vnto him that is signified by them Saint Ciprian therefore saieth full well Before prayer the priest with a preface prepareth the hartes of the brethren saying vnto them Lift vp your heartes that when the people aunswereth We lift them vp vnto the Lorde thei may be put in minde to thinke of nothing else but of the Lorde Chrisostome also saith Clamamus in conspectu sacrificij Sursum corda We crie a loude in the sight of the oblation Lift vp your hearts S. Augustine vpon the Psalmes saith Let vs lift vp our heartes if ye be risen againe with christ he saieth vnto the faithfull he saieth vnto them that receaue the body and blood of our Lorde If ye be risen againe with Christ sauour those thynges that are aboue where Christe is at the right hande of God seeke for the thinges that bee aboue not for the things that be in earth Their owne manipulus curatorum saith thus Before the Canon the Priest saith Lift vp your hartes As if he woulde saie who so will receaue this Sacramente ought to haue his hearte lifted vp vnto God. But lette vs graunt vnto them by waie of disputation that the naturall body and blood of Christe bee really present vnder the formes of bread and wine yet we shall alwaies bee in feare to commit Idolatrie if at least their doctrine be true For they saie excepte the Priestes doe pronounce the wordes of consecration which words they be in doubt of them selues and cannot wel tel which they be vpon the creatures of bread and wine Cum intentione consecrandi That is with an intent and mynde to consecrate they be not made the body and blood of Christe but remaine still nude nude and bare creatures of bread and wine Therefore Holtcot saieth vpon the maister of sentences Laicus adorat hostiam non consecratam The laie people saith he worshippeth a wafer that is not coÌ„secrated And therfore that perill and daunger of Idolatrie may be auoyded at all tymes Thomas de Aquino in a certaine booke geueth vs counsell that we worship it with a condition saiyng Lorde if thou be there I doe worship thee if thou be not there I worship thee not Is not this a sure and certaine doctrine thinke ye and most worthy to be mainteined with fire and sworde and with suche sheddyng of innnocent blood Repeâ—t then ye Magistrates and rulers of the people and be sorie in your heartes that euer ye consented to the death of so many Martyrs that in these our daies haue been most cruelly put to death for the truethes sake and crie God mercie betimes lest ye with the beaste and hir false Prophetes whose slaues ye are now become though some of you perceaue it not be cast for euer into the lake that burneth with fire and Brimstone which is the seconde death There be some in the world that alledge Saincte Ciprian to proue that the Sacrament must be worshipped And these wordes of his doe they bryng foorthe The Sacramentes as muche as in them is can neuer be without the proper vertue nor the diuine maiestie can in any wise absent it self from the misteries It foloweth then saie they that they must be worshipped sith that the diuine maiestie is neuer absent from them I would faine aske these greate doctours of diuinitie why they doe not then worship the water of baptisme wherin we are apparelled with Christ renewed with the holy ghost and receiue free remission of our synnes I am sure that the diuine maiestie of God is no more absent from the Sacrament of baptisme then from the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christe And yet none of them all will graunt that the water of baptisme should be worshipped Christ our sauiour who is the trueth hymselfe and can not lie doth saie in his Gospell He that loueth me keepeth my worde and my father shal loue hym and we will come to hym and dwell with hym Againe He that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood dwelleth in mée and I in hym These also are sainct Iohns wordes whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of god God dwelleth in hym and he in God. By these textes we doe learne that God the father God the sonne and God the holy Ghoste dwelleth in all the faithfull beléeuers yea I dare saie a thousande tymes more effectuously then in the inuisible elementes of water or bread or of wine And yet no godly honour ought to be doen vnto them for that were a plaine Idolatrie Christe our Sauiour saiyng Thou shalt honour the Lorde thy God and hym onely shalte thou serue and worship Now all men maie see that the saiyng of Saincte Ciprian helpeth them nothyng for to maintaine their Idolatrous worshippyng of the sacrament excepte they will also graunte that the water of Baptisme and euery true christian man must be worshipped also But peraduenture some man wil aske will ye haue no maner of honour to be doen vnto the Sacramentes I doe aunswere that we doe sufficient honour vnto them when we doe receaue them with an vnfained faith and as Christ hath instituted them submitting our selues obediently vnto his holy institution and ordinaunce If we doe otherwise we receaue them vnworthely â–ª to our vtter vndoing and condemnation If then S. Ambroses saiyng after they receaue the Sacrament vnworthely that handle the misteries otherwise than Christ hath instituted If they be also guiltie of the body and blood of the Lorde that come to this holy Supper not obseruyng the institution of hym that is the aucthour of it where shall our Pope catholiques become How shall they escape damnation For none in all the whole worlde if we consider well what hath been saide before doe more abhominably and shamefully breake the ordinaunce of God then they doe Can they therefore haue a deuout mynde towardes hym that saieth Ye shal not doe euery thing as ye thynke best but that whiche I commaunde you that shall ye doe onely I am the Lorde your god Adde nothyng vnto it nor take ought awaie from it but leauing them to the righteous iudgement of hym that with the fire of his wrath did consume Nadab and Abihu in the sight of all the people bicause that thei had offered straunge fire which the lorde had not commaunded them I will goe through by the helpe of God with the rest of their obiection We saide before that thei eate the bread of the Lorde and drinke his Cup vnworthely that come to the holy misteries not hauing truly examined themselues or that come to them without true faithe in the merites of the deathe passion and blood shedding of our Sauiour Iesu Christe and that presume to take or receaue them without true repentaunce vnfeyned confession of their synnes and without amendement of their owne liues I saide also that after the saiyng of Saincte Ambrose thei
