Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Loss of Grace · Book III: On the Sin of the First Man
Chapter 9: That the sin of Adam was graver than the sin of Eve
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Amissione Gratiae et Statu Peccati, Book III. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
Another question is treated by the Doctors: which of the two sinned more gravely, the first man or the first woman. And indeed St. John Chrysostom, homily 7 to the people of Antioch, teaches in express words that the sin of the woman was graver than the sin of the man. Which opinion most of the Scholastics follow, on 2 Sentences, distinction 22. Contrariwise, St. Ambrose, in the book On the Instruction of a Virgin, chapter 4, contends with many arguments that the man sinned more gravely than the woman. St. Augustine, speaking of the first evil act of the first parents — that is, of the motion of pride — book 11 On Genesis to the Letter, chapter 35, says that she sinned “with unequal sex, with equal haughtiness.” And both in that book and in book 14 of the City of God he always so speaks as if he thought the sin of the woman equal to the sin of the man. But since in chapter 6 we said that two opinions are probable — one concerning the infidelity of the woman, that she believed God to be envious and a liar; the other, that she believed that God had not forbidden the tree of knowledge, and that she or her husband had not well understood the words of the Lord — therefore now also we are compelled to affirm that two opinions are probable concerning the gravity of the sin of the man and of the woman.
For probable is the opinion of St. John Chrysostom and of many Scholastics, who teach that the woman sinned more gravely than the man: because, if the woman believed that God had lied out of envy when he said, In what day soever thou shalt eat, thou shalt die the death — which (as I said) those Doctors with probability hold — certainly the pride and infidelity of the woman was far graver than the pride and infidelity of the man. For the woman willed, against God's will, to become as God, which is a pride plainly intolerable; and she believed God to be envious and a liar, which is a species of extreme infidelity, and contains an unheard-of blasphemy. But the man did not believe God to be envious or a liar, but that his sin would be venial, and thereby that he would not die by transgressing the precept — perhaps even that he would be as God. Hence he did indeed desire to become as God, but not against God's will; and he was unfaithful, but without that blasphemy and that most grave error which were in the sin of the woman.
Yet the more probable opinion seems to us (as we also said above) that the woman did not believe God to be envious and a liar, but only that the precept of God had not been well understood by herself or by her husband; and thereby we judge, with St. Ambrose, that the man sinned absolutely more gravely than the woman — though as to some acts the woman sinned equally with the man, as St. Augustine rightly taught.
But that all these things may more easily be perceived, it is to be known that in the sin of the man there were seven evil acts, and in the sin of the woman as many, but not altogether the same. The first evil act in the sin of the man was pride, by which he loved to be in his own power rather than in God's. Witness Augustine, in the Enchiridion, chapter 45. The second, immoderate love of his spouse. Witness the same Augustine, book 11 On Genesis, the last chapter. The third, infidelity, by which he did not believe God saying, thou shalt die the death, and believed the devil, you shall be as Gods. Augustine, in the Enchiridion, chapter 45. The fourth, curiosity. “For a certain desire of making trial solicited him,” says Augustine, book 11 On Genesis, the last chapter. The fifth, particular and express disobedience. Thou hast eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, says God to Adam, Genesis 3. The sixth, excusing of the sin. The woman, whom thou gavest me to be my companion, gave me, Genesis 3. The seventh, injury of the neighbor. For in Adam all die, 1 Corinthians 15.
In the sin of the woman the first was pride. Augustine, book 11 On Genesis, chapter 30. The second, infidelity, by which she believed the serpent and did not believe God. Augustine, in the same place. The third, concupiscence of the forbidden food. For she saw that the tree was fair to the eyes, and delightful to eat, Genesis 3. The fourth, particular and most notorious disobedience. For she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, Genesis 3. The fifth, the leading of her husband to sin. She gave to her husband, who did eat, Genesis 3. The sixth, excusing of the sin. The serpent deceived me, Genesis 3. The seventh, injury of the human race. For from the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die, Ecclesiasticus 25.
Now if we compare the evil acts themselves with one another, we shall find the sin of the man to be equal to, or somewhat graver than, the sin of the woman; if we compare the sinning persons, we shall find in many respects the sin of the man to be graver, in very few the sin of the woman.
