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
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
héere argued by some why should Peter héere dispute of the spirits or soules detayned in hell considering he exhorteth to suffer afflictions I answere that he might shew to the faithfull which then were persecuted very often to death that the soules doo not perish with the bodies as the soule of Christ did not perish when he descended into hell but as the soule of Christ did triumph ouer the diuell so shal the godly triumph ouer them that persecute them But some will say how did Christ triumph ouer the diuell by descending into hell sith it was the extreamest degrée of his humilitie To this I reply that euerye article of our faith is a misterye 1. Tim. 1. 9. Hauing the misterye of the faith in a pure conscience And therfore in all the actions of Christs humility he shewed himselfe alwaies to be a glorious God he was borne of a poore Uirgin in a small towne in an Inne yea and in a Stable he was wrapte in cloutes and layde in a cratch yet the Shepheards of y e féeld the noble men of the East the starre in the firmament and the Angels from heauen did witnes in a merueilous sorte that he was the sonne of God The birdes as our Sauiour saith haue nestes the foxes holes but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head he was called a glutton a drunkard a Samaritane a fréend of Publicanes sinners a man possessed with a diuell his Disciples also were very poore but yet he gaue sight to the blinde hearing to y e deafe spéech to the dumme cleansed the Leapars raysed the dead commaunded the windes the sea yea and the very diuels In like manner when he was humbled to the death of the crosse albeit he was in the state of dereliction and cryed my God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet at that time the Sunne was abashed the earth trembled the vaile of the Temple was rent the stones claue asunder the dead arose yea and vpon the crosse he forgiueth the théefe on the right hand and euen as in his natiuity in his life and death he shewed himselfe to be both God and man so in his descending into hell he proueth the same and in this lowest degrée of his humility as he proueth himselfe a true man for that his soule was among y e soules in hell so by triumphing ouer thē he sheweth himself to be a true God And for this cause it standeth well with the mistery of our faith that his going down to hell is both the lowest degrée of his humilitye to shew him to be a true man and also the beginning of his endlesse triumph to proue him a glorious God in all places and at all times ouer all persons for euer Some curius body will say what néeded he to manifest his death to those in hel it was néedful in respect of thē y t were in hel in respect of vs that liue now and in respect of thē y t haue preached in times past and in respect of Christ himself In respect of thē which were in hell because that those which would not hear the vocal preaching of Noah should sée Christ really present in soule and so confesse that the destruction of their bodies in the deluge and y e damnation of their soules in hell was iust In respect of vs which liue now because that whē we finde by Gods woord that he manifested his death in earth and hell we should not remaine incredulous but beléeue in Christ least hearing of the wondrous workes of the Sonne of God which he hath wrought for vs. and for our saluation both in earth and hell and despising the same we féele by experience with the damned olde worlde that Christ was in hell for our deliuerance from hell and denying with the reprobate Iewes this comfortable article of our faith we be cast into those insufferable torments of extreme damnation from which to deliuer vs Christ in a maruelous manner descended into hell It was néednfull in respect of them which preached in times past for sith Dauid and other prophets haue foretolde of this going downe of our Sauiour and that his soule should not be left in hell it was I say most requisite that the Scripture should be fulfilled It was néedfull also in respect of Christ himselfe for he came to subdue our enemies therefore as Dauid trampled on the face of Goliah so was it méet that Christ in soule should triumph ouer the diuell that he might haue all power not onlye in heauen ouer Angels or in earth ouer all the inhabitantes therof but also in hell ouer the diuels And for this cause as he hath saide O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorye so shall all his members say and shall for this their wonderfull and glorious deliuerance from death bell and the diuell sing reioyce and giue thankes for euer Moreouer wheras diuers Scriptures are alleadged by Carleil Vrsinus and others that Christ descended not into hell I will answere them by Gods grace and proue that it was not the meaning of the holy Ghoste to haue them alleadged to that purpose The first Scripture is that which is written in Ioh. 19. ver 30. It is finished therfore Christ néeded not to goe down into hell this is a false kinde of reasoning á dicto secundum quid ad simpliciter for if all had béen finished then christ néeded not to haue dyed nor to haue shed his bloud for he was aliue when he spake these woords Therefore these woords It is finished are to be referred to all the prophecyes that precéeded the death of Christ that is that all the prophecies of the Iewes and Gentiles which should conspire together against him either of Iudas that should betray him or of the Souldiours that should apprehend him or of y e false witnesses which should belye him or of the place where he should dye or of the time