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Objection 1: It seems that covetousness is the greatest of sins.
For it is written (Ecclus. 10:9): "Nothing is more wicked
than a covetous man," and the text continues: "There is not a more
wicked thing than to love money: for such a one setteth even his own
soul to sale." Tully also says (De Offic. i, under the heading,
'True magnanimity is based chiefly on two things'): "Nothing is
so narrow or little minded as to love money." But this pertains to
covetousness. Therefore covetousness is the most grievous of sins.
Objection 2: Further, the more a sin is opposed to charity, the
more grievous it is. Now covetousness is most opposed to charity: for
Augustine says (Questions 83, qu. 36) that "greed is the bane
of charity." Therefore covetousness is the greatest of sins.
Objection 3: Further, the gravity of a sin is indicated by its
being incurable: wherefore the sin against the Holy Ghost is said to
be most grievous, because it is irremissible. But covetousness is an
incurable sin: hence the Philosopher says (Ethic. iv, 1) that
"old age and helplessness of any kind make men illiberal." Therefore
covetousness is the most grievous of sins.
Objection 4: Further, the Apostle says (Eph. 5:5) that
covetousness is "a serving of idols." Now idolatry is reckoned among
the most grievous sins. Therefore covetousness is also.
On the contrary, Adultery is a more grievous sin than theft,
according to Prov. 6:30. But theft pertains to covetousness.
Therefore covetousness is not the most grievous of sins.
I answer that, Every sin, from the very fact that it is an evil,
consists in the corruption or privation of some good: while, in so far
as it is voluntary, it consists in the desire of some good.
Consequently the order of sins may be considered in two ways. First,
on the part of the good that is despised or corrupted by sin, and then
the greater the good the graver the sin. From this point of view a sin
that is against God is most grievous; after this comes a sin that is
committed against a man's person, and after this comes a sin against
external things, which are deputed to man's use, and this seems to
belong to covetousness. Secondly, the degrees of sin may be
considered on the part of the good to which the human appetite is
inordinately subjected; and then the lesser the good, the more
deformed is the sin: for it is more shameful to be subject to a lower
than to a higher good. Now the good of external things is the lowest
of human goods: since it is less than the good of the body, and this
is less than the good of the soul, which is less than the Divine
good. From this point of view the sin of covetousness, whereby the
human appetite is subjected even to external things, has in a way a
greater deformity. Since, however, corruption or privation of good
is the formal element in sin, while conversion to a mutable good is the
material element, the gravity of the sin is to be judged from the point
of view of the good corrupted, rather than from that of the good to
which the appetite is subjected. Hence we must assert that
covetousness is not simply the most grievous of sins.
Reply to Objection 1: These authorities speak of covetousness on
the part of the good to which the appetite is subjected. Hence
(Ecclus. 10:10) it is given as a reason that the covetous man
"setteth his own soul to sale"; because, to wit, he exposes his
soul---that is, his life---to danger for the sake of money.
Hence the text continues: "Because while he liveth he hath cast
away"---that is, despised---"his bowels," in order to make
money. Tully also adds that it is the mark of a "narrow mind,"
namely, that one be willing to be subject to money.
Reply to Objection 2: Augustine is taking greed generally, in
reference to any temporal good, not in its special acceptation for
covetousness: because greed for any temporal good is the bane of
charity, inasmuch as a man turns away from the Divine good through
cleaving to a temporal good.
Reply to Objection 3: The sin against the Holy Ghost is incurable
in one way, covetousness in another. For the sin against the Holy
Ghost is incurable by reason of contempt: for instance, because a man
contemns God's mercy, or His justice, or some one of those things
whereby man's sins are healed: wherefore incurability of this kind
points to the greater gravity of the sin. on the other hand,
covetousness is incurable on the part of a human defect; a thing which
human nature ever seeks to remedy, since the more deficient one is the
more one seeks relief from external things, and consequently the more
one gives way to covetousness. Hence incurability of this kind is an
indication not of the sin being more grievous, but of its being
somewhat more dangerous.
Reply to Objection 4: Covetousness is compared to idolatry on
account of a certain likeness that it bears to it: because the covetous
man, like the idolater, subjects himself to an external creature,
though not in the same way. For the idolater subjects himself to an
external creature by paying it Divine honor, whereas the covetous man
subjects himself to an external creature by desiring it immoderately for
use, not for worship. Hence it does not follow that covetousness is
as grievous a sin as idolatry.
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