Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 90 (1/2)
Obj. 3: Further, as Baptism works in virtue of Christ's Pa.s.sion, so also does Christ's descent into h.e.l.l, as is clear from what has been said (A. 4, ad 2, AA. 5, 6). But through Baptism children are delivered from original sin and h.e.l.l. Therefore, they were similarly delivered by Christ's descent into h.e.l.l.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Rom. 3:25): ”G.o.d hath proposed Christ to be a propitiation, through faith in His blood.” But the children who had died with only original sin were in no wise sharers of faith in Christ. Therefore, they did not receive the fruits of Christ's propitiation, so as to be delivered by Him from h.e.l.l.
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 6), Christ's descent into h.e.l.l had its effect of deliverance on them only who through faith and charity were united to Christ's Pa.s.sion, in virtue whereof Christ's descent into h.e.l.l was one of deliverance. But the children who had died in original sin were in no way united to Christ's Pa.s.sion by faith and love: for, not having the use of free will, they could have no faith of their own; nor were they cleansed from original sin either by their parents' faith or by any sacrament of faith.
Consequently, Christ's descent into h.e.l.l did not deliver the children from thence. And furthermore, the holy Fathers were delivered from h.e.l.l by being admitted to the glory of the vision of G.o.d, to which no one can come except through grace; according to Rom. 6:23: ”The grace of G.o.d is life everlasting.” Therefore, since children dying in original sin had no grace, they were not delivered from h.e.l.l.
Reply Obj. 1: The holy Fathers, although still held bound by the debt of original sin, in so far as it touches human nature, were nevertheless delivered from all stain of sin by faith in Christ: consequently, they were capable of that deliverance which Christ brought by descending into h.e.l.l. But the same cannot be said of the children, as is evident from what was said above.
Reply Obj. 2: When the Apostle says that the grace of G.o.d ”hath abounded unto many,” the word ”many” [*The Vulgate reads 'plures,'
i.e. 'many more'] is to be taken, not comparatively, as if more were saved by Christ's grace than lost by Adam's sin: but absolutely, as if he said that the grace of the one Christ abounded unto many, just as Adam's sin was contracted by many. But as Adam's sin was contracted by those only who descended seminally from him according to the flesh, so Christ's grace reached those only who became His members by spiritual regeneration: which does not apply to children dying in original sin.
Reply Obj. 3: Baptism is applied to men in this life, in which man's state can be changed from sin into grace: but Christ's descent into h.e.l.l was vouchsafed to the souls after this life when they are no longer capable of the said change. And consequently by baptism children are delivered from original sin and from h.e.l.l, but not by Christ's descent into h.e.l.l.
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EIGHTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 52, Art. 8]
Whether Christ by His Descent into h.e.l.l Delivered Souls from Purgatory?
Objection 1: It would seem that Christ by His descent into h.e.l.l delivered souls from Purgatory--for Augustine says (Ep. ad Evod.
clxiv): ”Because evident testimonies speak of h.e.l.l 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 h.e.l.l, and granted this favor to them who were suffering from its pains.” But, as stated above (A. 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.
Obj. 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 (Suppl., Q. 71, A. 9). Therefore much more were souls delivered from Purgatory by the presence of Christ descending into h.e.l.l.
Obj. 3: Further, as Augustine says (De Poenit. ix), those whom Christ healed in this life He healed completely. Also, our Lord says (John 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 h.e.l.l, 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 h.e.l.l, He did not deliver souls from Purgatory.
_I answer that,_ As we have stated more than once (A. 4, ad 2, AA. 5, 6, 7), Christ's descent into h.e.l.l was one of deliverance in virtue of His Pa.s.sion. Now Christ's Pa.s.sion 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 Pa.s.sion 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 h.e.l.l. But if any were found such as are now set free from Purgatory by virtue of Christ's Pa.s.sion, then there was nothing to hinder them from being delivered from Purgatory by Christ's descent into h.e.l.l.
Reply Obj. 1: From this pa.s.sage 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 Obj. 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 h.e.l.l was not satisfactory; yet it operated in virtue of the Pa.s.sion, which was satisfactory, as stated above (Q. 48, A. 2), but satisfactory in general, since its virtue had to be applied to each individual by something specially personal (Q. 49, A. 1, ad 4, 5). Consequently, it does not follow of necessity that all were delivered from Purgatory by Christ's descent into h.e.l.l.
Reply Obj. 3: Those defects from which Christ altogether delivered men in this world were purely personal, and concerned the individual; whereas exclusion from G.o.d'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 (A. 7, ad 1; Q. 49, A. 5, ad 1).
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QUESTION 53
OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION (In Four Articles)
We have now to consider those things that concern Christ's Exaltation; and we shall deal with (1) His Resurrection; (2) His Ascension; (3) His sitting at the right hand of G.o.d the Father; (4) His Judiciary Power. Under the first heading there is a fourfold consideration: (1) Christ's Resurrection in itself; (2) the quality of the Person rising; (3) the manifestation of the Resurrection; (4) its causality. Concerning the first there are four points of inquiry:
(1) The necessity of His Resurrection;
(2) The time of the Resurrection;
(3) Its order;
(4) Its cause.
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