Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On the Loss of Grace · Book VI: The Punishments of Original Sin
Chapter 5: Response is made to the objections against the doctrine of the preceding chapter
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. V, De Amissione Gratiae et Statu Peccati, Book VI. The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
But there can be objected — and are wont to be — arguments neither few nor light against the things we said in the preceding chapter.
The first objection, Matthew 3: the precursor of the Lord speaks thus of the Lord himself: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor and gather his wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. But little ones dying without Baptism are not grains to be carried into the barn; therefore they are chaff, to be the fuel of unquenchable fire. I answer: this parable pertains nothing at all to little ones. For the floor is nothing else than the Catholic Church, in which the good are mingled with the evil, as grains with chaff — all, however, faithful, none unbelievers, as St. Augustine teaches in the book against the Donatists after the conference, chapter 10 [al. 9]. Little ones without Baptism are not on the floor, and thereby are numbered neither among the grains nor among the chaff.
The second objection, Matthew 3: Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire. But little ones have done no good fruit, and were plainly useless in this world; therefore, cut down, they will be cast into the fire. I answer: Scripture speaks of adults, who, though they could bear fruit, did not. For even trees planted a day or two before are not cast into the fire, though they bear no fruit.
The third objection, Matthew 13: So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels shall go out, and shall separate the wicked from among the just. And shall cast them into the furnace of fire. But little ones without Baptism are not just, but evil and sinners. I answer: the words cited are the conclusion of the parable of the net cast into the sea, gathering good and bad fishes. Now that net signifies not the whole world, but the Church only, in which there are men good and evil, but faithful and baptized, as St. Augustine explains in the book cited above, against the Donatists after the conference, chapter 4 [al. 8]. Those words, then — They shall separate the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire — do not pertain to infants, who were never in the net of the Church.
The fourth objection, Matthew 25: to all who will be at the left — that is, to all the evil — it will be said: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire. This judgment will without doubt be universal; therefore even the little ones will be compelled to be present. But the little ones will not be at the right — for otherwise they would possess the kingdom of heaven; they will therefore be at the left, and will receive that sentence: Depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire. I answer: the judgment will be universal, and absolutely all will be present — the small with the great, the faithful with the unbelievers, the just with the sinners; but not all will be judged in the same form. Now in the Gospel, Matthew 25, is described only the form in which they will be judged who are in the Church; and thus this place does not pertain to the little ones, who are not in the Church. And that only the form of the judgment of those who are in the Church is described is plain: first, from Augustine, in the book cited against the Donatists, chapter 4 [al. 8], and the book On Faith and Works, chapter 15, and in the questions to Dulcitius, question 1. Next, from the words of the Gospel itself; for the Lord compares the good and the evil to sheep and goats, which are numbered in the same flock of the same shepherd. But it is agreed that the flock of one shepherd is nothing else than the Church, in which are good and evil, but Christians; for unbelievers are wont in the Scriptures to be compared rather to wolves and dogs than to goats. That reason too of the eternal punishment — For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat, etc. — indicates openly enough that that form of judgment is to be referred to the faithful alone, seeing they are convicted not for not having had the right faith, but for not having shown the works of faith. Finally, since the Gospel pertains to the faithful alone (for none have faith in the Gospel but the faithful), there was no need to describe in the Gospel the form in which unbelievers will be judged; but it was enough to have said in general: He that believeth not shall be condemned, Mark, last chapter; and: He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, John 3; and of the little ones: By the offence of one, unto all men to condemnation, Romans 5. But, thou wilt say, St. Augustine, sermon 14 on the words of the Apostle, from this place of Matthew 25 proves against the Pelagians that little ones dead without Baptism will go into everlasting fire, because they pertain to the left hand — since at the right there are none but the just, and there is no third place besides the right and the left. I answer: from the place of the Gospel, Matthew 25, is gathered only, as we said, the form in species in which evil Catholics will be judged; yet it can also be gathered that absolutely all sinners will be at the left, and will receive the sentence of damnation. For the judgment will be universal; and evil Catholics will be at the left for this reason, that there will be the demons and the unbelievers and all the workers of iniquity. For so we read, Luke 12: But if that servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming; and shall begin to strike the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk: the lord of that servant will come in the day that he hopeth not, and at the hour that he knoweth not, and shall separate him, and shall appoint him his portion with unbelievers. And this alone did St. Augustine wish to prove in sermon 14 on the words of the Apostle — namely, that little ones will not have eternal life, but will be at the left, and are to be condemned. And so, when he says they will go into everlasting fire, he takes everlasting fire for the place of the lower world, where the everlasting fire is, or for the damnation — not properly for a definite species or quality of punishment; for in express words, book 5 against Julian, chapter 8 [al. 11], he wrote that he could not define of what sort and how great the punishment would be with which little ones dying without the Baptism of Christ will be struck.
