Whether Pride Was the First Man's First Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that pride was not the first man's first
sin. For the Apostle says (Rom. 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.
Obj. 2: Further, Ambrose says, commenting on Luke 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 Matt. 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.
Obj. 3: Further, man sinned at the devil's suggestion. Now the devil
in tempting man promised him knowledge (Gen. 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.
Obj. 4: Further, a gloss [*St. Augustine, Gen. ad lit. xi] 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 Rom. 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 Obj. 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 [*Dial. QQ. lxv, qu. 4])
that "man puffed up with pride obeyed the serpent's prompting, and
scorned God's commands."
Reply Obj. 2: Gluttony also had a place in the sin of our first
parents. For it is written (Gen. 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 (Gen. 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 Obj. 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 Obj. 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.
_______________________