THE DEFENCE OF the Article Christ descended into Hell With Arguments obiected against the truth of the same doctrine of one Alexander Humes All which reasons are confuted and the same doctrine cleerely defended By Adam Hyll D. of Diuinity Magna est veritas praeualet AT LONDON Printed for William Ponsonbie 1592. To the right reuerend Father in God Iohn by the grace of God Archbishop of Caunterburye Adam Hyll Minister of the woord of God Wisheth grace peace and life euerlasting DIuers causes most reuerēd Father haue moued me to present this tretise vnto your grace The one because your grace hath been charged to defend an error maintaining this doctrine that Christ in Soule descended into hell The other for that there is like to be as great strife about the true vnderstanding of this Article in England as there was in Germany about the true meaning of This is my body For the better preuention whereof I thought it my parte though the vnwoorthiest of all the Ministers of the Church of England to set down in this short discourse a plain demonstration of the truth and a refutation of the contrary out of Gods Booke and godly Interpreters The last reason that hath moued me to evulgate these my labors is this I see diuers Ministers whome for their learning and life I do honor very often to preach against the true interprutation of this branche of our Creed wherby the Papist reioyceth the Atheist is hardned and the common sort of people deuiding themselues as they affection The Prechers do vpon this occasion striue more bitterly one against another then either of both do against our common aduersarye and by this meanes turning our swords into our own bowels we are a pray to our enemies and a scorne to the world If therefore this controuercie be not shortly by the prouidence of almighty God and your grace his ministery decided there will grow among vs enuy strife sedition and al manner of euill workes Sith then as there is but one God so there is but one truth My humble sute vnto your grace is that if the doctrine contained in this booke be Apostolicall It may be authorized to proceede and they that preach the contrary in this respect may haue their mouths stopped for if one builde and another destroy how can our building prosper if one gather and another scatter what profit will there be in our gathering sith it is more easie to destroy and scatter then to build or gather Agathon said Euery Gouerner must learne these 3. lessons the one that they rule men the other that they must rule by the laws the 3. that they shal not rule foreuer In that vnder her most excellent Maiestie you rule men you must vse continuall care and vigilancy In that you must rule by lawes you may not for feare of superior or multitude for loue of freends for hatred of enemy nor for desire of reward leaue the lawes of your Countrie vnexecuted In that you shall not rule for euer you are put in minde that you shall appeare one day before the God of order being the Iudge of the quick and of the dead who wil seuerely punish you for the disorders which are in the Church of England vnpunished except you endeuour as much as you can to reforme thē Some preach what they please some do what they fancy some liue as they list and the most are impatient of vniformyty for some weare surpleases and they are called Time seruers some gownes and they are like Citizens some clokes and they are like trauailers some Coates and they are like fugitiues Nazianzene saith in his oration of moderation to be vsed in diuine matters Confusion hath engendred thunders in the aire tremblings in the earth shipwrackes in the Sea warres and strifes in Cities and houses sicknes in bodies and sinnes in the soule So that by this learned mans iudgemēt the air the sea the earth euery house Cittie body and soule is ouerthrown by confusion For the purest things as the aire is it infecteth the calmest things as the sea is it troubleth the strongest thinges as Citties are it weakneth the richest thinges as the house is it impouerisheth the vnitedst things as the bodye is it serueth the holyest things as the soule is it profaneth God the giuer of all good gifts giue to our Church a beautifull order that he may dwell among vs least our puritye be turned to vncleannes our stedfastnes to tottering our peace to warre our strength to weaknes our riches to pouerty our vnion to ciuill discension and our religion to Atheisme For the head of this monster Confusion is the diuell the hart is enuy the eares are euill reporte the eyes are trouble and vexation the hands are vprore and sedition the feete are woe and destruction From the which God deliuer my sweete countrey for his sonnes sake Christ Iesus To whom with the holy ghost be all honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Your graces most bounden Orator Adam Hyll Christ descended into Hell THat Christ descended into hell it is an article of our faith and is to be beléeued as the rest of the articles are for it is proued by many and manifest Scriptures as it shal hereafter appeare The first Scripture that proueth that christ went down into hell is the 16. Psal. 9. 