wilt not leave my Soul in Hell. And it is therefore put last or mentioned after his Death and Burial Ham. Act. 2.27 to shew that it was the greatest and sharpest part of Christs Sufferings 3. Moreover for the order of expressing it I meet with the very same Luke 16. 23. The rich man dyed and was buried and when he was in Hell c. No doubt his Soul was in Hell before his Body was in the Grave and yet his Burial is put first by our Saviour and his Soul-sufferings afterwards as being onely a higher and farther degree of Misery So in the Creed it is said or in the Article Christ was Dead Buried and descended into Hell or suffered in his Soul Hellish Torments as the sense of Gods Wrath the loss of Gods sight and presence for a time due for our Sins Not that his Death was before his Sufferings in his Soul but these are mentioned last as being the greatest far greater than the Death of the Body and the highest degree of Christs Passion and Humiliation And to Conclude otherwise as that Christ could not or did not suffer in his Soul these Hellish Torments before his Death or Burial because mentioned after both is all one as if you should infer that never any went to Hell before they were Buried because it is said in that fore-mentioned Text That the Rich man Died was Buried and when he was in Hell c. which were a gross Error and contrary to Scripture Nay then it will follow that the Soul cannot go to Hell so long as the Body remains unburied an inference so absurd that a man of any Reason or Religion will neither make nor own it What say you Tim. are we over this stile Tim. Pretty well Thanks to you for the good lift you gave me but there is another yet behind as hard to clamber as the former at which I doubt we shall both stick Tit. Never fear it man I 'le heave with both hands but I 'le have you over now we are come thus far What is it Tim. Seeing these words He Descended into Hell are so dubious and have caused such a Cortroversie why are they not wholly left out of our Articles and Creed Tit. I see you were more afraid than hurt for your frightful Objection is dwindled into a little Question this Bar is so low you may almost go over without help were you not so very weak However that I may not leave you behind know first that every thing that is a Controversie is not an Heresie either in matter of Doctrine or Faith and therefore not presently to be Expâ—nged out of our Creed And since it hath been received by the Church in all Ages since the Fourth Century as Bellarm. tells us and being rightly understood contains in it a truth according to godliness yea necessary to be believed unto Salvation as the Sufferings of Christ in his Soul and continuing in the state of the Dead for a time I say it being so antient and rightly understood so necessary we may not leave it out but retain it to the Edification of our Faith and Consolation of our Souls Sâ—condly If because there hath been some difference or dispute about the meaning of this Phrase in our Creed or Articles we should presently abandon it by the same Rule we must expunge many Texts of Scripture out of our Bible as those that concern the Doctrine of Election and Reprobation Free-will Falling away from Grace c. Controveried by Learned men on both sides and of different Perswasions This is no Rule for putting out of the Articles of our Faith therefore barely because Controversies have risen about the meaning and sense of it But I have been too prolix already therefore let us dismiss this Point Tim. No I am so well satisfied that I must entreat you to give me the Sum of what you said as brief as you can for my Memory is very short and I would fain retain somewhat if Possible Tit. The short then is this There are I say these two different senses of these words He Descended into Hell. Some thereby understand literally a Local Descension into the Place or Which is the Opinion of some of the Antients and all the Papists State of the Damned to conquer the Devils and so set free those Souls that were kept in Hell till Christs Descension Others understand no more than a further degree of Humiliation then his Death and Burial Namely the continuing under the Power of Death for a time or of the Sufferings in his Soul on the Cross whereon our Blessed Saviour was humbled usque ad Inferni tremenda tormenta or endured for a time those Torments Quae reprobi in aeternum sensuri sunt Which the wicked shall Eternally suffer in Hell. As the loss of the sense of Gods favour the Malediction or Wrath of God in his Soul which is Hell or that Fire which shall never be quenched In which Christ himself for a time was scorched for our Sins And therefore This is the Opinion of some Fathers and most of our Modern Reformed Divines may truly enough be said To Descend into Hell. These Brother Tim. are the two senses which of these now do you