Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It seems that faith alone is the cause of martyrdom. For it is written (1 Pt. 4:15,16): "Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a railer, or a coveter of other men's things. But if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name." Now a man is said to be a Christian because he holds the faith of Christ. Therefore only faith in Christ gives the glory of martyrdom to those who suffer.

Objection 2: Further, a martyr is a kind of witness. But witness is borne to the truth alone. Now one is not called a martyr for bearing witness to any truth, but only for witnessing to the Divine truth, otherwise a man would be a martyr if he were to die for confessing a truth of geometry or some other speculative science, which seems ridiculous. Therefore faith alone is the cause of martyrdom.

Objection 3: Further, those virtuous deeds would seem to be of most account which are directed to the common good, since "the good of the nation is better than the good of the individual," according to the Philosopher (Ethic. i, 2). If, then, some other good were the cause of martyrdom, it would seem that before all those would be martyrs who die for the defense of their country. Yet this is not consistent with Church observance, for we do not celebrate the martyrdom of those who die in a just war. Therefore faith alone is the cause of martyrdom.

On the contrary, It is written (Mt. 5:10): "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake," which pertains to martyrdom, according to a gloss, as well as Jerome's commentary on this passage. Now not only faith but also the other virtues pertain to justice. Therefore other virtues can be the cause of martyrdom.

I answer that, As stated above (Article 4), martyrs are so called as being witnesses, because by suffering in body unto death they bear witness to the truth; not indeed to any truth, but to the truth which is in accordance with godliness, and was made known to us by Christ: wherefore Christ's martyrs are His witnesses. Now this truth is the truth of faith. Wherefore the cause of all martyrdom is the truth of faith.

But the truth of faith includes not only inward belief, but also outward profession, which is expressed not only by words, whereby one confesses the faith, but also by deeds, whereby a person shows that he has faith, according to James 2:18, "I will show thee, by works, my faith." Hence it is written of certain people (Titus 1:16): "They profess that they know God but in their works they deny Him." Thus all virtuous deeds, inasmuch as they are referred to God, are professions of the faith whereby we come to know that God requires these works of us, and rewards us for them: and in this way they can be the cause of martyrdom. For this reason the Church celebrates the martyrdom of Blessed John the Baptist, who suffered death, not for refusing to deny the faith, but for reproving adultery.

Reply to Objection 1: A Christian is one who is Christ's. Now a person is said to be Christ's, not only through having faith in Christ, but also because he is actuated to virtuous deeds by the Spirit of Christ, according to Rm. 8:9, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His"; and again because in imitation of Christ he is dead to sins, according to Gal. 5:24, "They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences." Hence to suffer as a Christian is not only to suffer in confession of the faith, which is done by words, but also to suffer for doing any good work, or for avoiding any sin, for Christ's sake, because this all comes under the head of witnessing to the faith.

Reply to Objection 2: The truth of other sciences has no connection with the worship of the Godhead: hence it is not called truth according to godliness, and consequently the confession thereof cannot be said to be the direct cause of martyrdom. Yet, since every lie is a sin, as stated above (Question 110, Articles 3,4), avoidance of a lie, to whatever truth it may be contrary, may be the cause of martyrdom inasmuch as a lie is a sin against the Divine Law.

Reply to Objection 3: The good of one's country is paramount among human goods: yet the Divine good, which is the proper cause of martyrdom, is of more account than human good. Nevertheless, since human good may become Divine, for instance when it is referred to God, it follows that any human good in so far as it is referred to God, may be the cause of martyrdom.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod sola fides sit causa martyrii.

Dicitur enim I Pet. IV, nemo vestrum patiatur quasi homicida aut fur, aut aliquid huiusmodi, si autem ut christianus, non erubescat, glorificet autem deum in isto nomine.

Sed ex hoc dicitur aliquis christianus quod tenet fidem christi.