10. 11. verses Wherfore my hart is glad my tung reioyceth and my flesh also shall rest in hope for why thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither suffer thy holy one to see corruption thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore They that deny this place to proue the descending of Christ into hell say that the woord Nephesh or soule doth signifie the person of Christ and Sheol the graue But the place it selfe doth confute them for as in the 11. verse he sheweth the resurrection of Christ and his ascension so the 10. containeth his buriall and descending into hell from whence he did arise Some there be that deny that Nephesh the Hebrew word dothsignifie the soule seperated from the body but they are reproued in the 1. of King 17 ver 21. 22. where Elias thus praieth for his Hostesse childe O Lord my God I pray thee let this childes soule come vnto him again then the Lord heard the voice of Elias and the soule of the childe came into him againe and he reuiued wher Npehesh signifieth thesoule seperated from the body Carleil séeing this place to ouerthrow that which he goeth about busily toproue saith that this childe was not dead but in a swoune but the Sonne of Sirach saith otherwise Sir 48. 4. 5. O Elias how honourable art thou by thy wonderous deeds who may make his boast to be like vnto thee which hast raised vp the dead from death and by the woord of the most high out of the graue and
Paul saith Heb. 11. 35. Their women receued their dead raised to life Both these say the childe was dead therfore it is vntrue that Carleil affirmeth in his booke fol. 144. that the childe was not dead and as the wise man saith it was a wōderous déed but it is no wonder to quicken one that is in a swoun as Nephesh in this place doth signifie the soule so dooth it in many other places Pro. 23. 14. Thou shalt smite him with the rod and shalt deliuer his soule from hel Farther y t Nephesh signifieth the Soule it is manifest by this for y e interpreters called Septuaginta haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were in times past many Heretiques that did deny that Christ had a soule of whom Appollinaris was one against whom Athanasius thus writeth in his book of the wholsome comming of Christ neither his body was left in the graue neither his soule was left in hell for this the Prophet writeth Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption And a little after for if the Godhead had béen seperated from the body and death had shewed his force on him how could the body depriued of the immortall God shew forth incorruption or how could the woord finish his going downe to hell or arise from hell Epiphanius writing against the Heretiques called Damaeritae vseth the same proofe haer 77. Fulgentius ad Thrasymundum in his 6. Chapter thus writeth concerning this matter whose flesh neither the diuinity forsooke in death neither did it leaue the soule in hell as the Prophet saith thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell And in his 8. Chapter alleadging the 2. of the Acts 16. Psalm he addeth these words there blessed Peter being lightned indéede by the holy Ghost and made according to the woord of the Lord the light of the world did shew by the manifest light of preaching how we should vnderstand this place least any man in Christ should so vnderstand the true flesh that he should deny the true soule In this therfore the diuinity of Christ did shew his impossibilitie because hée is present alwaies and in all places and after an vnspeakable manner and was as concerning his soule in hel without sorrowes and as concerning his bodye laye in the Sepulchre without corruption for hee neither was absent from his flesh when he did not suffer his soule to be gréeued in Hell neither did he leaue his soule in hell when he kept his flesh in the graue without corruption But most plaine of all others is Ciril who in his book of the true faith to Theodosius the Emperour thus writeth it is not lawfull to saye that the flesh coupled to the Godhead could be subiect to the corruption at any time and y t diuine soule to be holden within the gates of hell for he was not left in hell as S. Peter saith For we may not saye that that nature which cannot be subdued by death that is the deitye of the onely begotten Sonne should returne