The first act of each was pride, and pride plainly the same. For of each Augustine writes, book 11 On Genesis, chapter 34: “What wonder if, proud, willing to be as Gods, they became vain in their thoughts?” And chapter 35: “With unequal sex, with equal haughtiness.” The second act common to both was infidelity, and infidelity the same, or very like: each believed that they would not die, but would be as God. This only seems to be the difference: that the woman believed the precept not to have been given, or not well understood by her; the man believed the sin would be venial if he transgressed the precept, and thereby that the precept was not to be taken as the words seemed to sound. And so the infidelity of both comes to nearly the same. The third common act was disobedience, altogether the same, as is known. The fourth act common to both was the excusing of the sin. And in this act the iniquity of the man was graver than of the woman. For the man accused his companion, the woman the enemy; and moreover the man cast the fault back upon God, when he said: The woman whom thou gavest me, etc.; the woman upon the cunning of the serpent and her own simplicity: The serpent, says she, deceived me. The fifth act common to both was the injury of the human race; and in this act too, without controversy, Adam sinned more gravely than Eve. For Eve gave the occasion of the perdition of the human race, but Adam was the true and proper cause of its perdition. For if Eve alone had sinned, the human race would not for that reason have been corrupted, since by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners, and in one man, Adam namely, all sinned, Romans 5. The sixth act proper to the man was excessive love toward his spouse; to which answers the sixth act proper to the woman, the invitation of her husband to sin. Which two acts seem altogether alike, since Eve incited her husband to taste the forbidden food for no other cause than that she greatly loved him, and wished to share with him the good she believed herself to have found. The seventh act proper to the man was the desire of making trial whether that food would bring death; to which answers the seventh act proper to the woman, the concupiscence of that food, which even by its very look bore beauty and sweetness before it. But in this act who does not see that the fault of the man is graver than of the woman? For that curiosity of the man was a tempting of God, and indeed exceedingly perilous; the desire of the woman was a temptation of gluttony, which is easily stirred by the presence of its object. The evil acts, therefore, considered in themselves, condemn the man more than the woman.
But if we consider the persons, and the other circumstances of those acts, it will appear far more clearly that the fault of the man is to be judged greater than of the woman. For first, the man was wiser and stronger. Next, the man was the head of the woman, and ought to have taught her, not to have hearkened to her. Which God, upbraiding him, says: Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, etc. Third, the man had the weaker enemy, the woman the stronger, as is known. Fourth, the man had received the precept from God, the woman from the man (as we taught above from Ambrose and Augustine). Fifth, the woman acknowledged her fault more than the man, since she confessed her error when she said, The serpent deceived me; the man seems to have acknowledged neither error nor fault. Sixth, God reprehended Adam far more gravely than Eve. For he says by derision: Behold Adam is become as one of us, etc. Seventh, when God had punished both the man and the woman with their proper penalties, the penalty of death, which was to be common to both, he signified to Adam alone, saying: Dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.
