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The City of God

Chapter 24.--Against Those Who Fancy that in the Judgment of God All the Accused Will Be Spared in Virtue of the Prayers of the Saints.

And this reasoning is equally conclusive against those who, in their own interest, but under the guise of a greater tenderness of spirit, attempt to invalidate the words of God, and who assert that these words are true, not because men shall suffer those things which are threatened by God, but because they deserve to suffer them. For God, they say, will yield them to the prayers of His saints, who will then the more earnestly pray for their enemies, as they shall be more perfect in holiness, and whose prayers will be the more efficacious and the more worthy of God's ear, because now purged from all sin whatsoever. Why, then, if in that perfected holiness their prayers be so pure and all-availing, will they not use them in behalf of the angels for whom eternal fire is prepared, that God may mitigate His sentence and alter it, and extricate them from that fire? Or will there, perhaps, be some one hardy enough to affirm that even the holy angels will make common cause with holy men (then become the equals of God's angels), and will intercede for the guilty, both men and angels, that mercy may spare them the punishment which truth has pronounced them to deserve? But this has been asserted by no one sound in the faith; nor will be. Otherwise there is no reason why the Church should not even now pray for the devil and his angels, since God her Master has ordered her to pray for her enemies. The reason, then, which prevents the Church from now praying for the wicked angels, whom she knows to be her enemies, is the identical reason which shall prevent her, however perfected in holiness, from praying at the last judgment for those men who are to be punished in eternal fire. At present she prays for her enemies among men, because they have yet opportunity for fruitful repentance. For what does she especially beg for them but that "God would grant them repentance," as the apostle says, "that they may return to soberness out of the snare of the devil, by whom they are held captive according to his will?" ¹ But if the Church were certified who those are, who, though they are still abiding in this life, are yet predestinated to go with the devil into eternal fire, then for them she could no more pray than for him. But since she has this certainty regarding no man, she prays for all her enemies who yet live in this world; and yet she is not heard in behalf of all. But she is heard in the case of those only who, though they oppose the Church, are yet predestinated to become her sons through her intercession. But if any retain an impenitent heart until death, and are not converted from enemies into sons, does the Church continue to pray for them, for the spirits, i.e., of such persons deceased? And why does she cease to pray for them, unless because the man who was not translated into Christ's kingdom while he was in the body, is now judged to be of Satan's following?

It is then, I say, the same reason which prevents the Church at any time from praying for the wicked angels, which prevents her from praying hereafter for those men who are to be punished in eternal fire; and this also is the reason why, though she prays even for the wicked so long as they live, she yet does not even in this world pray for the unbelieving and godless who are dead. For some of the dead, indeed, the prayer of the Church or of pious individuals is heard; but it is for those who, having been regenerated in Christ, did not spend their life so wickedly that they can be judged unworthy of such compassion, nor so well that they can be considered to have no need of it. ² As also, after the resurrection, there will be some of the dead to whom, after they have endured the pains proper to the spirits of the dead, mercy shall be accorded, and acquittal from the punishment of the eternal fire. For were there not some whose sins, though not remitted in this life, shall be remitted in that which is to come, it could not be truly said, "They shall not be forgiven, neither in this world, neither in that which is to come." ³ But when the Judge of quick and dead has said, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," and to those on the other side, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels," and "These shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life," ⁴ it were excessively presumptuous to say that the punishment of any of those whom God has said shall go away into eternal punishment shall not be eternal, and so bring either despair or doubt upon the corresponding promise of life eternal.

