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Objection 1: It would seem that the souls in heaven or hell are
unable to go from thence. For Augustine says (De Cura pro Mort.
xiii): "If the souls of the dead took any part in the affairs of the
living, to say nothing of others, there is myself whom not for a
single night would my loving mother fail to visit since she followed me
by land and sea in order to abide with me": and from this he concludes
that the souls of the departed do not mingle in the affairs of the
living. But they would be able to do so if they were to leave their
abode. Therefore they do not go forth from their abode.
Objection 2: Further, it is written (Ps. 26:4): "That I
may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life," and
(Job 7:9): "He that shall go down to hell shall not come up."
Therefore neither the good nor the wicked quit their abode.
Objection 3: Further, as stated above (Article 2), abodes are
awarded to souls after death as a reward or punishment. Now after
death neither the rewards of the saints nor the punishments of the
damned are increased. Therefore they do not quit their abodes.
On the contrary, Jerome writing against Vigilantius addresses him
thus: "For thou sayest that the souls of the apostles and martyrs
have taken up their abode either in Abraham's bosom or in the place of
refreshment, or under the altar of God, and that they are unable to
visit their graves when they will. Wouldst thou then lay down the law
for God? Wouldst thou put the apostles in chains, imprison them
until the day of judgment, and forbid them to be with their lord, them
of whom it is written: They follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth?
And if the Lamb is everywhere, therefore we must believe that those
also who are with Him are everywhere." Therefore it is absurd to say
that the souls of the departed do not leave their abode.
Further, Jerome argues as follows: "Since the devil and the demons
wander throughout the whole world, and are everywhere present with
wondrous speed, why should the martyrs, after shedding their blood be
imprisoned and unable to go forth?" Hence we may infer that not only
the good sometimes leave their abode, but also the wicked, since their
damnation does not exceed that of the demons who wander about
everywhere.
Further, the same conclusion may be gathered from Gregory (Dial.
iv), where he relates many cases of the dead having appeared to the
living.
I answer that, There are two ways of understanding a person to leave
hell or heaven. First, that he goes from thence simply, so that
heaven or hell be no longer his place: and in this way no one who is
finally consigned to hell or heaven can go from thence, as we shall
state further on (Question 71, Article 5, ad 5). Secondly,
they may be understood to go forth for a time: and here we must
distinguish what befits them according to the order of nature, and what
according to the order of Divine providence; for as Augustine says
(De Cura pro Mort. xvi): "Human affairs have their limits other
than have the wonders of the Divine power, nature's works differ from
those which are done miraculously." Consequently, according to the
natural course, the separated souls consigned to their respective
abodes are utterly cut off from communication with the living. For
according to the course of nature men living in mortal bodies are not
immediately united to separate substances, since their entire knowledge
arises from the senses: nor would it be fitting for them to leave their
abode for any purpose other than to take part in the affairs of the
living. Nevertheless, according to the disposition of Divine
providence separated souls sometimes come forth from their abode and
appear to men, as Augustine, in the book quoted above, relates of
the martyr Felix who appeared visibly to the people of Nola when they
were besieged by the barbarians. It is also credible that this may
occur sometimes to the damned, and that for man's instruction and
intimidation they be permitted to appear to the living; or again in
order to seek our suffrages, as to those who are detained in
purgatory, as evidenced by many instances related in the fourth book of
the Dialogues. There is, however, this difference between the
saints and the damned, that the saints can appear when they will to the
living, but not the damned; for even as the saints while living in the
flesh are able by the gifts of gratuitous grace to heal and work
wonders, which can only be done miraculously by the Divine power, and
cannot be done by those who lack this gift, so it is not unfitting for
the souls of the saints to be endowed with a power in virtue of their
glory, so that they are able to appear wondrously to the living, when
they will: while others are unable to do so unless they be sometimes
permitted.
Reply to Objection 1: Augustine, as may be gathered from what he
says afterwards, is speaking according to the common course of nature,
And yet it does not follow, although the dead be able to appear to the
living as they will, that they appear as often as when living in the
flesh: because when they are separated from the flesh, they are either
wholly conformed to the divine will, so that they may do nothing but
what they see to be agreeable with the Divine disposition, or else
they are so overwhelmed by their punishments that their grief for their
unhappiness surpasses their desire to appear to others.
Reply to Objection 2: The authorities quoted speak in the sense
that no one comes forth from heaven or hell simply, and do not imply
that one may not come forth for a time.
Reply to Objection 3: As stated above (Article 1, ad 3) the
soul's place conduces to its punishment or reward in so far as the
soul, through being consigned to that place, is affected either by joy
or by grief. Now this joy or grief at being consigned to such a place
remains in the soul even when it is outside that place. Thus a bishop
who is given the honor of sitting on a throne in the church incurs no
dishonor when he leaves the throne, for though he sits not therein
actually, the place remains assigned to him.
We must also reply to the arguments in the contrary sense.
Reply to Objection 4: Jerome is speaking of the apostles and
martyrs in reference to that which they gain from their power of glory,
and not to that which befits them as due to them by nature. And when
he says that they are everywhere, he does not mean that they are in
several places or everywhere at once, but that they can be wherever
they will.
Reply to Objection 5: There is no parity between demons and angels
on the one hand and the souls of the saints and of the damned on the
other. For the good or bad angels have allotted to them the office of
presiding over men, to watch over them or to try them; but this cannot
be said of the souls of men. Nevertheless, according to the power of
glory, it is competent to the souls of the saints that they can be
where they will; and this is what Jerome means to say.
Reply to Objection 6: Although the souls of the saints or of the
damned are sometimes actually present where they appear, we are not to
believe that this is always so: for sometimes these apparitions occur
to persons whether asleep or awake by the activity of good or wicked
angels in order to instruct or deceive the living. Thus sometimes even
the living appear to others and tell them many things in their sleep;
and yet it is clear that they are not present, as Augustine proves
from many instances (De Cura pro Mort. xi, xii).
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