Summa summae S. Thomae sive compendium theologiae

[Two things are asked here: first, whether the sin of our first parents was the gravest of all sins; second, which sin was graver, that of Adam or of Eve.

I say 1°: The sin of the first man was not simply the gravest of all sins, but only in a certain respect¹.

Proof of the first part. That sin is called gravest simply speaking, which is such according to species and from its object. But the sin of the first parent, which was pride, was not gravest according to species and from its object; for sins which are directly against God, such as hatred and formal contempt of God, likewise others which are opposed to the theological virtues, are on this ground graver than pride. Therefore.

Proof of the second part². That sin is called gravest in a certain respect, which is such according to some circumstance. But the sin of the first man was gravest: 1° by reason of the condition of the person sinning, for whom it was most easy not to sin, since he had nothing intrinsic that would impel him to sin: whence St. Augustine, lib. XIV de Civit., c. 15, n. 1, says: « Whoever thinks such a condemnation either excessive or unjust, surely does not know how to measure how great the iniquity was in sinning, where there was so great a facility for not sinning. » 2° By reason of the harm; for this sin infected the whole of human nature.

I say 2°: If the sin of Adam and Eve be considered according to genus, both were equal³, because both were pride. Augustine asserts this equality, lib. XI de Genes. ad litt., c. 35, n. 48, saying of the woman: « Nor does she confess the sin, but attributes it to another, with unequal sex but equal pride. » If it be considered according to species, the sin of Eve was graver, because she believed the serpent, not only when he affirmed, Genes., III, 5: You shall be as Gods, but also when he said: For God doth know that in what day soever you shall eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil. Thus she believed that God had forbidden the eating of this tree out of envy, lest, by eating that fruit, they should become like God. Consequently, she desired the divine likeness against the acknowledged will of God. But Adam did not believe this, and therefore did not desire the divine likeness against the acknowledged will of God, but as something attainable through himself. Thus the pride of Eve was more grave than that of Adam. But if each sin is considered from the condition of the person sinning, Adam sinned more gravely than Eve, because that person was far more perfect in soul.

Therefore, that the question may be resolved summarily, the sin of Eve was simply and absolutely graver than the sin of Adam, but the sin of Adam was graver in a certain respect. And hence the arguments which could be objected are resolved.]