The fifth objection, Apocalypse 20: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection; in these the second death hath no power. And below — as also chapter 21 — the second death is said to be the pool of fire and brimstone. But little ones have no part in the first resurrection; therefore the second death has power over them, which is, as we said, the pool of fire and brimstone. Again, in the same chapter 20 is described the universal judgment, in which all will be judged, small and great, according to their works; and at length it is concluded in these words: And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire. But it is certain that little ones dead in original sin are not written in the book of life. I answer: it could perhaps be answered that in these places Scripture speaks only of adults, who will be judged according to their own works. For in the same chapter 20 it is written: And the books were opened… and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And in chapter 21 Scripture declares who are to be cast into the pool of fire, and says: But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, they shall have their portion in the pool burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. But certainly it is more probable that these sentences are general. For therefore in chapter 20 it is said that the small and the great stood before the throne to be judged, and that the dead were summoned from every quarter; and that proposition — whosoever was not found written in the book of life, etc. — pertains to the eternal predestination, which embraces infants no less than adults. Finally, St. Augustine, book 6 against Julian, chapter 4 [al. 15], teaches that little ones too are to be judged on the day of judgment according to the things they did in the body, according to that of the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 5: that every one may receive… according as he hath done, whether it be good or evil. For as it pertains to the baptized that they believed through others, so it pertains to the unbaptized that they sinned through another. It can be answered, then, that little ones are indeed to be judged according to their own works — for even if they did nothing by their own will, yet through Adam and in Adam they sinned — and therefore are to be cast into the pool of fire, that is, into the place where the fire is, yet not to be set aflame by that fire, or tormented: whether because they are in a higher part of that place, or because the fire has the power of detaining them, yet not of burning them. For the fire after the day of judgment will not have the power of burning except as the instrument of the divine justice; and therefore it will hurt some more, some less, some even not at all.
The sixth objection, from the creed of Athanasius: “All men have to rise again with their bodies, and are to render an account of their own deeds; and they who have done good shall go into eternal life, but they who evil, into eternal fire.” I answer: all indeed will rise, even the little ones, with their bodies, and will render an account of their own deeds; but the little ones will easily clear themselves, for they will say that they have nothing of their own deeds — for they did nothing of good or evil by their own will, the Apostle also being witness, Romans 9. Wherefore what follows — they who have done good shall go into eternal life, but they who evil, into eternal fire — does not pertain to them. And although it is not explained in the creed what will become of those who by their own will sinned nothing, but only, as St. Cyprian speaks in epistle 8 of book 3, drew the contagion of the ancient death by their first nativity, yet from elsewhere we know that they will not have eternal life, and are to be struck, in the lower world itself, with a most mild punishment — just as, contrariwise, it is not explained in the creed what will become of baptized little ones, who did nothing of good by their own will, but only professed through others both that they believe in Christ and that they renounce Satan, and through Baptism put on Christ; yet from elsewhere we know that they have been made brothers of Christ, and thereby heirs — heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs of Christ. But assuredly it is more likely that the creed hands down a universal doctrine on the reward and punishment of all, even of the little ones. Now the proper deeds of someone are called not only those which he did by his own will, but also those which pertain to him as already living in the body, as St. Augustine teaches, book 6 against Julian, chapter 4, and in epistle 107, explaining that of the Apostle: We must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body, according as he hath done. What is said, then — that the evil will go into eternal fire — is to be understood: they will go into the place where the eternal fire is, but are to be punished according to the variety of their faults — some by burning, some by mere detention.
