The Enchiridion 66
66 The Pardon of Sin Has Reference Chiefly to the Future Judgment PL 40, 263
Now the pardon of sin has reference chiefly to the future judgment. For, as far as this life is concerned, the saying of Scripture holds good: “A heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother’s womb, till the day that they return to the mother of all things.” So that we see even infants, after baptism and regeneration, suffering from the infliction of divers evils: and thus we are given to understand, that all that is set forth in the sacraments of salvation refers rather to the hope of future good, than to the retaining or attaining of present blessings. For many sins seem in this world to be overlooked and visited with no punishment, whose punishment is reserved for the future (for it is not in vain that the day when Christ shall come as Judge of quick and dead is peculiarly named the day of judgment); just as, on the other hand, many sins are punished in this life, which nevertheless are pardoned, and shall bring down no punishment in the future life. Accordingly, in reference to certain temporal punishments, which in this life are visited upon sinners, the apostle, addressing those whose sins are blotted out, and not reserved for the final judgment, says: “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”
Remissio peccatorum fit propter futurum judicium. Magis enim propter futurum judicium fit remissio peccatorum. In hac autem vita usque adeo valet quod scriptum est, Grave jugum super filios Adam, a die exitus de ventre matris eorum usque in diem sepulturae in matrem omnium ; ut etiam parvulos videamus post lavacrum regenerationis diversorum malorum afflictione cruciari: ut intelligamus, totum quod salutaribus agitur Sacramentis, magis ad spem venturorum bonorum, quam ad retentionem vel adeptionem praesentium pertinere. Multa etiam hic videntur ignosci et nullis suppliciis vindicari; sed eorum poenae reservantur in posterum. Neque enim frustra ille proprie dicitur dies judicii, quando venturus est judex vivorum atque mortuorum. Sicut e contrario vindicantur hic aliqua, et tamen si remittuntur, profecto in futuro saeculo non nocebunt. Propterea de quibusdam temporalibus poenis, quae in hac vita peccantibus irrogantur, eis quorum peccata delentur, ne reserventur in finem, ait Apostolus: Si enim nos ipsos judicaremus, a Domino non judicaremur: cum judicamur autem a Domino corripimur, ne cum hoc mundo damnemur .