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Objection 1: It seems that martyrdom is not an act of virtue. For
all acts of virtue are voluntary. But martyrdom is sometimes not
voluntary, as in the case of the Innocents who were slain for
Christ's sake, and of whom Hillary says (Super Matth. i) that
"they attained the ripe age of eternity through the glory of
martyrdom." Therefore martyrdom is not an act of virtue.
Objection 2: Further, nothing unlawful is an act of virtue. Now
it is unlawful to kill oneself, as stated above (Question 64,
Article 5), and yet martyrdom is achieved by so doing: for
Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i) that "during persecution certain
holy women, in order to escape from those who threatened their
chastity, threw themselves into a river, and so ended their lives,
and their martyrdom is honored in the Catholic Church with most solemn
veneration." Therefore martyrdom is not an act of virtue.
Objection 3: Further, it is praiseworthy to offer oneself to do an
act of virtue. But it is not praiseworthy to court martyrdom, rather
would it seem to be presumptuous and rash. Therefore martyrdom is not
an act of virtue.
On the contrary, The reward of beatitude is not due save to acts of
virtue. Now it is due to martyrdom, since it is written (Mt.
5:10): "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice'
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Therefore martyrdom is
an act of virtue.
I answer that, As stated above (Question 123, Articles
1,3), it belongs to virtue to safeguard man in the good of reason.
Now the good of reason consists in the truth as its proper object, and
in justice as its proper effect, as shown above (Question 109,
Articles 1,2; Question 123, Article 12). And martyrdom
consists essentially in standing firmly to truth and justice against the
assaults of persecution. Hence it is evident that martyrdom is an act
of virtue.
Reply to Objection 1: Some have said that in the case of the
Innocents the use of their free will was miraculously accelerated, so
that they suffered martyrdom even voluntarily. Since, however,
Scripture contains no proof of this, it is better to say that these
babes in being slain obtained by God's grace the glory of martyrdom
which others acquire by their own will. For the shedding of one's
blood for Christ's sake takes the place of Baptism. Wherefore just
as in the case of baptized children the merit of Christ is conducive to
the acquisition of glory through the baptismal grace, so in those who
were slain for Christ's sake the merit of Christ's martyrdom is
conducive to the acquisition of the martyr's palm. Hence Augustine
says in a sermon on the Epiphany (De Diversis lxvi), as though he
were addressing them: "A man that does not believe that children are
benefited by the baptism of Christ will doubt of your being crowned in
suffering for Christ. You were not old enough to believe in
Christ's future sufferings, but you had a body wherein you could
endure suffering of Christ Who was to suffer."
Reply to Objection 2: Augustine says (De Civ. Dei i) that
"possibly the Church was induced by certain credible witnesses of
Divine authority thus to honor the memory of those holy women
[Question 64, Article 1, ad 2]."
Reply to Objection 3: The precepts of the Law are about acts of
virtue. Now it has been stated (FS, Question 108, Article
1, ad 4) that some of the precepts of the Divine Law are to be
understood in reference to the preparation of the mind, in the sense
that man ought to be prepared to do such and such a thing, whenever
expedient. In the same way certain things belong to an act of virtue
as regards the preparation of the mind, so that in such and such a case
a man should act according to reason. And this observation would seem
very much to the point in the case of martyrdom, which consists in the
right endurance of sufferings unjustly inflicted. Nor ought a man to
give another an occasion of acting unjustly: yet if anyone act
unjustly, one ought to endure it in moderation.
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