Let no man then so understand the words of the Psalmist, "Shall God forget to be gracious? shall He shut up in His anger His tender mercies" ⁵ as if the sentence of God were true of good men, false of bad men, or true of good men and wicked angels, but false of bad men. For the Psalmist's words refer to the vessels of mercy and the children of the promise, of whom the prophet himself was one; for when he had said, "Shall God forget to be gracious? shall He shut up in His anger His tender mercies?" and then immediately subjoins, "And I said, Now I begin: this is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High," ⁶ he manifestly explained what he meant by the words, "Shall he shut up in His anger His tender mercies?" For God's anger is this mortal life, in which man is made like to vanity, and his days pass as a shadow. ⁷ Yet in this anger God does not forget to be gracious, causing His sun to shine and His rain to descend on the just and the unjust; ⁸ and thus He does not in His anger cut short His tender mercies, and especially in what the Psalmist speaks of in the words, "Now I begin: this change is from the right hand of the Most High;" for He changes for the better the vessels of mercy, even while they are still in this most wretched life, which is God's anger, and even while His anger is manifesting itself in this miserable corruption; for "in His anger He does not shut up His tender mercies." And since the truth of this divine canticle is quite satisfied by this application of it, there is no need to give it a reference to that place in which those who do not belong to the city of God are punished in eternal fire. But if any persist in extending its application to the torments of the wicked, let them at least understand it so that the anger of God, which has threatened the wicked with eternal punishment, shall abide, but shall be mixed with mercy to the extent of alleviating the torments which might justly be inflicted; so that the wicked shall neither wholly escape, nor only for a time endure these threatened pains, but that they shall be less severe and more endurable than they deserve. Thus the anger of God shall continue, and at the same time He will not in this anger shut up His tender mercies. But even this hypothesis I am not to be supposed to affirm because I do not positively oppose it. ⁹

As for those who find an empty threat rather than a truth in such passages as these: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire;" and "These shall go away into eternal punishment;" ¹⁰ and "They shall be tormented for ever and ever;" ¹¹ and "Their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched," ¹² --such persons, I say, are most emphatically and abundantly refuted, not by me so much as by the divine Scripture itself. For the men of Nineveh repented in this life, and therefore their repentance was fruitful, inasmuch as they sowed in that field which the Lord meant to be sown in tears that it might afterwards be reaped in joy. And yet who will deny that God's prediction was fulfilled in their case, if at least he observes that God destroys sinners not only in anger but also in compassion? For sinners are destroyed in two ways,--either, like the Sodomites, the men themselves are punished for their sins, or, like the Ninevites, the men's sins are destroyed by repentance. God's prediction, therefore, was fulfilled,--the wicked Nineveh was overthrown, and a good Nineveh built up. For its walls and houses remained standing; the city was overthrown in its depraved manners. And thus, though the prophet was provoked that the destruction which the inhabitants dreaded, because of his prediction, did not take place, yet that which God's foreknowledge had predicted did take place, for He who foretold the destruction knew how it should be fulfilled in a less calamitous sense.

But that these perversely compassionate persons may see what is the purport of these words, "How great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, Lord, which Thou hast hidden for them that fear Thee," ¹³ let them read what follows: "And Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee." For what means, "Thou hast hidden it for them that fear Thee," "Thou hast perfected it for them that hope in Thee," unless this, that to those who through fear of punishment seek to establish their own righteousness by the law, the righteousness of God is not sweet, because they are ignorant of it? They have not tasted it. For they hope in themselves, not in Him; and therefore God's abundant sweetness is hidden from them. They fear God, indeed, but it is with that servile fear "which is not in love; for perfect love casteth out fear." ¹⁴ Therefore to them that hope in Him He perfecteth His sweetness, inspiring them with His own love, so that with a holy fear, which love does not cast out, but which endureth for ever, they may, when they glory, glory in the Lord. For the righteousness of God is Christ, "who is of God made unto us," as the apostle says, "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." ¹⁵ This righteousness of God, which is the gift of grace without merits, is not known by those who go about to establish their own righteousness, and are therefore not subject to the righteousness of God, which is Christ. ¹⁶ But it is in this righteousness that we find the great abundance of God's sweetness, of which the psalm says, "Taste and see how sweet the Lord is." ¹⁷ And this we rather taste than partake of to satiety in this our pilgrimage. We hunger and thirst for it now, that hereafter we may be satisfied with it when we see Him as He is, and that is fulfilled which is written, "I shall be satisfied when Thy glory shall be manifested." ¹⁸ It is thus that Christ perfects the great abundance of His sweetness to them that hope in Him. But if God conceals His sweetness from them that fear Him in the sense that these our objectors fancy, so that men's ignorance of His purpose of mercy towards the wicked may lead them to fear Him and live better, and so that there may be prayer made for those who are not living as they ought, how then does He perfect His sweetness to them that hope in Him, since, if their dreams be true, it is this very sweetness which will prevent Him from punishing those who do not hope in Him? Let us then seek that sweetness of His, which He perfects to them that hope in Him, not that which He is supposed to perfect to those who despise and blaspheme Him; for in vain, after this life, does a man seek for what he has neglected to provide while in this life.

