Whether the Precepts of Fortitude Are Suitably Given in the Divine
Law?
Objection 1: It seems that the precepts of fortitude are not suitably
given in the Divine Law. For the New Law is more perfect than the Old
Law. Yet the Old Law contains precepts of fortitude (Deut. 20).
Therefore precepts of fortitude should have been given in the New Law
also.
Obj. 2: Further, affirmative precepts are of greater import than
negative precepts, since the affirmative include the negative, but
not vice versa. Therefore it is unsuitable for the Divine Law to
contain none but negative precepts in prohibition of fear.
Obj. 3: Further, fortitude is one of the principal virtues, as stated
above (Q. 123, A. 2; I-II, Q. 61, A. 2). Now the precepts are
directed to the virtues as to their end: wherefore they should be
proportionate to them. Therefore the precepts of fortitude should
have been placed among the precepts of the decalogue, which are the
chief precepts of the Law.
_On the contrary,_ stands Holy Writ which contains these precepts.
_I answer that,_ Precepts of law are directed to the end intended by
the lawgiver. Wherefore precepts of law must needs be framed in
various ways according to the various ends intended by lawgivers, so
that even in human affairs there are laws of democracies, others of
kingdoms, and others again of tyrannical governments. Now the end of
the Divine Law is that man may adhere to God: wherefore the Divine
Law contains precepts both of fortitude and of the other virtues,
with a view to directing the mind to God. For this reason it is
written (Deut. 20:3, 4): "Fear ye them not: because the Lord your God
is in the midst of you, and will fight for you against your enemies."
As to human laws, they are directed to certain earthly goods, and
among them we find precepts of fortitude according to the
requirements of those goods.
Reply Obj. 1: The Old Testament contained temporal promises, while
the promises of the New Testament are spiritual and eternal,
according to Augustine (Contra Faust. iv). Hence in the Old Law there
was need for the people to be taught how to fight, even in a bodily
contest, in order to obtain an earthly possession. But in the New
Testament men were to be taught how to come to the possession of
eternal life by fighting spiritually, according to Matt. 11:12, "The
kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away."
Hence Peter commands (1 Pet. 5:8, 9): "Your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, goeth about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist
ye, strong in faith," as also James 4:7: "Resist the devil, and he
will fly from you." Since, however, men while tending to spiritual
goods may be withdrawn from them by corporal dangers, precepts of
fortitude had to be given even in the New Law, that they might
bravely endure temporal evils, according to Matt. 10:28, "Fear ye not
them that kill the body."
Reply Obj. 2: The law gives general directions in its precepts. But
the things that have to be done in cases of danger are not, like the
things to be avoided, reducible to some common thing. Hence the
precepts of fortitude are negative rather than affirmative.
Reply Obj. 3: As stated above (Q. 122, A. 1), the precepts of the
decalogue are placed in the Law, as first principles, which need to
be known to all from the outset. Wherefore the precepts of the
decalogue had to be chiefly about those acts of justice in which the
notion of duty is manifest, and not about acts of fortitude, because
it is not so evident that it is a duty for a person not to fear
dangers of death.
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