Summa Theologica Part IV (Tertia Pars) Part 88

Reply Obj. 2: As Augustine says (De Trin. iv; cf. De Consens. Evang.

iii), Christ rose with the dawn, when light appears in part, and still some part of the darkness of the night remains. Hence it is said of the women that "when it was yet dark" they came "to the sepulchre" (John 20:1). Therefore, in consequence of this darkness, Gregory says (Hom. xxi) that Christ rose in the middle of the night, not that night is divided into two equal parts, but during the night itself: for the expression "early" can be taken as partly night and partly day, from its fittingness with both.

Reply Obj. 3: The light prevailed so far in Christ's death (which is denoted by the one day) that it dispelled the darkness of the two nights, that is, of our twofold death, as stated above.

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QUESTION 52

OF CHRIST'S DESCENT INTO h.e.l.l (In Eight Articles)

We have now to consider Christ's descent into h.e.l.l; concerning which there are eight points of inquiry:

(1) Whether it was fitting for Christ to descend into h.e.l.l?

(2) Into which h.e.l.l did He descend?

(3) Whether He was entirely in h.e.l.l?

(4) Whether He made any stay there?

(5) Whether He delivered the Holy Fathers from h.e.l.l?

(6) Whether He delivered the lost from h.e.l.l?

(7) Whether He delivered the children who died in original sin?

(8) Whether He delivered men from Purgatory?

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FIRST ARTICLE [III, Q. 52, Art. 1]

Whether It Was Fitting for Christ to Descend into h.e.l.l?

Objection 1: It would seem that it was not fitting for Christ to descend into h.e.l.l, because Augustine says (Ep. ad Evod. cliv.): "Nor could I find anywhere in the Scriptures h.e.l.l mentioned as something good." But Christ's soul did not descend into any evil place, for neither do the souls of the just. Therefore it does not seem fitting for Christ's soul to descend into h.e.l.l.

Obj. 2: Further, it cannot belong to Christ to descend into h.e.l.l according to His Divine Nature, which is altogether immovable; but only according to His a.s.sumed nature. But that which Christ did or suffered in His a.s.sumed nature is ordained for man's salvation: and to secure this it does not seem necessary for Christ to descend into h.e.l.l, since He delivered us from both guilt and penalty by His Pa.s.sion which He endured in this world, as stated above (Q. 49, AA.

1, 3). Consequently, it was not fitting that Christ should descend into h.e.l.l.

Obj. 3: Further, by Christ's death His soul was separated from His body, and this was laid in the sepulchre, as stated above (Q. 51).

But it seems that He descended into h.e.l.l, not according to His soul only, because seemingly the soul, being incorporeal, cannot be a subject of local motion; for this belongs to bodies, as is proved in _Phys._ vi, text. 32; while descent implies corporeal motion.

Therefore it was not fitting for Christ to descend into h.e.l.l.

_On the contrary,_ It is said in the Creed: "He descended into h.e.l.l": and the Apostle says (Eph. 4:9): "Now that He ascended, what is it, but because He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?" And a gloss adds: "that is--into h.e.l.l."

_I answer that,_ It was fitting for Christ to descend into h.e.l.l.

First of all, because He came to bear our penalty in order to free us from penalty, according to Isa. 53:4: "Surely He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows." But through sin man had incurred not only the death of the body, but also descent into h.e.l.l.

Consequently since it was fitting for Christ to die in order to deliver us from death, so it was fitting for Him to descend into h.e.l.l in order to deliver us also from going down into h.e.l.l. Hence it is written (Osee 13:14): "O death, I will be thy death; O h.e.l.l, I will be thy bite." Secondly, because it was fitting when the devil was overthrown by the Pa.s.sion that Christ should deliver the captives detained in h.e.l.l, according to Zech. 9:11: "Thou also by the blood of Thy Testament hast sent forth Thy prisoners out of the pit." And it is written (Col. 2:15): "Despoiling the princ.i.p.alities and powers, He hath exposed them confidently." Thirdly, that as He showed forth His power on earth by living and dying, so also He might manifest it in h.e.l.l, by visiting it and enlightening it. Accordingly it is written (Ps. 23:7): "Lift up your gates, O ye princes," which the gloss thus interprets: "that is--Ye princes of h.e.l.l, take away your power, whereby hitherto you held men fast in h.e.l.l"; and so "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow," not only "of them that are in heaven,"

but likewise "of them that are in h.e.l.l," as is said in Phil. 2:10.

