1399. There are countless varieties in the other life
Mankind knows no more than simply that there is a hell, and a heaven, that in hell there is fire and torment, in heaven happiness. But they are profoundly ignorant about what it consists of, so they judge about them on the basis of things commonly existing in the world-or rather, they judge about them not at all, since they have only a general idea. Where there is a general idea, there is almost no idea. Nevertheless there are countless varieties, so that they cannot possibly be described.
1399. THAT IN THE OTHER LIFE THERE ARE INDEFINITE VARIETIES
Man knows simply that there is a hell and a heaven, that in hell there is fire and torment and in heaven felicity, and he knows nothing further. He is profoundly ignorant as to what they consist of and therefore he judges concerning them from things in the world in general, or rather, makes no judgment, because he has only a general idea. Where there is [only] a general idea there is almost no idea. And yet there are indefinite varieties so that they can never be described.
1399. Quod indefinitae varietates sint in altera vita
Homo non aliter novit, [quam] 1
quod simpliciter infernum sit, et coelum, quod in inferno sint ignis et cruciatus, in coelo sit felicitas, at in quibus consistit, alte ignorat, quare judicat de iis ex iis quae in mundo sunt in communi, vel potius nihil, quia modo communem ideam habet-ubi 2
communis idea, ibi fere nulla-cum 3
tamen indefinitae varietates sint, sic ut describi nequicquam possint.
Footnotes:
1. sic in J.F.I. Tafel's edition
2. The Manuscript has habet, ubi
3. The Manuscript has nulla, cum