Of God and His Creatures
Of the Last judgement
THERE is a twofold retribution for the things that a man has done in
life, one for his soul immediately upon its separation from the body,
another at the resurrection of the body. The first retribution is to
individuals severally, as individuals severally die: the second is to
all men together, as all men shall rise together. Therefore there must
be a twofold judgement: one of individuals, regarding the soul; another
a general judgement, rendering to all men their due in soul and body.
And because Christ in His Humanity, wherein He suffered and rose again,
has merited for us resurrection and life everlasting, it belongs to
Him to exercise that judgement whereby risen men are rewarded or
punished, for so it is said of Him: He hath given him authority to
exercise judgement, because he is the Son of Man (John v, 27). And
further, since in the last judgement there will be question of the
reward or punishment of persons present in visible bodily shape, it is
fitting for that judgement to be a visible process. Hence Christ will
take His seat as judge in human shape, so that all can see Him, good
and bad. But the vision of His Godhead, which makes men blessed, will
be visible only to the good. As for the judgement of souls, that is an
invisible process, dealing with invisible beings.
4.95 : Of the General Cause of Immutability in all Souls after their Separation from the Body
4.97 : Of the State of the World after the judgement