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CAPUT IX. Peccatum Adami gravius fuisse ouam peccatum Evx. Tractatur a Doctoribus alia quaestio, uter peccaverit gravius, vir primus an mulier prima. Et quidem S. Joan. Chrysost. hom. 7. ad populum Antiochenum, disertis verbis docet, peccatum mulieris gravius fuisse quam peccatum viri. Quam sententiam ple- rique Scholasticorum sequ itur in 2. sent. dist. 22. Contra autem S. Ambrosius in lib. de Institutione virginis cap. 4. multis argu¬ mentis contendit, virum gravius peccasse, quam foeminam. S. Augustinus loquens de primo actu malo primorum parentum, id est, de motu superbiae, lib. xi. de Genesi ad litteram, cap. 35. dicit, eam peccasse, im¬ pari sexu, pari fastu. Et tam in eo libro, quam in lib. xiv. de Civit. Dei, semper ita loquitur, ac si aequale putaverit fuisse pec¬ catum mulieris peccato viri. Sed quoniam cap. 6*. duas opiniones probabiles esse dixi¬ mus, unam de infidelitate mulieris, quod crediderit Deum esse invidum, et mendacem alteram quod crediderit, Deum non prohi¬ buisse lignum scientiae, seque aut virum suum non bene intellexisse verba Domini : idcirco nunc etiam duas opiniones probabi¬ les esse, affirmare cogimur de gravitate pec¬ cati viri, ac mulieris. Probabilis enim est sententia S. Joannis Chrysostomi, et multorum scholasticorum, qui docent, mulierem gravius peccasse, quam virum : quia si mulier credidit, Deum ex invidia esse mentitum, cum ait. Quacum¬ que die comederis, morte morieris , quod (ut dixi) Doctores illi probabiliter sentiunt, certe mulieris superbia, et infidelitas longe fuit gravior quam superbia, et infidelitas viri. Mulier enim voluit invito Deo, fieri sicut Deus, quae est superbia plane intolerabilis, et credidit Deum esse invidum et mendacem, quae est species infidelitatis extremae, et bla- sphemiam continet inauditaum. Vir enim non credidit, Deum esse invidum, vel men¬ dacem, sed veniale fore peccatum suum, ac per hoc se non moriturum transgrediendo praeceptum, forte etiam futurum sicut Deum. Proinde cupivit quidem fieri sicut Deus, sed non invito Deo ; et infidelis fuit, sed absque blasphemia illa et errore gravissimo, quae in peccato mulieris fuerunt. Probabilior tamen sententia nobis videtur (ut supra etiam diximus) mulierem non cre¬ didisse Deum esse invidum et mendacem, sed solum praeceptum Dei a se, vel a viro suo non bene intellectum, ac per hoc cum S. Ambrosio arbitramur, virum absolute gravius peccasse, quam foeminam ; licet quoad aliquos actus aeque peccaverit mulier ac vir, ut S. Augustinus recte docuit. Sed ut haec omnia facilius perspiciantur, sciendum est in peccato viri fuisse septem actus malos, et in peccato fceminae totidem, sed non omnino eosdem. Primus actus ma¬ lus in peccato viri, superbia fuit, qua in sua potius esse, quam in Dei potestate di- LIBER III. 320 lexit. Testis Augustinus in Enchiridio, cap. -45. Secundus, amor conjugis immoderatus. Testis idem Augustinus lib. xi. de Genesi cap. ult. Tertius, infidelitas, qua Deo non credidit dicenti, morte morieris, et diabolo credidit, eritis sicut Dii. Augustinus in En¬ chiridio, cap. 45. Quartus, curiositas. « Sol¬ licitavit enim eum quaedam experiendi cupi¬ ditas », inquit Augustinus lib. xi. de Genesi cap. ult. Quintus, inobedientia particularis et expressa. Comedisti de ligno , de quo prae¬ ceperam ne comederes , inquit Deus ad Ada- mum Gen. iii. Sextus, excusatio peccati. Mulier , quam dedisti mihi sociam dedit mihi, Genes, m. Septimus, laesio proximi. Nam in Adam omnes moriuntur , I Corinth. xv (1). In peccato mulieris primus fuit, superbia. Augustinus lib. xi. de Genes, cap. 3. Secun¬ dus, infidelitas, qua serpenti .credidit, ct Deo non credidit. Augustinus ibibem. Ter¬ tius, concupiscentia cibi prohibiti. Vidit enim lignum, quod esset pulchrum visu, et ad vescendum suave, Genes, iii. Quartus, inobe¬ dientia particularis, et notissima. Sumpsit enim de fructu, et manducavit, ’ Gen. iii. Quintus, inductio viri ad peccandum. A ttulit viro, qui et ipse comedit , Genes, iii. Sextus