Caput 88 Chapter 88 De sexu et aetate resurgentium The sex and age of those who will rise again Non est tamen aestimandum quod in corporibus resurgentium desit sexus femineus, ut aliqui putaverunt. Quia, cum per resurrectionem sint reparandi defectus naturae, nihil eorum quae ad perfectionem naturae pertinent, a corporibus resurgentium auferetur. Sicut autem alia corporis membra ad integritatem humani corporis pertinent, ita et ea quae generationi deserviunt, tam in maribus quam in feminis. Resurgent ergo membra huiusmodi in utrisque. We must not deem, however, as some have done, that the female sex will be lacking in the bodies of those who rise again. Since defects of nature are to be repaired in the resurrection, the bodies of those who will rise from the dead will lack none of the things that belong to the perfection of nature. Now, just as other members of the body belong to the integrity of the human body, so do those that serve the purpose of generation, both in man and in woman. Therefore, bodies will rise again with these members. Neque tamen huic obviat quod usus horum membrorum non erit, ut supra ostensum est. Quia si propter hoc haec membra in resurgentibus non erunt, pari ratione nec omnia membra quae nutrimento deserviunt, in resurgentibus essent: quia nec ciborum usus post resurrectionem erit. Sic igitur magna pars membrorum corpori resurgentis deesset. Erunt igitur omnia membra huiusmodi, quamvis eorum usus non sit, ad integritatem naturalis corporis restituendam. Unde frustra non erunt. Nor is this obviated by the fact that there will be no use for these members, as we have proved. If that were a sufficient reason for dispensing with those members, the members that are used for taking nourishment would equally be absent in those who will rise again, since neither will there be any use for food after the resurrection. And thus a considerable number of members would be lacking in the bodies of those who will rise from the dead. Therefore, none of those members will be lacking, although they will not have their use; yet not without purpose, since they will serve to restore the integrity of the human body. Similiter etiam nec infirmitas feminei sexus perfectioni resurgentium obviat. Non enim est infirmitas per recessum a natura, sed a natura intenta. Et ipsa etiam naturae distinctio in hominibus perfectionem naturae demonstrabit et divinam sapientiam, omnia cum quodam ordine disponentem. Nor does the weakness of the female sex prejudice the perfection of those who will rise again, because that is not a weakness in default of nature, but intended by nature. Moreover, this very distinction in nature, by extending to all things, will serve as a proof of nature’s perfection, and as an indication of Divine Wisdom disposing all things in order. Nec etiam cogit ad hoc verbum apostoli quod dicit Ephes. 4:13: donec occurramus omnes in unitatem fidei et agnitionis filii Dei, in virum perfectum, in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi. Non enim hoc ideo dictum est quia quilibet in illo occursu quo resurgentes exibunt obviam Christo in aera, sit sexum virilem habiturus: sed ad designandam perfectionem Ecclesiae et virtutem. Tota enim Ecclesia erit quasi vir perfectus Christo occurrens: ut ex praecedentibus et sequentibus patet. Nor need we be moved to think otherwise by the words of the Apostle: Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Eph 4:13). This does not mean that at this meeting, when those who will rise from the dead shall go into the air to meet Christ, each one will belong to the male sex; but is intended to indicate the perfection and power of the Church. The whole Church will be like a perfect man going forth to meet Christ, as is clear from what we have been saying, and from what we have yet to say. In aetate autem Christi, quae est aetas iuvenilis, oportet omnes resurgere, propter perfectionem naturae quae in hac sola aetate consistit. Puerilis enim aetas nondum perfectionem naturae consecuta est per augmentum: senilis vero aetas iam ab eo recessit, per decrementum. All will rise again at the age of Christ, which is the age of youth, because it is only at that age that nature is perfect. For the child has not yet grown so as to have reached the perfection of nature, and old age has overpassed it through decay. Caput 89 Chapter 89 De qualitate corporum resurgentium in damnatis