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Dist. 43

Book IV: On the Sacraments · Distinction 43

Textus Latinus
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DISTINCTIO XLIII.

Cap. I. De resurrectione et iudicii conditione.

Postremo de conditione resurrectionis et modo re­surgentium nec non et de iudicii et misericordiae qua­litate breviter disserendum est. — «Omnibus quaestionibus, quae de hac re moveri solent, satisfacere non valeo; resurrecturam tamen carnem omnium, quicumque nati sunt atque nascentur et mortui sunt atque morientur, nullatenus ambigere debet Christianus1». Ait enim Isaias: Resurgent mortui, et resurgent qui erunt in sepulcris. Et Apostolus: Nolumus autem vos ignorare, fratres, de dormientibus, ut non contristemini, sicut et ceteri, qui spem non habent, «scilicet resurrectionis». Hoc enim vobis dicimus in verbo Domini, quia nos, qui vivimus, qui residui sumus, non praeveniemus eos qui dormierunt. Quoniam ipse Dominus in iussu et in voce Archangeli et in tuba Dei descendet de caelo, et mortui, qui in Christo sunt, resurgent primi. Deinde nos, qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aëra; et sic semper cum Domino erimus. — His verbis et veritas resurrectionis et causa atque ordo resurgentium praeclarissime insinuatur.

Cap. II. De voce tubae.

Causa enim resurrectionis mortuorum erit vox tu­bae, quae in adventu Iudicis ab omnibus audietur, et cuius virtute excitabuntur mortui et de monumentis resurgent. Unde Propheta2: Dabit voci suae vocem vir­tutis, id est effectum resuscitandi mortuos. Et Ioannes Evangelista ait: Venit hora, in qua omnes qui in monumentis sunt, audient vocem Filii Dei, et procedent qui bona fecerunt in resurrectionem vitae, mali vero in resurrectionem iudicii. — Si vero quaeritur: cuius vel qualis erit vox illa? Apostolus dicit, quia erit Archangeli, id est ipsius Christi, qui est princeps Archangelorum; vel vox erit alicuius vel plurium Angelorum; eademque dicitur tuba, quia «erit manifesta, et novissima, quia post eam non erit alia3». «Haec tuba, ut ait Augustinus, est clamor, de quo dicitur in Evangelio: Media nocte clamor factus est: ecce sponsus venit; exite obviam ei. Tubae nomine aliquod evidens et praeclarum signum intelligitur, quod vox Archangeli et tuba Dei ab Apostolo dicitur, et in Evangelio vox Filii Dei et clamor appellatur; quod mortui audient et resurgent».

Cap. III. De nocte media.

Media autem nocte dicitur venturus, ut ait Augustinus4, non pro hora temporis, sed «quia tunc veniet, cum non speratur». Media ergo nocte, scilicet cum «valde obscurum erit, id est occultum, veniet». Dies enim Domini, sicut fur in nocte, ita veniet[^p880-5]. Potest tamen non incongrue intelligi mediae noctis tempore venturus, quia, ut ait Cassiodorus, «hoc tempore primogenita Aegypti percussa sunt, quando etiam sponsus venturus est». Pluribus etiam locis contestantur auctores, quod adventus Christi dicitur dies Domini, non pro qualitate temporis, sed rerum, quia tunc cogitationes et consilia singulorum patebunt.

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Cap. IV. De libris, qui tunc aperientur.

Unde in Daniele1: Vetustus dierum sedit, et libri aperti sunt coram eo. Libri sunt conscientiae singulorum, quae tunc aperientur aliis. Et tunc implebitur: Nihil occultum, quod non reveletur. Adveniente enim summo Iudice, non solum tenebrae aëris illuminabuntur, sed etiam abscondita cordium manifestabuntur. «Virtute igitur divina fiet, ut cuique opera sua, vel bona vel mala, cuncta in memoriam revocentur et mentis intuitu mira celeritate cernantur; ut accuset, vel excuset hominem conscientia, eaque teste damnetur, vel salvetur2».

Cap. V. De memoria electorum, si tunc praeterita mala teneat.

