Yorke and being requested to deliuer my iudgement in the matter not by M. Chalfoult but by one Richard Woodlands to set vnity betwixt my brethren and not to warre against M. Wisedome in the feare of God and not to please you or your friend or any other man I layd downe my iudgement and gaue vp my Sermon in writing to M. Wisedome crauing an answere to the whole and not to some part of it Now you haue made an answere to some how truly it shall appeare and other things you haue left vnanswered for what cause let the reader iudge In the end you charge me with wit which is small with eloquence which is none and with my promise which I will kéepe most willinglie hoping that you will kéepe yours Humes Sectio 2. Wherefore to grow to the matter I see no cause why you should thinke better of Augustine and Ierome then of Beza and Caluine for they were all but men and they which now are old were sometimes new They had no better warrant of Gods spirit than these and errors in those dayes were so thicke sowen that there grew darnell in the best fieldes euen of them whome wee most admire I speake not this to discredit the Fathers but to proue that they were no Gods They were no doubt the good instruments of our louing God to maintaine his truth against his enemies but they were but men you can not deny but the best of them had his steynes and must confesse that God is infinitely wise who did before hand ordaine it least we might honor them for Gods and set their writings in the place of his eternall word whereof one iot shall not passe though heauen and earth perish Hill Two arguments you make against Augustine and Ierome The one is they had errors and therefore their interpretation not to be admitted The other is the time wherein they liued was corrupt and for that cause they are not to be alledged in a controuersy of Diuinitie The same argument I make against all new writers All new writers haue errors and they liue in a most corrupt time wherein as Christ saith shall be many false Prophets and many false Christs to deceiue the very elect if it were possible Math. 24. 24. Therefore because men are vaine and the time corrupt we must beléeue no man You argue ab accidente ad subiectum For Augustine and Ierome to erre it is an accident but the substance of all Fathers is to beget men in the word of truth 1. Cor. 4. 15. And for this cause Augustine himselfe willeth vs not to beléeue him vnlesse he bring the word of God Truly sayth Augustine I do desire not only a godly reader but a frée corrector in all my writings especially in those things where there is great doubt but as I will not haue him to be geuen vnto me so I will not haue him to be giuen to himselfe let him not loue me more then the Catholike faith As I say to him beléeue not my sayings as Canonicall Scriptures but beléeue stedfastly when thou hast found that which thou beléeuedst not but beléeue not firmely that which thou hast not séene out of Gods word So I say to him do not correct my writings by thine owne opinion or of contention but by the word of God by the reason thereof vncontrouleable And against Cresconius the Grammarian he thus writeth lib. 2. cap. 32. I am not moued with the authoritie of this epistle but I cousider them out of the Canonicall bookes and if they agrée with the word of God I receiue them with praise if they disagrée I refuse them with peace The like he hath Epist. 3. and Epist. 112. And Ierome ad Theoph. is of the same iudgement I knowe that I estéeme otherwise the Apostles and otherwise other interpreters these men speake truth alwayes these men in some things do erre sometime These Fathers themselues confesse themselues to be but men and will vs to beléeue them no farther then they agrée with Gods word Therefore they building vpon Christ aswell as your new ought to be beléeued rather in this point than they for what they wrote in this controuersy the same did all other godly Interpreters both Gréek and Latin hauing a good warrant from Gods word But those of your side write contrary to Gods word to the auncient Fathers yea and contrary to the new Fathers namely Luther Selueccer Chytraeus Pomeran Aepinus Lucas Lossius Alesius Aretius Peter Martyr M. Fox and M. Nowell Therefore because Augustine and Ierome agrée both with the old and new writers and especially with the word of God I like better of them teaching the affirmatiue then of any other labouring to prooue the negatiue To end therefore you must note this that all sayings of the Fathers either they are demonstratiue out of the Scriptures and then they are the voyce of God or else probable and these are the voice of man or else false and then they are the voyce of the Serpent Humes Sectio tertia Their weakenes is no where more apparant then in this matter that we haue now in hand for Ierome ioyneth his opinion herein with a palpable error that Christ descended to deliuer the Fathers which to that day had bin in prison Augustine is not far behinde him who though he