the midst of death and at his Ascension victoriously carried away those first-first-fruits of his suffering into heaven At the solemn Coronaâ—ion of a Great Prince the prison-Prison-doors are flung open This is the interpretation of D r Henry More But I am sorry this Worthy person hath given those men an occasion to think well of their doctrine of Purgatory and even Redemption from the pains of the Bottomless Pit those men I say whom he doth not use to gratifie at other times by his too lavish concessions He hath open'd the door here and All as well as those Antediluvian sinners may go forth If Hell be not a fixed place or state if it be not a Close-Prison then there is hope that Every man at length may be set free from it and walk at large And this is that which S t Augustin tells us some indeavour'd to prove from This Text viz. that All shall at last be freed from Hell-Torments But the Doctor declares he intends no such thing but is perswaded only that the words speak of a Singular and never to be Parallell'd Instance But in answer to what he and others before have asserted I will briefly make It good that the words speak not at all of Christs going down to Hell or of his Preaching there For 1. These words refeâ—ring to the souls of those who lived in Noahs time what was the reason that our Saviour went into Hell to preach to These rather then the rest how came these despisers of Noahs preaching to have this Priviledge above all other persons that Christ should descend to the Infernal Pit to relieve them particularly Why did not the Sodomitâ—s and others share in the like kindness 2 ly It is here intimated that the words are not meant of Christ's Local Descent into hell for 't is said he went by the spirit which signifies another thing and what that is I have told you But I have mention'd this before 3. It can't be spoken of Christs going to Hell because the words are of something that he did after his Resurrection as hath been before suggested The order of the Apostle's words is this first Christ was put to death then he was quickned or rose again and after that he went and preached therefore it is impossible that this Preaching should be meant of any sort of Preaching to those in Hell unless you will make Christs Descent into hell follow his Resurrection from the dead which was never dreamt of yet Let this therefore be remembred that the Text speaks of something which our Saviour did after he was risen from the dead and then it must be acknowledged that this is a plain conâ—utation of the Adversaries Opinion 4. This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spoils their Interpretation for when 't is said they were sometime disobedient it is implied I do not say absolutely inferred that they are not so now Fourthly and which shews the vast Difference between the Judgements of men on this place whereas some Protestants and most Papists think Hell is meant here Calvin believes the contrary and vouches Heaven to be understood by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not a Prison according to him but a watch-tower and so indeed the word signifies sometimes The spirits or â—ouls of the faithful were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in specuâ—a on their watch-tower viz. in Heaven Thither Christ ascended and there he found the Saintâ— of the Old World very Incent on the Salvation promised by Christ they confidently hoped for it and his Coming and as it were Look'd for these as from some Watch tower But I confess I do not see what reason that Learned Writer had to alter the ordinary Translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and to render it here a Watch-tower He might have retain'd the Other Translation and yet have kept his Interpretation entire For what better word could there be to express Heaven then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it signifies a 〈◊〉 a Hold a place of Safety like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which some render Abraham's Port or Haven Christ being raisd from the grave went and preached to the spirits in safe custody 〈◊〉 in Heaven there he declar'd to them what Great things he had done and how he had finished the work of mans Redemption As the words before spoke of Christs Death and Resurrection so these of his Ascension and Exaltation This is the sense of that Learned Man and if he had not alter'd the usual version of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it would have done as well But against his interpretation I alledg first his Wavering in the solution of this Text for in his Institutions 〈…〉 and upon the Place he expounds it of the souls of the Faithful but in his Psychopannychia he tells us that Christ went and preach'd not only Remission of sins to the spirits of the Godly but also Confusion to the spirits of the ungodly thus he takes in both Heaven and Hell Secondly to what purpose did Christ go and preach to the Saints in heaven when they could not but know the certainty of