Dist. 50, Part 1, Art. 2, Q. 3
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/50/q/bon-sent-IV-d50-p1-a2-q3
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### Question III. *Whether in the damned there are spiritual darknesses as to the act of remembering.*

Thirdly it is asked, whether in the damned there are darknesses as to the act of remembering. And that there are, it seems:

1. From that which is said in Ecclesiasticus, chapter eleven: *The malice of one hour makes forgetfulness of the greatest luxury*: therefore eternal punishment makes a greater forgetfulness, and so it is clear, etc.

2. Likewise, this seems from that which is said in the text: « The exterior darknesses can be understood as a certain malignity of hatred and a certain forgetfulness of God, which shall then grow up ».

3. Likewise, this seems *by reason*: because he is rightly said to have forgotten who has not the resource of remembering; but the damned have not the resource of remembering; whence Augustine says in the text, that « because they are pressed by excessive grief, they are so stupefied and terrified that meanwhile they do not bear their mind into any other thought »: therefore etc.

4. Likewise, the damned will be subject to time, according to that of the Psalm: *Their time shall be for ever*, and to other infirmities: therefore it seems that from the length of time they can forget all things, as we now see in ourselves.

**On the contrary:** 1. The image will not be taken away from the damned; but the image consists in memory, intelligence and will with respect to God: therefore at least of God they will have memory.

2. Likewise, it is agreed that they have remorse only for past sins; but they have remorse for nothing except that of which they think: therefore they think of past sins, and therefore they also remember them.

3. Likewise, this seems from that which the damned shall say, Wisdom, chapter five: *They shall say within themselves, doing penance: these are they whom we once had in derision*: therefore they shall be reminded of things past.

4. Likewise, Abraham said to the rich man: *Remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and Lazarus likewise evil things*; but he would not have said this, if he could not have remembered: therefore etc.

### Conclusion

> *In the damned there are spiritual darknesses, so that they remember neither God nor others unto consolation and the direction of the journey, but only unto sorrow and confusion.*

**I respond:** It must be said that to this it is easy to reply, if the preceding distinction is called back to mind: since there is a remembering of some things unto *sadness* and grief and confusion, of some unto *the direction of the journey*, of some unto *consolation*. The second and the third the damned will not have, neither with respect to God nor with respect to others, because there will not be for them a memory of God, either that they might be converted or turn back to him, or that they might take delight in him. Yet the act of memory will be vigorous in them as to the first, namely *desolation*, because they will always have the memory of the sins which they committed, and of God, whom they offended, unto their own confusion. — Nor will this be repugnant to the punishments: because the exterior punishments will lead to thinking inwardly upon their own demerit; and thus that remembering is for them not a way of light, but of darkness, nor will it set a man in a good state or in God, but rather will remove him far from God and from the true light.

And so the reasons on both sides are clear. — Nevertheless that argument which is made from the time and the passibility of the damned is not valid: because, just as passible bodies will be immortal, so, even if the soul is subject to the variation of the passions, yet the act of remembering will be so turned toward those things which pertain to punishment, and so without intermission, that the soul will not be able to forget. — And that will appear more fully at the last, when the worm is treated of. But let these things suffice for the present; and these being understood, the text is sufficiently clear.

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