Then, as to that saying of the apostle, "For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all," ¹⁹ it does not mean that He will condemn no one; but the foregoing context shows what is meant. The apostle composed the epistle for the Gentiles who were already believers; and when he was speaking to them of the Jews who were yet to believe, he says, "For as ye in times past believed not God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief; even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." Then he added the words in question with which these persons beguile themselves: "For God concluded all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all." All whom, if not all those of whom he was speaking, just as if he had said, "Both you and them?" God then concluded all those in unbelief, both Jews and Gentiles, whom He foreknew and predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that they might be confounded by the bitterness of unbelief, and might repent and believingly turn to the sweetness of God's mercy, and might take up that exclamation of the psalm, "How great is the abundance of Thy sweetness, O Lord, which Thou hast hidden for them that fear Thee, but hast perfected to them that hope," not in themselves, but "in Thee." He has mercy, then, on all the vessels of mercy. And what means "all?" Both those of the Gentiles and those of the Jews whom He predestinated, called, justified, glorified: none of these will be condemned by Him; but we cannot say none of all men whatever.

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXIV: Contra eorum sensum, qui in iudicio dei omnibus reis propter sanctorum preces putant esse parcendum.

Hoc autem et aduersus eos ualet, qui suas agentes causas contra dei uenire uerba uelut misericordia maiore conantur, ut ideo uidelicet uera sint, quia ea, quae dixit homines esse passuros, pati digni sunt, non quia passuri sunt. donabit enim eos, inquiunt, precibus sanctorum suorum, etiam tunc tanto magis orantium pro inimicis suis, quanto sunt utique sanctiores, eorumque efficacior est oratio et exauditione dei dignior, iam nullum habentium omnino peccatum. cur ergo eadem perfectissima sanctitate et cuncta inpetrare ualentibus mundissimis et misericordissimis precibus etiam pro angelis non orabunt, quibus paratus est ignis aeternus, ut deus sententiam suam mitiget et reflectat in melius eosque ab illo igne faciat alienos? an erit forsitan quisquam, qui et hoc futurum esse praesumat adfirmans etiam sanctos angelos simul cum sanctis hominibus, qui tunc aequales erunt angelis dei, pro damnandis et angelis et hominibus oraturos, ut misericordia non patiantur, quod ueritate merentur pati? quod nemo sanae fidei dixit, nemo dicturus est. alioquin nulla causa est, cur non etiam nunc pro diabolo et angelis eius oret ecclesia, quam magister deus pro inimicis suis iussit orare. haec igitur causa, qua fit ut nunc ecclesia non oret pro malis angelis, quos suos esse nouit inimicos, eadem ipsa causa est, qua fiet ut in illo tunc iudicio etiam pro hominibus aeterno igne cruciandis, quamuis perfecta sit sanctitate, non oret. nunc enim propterea pro eis orat, quos in genere humano habet inimicos, quia tempus est paenitentiae fructuosae. nam quid maxime pro eis orat, nisi ut det illis deus, sicut dicit apostolus, paenitentiam et resipiscant de diaboli laqueis, a quo captiui tenentur secundum ipsius uoluntatem? denique si de aliquibus ita certa esset, ut qui sint illi etiam nosset, qui licet adhuc in hac uita sint constituti, tamen praedestinati sunt in aeternum ignem ire cum diabolo, tam pro eis non oraret, quam nec pro ipso. sed quia de nullo certa est, orat pro omnibus dumtaxat hominibus inimicis suis in hoc corpore constitutis; nec tamen pro omnibus exauditur. pro his enim solis exauditur, qui, etsi aduersantur ecclesiae, ita sunt tamen praedestinati, ut pro eis exaudiatur ecclesia et filii efficiantur ecclesiae. si qui autem usque ad mortem habebunt cor inpaenitens nec ex inimicis conuertentur in filios, numquid tamen pro eis, id est pro talium defunctorum spiritibus, orat ecclesia? quid ita, nisi quia in parte iam diaboli conputatur, qui cum esset in corpore non est translatus ad