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Objection 1: It seems that martyrdom is not an act of fortitude.
For the Greek martyr signifies a witness. Now witness is borne to
the faith of Christ. according to Acts 1:8, "You shall be
witnesses unto Me," etc. and Maximus says in a sermon: "The
mother of martyrs is the Catholic faith which those glorious warriors
have sealed with their blood." Therefore martyrdom is an act of faith
rather than of fortitude.
Objection 2: Further, a praiseworthy act belongs chiefly to the
virtue which inclines thereto, is manifested thereby, and without
which the act avails nothing. Now charity is the chief incentive to
martyrdom: Thus Maximus says in a sermon: "The charity of Christ
is victorious in His martyrs." Again the greatest proof of charity
lies in the act of martyrdom, according to Jn. 15:13,
"Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for
his friends." Moreover without charity martyrdom avails nothing,
according to 1 Cor. 13:3, "If I should deliver my body to be
burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." Therefore
martyrdom is an act of charity rather than of fortitude.
Objection 3: Further, Augustine says in a sermon on St.
Cyprian: "It is easy to honor a martyr by singing his praises, but
it is a great thing to imitate his faith and patience." Now that
which calls chiefly for praise in a virtuous act, is the virtue of
which it is the act. Therefore martyrdom is an act of patience rather
than of fortitude.
On the contrary, Cyprian says (Ep. ad Mart. et Conf. ii):
"Blessed martyrs, with what praise shall I extol you? Most valiant
warriors, how shall I find words to proclaim the strength of your
courage?" Now a person is praised on account of the virtue whose act
he performs. Therefore martyrdom is an act of fortitude.
I answer that, As stated above (Question 123, Article 1,
seqq.), it belongs to fortitude to strengthen man in the good of
virtue, especially against dangers, and chiefly against dangers of
death, and most of all against those that occur in battle. Now it is
evident that in martyrdom man is firmly strengthened in the good of
virtue, since he cleaves to faith and justice notwithstanding the
threatening danger of death, the imminence of which is moreover due to
a kind of particular contest with his persecutors. Hence Cyprian says
in a sermon (Ep. ad Mart. et Conf. ii): "The crowd of
onlookers wondered to see an unearthly battle, and Christ's servants
fighting erect, undaunted in speech, with souls unmoved, and strength
divine." Wherefore it is evident that martyrdom is an act of
fortitude; for which reason the Church reads in the office of
Martyrs: They "became valiant in battle" [Heb. 11:34].
Reply to Objection 1: Two things must be considered in the act of
fortitude. one is the good wherein the brave man is strengthened, and
this is the end of fortitude; the other is the firmness itself,
whereby a man does not yield to the contraries that hinder him from
achieving that good, and in this consists the essence of fortitude.
Now just as civic fortitude strengthens a man's mind in human
justice, for the safeguarding of which he braves the danger of death,
so gratuitous fortitude strengthens man's soul in the good of Divine
justice, which is "through faith in Christ Jesus," according to
Rm. 3:22. Thus martyrdom is related to faith as the end in which
one is strengthened, but to fortitude as the eliciting habit.
Reply to Objection 2: Charity inclines one to the act of
martyrdom, as its first and chief motive cause, being the virtue
commanding it, whereas fortitude inclines thereto as being its proper
motive cause, being the virtue that elicits it. Hence martyrdom is an
act of charity as commanding, and of fortitude as eliciting. For this
reason also it manifests both virtues. It is due to charity that it is
meritorious, like any other act of virtue: and for this reason it
avails not without charity.
Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Question 123, Article
6), the chief act of fortitude is endurance: to this and not to its
secondary act, which is aggression, martyrdom belongs. And since
patience serves fortitude on the part of its chief act, viz.
endurance, hence it is that martyrs are also praised for their
patience.
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