when or of the manner how and of the Iudge vnder whome he should suffer or of the transgressors with whom he should be crucified al scriptures concerning al these things were fulfilled And therfore in the 28. verse are these woords After that Iesus did know that al things were fulfilled and that the Scripture might be fulfilled he saith I thirst It is finished also signifieth the woorke of our redemption was finished and so Paul expoundeth it by one sacrifice once offered he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Therfore there néedeth no other sacrifice of the olde lawe nor no other merite of any creature in heauen or in earth therefore the Papists doo dishonour God which doo say they dayly offer a sacrifice propitiatory and doo ioyne to the merites of Christ the merits of all the Saintes Mary Peter Paul and many other and in the end of the canon of their Masse vse these woords Quorum meritis praecibusque concedas vt
2. sinne 3. al the miseries of this life 4. death death is vanquished but not wholy taken away and againe death is vnarmed but not extinguished For albeit they are not felt yet they are as a Serpent without poyson and as a Bée without a sting this he manifesteth by a prittie similitude As poyson first infecteth the vaines 2 the bloud 3. the members and last of all the hart so the Diuell and all our enemies are by little and little dayly subdued but in the day of iudgement shall be vtterly conquered and cast downe for euer so that euerye Saint shall sing O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorye the Scriptures as Musculus noteth writing on this place sometime speaketh in the preterperfect tense sometime in the present tense sometime in the future tense therfore Christ both hath abolished dooth abolish and will abolish death he hath abolished death by dying for our sinnes not that it should be no more but that it should no more destroy the faithfull he doth abolish it while he doth translate his Saints from death to life and he will abolish death for euer in the end of the worlde For then shall that saying be fulfilled Apoc. 21. 4. There shall be no more death As by all that hath béene spoken it is manifest that the death of Christ dooth not take away the iudgemēt wherin all our enemies shal be for euer and vtterly ouerthrowe so it doth not take away his descending into hell wherby he strake a terror into the diuell and all the hellish Spirites Therefore as Bude saith then shall there be no contention of death which now is and maketh vs to sigh for our defect for the mutability of thinges for the frailtye of mans flesh temptations striue with vs daily pleasures striue with vs dayly and although we consent not yet are we troubled by resisting pleasures the enemy dieth not but in the resurrection of the dead By all these reasons it is manifest the Diuell is chayned but not cast out vtterly that the gilt of sinne is taken away but the matter remaineth that as we haue many sorrowes in this life so we haue greater comfortes that death albeit he is vnarmed yet his neck is not broken and so the destroying of death dooth no more take away the descending into hell then it dooth the resurrection ascenfion and comming of Christ vnto iudgement All which must néeds be in our Sauiour to the vtter and euerlasting ouerthrow of our enemies An other Scripture which they alleadge is the saying of Christ to the théefe on the crosse Luk. 22. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Héerupon they frame this argument to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise therfore the soule of Christ and of the théefe went both that day to heauen They that so conclude are deceiued in two things the one is in that they imagine this woord me to signifie the soule of Christ which signifieth the Godhead the other in that they take this woord to daye to signifie the space of 12. or 24. houres which indéed signifieth for euer both these shal be strengthened by Gods grace with proofes First the circumstances of the place doo proue these thinges most euidentlye For what dooth the théefe aske deliuerance from the gilte of sinne from the cursse of the lawe from the wrath of God from the terrors of death from the tormentes of hell and the tirannye of of the diuell He asketh not only forgiuenes of his sinnes but that he may be a new creature that the righteousnes of God may be giuen him that he may haue the adoption and liberty of Gods children and so after his death glory honour peace and immortality that is familiarity with God he asketh to be an heire with God and a ioynt heire with Christ for euer In one woord he asketh a kingdome pure in righteousnes perfect in peace perpetual in ioy Who can forgiue sinnes but God only Mar. 2. 7. Who can giue this kingdome but God and therfore these woords with me signifie the Godhead and not the soule of Christ as some 〈◊〉 haue it And so all the Fathers that euer I read vnderstoode it and the new writers also Hierome on these words writeth thus Christ brought the théefe from the crosse into Paradise least any man should think conuersion to be too late at any time he made the punishment of homicide martyr dome the truth being accounted among the wicked he left th'one on the left hand and tooke the other on the right hand as he will doo in the day of iudgement Where I note that Christ did on the crosse as he will doo in the day of iudgmēt that is seperate the bad from the good and cast the wicked into hell which is the office of the Godhead Psalm 7. 11. God iudgeth the righteous and him that contemneth God euery day And in the 2. Tim. 4. 