Christum? eadem itaque causa est, cur non oretur tunc pro hominibus aeterno igne puniendis, quae causa est, ut neque nunc neque tunc oretur pro angelis malis; quae itidem causa est, ut, quamuis pro hominibus, tamen iam nec nunc oretur pro infidelibus inpiisque defunctis. nam pro defunctis quibusdam uel ipsius ecclesiae uel quorundam piorum exauditur oratio, sed pro his, quorum in Christo regeneratorum nec usque adeo uita in corpore male gesta est, ut tali misericordia iudicentur digni non esse, nec usque adeo bene, ut talem misericordiam reperiantur necessariam non habere; sicut etiam facta resurrectione mortuorum non deerunt, quibus post poenas, quas patiuntur spiritus mortuorum, inpertiatur misericordia, ut in ignem non mittantur aeternum. neque enim de quibusdam ueraciter diceretur, quod non eis remittatur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro, nisi essent quibus, etsi non in isto, tamen remittitur in futuro. sed cum dictum fuerit a iudice uiuorum atque mortuorum: uenite, benedicti patris mei, possidete paratum uobis regnum a constitutione mundi, et aliis e contrario: discedite a me, maledicti, in ignem aeternum, qui paratus est diabolo et angelis eius, et ierint isti in supplicium aeternum, iusti autem in uitam aeternam: nimiae praesumptionis est dicere cuiquam eorum aeternum supplicium non futurum, quos deus ituros in supplicium dixit aeternum, et per huius praesumptionis persuasionem facere, ut de ipsa quoque uita uel desperetur uel dubitetur aeterna. nemo itaque sic intellegat psalmum canentem: numquid obliuiscetur misereri deus, aut continebit in ira sua miserationes suas? ut opinetur de hominibus bonis ueram, de malis falsam, aut de bonis hominibus et malis angelis ueram, de malis autem hominibus falsam dei esse sententiam. hoc enim, quod ait psalmus, ad uasa misericordiae pertinet et ad filios promissionis, quorum erat unus etiam ipse propheta, qui cum dixisset: numquid obliuiscetur misereri deus aut continebit in ira sua miserationes suas? continuo subiecit: et dixi: nunc coepi, haec est inmutatio dexterae excelsi. exposuit profecto quid dixerit: numquid continebit in ira sua miserationes suas? ira enim dei est etiam ista uita mortalis, ubi homo uanitati similis factus est: dies eius uelut umbra praetereunt. in qua tamen ira non obliuiscitur misereri deus, faciendo solem suum oriri super bonos et malos et pluendo super iustos et iniustos, ac sic non continet in ira sua miserationes suas; maximeque in eo, quod expressit hic psalmus dicendo: nunc coepi, haec est inmutatio dexterae excelsi, quoniam in hac ipsa aerumnosissima uita, quae ira dei est, uasa misericordiae mutat in melius, quamuis adhuc in huius corruptionis miseria maneat ira eius, quia nec in ipsa ira sua continet miserationes suas. cum ergo isto modo conpleatur diuini illius cantici ueritas, non est eam necesse etiam illic intellegi, ubi non pertinentes ad ciuitatem dei sempiterno supplicio punientur. sed quibus placet istam sententiam usque ad illa inpiorum tormenta protendere, saltem sic intellegant, ut manente in eis ira dei, quae in aeterno est praenuntiata supplicio, non contineat deus in hac ira sua miserationes suas et faciat eos non tanta quanta digni sunt poenarum atrocitate cruciari; non ut eas poenas uel numquam subeant uel aliquando finiant, sed ut eas mitiores quam merita sunt eorum leuioresque patiantur. sic enim et ira dei manebit, et in ipsa ira sua miserationes suas non continebit. quod quidem non ideo confirmo, quoniam non resisto. ceterum eos, qui putant minaciter potius quam ueraciter dictum: discedite a me, maledicti, in ignem aeternum, et: ibunt isti in supplicium aeternum, et: cruciabuntur in saecula saeculorum, et: uermis eorum non morietur et ignis non exstinguetur, et cetera huiusmodi, non tam ego, quam ipsa scriptura diuina planissime atque plenissime redarguit ac refellit. Nineuitae quippe in hac uita egerunt paenitentiam et ideo fructuosam, uelut in hoc agro seminantes, in quo deus uoluit cum lacrimis seminari, quod postea cum laetitia meteretur; et tamen quis negabit, quod dominus praedixit in eis fuisse conpletum, nisi parum aduertat, quemadmodum peccatores deus non solum iratus, uerum etiam miseratus