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 HEAVEN

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HEAVEN

Scriptural argument is based especially on I Cor., xiii, 8-13 (see Comely on this passage ; cf . Matt., xviii, 10; I John, iii, 2; II Cor., v, 6-8, etc.). The argu- ment from tradition is carried out in detail by Peta- vius ("De. theol. dogm.", I, 1, VH, e. 7). .Several Fathers, who seemingly contradict this doctrine, in reality maintain it; they merely teach that the bodily eye cannot see God, or that the blessed do not fully comprehend God, or that the soul cannot see God with its natural powers in this life (cf. Sudrez, " De Deo", 1. II, c. 7, n. 17).

(2) It is of faith that the beatific vision is supernat- ural, that it transcends the powers and claims of cre- ated nature, of angels as well as of men. The opposite doctrine of the Beghards and Beguincs was condemned (1311) by the Council of Vienne (Denz., n. 475 — old, n. 403), and likewise a similar error of Baius by Pius V (Denz., n. 1003— old, n. 8S3). The Vatican Council expressly declared that man has been elevated by God to a supernatural end (Denz., n. 1786 — old, n. 1635; cf. nn. 1808, 1671 — old, nn. 1655, 1527). In this con- nexion we must also mention the condemnation of the Ontologists, and in particular of Rosmini, who held that an immediate but indeterminate perception of God is e.ssential to the human intellect and the begin- ning of all human knowledge (Denz., nn. 1659, 1927 — old, nn. 1516, 1772). That the vision of God is supernatural can also be shown from the supernatural character of sanctifying grace (Denz., n. 1021 — old, n. 901); for, if the preparation for that vision is super- natural, then it is obvious that the vision itself must be supernatural. Even unaided reason recognizes that the immediate vision of God, even if it be at all possible, can never be natural for a creature. For it is manifest that every created mind first perceives its own self and creatures similar to itself by which it is surrounded, and from these it rises to a knowledge of God as the source of their being and their last end. Hence its natural knowledge of tiod is necessarily mediate and analogous; since it forms its ideas and judgments about God after the imperfect likeness which its own self and its surroundings bear to Ilim. Such is the only means nature offers for acquiring a knowledge of God, and more than this is not due to any created intellect; consequently, the second and essentially higher way of seeing God by intuitive vision can but be a gratuitous gift of Divine goodness. These considerations prove, not merely that the imme- diate vision of God exceeds the natural claims of all creatures in actual existence; but they also prove against Ripalda, Becaenus, and others (recently also Morlais), that God cannot create any spirit which would, by virtue of its nature, be entitled to the intui- tive vision of the Divine Essence. Therefore, as theologians express it, no created substance is of its nature supernatural; however, the Church has given no decision on tliis matter. Cf. Palmieri, " De Deo creante et elevante" (Rome, 1878), thes. 39; Morlais, "Le Surnaturel absolu", in "Revue du Clerge Fran- ^ais", XXXI (1902), 464 sqq., and, for the opposite view, Bellamy, "La question du Surnaturel absolu", ibid., XXXV (1903), 419 sqq. St. Thomas seeins to teach (I, Q. xii, a. 1) that man has a natural desire for the beatific vision. Elsewhere, however, he freiiuently insists on the supernatural character of that vision (e. g. Ill, Q. ix, a. 2, ad 3"™). Hence in the former place he obviously supposes that man knows from revelation both the possibility of the beatific vision and his destiny to enjoy it. On this supposition it is indeed quite natural for man to have so strong a desire for that vision, that any inferior kind of beatitude can no longer duly satisfy him.

(3) To enable it to see God, the intellect of the blessed is supernaturallv perfected by the light of glory (lumen glnTiir). 'this was defined by the Coun- cil of Vienne in 1311 (Denz., n. 475: old, n. 403); and it is also evident from the supernatural cliaracter of the

beatific vision. For the beatific vision transcends the natural powers of the intellect; therefore, to see God the intellect stands in need of some supernatural strength, not merely transient, but permanent as the vision itself. This permanent invigoration is called the "Hght of glory", because it enables the souls in glory to see God with their intellect, just as material light enables our bodily eyes to see corporeal objects. On the nature of the light of glory the Church has decided nothing. Theologians have elaborated vari- ous theories about it, which, however, need not be examined in detail. According to the view commonly and perhaps most reasonably hold, the light of glory is a quality Divinely infused into the soul and similar to sanctifying grace, the virtue of faith, and the other supernatural virtues in the souls of the just (cf. Franzelin, " De Deo uno", 3rd ed., Rome, 1883, thes. 16). It is controverted among theologians whether or not a mental imago, lie it a specie: expressa or a species imprcssn, is reijuirod for the beatific vision. But by many this is rogardod as largely a controversy about the ajipruiiriatcncss of the term, rather than about the matter itself. The more common and probably more correct view denies the presence of any image in the strict sense of the wonl, because no cre- ated image can represent God as He is (cf. Mazzella, " De Deo creante ", 3rd ed., Rome, 1892, disp. IV, a. 7, sec. 1). The beatific vision is obviously a created act inherent in the soul, and not, as a few of the older theologians thought, the uncreated act of God's own intellect communicated to the soul. For, as seeing and knowing are immanent vital actions, the soul can see or know God by its own activity only, and not through any activity exerted by some other intellect. Cf. Gutberlet, "Das lumen gloriie" in "Pastor bonus", XIV (1901), 297 snq.

(4) Theologians distinguish the primary and the secondary object of the beatific vision. The primary object is God Himself as He is. The blessed see the Divine Essence by direct intuition, and, because of the absolute simplicity of God, thoy necessarily see all His perfections and all the persons of the Trinity. More- over, since they see that God can create countless imitations of His Essence, the entire domain of possi- ble creatures lies open to their view, though indeter- minately and in general. For the actual decrees of God are not necessarily an object of that vision, ex- cept m as far as God pleases to manifest them. For just as the Divine Es.scncc, notwillistunding its sim- jilicity, could exist without these decrees, .so God can also manifest His Essence without manifesting them. Therefore finite things are not necessarily seen by the blessed, even if they arc an actual object of God's will. Still less are they a necessary object of vision as long as they are mere possible objects of the Divine will. Consequently the blessed have a distinct knowledge of individual po.ssible things only in so far as God wishes to grant this knowledge. Thus, if God so willed, a blcssetl soul might see the Divine Essence without seeing in It the po.ssiliility of any individual creature in particular. But in fact, there is always connected with the beatific vision a knowledge of vari- ous things external to God, of the possible as well as of the actual. All these things, taken collectively, constitute the secondary object of the Ijeatific vision.

The blessed soul sees these secondary objects in God either directly (formalilcr), or in as far as God is their cau.se {cnusalitcr). It sees in God directly what- ever the beatific vision discloses to its immediate gaze without the aid of any created mental image {species impressa): in God, as in their cause, the soul sees all those things which it perceives with the aid of a cre- ated mental image, a mode of perception granted by God as a natural complement of the beatific vision. The number of objects seen directly in God cannot be increased unless the beatific vision itself be intensified; but the number of things seen in God as their cause

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