The quality of the bodies in the resurrection as regards the damned Ex his autem rationabiliter considerare possumus qualis futura sit conditio corporum resurgentium in damnandis. From these things, we now can rationally consider what will be the condition of the bodies of the damned in the resurrection. Oportet enim et illa corpora animabus damnandorum proportionata esse. Animae autem malorum naturam quidem bonam habent, utpote a Deo creatam: sed voluntatem habebunt inordinatam, et a fine proprio deficientem. Corpora igitur eorum, quantum ad id quod naturae est, integra reparabuntur: quia videlicet in aetate perfecta resurgent, absque omni diminutione membrorum, et absque omni defectu et corruptione quam error naturae aut infirmitas introduxit. Unde apostolus dicit I Cor. 15:52: mortui resurgent incorrupti: quod manifestum est de omnibus debere intelligi, tam bonis quam malis, ex his quae praecedunt et sequuntur in littera. For those bodies will needs be proportionate to the souls of those about to be condemned. Now the souls of the wicked have a good nature, since it was created by God; but their will is disordered, and turned away from its proper end. Therefore, their bodies will be restored to integrity in whatever belongs to their nature, since they will rise again of a perfect age, without any diminution of members, and without any defect or corruption occasioned by the erring or weakness of nature. Hence the Apostle says: The dead will be raised imperishable (1 Cor 15:52), which evidently refers to all, both good and wicked, as the context shows. Quia vero eorum anima erit secundum voluntatem a Deo aversa, et fine proprio destituta, eorum corpora non erunt spiritualia, quasi spiritui omnino subiecta, sed magis eorum anima per affectum erit carnalis. Since, however, their souls will be turned away from God and deprived of their proper end as to the will, their bodies will not be spiritual, and altogether subject to the spirit, but will be carnal in their affections. Nec ipsa corpora erunt agilia, quasi sine difficultate animae obedientia: sed magis erunt ponderosa et gravia, et quodammodo animae importabilia, sicut et ipsae animae a Deo per inobedientiam sunt aversae. Nor will their bodies be agile, as obeying the soul without difficulty, but will be heavy and unwieldy. In a way, they will be insupportable to their souls, even as their souls will be averted from God by disobedience. Remanebunt etiam passibilia sicut nunc, vel etiam magis: ita tamen quod patientur quidem a rebus sensibilibus afflictionem, non tamen corruptionem; sicut et ipsorum animae torquebuntur, a naturali desiderio beatitudinis totaliter frustratae. They will also remain passible as now, or even more so; yet while being afflicted by sensible things, they will not be corrupted, even as their souls will be tormented by the utterly frustrated desire for happiness. Erunt etiam eorum corpora opaca et tenebrosa: sicut et eorum animae a lumine divinae cognitionis erunt alienae. Et hoc est quod apostolus dicit I Cor. 15:51, quod omnes resurgemus, sed non omnes immutabimur: soli enim boni immutabuntur ad gloriam, malorum vero corpora absque gloria resurgent. Moreover, their bodies will be impervious to light, and darksome, even as their souls will be strangers to the light of divine knowledge. Therefore, the Apostle says: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed (1 Cor 15:51), because the good alone will be changed unto glory, but the bodies of the wicked will rise again without glory. Forte autem alicui potest impossibile videri quod malorum corpora sint passibilia, non tamen corruptibilia: cum omnis passio, magis facta abiiciat a substantia: videmus enim quod, si corpus diu in igne permaneat, finaliter consumetur; dolor etiam si sit nimis intensus, animam a corpore separat. Sed hoc totum accidit supposita transmutabilitate materiae de forma in formam. Corpus autem humanum post resurrectionem non erit transmutabile de forma in formam, neque in bonis neque in malis: quia in utrisque totaliter perficietur ab anima quantum ad esse naturae, ita ut iam non sit possibile hanc formam a tali corpore removeri, neque aliam introduci, divina virtute corpus animae totaliter subiiciente. Unde et potentia quae est in prima materia ad omnem formam, in corpore humano remanebit quodammodo ligata per virtutem animae, ne possit in actum alterius formae