apprehend the most agreeable to Scripture and the Analogy of Faith Tim. The latter clearly Tit. Then we have done with this your satisfaction being all I aim at in this Discourse Tim. No there is one little Question more comes into my mind though I question whether you can Answer it Tit. It may be not for you know the Proverb Tim. But let 's hear it Tim. Why did not our Bishops when by His Majesties Command at his first Return they inspected the Common-Prayer and Corrected some things in it put some gloss upon these words in the Creed that we might not have been in the Dark as to their sense of them which now we are Tit. It had been very easie for them to have done it and why 't was omitted I can give no reason unless it was either because we should not know their Opinion or because it may be they were divided in their Opinions about it Or else that they would not assume the Honour of doing all that was needful to be done of this Nature but leave som ethings to their Successors among which this may be one And in the next Edition or next Generation God grant the Liturgy and Bishops to stand till then you may expect it Tim. 'T is well Reply'd I will inquire no further Let us proceed Article IV. Christ did truly rise again from Death and took again his body with Flesh Bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of Mans Nature wherewith he Ascended into Heaven and there sitteth until he return to Judge all men at the Last Day Tit. The principal intent of this Article are the Resurrection Ascension of our Saviour with his Coming to Judgment in either of which I confess I
which he 〈…〉 to his Corinthians mentions the Death Burial and Resurrectâ—on of Christ but not â—is loâ—â—â—â—â—scension to the state and place of the damned which had been a fiâ— plâ—â—e and opportunity to have inserted it yet affirms he had preached what would suffice to salvation if they were not wanting to themselves 1 Cor. 15. 1 to 5. Tim. You begin to shake me when I thought I had been invincibly setled and unconquerable you give me soft words but hard Arguments have you any more behind for I think long till this combat is ended Tit. Yes 2. I say further that if Christ descended to the place or seat of the damned it was either in his soul which the Scripture testifies went the day or moment of his Death into Paradise Luke 23. 43. a place of Joy not torment and in the same Chapter he saith himself He commended his soul into the hand of his father in the same sense no doubt that St. Stephen did after his example Or else in his Body which we are assured by the fâ—me Infallible Spirit was in the grave till the third day the day of his Resurrection Mat. 12. 40. Or else in his Godhead but to attribute descension to the Godhead is improper which is in all places at one and the same time nor is the Godhead subject to passion How then did he descend Tim. Nay I cannot particularize them but surely it was necessary he should do so Tit. Doubtless then it was done for Christ omitted nothing necessary to be done or suffered in order to the great redemption he was sent to accomplish But as the Scripture doth not clearly affirm it so to me it seems not of absolute necessity in order to our redemption that our surety should descend to the place of the damned and suffer there Tim What are your reasons for this opinion Tit. Because the place of suffering is but a circumstance Hell the place of the damned is no part of the debt Christ was to pay nor suffering there locally any part of payment that we read of in the Gospel As the surety may satisfie the creditor in any place appointed for payment or in open Court which being done the debtor and surety are both acquitted and need not go to Prison If they be cast into Prison 't is because they do not pay the debt for all that Justice requires is the payment of the debt to which the Prison is meerly extrinscecal So the Justice of God cannot be satisfied for the transgression of his law but by the death of the sinner Now it doth not require that this be done or this satisfaction be made in Prison or in the place of the damned for the wicked go thither because they cannot pay the debt or make satisfaction But our surety Jesus Christ who undertook the debt for us hath made such full satisfaction on the Cross that himself said just before he gave up the Ghost Consummatum est the work was finished And the Apostles so understood Christ which made them ascribe all to his suffering or to the merit of his sufferings on the Cross as spoiling of principalities and powers by which is meant the power of darkness the Devils Col. 2.15 and the blotting out the hand-writing that was against us Col. 2.14 our reconciliation to God Col. 1.20 and tell us that he is able now to render us unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God Col 22. Having by that