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Objection 1: It would seem that the blessed in heaven will not see
the sufferings of the damned. For the damned are more cut off from the
blessed than wayfarers. But the blessed do not see the deeds of
wayfarers: wherefore a gloss on Is. 63:16, "Abraham hath not
known us," says: "The dead, even the saints, know not what the
living, even their own children, are doing" [St. Augustine, De
cura pro mortuis xiii, xv]. Much less therefore do they see the
sufferings of the damned.
Objection 2: Further, perfection of vision depends on the
perfection of the visible object: wherefore the Philosopher says
(Ethic. x, 4) that "the most perfect operation of the sense of
sight is when the sense is most disposed with reference to the most
beautiful of the objects which fall under the sight." Therefore, on
the other hand, any deformity in the visible object redounds to the
imperfection of the sight. But there will be no imperfection in the
blessed. Therefore they will not see the sufferings of the damned
wherein there is extreme deformity.
On the contrary, It is written (Is. 66:24): "They shall
go out and see the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against
Me"; and a gloss says: "The elect will go out by understanding or
seeing manifestly, so that they may be urged the more to praise
God."
I answer that, Nothing should be denied the blessed that belongs to
the perfection of their beatitude. Now everything is known the more
for being compared with its contrary, because when contraries are
placed beside one another they become more conspicuous. Wherefore in
order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful to them
and that they may render more copious thanks to God for it, they are
allowed to see perfectly the sufferings of the damned.
Reply to Objection 1: This gloss speaks of what the departed saints
are able to do by nature: for it is not necessary that they should know
by natural knowledge all that happens to the living. But the saints in
heaven know distinctly all that happens both to wayfarers and to the
damned. Hence Gregory says (Moral. xii) that Job's words
(14:21), "'Whether his children come to honour or dishonour,
he shall not understand,' do not apply to the souls of the saints,
because since they possess the glory of God within them, we cannot
believe that external things are unknown to them."
Reply to Objection 2: Although the beauty of the thing seen
conduces to the perfection of vision, there may be deformity of the
thing seen without imperfection of vision: because the images of things
whereby the soul knows contraries are not themselves contrary.
Wherefore also God Who has most perfect knowledge sees all things,
beautiful and deformed.
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