reduci. Someone might deem it impossible for the bodies of the wicked to be passible without being also corruptible, since excess of passion causes loss of substance. Thus if a body remains long in the fire, it is at length consumed, and if pain be too intense, the soul quits the body. But all this postulates the changeableness of matter from one form to another. Now, after the resurrection, the human body both of the good and the wicked will not be changeable from one form to another, since in both cases it will be completely perfected in its natural being by the soul. Therefore, it will no longer be possible for this form to be removed from this body and for another form to take its place, because the divine power will completely subject the body to the soul. Hence the potency of prime matter to all forms will remain in the human body, restrained, as it were, by the power of the soul from the possibility of being actuated by another form. Sed quia damnatorum corpora quantum ad aliquas conditiones non erunt animae totaliter subiecta, affligentur secundum sensum a contrarietate sensibilium. Affligentur enim ab igne corporeo, inquantum qualitas ignis propter sui excellentiam contrariatur aequalitati complexionis et harmoniae quae est sensui connaturalis, licet eam solvere non possit. Non tamen talis afflictio animam a corpore poterit separare: cum corpus semper sub eadem forma necesse sit remanere. Since, however, the bodies of the damned will not be wholly subject to their souls in respect of certain conditions, they will suffer pain from the antagonism of sensible objects: they will suffer from the material fire inasmuch as the quality of fire, by reason of its predominance, counteracts the equilibrium of the humors and the harmony connatural to the senses, although it cannot destroy them altogether. And yet this pain will be unable to separate the soul from the body, because the body is under the necessity of remaining forever under the same form. Sicut autem corpora beatorum propter innovationem gloriae supra caelestia corpora elevabuntur; ita et locus infimus, et tenebrosus, et poenalis, proportionaliter deputabitur corporibus damnatorum. Unde et in Psalm. dicitur: veniat mors super eos, et descendant in Infernum viventes. Et Apoc. 20 dicitur quod diabolus, qui seducebat eos, missus est in stagnum ignis et sulphuris, ubi et bestia et pseudopropheta cruciabuntur die ac nocte in saecula saeculorum. Moreover, just as the bodies of the blessed will be raised above the heavenly bodies through being renewed unto glory, so in due proportion the bodies of the damned will be consigned to the nether regions, a place of darkness and torment. Hence it is said: Let death come upon them; let them go down to hell alive (Ps 55:15[54:16]); and: The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev 20:10). Caput 90 Chapter 90 Quomodo substantiae incorporeae patiantur ab igne corporeo How incorporeal substances can suffer from a material fire Sed potest venire in dubium quomodo diabolus, qui incorporeus est, et animae damnatorum ante resurrectionem, ab igne corporali possint pati a quo patientur in Inferno corpora damnatorum sicut et dominus dicit, Matth. 25:41: ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius. A doubt may arise as to how the devil (who is incorporeal) and the souls of the damned, before the resurrection, can suffer from the material fire which will torment the souls of the damned in hell, according to our Lord’s words. For he said: Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt 25:41). Non igitur sic aestimandum est quod substantiae incorporeae ab igne corporeo pati possint quod earum natura corrumpatur per ignem, vel alteretur, aut qualitercumque aliter transmutetur, sicut nunc nostra corpora corruptibilia patiuntur ab igne: substantiae enim incorporeae non habent materiam corporalem, ut possint a rebus corporeis immutari: neque etiam formarum sensibilium susceptivae sunt, nisi intelligibiliter; talis autem susceptio non est poenalis, sed magis perfectiva et delectabilis. We must not think that incorporeal substances can be affected by a material fire, so that their nature be corrupted or altered, or in any way changed by the fire in the same way as our corruptible bodies are affected by fire. For incorporeal substances have not a material nature, so as to be able to be changed by material