confesseth that the Fathers were in ioy with Abraham and Lazarus yet after some long disputatiō whether he did deliuer all or some and why these more then those at length he concludeth that he did deliuer whom he himselfe thought good For after that they had once conceaued that he descended into Hell there followed which could not choose many inconueniences There was not one of them dreamed that which you auouch that he descended into hell there to triumph or bind the diuels or to augmēt their sorrows by shewing them from what grace they had fallen Hill You write that Ierome Augustine did hold a palpable error that is that Christ descended to deliuer the Fathers I hope you will not deny but the Fathers haue their deliuerance by Christ from hell therefore by the merits and works of Christ who I am sure conquered both death and hell Therefore where you proue that Augustine Ierome do erre I will leaue them as I said before but wherein they speake the truth I will praise God for them But let vs see how many wayes the scripture may be corrupted that is by adding altring and diminishing Eue in the third Chap. of Genesis taught all her childrē so to do for in the 3. verse thus she saith But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the gardē God hath said ye shal not eate of it neither shall ye touch it least ye dye First she changeth the word of God for God sayth Gen. 2. 17. of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate Those words of the trée of knowledge of good and euill she changeth
downe to suffer which thing I neuer mentioned but that he went downe to manifest his death to triumph in his owne person ouer the Diuell and personally to redéeme vs from hell Then you call them dunces whence I had that distinction I had it from Musculus and Musculus from the word of God and therefore you must embrace these distinctions or else you will speake erroneously Omnia probate quod bonum est tenete Try all things hold that which is best This word is worthy my wit or any other Interpreters Neither wil I leaue the ware that is in my poore pack for all the treasures of Egypt Humes Sectio 16. In the end of your Sermon you bring vs two inconueniences if this article be not beleeued First that men would doubt whether there were an hell Secondly whether Christ had redeemed vs thence In deede you take the way to make men doubt thereof to see learned men to striue about that which all the world doth knowe to be true If you be remembred you tolde the people in the beginning of your Sermon that neyther M. Wisdome nor M. Chalfort did doubt of this article and why are you now contrary to your self Why would you haue it seene that these inconueniences would follow If you should not be beleeued beare the world in hand that we take away both hell and the benefit of Christes death This is good Rhetorique but it is ill Diuinitie It was your part to haue delt plainely and to haue told the people If you would needes speake thereof that neither you nor we did doe either of these points and that thereof they had no matter to doubt but to walke as the children of God if they would eyther auoide the one or possesse the other Hyll I brought two inconueniences if this article were denyed to moue the people not to leaue out any It is not vnknowne to you that Seruetus and Carliell deny it and diuers others now liuing among vs by reason of the negatiue doctrine which is preached of your side will not repeate this branch of the Créede he descended into hell And some haue sayd to my face that Thomas Aquinas did insert it into the Créede Of these men I knowe too many against whome I did direct my speach for feare least some might be in that populous assembly Bad doo they that deny the personall descending but worse do they which denye both personall and potentiall Therefore I was not contrary to my selfe but contrary to those which haue giuen occasion that so comfortable an article of our Christian faith should be put out of the Créede You say it was my parte to deale plainely I hope I did deale plainely for I preached the truth Obsequium amicos veritas odium parit Flatterye getteth sréends truth getteth hatred I knowe the eares of that Auditory did itche for other matter but I am Gods Minister and I haue preached Gods truth which I will by the heâ—he of my God defend against all gainsayers whatsoeuer Humes Sectio 17. We heare that you haue preached since at Leecock condemned al your aduersaries in this matter of ignorance fury and madnes as denying so commodious and comfortable so wholesome and needefull a doctrine as you think yours to be Heere I appeale to your conscience shew vs what coÌ„modity or comfort what wholesome or necessary matter we deny that you do teach If all your comfort and commodite consisteth in our redemption from hell and death to heauen and health there to behold the glorious face of our immortall God and to sing amongst the Angels Osanna in the highest do not we teach this as diligent as