or Hell. That christes soule should not néede to goe downe thither to fetch them out And also declared that Christ vsed the like woordes vpon the Crosse by whiche is declared that his soule departyng from his bodie wente straight into heauen and not into hell the place of the dampned But that the efficacie vertue and power of his death and passion did pearce through and into the verie hell it self by his diuine power and Godheade that all the damned soules felt their full paine and iuste damnation for their infidelitie And Sathan hym self felt all the power and strength of his tyrannie and darkenesse was weakened vanquished and fallen to ruine and vtter decaie c. And that the soules of all them that died in the faithe of Christe beyng in heauen felte the fulnesse of their redemption how it was now fullie perfected and ended for them c. This beyng by me taught it was noysed abroade in the peoples eares and that by no meane men that I hadde denied an article of the Creede and that I was an open heretique and suche a one as was not worthie of life but cruell death When those reportes and false rumours came vnto mine eares I besought God to strengthen me in his faith and giue me pacience knowyng well that after the waie which they call heresie so worship I and teache the God of my fathers beleuyng all thynges whiche are written in the lawe and the Prophetes I also considered with my self what will this people saie and reporte when as thei shall happen to reade my booke wherein this article of Christes deseension into hell is handeled that thus beginne to condemne and iudge me before they haue knowen or heard the trueth opened vpon the occasion whereof I cleane altered my former preface to the reader that I had made before made this as an apologie or defence thereof against suche as will or shall carpe against it Wherefore I beseche thee frendly reader to lende me thy eares to heare me thy eyes to see me thy tongue to reade me thy mynde and harte to iudge me with an vpright iudgemente accordyng to the truthe of Goddes woorde whiche as Dauid saith is a Lanterne vnto our féete and a light vnto our pathes that is it that giueth wisedome vnto the simple it is that that giueth lighte vnto the eyes by it the seruaunte of God is made circumspecte our Sauiour Christe willeth vs to searche the scriptures for those are thei that beare witnesse of hym For the mynde muste bee taught and instructed of the will of God by the woorde like as the eyes are taughte and instructed by outwarde thynges For as Augustine saieth Titubat fides si diuinarum scripturarum vacillat authoritas If the aucthoritie of the holie scriptures wauer then dooeth faithe stumble I will nowe accordyng to my small skill saie of this matter somewhat more largely then I haue saied alreadie in my booke whether sufficient or insufficient I shall praie thee to stand an indifferent iudge To thee it is dedicated and for thy sake it is written Here must I saie vnto thée euen as S. Hierome somtime said to his reader in the like case Quaeso lector vt memor Tribunalis domini de iuditio tuo te intelligeÌ„s iudicanduÌ„ nec mihi nec aduersario meo faueas neue personas loquentiuÌ„ sed causam consideres That is I beseche thee good reader that remeÌ„bryng the iudgement seate of the Lorde and vnderstandyng that as thou iudgest so thou shalt bee iudged thou fauour neither me nor myne aduersarie And that thou regarde not the persons but the cause onely Firste thou shalte vnderstande gentle reader that this Article of Christes descendyng into helle is not reade as Rofinus saith in the Romaine Crede nor yet in the Nicen Crede the Easte Churche had it not the Counsaile of Ephesus and Constantinople left it out For wee maie reade by the writynges of the olde Fathers that that parte whiche is reade in the Crede was not in olde tyme so muche vsed in the Churches yet I doe confesse it is a necessarie article meete to haue a place in the Crede as a thyng that conteineth a verie profitable misterie of a waightie matter Sainct Cyprian vnto this saieth Sciendum sane est quod in Ecclesia Romana Symbolo non habetur addituÌ„ descendit ad inferna Sed neque in Orientis ecclesiis habetur hic sermo Knowe ye for certaintie that the Churche of Rome hath not added this in the Crede he descended into hel No neither yet the Easte Churches hath added this kynde of speache in the Crede Unto this Erasmus fullie agreeth saiyng Atque adeo quum Symbolum Nicenae sine Constantinopolitanae Synodi nihil aliud sit quam huius Symboli explanatio ne illic quidem quicquam est quod huic particulae respondeat Ipsa denique inconcintas sermonis arguit ab alio quopiam intertextum emblema That is Moreouer although the Simbole or Crede of the Sinode holden at Nice or the Sinode holden at Constantinople is none other thyng then a declaration of this Simbole or Crede called the Apostles Crede yet there is not so much as any thyng that is correspondent to this particle Finallie the verie incoÌ„cinnitie and vnhandsome ioyning or hanging together of the speache and oration is an euident argumente that this parcell or particle he descended into hell was put in among the other Articles by some other man As is supposed by Thomas of Aquine and immediately after he sheweth the cause why the auncient fathers put not this Article into the Crede he descended into hel Quia vetustissimi patres magna Religionâ— cauebant ne quid asseuerarent duntaxat in Symbolo quod non esset euidenter expressum in sacris literis vtriusque testimenti Talâ—â— sunt articuli omnes hoc vno excepto That is because the fathers of auncientest tyme with great Religion toke heede were warâ— that thei would not affirme any thyng namely in the Crede whiche was not expressed in the Scriptures of bothe Testamentes Suche maner Articles are all the other onely this one he descended into hell excepted Thus farre Erasmus Sainct Augustine in his booke de Fide Symbolo expoundyng the Crede of the Apostles comming to the Article of Christes sufferynges declareth of his pacience and humilitie in sufferyng death euen the death of the Crosse to take awaie the horror of death from vs and that he was crucified and buried vnder Pontius Pilate addyng Pilates name for the certaintie of the tyme and that he laie in a graue and before that in the wombe of his mother in whiche graue and bellie neuer none laie before nor after c. But of this article of Christes descention into hell he neuer speaketh worde of it nor yet reciteth it for if it had been an Article putte in the Crede at the
