Part III (Secunda Secundae) Part 228 (2/2)

Obj. 3: Further, Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in Monte i, 2) that ”the meek are they who yield to reproaches, and resist not evil, but overcome evil by good.” Now this seems to pertain to mercy or piety which would seem to be the greatest of virtues: because a gloss of Ambrose [*Hilary the deacon] on 1 Tim. 4:8, ”Piety [Douay: 'G.o.dliness'] is profitable to all things,” observes that ”piety is the sum total of the Christian religion.” Therefore meekness and clemency are the greatest virtues.

_On the contrary,_ They are not reckoned as princ.i.p.al virtues, but are annexed to another, as to a princ.i.p.al, virtue.

_I answer that,_ Nothing prevents certain virtues from being greatest, not indeed simply, nor in every respect, but in a particular genus. It is impossible for clemency or meekness to be absolutely the greatest virtues, since they owe their praise to the fact that they withdraw a man from evil, by mitigating anger or punishment. Now it is more perfect to obtain good than to lack evil.

Wherefore those virtues like faith, hope, charity, and likewise prudence and justice, which direct one to good simply, are absolutely greater virtues than clemency and meekness.

Yet nothing prevents clemency and meekness from having a certain restricted excellence among the virtues which resist evil inclinations. For anger, which is mitigated by meekness, is, on account of its impetuousness, a very great obstacle to man's free judgment of truth: wherefore meekness above all makes a man self-possessed. Hence it is written (Ecclus. 10:31): ”My son, keep thy soul in meekness.” Yet the concupiscences of the pleasures of touch are more shameful, and hara.s.s more incessantly, for which reason temperance is more rightly reckoned as a princ.i.p.al virtue. as stated above (Q. 141, A. 7, ad 2). As to clemency, inasmuch as it mitigates punishment, it would seem to approach nearest to charity, the greatest of the virtues, since thereby we do good towards our neighbor, and hinder his evil.

Reply Obj. 1: Meekness disposes man to the knowledge of G.o.d, by removing an obstacle; and this in two ways. First, because it makes man self-possessed by mitigating his anger, as stated above; secondly, because it pertains to meekness that a man does not contradict the words of truth, which many do through being disturbed by anger. Wherefore Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. ii, 7): ”To be meek is not to contradict Holy Writ, whether we understand it, if it condemn our evil ways, or understand it not, as though we might know better and have a clearer insight of the truth.”

Reply Obj. 2: Meekness and clemency make us acceptable to G.o.d and men, in so far as they concur with charity, the greatest of the virtues, towards the same effect, namely the mitigation of our neighbor's evils.

Reply Obj. 3: Mercy and piety agree indeed with meekness and clemency by concurring towards the same effect, namely the mitigation of our neighbor's evils. Nevertheless they differ as to motive. For piety relieves a neighbor's evil through reverence for a superior, for instance G.o.d or one's parents: mercy relieves a neighbor's evil, because this evil is displeasing to one, in so far as one looks upon it as affecting oneself, as stated above (Q. 30, A. 2): and this results from friends.h.i.+p which makes friends rejoice and grieve for the same things: meekness does this, by removing anger that urges to vengeance, and clemency does this through leniency of soul, in so far as it judges equitable that a person be no further punished.

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QUESTION 158

OF ANGER (In Eight Articles)

We must next consider the contrary vices: (1) Anger that is opposed to meekness; (2) Cruelty that is opposed to clemency. Concerning anger there are eight points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it is lawful to be angry?

(2) Whether anger is a sin?

(3) Whether it is a mortal sin?

(4) Whether it is the most grievous of sins?

(5) Of its species;

(6) Whether anger is a capital vice?

(7) Of its daughters;

(8) Whether it has a contrary vice?

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FIRST ARTICLE [II-II, Q. 158, Art. 1]

Whether It Is Lawful to Be Angry?

Objection 1: It would seem that it cannot be lawful to be angry. For Jerome in his exposition on Matt. 5:22, ”Whosoever is angry with his brother,” etc. says: ”Some codices add 'without cause.' However, in the genuine codices the sentence is unqualified, and anger is forbidden altogether.” Therefore it is nowise lawful to be angry.

Obj. 2: Further, according to Dionysius (Div. Nom. iv) ”The soul's evil is to be without reason.” Now anger is always without reason: for the Philosopher says (Ethic. vii, 6) that ”anger does not listen perfectly to reason”; and Gregory says (Moral. v, 45) that ”when anger sunders the tranquil surface of the soul, it mangles and rends it by its riot”; and Ca.s.sian says (De Inst. Caen.o.b. viii, 6): ”From whatever cause it arises, the angry pa.s.sion boils over and blinds the eye of the mind.” Therefore it is always evil to be angry.

Obj. 3: Further, anger is ”desire for vengeance” [*Aristotle, Rhet.

ii, 2] according to a gloss on Lev. 19:17, ”Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart.” Now it would seem unlawful to desire vengeance, since this should be left to G.o.d, according to Deut.

32:35, ”Revenge is Mine.” Therefore it would seem that to be angry is always an evil.

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