Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ descending into hell did not deliver the holy Fathers from thence. For Augustine (Epist. ad Evod. clxiv) says: "I have not yet discovered what Christ descending into hell bestowed upon those righteous ones who were in Abraham's bosom, from whom I fail to see that He ever departed according to the beatific presence of His Godhead." But had He delivered them, He would have bestowed much upon them. Therefore it does not appear that Christ delivered the holy Fathers from hell.

Objection 2: Further, no one is detained in hell except on account of sin. But during life the holy Fathers were justified from sin through faith in Christ. Consequently they did not need to be delivered from hell on Christ's descent thither.

Objection 3: Further, if you remove the cause, you remove the effect. But that Christ went down into hell was due to sin which was taken away by the Passion, as stated above (Question 49, Article 1). Consequently, the holy Fathers were not delivered on Christ's descent into hell.

On the contrary, Augustine says in the sermon on the Passion already quoted that when Christ descended into hell "He broke down the gate and 'iron bars' of hell, setting at liberty all the righteous who were held fast through original sin."

I answer that, As stated above (Article 4, ad 2), when Christ descended into hell He worked through the power of His Passion. But through Christ's Passion the human race was delivered not only from sin, but also from the debt of its penalty, as stated above (Question 49, Articles 1,3). Now men were held fast by the debt of punishment in two ways: first of all for actual sin which each had committed personally: secondly, for the sin of the whole human race, which each one in his origin contracts from our first parent, as stated in Rm. 5 of which sin the penalty is the death of the body as well as exclusion from glory, as is evident from Gn. 2 and 3: because God cast out man from paradise after sin, having beforehand threatened him with death should he sin. Consequently, when Christ descended into hell, by the power of His Passion He delivered the saints from the penalty whereby they were excluded from the life of glory, so as to be unable to see God in His Essence, wherein man's beatitude lies, as stated in the 1.2, Question 3, Article 8. But the holy Fathers were detained in hell for the reason, that, owing to our first parent's sin, the approach to the life of glory was not opened. And so when Christ descended into hell He delivered the holy Fathers from thence. And this is what is written Zach. 9:11: "Thou also by the blood of Thy testament hast sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water." And (Col. 2:15) it is written that "despoiling the principalities and powers," i.e. "of hell, by taking out Isaac and Jacob, and the other just souls," "He led them," i.e. "He brought them far from this kingdom of darkness into heaven," as the gloss explains.

Reply to Objection 1: Augustine is speaking there against such as maintained that the righteous of old were subject to penal sufferings before Christ's descent into hell. Hence shortly before the passage quoted he says: "Some add that this benefit was also bestowed upon the saints of old, that on the Lord's coming into hell they were freed from their sufferings. But I fail to see how Abraham, into whose bosom the poor man was received, was ever in such sufferings." Consequently, when he afterwards adds that "he had not yet discovered what Christ's descent into hell had brought to the righteous of old," this must be understood as to their being freed from penal sufferings. Yet Christ bestowed something upon them as to their attaining glory: and in consequence He dispelled the suffering which they endured through their glory being delayed: still they had great joy from the very hope thereof, according to Jn. 8:56: "Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day." And therefore he adds: "I fail to see that He ever departed, according to the beatific presence of His Godhead," that is, inasmuch as even before Christ's coming they were happy in hope, although not yet fully happy in fact.

Reply to Objection 2: The holy Fathers while yet living were delivered from original as well as actual sin through faith in Christ; also from the penalty of actual sins, but not from the penalty of original sin, whereby they were excluded from glory, since the price of man's redemption was not yet paid: just as the faithful are now delivered by baptism from the penalty of actual sins, and from the penalty of original sin as to exclusion from glory, yet still remain bound by the penalty of original sin as to the necessity of dying in the body because they are renewed in the spirit, but not yet in the flesh, according to Rm. 8:10: "The body indeed is dead, because of sin; but the spirit liveth, because of justification."

Reply to Objection 3: Directly Christ died His soul went down into hell, and bestowed the fruits of His Passion on the saints detained there; although they did not go out as long as Christ remained in hell, because His presence was part of the fulness of their glory.

Articulus 5

Argumentum 1

Ad quintum sic proceditur. Videtur quod christus, descendens ad inferos, sanctos patres inde non liberaverit.

Dicit enim Augustinus, in epistola ad evodium, illis iustis qui in sinu erant Abrahae cum christus in inferna descenderet, nondum quid contulisset inveni, a quibus eum, secundum beatificam praesentiam suae divinitatis, nunquam video recessisse.

Multum autem eis contulisset si eos ab inferis liberasset. Non ergo videtur quod christus sanctos patres ab inferis liberaverit.

Argumentum 2

Praeterea, nullus in inferno detinetur nisi propter peccatum.