their Salvation by Their being in that place It was needless to preach to them what they knew already Therefore I can't see how this word can be applied to Heaven But the main thing which hinders my Assent to his Interpretation is This that the words have relation to Noahs days and the particular people of that time Now 1. It is probable that the greatest numbers of them perished everlastingly as the Scripture when it speaks of the sinners of the Old World doth more then intimate These were so far from being placed in a High Watch-tower a place whence they might look for and espie a Saviour that they were plunged into the Lowest Abyss of misery and despair 2. Supposing that people were Saved and in Heaven yet wherefore did Christ when he ascended thither preach to These rather then others And why were These separate souls above all the rest continually upon their Watch in hopes of the promised salvation I do not apprehend any ground for this and consequently I cannot admit of this Exposition These are the several Judgments of those Expositors who understand the words concerning the souls of the deceased Now I proceed to the Last Claâ—â—is of Interpreters III. Others apply the words to the Preaching of the Gospel to unbelievers in the Apostles times understanding by the spirits in prison the Heathens and by Christs Preaching to them his Sending his Disciples and Apostles to preach to them Episcopius and Limborch are the men who offer this Interpretation and I take it to be the Fairest of all those which have been named But yet as it is delivered by those persons I cannot wholly subscribe to it therefore I shall only proceed on the main and general ground which they have laid and I shall make bold to add several things which I find wholly wanting in those Aâ—thors
do here and thereby render the meaning of the words full and entire However take the words which way you will and if you pitch upon any Particular Sense I hope I have suggested that which will give light to it I here adjoyn something concerning the Custom of Covering and Uncovering the head among the different People and Nations of the world The summ of what I say is that the Eastern people went â—lways with their heads covered and the Greeks were always â—â—covered but the Romans took a middle way for they thought they were bound as to this matter to distnguish between the times of Worship and of Common Conversation and that the behaviour which was used in the one ought to be different from that of the other Accordingly they always covered their heads in the time of Worshipping from whence as well as from what is recorded of them we may gather that their practice was contrary when they were about their ordinary business that is that they were Uncovered But from the Jews covering their heads when they worship'd we cannot infer that they did not do so at other times and the reason is because they made no distinction at all between one time and the other as to this behaviour Only I desire the Reader that he may not misinterpret me to distinguish between the Ancient Romans and those that came after them for as to this usage as well as to some others these two exceedingly differed from one another uea the Latter Romans were strangely enclined to shift their customs and differ'd from Themselves as well as the Old Romans as I have shew'd This I thought fit to mention here lest any man should mistake me and the Truth it self I have added something likewise concerning the custom of the Other Sex and there you 'l find that there is no Variation at all the Women of all Nations generally cover'd their heads when they were abroad and the Apostle is not willing they should lay aside so Landable and Catholick an usage In my Third Vndertaking which is an interpretation of those so much controverted words What shall they do that are baptized for the dead I recite the various opinions of Authors concerning the meaning of this place not that I delight to muster up whole Armies of Writers some Antient and some Modern some at home others abroad but because the present affair requires it There being several Expositions of these words it was necessary to acquaint you with them before I offer'd that which I conceive to be the true and genuine sense of the Apostle Accordingly after I have rejected the interpretations of Others on the place and have all along given you the Reasons why I do so I at last expose my own sentiments in a plain and easie interpretation such as every one may see is the genuine import of the words viz. that to be baptized for the dead is no other then to be baptized because of the dead or for the sake of the dead i. e. of those Holy Martyrs who lay'd down their lives for Christ and his Blessed Cause The courage and bravery which these shew'd at their death did effectually invite great numbers of Infidels who took notice of their Christian behaviour to lay aside their false and idolatrous religion and to imbrace the Faith of Christ and to desire to be admitted