Whether Covetousness Is a Spiritual Sin?
Objection 1: It seems that covetousness is not a spiritual sin. For
spiritual sins seem to regard spiritual goods. But the matter of
covetousness is bodily goods, namely, external riches. Therefore
covetousness is not a spiritual sin.
Obj. 2: Further, spiritual sin is condivided with sin of the flesh.
Now covetousness is seemingly a sin of the flesh, for it results from
the corruption of the flesh, as instanced in old people who, through
corruption of carnal nature, fall into covetousness. Therefore
covetousness is not a spiritual sin.
Obj. 3: Further, a sin of the flesh is one by which man's body is
disordered, according to the saying of the Apostle (1 Cor. 6:18), "He
that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body." Now
covetousness disturbs man even in his body; wherefore Chrysostom
(Hom. xxix in Matth.) compares the covetous man to the man who was
possessed by the devil (Mk. 5) and was troubled in body. Therefore
covetousness seems not to be a spiritual sin.
_On the contrary,_ Gregory (Moral. xxxi) numbers covetousness among
spiritual vices.
_I answer that,_ Sins are seated chiefly in the affections: and all
the affections or passions of the soul have their term in pleasure
and sorrow, according to the Philosopher (Ethic. ii, 5). Now some
pleasures are carnal and some spiritual. Carnal pleasures are those
which are consummated in the carnal senses--for instance, the
pleasures of the table and sexual pleasures: while spiritual
pleasures are those which are consummated in the mere apprehension of
the soul. Accordingly, sins of the flesh are those which are
consummated in carnal pleasures, while spiritual sins are consummated
in pleasures of the spirit without pleasure of the flesh. Such is
covetousness: for the covetous man takes pleasure in the
consideration of himself as a possessor of riches. Therefore
covetousness is a spiritual sin.
Reply Obj. 1: Covetousness with regard to a bodily object seeks the
pleasure, not of the body but only of the soul, forasmuch as a man
takes pleasure in the fact that he possesses riches: wherefore it is
not a sin of the flesh. Nevertheless by reason of its object it is a
mean between purely spiritual sins, which seek spiritual pleasure in
respect of spiritual objects (thus pride is about excellence), and
purely carnal sins, which seek a purely bodily pleasure in respect of
a bodily object.
Reply Obj. 2: Movement takes its species from the term _whereto_ and
not from the term _wherefrom._ Hence a vice of the flesh is so called
from its tending to a pleasure of the flesh, and not from its
originating in some defect of the flesh.
Reply Obj. 3: Chrysostom compares a covetous man to the man who was
possessed by the devil, not that the former is troubled in the flesh
in the same way as the latter, but by way of contrast, since while
the possessed man, of whom we read in Mk. 5, stripped himself, the
covetous man loads himself with an excess of riches.
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