man's
characteristics and qualities form an intellectual existence and are not
sensible.

Briefly, the intellectual realities, such as all the qualities and
admirable perfections of man, are purely good, and exist. Evil is simply
their nonexistence. So ignorance is the want of knowledge; error is the
want of guidance; forgetfulness is the want of memory; stupidity is the
want of good sense. All these things have no real existence.

In the same way, the sensible realities are absolutely good, and evil is
due to their nonexistence--that is to say, blindness is the want of sight,
deafness is the want of hearing, poverty is the want of wealth, illness is
the want of health, death is the want of life, and weakness is the want of
strength.

Nevertheless a doubt occurs to the mind--that is, scorpions and serpents
are poisonous. Are they good or evil, for they are existing beings? Yes, a
scorpion is evil in relation to man; a serpent is evil in relation to man;
but in relation to themselves they are not evil, for their poison is their
weapon, and by their sting they defend themselves. But as the elements of
their poison do not agree with our elements--that is to say, as there is
antagonism between these different elements, therefore, this antagonism is
evil; but in reality as regards themselves they are good.

The epitome of this discourse is that it is possible that one thing in
relation to another may be evil, and at the same time within the limits of
its proper being it may not be evil. Then it is proved that there is no
evil in existence; all that God created He created good. This evil is
nothingness; so death is the absence of life. When man no longer receives
life, he dies. Darkness is the absence of light: when there is no light,
there is darkness. Light is an existing thing, but darkness is
nonexistent. Wealth is an existing thing, but poverty is nonexisting.

Then it is evident that all evils return to nonexistence. Good exists;
evil is nonexistent.

75: TWO KINDS OF TORMENT

Know that there are two kinds of torment: subtile and gross. For example,
ignorance itself is a torment, but it is a subtile torment; indifference
to God is itself a torment; so also are falsehood, cruelty and treachery.
All the imperfections are torments, but they are subtile torments.
Certainly for an intelligent man death is better than sin, and a cut
tongue is better than lying or calumny.

The other kind of torment is gross--