substances. Nor are they receptive of the forms of sensible objects, except by understanding them; such a reception is not penal, but perfecting and delightful. Neque etiam potest dici quod patiantur ab igne corporeo afflictionem ratione alicuius contrarietatis, sicut corpora post resurrectionem patientur, quia substantiae incorporeae organa sensuum non habent, neque potentiis sensitivis utuntur. Nor can it be said that they suffer from the material fire by reason of a certain antagonism, as bodies will after the resurrection, since incorporeal substances have no organs of sense, and have no use for sensitive powers. Patiuntur igitur ab igne corporeo substantiae incorporeae per modum alligationis cuiusdam. Possunt enim alligari spiritus corporibus vel per modum formae sicut anima corpori humano alligatur, ut det ei vitam: vel etiam absque hoc quod sit eius forma, sicut necromantici, virtute daemonum, spiritus alligant imaginibus aut huiusmodi rebus. Multo igitur magis virtute divina spiritus damnandi igni corporeo alligari possunt. Et hoc ipsum est eis in afflictionem, quod sciunt se rebus infimis alligatos in poenam. Accordingly, incorporeal substances suffer from the material fire by being coupled with it in some way. For a spirit can be coupled with a body either as its form—thus the soul is coupled with the body to give it life—or without being its form—thus necromancers, by the power of the demons, couple spirits with apparitions and the like. All the more, therefore, can the divine power bind the souls of the damned to a material fire. Thus it is painful to them to know themselves to be united to the lowest things as a punishment. Est etiam conveniens quod damnati spiritus poenis corporalibus puniuntur. Omne enim peccatum rationalis creaturae ex hoc est quod Deo obediendo non subditur. Poena autem proportionaliter debet culpae respondere: ut voluntas per poenam in contrario eius affligatur quod diligendo peccavit. Est igitur conveniens poena naturae rationali peccanti ut rebus se inferioribus, scilicet corporalibus, quodammodo alligata subdatur. Moreover, it is reasonable that the souls of the damned be punished with material pain. Every sin of the rational creature results from disobedience to God. Now the punishment should correspond with the fault, so that the will may receive a punishment in contrast with that for love of which it sinned. Therefore, it is reasonable that the rational nature should be punished for its sin, by being in a way bound to things beneath it, and thus made subject to them. Item. Peccato quod in Deum committitur non solum poena damni, sed etiam poena sensus debetur, ut in tertio ostensum est: poena enim sensus respondet culpae quantum ad conversionem inordinatam ad commutabile bonum, sicut poena damni respondet culpae quantum ad aversionem ab incommutabili bono. Creatura autem rationalis, et praecipue humana anima, peccat inordinate se ad corporalia convertendo. Ergo conveniens poena est ut per corporalia affligatur. Again. Sin that is committed against God deserves not only the pain of loss, but also the pain of sense, as we have proved. For the pain of sense corresponds to sin with respect to the inordinate conversion to a mutable good, even as the pain of loss corresponds to sin as regards the aversion from the immutable good. Now the rational creature (and especially the human soul) sins by turning inordinately to material things. Therefore, it is fitting for it to be punished by means of material things. Praeterea. Si poena afflictiva peccato debetur, quam dicimus poenam sensus, oportet quod ex illo haec poena proveniat quod potest afflictionem inferre. Nihil autem afflictionem infert nisi inquantum est contrarium voluntati. Non est autem contrarium naturali voluntati rationalis naturae quod spirituali substantiae coniungatur: quinimmo hoc est delectabile ei, et ad eius perfectionem pertinens; est enim coniunctio similis ad simile, et intelligibilis ad intellectum; nam omnis substantia spiritualis secundum se intelligibilis est. Est autem contrarium naturali voluntati spiritualis substantiae ut corpori subdatur, a quo, secundum ordinem suae naturae, libera esse debet. Conveniens est igitur ut substantia spiritualis per corporalia puniatur. Further. If sin deserves the painful punishment which is called the pain of sense, as proved above, this punishment must come from something