members of the Church by Baptism By reason of the admirable carriage of those dying Martyrs there were Converts daily gained to Christianity many Iews and Pagans were stirred up to own the same Holy Religion which they saw them defend so undauntedly This made them eager of being baptized This I take to be the plain meaning of their being baptized for the dead i. e. they were baptized and became Christians for the sake and on the account of those deceased Saints who they saw attested the truth of Christianity with their bloud How probable this Interpretation is yea how preferable to all others I hope I have convinced the Reader in the Discourse it self to which I remit him In my Last Effort where I undertake to shew who are the spirits in prison to whom Christ preached I do as before enumerate the several Glosses which have been made upon the words Some have fetsh'd the sense of them from Heaven others from Hell and some from a Middle place as they fancy between both and many others have presented us with their Conjectures on this Text. But when I have discovered the invalidity of them I proceed to let you see what Other more true account may be given of the words And that is this Christ by his Spirit in his Apostles and Ministers preached the Gospel to Sinners and to whom else should be preach it to Vnconverted and Vnregenerate persons whether Iews or Gentiles and hereby many of them were converted to the faith and were saved This is the plain sense of this Text which hath been so differently handled by Protestants and Papists and this interpretation as I think I have made it evident but the Reader is to judg is conformable to the scope of the Context suitable to the Phrase and Language both of the Old and New Testament and most agreeable to the Thing it self which is here represented by the Apostle For there could not be a more Easie and yet a more Significant expression to set forth the state of men in their fins then This of the spirits in prison Those persons are in a Religious and Spiritual way of speaking which is the constant stile of the Holy Ghost in the writings of the Prophets and Apostles Prisoners and Bondmen shut up in a miserable Durance they sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron as the Psalmist describes Poor Captives Psal. 107. 10. This is a plain and obvious Metaphor and at the very first propounding of it we are able to apprehend its meaning Poor distressed souls that are under the bondage of sin and vice are spirits in prison but the Blessed Iesus cometh and preacheth to them by the Ministry of his Apostles and servants and thereby brings them out of darkness and the shadow of death and breaks their bonds in Sunder as the same Divine Poet speaks in that place Certainly then Sâ— Peter who had been a Prisoner and bound with and knew the hardships and misery of this sort of men could not have made choice of any Similitude could not have used any Expression whereby it was possible to give us a more Compendious Character a more Lively and Natural Idea of the Deplorable Condition of Vnconverted Sinners then this here doth Which makes it somewhat strange that such multitudes of Expositors and Comment ators have not taken notice of it but have rather chosen to give us some farfetched and strained interpretations of these words This is the short Account which I thought good to premise before the following Exercitations In the whole I hope I have faithfully
sense the Article which is here inserted should be left out and it should have been barely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Learned Hammond sets it down in his Annotations being Conscious as it were that it should be so 4. Let us pass to another Reading of the words and it shall be still of Those who take Baptizing here in the Sacramentalsense and hold that the baptized for the dead were those persons who had That Sacrament administred to them when they were close upon the confines of death and just expiring their last This Exposition is abetted by Calvin The baptized for the dead saith he are they who are baptized when they are Dying when they are given over and look'd upon as dead And so the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as the Latin pro as when they say habere pro derelieto Other Learned Writers also take This to be the sense of the Apostle's words but it came first from Epiphanius in his Book against Hereticks who acquaints us that when it so chanced that the Catachumeni or New Comers to Christianity were overtaken with some Mortal distemper and there was an utter Despair of their Living till they could be brought to the Sacred Font they used to be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they lay in their Beds and from that usage of theirs the Clinici or Bed-ridden took their Name For you must know that it was usuall with those that were converted to Christianity to defer their Baptism Perhaps say some at first it proceeded from fear and cowardize which made them unwilling