from those dennes vnder earth neither should this thing haue any miracle vnlesse the Sonne of God by the efficacy and nature of the diuinity had tarried in hell fulfilling all things marueilouslye and aboue the reach of reason and working in all things for God is aboue measure place circumscription and magnitude he himselfe is comprehended of none This also is wonderfull that his body rose againe being corruptible by nature and his soule being vnited to the Godhead by the vertue and power of the Godhead did appeare to the soules that were there In these places Ciril Fulgentius and Athanasius doo proue y t Christ had a true body and a true soule and to proue that he was a true man in respect both of body and soule they alleadge this text of the 16 Psalm out of S. Peter If then Nephosh doth not signifie the soule the reasons of those learned Fathers were of no validitye And for this cause in the interlineall glosse you shall read this interpretation animam quam haheo vt verus homo My soule which I haue as a true man And thus M. Hutchinson in his most learned woork of the Image of God vseth this Scripture against the Arrians to proue that Christ had a true soule As then Athanasius Epiphanius Fulgentius and Hutchinson with all the rest of the auntient fathers doo vnderstand Nephesh heer to be the Soule euen so doo I with them séeing no reason why I should beléeue otherwise Peter Martyr in the 1. Cor. 15. teacheth vs a doubtfull place of Scripture must be interpreted First saith he it must be conferred with the like places of Scripture Secondly we must sée what the Fathers especially of the Gréek Church which day and night did exercise this book of God in their hands and conferred it with all the books they could doo write of it So haue I doone in handling this place First I haue proued by the woord of God that Nephesh signifieth y e soule seperate from the body Secondly by the Gréeke Fathers who translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the soule Mat. 10. 28. Feare ye not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soule but feare him that hath power to cast both bodye and soule into hell As Nephesh signifieth the soule so Sheol doth in the 16. Psalme signifie Hell this phrase of Scripture is in other Psalmes as in the 86. 13. For thy mercye is great towards me and thou hast deliuered my Soule from the nethermost hell and in the 9. Psalme verse 17. The wicked shal be turned into hell and al the people that forget God So in Deut. 32. 22. Iob. 21. 13. Psal. 30. 4. 54. 16 138. 8. Esa. 5. 14. Ose. 13. 14. Habac. 2. 5. Mat. 11. 23. In these and many other places of Scripture it can not be denyed but Sheol signifieth hell and so doth it in this place as by Gods grace I wil proue First Sheol com ming of Nephesh which is to ask signifieth such a place as ne uer is satisfied but alwaies asketh and this is most properly hel which albeit it hath receiued infinite soules yetas it is in y e 5. of Esay His mouth is alwaies open and gapeth for more Secondly it is translated by the Septuaginta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord fignifieth in the Scriptures hell alwaies and neuer the graue as yon may sée Mat. 11. 23. Luke 16. 23. Apoc. 1. 18. 6. 8. 20. 13. 14. And therefore to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a graue which signifieth a place where nothing can be séene is a forced and false translation for sith the holye Ghost doth vse it alwaies for hell I meruaile how any man dareth to translate it graue Theophilact translateth it thus Non derelinques animam meam apud orcum Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell vsing the
16. Psalme hath left to eternall memorye Christ not only dyed but he would also for a litle season that is vntill the third day descend into the darknes of hell where is the image of death and as Iob saith euerlasting horror without any order and a little after for this cause did Christ dye and goe down into hell that thou shouldest not goe thether so that as they shall returne from death so he would redéeme them from hell that he might abolish al thy death by his death and that thou maiest rest in the hope of the glorious resurrection as all the Fathers in the séede of Abraham that is Christ. In which faith whosoeuer dyed are said to be receiued into the bosome of Abraham For in the faith of Abraham and of the blessing which should come by Christ they did rest and they doo rest to arise with vs. All others did dye in desperation and doo dye dayly being holden in horrible death vntill the euerlasting fire shall come vpon them by the last sentence Aretius a professor of diuinity in Berna approueth this doctrine in his Problemes the 2. part and setteth down it was