that can cause pain. Now nothing causes pain except insofar as it is contrary to the will. And it is not contrary to the natural will of the rational creature to be united to a spiritual substance; on the contrary, it gives it pleasure and conduces to its perfection. For it is the union of like to like, and of the intelligible object to the intelligence, since every spiritual substance is, in itself, intelligible. On the other hand, it is contrary to the natural will of a spiritual substance that it be subject to a body, from which, according to the order of its nature, it should be free. Therefore, it is fitting that a spiritual substance should be punished by means of material things. Hinc etiam apparet quod, licet corporalia quae de praemiis beatorum in Scripturis leguntur, spiritualiter intelliguntur, sicut dictum est de promissione ciborum et potuum; quaedam tamen corporalia quae Scriptura peccantibus comminatur in poenam, corporaliter sunt intelligenda, et quasi proprie dicta. Non enim est conveniens quod natura superior per usum inferioris praemietur, sed magis per hoc quod superiori coniungitur: punitur autem convenienter natura superior per hoc quod cum inferioribus deputatur. Hence it follows that, although the material things spoken of by Scripture to describe the rewards of the blessed are to be understood in a spiritual sense (as we have stated in regard to the promise of meat and drink), nevertheless some of the corporal punishments with which Scripture threatens the sinner are to be understood in the material and strict sense. For it is not fitting for the higher nature to be rewarded by using a lower nature, but by being united to a yet higher nature; but it is fitting for it to be punished by being consigned to the society of things beneath it. Nihil tamen prohibet quaedam etiam quae de damnatorum poenis in Scripturis dicta corporaliter leguntur, spiritualiter accipi, et velut per similitudinem dicta: sicut quod dicitur Isaiae ult.: vermis eorum non morietur: potest enim per vermem intelligi conscientiae remorsus, quo etiam impii torquebuntur; non enim est possibile quod corporeus vermis spiritualem corrodat substantiam, neque etiam corpora damnatorum quae incorruptibilia erunt. Fletus etiam et stridor dentium in spiritualibus substantiis non nisi metaphorice intelligi possunt: quamvis in corporibus damnatorum, post resurrectionem, nihil prohibeat corporaliter ea intelligi; ita tamen quod per fletum non intelligatur lacrimarum deductio, quia ab illis corporibus resolutio nulla fieri potest, sed solum dolor cordis et conturbatio oculorum et capitis, prout in fletibus esse solet. However, this does not forbid our giving a spiritual and metaphorical interpretation to certain material expressions of Scripture in reference to the punishments of the damned. For instance, it is said: Their worm shall not die (Isa 66:24), since by the worm we may understand the remorse of conscience, with which also the wicked will be tortured. For a material worm can eat neither into a spiritual substance, nor into the bodies of the damned, which will be incorruptible. Again, weeping and gnashing of teeth cannot be ascribed, save metaphorically, to spiritual substances; although they can be applied in the material sense to the bodies of the damned after the resurrection. By weeping, however, we must not understand the shedding of tears, since nothing will be resolved from those bodies; but this signifies the constriction of the heart, the convulsion of the eyes and brow, which are associated with weeping. Caput 91 Chapter 91 Quod animae statim post separationem a corpore poenam vel praemium consequuntur That the soul will receive its punishment or reward, as soon as it departs from the body Ex his autem accipere possumus quod statim post mortem animae hominum recipiunt pro meritis vel poenam vel praemium. From what we have said, it may be gathered that immediately after death, the souls of men are punished or rewarded according to their merits. Sunt enim animae separatae susceptibiles poenarum non solum spiritualium, sed etiam corporalium, ut ostensum est. Quod autem sint susceptibiles gloriae, manifestum est ex his quae in tertio sunt tractata. Ex hoc enim quod anima separatur a corpore, fit capax visionis divinae, ad quam, dum esset coniuncta corruptibili corpori, pervenire non poterat. In visione autem Dei ultima hominis