The seventh objection, from the Fathers Augustine and Fulgentius. For St. Augustine writes openly enough, in sermon 14 on the words of the Apostle, that little ones are to be tormented with everlasting fire; and St. Fulgentius, in the book On the Faith, to Peter, chapter 27, commands the same to be believed most firmly. I answer: those holy Fathers seem to have wished to signify that little ones are to be tormented by the everlasting fire through detention, not through burning. For this one thing Augustine everywhere hands down as certain: that little ones dead without Baptism will be in that place where the eternal fire is, with the devil and his angels; but what, of what sort, and how great their punishment will be, he openly denied that he could define. And if blessed Fulgentius perchance thought otherwise, we do him no injury if we prefer to follow blessed Gregory Nazianzen with the whole school of the theologians.
The eighth objection: Little ones are punished in this life with the punishment of sense, since they are liable to hunger, thirst, diseases, and other calamities almost infinite; therefore it is credible that in the other life too they are to be punished with some punishment of sense. I answer: the afflictions of this life are not inflicted properly and directly on little ones in punishment of original sin, but follow upon human nature despoiled of original justice; for otherwise men would have suffered like things had they been founded in pure natural endowments — just as living creatures devoid of reason suffer like things, not by any fault of theirs, but from the condition of nature. But the torment of fire and brimstone in the other life cannot be natural, but only from the institution of the divine justice; and therefore, if such punishments were inflicted on little ones, they would be inflicted not indirectly and consequently, but directly and principally.
The ninth objection: Little ones after the day of judgment will not have glorious bodies, but passible; therefore without doubt they will suffer something. “But in those” (says St. Augustine, book 6 against Julian, chapter 5) “who will not rise to life, concupiscence will be not happily, but penally — not because anyone will then be cleansed from it, but because then, for the evil, it will be turned not into delights, but into torments.” And in epistle 146 to Consentius, question 1: “Hence they who are to rise to judgment will not be changed into that incorruption which cannot suffer even the corruption of pain. For that belongs to the faithful and the Saints; but these will be tormented with perpetual corruption, because their fire will not be extinguished, and their worm will not die.” I answer: the bodies of the damned will indeed be passible, yet they will not suffer except according to the ordination of the divine justice, and supernaturally. For since after the judgment the rising and perishing of natural things must cease, there will be taken from natural bodies the power of acting upon other bodies; and thereby they will not act except, as we said before, as instruments of the divine justice. Wherefore, since the plan of the divine justice does not demand that the bodies of the little ones suffer fire, those bodies will be immune from pain — though otherwise not glorious, but like the bodies of the other damned. But St. Augustine, in the places noted, does not treat the question of the little ones, but speaks in general of the bodies of the damned; wherefore his words are most true, since for the most part the matter stands as he teaches.