necessary that Christ should descend into hell for 3. causes 1. For the reprobates sake that it might be known to them that he was come already whom they had heard should come so often but they had despised it greatlye to these therefore it was necessarye that Christ should be knowne by vertue of spirite 2. It was méete also he should be manifested vnto Satan that he might know the same Christ whom he had tempted in the desarte and whom by the fraud of the Iewes he had put to death the same was the Messias and the séede of the woman promised This I say was expedient to be made knowne to the verye diuels in the bottome of hell 3. It was expedient in respecte of the elect that Sathan might know that he should haue no power ouer the bodyes of the Sayntes whom he will raise to life euerlasting héerafter Hyperius a man endewed with most excellent giftes of learning in his 3. book of his methode of diuinitye writing de Ecclesia thus saith as Christ when he was dead and buried and descended into hell then he did chéefely conquere death and hell so the Church dooth most encrease and multiply when it séemeth to be destroyed extinguished Peter Martyr who trauailed in this our realme in the most famous vniuersitie of Oxford in planting the Gospelll in his exposition on the articles of the faith thus hath lefte his iudgment the soule of Christe after it departed from the bodye remained not idle but descended into hell For Denmark we haue Hemingius for Scotland Alesius for Berna Aretius for Mapurge Hipperius for Argentorat Peter Martir for Hambrough Aepnius and for other partes of Germany Luther Siluerer Pomeranus Lucas Lossius Vrbanus Rhegius Musculus and the authors of the Centuries whose woorkes be worthy both of eternall memory and credite And for our Realme of England we haue the Catechisme of M. Nowell a man whom those that know not his face doo loue and honour for his great trauailes he hath bestowed in the Church of God but especially for the setting foorth of that Catechisme for the vnity of doctrine which is the band of perfection In which Catechisme he hath deliuered these woords as Christ in his body descended into the bowels of the earth so his soule being seuered from his body he descended into hell And as this was the iudgement of that reuerend Father so was it no doubt the iudgment of the Synode of learned men assembled together in the conuocation house at that time which was Anno Domini 1571. who by an iuiunction there made tooke this order that no other Catechisme in this Realme should be taught Which iniunction if it had béene kept we should not haue so many sectes in our Church as we now haue to the great dishonour of God the ioye of our endlesse aduersaries the Papists and the bitter gréefe of all the good Ministers of this Land The articles also of the Synode of London in y e time of King Edward the 6. in y e yéer of our Lord God 1552 published by the Kings authority approue this doctrine amongst which articles it is thus written as Christ is dead and buried for vs so is it also to be beléeued that he descended into hell for his body lay in the graue vntill his resurrection and his soule seperated from his bodye was with the spirites which were detained in prison or hell and preached to thē as witnesseth the place of Peter which I haue before alleadged But because now the iudgement of boyes is more estéemed then of reuerend Fathers and euery singuler schismatique is more estéemed then a whole Synode of chosen and expert men in diuinitye Héereof it commeth to passe that whatsoeuer hath béene most gladlye and learnedly proued by M. Nowell and approued by our couuocations is accounted error and whatsoeuer euery fantasticall spirite dooth vtter without study rashlye and without feare of God presumptuously is accounted truth as though it had béene méerely reueiled vnto them from heauen For what a rashnes and presumption is this to say all reformed Churches are of their opinion whereas the contrarye dooth appeare by their own writings to y e great glory of God and to the no lesse great shame of them which in the Pulpits affirme most impudently that all reformed Churches beyond the seas are of their iudgement But to lye is an vsual thing to all Martinists as their books in other things can witnes against them aswell as in this behalfe To conclude not only most of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas approue this doctrine but euen the very Infidels haue acknowledged it For Sybilla thus prophecied of Christ as Augustine witnesseth in his 18. booke of the Cytie of God the 23. chapter he shall come into the handes of Infidels and they shall strike him with their filthy handes and with their vncleane mouth shall cast on him