beatitudo consistit, quae est virtutis praemium. Nulla autem ratio esset quare differretur poena et praemium, ex quo utriusque anima particeps esse potest. Statim igitur cum anima separatur a corpore, praemium vel poenam recipit pro his quae in corpore gessit. The separated soul is susceptible to pain both spiritual and bodily, as we have proved. It is also clear from what was said in the third book that it is capable of being glorified, because as soon as the soul departs from the body, it is capable of seeing God, which it could not do so long as it was united to a corruptible body, and man’s ultimate happiness, which is the reward of virtue, consists in seeing God. Now there is no reason for deferring a punishment or reward after the moment in which the soul is capable of receiving them. Therefore, as soon as the soul departs from the body, it receives its punishment or reward for those things which it did while yet in the body. Adhuc. In vita ista est status merendi vel demerendi: unde comparatur militiae, et diebus mercenarii, ut patet Iob 7:1: militia est vita hominis super terram: et sicut mercenarii dies eius. Sed post statum militiae et laborem mercenarii statim debetur praemium vel poena bene vel male certantibus: unde et Levit. 19:13, dicitur: non morabitur opus mercenarii tui apud te usque mane. Dominus etiam dicit Ioel ult.: cito velociter reddam vicissitudinem vobis super caput vestrum. Statim igitur post mortem animae vel praemium consequuntur vel poenam. Again. This life is the time for merit or demerit; therefore, it is compared to military or domestic service. Thus it is said: Has not man a hard service upon earth, and are not his days like the days of a hireling? (Job 7:1). Now reward or punishment is due to those who have served well or ill, as soon as their service is ended. Therefore, it is said: The wages of a hired servant shall not remain with you all night until the morning (Lev 19:13); and the Lord said: I will requite your deed upon your own head swiftly and speedily (Joel 3:4). Therefore, the soul will receive its reward or punishment immediately after death. Amplius. Secundum ordinem culpae et meriti convenienter est ordo in poena et praemio. Meritum autem et culpa non competit corpori nisi per animam: nihil enim habet rationem meriti vel demeriti nisi inquantum est voluntarium. Igitur tam praemium quam poena convenienter ab anima derivatur ad corpus: non autem animae convenit propter corpus. Nulla igitur ratio est quare in punitione vel praemiatione animarum expectetur resumptio corporum: quin magis conveniens videtur ut animae, in quibus per prius fuit culpa et meritum, prius etiam puniantur vel praemientur. Again. The order in punishment and reward should correspond to the order in fault and merit. Now merit and fault are not ascribed to the body except through the soul, since nothing is deserving of praise or blame except insofar as it is voluntary. Consequently, both reward and punishment are awarded to the body through the soul, and not to the soul on account of the body. Hence there is no reason why the punishment or reward of the soul should await its reunion with the body. Indeed, it would seem more fitting that the soul, which was the first to be the subject of sin or merit, should be the first to be punished or rewarded. Item. Eadem Dei providentia creaturis rationalibus praemia debentur et poena, qua rebus naturalibus perfectiones eis debitae adhibentur. Sic est autem in rebus naturalibus quod unumquodque statim recipit perfectionem cuius est capax, nisi sit impedimentum vel ex parte recipientis, vel ex parte agentis. Cum igitur animae statim cum fuerint separatae a corpore sint capaces et gloriae et poenae, statim utrumque recipient, nec differtur vel bonorum praemium vel malorum poena quousque animae corpora reassumant. Moreover. By the same divine providence as provides natural things with the perfections due to them, rewards and punishments are due to the rational creature. Now each natural thing receives at once the perfection of which it is capable, unless there be an obstacle either on the part of the recipient or on the part of the agent. Since, then, the soul is capable of receiving either glory or punishment as soon as it departs from the body, it follows that the reward of the good and the punishment of the wicked are not delayed until the reunion of soul and body.