to hazard themselves by the open profession of their Religion and so they put off their admission into the Church as long as they could but when they were arrested by Grievous Sickness and confined to their Beds they passionately begged to be baptized before they left the world This was one sort of Clinicks But there was a second sert who deferred their Baptism on other accounts These were no New Converts but such as had imbraced Christianity a considerable time yet they purposely deferred their Baptism on one pretended ground or other Thus Constantine the Great was not baptized till the sixty fifth year of his age which was the one and thirtieth year of his Empire and he declared himself as Eusebius testifies that he delay'd his Baptism because he intended to be Baptized in the River Iordan the place which was so famous for the fiâ—st Baptizing and where our Saviour himself was baptized â—ut he was hindred from going thither though I see no Cause of that hindrance in so many years and being Aged he fell sick and was Baptized in the City of Nicomedia where he then was by Eusebius Bishop either at that time or formerly of that place and he died in the very same year he was Baptized I know this is Contradicted and it is said he was not baptized in the East but in the West not by a Greek Bishop but a Roman one This was Miltiades say some others stiffly maintain that it was Sylvester and this they have fâ—om one of the Roman Bishops who wrote Sylvesters Life and asserts that He baptized Constantine telling us withall that this Emperour among other Admirable Ornaments and Utensils kept in his Palace the Font wherein he was baptized and desâ—ribes the Make and Costliness of it It seems it is since translated or thought to be translated to Rome and there is kept as a Choice Memoâ—ial And as for the Occasion of Constantine's being Baptized they tell us it was This he being guilty of his son Crispus's bloud and other unnatural murders was struck by God with Leprosie which Affected him so much that he applied himself to the Bishop and shew'd himself Sorrowful for the fact and to give an evidence of his Repentance he desired to receive Baptism Then by the â—ishops Prayers and this Holy Laver he was cured of his Noisome Distemper This was in the eighteenth year of his reign A. D. 324. and is mentioned by Zosimus and Baronius Yet Cedrenus and others say he was baptized at Rome by this Sylvester some years before viz. in the seventh year of his reign But Eusebius the famous Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine who writ the Life of Constantine saith not a word of all this but tells us that he was baptized not at Rome but at Nicomedia and that many years after the Nicene Council in the close of his life the last year of his reign five years after Sylvester was dead by Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and this is testified and confirmed by S t Ierom S t Ambrose Socrates Sozomen Theodoret and others and seems to be the True Account of the Emperours Baptism To hasten then out of this Digression this Example of Constantine's deferring his Baptism was follow'd by several other succeeding Emperours Thus his son Constantius was baptized at the point of Death Theodosius the Great falling sick was thereupon baptized and Recovered upon it but he had deferr'd his Baptism longer if his sickness had not hastned it The next Theodosius was not baptized till he was very old Ecclesiastical History acquaints us also that the Emperour Valentiniâ—n put off his Baptism that he might receive that Sacrament from S t Ambrose but he was prevented by death We read the same of some of the most Eminent Fathers of the Church S t Ierom and S t Ambrose were not baptized till they were thirty years of age although their Parents were Christians Augustin was a Manichean till he was one and thirty years old and then and not before he was baptized by the foresaid S t Ambrose the famous Bishop of Milan Thus it was also in the Greek Church some of the most Eminent persons besides the Emperours before spoken of deferr'd their Baptism till they came to some ripeness of years Thus Chrysostom though born of and bred up under a Christian Mother and Gregory Nazianzen born of Christian Parents were not baptized till they arrived to be Men. Nectarius Archbishop of Constantinople entered into Episcopal Orders before he was baptized Now there are Different yea Contrary Reasons alledged for this practise some did purposely put off their Baptism till death approached that they might be the more at liberty to indulge their follies and vices for when one of the Catechumeni Committed a fault they used to excuse his failing by alledging This in his favour that he was not yet Baptized They did it also that they might not sin after the celebrating the Sacrament of Baptisme for S Cyprian tells us they had This fond and groundless notion that there was no Pardon for those that relapsed into sin after Baptisme This arose from the mistaking of That place Heb. 6. 4 5. which the Novatians very warmly insisted upon and would by no means Absolve those that lapsed after Baptism But the Orthodox Fathers were of another mind and sharply reproved