their poysoned spittles he shall giue simply his holy back to strips and receiuing buffets shal hold his peace for his meate they gaue him gall for his thirste vinegar shewing this table of inhospitality for thou being a foolish nation didst not vnderstand thy God delighting in mens soules but didst crowne him with thornes and didst giue him bitter gall But the vaile of the Temple shall be rent and at noone it shall be darke for 3. houres and he dying for thrée dayes shall sléepe and then returning from hell shall come into the cléere light being the firste that shewed the beginning of the resurrection The same verses of Sibilla are repeated by the same Augustine in a sermon which he writeth to those that are catechised against the Iewes Pagans and Arrians in the 16. Chapter and in the 17. Chapter of the same booke where he thus reasoneth albeit O
putteth in for them in the midst of the garden Farther God said they should not eate of it she added that they might not touch it God said they should surely dye Eue said least we dye héere she diminished the scriptures If then the Fathers haue added to the scriptures that the Fathers were set out of hell there I leaue them And if you change hell into graue as you doo in the 16. Psal Act. 2. I will leaue you also for I stande not vpon mens sayings but vpon the word of God But where you boldly affirme that not one of the Fathers haue déemed that which I say you shewe your selfe either to be malicious in hiding the truth or else so ignorant that you haue not read the Fathers for diuers both old and new are of my iudgement Ambrose on the fourth Chapter of the Ephesians thus writeth Christ therefore comming downe from heauen into the earth was borne a man afterward he died and descended into hell from whence rising the third day he shewed death vanquished to euery creature Augustine de tempore in his 137. sermon and in his third sermon of the resurrection thus sayth Hell did restore him as a conquerour and the Heauens did receaue him as a triumpher And in his second sermon he saith thus Behold you haue heard what our defender the God of vengeance is said to haue done fréely For after that he was exalted that is was hanged of the Iewes on the crosse that I may touch these things briefely assoone as he had giuen vp the ghost the soule vnited to the deuinitie descended into the bottome of hell and when he had touched the band of darkenesse as a fearefull and glorious spoyler the wicked and hellish Legions were afrayde and trembling began to enquire saying Who is this dreadfull and glorious man Eusebius writing of the resurrection of our Sauiour hath the lyke We must knowe that in the selfe same houre wherein our Sauiour bowing his head gaue vp the ghost his body béeing left in the graue his Soule with the Diuinitie went downe to triumph ouer Hell Fulgentius writing to King Thrasymund in his third booke and eight Chapter not dreaming but well aduised thus writeth The true humanitie of the Sonne of God neyther was wholie in the graue nor wholie in Hell but in the Sepulcher he lay dead according to his true fleshe but in his Soule descended into Hell In his Soule he returned to the flesh which lay in the Sepulcher but in respect of the Deuinitie which neyther is holden in place nor limited by bond he was wholie in the graue with his flesh and wholie with his Soule in Hell And by this meanes was fully euery where Christ because God was not seperated from the humanitie which he had assumpted which was both with his Soule in Hell that from Hell his Soule might returne a Conqueresse and was with his flesh that by reason of his spéedie resurrection it might not be corrupted I haue héere alleaged the olde which disprooue your assertion for all these accord with mée Now to these will I adde also the iudgements of some newe Writers Mollerus a very learned Minister of Germany on the 16. Psalme thus teacheth Christ would shewe his victorie in a certaine sort ouer the Diuells to strike perpetuall terrors into them and to take away from vs the feare of their tyrannie To this agréeth Musculus on the sixtie and eight Psalme This GOD which was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe first descended into the lowest partes of the earth then he led captiuitie captiue and not only wée are deliuered from the captiuitie of Satan sinne and damnation but also triumphing ouer them as Tyrants he hath ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things The same learned Father interpreting the second Chapter of the Colossians thus hath There are some that be perswaded it is an absurditie if it be sayd that Christ did triumph ouer the principalities and powers but if all these things be attributed to God the Father that he did them with Christ and in Christ we may truly reade héere triumphing ouer them in his owne person In like sort dooth Hemingius expounde this place in the second Chapter of the Colossians As by his death he conflicted with the Diuell on the Crosse so by his glorious descending into Hell Resurrection and Ascention he triumphed as it is Ephes. 