A. About the Penalty Due for Sin Dismissed in this Life the Conclusion is Certain

9. In this question one conclusion is certain, namely that, when sin has been dismissed in this life, the penalty due for it can be paid after this life.

10. There is proof for this by reason, because no one in debt for a penalty is beatified; for either the penalties are to be paid along with glory or after glory; but in neither way, because penalty cannot either stand with glory or succeed to glory; therefore if anyone is at some time in debt for a penalty, he must first pay it before he be glorified. Now he who was in extremities worthily penitent, which is possible (as was said in the preceding distinction [d.20 nn.12-13, 24]), did not pay a worthy penalty for the sin of which he was penitent; therefore he will pay it after this life.

11. There are authorities too for this, which the Master adduces in the text [Lombard, Sent. IV d.21 ch.2]:

One from Augustine City of God ch.26 n.4, where he treats of I Corinthians 3.12, about those who build wood, hay, stubble. He says, “After the death of this body until the day of damnation or reward is reached, if in this interval of time the spirits of the dead, who have built wood, hay, stubble, are said to suffer a fire of tribulation that is transitory, burning up venial sins, I do not refute it.” And there follows, “That fire will be more grievous than anything a man could suffer in this life” [Exposition of Psalms ps.37 n.3].

12. The same [Ps.-]Augustine, On True and False Penitence (and it is in Gratian, Decretum p.2 cause 33 q.3 d.7 ch.6) about a late penitent says, “If he live with life and not die (understand this of the life of grace), we do not promise that he escape all penalty, for he who has put off the fruit of conversion to the next age is to be purged first with the fire of purgation; but this fire, although it not be eternal, is in a marvelous way grievous; for it excels every penalty that anyone has ever suffered in this life.”

13. And this opinion is stated by the Master, Sent. IV d.20 ch.2 n.1, “If,” he says, “they have departed before fulfilment of their penitence, they will feel the purgatorial fire and will be punished more heavily than if they had fulfilled penitence here.” And no wonder, because the less voluntary a penalty is the less satisfactory it is.

14. And this whole opinion about purgatory is founded on the word of the Apostle in I Corinthians 3.13, “he himself will be saved, but so as by fire” (he is speaking of someone dying imperfect).