, but in a certain way.
I. St. Thomas teaches that Eve's sin was absolutely graver than Adam's sin; which opinion also Scotus, Richard of Middleton, Peter of Tarentaise, Giles of Rome, and many others prefer. The same view, together with Alexander of Hales, St. Bonaventure also holds, as is clear from the last conclusion. II. Alexander of Hales, Summa, p. II, q. 104, m. 4. — Scotus, I Sent. d. 21, q. 2, n. 4. — St. Thomas, here q. I, a. 3; Summa II-II, q. 163, a. 4. — Bl. Albert, here a. 5; Summa p. II, tr. 14, q. 88, m. 3, partic. 2. — Peter of Tarentaise, here q. I, a. 3. — Richard of Middleton, here a. I, q. 3. — Giles of Rome, here q. 1, a. 3.
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- Epist. I. Cor. 11, 3. Vide supra pag. 403, nota 10. — De maiori cfr. supra pag. 161, nota 4.1 Corinthians 11:3. See above, p. 403, note 10. — On maiori cf. above, p. 161, note 4.
- Cfr. August., VIII. de Gen. ad lit. c. 17. n. 36. et hic lit. Magistri, c. 1.Cf. Augustine, On Genesis according to the Letter VIII, c. 17, n. 36, and here the text of the Master, c. 1.
- Vers. 19. — Cfr. de hoc arg. infra lit. Magistri, d. XXXIII. c. 3.Verse 19. — Cf. on this argument below, the text of the Master, d. XXXIII, c. 3.
- Hic c. 4.Here, c. 4.
- Secundum Aristot., III. Topic. c. 2. — In minori, de qua vide hic lit. Magistri, c. 4, codd. et ed. I post quam non bene suppresserunt peccatum.According to Aristotle, Topics III, c. 2. — In the minor [premise], on which see here the text of the Master, c. 4, the codices and ed. I, after quam, wrongly suppressed peccatum.
- Vers. 16.Verse 16.
- Hoc arg. a Magistro insinuatur hic in lit. c. 4.This argument is intimated by the Master here in the text, c. 4.
- Dist. 21. a. 3. q. 3.Distinction 21, a. 3, q. 3.
- Edd. 3, 4 et Vat. inhonoravit.Editions 3, 4 and the Vatican edition read inhonoravit ["dishonored"].