ye doe take this worde hell for death it selfe and for the extremest and greatest perils daungers griefes dolours and anguishes that a man can suffer here in this worlde and whereby hee maie bee brought vnto his death and consequentlie for the guiltinesse of synne for the sting and power of death for the iudgement and wrath of god and for the bottomlesse Pit of all miseries and calamities when our sauiour Iesus Christe was so outragiously dealte withall when he did sweate blood when his soule was heauie euen vnto the death and when he was hanged most opprobriously despitefully and shamefully betwixt twoo theeues as forsaken of God and al creatures without aide helpe or comforte and so hangyng on a tree did geue vp the ghoste bearing the curse anger and furie of God whiche is a verie hell and féelyng vpon hym the condempnation paines and tormentes that were due vnto vs for our synnes then went he in deede downe into hell whiche thought to ouerwhealme hym but it coulde not bicause he was without sinne Or if ye take this worde hell for the graue and sepulchre then did our sauiour Christ go downe into hell when he was laide in the graue and descended into the lower partes of the earth as the Apostle doth witnesse and testifie Or if ye doe vnderstande by it the estate and condition of the dead then did our sauiour Iesus Christe go downe into hell when he died But moste specially when he did by his diuine power and godly might make all the elect whose soules were in Abrahams bosome to feele the efficacie strength and vertue of his death that he suffered for them and the fruites of his passion and bloodsheddyng Or if ye will take hell in this place which the Latines do expresse by this worde Inferna in the plurall nomber for the place of the damned I saie that our sauiour Iesus christ went downe vnto them I meane vnto the reprobate and damned when they did feele perceaue and vnderstande through his diuine and godly power that they were depriued of the merites of his death and passion and of the grace health and saluation that he had brought and purchased vnto his electe and chosen children And when he did by the vertue efficacie and strength of his death and bloodshedding breake the Serpents head accordyng to the promise that was made vnto our firste parentes Adam and Eue that is to saie when he did so ouerthrowe Sathan the deuill and all the power of hell that hee and his can no more preuaile against the chosen and electe of God nor yet against his true church faithfull congregation Then went he in déede downe into hell and did harrowe it whiche is a phrase and manner of speakyng that many doe vse but verie fewe doe vnderstande it for why they doe not perceiue that it is borowed of an olde custome and fashion that was vsed commonly among auncient kynges and princes when thei did make any notable warre against their enimies for then if they had taken any citie or towne they were wont not onely to beate it downe euen to the grounde but also to plowe it sowe it with Salte and to harrowe it as the like ye maie reade in the booke of Iudges howe Abimeleche sowed Salte so we reade of Fredericke Oenobarbus the Emperour that ouerthrewe Millane and sowed Salt there for that cittie toke parte with Alexander the thirde being Pope against Caesar and harrowed it after the Salte was sowen thereby to declare that the same citie or towne was brought into vtter desolation and that it should neuer be builded anie more 〈◊〉 Therfore when it is saide that our sauiour Iesus Christ did harrow hell the meanyng of it is though it be vnderstanded of fewe that Christe our sauiour did giue suche an ouerthrowe vnto sathan the deuill that he did so bruse and breake his head and that he hath gotten such a victorie ouer all the whole power of hell that it is no more able to hurte or hynder the children of God for vnto them onelie this viâ—â—â—ie is gotten hell hauyng still his full power ouer the vnfaithfull reprobate than a citie or towne that is beaten downe euen to the grounde and whiche is ploughed so wen ouer with Salte and harrowed is able to recouer it selfe or to harme the enimies that haue serued it so We must not yet imagine that our sauiour Iesus Christ did in his owne person go downe into the hell of the damned and that breakyng the yron gates he did bryng out in a rowe the patriarches and other faithfull fathers of the olde Testament for they were not there but were in the bosome of Abraham whiche as the trueth doeth saie hym selfe is a place of ioye rest and comforte suche a space beyng betwixt it and hell that the one can haue no accesse vnto the other And as for those that saie that the soule of our Sauiour Christe did suffer in hell fire although they dooe bryng and alledge certaine reasons and argumentes for them selues whiche at the firste maie séeme to haue some colour for to â—â—sell the eyes of the simple and ignoraunt yet can I in no wise allowe their opinions and iudgement in this pointe ¶ The .vj. Chapiter ¶ Reasons and argumentes of those that holde that Christe went downe to hell in his soule Aunswered THeir reasons and argumentes are these sith that our Sauiour Christe saie they did come into this worlde for to deliuer mankinde from euerlastyng damnation it was necessarie that for to make satisfaction vnto the iustice and righteousnesse of God he shoulde beare the whole malediction curse and damnation that all mankinde did deserue but the malediction curse and damnation that our sauiour christ did beare in the bodie when he did suffer his death and passion was not sufficient for the synne of man whiche he hath deserued and doth deserue euerlasting damnation is not onelie in the fleshe and in the body of man but most specially in the soule Therefore it hath not béen ordained of God that the body and fleshe onely should suffer punishment but also the soule Sithe then that man was iudged and condemned bicause of his synne to suffer euerlastyng punishment both in body and soule It was also requisite that Christe for a full satisfaction for our synnes shoulde suffer the same that we shoulde haue suffered Whiche thyng he had not doen if he had not suffered punishment as well in the soule as in the bodie Whervpon they do conclude that as he hath suffred in the body here vpoÌ„ the earth so he did also suffer in soule beneath in hell that the satisfaction might be whole perfect and full And of this opinion many of the auncient and late writers haue been Bede maketh mention of it in a certaine place not affirmyng that it was so but alledgyng onelie the opinion of some and yet without namyng
