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Objection 1: It would seem that the beatitudes are unsuitably
enumerated. For the beatitudes are assigned to the gifts, as stated
above (Article 1, ad 1). Now some of the gifts, viz. wisdom
and understanding, belong to the contemplative life: yet no beatitude
is assigned to the act of contemplation, for all are assigned to
matters connected with the active life. Therefore the beatitudes are
insufficiently enumerated.
Objection 2: Further, not only do the executive gifts belong to the
active life, but also some of the directive gifts, e.g. knowledge
and counsel: yet none of the beatitudes seems to be directly connected
with the acts of knowledge or counsel. Therefore the beatitudes are
insufficiently indicated.
Objection 3: Further, among the executive gifts connected with the
active life, fear is said to be connected with poverty, while piety
seems to correspond to the beatitude of mercy: yet nothing is included
directly connected with justice. Therefore the beatitudes are
insufficiently enumerated.
Objection 4: Further, many other beatitudes are mentioned in Holy
Writ. Thus, it is written (Job 5:17): "Blessed is the man
whom God correcteth"; and (Ps. i, 1): "Blessed is the man
who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly"; and (Prov.
3:13): "Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom." Therefore
the beatitudes are insufficiently enumerated.
Objection 5: On the other hand, it seems that too many are
mentioned. For there are seven gifts of the Holy Ghost: whereas
eight beatitudes are indicated.
Objection 6: Further, only four beatitudes are indicated in the
sixth chapter of Luke. Therefore the seven or eight mentioned in
Matthew 5 are too many.
I answer that, These beatitudes are most suitably enumerated. To
make this evident it must be observed that beatitude has been held to
consist in one of three things: for some have ascribed it to a sensual
life, some, to an active life, and some, to a contemplative life
[Question 3]. Now these three kinds of happiness stand in
different relations to future beatitude, by hoping for which we are
said to be happy. Because sensual happiness, being false and contrary
to reason, is an obstacle to future beatitude; while happiness of the
active life is a disposition of future beatitude; and contemplative
happiness, if perfect, is the very essence of future beatitude, and,
if imperfect, is a beginning thereof.
And so Our Lord, in the first place, indicated certain beatitudes
as removing the obstacle of sensual happiness. For a life of pleasure
consists of two things. First, in the affluence of external goods,
whether riches or honors; from which man is withdrawn---by a virtue
so that he uses them in moderation---and by a gift, in a more
excellent way, so that he despises them altogether. Hence the first
beatitude is: "Blessed are the poor in spirit," which may refer
either to the contempt of riches, or to the contempt of honors, which
results from humility. Secondly, the sensual life consists in
following the bent of one's passions, whether irascible or
concupiscible. From following the irascible passions man is
withdrawn---by a virtue, so that they are kept within the bounds
appointed by the ruling of reason---and by a gift, in a more
excellent manner, so that man, according to God's will, is
altogether undisturbed by them: hence the second beatitude is:
"Blessed are the meek." From following the concupiscible passions,
man is withdrawn---by a virtue, so that man uses these passions in
moderation---and by gift, so that, if necessary, he casts them
aside altogether; nay more, so that, if need be, he makes a
deliberate choice of sorrow [Question 35, Article 3]; hence the
third beatitude is: "Blessed are they that mourn."
Active life consists chiefly in man's relations with his neighbor,
either by way of duty or by way of spontaneous gratuity. To the former
we are disposed---by a virtue, so that we do not refuse to do our
duty to our neighbor, which pertains to justice---and by a gift, so
that we do the same much more heartily, by accomplishing works of
justice with an ardent desire, even as a hungry and thirsty man eats
and drinks with eager appetite. Hence the fourth beatitude is:
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice." With
regard to spontaneous favors we are perfected---by a virtue, so that
we give where reason dictates we should give, e.g. to our friends or
others united to us; which pertains to the virtue of liberality--and
by a gift, so that, through reverence for God, we consider only the
needs of those on whom we bestow our gratuitous bounty: hence it is
written (Lk. 14:12,13): "When thou makest a dinner or
supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren," etc . . . "but
. . . call the poor, the maimed," etc.; which, properly, is to
have mercy: hence the fifth beatitude is: "Blessed are the
merciful."