offering of himself for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. And if God is satisfied Mans Redemption perfected and Believers perfected by his Death I can see no necessity of the following descension into Hell. Tim. This is all very rational and convincing But what makes you think that our Church doth not understand it of a local descension and require the belief of it as necessary to Salvation Tit. Two things have raised in me such an opinion viz. 1. Because she doth not here nor any where else that I can find give any such sense or interpretation of the words which were a very dangerous omission if the belief of it were necessary to salvation And 2. Because in her 8th Article where she mentions the 3. Creeds which she affirms agreeable to Scripture viz. the Apostles the Athanasian and Nicene Creed which she not only allows but enjoyns the use of in her Liturgy or publick Service hath in the last of these left the descention of Christ into Hell wholly out which she certainly would not have omitted but have inserted it here as well as in the Athanasian had she thought the belief of it necessary to salvation or designed to bind us to the belief of it for this were to render that Creed imperfect which she allows as perfect and according to Scripture Tim. Really my Stomach begins to turn at a local descention yet ere you can work a full Conversion you must Answer an Objection or two which I have swimming in my Noddle against what you have said Tit. Out with them Tim. and I 'le do the best I can to cleanse thy Stomach and Head too the latter being I fear as much oppressed with ill Notions as the formâ—r is with ill Humours Tim. My first Objection is this The Terrours and Torments which Christ Suffâ—red in his Soul upon the Cross went before his Burial but his descention into Hell follows iâ—â—n â—ur Crâ—â—d and Article therefore his descention in Hell concerns not these Torments Tit. Cunningly offered this discovers thee either Knave or Fool in Logick which you like best for the Minor of this Syllogism is faulty alledging Non Causa pro Causa or that for a Cause which is none For know 1. In the Creed our Saviours Descention into Hell is put after his Burial as an Illustration of what went before touching his Sufferings or Passion least any thing should be detracted from it and not that it was performed after it As if it had been said He not only suffered in Body and Dyed and was laid in the Grave but also suffered extream Fortures Hellish Tormenâ—s in his Soul too such as made him cry-out on the Cross My God my God why hast thou forsâ—ken me 2. And if you observe it Tim. you will find all along in the Creed a Procession in the Passion of our Lord from a lesser to a greater Suffering from the grief and pains of his Body to those of his Soul. That he did suffer in his Soul greatly himself Affirms and we all believe Now where in all the Creed can you find any thing that may express his Soul-sufferings if not these Words He descended into Hell He suffered under Pontiuâ— Pilate was Crucified dead and buried is all which all might be and he suffer in his body only and this the Thieves suffered which were Crucified with him But his Descending into Hâ—ll implys somewhat more viz. Suffering in his Soul which is all the Judicious and Learned Hamon saith on that Text Thou
in order of Numbering which still comes between Six having Six before it and Six after it continually and so our Sunday our Day of rest hath and therefore we also rest the Seventh Day dim I deny it ours is the first not the Seventh Tit. And the Seventh as much as the first the first of our Week and Seventh after Six of Labour Indeed the Period from which we take the beginning of our Account is not the same but another from the Jews for they did Reckon from the beginning of the Creation and so forward we from the Resurrection and so forward but ours is as truely and surely the Seventh as theirs though Reckoned from another Period and as for the Period whence the account must be made we have no word at all in the Precept For the Precept saith not Six Days from the Creation thou shalt labour and the Seventh from the Creation is the Sabbath of the Lord but Six Days shalt thou labour nor doth it say The Lord blâ—ssâ—d and Sanctified the Seventh Day from the Creation but the Sabbath Day that is the Seventh after Six of labour Tim. And what do you understand by all this Tit. I understand what I suppose the Article Enjoynes by Requiring every Christian to yield obedience to the Commandments and so to this Fourth among the rest viz. That you and I and every Christian is oblidg'd by vertue of this Command for ever to rest every Seventh day after Six from all labour Recreation c. and to Dedicate it in Solemn manner wholly to the worship and Service of God by preaching Reading Praying and other Holy