euertat? euertuntur enim peccatores duobus modis, aut sicut Sodomitae, ut pro peccatis suis ipsi homines puniantur, aut sicut Nineuitae, ut ipsa hominum peccata paenitendo destruantur. factum est ergo quod praedixit deus; euersa est Nineue quae mala erat, et bona aedificata est quae non erat. stantibus enim moenibus atque domibus euersa est ciuitas in perditis moribus. ac sic, quamuis propheta fuerit contristatus, quia non est factum quod illi homines timuerunt illo prophetante uenturum, factum est tamen quod fuerat deo praesciente praedictum, quoniam nouerat qui praedixit, quomodo in melius esset inplendum. ut autem nouerint isti in peruersum misericordes quo pertineat quod scriptum est: quam multa multitudo dulcedinis tuae, domine, quam abscondisti timentibus te. legant quod sequitur: perfecisti autem sperantibus in te. quid est abscondisti timentibus, perfecisti sperantibus, nisi quia illis, qui timore poenarum suam iustitiam uolunt constituere quae in lege est, non est iustitia dei dulcis, quia nesciunt eam? non enim gustauerunt eam. in se namque sperant, non in ipso, et ideo eis absconditur multitudo dulcedinis dei; quoniam timent quidem deum, sed illo timore seruili, qui non est in caritate, quia perfecta caritas foras mittit timorem. ideo sperantibus in eum perficit dulcedinem suam inspirando eis caritatem suam, ut timore casto, non quem caritas foras mittit, sed permanente in saeculum saeculi, cum gloriantur, in domino glorientur. iustitia quippe dei Christus est, qui factus est nobis, sicut dicit apostolus, sapientia a deo et iustitia et sanctificatio et redemptio, ut, quemadmodum scriptum est, qui gloriatur, in domino glorietur. hanc dei iustitiam, quam donat gratia sine meritis, nesciunt illi, qui suam iustitiam uolunt constituere, et ideo iustitiae dei, quod est Christus, non sunt subiecti. in qua iustitia est multa multitudo dulcedinis dei, propter quam dicitur in psalmo: gustate et uidete quam dulcis est dominus. et hanc quidem in hac peregrinatione gustantes, non ad satietatem sumentes, esurimus eam potius ac sitimus, ut ea postea saturemur, cum uidebimus eum, sicuti est, et inplebitur quod scriptum est: saturabor, cum manifestabitur gloria tua. ita perficit Christus multam multitudinem dulcedinis suae sperantibus in eum. porro autem si eam, quam illi putant, dulcedinem suam deus abscondit timentibus eum, qua non est inpios damnaturus, ut hoc nescientes et damnari timentes recte uiuant ac sic possint esse qui orent pro non recte uiuentibus, quomodo eam perficit sperantibus in eum, quandoquidem, sicut somniant, per hanc dulcedinem non damnaturus est eos, qui non sperant in eum? illa igitur eius dulcedo quaeratur, quam perficit sperantibus in eum, non quam perficere putatur contemnentibus et blasphemantibus eum. frustra itaque homo post hoc corpus inquirit, quod in hoc corpore sibi conparare neglexit. illud quoque apostolicum: conclusit enim deus omnes in infidelitate, ut omnium misereatur, non ideo dictum est, quod sit neminem damnaturus, sed superius apparet unde sit dictum. nam cum de Iudaeis postea credituris apostolus loqueretur ad gentes, ad quas utique iam credentes conscribebat epistulas: sicut enim uos, inquit, aliquando non credidistis deo, nunc autem misericordiam consecuti estis illorum incredulitate, sic et hi nunc non crediderunt in uestram misericordiam, ut et ipsi misericordiam consequantur. deinde subiecit, unde isti sibi errando blandiuntur, atque ait: conclusit enim deus omnes in infidelitate, ut omnium misereatur. quos omnes, nisi de quibus loquebatur, tamquam dicens: et uos et illos? deus ergo et gentiles et Iudaeos, quos praesciuit et praedestinauit conformes imaginis filii sui, omnes in infidelitate conclusit, ut de amaritudine infidelitatis suae paenitendo confusi et ad dulcedinem misericordiae dei credendo conuersi clamarent illud in psalmo: quam multa multitudo dulcedinis tuae, domine, quam abscondisti timentibus te, perfecisti autem sperantibus, non in se, sed in te. omnium itaque miseretur uasorum misericordiae. quid est omnium? et eorum scilicet quos ex gentibus, et eorum quos ex Iudaeis praedestinauit uocauit, iustificauit glorificauit, non hominum omnium, sed istorum omnium neminem damnaturus.