2826. There was a conversation in heaven about hell, and about the various punishments and purgings there, and there was one who thought for certain that infernal punishments are to endure to eternity, and there can never be an end to them, still less redemption from hell by the Lord. He was shown, however, that there can be no punishment except for a purpose in the other life, and it is still less conceivable that there is any punishment without a purpose, namely, that one may be tempered through punishment and torments so as to be able to take part in some good society. In the Lord there is nothing but the purpose tending toward goodness. The Divine Itself and the Divine Wisdom is the purpose of good, or toward well-being. So it must be counter to the Divine Wisdom, or against the Divine, that souls should be tormented to eternity without the purpose of their well-being. This is expressed by a rule well known in the world,
2826. There was speech in heaven concerning hell and the various punishments and vastations there, and there was [one] who supposed for certain that infernal punishments would last to eternity, and that their end can never be given, still less redemption from hell by the Lord: to whom it was nevertheless shown that never can any punishment be given in the other life except for an end, still less can it be thought that any punishment is given without an end, to wit, that by punishment and torments he may be tempered so as to be able to be in some good society. In the Lord nothing is given unless an end to good: The divine Itself and Divine Wisdom is the [an] end of good or to good: therefore it would be contrary to Divine wisdom or contrary to the Divine that a soul should be tormented to eternity without an [the] end of good: which is explained by the rule known in the world,
2826. Erat loquela in coelo de inferno, et variis ibi poenis et vastationibus, et erat qui putabat pro certo, quod poenae infernales in aeternum duraturae, et quod nusquam earum 1
finis dari queat, minus redemtio ab inferno, a Domino; cui tamen ostensum est, quod nusquam aliqua poena dari queat, nisi ob finem, in altera vita, adhuc minime cogitari potest, quod poena aliqua detur absque fine, nempe ut per poenam et cruciatus temperetur ut interesse possit societati cuidam bonae. In Domino nihil datur nisi finis ad bonum, Ipsum Divinum et Divina sapientia est finis boni seu ad bonum, quare contra Divinam Sapientiam seu contra Divinum foret, ut cruciaretur anima in aeternum absque fine boni, quod explicatum per regulam notam in mundo,
(2827.) summa justitia, foret injustitia; meruit hoc homo, et talis est homo, quare praedicatur aeternum, sed intercessio Domini, seu redemtio Domini intervenit, et animam ab inferno liberat, seu eximit; nam si in aeternum, nullus homo est, qui non aeternae damnationi est obnoxius, quia in nullo [non] nihil nisi merum malum, sic unusquisque damnatus, sed a Domino eximitur; spiritus is a stagno hoc nigro exemtus apud me est, et percipio quod aliquid falsum inhaeret, a quo tamen liberatur mediis, Divinis, nam societates coeli a Domino habent, quod nullum velint amittere, nam ii nullum rejiciunt, sed is semet rejicit, et ejus phantasia sic se habet. 1748, 14 Aug.
Footnotes:
1. The Manuscript has eorum