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Objection 1: It would seem that the manner and order of the first
temptation was not fitting. For just as in the order of nature the
angel was above man, so was the man above the woman. Now sin came
upon man through an angel: therefore in like manner it should have come
upon the woman through the man; in other words the woman should have
been tempted by the man, and not the other way about.
Objection 2: Further, the temptation of our first parents was by
suggestion. Now the devil is able to make suggestions to man without
making use of an outward sensible creature. Since then our first
parents were endowed with a spiritual mind, and adhered less to
sensible than to intelligible things, it would have been more fitting
for man to be tempted with a merely spiritual, instead of an outward,
temptation.
Objection 3: Further, one cannot fittingly suggest an evil except
through some apparent good. But many other animals have a greater
appearance of good than the serpent has. Therefore man was unfittingly
tempted by the devil through a serpent.
Objection 4: Further, the serpent is an irrational animal. Now
wisdom, speech, and punishment are not befitting an irrational
animal. Therefore the serpent is unfittingly described (Gn.
3:1) as "more subtle than any of the beasts of the earth," or as
"the most prudent of all beasts" according to another version [The
Septuagint]: and likewise is unfittingly stated to have spoken to the
woman, and to have been punished by God.
On the contrary, That which is first in any genus should be
proportionate to all that follow it in that genus. Now in every kind
of sin we find the same order as in the first temptation. For,
according to Augustine (De Trin. xii, 12), it begins with the
concupiscence of sin in the sensuality, signified by the serpent;
extends to the lower reason, by pleasure, signified by the woman; and
reaches to the higher reason by consent in the sin, signified by the
man. Therefore the order of the first temptation was fitting.
I answer that, Man is composed of a twofold nature, intellective and
sensitive. Hence the devil, in tempting man, made use of a twofold
incentive to sin: one on the part of the intellect, by promising the
Divine likeness through the acquisition of knowledge which man
naturally desires to have; the other on the part of sense. This he
did by having recourse to those sensible things, which are most akin to
man, partly by tempting the man through the woman who was akin to him
in the same species; partly by tempting the woman through the serpent,
who was akin to them in the same genus; partly by suggesting to them to
eat of the forbidden fruit, which was akin to them in the proximate
genus.
Reply to Objection 1: In the act of tempting the devil was by way
of principal agent; whereas the woman was employed as an instrument of
temptation in bringing about the downfall of the man, both because the
woman was weaker than the man, and consequently more liable to be
deceived, and because, on account of her union with man, the devil
was able to deceive the man especially through her. Now there is no
parity between principal agent and instrument, because the principal
agent must exceed in power, which is not requisite in the instrumental
agent.
Reply to Objection 2: A suggestion whereby the devil suggests
something to man spiritually, shows the devil to have more power
against man than outward suggestion has, since by an inward
suggestion, at least, man's imagination is changed by the devil
[FP, Question 91, Article 3]; whereas by an outward
suggestion, a change is wrought merely on an outward creature. Now
the devil had a minimum of power against man before sin, wherefore he
was unable to tempt him by inward suggestion, but only by outward
suggestion.
Reply to Objection 3: According to Augustine (Gen. ad lit.
xi, 3), "we are not to suppose that the devil chose the serpent as
his means of temptation; but as he was possessed of the lust of
deceit, he could only do so by the animal he was allowed to use for
that purpose."
Reply to Objection 4: According to Augustine (Gen. ad lit.
xi, 29), "the serpent is described as most prudent or subtle, on
account of the cunning of the devil, who wrought his wiles in it:
thus, we speak of a prudent or cunning tongue, because it is the
instrument of a prudent or cunning man in advising something prudently
or cunningly. Nor indeed (Gen. ad lit. xi, 28) did the serpent
understand the sounds which were conveyed through it to the woman; nor
again are we to believe that its soul was changed into a rational
nature, since not even men, who are rational by nature, know what
they say when a demon speaks in them. Accordingly (Gen. ad lit.
xi, 29) the serpent spoke to man, even as the ass on which Balaam
sat spoke to him, except that the former was the work of a devil,
whereas the latter was the work of an angel. Hence (Gen. ad lit.
xi, 36) the serpent was not asked why it had done this, because it
had not done this in its own nature, but the devil in it, who was
already condemned to everlasting fire on account of his sin: and the
words addressed to the serpent were directed to him who wrought through
the serpent."
Moreover, as again Augustine says (Super Gen. contra Manich.
ii, 17,18), "his, that is, the devil's, punishment
mentioned here is that for which we must be on our guard against him,
not that which is reserved till the last judgment. For when it was
said to him: 'Thou art cursed among all cattle and beasts of the
earth,' the cattle are set above him, not in power, but in the
preservation of their nature, since the cattle lost no heavenly bliss,
seeing that they never had it, but they continue to live in the nature
which they received." It is also said to him: "'Upon thy breast
and belly shalt thou creep,'" according to another version [The
Septuagint] "Here the breast signifies pride, because it is there
that the impulse of the soul dominates, while the belly denotes carnal
desire, because this part of the body is softest to the touch: and on
these he creeps to those whom he wishes to deceive." The words,
"'Earth shalt thou eat all the days of thy life' may be understood
in two ways. Either 'Those shall belong to thee, whom thou shalt
deceive by earthly lust,' namely sinners who are signified under the
name of earth, or a third kind of temptation, namely curiosity, is
signified by these words: for to eat earth is to look into things deep
and dark." The putting of enmities between him and the woman "means
that we cannot be tempted by the devil, except through that part of the
soul which bears or reflects the likeness of a woman. The seed of the
devil is the temptation to evil, the seed of the woman is the fruit of
good works, whereby the temptation to evil is resisted. Wherefore the
serpent lies in wait for the woman's heel, that if at any time she
fall away towards what is unlawful, pleasure may seize hold of her:
and she watches his head that she may shut him out at the very outset of
the evil temptation."
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