Pars 3, Cap. 2
Breviloquium · Pars III: De corruptela peccati
Capitulum II. De primorum parentum tentatione.
Ad intelligendum autem, qualiter corruptela peccati introivit in mundum, considerare oportet lapsum primi parentis, traductionem culpae originalis et ortum seu radicem peccati actualis. — Circa lapsum igitur primi parentis haec tria nobis consideranda occurrunt, scilicet tentatio diabolica, culpa commissa et poena inflicta7.
Haec autem de tentatione tenenda sunt, quod cum Deus hominem condidisset in felicitate paradisi in duplici sexu, virili scilicet et muliebri; diabolus invidens homini, assumta specie serpentina, aggressus est mulierem, primo quaerendo: Cur praecepit vobis Deus, ne comederetis1? secundo asserendo: Nequaquam moriemini; tertio promittendo: Eritis sicut dii, scientes bonum et malum; volens ista tentatione deiicere mulierem infirmiorem et per illam postea prosternere sexum virilem; quod et fecit, Domino permittente.
Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, sicut primum principium est potentissimum in producendo, sic etiam est rectissimum in gubernando; et ideo « res, quas condidit, ita administrat, ut tamen eas agere proprios motus sinat2 ». Quoniam ergo homo sic factus erat, ut per victoriam pugnae perveniret ad praemium quietis aeternae; licet Deus sciret, hominem tentationi succumbere, debuit tamen permittere, hominem tentari ab eo qui sciret, posset et vellet3. — Quoniam igitur diabolus, qui prius erat sciens et rectus, per superbiam cadendo factus est versutus et invidus; et ideo per invidiam tentare volebat et per astutiam sciebat: ideo tentavit, iuxta quod potuit, et Deus permisit. Quod ergo in tentando speciem serpentinam assumsit, hoc fuit dispensationis divinae, ut non solum posset deprehendi eius versutia, verum etiam ex illa effigie versutia diabolica in tentando innotescere posset cunctis filiis Adae.
Rursus, quod tentavit de praecepto disciplinae4, hoc similiter fuit dispensationis divinae, ut, sive vinceretur, sive vinceret, cunctis innotesceret meritum obedientiae, sive demeritum inobedientiae. — Quod autem incepit a muliere, hoc fuit versutiae suae, quia facilius est deiicere minus fortem; unde versutia hostis ex infirmiori parte aggreditur civitatem.
Similiter modus, quo in tentatione processit, magnae fuit versutiae, quia experiendo, impellendo et alliciendo processit. Experientiam enim sumsit in interrogatione, impulit in assecuratione, allexit autem in promissione. Primo enim interrogavit de causa mandati, ut rationem duceret in dubium; secundo, dubitatione habita: Ne forte moriamur5, assecuravit, ut irascibilem duceret in contemptum; tertio, promisit, ut concupiscibilem duceret in appetitum, et sic his tribus modis libertatem arbitrii traheret ad consensum, quae facultas est rationis et voluntatis, complectens nihilominus tres praedictas vires, rationalem, irascibilem et concupiscibilem6; respectu quarum diabolus allexit mulierem per triplex appetibile, scilicet per scientiam, quae est appetibilis rationali; per excellentiam ad modum Dei, quae est appetibilis irascibili; per suavitatem ligni, quae est appetibilis concupiscibili. Et sic tentavit omne, quod erat in muliere tentabile, per omne illud, per quod poterat in tentationem induci, quod est triplex appetibile mundi, scilicet concupiscentia carnis, concupiscentia oculorum et superbia vitae7; secundum quae tria attenditur omnis tentationis origo, sive a mundo, sive a carne, sive a diabolo.
---
Chapter II. On the temptation of the first parents.
Now, in order to understand how the corruption of sin entered into the world, it is necessary to consider the fall of the first parent, the transmission of original guilt, and the rise or root of actual sin. — Concerning the fall of the first parent, therefore, these three occur to us as to be considered, namely the diabolical temptation, the guilt committed, and the punishment inflicted7.
Now these things are to be held concerning the temptation: that, when God had established man in the happiness of paradise in a twofold sex, namely the male and the female, the devil, envying man, having assumed the appearance of a serpent, attacked the woman, first by asking: Why has God commanded you, that you should not eat1? second by asserting: You shall by no means die; third by promising: You shall be as gods, knowing good and evil; wishing by this temptation to cast down the woman as the weaker, and afterwards through her to lay low the male sex; which indeed he did, the Lord permitting it.
Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since, just as the first principle is most powerful in producing, so also it is most right in governing; and therefore « the things which it has founded it so administers that it nonetheless allows them to perform their own motions2 ». Since therefore man had been so made that he should come through the victory of the battle to the reward of eternal rest; although God knew that man would succumb to the temptation, he nevertheless had to permit that man be tempted by one who would know, would be able, and would will it3. — Since therefore the devil, who before was knowing and upright, by falling through pride became crafty and envious; and therefore through envy he willed to tempt and through cunning he knew how: therefore he tempted, according as he was able, and God permitted it. That, then, in tempting he assumed the appearance of a serpent, this was of the divine dispensation, so that not only might his craftiness be detected, but also that from that likeness the diabolical craftiness in tempting might become known to all the sons of Adam.
Again, that he tempted concerning the precept of discipline4, this likewise was of the divine dispensation, so that, whether he were conquered or should conquer, the merit of obedience, or the demerit of disobedience, might become known to all. — And that he began from the woman, this was of his craftiness, because it is easier to cast down the less strong; whence the craftiness of the enemy attacks the city from the weaker side.
Likewise the manner in which he proceeded in the temptation was of great craftiness, because he proceeded by making trial, by impelling and by enticing. For he took his trial in the questioning, he impelled in the reassuring, and he enticed in the promising. For first he questioned concerning the cause of the command, that he might lead reason into doubt; second, once doubt was had — Lest perhaps we die5 — he reassured, that he might lead the irascible into contempt; third, he promised, that he might lead the concupiscible into appetite, and thus by these three modes might draw the freedom of choice to consent — which faculty is of reason and of will, embracing nonetheless the three foresaid powers, the rational, the irascible and the concupiscible6; in respect of which the devil enticed the woman through a threefold desirable object, namely through knowledge, which is desirable to the rational; through excellence after the manner of God, which is desirable to the irascible; through the sweetness of the tree, which is desirable to the concupiscible. And thus he tempted everything that was temptable in the woman, through everything by which she could be led into temptation, which is the threefold desirable object of the world, namely the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life7; according to which three the origin of every temptation is reckoned, whether from the world, or from the flesh, or from the devil.
---
- 7De his tribus agitur in hoc et 2 seqq. capp.; de peccato originali c. 5-7; de actuali c. 8-11.These three are treated in this and the 2 following chapters; on original sin, c. 5-7; on actual [sin], c. 8-11.
- 1Gen. 3, 1. Vulgata ut non pro ne. — Seq. locus est ibid. v. 4: Nequaquam morte [ita etiam 1] moriemini; tertius ibid. v. 5. — Cfr. II. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XXI. c. 1. seqq., et Comment. a. 1. q. 1-3.Gen. 3:1. The Vulgate has ut non for ne. — The following passage is ibid. v. 4: You shall by no means die the death [so also 1]; the third is ibid. v. 5. — Cf. II Sent., the Master's text, d. XXI, c. 1 ff., and the Commentary on the same, a. 1, q. 1-3.
- 2August., VII. de Civ. Dei, c. 30. Cfr. supra pag. 218, nota 5. — Superius ante in producendo edd., excepta 2, ponunt in operando sive.Augustine, City of God VII, c. 30. Cf. above, p. 218, note 5. — Above, before in producendo, the editions, except 2, place in operando sive.
- 3Vide II. Sent. lit. Magistri, d. XXIII. c. 1, et Comment. a. 1. q. 1. seq.See II Sent., the Master's text, d. XXIII, c. 1, and the Commentary on the same, a. 1, q. 1 f.
- 4De quo supra p. II. c. 11. — Inferius pro versutia V versutus.On which see above, p. II, c. 11. — Below, for versutia V has versutus.
- 5Gen. 3, 3. — Paulo ante pro rationem P rationalem, et aliquanto superius pro magnae edd. cum pluribus codd. maximae.Gen. 3:3. — A little before, for rationem P has rationalem, and somewhat above, for magnae the editions together with several codices have maximae.
- 6Vide II. Sent. d. 25. p. I. q. 6. ad 2.See II Sent. d. 25, p. I, q. 6, ad 2.
- 7Epist. I. Ioan. 2, 16. — De praecedentibus cfr. Gen. 3, 5. seq., et de variis speciebus tentationum vide II. Sent. d. 21. a. 2. et dub. 3. — Edd. cum pluribus codd. scilicet secundum concupiscentiam carnis, concupiscentiam oculorum et superbiam vitae (A H et 2 per pro secundum). Pro mundi P menti. Superius post ligni E addit vetiti.I John 2:16. — On the preceding, cf. Gen. 3, 5 f.; and on the various species of temptations see II Sent. d. 21, a. 2, and dub. 3. — The editions, together with several codices, read scilicet secundum concupiscentiam carnis, concupiscentiam oculorum et superbiam vitae (A, H and 2 have per for secundum). For mundi P has menti. Above, after ligni, E adds vetiti. ---