The tenth objection: Christ, for expiating the sin of origin, suffered the punishment of sense, and that a most grievous one; therefore the punishment owed to that sin is the punishment of sense. I answer: Christ suffered not the punishment which was directly owed to our sins — for he did not sustain the punishment of gehenna — but another, which, since it was of infinite merit and efficacy on account of the dignity of the person suffering, therefore satisfied most fully for all sins. Add that Christ suffered not only for the sin of origin, but also for actual faults; and actual faults without doubt deserve the punishment of sense.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAPUT y. Respondetur ad objectiones contra doctrinam capitis superi ris Sed objici possunt, ac solent, nec pauca, nec levia argumenta adversus ea, quse dixi¬ mus cap. superiore. Piima objectio, Matth. m. praecursor Do¬ mini de ipso Domino ita loquitur : Cujus ventilabrum in manu ejus, et permundabit aream suem, et congregabit triticum in hor¬ reum suum, paleas autem comburet igni inex- tinguibili (1). Sed parvuli sine Raptismo decedentes non sunt grana in horreum infe¬ renda, igitur paleae ignis inextinguibilis pa¬ bulum futurae. Respondeo : haec parabola nihil omnino ad parvulos pertinet. Siquidem a^a nihil est aliud nisi Catholica Ecclesia, in qua sunt boni malis admixti, ut grana paleis, omnes tamen fideles, nulli infideles, ut sanctus Au- gustiuus docet in libro contra Donatistas, post collationem cap. 10. parvuli sine Ba¬ ptismo, non sunt in area, ac per hoc neque inter frumenta, neque inter paleas nume¬ rantur. Secunda objectio, Matth. m : Omnis ar¬ bor, quse non facit fructum bonum , excinde- tur, et in ignem mittetur (2). At parvuli fru¬ ctum bonum non fecerunt, et plane inutiles in hoc mundo fuerunt ; igiturexcisi in ignem mittentur. Respondeo : loquitur Scriptura de adultis, qui fructum facere cum possent, minime fecerunt. Nam etiam arbores ante unam diem, vel alteram plantata; non mittuntur in ignem, etiamsi fructum non ferant. . Tertia objectio, Matth. xm : Sic erit in consummatione saeculi, exibunt Angeli, et se¬ parabunt malos de medio justorum , et mittent illos in caminum ignis (3). At parvuli sine Baptismo justi non sunt, sed mali et pecca¬ tores. Respondeo : verba citata conclusio sunt parabola? de sagena missa in mare, bonos et malos pisces congregante. Porro sagena illa non mundum universum , sed Ecclesiam tantum significat, in qua sunt homines boni et mali, sed fideles et baptizati, ut S. Augu¬ stinus explicat lib. supra citato, contra Do¬ natistas, post collationem cap. 4. illa igitur verba ; Separabunt malos de medio justorum, et mittent illos in caminum ignis , ad infantes non perlinent, qui in sagena Ecclesise nun¬ quam fuerunt. Quarta objectio, Matth. xxv : Omnibus qui a sinistris erunt , id est, omnibus malis dice¬ tur : Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum (4). Ju¬ dicium hoc sine dubio universale erit, igitur etiam parvuli adesse cogentur. Non erunt autem parvuli a dextris : nam alioqui reg¬ num coelorum possiderent; erunt igitur a sinistris, et sententiam illam accipient : Ite maledicti in ignem aeternum. Respondeo, judicium universale erit, et omnes omnino aderunt pusilli cum magnis, fideles cum infidelibus, justi cum peccatori¬ bus. Sed non eadem forma omnes judica¬ buntur ; in Evangelio autem Matth. xxv, solum describitur forma, qua judicabuntur ii, qui in Ecclesia sunt, atque ita hic locus ad parvulos non pertinet, qui in Ecclesia non sunt. Describi vero solum formam judicii eo¬ rum, qui sunt in Ecclesia, perspicuum est, Primum ex Augustino libro citato contra Donatistas, cap. 4. et libro de fide et operi¬ bus, cap. 13. et in quaestionibus ad Dulci- tium, quaest. 