8. From hence foorth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the lord the righteous iudge shal giue me at that day not to me only but to all them also that loue his appearing Augustine hath y e like saying also vpon this place the crosse if you marke it was the iudgement seate the Iudge was set on the middle the one théefe which beléeued was deliuered the other which blasphemed was condemned To saue and condemne is the office of God and therefore must néeds be vnderstoode of the Godhead So saith Ambrose in his Sermon of the holy théefe he sawe him hanging on the crosse and praieth to him as though he were sitting in heauen he séeth him cōdemned and yet he praieth to him as to a king So Ferus on the 27. of Mat. Thou shalt be with me which am euery where which am all in all To be with me therfore is not spoken of the soule of Christ but of the Godhead Damascene saith to speake more expressely he was in the Sepulcre according to his body and in hell according to his soule but as God he was both in Paradise with y e théefe and in the throne with the Father aud the holy Ghost And as with me signifieth the Godhead so to day fignifieth for euer For as Aristotle noteth in his Metaphisicks in aeternis non est tempus In eternall thinges there is no time for time is the measure of those things which are subiect to motion now in hell all shall suffer in earth all must labour so in heauen all must rest Apoc. 12. 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord euen so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours aud their woorks follow thē For where no mutation is there is no time and for this cause Apoc. 10. 6. it is said And he sware by him that liueth for euermore which created the heauens the things that therin are and the earth and the things that
was manifested in the flesh and also of Peter himselfe 1. Pet. 4. 1. Christ suffred for vs in the flesh Which antithesis of the deuine and humane nature Paule doth also expresse in the same tearmes speaking of Christ which was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh and declared mightely to be the Sonne of God according to the spirit Rom. 1. 3. 4. where you see he vseth the words no otherwise then he findeth them vsed in the scriptures Now that this can not be the sence of them you reason thus First you say that this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is going doth signifye motion from some place which can not stand with the deuine Essence which can not possibly leaue any place being at all times in all places To this I aunswere that it is spoken of the same spirit or deuine essence in Gen. 18. 21. I will go downe and see whether the Sodomites do altogether according to the cry that is come vnto me And in Exod. 3. 8. I am come downe to deliuer them that is the Israelites out of the hand of the Aegiptians You can not be ignorant M. Hill that the holie ghost speaketh oftentimes of the deuine Essence by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whē God declareth his presence in one place more then in another by some notable effect which in this place was most necessary to expresse the continuall presence of Christ in his Church in those dayes of Noah and so in all ages either past or to come departing as it were from all other places which indeed he can not and sitting as it were a perpetuall moderator and ruler thereof Next you alleage the other participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is quickned that because it is passiue it can not stand with the deuine essence which can not suffer This we deny not for we attribute not this participle to the deuine essence but to the whole Christ God man for we say not Christ the spirit was quickned but Christ was quickned in spirit Thirdly you tell vs that mortified and quickned were both participles and both attributed to Christ at one time We confesse they were attributed to one Christ but we see no matter to leade vs to refer them both to one time But by the contrary me thinks that the order of the wordes haue sufficient matter in them to proue that he was first mortified and then quickned As for the distinction of time the distance was not to great as to require it To this you adde how he was dead and how he was aliue by putting to killed flesh and to quickned spirit The very text as I take it will deny you this for it saith not that the flesh was killed and the spirit quickned but that Christ was killed in the flesh and quickned in the spirit which is all one as if he had said that Christ dyed as he was man and ouercame death as he was God Which thing also Paule doth expresse in other words 2. Cor. 13 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Fourthly you say that the scriptures do ioyn together this going preaching close to his passion as if he had said assone as he had suffered he went preached This as if concludeth no necessary matter We expect demonstrations cannot be caried with as and if Fiftly you adde out of Gen. 6. that the preching of Noah is attributed to the 3. person and not to the second which putting on mans flesh redeemed vs. We confesse that ability to preach was giuen Noah by the holy ghoste but he was stirred vp and sent by the whole Trinity The actions whereof seeing they are common to all three he erreth not that attributeth them to any of the three Where you saye that Christ was raised from the dead by the first person and not by the second I see not how that can stand with the truth of the Scriptures which telleth me that the second person did put on man and did neuer forsake him in all his distresses Afterwards you tel me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient and sometime doo seperate the