4421. About punishments, that they are merciful
I spoke with spirits who had thought it was contrary to mercy to be punished, but they were told that it is merciful, and that it is unmerciful not to be punished, and they were convinced by an example: if a Father does not chastise, but rather indulges, his wayward and wrongdoing son or daughter, then he is unmerciful, for he then draws him or her toward all manner of evils, and is therefore unmerciful toward his children, and toward others. That punishment is not contrary to love, is therefore also obvious.
The same applies also to a king who pardons criminals, and does not punish them. He causes more unmercifulness, for he thus tolerates criminals in the kingdom, and increases their number. So it is with punishments in the other life. If evil doers were not punished even to the point of correction, as always takes place, they would not only remain wicked, but they would harm the good, which is contrary to mercy.
4421. CONCERNING PUNISHMENTS, THAT THEY ARE OF MERCY.
I spoke with spirits who thought that to be punished was against mercy; but it was said to them that it was of mercy, and of unmercifulness not to be punished; and they were convinced [of their mistake] by an example; to wit, that if a father does not chastise a son or a daughter who is wayward and does evil, but indulges him, he is then unmerciful, for that he then encourages his son to all those evils, and is thus against his children and unmerciful toward others. The same considerations prove that it is not against love. The principle may be illustrated also by the case of a king who pardons the wicked and does not punish; he is guilty of more unmercifulness, for he thus tolerates the wicked in his kingdom, and increases their number. Such is the case with punishments in the other life; if the evil should not be punished, even to emendation, as is always done, they would not only remain wicked, but would injure the good, which is against mercy.
4421. De punitionibus, quod sint misericordiae
Loquutus cum spiritibus qui putarunt quod puniri esset contra misericordiam, sed iis dictum quod sit misericordiae, et quod sit immisericordiae non puniri, et convicti ab exemplo, si Pater non castigat filium seu filiam immorigerum, et male facientem, sed indulget, quod tunc immisericors sit, nam tunc filium ad omnia illa mala fert, sic est contra liberos, et contra alios immisericors; quod non sit contra amorem, inde quoque patet; similiter se habet cum rege, qui condonat scelestis, nec punit, plus immisericordiae facit, nam sic sceleratos in regno tolerat, et auget eorum numerum; ita se habet cum punitionibus in altera vita, si non punirentur, usque ad emendationem, ut fit semper, tunc non solum ii facinorosi permanerent, sed bonos laederent, quod contra misericordiam est.