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
hell 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 hell, but not by
Christ's descent into hell.
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EIGHTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 52, Art. 8]

Whether Christ by His Descent into Hell Delivered Souls from
Purgatory?

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 (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 hell.

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 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 (A. 4, ad 2, AA. 5,
6, 7), Christ's