you what comfort or coÌ„moditie can it bring vs to send Christ the Sonne of the euerliuing God who hath borne all the torments of hell on his tender bodye for our sakes and paide a full raunsome of our redemption downe to the pit of hell without warrant of his word neither to redeeme vs thence nor them that were there I referre to the godly considerations of all good Christians As for you M. Hill the world is sory to see a man so learned and so eloquent to bestowe his wit and eloquence in so weake a cause As for Chalfout the worlde doth condemne him as a man without iudgement or discretion that so impudently and vnaduisedly as some suppose I praye God they be deceiued enuiouslie did set his face against the truth and did so irreuerently vse the diligent and meek labourer in the Lords haruest M. Wisedome I speake not this for any fauour of him in respect of his owne person more then M. Chalfouts for I haue some great causes to esteeme of the other but truth is truth I will not be caryed for any priuate considerations against it you promised if any man could answere your reasons to recant them in the same place I pray God you meant as you said God open our eyes and giue vs vnderstanding harts and willes obedient to his knowen truth Hill Truth it is I did preach at Leicocke and because I heard that M. Wisdome had set that opinion of yours abroche againe at Cosham I did here also confirme mine Not because I am desirous to be contentious but because I would haue no Christian man to doubt of the articles of his Faith you aske me what comfortable or necessarye matter you déeme that we doo preach I answere and I pray you consider of it we are borne in sinne how are we deliuered from sinne but by Christ which was conceiued by the holy Ghoste we haue the magnitude of sinnes with Peter the multitude of sinnes with Mary Magdalen the turpitude of sinnes with the woman taken in adultery the infamy of sinnes with the Publican the diuturnity of sinnes with the théefe on the gallowes the cruelty of sinnes with Paule and the recidiuation into sinnes with diuers of the Sainies yet if we repent we are pardoned for Christs sake who purely perfectly and perpetually obeyed the law of God By reason of our sinnes we are subiect to all punishments both corporall and spirituall and to the wrath of God All these punishments due to vs did Christ suffer vpon y e crosse both in body and soule and therefore it is called his Passion He suffered in the Garden in Annas and Caiphas house in Pilats hall but vpon the crosse as you say truely he suffered the agonies of death and torments of hell Further by reason of sinne this was laide vpon our first Parentes Thou shalt dye the death so by reason of this sentence not onelye the body was condemned to death but the soule to damnation To deliuer vs from these two punishments the soule of Christ went to hell and returned and the body of Christ that lay dead in the graue rose againe mightily naturallye spéedily and happely Besides Christ arose in déede he gaue himselfe to be felte and handled hereupon we are assured that he conquered death and hell He ascended
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
I referre it to the indifferent Reader Then I proued that Erets tacthioth that is the nethermost partes of the earth did signifie hell out of 63. Psalme and 9. verse In answering of this you dissent from Dauid and M. Caluin Now whether it be more safe to foliow Dauid or you let my enemies iudge I alleadged Ezechiel to proue that point also 31. Chapter 5. 16 17 18 19. In answering to that place you haue gainsaide Ezechiel Esay in his 14. chapter Lauaterus Munster and Pellicane Now whether it be more fit for me to beléeue you or Esay or Ezechiel let your owne fauourites iudge Then I alleadged the knowne place of Peter you trauailed much about this place yet in your interpretation of this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirites which you interprete the soules of the men that liued in Noahs time you contradict the woords of our Sauiour Luk. 24. 39. For Christ saith a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue And yet you and your Masters say that this word spirit may signifie a man liuing Now whether it be more expedient for me to beléeue you or Christ I referre it to your owne iudgement You said my Sermon at Chippenham did confirme you and your fréends but I hope your owne answeres will not confute me but your selfe and cause your selfe and them both to recant You say you séeke to know the truth so do I as knoweth the knower of al harts wherfore whether you or I haue taught the truth let not Humes nor Hill iudge but the learned of the vniuersities For as Paule saith 1. Cor 14. 32. Yhe spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets That is the labours of learned men are to be iudged of the learned The God of patience and consolation giue vs grace that we may be like minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus that we may with one minde with one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 15. 