Dist. 20, Part 1, Art. 1, Q. 5
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/20/q/bon-sent-IV-d20-p1-a1-q5
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### Question V. *Whether the punishment of purgatory is inflicted by the ministry of demons.*

Fifthly it is asked, by whose ministry that punishment is inflicted. And that it is by the ministry of demons, it seems.

1. As the authority says, and as is found below in the forty-seventh distinction: "Those will have as torturers in their punishment whom they had as instigators in their fault"; but it is established that the just are purged for the faults which the demons kindled: therefore, etc.

2. Likewise, in the legend of blessed Martin it is said that the devil stood at his death, as it is there related, that he said: "Why do you stand here, bloody beast?" but it is constant that he knew that he could not drag him to hell, since he knew him to be a holy man: therefore at least he wished to lead him into purgatory.

3. Likewise, it seems *by reason*: because it is crueler to vex the good than to afflict the evil; but what is crueler ought to be committed to a crueler torturer: therefore, since the devil with his angels is the cruelest, it seems that it belongs to them to afflict the just men in purgatory.

4. Likewise, the just men are afflicted in purgatory: it is established that this is not by reason of that which they had like to God, but by reason of that which they had like to the devil: therefore so long as that guilt is in them, they are not wholly snatched from his power: therefore it seems that they are afflicted by them.

**On the contrary:**
1. Gregory in the fourth book of the Dialogues says that the souls of the reprobate descend by themselves to hell: therefore, by parity of reason — indeed by a much stronger one — they descend by themselves into purgatory without the ministry of demons.

2. Likewise, souls are punished in purgatory for this, that they may be purged and led into heaven; but demons abhor the purgation and liberation of souls: therefore they do not administer such purgation or punishment, but flee it.

3. Likewise, as Augustine says: "If the devil had known the patience of Job, and that he ought to profit by his temptation, he would by no means have vexed him further": therefore, since he knows by certain signs that those just souls are not his, and that they are to be made better by the punishment, it seems that he in no way vexes them further.

4. Likewise, one is he who punishes a son, another he who punishes a thief — for the master of the house or the teacher punishes a son, but a hangman or torturer punishes a robber — but demons are torturers, and the just are as sons: therefore it is in no way fitting that they be punished by them.

5. Likewise, it is unjust that he who has triumphed over another should be subjected to that same one after the triumph; but the soul of the just man triumphed over the demons in this life: therefore it is unjust that the devil should have power over it after this life.

> **Conclusion.** The punishment of purgatory is not inflicted by the ministry of demons nor of the good Angels; yet it is probable that souls are led to heaven and to purgatory by good Angels, to hell by evil ones.

**I respond:** It must be said that some have wished to say that the punishment of purgatory is inflicted by the ministry of demons, on the ground that in Scripture it is either scarcely or never read that a good Angel has vexed the good, but the vexation of the good came only from the evil, as is the example of Job, and also the example of Anthony; but the evil have been vexed both by the good and by the evil. —

And the reason for this, according to them, seems to be this: that whoever vexes and afflicts another has a certain hatred; but the devil hates both the good and the evil because of his cruelty: therefore he afflicts both, when it is permitted to him, especially when they are afflicted for sin, which is his likeness and a certain stamping of his character. But the good do not hate any but the evil, and therefore they afflict those alone, as they afflicted the Sodomites and the Egyptians. — But although it may seem more fitting that this be done by the ministry of demons than of holy spirits, yet it seems better and more reasonable to say that, just as — by the divine justice commanding and its breath kindling — the evil are burned in hell after the judgment, so also now in purgatory. — For it does not seem probable that demons exercise that ministry, since there the dross of sin is purged, according to which the soul was in some manner like the devil; and the devil would not wish to destroy his own likeness, but rather to confirm it; nor does he ever try a man except in one in whom he hopes to gain victory; nor does he vex one by whom he has been conquered and cast down; and many other things make for this, which have been touched on. — *Again,* it does not seem probable that it should be done by the ministry of good Angels, that they should so grievously afflict and punish their fellow-citizens; nor could this easily be proved from Scripture, not only in itself, but even in a parallel case; although the patriarch Jacob is seen to have been hurt by an Angel, when the sinew of his thigh withered, but that was rather for the repression of concupiscence than for grievous affliction.

Therefore it must be conceded that it is not done by the ministry of demons nor even of the spirits above, except perhaps as regards direction. For it is to be believed that, at the going-forth of the soul from the body, both a good spirit and an evil spirit are present, one or several, and that then the sentence is borne according to truth; and if it is good, it is led by the ministry of a good Angel either into heaven or into purgatory, until — after it has been purged — it is led forth by his ministry, so that he is only a guide and not a torturer; but if it is evil, it is led by the ministry of demons to hell. This, I say, is to be conceded as more probable, although nothing in this matter is to be rashly asserted.

1. To that, then, which is objected, that the instigators will be the torturers; it must be said that this is true, unless that fault be remitted and the man do penance; and this has no place in the case at hand.

2. To that which is objected, that he was present at Martin's death; it must be said that this was not in order to lead him to purgatory, but because he desired to lie in wait at his heel and thereby drag him down into the abyss.

3. To that which is objected, that it is of greater cruelty; it must be said that this is true, if the intention stopped there; but that punishment is a passage to eternal glorification; it is not so in the damned: therefore it is not alike.

4. To that which is objected, that they are punished by reason of likeness; it must be said that there is being punished *simply* and there is being punished *thus* or *here*. In the first way they are punished by reason of sin; but *here* and *thus* they are punished for purgation, since they have justice. And hence it is that such punishment does not pertain to the devil.