Argument a New Reason to confirm it Moreover saith he to evince further the doctrine of the Resurrection which I have been discoursing of what shall they do that are baptized for the sake of the dead Saints and Martyrs whom I spoke of before who I told you were fallen asleep if the dead rise not at all if they awake not at the last day why are they also or as Grotius noteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exgo why are they therefore baptized upon the account or for the sake of those dead why do New Converts come in every day requesting to be admitted into the Church by Holy Baptism Is it not think you for the sake of those excellent persons who fell asleep in Christ Is it not by reason of them that they take up the profession of Christianity Yes surely they have seen the Lives and Miracles of those Good men they have observed their Carriage and Constancy at their deaths and by this they are stirr'd up effectually to own the same Cause to love the same Religion and to admit themselves into it by the Sacrament of Baptism Those dead Saints and Martyrs whose Memories and Acts are still living setch in these Great Numbers of Converts The Bloud of dying Saints is the seed of the Church which the more plentifully it is sown and shed yieldeth the Larger Increase of Converts Hence hence it is that Proselytes come in apace to Christianity that Converts flock to the Holy waters of Baptism for they well observing the Admirable Behaviour of those persecuted Christians at their Death are soon perswaded into the belief of another Life From their Examples they are excited to a Love of the Christian Religion which they see makes men live and die couragiously and hereupon they are zealous to be made members of the Christian Church by the Sacrament of Baptism This is to be baptized for or because of the dead Or after this manner and in these words you may imagine the Apostle to argue in my Text You see O Corinthians that the Sufferings which the Christians undergo are so far from discouraging others from turning Christians that vast numbers of Unbelievers are animated thereby to own the Christian Profession and to live and die in the acknowledgement of it See what power and efficacy the Example of those Saints hath and how it works on the hearts of the most Resolved and makes them presently renounce and forsake their follies Tell me what makes the Idolatrous Gentile quit his former prophane life or what makes the Willful Iew renounce his Circumcision and leave his Mosaical Washings for the Laver of Christian Baptism Is it not to be imputed to This cause chiefly viz. that they behold and are ravished with the singular behaviour of the Suffering Saints who contentedly quit all for Christ their Master They cannot but reverence and imbrace That Religion which inspires those men with such Valour and gives them so Invincible a Courage and immediately hereupon they hasten to be Initiated into the Society of such brave Christians Now tell me O ye men of Corinth you especially that question the Article of the Resurrection is it nothing that so many every day voluntarily admit themselves into the Church by Holy Baptism and that upon the account of the Deceased Confessors and Martyrs who they see sacrifice all that is dear to them to purchase another world Why should you think there is no Other Life when you see men lay down their Lives for their Religion and others presently taking up that Religion for which they lost their lives And for what reason do so Great Sholes of Converts come into the Baptismal Waters What shall they do that are thus baptized to what end and design do they this and continue to do so To what purpose on what account is it You cannot but see that it is for the sake of the Saints whose exemplary Lives and Deaths they have beheld and thereby were throughly convinced of the Truth of Christianity which promises a better life after this at the Resurrection of the dead Why are so many I say stirred up to embrace Christianity and to enter into Holy Baptism Is it not by reason of the Deceased Saints and Martyres Is it not because of the Love and Respect they bear Them and the Goodness of the Cause which they so bravely maintain Is it not hence that they run to their Spiritual Guides and Instructers and beg to be Baptized and if these demand the Reason of it is not This their Reply we come to be Baptized for the dead i. e. we are moved to come to the Holy Baptism by reason of those Departed Saints whose Godly behaviour we so much admired whose Patience and Courage to the last we were even astonished at because of These Worthy Persons we are excited to enter into the Baptismal Vow and to admit ourselves into their Religion which is the best in the world What Interpretation can be Plainer and Clearer then this And yet