time of their disobedience and Christs going to thē But I can not take it at your woord for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not as you seeme to take it a Verbe but a Participle greeing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits in the verse before and the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes belongeth to the principall Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached so that the sence must needs be he preached sometimes to the spirites that are in prison and were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Whereas you argue this can not be spoken of the preaching of Noah because he preached to men and to spirites it is strange to me how he can preach to men and not to spirits seeing that whosoeuer doth instruct men dooth also instruct their soules Lastlye you charge this construction to doo violence to the text taking the woord spirite for the diuinity in one place and for the power thereof in another where you doo vs great wrong for Beza himselfe refuseth it and proueth it is not taken for the power of the deitye in this place at all Hitherto haue I answered all that you can saye against vs now will I proue that your sence which you make of this place can not stand with the truth of the text You take this woord flesh only for the bodye of Christ which dyed and was buried and the woord spirite for his soule which you beare vs in hand descended into hell preached to the soules which had beene rebellious in the dayes of Noah if this your construction shall goe for currant then the apostle speaketh nothing heere of Christ which may not be verified of any man For though our bodyes dye yet our soules liue aswell as his The spirite here as it appeereth by the text doth signifie that which gaue life to that which was dead that I trust was not his soule but his deity thirdly this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed doth signifie not onelye the death of the bodye but also whatsoeuer Christ did suffer either in body or soule for the redemption of our bodies and soules and doth comprise his whole passion which the Spriptures doth many times terme death which if it be so as it is so indeed then the woord flesh noteth vnto vs the whole subiect of his passion that is the whole man Christ for it was expedient that he did aswell suffer in soule for our soules as in body for our bodies or else he had been but halfe a redemer Fourthly seeing his body was quickned that is restored from the graue aswell as his soule from the sorrowes of hell if you take spirite there for the humane soule then you confound those thinges which the Apostle doth distinguish attributing that to
the soule alone which is also common to the body Fiftly seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to giue life and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receiue life this cannot be vnderstood of the soule which neuer lost life after that it had once liued with the body and therefore could neuer receiue it againe Here you tell vs that to be quickened is to be deliuered from miseries how the English word may be taken I leaue it to the wise but in the Greeke woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latin word viâ—ificari I am sure it were strange and seldome seene to finde that sence Furthermore I am sure that if this deuise may stand that then you will ouerthrowe the antithesis betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead and quickned for if quickned doth not signifie a restitution to life what antithesis can it haue with death or dead Lastlye adde to those if it please you that infallible reason of Beza taken from the scope and drifte of the Apostle to whose greater notes I referre you being not able to handle his reason so effectually as he dooth himselfe Hill Héere you play the Captaine and will beate downe bulwarkes and therefore you should haue these 4. properties in you vertue knowledge authority and felicity for the first two they are in you God graunt you vse them to his glory but what authoritye you haue to interprete the woord I know not therfore in this case I hope you shall haue no felicitie Where you say that this woord spirite doth signifie the deity and this woord flesh the humanity of Christ and that there is an antithesis betwéene the diuine and humane nature I confesse that spirite sometime dooth signifie the Godhead and flesh the humanity of Christ. But they doo not so signifie in this place as I proue by the circumstances of the text and the woords themselues For where you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed or put to death dooth signifie the whole passion of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the resurrection of Christ that cannot be for of the passion of Christ is mention made before in the same 18. verse Christ suffered for vs the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God Now after his sufferings ended as Peter saith he was both killed and made aliue Now of his resurrection is mention made in the 21. verse as of his ascention in the 22. verse Therfore séeing the suffrings of Christ are mentioned before and his resurrection is namelye set downe after whereof can these woords be vnderstoode but of the seperation of the bodye and the soule and of the state of them during their seperation for an antithesis as you know is of contrary or diuers things as in this place you sée in killed and quickned Now how both these were true at one time S. Peter doth shew for at the same time he was dead as concerning his body he was aliue in spirite that is in soule for the soule seperate from y e body is aptly called in spirite Eccle. 