1 . Deinde ex ipsius Evangelii verbis; com¬ parat enim Dominus bonos et malos ovibus et hoedis qui in eodem grege ejusdem pa¬ storis numerantur. Constat autem gregem unius pastoris nihil esse aliud nisi Eccle¬ siam, in qua sunt boni et mali, sed Christia¬ ni. Infideles enim lupis potius, e.t canibus quam hoedis in Scripturis comparari solent. Illa etiam ratio aeterni supplicii : Esurivi enim et nondedistis mihi manducare, ete , satis aperte indicat, istam judicii formam ad solos fideles esse referendam, quippe qui non ar¬ guuntur, quod rectam fidem non habuerint, sed quod opera fidei non ostenderint. Denique cum Evangelium ad solos fideles pertineat, neque enim fidem habent Evan¬ gelio, nisi fideles : non erat opus in Evan¬ gelio describere formam, qua judicabuntur infideles, sed satis fuit in genere dixisse : Qui non crediderit , condemnabitur (3). Mare, ult. Et : Qui incredulus est filio, non videbit vitam (6). Joan. m.Et de parvulis : Unius de¬ licto in omnes in condemnationem. Rom. v. (7). (1) Matth. III, 12. - (2) Matth. III, 10. — (3) Matth. XIII, 49. - (4) Matth. XXV, 41. - (5) Mare. XVI, 16. - (6) Joan. III, 36. — (7) Rom. V, 18. 4f,8 UBER VI. At, inquies, S. Augustinus ser. 14. de verbis Apostoli, ex hoc loco Matth. xxv. probat adversus Pelagianos, parvulos sine Baptismo defunctos, ituros in ignem aeter- num, eo quod ad sinistram pertineant, cum in dextera nulli sint nisi justi, et nullus sit tertius locus praeter dexteram et sinistram. Respondeo : ex loco Evangelii Matth. xxv. tantum colligitur, ut diximus, forma in spe¬ cie, qua judicabuntur mali Catholici : tamen potest etiam colligi, omnes omnino peccato¬ res futuros in sinistra, et sententiam damna¬ tionis accepturos. Nam judicium universale erit, et mali Catholici ideo erunt in sinistra, quia ibi erunt daemones et infideles, et omnes operarii iniquitatis. Sic enim legimus Lue. xil. Quod si dixerit servus ille in corde suo, moram facit Dominus meus venire, et ceperit percutere servos et ancillas , edere et bibere, et inebriari , veniet Dominus servi illius in die qua non sperat, et hora (qua nescit, et dividet eum, partemque ejus cum infidelibus ponet (1). At¬ que hoc solum probare volebat S. Augusti¬ nus in serm. 14. de verbis Apostoli, nimirum parvulos non habituros vitam aeternam, sed futuros in sinistra, et damnandos. Itaque cum dicit, eos ituros in ignem al¬ ternum, accipit ignem aeternum pro loco inferni, ubi est ignis alternus, sive pro dam¬ natione, non autem proprie pro certa poenaj specie, sive qualitate, nam disertis verbis lib. 5. in Julianum, cap. 8. scripsit, se defi¬ nire non posse qualis, et quanta sit futura poena, qua plectentur parvuli, sine Bapti¬ smo Christi morientes. Quinta objectio, Apocalvp. 20 : lteatus et sanctus, qui habet partem in resurrectione prima : in his secunda mors non hcibct potesta¬ tem (2). Et infra, ut etiam cap. xxi, Mors se¬ cunda dicitur esse stagnum ignis, et sulphuris. At parvuli non habent partem in resurrec¬ tione prima : igitur in eis potestatem habet mors secunda, quae est, ut diximus, stagnum ignis et sulphuris. Rursus in eodem cap. 20. describitur universale judicium, in quo ju¬ dicabuntur omnes, pusilli et magni, secun¬ dum opera ipsorum, et tandem concluditur his verbis : Qui non est inventus in libro vitee scriptus, missus est in stagnum ignis. Certum autem est, parvulos in peccato originali de¬ functos, non esse in libro vita? scriptos. Respondeo : posset fortasse responderi, in his locis Scripturam non loqui nisi de adul¬ tis, qui secundum opera propria judicandi erunt. Nam in eodem cap. xx. scriptum est : Et libri aperti sunt, et judicati sunt mortui ex his , qux scripta erant in libris, secundum opera ipsorum (3). Et cap xxi. declarat Scri¬ ptura, qui sint mittendi