I know not any Writer excepting One or Two at the most who seem so much as to approach towards This Exposition or to give the least him of this Notion which I have presented to you Yet certainly if you weigh This well you will find it worthy of all acceptation for in all the forenamed Interpretations there is either something Defective or Redundant there is some fault in Grammar and Critiâ—ism or a Mistake in History and Chronology or an apparent Inconsequence in the way of Argument In summ there were Bold Suppositions but Slender Proofs Whereas you may observe that in This Interpretation which I have tendred to you the Propriety of the words is preserved entire the Criticism is not strained the Genuine and Proper signification of the words is upheld the whole Design of the Context and of the Apostle's Arguing is discover'd and the History of the Antient Church and the Relation of the best Antiquity concurr to make This Exposition Solid and Authentick Here is nothing begg'd but all is free and unconstrain'd This is the clearest and most reasonable Sense in it self and likewise the most accommodate to the Present Purpose of the Apostle in this Chapter to the Stile and Phraseology of the Scripture and to the whole Analogy of Christian Faith And now in the close of all to Apply this Interpretation to Ourselves We have the same reason now to maintain the Christian Religion that those first good Converts had to embrace it The Consideration which made them enter into Religion should make us hold it fast For we as well as they prosess that Religion which was attested by the Death and sealed with the Bloud of Martyrs Martyrdom made Christians then let it confirm us in Christianity now Especially let us be encouraged to love and maintain our Religion which we can hold with Ease and all the Conveniencies of this life We are not
forced to quit our Lives that we may secure our Religion and our Consciences Blessed be God we can enjoy these here and carry them with us into another World afterwards But if ever the Divine Providence shall call us to lay down our Lives and spend our Bloud in the service of our Lord and Saviour let us not count our Lives dear unto us so that we may finish our course with joy and testifie the Gospel of the grace of God as our Apostle speaketh Let us like the Primitive Saints rejoyce that we are counted worthy to suffer shame and even Death for the Name of Christ. Let us chearfully sacrifice our Lives for the sake of him who Died for us let us drown our Affections to the world in our own Bloud thereby propagating our Holy Religion and therein following the Pattern of the Blessed Apostles and Primitive Saints who manfully and undauntedly died for the faith on whose account and by virtue of whose Example it was that Thousands of Converted persons flock'd to the Waters of Baptism and were ambitious to Assert that Cause for which they saw those Excellent Christians lay down their Lives The Death of an Eminent Saint made a great number of Disciples in those days the Bloud of a Holy Martyr baptized whole Cities This I conceive was to be baptized for the dead This I offer as the most Plain and Easie the most Natural and Genuine Meaning of the Text. The fourth TEXT Enquired into viz. 1 S t Peter III. 19 20. By which also he went and preached unto the Spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient c. THIS is another Difficult Text of Scripture and in order to the Clearing of it I will give you a brief account of the Chapter It begins with the Peculiar and Proper Duties of Man and Wife which take up the first 7 verses but the rest of the Chapter treats of the Common Vertues and Graces which are required in all Christians as Meekness Patience Mercifulness and all the obliging and indearing offices of Love The Apostle chiefly exhorts to Patience that is to suffer with submission and chearfulness what ever should be inflicted on them And here he shews particularly how they ought to behave themselves towards their Persecutors They must not be Revengeful and render evil for evil v. 9. and he subjoins the Reasons of it in the following verses Again They must not be afraid neither be troubled v. 14. They must take courage maugre all their distresses and strive to banish all Fear and Cowardice all Disorder and Perplexity of mind Moreover they are obliged to sanctifie the Lord God in their hearts and to be ready to give an answer to every one that asketh them a reason of the hope which is in them and that with meekness and fear v. 15. The meaning is that they were not to disguise their perswasion but to make open profession of their Religion even before their Persecutors Further the Apostle tells them that they must not only profess Christianity but lead Holy Lives that thereby they may shame their Adversaries who falsly accuse them as evil doers v. 16. Lastly therefore he bids them be sure that they look to their Lives and Conversations that they suffer for well-doing not for evil-doing v. 17. And that