Hic quaeritur, utrum electis tunc adsit memoria praecedentium malorum, sicut bonorum. — Quaedam auctoritates videntur tradere, bonos non habituros tunc memoriam praecedentium malorum, id est peccatorum, vel tormentorum. Ait enim Isaias3: Ego creo caelos novos et terram novam, et non erunt in memoria priora et non ascendent super cor, sed gaudebitis in aeternum. Item: Oblivioni traditae sunt angustiae priores et absconditae ab oculis nostris. Quae de futuro exponens Hieronymus, ait: «Oblivioni tradentur priora mala, quia forsitan in futuro pristinae conversationis memoria omnino delebitur, succedentibus bonis aeternis, ne sit pars malorum prioris angustiae memorari». — Sed haec et his similia possunt accipi sic, ut non excludant memoriam praecedentium malorum, sed ex ea molestiam et laesionem amoveant. Non enim eorum memoria Sanctos contristabit vel eorum beatitudinem obfuscabit, sed gratiores Deo reddet. Unde super Psalmum octogesimum octavum ait Gregorius4: «Quomodo misericordias in aeternum canit qui miseriae non meminit? Quomodo autem plena beatitudo, si memoria reatus mentem tangit? Sed saepe laeti tristium meminimus, et sani dolorum meminimus sine dolore, et inde amplius laeti et grati sumus». — Ex his apparet, quod si priorum malorum memoriam Sancti habebunt in futuro, non eis tamen erit ad poenam vel gloriae derogationem, sed ad gratiarum actionem. — Si vero quaeritur, utrum peccata, quae fecerunt electi, prodeant tunc in notitiam omnium, sicut mala damnandorum omnibus erunt nota; non legi hoc expressum in Scriptura. Unde non irrationabiliter putari potest, peccata hic per poenitentiam tecta et deleta illic etiam tegi aliis, alia vero cunctis propalari.

Cap. VI. De his qui vivi reperiuntur.

Quaeri solet, «utrum illi quos vivos inveniet Christus, si nunquam omnino morituri sint, an ipso temporis puncto, quo rapientur obviam Christo, ad immortalitatem mira celeritate sint transituri. Non enim dicendum est, fieri non posse, ut, dum per aëra in sublime portantur, in illo spatio et moriantur et reviviscant5». «Ad hunc autem sensum, quo existimemus, illos in parvo spatio et passuros mortem et accepturos immortalitatem, Apostolus nos urgere videtur, ubi dicit: Omnes in Christo vivificabimur; et alibi: Quod seminas non vivificatur, nisi prius moriatur». «Cur autem nobis incredibile videatur, illam multitudinem corporum in aëre quodam modo seminari atque ibi protinus immortaliter et incorruptibiliter reviviscere, cum credamus, in ictu oculi futuram resurrectionem, et in membra sine fine victura tanta velocitate rediturum antiquissimorum cadaverum pulverem». «Sed vellem de his potius audire doctiores6». «Si igitur Sanctos, qui reperientur, Christo veniente, viventes eique obviam rapientur, crediderimus in eodem raptu de mortalibus corporibus exituros et ad eadem mox immortalia redituros; nullas in verbis Apostoli patiemur angustias», generaliter accipientes illud quod dictum est: Omnes quidem resurgemus, scilicet «tam boni quam mali»; sed non omnes immutabimur, scilicet in solemnitatem resurrectionis. De hoc etiam Ambrosius7 ait: «In ipso raptu eorum qui vivi reperientur, mors erit et resurrectio; ut anima, quasi per soporem egressa de corpore, eidem in momento reddatur». — Econtra vero, scribens ad Marcellam, Hieronymus testari videtur dicens, quosdam in fine saeculi, adveniente Christo, non esse morituros, sed vivos repertos in immortalitatem repente mutandos. — Horum autem quid verius sit, non est humani iudicii definire.

Cap. VII. Quomodo intelligitur Christus iudex vivorum et mortuorum.

His autem adiiciendum est, dupliciter intelligi, quod dicitur Christus iudicaturus vivos et mortuos. Aut enim vivi accipiuntur qui in adventu eius vivi1 reperiuntur, licet in raptu moriantur, et mortui, qui ante p. 882 decesserant; vel vivi et mortui accipiuntur iusti et iniusti. Cumque ex praedictis sane credi valeat, omnes resurrecturos; credendum est etiam, quod omnes resurgent incorrupti, non utique impassibiles, quia reprobi2 mortem patientur aeternam, sed sine diminutione membrorum omnia humani corporis habituri membra, nec tamen gloria ac specie impassibilitatis induentur.

