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 Obj. 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 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 hell was not
satisfactory; yet it operated in virtue of the Passion, 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 hell.

Reply Obj. 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 (A. 7,
ad 1; Q. 49, A. 5, ad 1).
_______________________

QUESTION 53

OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION
(In Four Articles)

We have now to conside