they may not be unwilling to suffer thus here is set before them the Example of Christ who suffered for them For Christ also hath once suffer'd for sins the just for the unjust v. 18. This highly commends the Sufferings of the Blessed Iesus that he was himself an Innocent person and that he suffer'd for those that were Guilty whereas no Christians that suffer can altogether plead Innocency they all in some measure deserve what they suffer And now the Apostle takes occasion to expatiate on Christs suffering and the Happy effects of it to the end of this Chapter and in part of the next He shews the Design of our Saviours Passion viz. that he might bring us to God v. 18. that he might make us Holy and Righteous and indue us with the Divine and Godlike nature and that he might at last lead us to Heaven and Eternal Glory And this He was effectually enabled to do because though he suffer'd death yet he soon rose from the dead as you read in that 18. v. Being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit To pass by the Notion of those men who think they find some ground here for their Aethereal or Spiritual Vehicles understanding the words thus Put to death in his Terrestrial body but quickned or enliven'd with a Spiritual one for Christs soul and the souls of all the Saints after death say they are clothed with Subtile and Aetherial bodies To let this pass the Plain Meaning of the place is this and it is confirmed by several of the Fathers that this Iesus though he suffer'd and was put to death for us in the flesh as a Man as he had a Humane Body yet he was quickned by the Spirit that is he rose from the dead by the vertue and power of the Holy Spirit who was ever with him Or thus he was put to death in the flesh i. e. crucified in his Humane Nature but he was quickned in the spirit i. e. he was raised from the Dead by his Divine Nature A Parallel place is that in 2 Cor. 13. 4. Though he was crucified through weakness his body being but Weak and Frail and subject to death as all Humane bodies are yet he liveth by the power of God he reassumed his soul and lived again and still liveth by vertue of his Divine Power He died as Man but restored himself to life as he was God It was by Christs Divine Spirit that his separated soul and body were reunited which you find thus asserted by S t Paul Rom. ◠4. He was declared to be the son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead The humane spirit of Christ was joyned again to his body by his Eternal Spirit By Christs Divinity his Humanity was raised up and restored And now our Apostle inlarges here further upon this Quickning Power of Christs Spirit or Divinity in these words By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison which sometime were disobedient c. The Greek which is here translated By which is rendred by others wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ideò saith Oecumenius and so t is thought that these words bring in the Reason of what was said before But there are few that follow this Interpretation Our own Translation is more Plain and more Probable for those that are acquainted with the stile of the New Testament know that By is the frequent signification of the Praeposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is most obvious and rational to refer the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the word
sufficiently Punished and there was nothing left to undergo And then as to their Moral Purgation if those persons repented at all it is reasonable to think that their Repentance in those unparallell'd circumstances was exceeding Great and that it proved on all accounts Effectual and Complete Those Waters were able to cleanse them sufficiently so that they needed not to be sent to these Purging Flames 4. This is against the received opinion of the Torments of Purgatory for they are said to end in a much shorter time The Offenders of the Old World had lain shut up in this Prison almost three thousand years according to these mens Interpretation of the Text and yet it is the general doctrine of those that assert the Pains of Pâ—rgatory that they are much sooner over and that it was not intended that these Torments should be of very long continuance 5. Why did Christ go and take the Antediluvian Wretches out of the Prison of Purgatory and none else For these are only mention'd here and we read of no others any where else Why did not 〈◊〉 Saviour clear that place and set open the Prison-doors to all and make a General Jail-Delivery Or will these men say that none went to Purgatory but those poor creatures who lived in 〈◊〉 time This they will hardly assert These and several other reasons may induce us to believe that by the spirits in prison are not meant the souls in Purgatory Secondly some imagine that Limbâ—â— Patrum is meant there by S t Peter Christ went to this place say they and fetcheâ— thence all the Souls of the Saints who died before his Coming Some of the Fathers as Athanasius Ambrose Cyrâ—l of