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English Translation
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DISTINCTION XLIII.

Chap. I. On the resurrection and the condition of judgment.

Lastly, concerning the condition of the resurrection and the manner of those rising again, and also concerning the quality of judgment and mercy, it must be briefly treated. — «To all the questions which are wont to be raised concerning this matter I am not able to give satisfaction; yet that the flesh of all — whoever have been born and shall be born, and have died and shall die — will rise again, a Christian ought in no way to doubt1». For Isaiah says: The dead shall rise again, and they that are in the tombs shall rise again. And the Apostle: But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that sleep, that you be not saddened, as also the rest who have no hope, «namely of the resurrection». For this we say to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain, shall not go before them who have slept. For the Lord himself, at the command and at the voice of an Archangel and at the trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven, and the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ into the air; and so we shall be always with the Lord. — By these words both the truth of the resurrection and the cause and order of those rising again are most clearly intimated.

Chap. II. On the voice of the trumpet.

For the cause of the resurrection of the dead will be the voice of the trumpet, which at the coming of the Judge will be heard by all, and by whose power the dead will be roused and will rise from the tombs. Whence the Prophet2: He shall give to his voice the voice of power, that is, the effect of raising up the dead. And John the Evangelist says: The hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they shall come forth who have done good things unto the resurrection of life, but they who [have done] evil unto the resurrection of judgment. — But if it is asked: whose, or of what kind, will that voice be? The Apostle says that it will be [the voice] of an Archangel, that is, of Christ himself, who is the prince of Archangels; or the voice will be of some one, or of several, of the Angels; and the same is called a trumpet, because it «will be manifest, and the last, because after it there will be no other3». «This trumpet, as Augustine says, is the cry of which it is said in the Gospel: At midnight a cry was made: behold the bridegroom comes; go forth to meet him. By the name of the trumpet some evident and remarkable sign is understood, which is called by the Apostle the voice of an Archangel and the trumpet of God, and in the Gospel is named the voice of the Son of God and a cry; which the dead will hear and will rise».

Chap. III. On the middle of the night.

He is said to come at the middle of the night, as Augustine says4, not on account of the hour of time, but «because he will then come, when he is not expected». At the middle of the night, therefore, that is, when «it will be very dark, that is, hidden, he will come». For the day of the Lord, as a thief in the night, so shall it come[^p880-5]. Yet it can not unfittingly be understood that he will come at the time of the middle of the night, because, as Cassiodorus says, «at this time the firstborn of Egypt were struck, when also the bridegroom is to come». In many places too the authors testify that the coming of Christ is called the day of the Lord, not on account of the quality of the time, but of the things, because then the thoughts and counsels of individuals will be laid open.

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Chap. IV. On the books which will then be opened.

Whence in Daniel1: The Ancient of days sat, and the books were opened before him. The books are the consciences of individuals, which will then be opened to others. And then will be fulfilled: Nothing hidden, which shall not be revealed. For when the supreme Judge comes, not only will the darknesses of the air be illumined, but also the hidden things of hearts will be made manifest. «By divine power, therefore, it will come to pass that to each one his own works, whether good or evil, all things be recalled to memory and be discerned by a gaze of the mind with wondrous speed; so that conscience may accuse or excuse the man, and by its testimony he be condemned or be saved2».

Chap. V. On the memory of the elect, whether it then retains past evils.

Here it is asked whether the elect will then have a memory of past evils, just as of good things. — Certain authorities seem to hand down that the good will not then have a memory of past evils, that is, of sins or of torments. For Isaiah says3: I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be in memory nor rise up upon the heart, but you shall rejoice for ever. Likewise: The former anguishes are delivered to oblivion and are hidden from our eyes. Expounding which of the future, Jerome says: «The former evils will be handed over to oblivion, because perhaps in the future the memory of one's former way of life will be altogether blotted out, eternal goods succeeding, lest there be a part of evils, [namely] to remember one's former anguish». — But these and things like these can be taken thus, that they do not exclude the memory of past evils, but remove from it trouble and hurt. For the memory of them will not sadden the Saints nor darken their beatitude, but will render them more thankful to God. Whence upon the eighty-eighth Psalm Gregory says4: «How does he sing of mercies for ever who does not remember misery? And how [is there] full beatitude, if the memory of guilt touches the mind? But often, joyful, we recall sad things, and, healthy, we recall pains without pain, and thence we are the more joyful and thankful». — From these things it appears that, if the Saints will have a memory of former evils in the future, it will nevertheless not be to their punishment or to the diminution of glory, but to the giving of thanks. — But if it is asked whether the sins which the elect committed will then come forth into the knowledge of all, just as the evils of the damned will be known to all: I have not read this expressed in Scripture. Whence it can not unreasonably be thought that the sins here covered and blotted out by penance are there too covered from others, but others are made known to all.