12. 7. And dust return to earth as it was and the spirite returne to God that gaue it So is it taken Heb. 12. 23. Act. 7. 59. and so dooth this woord signifie in this place for Christ was not killed both in body and soule but only in body and in flesh for if the soule of Christ had béene killed then had it béene mortall Therfeore Athanasius Epiphanius and all the Fathers which did confute the Heretiques called Damoerite Appolinaris which denyed Christ to haue a soule doo confute them by this place prouing that his spitite was among the spirits that his soule seperate from his body was among the soules seperate from their bodies This interpretation you sée is gathered out of Gods woord and is made more manifest by the woords following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate In which spirite he went preached to the spirites in prison First you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which But in the 1. Pet. 16. you doo not so translate it nor in the 2. Chap. and 12. ver the same woords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Eph. 1. 13. 2. 22. 5. 18. and so could I cite at the least an hundreth texts in the new testament where if you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which or by whom you shal ouerthrow the meaning of the holy ghoste The next woord in construing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as I haue saide before so I auouche still is spoken not of the deity neuer in all the Scriptures and therefore must néedes be spoken of the soule of Christ. To confute this you alleadge Gen. 18. 21. Exod. 3. 8. First I must tell you these bookes were written in the Hebrewe toong and not in the Gréeke I craued an instance out of the new testament Secondly in those places that you haue named the interpreters do translate Iarad by the gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this I proue Ioh. 16 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if I shal not depart the coÌ„forter wil not come vnto you but if I shall depart I will send him vnto you Here you sée when he speaketh of the descending of the deity he vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when he speaketh of the humanitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the same Chap. verse the 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came out froÌ„ the Father came into the world againe I leaue the world go to my father And this proprietie of speach which y e holy ghost vseth ought to be obserued I confesse the scripture vseth the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when God is said to come downe there is vsed the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or some one of the forenamed and when mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is alwayes spoken of the humanitie as it is to be séene Luk. 4. 30. 9. 51. 52. 56. 57. Luk. 13. 22. Ioh. 8. 1. And in this place of Peter the last verse is vsed the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went vp into heauen Therefore if you can quote but one text in the new Testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is figuratiuely applied to the deitie your interpretation may séeme tolerable but if you can not as I knowe it is impossible then can you neuer proue your interpretation to be agréeable to faith because it is not agréeable to the word Out of the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this I note he that was killed and quickned did preach but Christ was killed and quickned ergo Christ and not the deitie preached He preached not vocally for he was killed ergo he preached really in soule for here is noted First who preached Christ. To whome to the spirits Where in hell When after his death and before his
the earth and shalt sleepe in the midst of the vncircumcised These two places by your leaue can not be well meant of hell The text doth shewe plainly that heere is rest and quietnes in the place that heere is spoken of but I hope you will not say that there is any great rest or quietnes in hell In all these places Erets Tacthioth cannot signifye any thing but the graue The same word is vsed also in the 139. Psal. 14. verse My bones are not hid from thee though I was made in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth Heere the Prophet I beleeue doth not say of himselfe that hee was fashioned in hell which must needs be if your assertion were true that those Hebrew words doo signify hell as commōly as hell in the english doth note that place Here Beza doth well obserue that the place of the Apostle which you alleage may fitly be applyed to the sence of this place and doth note vnto vs the descension of Christ into the womb of the virgin for Erets Tachioth out of all question doth signifye his mothers womb Hill First you say the place quoted by me Syrac 24. 37. maketh not for the proofe of my assertion If you had considered what went before and what followeth you would haue bin of another minde For before in the 8. verse it is sayd I alone haue gon round about al the compasse of heauen and haue walked in the bottome of the depth Which depth Pellicanus a learned writer doth interprete abyssum mortis inferorum the depth of death and hell Yea the whole Chapter speaketh of the Sonne of God and of his wondrous works in sauing mankinde of the which this is one that he was not only aliue among the liuing but after death his body was among the dead bodies and his soule among the soules in hell which he calleth the lower partes The like scripture to this is in Iob. 38. 