excusatio peccati. Serpens decepit me, Genes, m. Septimus, laesio generis humani. Nam a muliere initium peccati, et per illam omnes morimur, Eccles. xxv (2). Jam vero si conferamus actus ipsos malos inter se, inveniemus peccatum viri aequale esse, aut aliquanto gravius peccato mulieris; si conferamus personas peccantes, invenie¬ mus in multis peccatum viri esse gravius, in paucissimis gravis esse peccatum mulieris. Primus actus utriusque, fuit superbia, et superbia plane eadem. De utroque enim scribit Augustinus lib. xi. de Genes, cap. 34 : e Quid mirum, si superbi volentes esse sicut Dii, evanuerunt in cogitationibus suis? » Et cap. 35 : « Impari sexu, pari fastu. » Secundus actus utrique communis fuit in¬ fidelitas, et infidelitas eadem, aut persimi¬ lis, uterque credidit se non moriturum sed futurum sicut Deum, hoc solum videtur esse discriminis, quod mulier credidit, praece- ptum non esse datum, aut a se non bene in¬ tellectum; vir credidit veniale fore pecca¬ tum, si praeceptum transgrederetur, ac per hoc non ita accipiendum praeceptum, ut verba sonare videbantur. Itaque fere in idem recidit infidelitas utriusque. Tertius actus communis, fuit inobedien- tia omnino eadem, ut notum est. Quartus actus communis utrique fuit, ex¬ cusatio peccati. Et in hoc actu gravior fuit iniquitas viri, quam mulieris. Vir enim so¬ ciam accusavit, mulier hostem ; et praeterea vir in Deum culpam rejecit, cum ait : Mulier quam dedisti mihi, etc. Mulier in serpentis astutiam, et in suam simplicitatem : Serpens, inquit, decepit me. Quintus actus communis utrique, fuit Ias¬ sio generis humani ; et in hoc etiam actu sine controversia gravius Adam , quam Eva peccavit. Nam Eva occasionem dedit perditioni generis humani, sed Adam vera ac propria causa fuit ejus perditionis. Nam si sola Eva pecasset, non propterea corru¬ ptum esset genus humanum , siquidem, per unius . hominis inohedientiam peccatores constituti sunt multi, et in uno homine, Adamo videlicet, omnes peccaverunt, Roman. v (2). Sextus actus viri proprius, fuit amor ni¬ mius in conjugem, cui respondet sextus actus mulieris proprius, invitatio viri ad peccandum. Qui duo actus videntur omnino similes ; cum Eva non alia de causa virum incitaverit ad cibum vetitum degustandum, nisi quia valde diligebat eum, et ut bonum quod se invenisse credebat, cum eo commu¬ nicaret. Septimus actus viri proprius, fuit cupiditas experiendi, an cibus ille mortem atferret ; cui respondet septimus actus mulieris pro¬ prius concupiscentia cibi illius, qui vel ipso aspectu speciem et suavitatem prae se ferebat. In hoc vero actu quis non videt, graviorem esse viri culpam, quam mulieris? nam cu¬ riositas illa viri tentatio Dei erat, et quidem periculosa admodum ; cupiditas mulieris tentatio fuit gulae, quae ab objecti praesentia facile irritatur. Actus igitur mali per se con¬ siderati, magis virum, quam mulierem dam¬ nant. Quod si personas consideremus, aliasque actuum illorum circumstantias longe clarius apparebit majorem viri, quam foeminae cul¬ pam esse judicandam. Primum enim, vir erat sapientior et fortior. Deinde, vir caput erat mulieris, et eam docere, non eam au¬ dire debuit. Quod exprobrans illi Deus ait : (I) Gen. III, 17; ibid. 12; I Corin. XV, 22. — (2) Gen. III, 6; ibid. III, 13; Eccl. XXV, 33. — (3) Rom. V, 19. CAPUT X. 321 Quia audisti vocem uxoris tux etc. Tertio, vir hostem habuit debiliorem, mulier fortiorem, ut notum est. Quarto, vir a Deo praeceptum acceperat, mulier a viro (ut supra ex Ambro¬ sio et Augustino docuimus.) Quinto mulier magis agnovit culpam, quam vir, siquidem confessa est errorem, cum ait, Serpens dece¬ pit me: vir neque errorem, neque culpam agnovisse videtur. Sexto, Deus longe gravius Adamum reprehendit, quam Evam. Ait enim per irrisionem : Ecce Adarn sicut unus ex nobis factus est etc. Septimo, cum Deus et virum, et mulierem propria poma mulctas- set, poenam mortis, quae utrique communis futura erat, soli Adamo significavit, dicens : Pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris.