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Objection 1: It would seem that all the sins of men are due to the
devil's suggestion. For Dionysius says (Div. Nom. iv) that the
"crowd of demons are the cause of all evils, both to themselves and to
others."
Objection 2: Further, whoever sins mortally, becomes the slave of
the devil, according to Jn. 8:34: "Whosoever committeth sin is
the slave of sin." Now "by whom a man is overcome, of the same also
he is the slave" (2 Pt. 2:19). Therefore whoever commits a
sin, has been overcome by the devil.
Objection 3: Further, Gregory says (Moral. iv, 10) the sin
of the devil is irreparable, because he sinned at no other's
suggestion. Therefore, if any men were to sin of their own free-will
and without suggestion from any other, their sin would be
irremediable: which is clearly false. Therefore all the sins of men
are due to the devil's suggestion.
On the contrary, It is written (De Eccl. Dogm. lxxxii):
"Not all our evil thoughts are incited by the devil; sometimes they
are due to a movement of the free-will."
I answer that, the devil is the occasional and indirect cause of all
our sins, in so far as he induced the first man to sin, by reason of
whose sin human nature is so infected, that we are all prone to sin:
even as the burning of wood might be imputed to the man who dried the
wood so as to make it easily inflammable. He is not, however, the
direct cause of all the sins of men, as though each were the result of
his suggestion. Origen proves this (Peri Archon iii, 2) from the
fact that even if the devil were no more, men would still have the
desire for food, sexual pleasures and the like; which desire might be
inordinate, unless it were subordinate to reason, a matter that is
subject to the free-will.
Reply to Objection 1: The crowd of demons are the cause of all our
evils, as regards their original cause, as stated.
Reply to Objection 2: A man becomes another's slave not only by
being overcome by him, but also by subjecting himself to him
spontaneously: it is thus that one who sins of his own accord, becomes
the slave of the devil.
Reply to Objection 3: The devil's sin was irremediable, not only
because he sinned without another's suggestion; but also because he
was not already prone to sin, on account of any previous sin; which
can be said of no sin of man.
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