Reply Obj. 1: The name of h.e.l.l stands for an evil of penalty, and not for an evil of guilt. Hence it was becoming that Christ should descend into h.e.l.l, not as liable to punishment Himself, but to deliver them who were.

Reply Obj. 2: Christ's Pa.s.sion was a kind of universal cause of men's salvation, both of the living and of the dead. But a general cause is applied to particular effects by means of something special. Hence, as the power of the Pa.s.sion is applied to the living through the sacraments which make us like unto Christ's Pa.s.sion, so likewise it is applied to the dead through His descent into h.e.l.l. On which account it is written (Zech. 9:11) that "He sent forth prisoners out of the pit, in the blood of His testament," that is, by the power of His Pa.s.sion.

Reply Obj. 3: Christ's soul descended into h.e.l.l not by the same kind of motion as that whereby bodies are moved, but by that kind whereby the angels are moved, as was said in the First Part (Q. 53, A. 1).

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SECOND ARTICLE [III, Q. 52, Art. 2]

Whether Christ Went Down into the h.e.l.l of the Lost?

Objection 1: It would seem that Christ went down into the h.e.l.l of the lost, because it is said by the mouth of Divine Wisdom (Ecclus.

24:45): "I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth." But the h.e.l.l of the lost is computed among the lower parts of the earth according to Ps. 62:10: "They shall go into the lower parts of the earth." Therefore Christ who is the Wisdom of G.o.d, went down even into the h.e.l.l of the lost.

Obj. 2: Further, Peter says (Acts 2:24) that "G.o.d hath raised up Christ, having loosed the sorrows of h.e.l.l, as it was impossible that He should be holden by it." But there are no sorrows in the h.e.l.l of the Fathers, nor in the h.e.l.l of the children, since they are not punished with sensible pain on account of any actual sin, but only with the pain of loss on account of original sin. Therefore Christ went down into the h.e.l.l of the lost, or else into Purgatory, where men are tormented with sensible pain on account of actual sins.

Obj. 3: Further, it is written (1 Pet. 3:19) that "Christ coming in spirit preached to those spirits that were in prison, which had some time been incredulous": and this is understood of Christ's descent into h.e.l.l, as Athanasius says (Ep. ad Epict.). For he says that "Christ's body was laid in the sepulchre when He went to preach to those spirits who were in bondage, as Peter said." But it is clear the unbelievers were in the h.e.l.l of the lost. Therefore Christ went down into the h.e.l.l of the lost.

Obj. 4: Further, Augustine says (Ep. ad Evod. clxiv): "If the sacred Scriptures had said that Christ came into Abraham's bosom, without naming h.e.l.l or its woes, I wonder whether any person would dare to a.s.sert that He descended into h.e.l.l. But since evident testimonies mention h.e.l.l and its sorrows, there is no reason for believing that Christ went there except to deliver men from the same woes." But the place of woes is the h.e.l.l of the lost. Therefore Christ descended into the h.e.l.l of the lost.

Obj. 5: Further, as Augustine says in a sermon upon the Resurrection: Christ descending into h.e.l.l "set free all the just who were held in the bonds of original sin." But among them was Job, who says of himself (Job 17:16): "All that I have shall go down into the deepest pit." Therefore Christ descended into the deepest pit.

_On the contrary,_ Regarding the h.e.l.l of the lost it is written (Job 10:21): "Before I go, and return no more, to a land that is dark and covered with the mist of death." Now there is no "fellowship of light with darkness," according to 2 Cor. 6:14. Therefore Christ, who is "the light," did not descend into the h.e.l.l of the lost.

_I answer that,_ A thing is said to be in a place in two ways. First of all, through its effect, and in this way Christ descended into each of the h.e.l.ls, but in different manner. For going down into the h.e.l.l of the lost He wrought this effect, that by descending thither He put them to shame for their unbelief and wickedness: but to them who were detained in Purgatory He gave hope of attaining to glory: while upon the holy Fathers detained in h.e.l.l solely on account of original sin, He shed the light of glory everlasting.