Alexandria and others interpret the Apostle's words thus and it is their known Assertion that all the souls of the righteous as soon as they were separated from their bodies were impâ—isoneâ— in some Low Place under ground and there were detain'd till our Saviour came and inlarged them These are the spirits in â—â—ison 〈…〉 these words telling us that the spirits in prison whâ—â— Christ 〈…〉 were Separate Souls sent to that foresaid Apartment and Receptacle And whereas it is said Christ was quickned in the spirit he saith this is meant of Christs Separate Soul this being quickned went strait way to Limbo to visit the separate souls there But 1. Bellarmin talks very wiâ—dly on this point for the Soul being Immortal can't be said to be quickned or made alive and therefore it was unwarily and groundlesly said by him that Christs soul was quickned But 2 ly I answer to what he and others alledg concerning Limbus Patrum that there never was such a place for the separate souls to go to This according to those of the Church of Rome is that place where the souls of the Patriarchs and Faithfull under the Old Testament were lodged But this is a mere Fiction for the spirits of the deceased Saints go presently to Heaven and are not detain'd in any Prison much less so Long a time before they reach that place of Bliss Therefore we ought not to credit the Romanists when they tell us with great confidence that Christ went and preached to Abraham and the rest of the Patriarchs when he left this world and that he acquainted them that the work of Redemption was finished and that he took them up with him to Heaven Let them first prove that there was such a Prison for they confess it is now demolished and hath been ever since Christ and then we shall attend to what they say and not before 3. This Exposition is faulty because it is too Wide for the Text which refers only to those of Noahs days Now supposing Christ preach'd to them in prison how is it gather'd from the Text that Christ went and redeem'd All from that place And on the other side if they assert that Christ redeem'd only those who were before the Floud it would be proper to ask how they came to have this Priviledge above the rest but it will be hard to give a Reason of it So that one way or other it is Improbable Thirdly there are Others who by the Spirits in prison understand the Damned spirits or souls in Hell Here I will not deny that the word Prison hath respect unto the Place of the Damned as I shall shew you afterwards but that Christ went into Hell and Preached there to the inhabitants of that place I am not convinc'd how it can be made good from This Text Though I grant that some of the Antient Fathers make use of this place of Scripture to prove that Christ descended locally and personally into those infernal regions Particularly S t Augustin indeavours to prove it from these very words and concludes at last who but an Infidel will deny that Christ was in Hell As for several Other Writers of the Church they are divided in their Comments on this Text some think it refers to Limbus Patrum others to Purgatory and a third sort conceive it speaks of Hell that place where the souls of the Wicked and Reprobate are tormented This is the Prison the Apostle here means say they But how did Christ preach to the spirits there This Preaching is interpreted after a different manner for some say our Saviour went to Punish and Affright the devils to Triumph over the damned and to shew himself a Conqueror over Satan and all the Infernal Powers But these men grosly abuse S t Peter's words when they expound them thus i. e. when they interpret Christs Preaching to the spirits in prison of his Tâ—iumphing over the damned in hell the word preaching being never in the Sacred Writings understood in such a manner but all that are acquainted with the Holy Stile must needs acknowledge that 't is taken in a far other meaning therefore this must be look'd upon as a downright perverting of the Apostle's words only to serve their own ends Others are not content to say that Christ went to Triumph over the damned but they talk of something Higher viz. the Relieving yea the Delivering of the damned out of hell This say they is the Preaching here spoken of This is a Bold Flight and but few of the Fathers have ventured to soar so High But who would expect any such thing as this from the Learned Author of the Mystery of Godliness Yet there you will find him giving This Interpretation of the words viz. that the spirits in prison i. e. the Disobedient souls in Hell were redeemed by Christs Preaching they were a glorious spoil taken out of the hands of the devil But it doth not follow saith he there is any Redemption out of Hell now much less any Purgatory For there were two Notable Occasions for This such as will never happen again For it respects the souls of them that were suddenly swept away in the Deluge and the Solemnity of our Saviours Crucifixion and Asâ—â—nsion He undermined the Prince of death in