16 17. Hast thou entred into the bottom of the sea or hast thou walked to seke out the depth haue the gates of death bin opened vnto thee or hast thou seene the gates of the shadowe of death These words are thus opened by Martin Borrhauius in his learned Commentaries vpon Iob. I haue dwelled in the highest places and my throne is in the pillar of the cloudes I haue gone round about the compasse of heauen aboue and haue walked in the flouds of the sea I pearce through all the lower parts of the earth Haue those in hell or the dead bin searched out of thée and doost thou knowe their state and condition and what shall happen to their bodies hereafter and what doth happen to their soules now The force of death and of hell he maketh manifest by the name of gates as it is manifest in that scripture and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against thée By these words it is euident that the nethermost parts of the earth Syrac 24 37. and Zalmaueth the Hebrew word Iob. 38 17. doo signifye hell and that none but the Sonne of God aboue hath personally shewed himselfe in all these places For the place in Ezechiel that it maketh most significantly for my purpose I will proue it by Esay Ezechiel and diuers other both learned modest writers Esay handling the same matter saith 14 9. Hell beneath is moued for thee to meete thee at thy cōming And Ezechiel in the 15. and 16. verses calleth it hell plainly Sith then both the prophets call it hell how dare you to interpret it graue But that the nethermost parts of the earth do signify hell I prooue it out of the 12. ver of Ezechiel And the strangers haue destroyd him euen the terrible nations and they haue left him vpon the mountaines and in all the valleis his branches are broken Munster on this place saith that by the branches are vnderstoode the carcasses of his hoast which the beasts of the field did deuoure Lauaterus the Minister of Tigurine agréeth with him All the beasts of the field shall dwell vpon his ruine the kings carkas shall not be laid vp into the sepulcher of his elders but shal be a pray to crowes griphins and to other carniuorous birds So doth Pellican a learned Linguist interpret this place At the last there is an auersion or apostrophe to Pharao himselfe or to the Assyrian King To whom art thou likened O thou noble and high among the trées of pleasure thou hast passed all other in power and yet with other kings that were in thy company they were brought to the lowermost parts of the earth that is to hell among the abhominable heathen shalt thou sléepe and lye as a wretched and miserable man Now because you take hold of the word sléepe you must remember that these words are spoken ironically as it is noted in the contents of the 14. Chap. of Esay The derision of the king of Babilon Moreouer Lauaterus on this place of Ezekiel saith These things may be better vnderstood out of the 14. Chap. of Esay which prophecying of the destruction of the king of Babilon Baltassar describeth with what bitter scoffs he is entertained in hell To ende Lauaterus on this place proueth these foure things first that there is an hell secondly that hell in this chapter is called by thrée names that is 1. Sheol 2. Erets Tacthioth 3. and Bor. Hell the lowest parts of the earth and a pit thirdly that this hell is beneath vs and lastly that the tyrants and wicked of the world doo descend into it and this he proueth out of Numb the 16 33. Psal 55 15. And addeth also that Tertullian and Ierome doo prooue hell to be beneath in the earth The conclusion then is thus forasmuch then as the Assyrians dyed with the sword were deuoured of the beasts birds of the field I pray tell me how that can be true that you affirme that the lowest partes of the earth doth signifye the graue for how were they in the graue that were neuer buried therefore they were in hell as both Esay and Ezechiel doo affirme and as Pellican Munster and Lauater thrée notable learned men in the holy toong doo interpret it I thinke your owne friends when they reade this will confesse you either to be ignorant of the word of God or else to wrest it cōtrary to the meaning of the holie ghost Moreouer where you mislike with me because I said that Erets Tacthioth that is the lowermost parts of the earth doth signifye hell generally in the Hebrew toong and you bring an instance out of the 139. Psal. and 14. verse where you prooue that the lower parts of y e earth doth signifie the mothers womb and therefore it doth not signifie hell alwaies this is a childish reason In a metaphoricall signification it signifieth the mothers womb therefore in his proper signification it can not signifie hell Argumentum a metaphora ductum non valet an argument drawen
resurrection This is the order of Peter and of our Créede which can not be by man ouerthrowen The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits also is not as you take it for you say it signifieth the men in Noahs time but you can not bring one scripture to proue it Therefore I say as I sayd before it signifieth soules separated from the body That my exposition is true I haue proued by thrée scriptures Eccle. 