Whether Covetousness Is the Greatest of Sins?
Objection 1: It seems that covetousness is the greatest of sins. For
it is written (Ecclus. 10:9): "Nothing is more wicked than a covetous
man," and the text continues: "There is not a more wicked thing than
to love money: for such a one setteth even his own soul to sale."
Tully also says (De Offic. i, under the heading, 'True magnanimity is
based chiefly on two things'): "Nothing is so narrow or little minded
as to love money." But this pertains to covetousness. Therefore
covetousness is the most grievous of sins.
Obj. 2: Further, the more a sin is opposed to charity, the more
grievous it is. Now covetousness is most opposed to charity: for
Augustine says (QQ. 83, qu. 36) that "greed is the bane of charity."
Therefore covetousness is the greatest of sins.
Obj. 3: Further, the gravity of a sin is indicated by its being
incurable: wherefore the sin against the Holy Ghost is said to be
most grievous, because it is irremissible. But covetousness is an
incurable sin: hence the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 1) that "old
age and helplessness of any kind make men illiberal." Therefore
covetousness is the most grievous of sins.
Obj. 4: Further, the Apostle says (Eph. 5:5) that covetousness is "a
serving of idols." Now idolatry is reckoned among the most grievous
sins. Therefore covetousness is also.
_On the contrary,_ Adultery is a more grievous sin than theft,
according to Prov. 6:30. But theft pertains to covetousness.
Therefore covetousness is not the most grievous of sins.
_I answer that,_ Every sin, from the very fact that it is an evil,
consists in the corruption or privation of some good: while, in so
far as it is voluntary, it consists in the desire of some good.
Consequently the order of sins may be considered in two ways. First,
on the part of the good that is despised or corrupted by sin, and
then the greater the good the graver the sin. From this point of view
a sin that is against God is most grievous; after this comes a sin
that is committed against a man's person, and after this comes a sin
against external things, which are deputed to man's use, and this
seems to belong to covetousness. Secondly, the degrees of sin may be
considered on the part of the good to which the human appetite is
inordinately subjected; and then the lesser the good, the more
deformed is the sin: for it is more shameful to be subject to a lower
than to a higher good. Now the good of external things is the lowest
of human goods: since it is less than the good of the body, and this
is less than the good of the soul, which is less than the Divine
good. From this point of view the sin of covetousness, whereby the
human appetite is subjected even to external things, has in a way a
greater deformity. Since, however, corruption or privation of good is
the formal element in sin, while conversion to a mutable good is the
material element, the gravity of the sin is to be judged from the
point of view of the good corrupted, rather than from that of the
good to which the appetite is subjected. Hence we must assert that
covetousness is not simply the most grievous of sins.
Reply Obj. 1: These authorities speak of covetousness on the part of
the good to which the appetite is subjected. Hence (Ecclus. 10:10) it
is given as a reason that the covetous man "setteth his own soul to
sale"; because, to wit, he exposes his soul--that is, his life--to
danger for the sake of money. Hence the text continues: "Because
while he liveth he hath cast away"--that is, despised--"his bowels,"
in order to make money. Tully also adds that it is the mark of a
"narrow mind," namely, that one be willing to be subject to money.
Reply Obj. 2: Augustine is taking greed generally, in reference to
any temporal good, not in its special acceptation for covetousness:
because greed for any temporal good is the bane of charity, inasmuch
as a man turns away from the Divine good through cleaving to a
temporal good.
Reply Obj. 3: The sin against the Holy Ghost is incurable in one way,
covetousness in another. For the sin against the Holy Ghost is
incurable by reason of contempt: for instance, because a man contemns
God's mercy, or His justice, or some one of those things whereby
man's sins are healed: wherefore incurability of this kind points to
the greater gravity of the sin. on the other hand, covetousness is
incurable on the part of a human defect; a thing which human nature
ever seeks to remedy, since the more deficient one is the more one
seeks relief from external things, and consequently the more one
gives way to covetousness. Hence incurability of this kind is an
indication not of the sin being more grievous, but of its being
somewhat more dangerous.
Reply Obj. 4: Covetousness is compared to idolatry on account of a
certain likeness that it bears to it: because the covetous man, like
the idolater, subjects himself to an external creature, though not in
the same way. For the idolater subjects himself to an external
creature by paying it Divine honor, whereas the covetous man subjects
himself to an external creature by desiring it immoderately for use,
not for worship. Hence it does not follow that covetousness is as
grievous a sin as idolatry.
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