words are most diligently to be noted and marked â–ª for many comfortable lessons may be learned of them to the quietyng of our owne consciences and to the greate comfort of our soules First and formost we learne that they shal take holde by faithe vpon the glad ioyfull tidynges of our sauation 〈◊〉 in his worde how that our sauiour Iesus Christ did bring into this worlde beléeue that God who did sende him is become a most mercifull louing father vnto vs being alwaies ready for his sonne Iesu christes sake who by his death hath pacified his wrath and made attonement 〈◊〉 hym and vs to receiue vs vnto his mercie and to pardone 〈◊〉 all ouâ— synnes haue already euerlastyng life beyng as sure of it as if they were alreadie in full possession of it triumphyng with their head in the glorious kindome of heauen For we do receiue it already in this life by faith we are already possessed of it by hope we are therin already coÌ„firmed by holines of life But how could it be verified that the faithfull beleeuers haue euerlastyng life as beyng already in full possession of it if after their death and departyng out of this life they must be broyled and rosted in their Purgatorie fire by the space of .vij. yeres for euerie sinne that they haue committed in this life if their doctrine be true it were in a maner better for them that they had neuer béen borne For thei say that the fire of purgatorie doeth differ nothyng from the vnquenchable fire of hel sauing only that the one is euerlasting and the other lasteth but for a tyme Is this the blesfull reste that the holy ghoste dothe promise vnto them that die in the Lorde that is to saie in the faith of the onely begotten sonne of God our Sauiour Christe The spirite saieth that they shall after their death reste from their labours verely that were a poore resse if when a man hath toyled and laboured all the daie long he should bee faine to lye all night in a whotte burnyng Ouen I iudge he would not be very hastie to goe vnto his rest Secondly here we shal marke that the true beléeuers shal not come into iudgement of condemnation that is to saâ—e nothyng shal be laide to their chardge no sinnes shal be imputed vnto them but through faithe in the onely begotten sonne of God they shal be accounted as righteous as if they had neuer committed any offence For why Christ our Sauiour is made vnto them righteousnes sanctification and redemption how can it be then that they must suffer such greeuous paines in a fire whiche is altogether like vnto hell fire as they saie if no iudgement shal be geuen against them No offendour is wont to suffer punishment excepte he be iudged and condemned to it But the trueth it selfe doeth saie that thei that beléeue shal not come into iudgement or condemnation whervnto the Appostle doth say Nulla igitur nunc est condemnatio his qui insiti sunt christo Iesu qui non iuxta carnem versantur sed iuxta spirituÌ„ That is to say there is now no condemnation to them that are in christ Iesu whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the spirite They therfore which doe saie and affirme that the faithfull shall in the other worlde suffer the paines and punishementes that are due to their offences and synnes are directly against the Scriptures and worde of God. Laste of all this aâ—e we assured of that they whiche take holde vpon the mercie of God declared vnto vs in our sauiour Iesu Christe are alreadie passed from death to life meanyng thereby that they bee deliuered from the styng and power of death whiche is synne and from all the penalties that are belongyng vnto it and that there remayned no more after this mortall life but to enioye and possesse that eternall euerlastyng life that the onely begotten sonne of god hath so dearely bought and purchased vnto vs whiche thyng the holy Scripture doth declare and set forth vnto vs by many goodly comfortable examples for there doe we reade that as soone as the poore Lazarus was deade his soule was by the handes of the Angels caried vp into the bosome of Abraham that is to saie into ioye and felicitie Againe as soone as the théefe that hong on a Crosse by christ did say remember mee O Lorde when thou commest into thy kyngdome straight waies our sauiour Christe gaue hym this most comfortable aunswere verely I saie vnto thée to daie thou shalt be with mee in Paradise that is to saie in my heauenly kingdome for so christ praied his father as Iohn recordeth in his Gospell saiyng â–ª father I wil that they which thou haste geuen me be with mee euen where I am that thei maie behold my glory So likewise the wise man in his boke nay rather the spirite of god in the wise man saith the soules of the righteous are in the hande of God and no torment shal touche them And whereas they doe bryng here a tricke of their wicked and vngodly sophistry saiyng that the théefe did obtaine this frée pardon at Christes handes by a singuler priuiledge which al men must not looke to enioy for priuiledges as the Lawiers be wont to saie be not common to all men I doe aunswere that no man is saued but by priuiledge whiche doth onely parteine vnto the true and faithfull beleeuers and not to the vnfaithfull and reprobate in comparison of whom the chosen and elect of god are very fewe in number for though many be called yet fewe are chosen and elected to these few doth the priuiledge of the childreÌ„ of god belong and not vnto all men so that the Lawiers saiyng shall also be verified in this pointe as then the poore Lazarus and also the in reste and quietnes and the soules of the vngodly 〈…〉 punishmentes vntill the bodies of those doe â—se againe vnto life euerlastyng and the bodies of â—hese vnto eternall death whiche is also called the seconde deaâ—h 〈…〉 plainely doth he yet in an other place 〈…〉 befoâ—e our eyes the whole substaunce of the matter when he saieth 〈…〉 locum fides catholicorum diuina 〈◊〉 regnum 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 Secundum gehennam Vbi omnis apostatâ— vel à christi fide alienus aeterna supplicia experietur Tertium penituâ— ignoraâ—â—◠〈◊〉 nec esse in scripturis sanct◠〈◊〉 That is 〈◊〉 the faithe of the catholiques by the diuine 〈…〉 that there is the kingdome of heauen And secondly 〈…〉 is a hell fire wherin all Apostates and all they that be 〈◊〉 from the faithe of Christe â–ª do sâ—ffeâ— tormentes and paynes No thirde plaie at all doe we know nor finde in the holy Scriptures And 〈…〉 place â–ª he 〈…〉 saieth he 〈…〉 places the one 〈◊〉 the euerlastyng kyngdom and the other 〈◊〉 the eternall 〈◊〉 And againe
firste would sainct Augustine haue left it out thinke you or at least â–ª neuer to haue spoken woorde of it in this place hauyng suche an occasion and oportunitie as he had in entreatyng of the beleife I can neuer beleue that for of al the old writers he was moste precise and vigilante in suche poinctes of Religion that touched faithe So that it must euidently appeare that it was putte in by some aftercommers as Erasmus before hath saied Whereby we maie vnderstande the care of the godlie ones then that woulde not putte foorth or affirme any thyng whiche could not bee proued by the Scriptures So Hierome saieth Omne quod loquimur debemus affirmare de scripturis sanctis What soeuer we affirme we must proue it by the holie scriptures For Augustine saieth Sine scripturarum autoritate nihil definiendum est Nothyng is to bee determined or affirmed without the aucthoritie of the holie and sacred scriptures And likewise Saincte Paule saieth Now is the righteousnesse of God made manifeste without the Lawe hauyng witnesse of the Lawe and of the Prophetes Whereby is gathered that all truthe and righteousnesse of Gods Religion and our faith in the redemption of his sonne muste haue the witnesse of the Lawe and the Prophetes that is to saie the holie