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Objection 1: It would seem that the resurrection will not be for all
without exception. For it is written (Ps. 1:5): "The wicked
shall not rise again in judgment." Now men will not rise again except
at the time of the general judgment. Therefore the wicked shall in no
way rise again.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (Dan. 12:2): "Many
of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." But these
words imply a restriction. Therefore all will not rise again.
Objection 3: Further, by the resurrection men are conformed to
Christ rising again; wherefore the Apostle argues (1 Cor.
15:12, seqq.) that if Christ rose again, we also shall rise
again. Now those alone should be conformed to Christ rising again who
have borne His image, and this belongs to the good alone. Therefore
they alone shall rise again.
Objection 4: Further, punishment is not remitted unless the fault
be condoned. Now bodily death is the punishment of original sin.
Therefore, as original sin is not forgiven to all, all will not rise
again.
Objection 5: Further, as we are born again by the grace of
Christ, even so shall we rise again by His grace. Now those who die
in their mother's womb can never be born again: therefore neither can
they rise again, and consequently all will not rise again.
On the contrary, It is said (Jn. 5:28,25): "All that
are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God . . . and
they that hear shall live." Therefore the dead shall all rise again.
Further, it is written (1 Cor. 15:51): "We shall all
indeed rise again," etc.
Further, the resurrection is necessary in order that those who rise
again may receive punishment or reward according to their merits. Now
either punishment or reward is due to all, either for their own
merits, as to adults, or for others' merits, as to children.
Therefore all will rise again.
I answer that, Those things, the reason of which comes from the
nature of a species, must needs be found likewise in all the members of
that same species. Now such is the resurrection: because the reason
thereof, as stated above (Article 1), is that the soul cannot have
the final perfection of the human species, so long as it is separated
from the body. Hence no soul will remain for ever separated from the
body. Therefore it is necessary for all, as well as for one, to rise
again.
Reply to Objection 1: As a gloss expounds these words, they refer
to the spiritual resurrection whereby the wicked shall not rise again in
the particular judgment. or else they refer to the wicked who are
altogether unbelievers, who will not rise again to be judged, since
they are already judged [Jn. 3:18].
Reply to Objection 2: Augustine (De Civ. Dei xx, 23)
explains "many" as meaning "all": in fact, this way of speaking is
often met with in Holy Writ. Or else the restriction may refer to
the children consigned to limbo who, although they shall rise again,
are not properly said to awake, since they will have no sense either of
pain or of glory, and waking is the unchaining of the senses.
Reply to Objection 3: All, both good and wicked, are conformed to
Christ, while living in this life, as regards things pertaining to
the nature of the species, but not as regards matters pertaining to
grace. Hence all will be conformed to Him in the restoration of
natural life, but not in the likeness of glory, except the good
alone.
Reply to Objection 4: Those who have died in original sin have, by
dying, discharged the obligation of death which is the punishment of
original sin. Hence, notwithstanding original sin, they can rise
again from death: for the punishment of original sin is to die, rather
than to be detained by death.
Reply to Objection 5: We are born again by the grace of Christ
that is given to us, but we rise again by the grace of Christ whereby
it came about that He took our nature, since it is by this that we are
conformed to Him in natural things. Hence those who die in their
mother's womb, although they are not born again by receiving grace,
will nevertheless rise again on account of the conformity of their
nature with Him, which conformity they acquired by attaining to the
perfection of the human species.
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