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Objection 1: It would seem that Christ by His descent into hell
delivered souls from Purgatory---for Augustine says (Ep. ad
Evod. clxiv): "Because evident testimonies speak of hell and its
pains, there is no reason for believing that the Saviour came thither
except to rescue men from those same pains: but I still wish to know
whether it was all whom He found there, or some whom He deemed worthy
of such a benefit. Yet I do not doubt that Christ went into hell,
and granted this favor to them who were suffering from its pains."
But, as stated above (Article 6), He did not confer the benefit
of deliverance upon the lost: and there are no others in a state of
penal suffering except those in Purgatory. Consequently Christ
delivered souls from Purgatory.
Objection 2: Further, the very presence of Christ's soul had no
less effect than His sacraments have. But souls are delivered from
Purgatory by the sacraments, especially by the sacrament of the
Eucharist, as shall be shown later (XP, Question 71, Article
9). Therefore much more were souls delivered from Purgatory by the
presence of Christ descending into hell.
Objection 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Poenit. ix),
those whom Christ healed in this life He healed completely. Also,
our Lord says (Jn. 7:23): "I have healed the whole man on
the sabbath-day." But Christ delivered them who were in Purgatory
from the punishment of the pain of loss, whereby they were excluded
from glory. Therefore, He also delivered them from the punishment of
Purgatory.
On the contrary, Gregory says (Moral. xiii): "Since our
Creator and Redeemer, penetrating the bars of hell, brought out from
thence the souls of the elect, He does not permit us to go thither,
from whence He has already by descending set others free." But He
permits us to go to Purgatory. Therefore, by descending into hell,
He did not deliver souls from Purgatory.
I answer that, As we have stated more than once (Article 4, ad
2, Articles 5,6,7), Christ's descent into hell was one of
deliverance in virtue of His Passion. Now Christ's Passion had a
virtue which was neither temporal nor transitory, but everlasting,
according to Heb. 10:14: "For by one oblation He hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified." And so it is evident
that Christ's Passion had no greater efficacy then than it has now.
Consequently, they who were such as those who are now in Purgatory,
were not set free from Purgatory by Christ's descent into hell. But
if any were found such as are now set free from Purgatory by virtue of
Christ's Passion, then there was nothing to hinder them from being
delivered from Purgatory by Christ's descent into hell.
Reply to Objection 1: From this passage of Augustine it cannot be
concluded that all who were in Purgatory were delivered from it, but
that such a benefit was bestowed upon some persons, that is to say,
upon such as were already cleansed sufficiently, or who in life, by
their faith and devotion towards Christ's death, so merited, that
when He descended, they were delivered from the temporal punishment of
Purgatory.
Reply to Objection 2: Christ's power operates in the sacraments by
way of healing and expiation. Consequently, the sacrament of the
Eucharist delivers men from Purgatory inasmuch as it is a satisfactory
sacrifice for sin. But Christ's descent into hell was not
satisfactory; yet it operated in virtue of the Passion, which was
satisfactory, as stated above (Question 48, Article 2), but
satisfactory in general, since its virtue had to be applied to each
individual by something specially personal (Question 49, Article
1, ad 4,5). Consequently, it does not follow of necessity that
all were delivered from Purgatory by Christ's descent into hell.
Reply to Objection 3: Those defects from which Christ altogether
delivered men in this world were purely personal, and concerned the
individual; whereas exclusion from God's glory was a general defect
and common to all human nature. Consequently, there was nothing to
prevent those detained in Purgatory being delivered by Christ from
their privation of glory, but not from the debt of punishment in
Purgatory which pertains to personal defect. Just as on the other
hand, the holy Fathers before Christ's coming were delivered from
their personal defects, but not from the common defect, as was stated
above (Article 7, ad 1; Question 49, Article 5, ad 1).
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