Chap. VI. On those who are found alive.

It is wont to be asked, «whether those whom Christ will find alive, if they are never at all to die, or in that very point of time in which they will be caught up to meet Christ are with wondrous speed to pass over to immortality. For it must not be said that it cannot come to pass that, while they are borne aloft through the air, in that space they both die and revive5». «But to this sense, by which we may think that in a small space they will both suffer death and receive immortality, the Apostle seems to urge us, where he says: We shall all be made alive in Christ; and elsewhere: What you sow is not made alive, unless it first die». «But why should it seem incredible to us that that multitude of bodies is in some manner sown in the air and there straightway revives immortally and incorruptibly, since we believe that in the twinkling of an eye the resurrection is to be, and that the dust of the most ancient corpses is to return with such speed into members that shall live without end». «But I would rather hear the more learned about these things6». «If, therefore, we shall have believed that the Saints, who will be found living when Christ comes and will be caught up to meet him, in that same rapture go forth from mortal bodies and forthwith return to the same [bodies now] immortal; we shall suffer no straits in the Apostle's words», taking generally that which was said: We shall indeed all rise again, namely «both the good and the evil»; but we shall not all be changed, namely into the solemnity of the resurrection. Concerning this Ambrose also7 says: «In that very rapture of those who are found alive there will be death and resurrection; so that the soul, having gone forth from the body as it were through a slumber, may be restored to it in a moment». — On the contrary, however, writing to Marcella, Jerome seems to testify, saying that some at the end of the age, when Christ comes, are not to die, but, found alive, are to be suddenly changed into immortality. — But which of these is the more true, it is not for human judgment to define.

Chap. VII. How Christ is understood [as] judge of the living and the dead.