in stagnum ignis, et ait : Timidis , et incredulis, et exeeratis, et homicidis, et fornicatoribus, et veneficis , et idololatris, et omnibus mendacibus , pars illorum erit in stagno ardenti igne et sulphure, quod est mors secunda (4). Sed certe probabilius est, sententias istas esse generales. Namideo in cap. 20. dicitur, pusillos et magnos ste¬ tisse ante thronum judicandos ; et undique mortuos esse advocatos; et propositio illa: (i Qui non est inventus in libro vitae scriptus, etc. » ad praedestinationem aeternam perti¬ net, qua: non minus infantes, quam adultos complectitur. Denique sanctus Augustinus in lib. vi. in Julianum, cap. 4. docet, parvulos etiam ju¬ dicandos in die judicii, secundum ea quae gesserunt in corpore juxta illud Apostoli ii. ad Corinth. v : Ut referat unusquisque sicut gessit, sive bonum, sive malum (5). Nam sicut ad baptizatos pertinet, quod crediderunt per alios, ita ad non baptizatos pertinet, quod peccaverunt per alium. Potest igitur responderi, parvulos quidem judicandos esse secundum opera ipsorum, nam etiamsi nihil egerint propria voluntate, tamen per Adamum, et in Adamo peccave¬ runt, ct ideo mittendos esse in stagnum ignis, hoc est, in locum, ubi est ignis, nec tamen inflammandos illo igne, aut cruciandos, vel quod sint in parte altiore ejus loci, vel quod ignis vim habeat eos detinendi, non tamen urendi. Siquidem ignis post diem judicii non habebit vim urendi, nisi ut instrumen¬ tum divin» justitiae , et propterea alios magis, alios minus, alios etiam nihil laedet. Sexta objectio ex symbolo Athanasii : a Omnes homines resurgere habent cum cor¬ poribus suis, et reddituri sunt de factis propriisrationem, et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam, qui vero mala in ignem aeternum. » Respondeo, omnes quidem resurgent, etiam parvuli, cum corporibus suis, et red¬ dent de factis propriis rationem, sed parvuli facile se expedient ; dicent enim se nihil ha¬ bere propriorum factorum. Nihil enim boni vel mali, etiam Apostolo teste ad Rom. ix. (!) Luc. XII, 45.— (2) Apoc, XX. 5.- (3) Ibid. XX. 12;- (4) Ibid. XXI, 8 -(5) II Corinth. V, 10. CAPUT V. m se propria voluntate gessisse. Quare, quod sequitur : Iit qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam alternam, quivero mala in ignem aeternum, ad eos non pertinet. Quamvis autem non explicetur iu symbo¬ lo, (juid de iis futurum sit, qui propria vo¬ luntate nihil peccaverunt, sed tantum, ut lo¬ quitur S. Cyprianus in epist. 8. lib. ii. con¬ tagium mortis antiqure prima nativitate tra¬ xerunt, tamen aliunde scimus illos non ha¬ bituros vitam asternam, et in ipso inferno poe¬ na mitissima esse plectendos : sicut c con¬ trario non explicatur in symbolo quid futu¬ rum sit de parvulis baptizatis, qui nihil boni propria voluntate fecerunt, sed per alios tantum professi sunt, et in Christum se cre¬ dere, et Satanae renuntiare, et per Bapti¬ smum Christum induerunt : tamen aliunde scimus eos fratres Christi esse effectos, et per hoc lueredes, haeredes quidem Dei, cohae- redes autem Christi. Sed profecto verisimi¬ lius est symbolum universalem doctrinam tradere de praemio, et supplicio omnium etiam parvulorum. Dicuntur autem propria facta alicujus non sol nn illa, quae propria voluntate quis gessit, sed etiam quae ad ipsum jam in corpore vi¬ ventem pertinent, ut sanctus Augustinus do¬ cet lib. vi. in Julianum, cap. J. et in epist. 