4. leauing his Crosse lift vp as a monument of his victorie So doth M. Fox vnderstand this place in a booke which hée hath written entituled Christus triumphans Therefore in this behalfe you haue tolde a manifest vntruth wherefore I shall thinke you will scarce haue care to set forth the truth of God when you will presumptuously vtter such an vntruth which may be reproued by so many and honourable witnesses Farther héere you leaue out at your pleasure two other endes of Christs descending into Hell which I taught in my Sermon the one is the manifestation of his death the other is our deliuerance from Hell Playne dealing ought to be in this case and therefore I exspect it at your hands Humes Sectio 4. But if you will see how doubtfull Augustine was in this point I pray you reade his 99. Epistle to Euodius where you shall finde many his doubts and almost no other thing affyrmed for certaintie but only that hee doubteth not that Christ went to Hell building vpon the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Peter Thou wilt not leaue my Soule in Hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption Where I can not choose but wonder what should moue so worthy a wit and so learned followers of him seing it is apparant that the word doth signifie aswell the sorrowes of hell as the place of hell in the scripture to passe by that significatiō of the word which the whole church of Christ cōfesseth to be true that our Sauiour did suffer vpon the Crosse whole torments of hell for our redemption and to fall vpon that signification which hath slender proofe and led them iuto such streites as Augustine himselfe cannot escape Whosoeuer doubteth that the name of hell is vsed in the Scripture for those sorrowes let him read that of 1. Samuel 2. 6. The Lord killeth and makaeth aliue he casteth downe to hell and bringeth vp againe Or that of Dauid Psal. 30. 3. Thou hast brought my soule out of Hell Or that of Ionas 2. 2. I haue called to thee out of the bowels of hell And many other places where the woord can not signifie the pit of hell whence there is no redemption but the sorrowes of hell which the Saintes of God did suffer in this life Now seeing this is so I would fain know of you good M. Hill why we may not more safely take the woord Hell in that signification which you cannot deny then you in that signification which the better parte of Christians do take to be false For that
ye enuyous Iewes ye doo with a shameles face saye to Christ Ioh. 8. 13. Thou doost beare witnes of thy selfe and thy witnes is not true Yet that the trueth of the Maiestye of God may apeare besides so many excellent consents of witnesses euery creture hath séemed to giue testimony to christ their creator Did not the heauen giue witues when as a new Starre in the new generation of a man did as it were with his tung or hand point to God was born a man for al nations did not the sea giue testimony to him when forgetting her selfe after a sorte the liquide humor soliditye being receiued carried the liuely steps of their Lord that it might be fulfilled which is written Psa. 77. 19. Thy way is in the sea and thy paths in the deep waters When the seruant of Christ being wise about himselfe that they might shewe what difference is betwéene the creature and the creator the water had swallowed vp Peter in the flouds vnlesse the Lord of all things had reached him his hand being ready to be drowned did not the earth giue him testimonye when being mingled with his spittle he annointing with it the eyes of the borne blinde restored light to him that saw not and by his woorkemanship like an Artificer he repaired that which he had not out of the dyrte of the earth which made all men out of the earth before did not thinges vnder earth giue testimony vnto Christ when léesing their right they yéelded vp Lazarus whole whom they had taken to be corrupted and kept him 4. dayes y t they might render him safe when they heard the voice of the Lord commanding and in the end thus concludeth O Iudaei daemones qui corda vestra possiderunt dixerunt scimus qui sis quid venisti ante tempus perdere nos the diuels which haue possessed your harts haue sayde We know who thou art why comest thou before thy time to destroy vs Mark 1. 