Scriptures will euer acknowledge and allowe it And whereto it giueth no witnesse that is alwaies false and erronious For as sainct Hierome saieth Hoc quia ex sacris literis authoritatem non habet eadem facilitate refellitur qua probatur Seyng this saieth he speakyng againste those Fathers that did affirme that that Zacharie whiche Christ spake of beyng the sonne of Barachie was Iohn Baptists father hath no aucthoritie out of the scriptures it maie bee as easely denied as affirmed Therefore I saie searche the holy scriptures as they of Berea did as coÌ„cernyng this matter in question and yet thou shalte neuer bee able to finde there that euer Christe our Sauiour in bodie or soule descended into hell after his death to the place of the daÌ„pned or into any Limbo Onely thou shalt finde there that he died and rose againe the thirde daie c. Some will here replie and saie What sir you saie not truely Are there not scriptures sufficient to proue he descended into hell although there are sondrie places yet there are fower principall places as in the Psalmes in Zacharie in the Actes of the Apostles and in Saincte Peters Epistle I praie you saie thei is it not writen in the Psalme thus Non derelinques animam meam in inferno I doe graunte it is so written but it followeth not hereby to proue that his soule or that Christes soule should goe vnto hell the place of the damned for soule in this place doeth not signifie the soule of Christe but it signifieth the bodie or persone of Christe and by hell he vnderstandeth not the place of the damned but the graue or sepulchre and therefore Stephanus translation hath Non relinques corpus meuÌ„ in sepulchro thou shalte not leaue my bodie or persone in the graue So hath the Tygurian translation also For this Hebrue woorde Nâ—pesch signifieth a bodie or person as you maie reade in Leuiticus and in Numeri Also for this worde Soule in that place and many others is taken for the whole naturall man for we reade in Genesis that all the soules that came with Iacob into Egypt whiche came out of his loynes were in the whole thréescore and sixe foules that is thréescore and sixe persons or bodyes And in the Actes it is sayde There were added to the Churche by Peters Sermon about thrée thousande soules that is thrée thousand persons And so Peter vseth the same when he saith Wherein fewe that is eight soules were saued in the water that is eight persons or bodyes S. Paul also vseth that worde saying Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers c. That is let euery body or person be subiect c. By this you may soone perceaue what Dauid meaneth by this word soule that it shoulde not lye in the graue for euer but shoulde rise vp againe So Iob saieth in matter one although in other wordes where he saieth Though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet I shall see God in my fleshe As for this worde Hell it is taken in diuers significations in the Scriptures as you may â—ée in my booke where I do intreate of this article but in this place it signifieth not the place of the damned but the graue wherein he was buryed So likewise S. Cyprian dâ—eth expounde that worde hell saying Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur esse in eo quod sepultuâ— dicitur That is howbeit there séemeth to be the same strength of the worde hell in that he is sayde to haue béen buryed As for the place of Zacharie where he saieth Thou also shalt be saued through the blood of thy couenaunt I haue loosed thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water serueth litle and nothyng at all for the proofe of Christes descention into hell For the Prophetes meanyng is in that place that God saueth his Churche by the blood of Christe whereof the blood of the sacrifices was a figure and is here called the couenaunt of the Churche which he did make with Abraham promisyng vnto him that all nations should be blessed in his séede which is our sauiour Christ. And so Zacharie compareth the babylonicall ouerthrowe wherein the people was oppressed to a drie pyt So that he vnderstandeth by the prisoners not any soules in hell but the children and seruauntes of God which were and are captiues vnder Sathan the deuyll mans enemie who was prefigured before by that cruell tyraunt Pharao and by the king of Babylon And by the waterlesse pit he vnderstandeth the goulfe of all miseries calamities whence it is impossible for man to come out by any meanes without the helping hande and out stretched arme of Gods almightie power And that you shall not thinke this to be of my owne exposition I wyll shewe you what S. Augustine saith vppon this place Alio loco ad ipsum Christum in spiritu Propheâ—ia loquens de remissioâ—e peccatorum per eius sanguinem Tu quoque inquit in sanguine Testamenti tui â—misisti vinctos tuos de lacu in quo non est aqua Quid per hunc locum velit intelligi possunt diuersa sentiri etiam secundum rectam fidem Mihi autem videtur non eo significari melius nisi humanae miseriae siâ—cam profundiâ—atem quodammodo sterilem vbi non sunt fluentia iustitiae sed iniquitatis lucum Dâ— hoc quippe lacâ—â— in psalmo dicitur eduxit me de lacu miseriae de luâ—â— lâ—mi that is to saie And in an other place speakyng of the spirite of prophecie vnto Christe hym selfe touchyng the remission of synnes through his blood
imagined also about this particle he descended into hell whiche wee haue shewed to bee an addition to the Crede tellyng what persones Christe did bryng from hell and whom he did leaue there still and what thynges with what woordes he did speake to euery one of the Circles c. Therefore he saieth Tibi satis est profiteri Christum sic descendisse ad inferos quemadmodum sentit scriptura c. It is sufficient for thée saieth he to professe that Christe did so descende to helle as the scripture meaneth For we muste vnderstande Christ beyng from the beginnyng head and gouernour of his Churche came in the daies of Noe not in body which then he had not but in spirite and preached by the mouth of Noe to the disobedieÌ„t which would not then repent and therefore nowe are reserued to the last iudgement For Paul saieth Iesus Christe yesterday and to day the same is also for euer as if he woulde say Christ was and shall be the foundation of all his Church for euer Peter also saith The prophecie came not in olde time by the wyll of man but holie men of God spake as thei were moued by the spirite of God Wherevpon I saie as the sonne of GOD did preache in his spirite to theim that were in prisone as Peter saith that is to them that were then in the prison of their sinnes that thei should repent as we haue before written so be saued Euen so now at this day he is quickened in the spirite and by the same spirite continually doeth preache and teache by his ministers vnto the worldes ende to those people that are in the prisone of synne ignoraunce and disobedience