Sed sancti patres, dum adhuc viverent, per fidem christi iustificati fuerant a peccato. Ergo non indigebant liberari ab inferno, ad inferos christo descendente.

Argumentum 3

Praeterea, remota causa, removetur effectus. Sed causa descendendi ad inferos est peccatum, quod fuit remotum per passionem christi, ut supra dictum est.

Non ergo per descensum christi ad inferos sancti patres sunt de inferno educti.

Sed Contra

Sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit, in sermone de passione, quod christus, quando ad inferna descendit, portam inferni et vectes ferreos confregit, et omnes iustos, qui originali peccato adstricti tenebantur, absolvit.

Corpus

Respondeo dicendum quod, sicut supra dictum est, christus, descendens ad inferos, operatus est in virtute suae passionis.

Per passionem autem christi liberatum est genus humanum, non solum a peccato, sed etiam a reatu poenae, ut supra dictum est.

Dupliciter autem homines reatu poenae erant adstricti. Uno modo, pro peccato actuali, quod quilibet in sua persona commiserat. Alio modo, pro peccato totius humanae naturae, quod a primo parente in omnes originaliter devenit, ut dicitur Rom. V.

Cuius quidem peccati poena est mors corporalis et exclusio a vita gloriae, ut patet ex his quae dicuntur Gen. II et III, nam deus hominem de Paradiso post peccatum eiecit, cui ante peccatum mortem fuerat comminatus si peccaret. Et ideo christus, descendens ad inferos, virtute suae passionis ab hoc reatu sanctos absolvit, quo erant a vita gloriae exclusi, ut non possent deum per essentiam videre, in quo consistit perfecta hominis beatitudo, ut in secunda parte dictum est.

Per hoc autem sancti patres detinebantur in inferno, quod eis ad vitam gloriae, propter peccatum primi parentis, aditus non patebat. Et sic christus, descendens ad inferos, sanctos patres ab inferis liberavit. Et hoc est quod dicitur Zach. IX, tu vero in sanguine testamenti tui eduxisti vinctos de lacu in quo non erat aqua.

Et Coloss. II dicitur quod, exspolians principatus et potestates, scilicet infernales, auferendo Isaac et Iacob et ceteros iustos, traduxit eos, idest, longe ab hoc regno tenebrarum ad caelum duxit, ut Glossa ibidem dicit.

Ad 1

Ad primum ergo dicendum quod Augustinus ibi loquitur contra quosdam qui aestimabant antiquos iustos, ante adventum christi, in inferno doloribus poenarum fuisse subiectos.

Unde, parum ante verba inducta, praemittit dicens, addunt quidam hoc beneficium antiquis etiam sanctis fuisse concessum, ut, dominus cum in infernum venisset, ab illis doloribus solverentur. Sed quonam modo intelligatur Abraham, in cuius sinum pius etiam pauper ille susceptus est, in illis fuisse doloribus, ego quidem non video.

Et ideo, cum postea subdit se nondum invenisse quid descensus christi ad inferos antiquis iustis contulerit, intelligendum est quantum ad absolutionem a doloribus poenarum.

Contulit tamen eis quantum ad adeptionem gloriae, et per consequens solvit eorum dolorem quem patiebantur ex dilatione gloriae. Ex cuius tamen spe magnum gaudium habebant, secundum illud Ioan. VIII, Abraham, pater vester, exultavit ut videret diem meum.

Et ideo subdit, a quibus eum, secundum beatificam praesentiam suae divinitatis, nunquam video recessisse, inquantum scilicet, etiam ante adventum christi, erant beati in spe, licet nondum essent perfecte beati in re.

Ad 2

Ad secundum dicendum quod sancti patres, dum adhuc viverent, liberati fuerunt per fidem christi ab omni peccato tam originali quam actuali, et reatu poenae actualium peccatorum, non tamen a reatu poenae originalis peccati, per quem excludebantur a gloria, nondum soluto pretio redemptionis humanae. Sicut etiam nunc fideles christi liberantur per baptismum a reatu actualium peccatorum, et a reatu originalis quantum ad exclusionem a gloria, remanent tamen adhuc obligati reatu originalis peccati quantum ad necessitatem corporaliter moriendi; quia renovantur secundum spiritum, sed nondum secundum carnem, secundum illud Rom. VIII, corpus quidem mortuum est propter peccatum, spiritus vero vivit propter iustificationem.

Ad 3

Ad tertium dicendum quod statim, christo mortem patiente, anima eius ad infernum descendit, et suae passionis fructum exhibuit sanctis in inferno detentis, quamvis ex loco illo non exierint, christo apud inferos commorante, quia ipsa christi praesentia pertinebat ad cumulum gloriae.