107. explicans illud Apostoli : Omnes nos ma¬ nifestari oportet ante tribunal Christi, ut referat unusquisque propria corporis sicut gessit. Quod ergo dicitur ituros malos in ignem aeternum, intelligendum est, ituros in locum ubi est ignis aeternus, sed puniendos pro varietate culparum, alios ustione, alios sola detentione. Septima objectio, ex Patribus Augustino et Fulgentio. Sanctus enim Augustinus satis aperte scribit, parvulos igne sempiterno cru¬ ciandos, in serm. 44. de verb. Apostol. et idem firmissime credi jubet S. Fulgentius lib. de fide ad Petrum, cap. 27. Respondeo : videntur sancti isti Patres sig¬ nificare voluisse, parvulos cruciandos igne sempiterno per detentionem, non per ustio¬ nem. Nam id unum tanquam certum, ubi¬ que tradit Augustinus parvulos sine Bapti¬ smo defunctos, futuros in eo loco, ubi est ignis aiternus, cum diabolo et Angelis ejus. Quae autem, qualis et quanta poena eorum lutura sit, se definire posse aperte negavit. Quod si B. Fulgentius forte aliter sensit, non facimus illi injuriam, si Beatum Gregorium Nazianzenuin cum univorsa schola Theolo¬ gorum sequi malumus. Octava objectio. Parvuli puniuntur in hac vita pcena sensus, cum sint obnoxii fami, si¬ ti, morbis, aliisque infinitis propemodum ca¬ lamitatibus : igitur credibile est, eos in alia quoque vita pcena aliqua sensus esse punien¬ dos. Respondeo : afflictiones hujus viteo, non infliguntur proprie ac directe parvulis in pcenam originalis peccati, sed consequuntur naturam humanam originali justitia spolia¬ tam ; nam alioqui similia passi fuissent ho¬ mines, si in puris naturalibus conditi fuis¬ sent, quemadmodum similia patiuntur ani¬ mantia rationis expertia, non aliqua sua cul¬ pa, sed ex conditione natura). At ignis et sulphuris cruciatus, in alia vita non potest esse naturalis, sed solum ex institutione di- vince justitia), et idcirco si tales poena) infli¬ gerentur parvulis, non indirecte ct conse¬ quenter, sed directe ct principaliter inflige¬ rentur. Nona objectio : parvuli post diem judicii, non habebunt corpora gloriosa, sed passibi¬ lia, igitur sine dubio aliquid patientur : « In eis vero (inquit S. Augustinus lib. vi. iu Ju¬ lianum, cap. o.) qui non ad vitam resurgent, concupiscentia non feliciter, sed poenaliter erit, non quia tunc quisquam ab ea munda¬ bitur, sed quia tunc malis non in delecta¬ menta, sed in tormenta vertetur. » Et in epist. 140. ad Conscntium, qua)st. 1. « Pro¬ inde, inquit, illi, qui ad judicium resurrecturi sunt, non commutabuntur in illam corrupte¬ lam, quae nec doloris corruptionem pati po¬ test. Illa namque fidelium est atque Sancto¬ rum, isti vero perpetua corruptione crucia¬ buntur, quia ignis eorum non extinguetur, et vermis eorum non morietur. » Respondeo : corpora damnatorum passi¬ bilia quidem erunt, tamen non patientur nisi secundum ordinationem divinae justitia) et supernaturaliter. Nam cum post judicium cessare debeat ortus et interitus rerum natu¬ ralium, tolletur a corporibus naturalibus vis agendi in alia corpora, ac per hoc non agent, nisi, sicut antea diximus, ut instru¬ menta divina) justitiae. Quare cum divinae justitia) ratio id non exigat, ut corpora par¬ vulorum ignem patiantur, immunia illa cor¬ pora a dolore erunt; quamvis alioqui non gloriosa, sed similia corporibus caelerorum damnatorum futura sint. Sanctus vero Au¬ gustinus in locis notatis non tractat quaestio¬ nem de parvulis, sed in genere de corpori¬ bus damnatorum loquitur. Qua propter ver- m UBER VI. ba ejus verissima sunt, quoniam ut pluri¬ mum ita se res habet, ut ipse‘docet. Decima objectio : Christus pro peccato originis expiando poenam sens s, et quidem gravissimam passus est, igitur poena ei pec¬ cato debita, est poena sensus. Respondeo : Christus passus est non poe¬ nam, qua; directe peccatis nostris debeba¬ tur ; neque enim poenam gehenna; sustinuit, sed aliam, qua; quoniam infiniti meriti et ef¬ ficaciae fuit, propter personae patientis digni¬ tatem, ideo pro peccatis omnibus plenissime satisfecit. Adde quod non solum pro peccato originis, sed etiam pro actualibus culpis Christus passus est. Culpae autem actuales poenam sensus sine dubitatione merentur.