to tourne them to the Lorde that euery one that beleueth maie bee saued This is the verie meanyng of this place therefore we muste not gather or descante vpon bare wordes and take them literally as we liste But wee must gather of the cause For so saieth saincte Hillarie Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed rei est sermo subiectus That is The meanyng of woordes is to bee gathered by the causes of the speakyng for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Erasmus saieth that some came after and seemed to gather out of the Scriptures some sentences whereto thei added some reasons Non illas quidem adamantinas But not those reasons saieth he verelie moste strong but suche as are of no weighte And after that he hath recited vp all the places that seme to make for Christes soule to haue descended into helle the place of the dampned he concludeth saiyng Verùm horum nihil est quod cogat credere Christi animam per se decendisse ad tartarum siâ—e vt illi loquuntur ad Limbum That is There is none of all those aucthorities of scriptures that maie constraine any to beleue that the soule of Christe wente doune by hym self personally to hell or as thei call it to Lymbum Hereunto agreeth one Pampolitanus that saieth In inferno igitur damnatorum pro peccato actuali Christus non fuit quia vt ipse dicit inter vos nos chaos magnum statutum est c. Sicut enim coelum Empyrium est locus gloria Ita infernus est locus aeterne poenae Sicut ergo damnatus non potest ascendera coelum Empyrium Ita nullus saluatus potest descendere in locum damnatorum ergo neque Christus That is to saie In the hell of the dampned for actuall synne committed Christe was not for because he saieth Betwene you vs there is a great goulfe set c. For as the Emperiall heauen is a place of glorie So hell is a place of extreme paine and punishemente Therefore as the dampned cannot ascende into the Emperiall heauen So none of the saued can descende into the place of the dampned Therefore muche lesse christ By whiche testemonies it is plaine agreable to the worde of God that Christes soule after his death neuer wente doune to helle the place of the dampned or into any Lymbum but it went directly into heauen as he did commende it vpon the Crosse. The reason that moueth men to iudge that his soule weÌ„t into helle is for that thei supposed all the soules of the righteous before Christes commyng wente doune to helle And of this grosse iudgemente was saincte Augustine Origene Hierome Chrisostome Gregorie Folengius c. And therefore thei affirmed that Christes soule did fetche out Adam Eue Abel Seth Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob c. Howe farre wide all thei were from the truthe herein it maie easely appere by the sacred Scriptures For there it is fullie expressed that the Churche of Christ did beginne froÌ„ the creation of the worlde and from the firste righteous man that euer was and that it shall continue and indure vnto the laste daie for euer For the Churche of the Patriarkes and Prophettes that haue been before Christes commyng is all one with the Churche of his Apostles and Euangelistes and the faithfull of the olde Testamente and the faithfull of the newe are all one people and one Churche thei haue had all one God one Christe and the very same promises Thei haue had all one spirite of faith and haue all eaten of one spirituall foode and drunke of one spirituall drinke with vs So saieth Leo. Misteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt quuÌ„ fides qua viuimus nulla fuerit aetate diuersa That is Their Sacramentes by reason of the tyme were diuerse when as the faithe by the whiche wee all liue in no age was diuerse So saieth saincte Augustine likewise SacrameÌ„ta illa fuerunt in signis diuersa in rebus quae significabaÌ„tur pariae that is Their Sacramentes in outward signes were diuerse from oures but as concernyng the thynges whiche thei did signifie are equall and one with oures Tunc Christus venturus modo Christus venit venturus venit diuersa verba sunt sed idem Christus That is Then was Christ shall come nowe is Christ is come Shall come and is come are sundrie wordes But Christe is all one wherevpon I maie well conclude that all the faithfull in the olde Testament and the faithfull in the newe haue had and haue now but one place of reste and ioy to bee receiued in after their life Chrisostome herein saieth That the bosome of Abraham was vnto the poore Lazarus Paradise or heauen Some wil replie saieth he in Paradise but I confesse also the holie Paradise c. Now gentle Reader vnderstande that the promise was made vnto Adam touching the seede of the womaÌ„ that should breake the Serpentes head and that hath been confirmed againe and more plainely set forth vnto the other Patriarkes and especially vnto Abraham and Dauid all thei I saie that did giue credite
for vs he therefore had a loue to vs euen then when wee were enemies to hym and wrought wickednesse Therefore after a marueilous and diuine maner he loued vs euen then when he hated vs For he hated vs in that we were suche as he had not made vs and because our wickednesse had on eche side wasted awaie his woorke he knewe how in euery one of vs bothe to hate that whiche our selues had made and to loue that whiche he had made Thus farre Augustine Whereby we haue to learne what a comfortable doctrine the Predestination of GOD is whiche many can not abide of whom saincte Paule long before spake of Also howe so euer we bee synners by our owne faulte yet we remaine his creatures And howsoeuer we haue purchased death to our selues yet he made vs vnto life So is he moued by méere and free louyng of vs to receiue vs and also to reconcile vs by his sonne Christ into his fauour Therefore in respecte of our corrupte nature and then of euil life added vnto it truely we are in displeasure of God guiltie in his sight and borne to dampnation of hell But because the lorde will not loose that whiche is his in vs he findeth yet somewhat that he of his onely goodnesse maie loue vs without any goodnesse or worthinesse that is in vs through his Sonne Christe our onely Sauioure To this saincte Augustine saieth Due res sunt homo peccator Quod audis homo fecit deus Quod audis peccator ipse homo fecit dele quod fecisti vt deus saluet quod fecit oportet vt oderis in te opus tuum ames in te opus dei Theâ—e are twoo thynges Man and Synner That thou hearest man God made it That thou hearest synner Man hymself made take awaie that thou haste made that God maie saue that he hath made It behoueth that thou hate in thy self thine owne woorke that thou maiest loue the woorke of God in thee Hereto Dauid saieth Beholde I was borne in iniquitie and in synne hath my mother coÌ„ceiued me Pourge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washe me and I shall bee whiter then Snowe â–ª c. This doctrine well waighed will