In another way a thing is said to be in a place through its essence: and in this way Christ's soul descended only into that part of h.e.l.l wherein the just were detained. so that He visited them "in place,"

according to His soul, whom He visited "interiorly by grace,"

according to His G.o.dhead. Accordingly, while remaining in one part of h.e.l.l, He wrought this effect in a measure in every part of h.e.l.l, just as while suffering in one part of the earth He delivered the whole world by His Pa.s.sion.

Reply Obj. 1: Christ, who is the Wisdom of G.o.d, penetrated to all the lower parts of the earth, not pa.s.sing through them locally with His soul, but by spreading the effects of His power in a measure to them all: yet so that He enlightened only the just: because the text quoted continues: "And I will enlighten all that hope in the Lord."

Reply Obj. 2: Sorrow is twofold: one is the suffering of pain which men endure for actual sin, according to Ps. 17:6: "The sorrows of h.e.l.l encompa.s.sed me." Another sorrow comes of hoped-for glory being deferred, according to Prov. 13:12: "Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul": and such was the sorrow which the holy Fathers suffered in h.e.l.l, and Augustine refers to it in a sermon on the Pa.s.sion, saying that "they besought Christ with tearful entreaty." Now by descending into h.e.l.l Christ took away both sorrows, yet in different ways: for He did away with the sorrows of pains by preserving souls from them, just as a physician is said to free a man from sickness by warding it off by means of physic. Likewise He removed the sorrows caused by glory deferred, by bestowing glory.

Reply Obj. 3: These words of Peter are referred by some to Christ's descent into h.e.l.l: and they explain it in this sense: "Christ preached to them who formerly were unbelievers, and who were shut up in prison"--that is, in h.e.l.l--"in spirit"--that is, by His soul.

Hence Damascene says (De Fide Orth. iii): "As He evangelized them who are upon the earth, so did He those who were in h.e.l.l"; not in order to convert unbelievers unto belief, but to put them to shame for their unbelief, since preaching cannot be understood otherwise than as the open manifesting of His G.o.dhead, which was laid bare before them in the lower regions by His descending in power into h.e.l.l.

Augustine, however, furnishes a better exposition of the text in his Epistle to Evodius quoted above, namely, that the preaching is not to be referred to Christ's descent into h.e.l.l, but to the operation of His G.o.dhead, to which He gave effect from the beginning of the world.

Consequently, the sense is, that "to those (spirits) that were in prison"--that is, living in the mortal body, which is, as it were, the soul's prison-house--"by the spirit" of His G.o.dhead "He came and preached" by internal inspirations, and from without by the admonitions spoken by the righteous: to those, I say, He preached "which had been some time incredulous," i.e. not believing in the preaching of Noe, "when they waited for the patience of G.o.d," whereby the chastis.e.m.e.nt of the Deluge was put off: accordingly (Peter) adds: "In the days of Noe, when the Ark was being built."

Reply Obj. 4: The expression "Abraham's bosom" may be taken in two senses. First of all, as implying that restfulness, existing there, from sensible pain; so that in this sense it cannot be called h.e.l.l, nor are there any sorrows there. In another way it can be taken as implying the privation of longed-for glory: in this sense it has the character of h.e.l.l and sorrow. Consequently, that rest of the blessed is now called Abraham's bosom, yet it is not styled h.e.l.l, nor are sorrows said to be now in Abraham's bosom.

Reply Obj. 5: As Gregory says (Moral. xiii): "Even the higher regions of h.e.l.l he calls the deepest h.e.l.l ... For if relatively to the height of heaven this darksome air is infernal, then relatively to the height of this same air the earth lying beneath can be considered as infernal and deep. And again in comparison with the height of the same earth, those parts of h.e.l.l which are higher than the other infernal mansions, may in this way be designated as the deepest h.e.l.l."

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THIRD ARTICLE [III, Q. 52, Art. 3]

Whether the Whole Christ Was in h.e.l.l?

Objection 1: It would seem that the whole Christ was not in h.e.l.l. For Christ's body is one of His parts. But His body was not in h.e.l.l.

Therefore, the whole Christ was not in h.e.l.l.