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Objection 1: It would seem that a fruit is not due to the virtue of
continence alone. For a gloss on 1 Cor. 15:41, "One is the
glory of the sun," says that "the worth of those who have the
hundredfold fruit is compared to the glory of the sun; to the glory of
the moon those who have the sixtyfold fruit; and to the stars those who
have the thirtyfold fruit." Now this difference of glory, in the
meaning of the Apostle, regards any difference whatever of beatitude.
Therefore the various fruits should correspond to none but the virtue
of continence.
Objection 2: Further, fruits are so called from fruition. But
fruition belongs to the essential reward which corresponds to all the
virtues. Therefore, etc.
Objection 3: Further, fruit is due to labor: "The fruit of good
labors is glorious" (Wis. 3:15). Now there is greater labor
in fortitude than in temperance or continence. Therefore fruit does
not correspond to continence alone.
Objection 4: Further, it is more difficult not to exceed the
measure in food which is necessary for life, than in sexual matters
without which life can be sustained: and thus the labor of frugality is
greater than that of continence. Therefore fruit corresponds to
frugality rather than to continence.
Objection 5: Further, fruit implies delight, and delight regards
especially the end. Since then the theological virtues have the end
for their object, namely God Himself, it would seem that to them
especially the fruit should correspond.
On the contrary, is the statement of the gloss on Mt. 13:23,
"The one a hundredfold," which assigns the fruits to virginity,
widowhood, and conjugal continence, which are parts of continence.
I answer that, A fruit is a reward due to a person in that he passes
from the carnal to the spiritual life. Consequently a fruit
corresponds especially to that virtue which more than any other frees
man from subjection to the flesh. Now this is the effect of
continence, since it is by sexual pleasures that the soul is especially
subject to the flesh; so much so that in the carnal act, according to
Jerome (Ep. ad Ageruch.), "not even the spirit of prophecy
touches the heart of the prophet," nor "is it possible to understand
anything in the midst of that pleasure," as the Philosopher says
(Ethic. vii, 11). Therefore fruit corresponds to continence
rather than to another virtue.
Reply to Objection 1: This gloss takes fruit in a broad sense,
according as any reward is called a fruit.
Reply to Objection 2: Fruition does not take its name from fruit by
reason of any comparison with fruit in the sense in which we speak of it
now, as evidenced by what has been said.
Reply to Objection 3: Fruit, as we speak of it now, corresponds
to labor not as resulting in fatigue, but as resulting in the
production of fruit. Hence a man calls his crops his labor, inasmuch
as he labored for them, or produced them by his labor. Now the
comparison to fruit, as produced from seed, is more adapted to
continence than to fortitude, because man is not subjected to the flesh
by the passions of fortitude, as he is by the passions with which
continence is concerned.
Reply to Objection 4: Although the pleasures of the table are more
necessary than the pleasures of sex, they are not so strong: wherefore
the soul is not so much subjected to the flesh thereby.
Reply to Objection 5: Fruit is not taken here in the sense in which
fruition applies to delight in the end; but in another sense as stated
above (Article 2). Hence the argument proves nothing.
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