SO great is | the enormity of their crimes that they surpass even the sins and downfall of the evil angels. If they are surpassing in their instances of guilt, how are they not also in their punishments in Hell? Certainly it is not difficult to demonstrate this in various ways in terms of instances of guilt.

First, although the Devil's sin is unforgivable, the reason for this is not the enormity of the crime, if the demons' natural gifts are taken into account. This is particularly so according to the view of those who say that the demons were created in the possession of only natural gifts and not of those of Grace. Because the good of Grace surpasses that of nature, the sins of those who fall from a state of Grace, as is the case with the sorceresses when they renounce the Faith they accepted at baptism, clearly surpass the demons' sins. If, on the other hand, we say that the demons were created in Grace, though not confirmed, then, the sorceresses, though not created in Grace, also fell from Grace of their own accord, just as the Devil too sinned willingly.

The second demonstration. The Devil's sin is unforgivable for various other reasons. For instance, according to Augustine [City of God 21.23], since he did not sin at anyone's suggestion, he also ought to return with-out anyone restoring him. According to John of Damascus [Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 2.3], he sinned in the intellect in violation of God's form, and the more noble the power of recognition, the worse the sin. For in knowing the will of his master, a slave, and so on. Or, again according to John of Damascus [as above], because he is incapable of accepting penitence, he is also incapable of accepting forgiveness. This is the result of his nature, which, being merely spiritual, is changeable just once because it converts itself entirely, which is not the case with man, in whom the flesh constantly fights back against the spirit.