To these things it must be added that it is understood in two ways, that Christ is said to be about to judge the living and the dead. For either the living are taken [to be] those who at his coming are found alive1 — though in the rapture they die — and the dead, those who p. 882 had died before; or the living and the dead are taken [to be] the just and the unjust. And since from the aforesaid it may soundly be believed that all will rise again, it must also be believed that all will rise incorrupt, not indeed impassible, because the reprobate2 will suffer eternal death, but, without diminution of members, they will have all the members of the human body, yet will not be clothed with the glory and the appearance of impassibility.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 1
    August., Enchirid. c. 85. n. 23. Locus Isaiae est 26, 19 (secundum versionem Septuaginta), et Apostoli I. Thess. 4, 13, cum verbis Glossae interlinearis, et vv. 15. 17. — In textu Isaiae pro erunt codd. BCDE et plurimae edd. erant. Vat. et edd. 6, 9 addunt etiam ex cit. Epist. v. 14. Si enim etc.
    Augustine, Enchiridion c. 85, n. 23. The passage of Isaiah is 26:19 (according to the Septuagint version), and [that] of the Apostle 1 Thess. 4:13, with the words of the Interlinear Gloss, and vv. 15, 17. — In the text of Isaiah, for erunt the codices BCDE and very many editions [read] erant. The Vatican [edition] and editions 6, 9 add also, from the cited Epistle, v. 14, Si enim etc.
  2. 2
    Psalm. 67, 34, deinde Ioan. 5, 28. seqq. — Pro qui bona fecerunt codd. et ed. 1 boni. — Pro quia erit, quod habent codd. et ed. 1, aliae quod erit; pro princeps Archangelorum codd. DE (B a secunda manu) princeps Angelorum.
    Psalm 67:34, then John 5:28 ff. — For qui bona fecerunt the codices and ed. 1 [read] boni. — For quia erit, which the codices and ed. 1 have, the others [read] quod erit; for princeps Archangelorum the codices DE (B by a second hand) [read] princeps Angelorum.
  3. 3
    Glossa interlinearis in I. Cor. 15, 53. Locus August. est Epist. 140. (alias 120.) ad Honoratum, c. 34. n. 78, ubi citatur Matth. 25, 6. Cfr. etiam August., 83 Quaestion. q. 59. n. 3. — In fine ante mortui solae edd., excepta 1, addunt signum.
    Interlinear Gloss on 1 Cor. 15:53. The passage of Augustine is Epist. 140 (alias 120) to Honoratus, c. 34, n. 78, where Matt. 25:6 is cited. Cf. also Augustine, 83 Questions, q. 59, n. 3. — At the end, before mortui, the editions alone, except ed. 1, add signum.
  4. 4
    Loc. cit., ubi et verba sequentia. — Pro occultum, veniet in originali legitur occultum erit, an veniat.
    At the place cited, where [are] also the following words. — For occultum, veniet the original reads occultum erit, an veniat.
  5. 5
    Epist. I. Thess. 5, 2. — Locus Cassiodor. est in Ps. 118, 62, et respicitur Exod. 12, 29, et Matth. 25, 6.
    [The] Epistle 1 Thess. 5:2. — The passage of Cassiodorus is on Ps. 118:62, and Exod. 12:29 and Matt. 25:6 are referred to.
  6. 1
    Cap. 7, 9; cfr. Lyranus, ibid. Seq. locus est Matth. 10, 26: Nihil enim est opertum, quod non revelabitur; et occultum, quod non scietur. Respicitur deinde 1. Cor. 4, 5.
    [Daniel] c. 7:9; cf. Lyra, in the same place. The following passage is Matt. 10:26: For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed; and hidden that shall not be known. Then 1 Cor. 4:5 is referred to.
  7. 2
    August., XX. de Civ. Dei, c. 14.
    Augustine, On the City of God [book] XX, c. 14.
  8. 3
    Cap. 65, 17. 18; seq. locus est ibid. v. 16. Explicatio Hieronymi est ibid.
    [Isaiah] c. 65:17, 18; the following passage is in the same place, v. 16. Jerome's explanation is in the same place.
  9. 4
    Libr. IV. Moral. c. 36. n. 72; verbotenus apud Lyranum, loc. cit. v. 1.
    Morals book IV, c. 36, n. 72; word for word in Lyra, at the place cited, v. 1.
  10. 5
    August., XX. de Civ. Dei, c. 20. n. 2. Seq. locus ibid., ubi respicitur 1. Cor. 15, 22. 36; tertius ibid. n. 3, ubi respicitur 1. Cor. 15, 52.
    Augustine, On the City of God [book] XX, c. 20, n. 2. The following passage [is] in the same place, where 1 Cor. 15:22, 36 is referred to; the third [passage] in the same place, n. 3, where 1 Cor. 15:52 is referred to.
  11. 6
    August., Epist. 193. ad Mercatorem, c. 4. n. 10; seq. locus est de Civ. Dei, loc. cit. n. 3; sequitur locus Scripturae 1. Cor. 15, 51. cum Glossa interlineari.
    Augustine, Epist. 193 to Mercator, c. 4, n. 10; the following passage is from On the City of God, at the place cited, n. 3; there follows the passage of Scripture 1 Cor. 15:51, with the Interlinear Gloss.
  12. 7
    Comment. in 1. Thess. 4, 14. (inter eius opera) et apud Lyranum, ibid. Locus Hieronymi est Epist. 59. (alias 148.) n. 3. — In fine pro quid verius codd. ABCE et edd. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 quod verius.
    Commentary on 1 Thess. 4:14 (among his works) and in Lyra, in the same place. The passage of Jerome is Epist. 59 (alias 148) n. 3. — At the end, for quid verius the codices ABCE and editions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 [read] quod verius.
  13. 1
    Cfr. August., Enchirid. c. 55. n. 14.
    Cf. Augustine, Enchiridion c. 55, n. 14.
  14. 2
    Codd. et edd. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 omittunt reprobi. Deinde pro specie, quod recte habent codd. et edd. 1, 2, 3, 7, aliae edd. spe[cies].
    The codices and editions 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 omit reprobi. Then for specie, which the codices and editions 1, 2, 3, 7 rightly have, the other editions [read] spe[cies]. ---
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