Those things which concern the contemplative life, are either final
beatitude itself, or some beginning thereof: wherefore they are
included in the beatitudes, not as merits, but as rewards. Yet the
effects of the active life, which dispose man for the contemplative
life, are included in the beatitudes. Now the effect of the active
life, as regards those virtues and gifts whereby man is perfected in
himself, is the cleansing of man's heart, so that it is not defiled
by the passions: hence the sixth beatitude is: "Blessed are the
clean of heart." But as regards the virtues and gifts whereby man is
perfected in relation to his neighbor, the effect of the active life is
peace, according to Is. 32:17: "The work of justice shall be
peace": hence the seventh beatitude is "Blessed are the
peacemakers."
Reply to Objection 1: The acts of the gifts which belong to the
active life are indicated in the merits: but the acts of the gifts
pertaining to the contemplative life are indicated in the rewards, for
the reason given above. Because to "see God" corresponds to the
gift of understanding; and to be like God by being adoptive "children
of God," corresponds to the gift of wisdom.
Reply to Objection 2: In things pertaining to the active life,
knowledge is not sought for its own sake, but for the sake of
operation, as even the Philosopher states (Ethic. ii, 2). And
therefore, since beatitude implies something ultimate, the beatitudes
do not include the acts of those gifts which direct man in the active
life, such acts, to wit, as are elicited by those gifts, as, e.g.
to counsel is the act of counsel, and to judge, the act of knowledge:
but, on the other hand, they include those operative acts of which the
gifts have the direction, as, e.g. mourning in respect of
knowledge, and mercy in respect of counsel.
Reply to Objection 3: In applying the beatitudes to the gifts we
may consider two things. One is likeness of matter. In this way all
the first five beatitudes may be assigned to knowledge and counsel as to
their directing principles: whereas they must be distributed among the
executive gifts: so that, to wit, hunger and thirst for justice, and
mercy too, correspond to piety, which perfects man in his relations to
others; meekness to fortitude, for Ambrose says on Lk. 6:22:
"It is the business of fortitude to conquer anger, and to curb
indignation," fortitude being about the irascible passions: poverty
and mourning to the gift of fear, whereby man withdraws from the lusts
and pleasures of the world.
Secondly, we may consider the motives of the beatitudes: and, in
this way, some of them will have to be assigned differently. Because
the principal motive for meekness is reverence for God, which belongs
to piety. The chief motive for mourning is knowledge, whereby man
knows his failings and those of worldly things, according to Eccles.
1:18: "He that addeth knowledge, addeth also sorrow." The
principal motive for hungering after the works of justice is fortitude
of the soul: and the chief motive for being merciful is God's
counsel, according to Dan. 4:24: "Let my counsel be acceptable
to the king: and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities
with works of mercy to the poor." It is thus that Augustine assigns
them (De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 4).
Reply to Objection 4: All the beatitudes mentioned in Holy Writ
must be reduced to these, either as to the merits or as to the
rewards: because they must all belong either to the active or to the
contemplative life. Accordingly, when we read, "Blessed is the man
whom the Lord correcteth," we must refer this to the beatitude of
mourning: when we read, "Blessed is the man that hath not walked in
the counsel of the ungodly," we must refer it to cleanness of heart:
and when we read, "Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom," this
must be referred to the reward of the seventh beatitude. The same
applies to all others that can be adduced.
Reply to Objection 5: The eighth beatitude is a confirmation and
declaration of all those that precede. Because from the very fact that
a man is confirmed in poverty of spirit, meekness, and the rest, it
follows that no persecution will induce him to renounce them. Hence
the eighth beatitude corresponds, in a way, to all the preceding
seven.
Reply to Objection 6: Luke relates Our Lord's sermon as
addressed to the multitude (Lk. 6:17). Hence he sets down the
beatitudes according to the capacity of the multitude, who know no
other happiness than pleasure, temporal and earthly: wherefore by
these four beatitudes Our Lord excludes four things which seem to
belong to such happiness. The first of these is abundance of external
goods, which he sets aside by saying: "Blessed are ye poor." The
second is that man be well off as to his body, in food and drink, and
so forth; this he excludes by saying in the second place: "Blessed
are ye that hunger." The third is that it should be well with man as
to joyfulness of heart, and this he puts aside by saying: "Blessed
are ye that weep now." The fourth is the outward favor of man; and
this he excludes, saying, fourthly: "Blessed shall you be, when
men shall hate you." And as Ambrose says on Lk. 6:20,
"poverty corresponds to temperance, which is unmoved by delights;
hunger, to justice, since who hungers is compassionate and, through
compassion gives; mourning, to prudence, which deplores perishable
things; endurance of men's hatred belongs to fortitude."
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