|
Objection 1: It would seem that pride is not a mortal sin. For a
gloss on Ps. 7:4, "O Lord my God, if I have done this
thing," says: "Namely, the universal sin which is pride."
Therefore if pride were a mortal sin, so would every sin be.
Objection 2: Further, every mortal sin is contrary to charity.
But pride is apparently not contrary to charity, neither as to the
love of God, nor as to the love of one's neighbor, because the
excellence which, by pride, one desires inordinately, is not always
opposed to God's honor, or our neighbor's good. Therefore pride is
not a mortal sin.
Objection 3: Further, every mortal sin is opposed to virtue. But
pride is not opposed to virtue; on the contrary, it arises therefrom,
for as Gregory says (Moral. xxxiv, 23), "sometimes a man is
elated by sublime and heavenly virtues." Therefore pride is not a
mortal sin.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xxxiv, 23) that "pride
is a most evident sign of the reprobate, and contrariwise, humility of
the elect." But men do not become reprobate on account of venial
sins. Therefore pride is not a venial but a mortal sin.
I answer that, Pride is opposed to humility. Now humility properly
regards the subjection of man to God, as stated above (Question
161, Article 1, ad 5). Hence pride properly regards lack of
this subjection, in so far as a man raises himself above that which is
appointed to him according to the Divine rule or measure, against the
saying of the Apostle (2 Cor. 10:13), "But we will not
glory beyond our measure; but according to the measure of the rule
which God hath measured to us." Wherefore it is written (Ecclus.
10:14): "The beginning of the pride of man is to fall off from
God" because, to wit, the root of pride is found to consist in man
not being, in some way, subject to God and His rule. Now it is
evident that not to be subject to God is of its very nature a mortal
sin, for this consists in turning away from God: and consequently
pride is, of its genus, a mortal sin. Nevertheless just as in other
sins which are mortal by their genus (for instance fornication and
adultery) there are certain motions that are venial by reason of their
imperfection (through forestalling the judgment of reason, and being
without its consent), so too in the matter of pride it happens that
certain motions of pride are venial sins, when reason does not consent
to them.
Reply to Objection 1: As stated above (Article 2) pride is a
general sin, not by its essence but by a kind of influence, in so far
as all sins may have their origin in pride. Hence it does not follow
that all sins are mortal, but only such as arise from perfect pride,
which we have stated to be a mortal sin.
Reply to Objection 2: Pride is always contrary to the love of
God, inasmuch as the proud man does not subject himself to the Divine
rule as he ought. Sometimes it is also contrary to the love of our
neighbor; when, namely, a man sets himself inordinately above his
neighbor: and this again is a transgression of the Divine rule, which
has established order among men, so that one ought to be subject to
another.
Reply to Objection 3: Pride arises from virtue, not as from its
direct cause, but as from an accidental cause, in so far as a man
makes a virtue an occasion for pride. And nothing prevents one
contrary from being the accidental cause of another, as stated in
Phys. viii, 1. Hence some are even proud of their humility.
|
|