easely teache vs that all the righteous Soules departed in the faithe before Christes commyng were in heauen And therefore no neede for Christe his soule to goe into hell to fetche them out for in that place thei neuer were nor none of Goddes predestinate and electe children was or euer shall bee For whom the Lorde euer loued saieth the Scripture be loueth vnto the ende Nowe if any man should aske me when Christe wente downe to hell I will aunswere hym When he praied to escape death he began to goe downe and so all his sufferynges that he suffered afterwarde in bodie and soule for our synnes was his goyng into hell For he felt the burden and waight of Gods wrathe for our iniquities in suche sort that no paine tormente griefe sorrowe nor punishement that euer synne and disobedience had deserued in hell But that it was laied vpon Christ for vs to bryng vs vnto God whiche paines and torments he felt in his bodie and soule Wherby we maie gather how greeuous and terrible tormentes he suffred wheÌ„ he knewe himselfe to be arained for our cause before the iudgemente seate of god For there can bee imagined no more dreadfull bottomelesse depth then for one to féele hymself forsaken and estraunged from God and not to bee hearde when he calleth vpon hym euen as if God hymself had conspired his destruction Euen thither wee see that Christe was throwne downe so farre that by inforcemente of paine and tormentes of hell did sweate and his sweate was like droppes of bloud trickelyng doune to the grounde And he was compelled to cry out My God my GOD why haste thou forsaken me c. Here thou maiest note that in the Crede we reade not in the singuler nomber descendit ad infernum hee descended into hell as thoughe it did speake of a place certaine where into he was gone but in the plurall nomber descendit in inferna he descended into the helles Comprehendyng all that was before saied in many woordes how he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried in this one woorde helles Now gentle Reader I praie thee not to take me in this my writyng that I dooe deny this Article of Christes descendyng into hell for I doe constantly beleue it and will in no wise God willyng denye it but affirme that he descended into hell accordyngly But of the maner of his descension into hell is our question They saie his soule went downe thither whiche thei can not proue by the woorde of God and therfore I can not beleue it But I saie this that the force efficacie and strength of his death and passion did pearce vnto the damned soules in hell through his diuine power and godheade to the greater increase and certifiyng of their eternall and iust damnation For I saie vnto thée in the worde of God and lye not that all Christes sufferynges sorrowes and passions that he sustained here for vs vpon the earth and vpon the Crosse in body and in his soule for our sinnes was his going downe into the helles â–ª Wherefore let vs constantly beleeue this that he was once in the flesh a verie man like vnto vs in al thing sinne only excepted and came downe for vs men and for our saluation that he did verely suffer passion of bodie and soule that he hath verely died and been buried And that he hath been verely reuiued againe and the verie same soule retourned againe into his owne naturall bodie and after did ascende vp into heauen and there sitteth on the right hande of the father to make daiely and continuall intercession for all his electe and to saue all them that come to God by hym c. As many therfore as be Christians haue giuen their faith vnto Christ in their Baptisme vnder the witnesse of a greate meany There they promised to forsake the fleshe the world and the deuill If now thei will bee at league with the synner and at agreement with the deuill and the euill doer thei haue broken their firste promise and are founde vnfaithfull for wherevnto thei are ouercome his seruauntes thei are whether it bee of synne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse And for their faithe thus violated giuen vnto the immortall God God againe will breake with them his couenaunte of mercie if in tyme thei repente not Lette vs holde therefore vnitie in doctrine Secondlie vniuersalitie in ioynyng of voyces Thirdlie consente in spirite and iudgement For the Papistes haue tourned vnitie to diuision Uniuersalitie to singularitie Consente to open and plaine discention And so vnder the name of the faithe thei persecute the faithe c. For if thou doest forsake Christes Shippe and wilt rowe
in the Popes Boate his Oares will directly rowe thée to that hauen and porte where doctour Storie of late caste his Anker and brake his necke and for that his handes were haltered he gaue all traiterous Papistes the Popes blessyng with his heeles at Tybourne An ende and blessyng mooste meete for all sortes of Papistes God of his mercie quickely conuerte theim that are aliue or els good Lorde sende a merie winde to blowe them all into that course that Felton and Storie before haue runne For I am fullie perswaded that what soeuer he bee high or lowe riche or poore that holdeth with any Popishe or Papisticall doctrine he is a rancke traitour in his harte and when tyme serueth it will so fall out in proofe as daiely experieÌ„ce teacheth vs by our late traiterous rebelles whiche soughte the suppressyng of the faithe of Christe the ouerthrowe of the Queenes Maiestie and vtter desolation of this our Realme If the almightie Lorde had not preuented them of his mercie towardes vs. What resteth now but that we loue God and his worde and obeye our Queene and her Magistrates and also to consider our waies and sée whether wee walke as he hath taught vs For there is no heauen but his dwellyng place no walkyng vnto it but by his coÌ„maundementes and his commaundementes no where to be founde but in the holy Scriptures which he hath left vs Next vnto Gods glory we haue nothing so precious as the sauegarde of our soules And where shal we finde it but in the worde of god And here I make an ende of this my long preface most heartely besechyng thée to accepte in good parte this simple and rude worke of myne consider my good meanyng and wyll towardes the buildyng of Gods Churche who woulde haue giuen thée better if better he had in store I must warne thée not to looke in this booke for the pleasaunt speache of Isocrates nor the high stile of Demosthenes nor for the excellent dignitie of Plato nor the eloquent wordes of Cicero or for the reuerende maiestie of Theucidides For then thou wilt foulie be deceiued But for bare and simple wordes for I seeke not goods but God not gasinges but gayne not prayse but profite not mony but men Therefore gentle and freendly reader if thou receiue any fruicte of my labours helpe mée with thy prayers to God our Father in the name of his Soonne and our onely Sauiour In readyng hereof let reason leade thée lette the