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Objection 1: It would seem that that fire will not engulf the
wicked. For a gloss on Malachi 3:3, "He shall purify the sons
of Levi," says that "it is a fire consuming the wicked and refining
the good"; and a gloss on 1 Cor. 3:13, "Fire shall try every
man's work," says: "We read that there will be a twofold fire,
one that will cleanse the elect and will precede the judgment, another
that will torture the wicked." Now the latter is the fire of hell
that shall engulf the wicked, while the former is the fire of the final
conflagration. Therefore the fire of the final conflagration will not
be that which will engulf the wicked.
Objection 2: Further, that fire will obey God in the cleansing of
the world: therefore it should receive its reward like the other
elements, especially since fire is the most noble of the elements.
Therefore it would seem that it ought not to be cast into hell for the
punishment of the damned.
Objection 3: Further, the fire that will engulf the wicked will be
the fire of hell: and this fire was prepared from the beginning of the
world for the damned; hence it is written (Mt. 25:41):
"Depart . . . you cursed . . . into everlasting fire which was
prepared for the devil," etc., and (Is. 30:33): "Tophet
is prepared from yesterday, prepared by the king," etc., where a
gloss observes: "From yesterday, i.e. from the
beginning---Tophet, i.e. the valley of hell." But this fire of
the final conflagration was not prepared from the beginning, but will
result from the meeting together of the fires of the world. Therefore
that fire is not the fire of hell which will engulf the wicked.
On the contrary, are the words of Ps. 96:3, where it is said of
this fire that it "shall burn His enemies round about."
Further, it is written (Dan. 7:10): "A swift stream of fire
issued forth from before Him"; and a gloss adds, "to drag sinners
into hell." Now the passage quoted refers to that fire of which we
are now speaking, as appears from a gloss which observes on the same
words: "In order to punish the wicked and cleanse the good."
Therefore the fire of the final conflagration will be plunged into hell
together with the wicked
I answer that, The entire cleansing of the world and the renewal for
the purpose of cleansing will be directed to the renewal of man: and
consequently the cleansing and renewal of the world must needs
correspond with the cleansing and renewal of mankind. Now mankind will
be cleansed in one way by the separation of the wicked from the good:
wherefore it is said (Lk. 3:17): "Whose fan is in His hand,
and He will purge His poor, and will gather the wheat," i.e. the
elect, "into His barn, but the chaff," i.e. the wicked, "He
will burn with unquenchable fire." Hence it will be thus with the
cleansing of the world, so that all that is ugly and vile will be cast
with the wicked into hell, and all that is beautiful and noble will be
taken up above for the glory of the elect: and so too will it be with
the fire of that conflagration, as Basil says in Ps. 28:7,
"The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire," because
whatever fire contains of burning heat and gross matter will go down
into hell for the punishment of the wicked, and whatever is subtle and
lightsome will remain above for the glory of the elect.
Reply to Objection 1: The fire that will cleanse the elect before
the judgment will be the same as the fire that will burn the world,
although some say the contrary. For it is fitting that man, being a
part of the world, be cleansed with the same fire as the world. They
are, however, described as two fires, that will cleanse the good,
and torture the wicked, both in reference to their respective offices,
and somewhat in reference to their substance: since the substance of
the cleansing fire will not all be cast into hell, as stated above.
Reply to Objection 2: This fire will be rewarded because whatever
it contains of gross matter will be separated from it, and cast into
hell.
Reply to Objection 3: The punishment of the wicked, even as the
glory of the elect, will be greater after the judgment than before.
Wherefore, just as charity will be added to the higher creature in
order to increase the glory of the elect, so too whatever is vile in
creatures will be thrust down into hell in order to add to the misery of
the damned. Consequently it is not unbecoming that another fire be
added to the fire of the damned that was prepared from the beginning of
the world.
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