to covet God's likeness as to
knowledge, absolutely; but to covet this likeness inordinately, that
is, above one's measure, this is a sin. Hence Augustine commenting on
Ps. 70:18, "O God, who is like Thee?" says: "He who desires to be of
himself, even as God is of no one, wishes wickedly to be like God.
Thus did the devil, who was unwilling to be subject to Him, and man
who refused to be, as a servant, bound by His command."

Reply Obj. 3: This argument considers the likeness of equality.
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THIRD ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 163, Art. 7]

Whether the Sin of Our First Parents Was More Grievous Than Other Sins?

Objection 1: It would seem that the sin of our first parents was more
grievous than other sins. For Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiv, 15):
"Great was the wickedness in sinning, when it was so easy to avoid
sin." Now it was very easy for our first parents to avoid sin,
because they had nothing within them urging them to sin. Therefore
the sin of our first parents was more grievous than other sins.

Obj. 2: Further, punishment is proportionate to guilt. Now the sin of
our first parents was most severely punished, since by it "death
entered into this world," as the Apostle says (Rom. 5:12). Therefore
that sin was more grievous than other sins.

Obj. 3: Further, the first in every genus is seemingly the greatest
(Metaph. ii, 4 [*Ed. Diel. i, 1]). Now the sin of our first parents
was the first among sins of men. Therefore it was the greatest.

_On the contrary,_ Origen says [*Peri Archon i, 3]: "I think that a
man who stands on the highest step of perfection cannot fail or fall
suddenly: this can happen only by degrees and little by little." Now
our first parents were established on the highest and perfect grade.
Therefore their first sin was not the greatest of all sins.

_I answer that,_ There is a twofold gravity to be observed in sin.
one results from the very species of the sin: thus we say that
adultery is a graver sin than simple fornication. The other gravity
of sin results from some circumstance of place, person, or time. The
former gravity is more essential to sin and is of greater moment:
hence a sin is said to be grave in respect of this gravity rather
than of the other. Accordingly we must say that the first man's sin
was not graver than all other sins of men, as regards the species of
the sin. For though pride, of its genus, has a certain pre-eminence
over other sins, yet the pride wh