ugh sins are not connected in so far as they turn
towards a mutable good, yet they are connected in so far as they turn
away from the immutable Good, which applies to all mortal sins in
common; and it is thus that they have the character of an offense
which needs to be removed by Penance.

Reply Obj. 4: Debt as regards external things, e.g. money, is not
opposed to friendship through which the debt is pardoned; hence one
debt can be condoned without another. On the other hand, the debt of
sin is opposed to friendship, and so one sin or offense is not
pardoned without another; for it would seem absurd for anyone to ask
even a man to forgive him one offense and not another.

Reply Obj. 5: The love whereby God loves man's nature, does not
ordain man to the good of glory from which man is excluded by any
mortal sin; but the love of grace, whereby mortal sin is forgiven,
ordains man to eternal life, according to Rom. 6:23: "The grace of
God (is) life everlasting." Hence there is no comparison.
_______________________

FOURTH ARTICLE [III, Q. 86, Art. 4]

Whether the Debt of Punishment Remains After the Guilt Has Been
Forgiven Through Penance?

Objection 1: It would seem that no debt of punishment remains after
the guilt has been forgiven through Penance. For when the cause is
removed, the effect is removed. But the guilt is the cause of the
debt of punishment: since a man deserves to be punished because he
has been guilty of a sin. Therefore when the sin has been forgiven,
no debt of punishment can remain.

Obj. 2: Further, according to the Apostle (Rom. 5) the gift of Christ
is more effective than the sin of Adam. Now, by sinning, man incurs
at the same time guilt and the debt of punishment. Much more
therefore, by the gift of grace, is the guilt forgiven and at the
same time the debt of punishment remitted.

Obj. 3: Further, the forgiveness of sins is effected in Penance
through the power of Christ's Passion, according to Rom. 3:25:
"Whom God hath proposed to be a propitiation, through faith in His
Blood . . . for the remission of former sins." Now Christ's Passion
made satisfaction sufficient for all sins, as stated above (QQ. 48,
49, 79, A. 5). Therefore after the guilt has been pardoned, no debt
of punishment remains.

_On the contrary,_ It is related (2 Kings 12:13) that when David
penitent had said to Nathan: "I have sinned against the Lord," Nathan
said to him: "The Lord also hath taken away thy sin, thou