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Objection 1: It seems that after the resurrection everyone will not
be able to know all the sins he has committed. For whatever we know,
either we receive it anew through the senses, or we draw it from the
treasure house of the memory. Now after the resurrection men will be
unable to perceive their sins by means of sense, because they will be
things of the past, while sense perceives only the present: and many
sins will have escaped the sinner's memory, and he will be unable to
recall them from the treasure house of his memory. Therefore after
rising again one will not be cognizant of all the sins one has
committed.
Objection 2: Further, it is stated in the text (Sent. iv, D,
43), that "there are certain books of the conscience, wherein each
one's merits are inscribed." Now one cannot read a thing in a book,
unless it be marked down in the book: and sin leaves its mark upon the
conscience according to a gloss of Origen on Rm. 2:15, "Their
conscience bearing witness," etc. which mark, seemingly, is nothing
else than the guilt or stain. Since then in many persons the guilt or
stain of many sins is blotted out by grace, it would seem that one
cannot read in one's conscience all the sins one has committed: and
thus the same conclusion follows as before.
Objection 3: Further, the greater the cause the greater the
effect. Now the cause which makes us grieve for the sins which we
recall to memory is charity. Since then charity is perfect in the
saints after the resurrection, they will grieve exceedingly for their
sins, if they recall them to memory: yet this is impossible, seeing
that according to Apoc. 21:4, "Sorrow and mourning shall flee
away from them." Therefore they will not recall their own sins to
memory.
Objection 4: Further, at the resurrection the damned will be to the
good they once did as the blessed to the sins they once committed. Now
seemingly the damned after rising again will have no knowledge of the
good they once did, since this would alleviate their pain
considerably. Neither therefore will the blessed have any knowledge of
the sins they had committed.
On the contrary, Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xx) that "a kind
of Divine energy will come to our aid, so that we shall recall all of
our sins to mind."
Further, as human judgment is to external evidence, so is the Divine
judgment to the witness of the conscience, according to 1 Kgs.
16:7, "Man seeth those things that appear, but the Lord
beholdeth the heart." Now man cannot pass a perfect judgment on a
matter unless evidence be taken on all the points that need to be
judged. Therefore, since the Divine judgment is most perfect, it is
necessary for the conscience to witness to everything that has to be
judged. But all works, both good and evil, will have to be judged
(2 Cor. 5:10): "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, whether it be good or evil."
Therefore each one's conscience must needs retain all the works he has
done, whether good or evil.
I answer that, According to Rm. 2:15,16, "In the day when
God shall judge" each one's conscience will bear witness to him and
his thoughts will accuse and defend him. And since in every judicial
hearing, the witness, the accuser, and the defendant need to be
acquainted with the matter on which judgment has to be pronounced, and
since at the general judgment all the works of men will be submitted to
judgment, it will behoove every man to be cognizant then of all his
works. Wherefore each man's conscience will be as a book containing
his deeds on which judgment will be pronounced, even as in the human
court of law we make use of records. Of these books it is written in
the Apocalypse (20:12): "The books were opened: and another
book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged
by those things which were written in the books, according to their
works." According to Augustine's exposition (De Civ. Dei xx)
the books which are here said to be opened "denote the saints of the
New and Old Testaments in whom God's commandments are
exemplified." Hence Richard of St. Victor (De judic.
potest.) says: "Their hearts will be like the code of law." But
the book of life, of which the text goes on to speak, signifies each
one's conscience, which is said to be one single book, because the
one Divine power will cause all to recall their deeds, and this
energy, in so far as it reminds a man of his deeds, is called the
"book of life" [FP, Question 24, Article 1, ad 1]. Or
else we may refer the first books to the conscience, and by the second
book we may understand the Judge's sentence as expressed in His
providence.
Reply to Objection 1: Although many merits and demerits will have
escaped our memory, yet there will be none of them but will remain
somewhat in its effect, because those merits which are not deadened
will remain in the reward accorded to them, while those that are
deadened remain in the guilt of ingratitude, which is increased through
the fact that a man sinned after receiving grace. In like manner those
demerits which are not blotted out by repentance remain in the debt of
punishment due to them, while those which have been blotted out by
repentance remain in the remembrance of repentance, which they will
recall together with their other merits. Hence in each man there will
be something whereby he will be able to recollect his deeds.
Nevertheless, as Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xx), the Divine
energy will especially conduce to this.
Reply to Objection 2: Each one's conscience will bear certain
marks of the deeds done by him; and it does not follow that these marks
are the guilt alone, as stated above.
Reply to Objection 3: Although charity is now the cause of sorrow
for sin, yet the saints in heaven will be so full of joy, that they
will have no room for sorrow; and so they will not grieve for their
sins, but rather will they rejoice in the Divine mercy, whereby their
sins are forgiven them. Even so do the angels rejoice now in the
Divine justice whereby those whom they guard fall headlong into sin
through being abandoned by grace. and whose salvation none the less
they eagerly watch over.
Reply to Objection 4: The wicked will know all the good they have
done, and this will not diminish their pain; indeed, it will increase
it, because the greatest sorrow is to have lost many goods: for which
reason Boethius says (De Consol. ii) that "the greatest
misfortune is to have been happy."
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