Religious Duties and Exercises both iâ— Publick and Private Consider this a little and give me your thoughts Tim. I need not much time to Study I have in the Company I have been Conversant with some Clergy men as well as others heard the Sabbath so Decryed and the strickt Observation of it so slighted and vilified that I thought there was little in it more than another day But for the future I hope I shall be more diligent in preparing for it and more strickt and serious in the Observation of it than ever I have been Tit. You will do very well and to endeavour to bring it into greater esteem and veneration with the people wherever you come for the life of all Religion amongst us consists in a due keeping this day and believe it our own practice in this regard will prevail more than our Preaching Inasmuch as Examples are of more force with men than Precepts And 't is our Obedience to Gods Commands which must evidence the sincerity of our Faith contained in the Creeds mentioned in the next Article Article VIII The three Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received and believed for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture Tit. Touching this I think I need not question you for though you never see them in the Articles before yet you have often Read them in the Common-Prayer and I suppose with hearty assent to the Articles of Christian Faith contained in them Tim. I do so Tim. Let us therefore hear the next viz. Article IX Original Sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Original Righteousness and is of his own Nature inclined to evil so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit and therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation And this infection of Nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated whereby the lust of the Flesh called in Greâ—k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some do expound the wisdom some sâ—â—sualâ—ty some the affection some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the Law 〈…〉 And althouâ—h there is no condemnation for them that Believe and are Baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that conâ—upisence and lust hath â—â—â—sâ—lf the natuâ—e of sin Tit. If I remember right at Reading the second Article you discovered your self a liâ—tle infirm and faulty about Original sin calling it only a privation of Original Righteousness what think you now Tim. I think if I had Read this Article I should never have Subscribed it nor do I believe it now I have Subscribed it Tit. What nothing no part of it Tim. Truely very little a very small part of it Tit. Do you believe the Scriptures if you do I see no reason why we should not believe this sound Article of our Church even every shred and Syllable of it For 1. It asserts that there is Original sin which is called sin Rom. 7. 8. The sining sin Rom. 7. 13. The sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 7 20. The sin that so easily besets us Heb. 11. 1. The body of sin The body of Death The Law in the Members It is also called Fâ—esh The old Rom. 7. 23 24. Joh. 3.6 Rom. 7.5 Ro. 7. 25. King. 1.8 38. Heb. 12. man. The Law of sin The plague in ones own heart And the root of bitterness Besides the woful effects we find of it in our selves proves it As blindness in the mind darkness in understanding rebellion in the will c. with unholy and unclean affections proneness to sinful and aversness to Holy and Godly Actions 2. Next this Article teacheth us that this Original corruption remains in every man even in the Regenerate and this St. Paul acknowledgeth at large in Rom. 7. and Gal 5. 17. He saith the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that we cannot do the things we would And St. James Every Jam. 1. 14. man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust And the best of Gods Children bewail the remainder and indwelling of this Lust and Corruption doubtless therefore our Church is right thus far 3. And also in saying in every person born into the world deserves Hell and Damnation for if it be sin as hath been proved already it can deserve no less Rom. 1. 18. Colos 3.5.6 Jam. 1.15 Ro. 6. 23. So that I can find nothing in this Article but may go down very well if Arminius or Socinus hath not turned your Stomach against it Tim. It can never enter into my Head that Adams sin he being but one should defile the Universal Nature Tit. I thought Socinus was in your Belly before now he looks out at your mouth Adam 1 Cor. 15. 47. Ro. 5. 12. 17. had in him the whole Nature of mankind and by his one offence the whole Nature was defiled Tim. Adams sin was not voluntary in us we never gave gave consent to it Tit. There is a twofold will Voluntas Naturae the whole Nature of man was represented in Adam therefore the will of Nature was sufficient to convey the