12 7. Heb. 12 23. Act. 7 59. Now as mine is true so will I proue yours to be false and impossible by Christs owne words Luk. 24 59. where our Sauiour to prooue himselfe to be no ghoste but to haue a true body after his resurrection thus reasoneth behold my hands and my feet that I am the same handle me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue This was Christs argument I haue a body therefore I am not a spirit and so I reason against you and your teachers The men in Noahs time had bodies ergo they could not be called spirits Euery boy can tell you in Oxford that Substantia is deuided into corpus and spiritum and that one of these opposit species can not be affirmed of an other And therefore to be short when you can proue out of the new testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mournying is spoken figuratiuely of the deity or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirit signifieth a man that hath a boy I will geue you the goale but if you will runne on this course vntill you haue prooued these two points which you must doo if you will haue me to recant then take héed least you run your selfe out of breath Lastly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is prison doth signifye hell as it is to be séene Apoc. 20. 7. When a thousand yeeres shall be fulfilled Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Thus thou séest good reader how I haue proued my interpretation out of the word of God for euery word which our aduersaries can not do for their interpretation therfore thou maist safely assure thy self ours to be good and theirs to be false And that this word prison doth signify hell you may sée Epiphanius Athanasius Fulgentius centuria 1. lib. 2. cap. 14. Peter Martyr on the Créede Nowell in his Catechisine Beacon in the sick mans salue and Crowley in his answere to the reasons of Pound the Papist All these olde and new writers haue alleadged this Scripture as I haue doone with good warrant conscience Now that I haue proued this my owne interpretation I will by Gods grace proue your answere to be friuilous First you confesse that killed and quickned are Participles of one tense and yet you say they are not referred to Christ at one time this is méerlye false as I thus proue Christ was after his passion dead and aliue or neuer if he were neuer dead and aliue at one time then Peter saith not truely if he were dead and aliue at one time then you speak falsely Now you your self cōfessed that he was dead and aliue at one time a little before and proued it out of the 2. Cor. 13. 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmity yet liueth he by the power of God Héere by your owne woordes Christ was aliue when he was crucified so may I say with Peter he was aliue when he was dead and at one time Then you say the flesh signifieth the manhoode and spirite the deitye this also is vntrue for the body may be killed but the soule cannot Againe shew me any Scripture where one and the same woord in one sentence and period is taken for diuers things for in this sentence In which spirite he went and preached to the spirites that are in prison Héere y e woord spirit in the beginning of the sentence signifieth the deity in the latter ende the same woord signifieth the men that liued in Noahs time by your interpretation but by my interpretation it signifieth the soule seperat from the body in both places For as Cirill saith as Christ was with the liuing in body and soule so to shew himselfe a true man his bodye was among the dead bodies and his soule among the soules Then you auouch the preching of Noah is attributed to the whole Trinity be it so but can you proue that Christ after he was killed did preach in Noah for this preaching was after Christs death which is mentioned in the 18. verse and before his resurrection which is spoken of in the 21. verse You goe forward and tell me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dooth not determin the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached I must tell you plaine you speake neither like a Deuine nor a Gramarian For an Aduerd is sometime put to a Participle as Mathew 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then Herod calling priuilye the wise men Sometime to a Noune as Homo egregiè impudens Sometime to an Aduerb as Parum honestè se gerit Therfore the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next and immediatly and being distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Comma cannot by any example in diuinitye or by any rule of Grammer be coupled with the Uerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now to answere your infallible reasons First you reason against me that if my construction be true then nothing did happen to Christ which might not be verified of any man And did you not blush when you wrote these things Can any mans soule goe to hell and returne againe For his going downe to hell I proue in the 19. verse and his returne from hell in the 21. verse Seconly you say the woord spirite doth signifie that which gaue life what then as God giueth life to the body effectually so the soule giueth life to the body formally Your Geneua translation which you follow saith he was quickned in the spirite not of the spirite And this I note against your side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 18. verse you translate In But in the next verse as though you had not doone well in the former you translate it by Now you know the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth by and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appéereth in the 21. verse and in many places mo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by the resurrection Moreouer if you had said quickned of the spirite then had you made a probable answere but no diuine is able to proue this exposition that Christ was quickned in the spirit that is in the deity for the deity is life it selfe Your third pregnant reason is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not only the death of the body but also the whole passion of Christ. This cannot be for the suffrings of Christ are set downe before in the same verse then in this woord 〈◊〉
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