Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that the soul of man is not carried away to things divine. For some define rapture as "an uplifting by the power of a higher nature, from that which is according to nature to that which is above nature" . Now it is in accordance with man's nature that he be uplifted to things divine; for Augustine says at the beginning of his Confessions: "Thou madest us, Lord, for Thyself, and our heart is restless, till it rest in Thee." Therefore man's soul is not carried away to things divine.

Objection 2: Further, Dionysius says (Div. Nom. viii) that "God's justice is seen in this that He treats all things according to their mode and dignity." But it is not in accordance with man's mode and worth that he be raised above what he is according to nature. Therefore it would seem that man's soul is not carried away to things divine.

Objection 3: Further, rapture denotes violence of some kind. But God rules us not by violence or force, as Damascene says . Therefore man's soul is not carried away to things divine.

On the contrary, The Apostle says (2 Cor. 12:2): "I know a man in Christ . . . rapt even to the third heaven." On which words a gloss says: "Rapt, that is to say, uplifted contrary to nature."

I answer that, Rapture denotes violence of a kind as stated above (Objection 3); and "the violent is that which has its principle without, and in which he that suffers violence concurs not at all" (Ethic. iii, 1). Now everything concurs in that to which it tends in accordance with its proper inclination, whether voluntary or natural. Wherefore he who is carried away by some external agent, must be carried to something different from that to which his inclination tends. This difference arises in two ways: in one way from the end of the inclination---for instance a stone, which is naturally inclined to be borne downwards, may be thrown upwards; in another way from the manner of tending---for instance a stone may be thrown downwards with greater velocity than consistent with its natural movement.

Accordingly man's soul also is said to be carried away, in a twofold manner, to that which is contrary to its nature: in one way, as regards the term of transport---as when it is carried away to punishment, according to Ps. 49:22, "Lest He snatch you away, and there be none to deliver you"; in another way, as regards the manner connatural to man, which is that he should understand the truth through sensible things. Hence when he is withdrawn from the apprehension of sensibles, he is said to be carried away, even though he be uplifted to things whereunto he is directed naturally: provided this be not done intentionally, as when a man betakes himself to sleep which is in accordance with nature, wherefore sleep cannot be called rapture, properly speaking.

This withdrawal, whatever its term may be, may arise from a threefold cause. First, from a bodily cause, as happens to those who suffer abstraction from the senses through weakness: secondly, by the power of the demons, as in those who are possessed: thirdly, by the power of God. In this last sense we are now speaking of rapture, whereby a man is uplifted by the spirit of God to things supernatural, and withdrawn from his senses, according to Ezech. 8:3, "The spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the vision of God into Jerusalem."

It must be observed, however, that sometimes a person is said to be carried away, not only through being withdrawn from his senses, but also through being withdrawn from the things to which he was attending, as when a person's mind wanders contrary to his purpose. But this is to use the expression in a less proper signification.

Reply to Objection 1: It is natural to man to tend to divine things through the apprehension of things sensible, according to Rm. 1:20, "The invisible things of God . . . are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." But the mode, whereby a man is uplifted to divine things and withdrawn from his senses, is not natural to man.

Reply to Objection 2: It belongs to man's mode and dignity that he be uplifted to divine things, from the very fact that he is made to God's image. And since a divine good infinitely surpasses the faculty of man in order to attain that good, he needs the divine assistance which is bestowed on him in every gift of grace. Hence it is not contrary to nature, but above the faculty of nature that man's mind be thus uplifted in rapture by God.

Reply to Objection 3: The saying of Damascene refers to those things which a man does by himself. But as to those things which are beyond the scope of the free-will, man needs to be uplifted by a stronger operation, which in a certain respect may be called force if we consider the mode of operation, but not if we consider its term to which man is directed both by nature and by his intention.

Articulus 1

Argumentum 1

Ad primum sic proceditur. Videtur quod anima hominis non rapiatur ad divina.

Definitur enim a quibusdam raptus, ab eo quod est secundum naturam, in id quod est supra naturam, VI superioris naturae elevatio.

Est autem secundum naturam hominis ut ad divina elevetur, dicit enim Augustinus, in I confess., fecisti nos, domine, ad te, et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te.

