Whether Virginity Is a Virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that virginity is not a virtue. For "no
virtue is in us by nature," as the Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 1).
Now virginity is in us by nature, since all are virgins when born.
Therefore virginity is not a virtue.
Obj. 2: Further, whoever has one virtue has all virtues, as stated
above (I-II, Q. 65, A. 1). Yet some have other virtues without having
virginity: else, since none can go to the heavenly kingdom without
virtue, no one could go there without virginity, which would involve
the condemnation of marriage. Therefore virginity is not a virtue.
Obj. 3: Further, every virtue is recovered by penance. But virginity
is not recovered by penance: wherefore Jerome says [*Ep. xxii ad
Eustoch.]: "Other things God can do, but He cannot restore the virgin
after her downfall." Therefore seemingly virginity is not a virtue.
Obj. 4: Further, no virtue is lost without sin. Yet virginity is lost
without sin, namely by marriage. Therefore virginity is not a virtue.
Obj. 5: Further, virginity is condivided with widowhood and conjugal
purity. But neither of these is a virtue. Therefore virginity is not
a virtue.
_On the contrary,_ Ambrose says (De Virgin. i, 3): "Love of virginity
moves us to say something about virginity, lest by passing it over we
should seem to cast a slight on what is a virtue of high degree."
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 1), the formal and completive
element in virginity is the purpose of abstaining from venereal
pleasure, which purpose is rendered praiseworthy by its end, in so
far, to wit, as this is done in order to have leisure for Divine
things: while the material element in virginity is integrity of the
flesh free of all experience of venereal pleasure. Now it is manifest
that where a good action has a special matter through having a
special excellence, there is a special kind of virtue: for example,
magnificence which is about great expenditure is for this reason a
special virtue distinct from liberality, which is about all uses of
money in general. Now to keep oneself free from the experience of
venereal pleasure has an excellence of its own deserving of greater
praise than keeping oneself free from inordinate venereal pleasure.
Wherefore virginity is a special virtue being related to chastity as
magnificence to liberality.
Reply Obj. 1: Men have from their birth that which is material in
virginity, namely integrity of the flesh and freedom from venereal
experience. But they have not that which is formal in virginity,
namely the purpose of safeguarding this integrity for God's sake,
which purpose gives virginity its character of virtue. Hence
Augustine says (De Virgin. xi): "Nor do we praise virgins for being
virgins, but, because their virginity is consecrated to God by holy
continency."
Reply Obj. 2: Virtues are connected together by reason of that which
is formal in them, namely charity, or by reason of prudence, as
stated above (Q. 129, A. 3, ad 2), but not by reason of that which is
material in them. For nothing hinders a virtuous man from providing
the matter of one virtue, and not the matter of another virtue: thus
a poor man has the matter of temperance, but not that of
magnificence. It is in this way that one who has the other virtues
lacks the matter of virginity, namely the aforesaid integrity of the
flesh: nevertheless he can have that which is formal in virginity,
his mind being so prepared that he has the purpose of safeguarding
this same integrity of the flesh, should it be fitting for him to do
so: even as a poor man may be so prepared in mind as to have the
purpose of being magnificent in his expenditure, were he in a
position to do so: or again as a prosperous man is so prepared in
mind as to purpose bearing misfortune with equanimity: without which
preparedness of the mind no man can be virtuous.
Reply Obj. 3: Virtue can be recovered by penance as regards that
which is formal in virtue, but not as to that which is material
therein. For if a magnificent man has squandered all his wealth he
does not recover his riches by repenting of his sin. In like manner a
person who has lost virginity by sin, recovers by repenting, not the
matter of virginity but the purpose of virginity.
As regards the matter of virginity there is that which can be
miraculously restored by God, namely the integrity of the organ,
which we hold to be accidental to virginity: while there is something
else which cannot be restored even by miracle, to wit, that one who
has experienced venereal lust should cease to have had that
experience. For God cannot make that which is done not to have been
done, as stated in the First Part (Q. 25, A. 4).
Reply Obj. 4: Virginity as a virtue denotes the purpose, confirmed by
vow, of observing perpetual integrity. For Augustine says (De Virgin.
viii) that "by virginity, integrity of the flesh is vowed,
consecrated and observed in honor of the Creator of both soul and
flesh." Hence virginity, as a virtue, is never lost without sin.
Reply Obj. 5: Conjugal chastity is deserving of praise merely because
it abstains from unlawful pleasures: hence no excellence attaches to
it above that of chastity in general. Widowhood, however, adds
something to chastity in general; but it does not attain to that
which is perfect in this matter, namely to entire freedom from
venereal pleasure; virginity alone achieves this. Wherefore virginity
alone is accounted a virtue above chastity, even as magnificence is
reckoned above liberality.
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