Ergo sola fides christi dat patientibus martyrii gloriam.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, martyr dicitur quasi testis. Testimonium autem non redditur nisi veritati. Non autem aliquis dicitur martyr ex testimonio cuiuslibet veritatis, sed solum ex testimonio veritatis divinae. Alioquin, si quis moreretur pro confessione veritatis geometriae, vel alterius scientiae speculativae, esset martyr, quod videtur ridiculum. Ergo sola fides est martyrii causa.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, inter alia virtutum opera illa videntur esse potiora quae ordinantur ad bonum commune, quia bonum gentis melius est quam bonum unius hominis, secundum philosophum, in I ethic..

Si ergo aliquod aliud bonum esset causa martyrii, maxime videretur quod illi martyres essent qui pro defensione reipublicae moriuntur. Quod ecclesiae observatio non habet, non enim militum qui in bello iusto moriuntur martyria celebrantur.

Ergo sola fides videtur esse martyrii causa.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod dicitur Matth. V, beati qui persecutionem patiuntur propter iustitiam, quod pertinet ad martyrium, ut Glossa ibidem dicit.

Ad iustitiam autem pertinet non solum fides, sed etiam aliae virtutes. Ergo etiam aliae virtutes possunt esse martyrii causa.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut dictum est, martyres dicuntur quasi testes, quia scilicet corporalibus suis passionibus usque ad mortem testimonium perhibent veritati, non cuicumque, sed veritati quae secundum pietatem est, quae per christum nobis innotuit; unde et martyres christi dicuntur, quasi testes ipsius. Huiusmodi autem est veritas fidei. Et ideo cuiuslibet martyrii causa est fidei veritas. Sed ad fidei veritatem non solum pertinet ipsa credulitas cordis, sed etiam exterior protestatio. Quae quidem fit non solum per verba quibus aliquis confitetur fidem, sed etiam per facta quibus aliquis fidem se habere ostendit, secundum illud Iac. II, ego ostendam tibi ex operibus fidem meam.

Unde et de quibusdam dicitur Tit. I, confitentur se nosse deum, factis autem negant.

Et ideo omnium virtutum opera, secundum quod referuntur in deum, sunt quaedam protestationes fidei, per quam nobis innotescit quod deus huiusmodi opera a nobis requirit, et nos pro eis remunerat.

Et secundum hoc possunt esse martyrii causa. Unde et beati ioannis baptistae martyrium in ecclesia celebratur, qui non pro neganda fide, sed pro reprehensione adulterii mortem sustinuit.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod christianus dicitur qui christi est.

Dicitur autem aliquis esse christi non solum ex eo quod habet fidem christi, sed etiam ex eo quod spiritu christi ad opera virtuosa procedit, secundum illud Rom. VIII, si quis spiritum christi non habet, hic non est eius; et etiam ex hoc quod, ad imitationem christi, peccatis moritur, secundum illud Galat. V, qui christi sunt, carnem suam crucifixerunt, cum vitiis et concupiscentiis.

Et ideo ut christianus patitur non solum qui patitur pro fidei confessione quae fit per verba, sed etiam quicumque patitur pro quocumque bono opere faciendo, vel pro quocumque peccato vitando, propter christum, quia totum hoc pertinet ad fidei protestationem.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod veritas aliarum scientiarum non pertinet ad cultum divinitatis. Et ideo non dicitur esse secundum pietatem. Unde nec eius confessio potest esse directe martyrii causa. Sed quia omne mendacium peccatum est, ut supra habitum est, vitatio mendacii, contra quamcumque veritatem sit, inquantum mendacium est peccatum divinae legi contrarium, potest esse martyrii causa.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod bonum reipublicae est praecipuum inter bona humana. Sed bonum divinum, quod est propria causa martyrii, est potius quam humanum. Quia tamen bonum humanum potest effici divinum, ut si referatur in deum; potest esse quodcumque bonum humanum martyrii causa secundum quod in deum refertur.