Non ergo hominis anima rapitur ad divina.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, dionysius dicit, VIII cap. De div. Nom., quod iustitia dei in hoc attenditur, quod omnibus rebus distribuit secundum suum modum et dignitatem.

Sed quod aliquis elevetur supra id quod est secundum naturam, non pertinet ad modum hominis vel dignitatem. Ergo videtur quod non rapiatur mens hominis a deo in divina.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, raptus quandam violentiam importat.

Sed deus non regit nos per violentiam et coacte, ut Damascenus dicit.

Non ergo mens hominis rapitur ad divina.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod, II ad Cor. XII, dicit apostolus, scio hominem in christo raptum usque ad tertium caelum, ubi dicit Glossa, raptum, idest, contra naturam elevatum.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod raptus violentiam quandam importat, ut dictum est.

Violentum autem dicitur, cuius principium est extra, nil conferente eo qui vim patitur, ut dicitur in III ethic..

Confert autem unumquodque ad id in quod tendit secundum propriam inclinationem, vel voluntariam vel naturalem. Et ideo oportet quod ille qui rapitur ab aliquo exteriori, rapiatur in aliquid quod est diversum ab eo in quod eius inclinatio tendit. Quae quidem diversitas potest attendi dupliciter. Uno quidem modo, quantum ad finem inclinationis, puta si lapis, qui naturaliter inclinatur ad hoc quod feratur deorsum, proiiciatur sursum. Alio modo, quantum ad modum tendendi, puta si lapis velocius proiiciatur deorsum quam sit motus eius naturalis. Sic igitur et anima hominis dicitur rapi in id quod est praeter naturam, uno modo, quantum ad terminum raptus, puta quando rapitur ad poenas, secundum illud Psalmi, ne quando rapiat, et non sit qui eripiat.

Alio modo, quantum ad modum homini connaturalem, qui est ut per sensibilia intelligat veritatem. Et ideo, quando abstrahitur a sensibilium apprehensione, dicitur rapi, etiam si elevetur ad ea ad quae naturaliter ordinatur, dum tamen hoc non fiat ex propria intentione; sicut accidit in somno, qui est secundum naturam, unde non potest proprie raptus dici. Huiusmodi autem abstractio, ad quaecumque fiat, potest ex triplici causa contingere. Uno modo, ex causa corporali, sicut patet in his qui propter aliquam infirmitatem alienationem patiuntur. Secundo modo, ex virtute Daemonum, sicut patet in arreptitiis. Tertio, ex virtute divina.

Et sic loquimur nunc de raptu, prout scilicet aliquis spiritu divino elevatur ad aliqua supernaturalia, cum abstractione a sensibus, secundum illud Ezech. VIII, spiritus elevavit me inter terram et caelum, et adduxit me in ierusalem, in visionibus dei.

Sciendum tamen quod rapi quandoque dicitur aliquis non solum propter alienationem a sensibus, sed etiam propter alienationem ab his quibus intendebat, sicut cum aliquis patitur evagationem mentis praeter propositum. Sed hoc non ita proprie dicitur.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod naturale est homini ut in divina tendat per sensibilium apprehensionem, secundum illud Rom. I, invisibilia dei per ea quae facta sunt conspiciuntur.

Sed iste modus quod aliquis elevetur ad divina cum abstractione a sensibus, non est homini naturalis.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod ad modum et dignitatem hominis pertinet quod ad divina elevetur, ex hoc ipso quod homo factus est ad imaginem dei. Et quia bonum divinum in infinitum excedit humanam facultatem, indiget homo ut supernaturaliter ad illud bonum capessendum adiuvetur, quod fit per quodcumque beneficium gratiae. Unde quod sic elevetur mens a deo per raptum, non est contra naturam, sed supra facultatem naturae.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod verbum Damasceni est intelligendum quantum ad ea quae sunt per hominem facienda. Quantum vero ad ea quae excedunt liberi arbitrii facultatem, necesse est quod homo quadam fortiori operatione elevetur. Quae quidem quantum ad aliquid potest dici coactio, si scilicet attendatur modus operationis, non autem si attendatur terminus operationis, in quem natura hominis et eius intentio ordinatur.