5. 6. To whome be all honor and glory world without end Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iamque opus exegi quod nec Iouis ira nec ignis Nec poterit ferrum nec edax abolere vetustas Psal. 16. 9. 10. 11. 1. King 17. 21. 22. Heb. 11. 35 Pro. 23. 14. Athanas. de aduentu Christi Epiphaâ—con contra Damaer haer 77. Fulgent ad Thrasym lib. 3. Cap. 6 Ciril de vera fide ad Theodosium Imper. cap. 13. To descend into hell is a miraculous thing Petrus Mar tir in 1. Cor 15. Mat. 10. 24. Psal. 86. 13. Psal. 9. 17. Theophilact in act â— Draconit in ps 16. Aepinus in psal 16. Felinus in Psal. 16. Fulgent ad Thrasy li. 3. cap. 8. Cal. in 16. Psalme Act. 10. 43. Luk. 1. 35. August in 16. Psalme Christs body is called holy one for 2. causes Iob. 17. 14. Luther in Gen. ca. 21. August in epist. 57. ad Dardan Erasm. in 2 Act. August in 85. Psalme Absurdities following the deniing of the descendiug of Christ into hell Ciril de vera fide ad Theodosin Imperatorem ca. 12. Act. 2. 29. 30. 31. August in Epist 75. ad Dardan August in epist. 99. ad Enodi Rabbi Lebaurish Ciril de vera fide ad Theod. August de essentia diuinitatis Act. 13. 17. Col. 3. 1. Hugo Cardinalis in col 3. Rom. 6. 5. Phil. 2. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 13. 1â— Ob. Sol. Mark 5-7 Mat. 8. 29. Damas. Rob. Samu el Martir Col. 2. 14. 15. Muscul. Euseb. de re sur Christi Mollet in psal 16. Musc. in psal 68. Heming Fulg. ad Thrasim. li. 3. cap. 8. Eph. 4. 9. 10 Psal. 53. 9. Ezek 31. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Orat Manas ver 12. Ambro in epist. ad Ephe cap. 4. August in lib. 5. de trinitate cap. 19. Chrisost. in cap. 4. ad Ephe. Athanasi ibidem Cent. ia li 2. ca. 4. Hiero in ca. 4. ad Ephe. Psal. â—6 13. Pro. iâ— 24. 1. Pet. 3. 18. 19 20. 1. Cor. 5. 3. 1. Ioh. 4. 5. Luk 24. 37. Ioh. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 14. 1â— 2 Cor. 3. 17 2 Thes. 2. â— Miche 2. 11 Psal. 104. 29 Pro. 25. 2â— 1 Thes. 5. 23 Ephe. 2. 22. 1 Tim. 4. 12 2. Cor. 36. Gal. 6. 8. 1. The. 5. 19 Esa 26. 18. Psal. 150. 6. Ephe. 4. 4. Act. 7 59. Ioh 4. 24. Matth. 4. 5. Mark 1. 12. Luke 4. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Act. 8. 29. Aug. epist. 99. Gen. 6. 3. Luk. 24. 39. Act. 2. Heb. 11. 4. Gen. 4. 4. Cent. 1. li. 2 ca 4. Athanasius ad Epictet Episcop corinth Athanas. de incarnat verbi Fulgent ad Thrasim li. 3. ca. 7. Ciril de vera fidead TheodosiuÌ„ Occumenius Viglius li. 2 ca. 3. Alesius in Euang. Ioh. The coÌ„sent of scripture which proue the descending into hell Act. 2. Ephe. 4. Phillip 2. Ob. Sol. Ob. 1. Tim. 19. Sol. Ob. Sol. Ose. 15 14. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Luk. 4. 18. Act. 10. 38 Heb 9. 22. 1. Ioh. 1. 7 Ferus in psal Mat. 1. 22. Ephe. 4. 10. Ioh. 17. 4. Heb. 3. 39. Apoc. 12. 12. Inde 6 Rom. 16. 20 Ephe. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 26 2. Cor. 2 4 1. Pet. 5. 6. Apoc. 12. â— 10. Orig. 1 Cor. 15. 1â— Petrus Mar ibidem Muscuius Apoc. 21. 4. Luc. 22. 43. Mar. 2. 7. Hierome in Luc. 22. 43. Psal. 7. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Aug. in Luc 22. 24. Ambro. Ferus in Mat. 27. Damasc Apoc. 12. 13. Apoc. 10. 6. Psal. 2. 7. Act. 13. 32. 33. Heb. 15. Heb. 5. 6. Aug. Luk. 23. 46. Psal. 144. 7. Psal. 136. 6. Psal. 145. 16 Ezek. 3. 22. Psa. 118. 16 Ezek. 8. 1. Psal. 37. 24. Psal. 31. 15. Nehe. 2. 8. Psal. 74. 12. Iob. 19. 21. Psa. 102. 25 Psal. 95. 4. Ephe. 4. 9. Eras. in 4. ad Ephe. Ioh. 20. 17. Mat. 8. 11. Ignat. epist. ad eccles Trallis Athanas. in Symbolo Ambro. in Gal. 3. Ob. Sol. Cypria de ascensu Chr. This is Car leils argument Pomera in Psal. 16. Areti in probemat parte 2. Hiperi li. 3. de method diuinitat Pet. Mar in artic 〈◊〉 Nowel in catechis Artyc Syn. Lond. tempore Eduardi 6. Aug. de ciuitate dei li. 18. ca. 23. August li. contra Iud. Pap. Arri ca. 16. 17 Phil. 2. 10. 1â— Ios. 24. 15. Aug. ad Euodium Epist. 99. Hierome ad August Epist. 9. Clemens Alexand. stromatum li. 7. Chrisost. in Act hom â— Chrys. in Gal. 3. Cypria Epist 4. Hiler li. ad ConstantiuÌ„ Augustum Hierom ad Paulinum cap. 6. Nazians orat de moderatione in reb diui 1. Cor. 14. 33. 1. Cor 14. 40. Ob. Sol. Athana de in carnat verbi Greg. Rom. 14. 10 Luk. 6. 37. Caluin defide ca. 7. The scripture is corrupted by 3. means M. Hils answere to the place This day shalt thou be with me in paradice M. Humes disagreeth with Saint Peter Humes disa greeth with Dauid and Caluin Humes disagreeth with Esay Ezechiel Munster Lauater and Pellican M. Humes disagreeth with Mathew If this be true then Christ was not dead as Peter saith Humes disagreeth with the words of our Sauior Luk. 24 39 M. Humes disagreeth with Peter Paule and himselfe Fortissimum argumeÌ„tum He ioyneth it himselfe a litle after with triumph A litle before hee saith hee neuer read hell with triumph Humes is contrarye to himself Humes disagreeth with Peter and Paule 1. Pet. 3. 22. Phil. 2. 9. 10 Eph. 1. 20. 21. 22.