Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 6 (2/2)
Hence its necessity for salvation depends on how it falls under an affirmative precept of the Divine law. Now affirmative precepts as stated above (I-II, Q. 71, A. 5, ad 3; I-II, Q. 88, A. 1, ad 2) do not bind for always, although they are always binding; but they bind as to place and time according to other due circ.u.mstances, in respect of which human acts have to be regulated in order to be acts of virtue.
Thus then it is not necessary for salvation to confess one's faith at all times and in all places, but in certain places and at certain times, when, namely, by omitting to do so, we would deprive G.o.d of due honor, or our neighbor of a service that we ought to render him: for instance, if a man, on being asked about his faith, were to remain silent, so as to make people believe either that he is without faith, or that the faith is false, or so as to turn others away from the faith; for in such cases as these, confession of faith is necessary for salvation.
Reply Obj. 1: The end of faith, even as of the other virtues, must be referred to the end of charity, which is the love of G.o.d and our neighbor. Consequently when G.o.d's honor and our neighbor's good demand, man should not be contented with being united by faith to G.o.d's truth, but ought to confess his faith outwardly.
Reply Obj. 2: In cases of necessity where faith is in danger, every one is bound to proclaim his faith to others, either to give good example and encouragement to the rest of the faithful, or to check the attacks of unbelievers: but at other times it is not the duty of all the faithful to instruct others in the faith.
Reply Obj. 3: There is nothing commendable in making a public confession of one's faith, if it causes a disturbance among unbelievers, without any profit either to the faith or to the faithful. Hence Our Lord said (Matt. 7:6): ”Give not that which is holy to dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine ... lest turning upon you, they tear you.” Yet, if there is hope of profit to the faith, or if there be urgency, a man should disregard the disturbance of unbelievers, and confess his faith in public. Hence it is written (Matt. 15:12) that when the disciples had said to Our Lord that ”the Pharisee, when they heard this word, were scandalized,” He answered: ”Let them alone, they are blind, and leaders of the blind.”
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QUESTION 4
OF THE VIRTUE ITSELF OF FAITH (In Eight Articles)
We must now consider the virtue itself of faith, and, in the first place, faith itself; secondly, those who have faith; thirdly, the cause of faith; fourthly, its effects.
Under the first head there are eight points of inquiry:
(1) What is faith?
(2) In what power of the soul does it reside?
(3) Whether its form is charity?
(4) Whether living (_formata_) faith and lifeless (_informis_) faith are one identically?
(5) Whether faith is a virtue?
(6) Whether it is one virtue?
(7) Of its relation to the other virtues;
(8) Of its cert.i.tude as compared with the cert.i.tude of the intellectual virtues.
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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 4, Art. 1]
Whether This Is a Fitting Definition of Faith: ”Faith Is the Substance of Things to Be Hoped For, the Evidence of Things That Appear Not?”
Objection 1: It would seem that the Apostle gives an unfitting definition of faith (Heb. 11:1) when he says: ”Faith is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evidence of things that appear not.”
For no quality is a substance: whereas faith is a quality, since it is a theological virtue, as stated above (I-II, Q. 62, A. 3).
Therefore it is not a substance.
Obj. 2: Further, different virtues have different objects. Now things to be hoped for are the object of hope. Therefore they should not be included in a definition of faith, as though they were its object.
Obj. 3: Further, faith is perfected by charity rather than by hope, since charity is the form of faith, as we shall state further on (A.
3). Therefore the definition of faith should have included the thing to be loved rather than the thing to be hoped for.
Obj. 4: Further, the same thing should not be placed in different genera. Now ”substance” and ”evidence” are different genera, and neither is subalternate to the other. Therefore it is unfitting to state that faith is both ”substance” and ”evidence.”
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