24 Euen as the heauen the sea the earth things vnder earth and the diuels did confesse him to be the Sonne of God in this life so in his death as the same Father noteth the heauen was darkned the earth did moue the vaile of the Temple is rent the stones did cleaue asunder the graues are opened the diuels at the presence of Christ doo tremble and euery diuell in hell confesseth Iesus Christ to be the Lord to the glory of God the father Phil. 2. 10. If then we be led by the woord of God as we should be then I hope I haue sufficientlye proued this article by the blessed woord of God if Fathers al both gréek and Latin teach this doctrine to be true If we estéeme the iudgements of the Ministers of the reformed Churches if the aduersaries of this doctrine haue one to stand in their side we haue fiue on ours if we reuerence the authority of the Synode or conuocation of England they allow this ascertion If we honour reuerend antiquity this doctrine is most auntient for it hath béen deliuered not onlye of late by Nowell Beecon Fox Hutchinson Lamier Peter Martir Hipperius Pomeranus Lucas Lossius Aepnius and Luther But in times past by Augustine Ambrose Hierome Cyprian Fulgentius Vigilius Oecumenius Atha nasius Epiphanius Cyrill Ignatius Yea it is deliuered by Peter and Paul themselues and this antiquity ioyned with verity is very strong as Cyprian saith All these before named with infinite others which for breuities sake I omit were the deuout faithfull learned and zealous defenders of Gods faith and for this cause were hated reuiled persecuted or murdered And besides all these not only Zacharye Dauid and Esau foretolde of this descending into hell but as you haue heard before Sybilla being a Prophitesse of the Heathen And as S Augustine truely noteth not only the creatures in heauen in earth and in the graues but also the very diuels haue confessed it which those that are possessed with diuels as the Iewes Seruetus and Carleil doo denye stubbornlye without relenting and desperately without repenting and obstinately without ceasing notwithstanding all those honourable witnesses of Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Fathers before by me alleadged Ioshua saide to the Israelites Ios. 24. 15. And if it seeme euill to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serue but I and my housholde wil serue the Lord. So let others beléeue as they list I and all those that beléeue my doctrine will beléeue this article litterally as it lyeth and as we beléeue the rest For if hell héere should be taken metaphorically as some wil haue it so may you allegorise the whole créed as doo the Heretiques and so ouerthrow the whole substance of our faith Besides no hell being in our Créed men will not beléeue there is any hell at all as doo the greatest parte of the worlde as their blasphemous mouthes and abhominable liues declare the same euery where Wherfore I exhort all men with S. Augustine in this sorte epist. 99. ad Euodium therefore let vs holde most firmelye which our faith hath being confirmed with most grounded authoritye that Christ dyed and was buried and rose againe the 3. daye and all other things which are written of him amongst which also this one is that he was in hell And againe who but an infidel will deny Christ to haue béen in hell but because I know the Papists dooth reioyce to sée this schisme in the Church of England therefore let them well vnderstond that it hath alwaies béene so and so will be vnto the worlds end Theophilus called Epiphanius an archheretique Hierom thus writeth to S. Augustine in his 9. Epistle in thy Epistle I haue iudged somethings to be heriticall And Augustine to Hierome writeth thus take vpon you the seuerity of a Christian to correct and amend your woorke and to recant Bonifacius saide that Augustine and other Bishops of Africa were inspired with the diuel Clemens Alexandrinus stromatum li. 7. saith that the Gentiles did thus vpbraid the Christians ye Christians disagrée among your selues and you haue sects and albeit all doo challenge vnto themselues the title of christianity yet one of you doth curse and condemne the other Wherefore your religion is not good nor came from God as the Gentiles did vpbraide the Christians so now the Papists the Protestants saying as the heathen did say in Chrisostoms time in Act. homil 3. the Gentile commeth and saith I would gladly be a Christian but I know not to whom I may cleaue what opinion I may chuse or what I may preferre all say I say the truth But as that was no lawfull excuse for the heathen in those dayes no more is it for our Papists now in these daies but rather because we haue enemies on euery side they ought to beléeue that we are the tossed ship of Christs Church and we are the souldiours of our Captaine Iesus which must fight against all Heretiques and schismatiques we are the