aucthorities perswade thée and let trueth enforce thée GOD of his mercie quickely conuerte or soone ouerthrowe al his enimies and the Quéenes fooes that holde of any doctrine contrarie to the true and christian faith Confounde all errours O Lorde giue the victory to thy trueth and glory to thy holy and blessed name now and for euer Amen ¶ Fare well Gentle Reader from Redcliffe in Bristoll ¶ Thy poore brother in Christ Iohn Northbrooke Preacher ¶ The contentes of all the Chapiters OF Gods creation and gouernaunce of all thinges of Christes conception and birth of his death and passion c. Cap. 1. fol. 1. Christes death and passion is a sufficient sacrifice for all mankinde Cap. 2. fol. 2. The meanes whereby the death and sacrifice of Christ may be applied vnto vs. Cap. 3. fol. 3. Of Christes burial and the profite that we haue gotâ—en therby Cap. 4. fol. 4. How many wayes this worde hell is taken in the scripture and after what maner Christ descended into hell Cap. 5. fol. 5. Reasons and argumentes of those that holde that Christe went downe to hell in his soule Aunswered Cap. 6. fol. 7. Christ is our true Purgatorie and the Papists purgatorie is falle Ca. 7. fo 9. Popishe purgatorie is flat against the worde of god For it maketh Christes death and passion of litle or none effect Cap. 8. fol. 11. Against praying for the dead and apparations of the dead after their departing hence Cap. 9. fol. 14. Children that are dead borne or dye before that they can come to baptisme not damned nor yet go into the Popishe Lymbe Cap. 10. fol. 15. What comfort we haue gotten by Christes rising from death againe and that it shoulde be vnto vs as a glasse in this life Cap. 11. fol. 31. Of Christes ascention into heauen and howe it is saide that he fitteth at the right hand of god c. And after what maner he is here amongst vs. ca. 12. fo 34 Christes humane body can be but in one place at once and not in many and diuers places Cap. 13. fol. 37. Against Popishe transubstantiation Cap. 14. fol. 40. what it is to be guiltie of the body and blood of Christ. Cap. 15. fol 47. The â—acrament ought to be ministred to all the people in both kindes Cap â–ª 16. fol. 49. Against worshipping of the Sacrament Cap. 17. fol 56. How the vnworthy receauers are guiltie of the body and blood of Christe although he be not corporally in the Sacrament Cap. 18. fol. 59. whether the papistes haue still the same bodie in the Sacrament that was geuen vpon the Crosse. Cap. 19. fol. 61. Against the carnall presence of Christ in the Sacrament Cap. 20. fol. 64. The wicked dooe neither eate nor drinke the bodie and blood of Christe Cap. 21. fol. 66. The true exposition of these wordes Hoc est corpus meum and that Sacraments are called by those names whereof they are Sacraments Cap. 22. fol. 68. The godlie in the olde lawe did eate and drinke the same fleshe and blood of Christ that we do nowe in the newe Testament Cap. 23. fol. 78. What comfort we haue by Christes ascention into heauen Cap. 24. fol. 79. Against praying and intercession to Saintes Cap. 25. fol. 80. Christ is both our mediatour of saluatioÌ„ and also of intercessioÌ„ Ca. 26. fo â—2 The principall argumentes that the papistes alledge for praying to Saintes Aunswered Cap. 27. fol. 85. Howe and wherein we ought to honour the Saintes Cap. 28. fol. 98. Of Christes comming to iudgement in the last daie Cap. 29. fol. 99. To whoÌ„ the sharpe sentences of the scriptures are terrible Cap. 30. fol. 102. The subtile meanes that Satan vseth to bring vs into securitie Cap. 31. fol. 104. The Pope is Antechriste and that man of sinne which shal be reuealed before Christes comming to iudgement Cap. 32. fol. 107. The strength operation of the holy ghost working in vs. Ca. 33. fo 108. What is the true Churche of God and where it is Cap. 34. fol. 111. Christe is the head of his Churche and not the Pope Cap. 35. fol. 112. All the Apostles had equall power to binde and to loose with Peter and the keyes were equally deliuered to them all Cap. 36. fol. 113. The true Churche of Christ is but as a witnesse to the worde of God adding nothing to it nor taking ought from it Cap. 37. fol. 117. The true Churche is knowen by the worde of God. Cap. 38. fol.
also the woordes of our Sauiour he that heareth my woorde and beleueth in hym that sente me hath life euerlastyng he shall not come into condemnation or iudgemente but is passed from death to life Whervpon I do conclude that the true preachyng of gods worde apprehended and taken hold of by faithe and the right ministration of the Sacramentes beyng duely and worthely receiued are the onely meanes â–ª whereby this moste worthie Sacrifice should bee applied vnto vs and whereby we should bee putte in full possession of all the benefites of Christes death passion and bloudshedding whiche are iustification before God free remission of our sinnes peace of conscience and life euerlasting Beyng so farre of that their wicked and blasphemous Masse should applie this moste omnisufficient Sacrifice of Christes death vnto vs or that by it we should bee made partakers of the benefites thereof but rather by it the wrathe of God is still more and more kindeled and the death of his onely begotteÌ„ sonne made altogether vnprofitable and of no value vnto vs. Therefore I doe vtterly â—eteste and abhorre it and dooe from my very harte and with all thankfulnesse that can bee possible receiue and embrace those singuler and soueraigne meanes that haue been by Gods prouidence appoincted vnto vs that by them we might be made through faith partakers of all the benefites of the precious death and bloudshedding of his entirely beloued and onely begotten sonne our onely and sufficient sauiour Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ The .iiij. Chapiter ¶ Of Christes buriall and the profite that we haue gotten thereby WHo for a better and more sure confirmation of his death and for to declare and testifie vnto all the worlde that touchyng his manhoode he was deade in deede without any faynednesse or dissimulation for sithe that he muste dye for our synnes if he had not been deade in verie deede wee should haue remained still subiecte vnto euerlastyng death would be taken downe from the crosse and by men of good and honest reporte that is to saie Nichodemus and Ioseph of Aramathia be decently and honourably buried Pontius Pilate who was certified of his death consentyng and agreyng vnto the same laied in a new graue that was he wen out of a rocke or stone and wherein no man was laied before lest it shoulde bee blowen abroade by his enemies and noysed among the people that it was not he that was risen againe but some other man that was there buried before hym or that he was not risen againe by his owne vertue but by the vertue of some holy prophete that was laied there before as he that was caste into the graue of Elizeus was reuiued restored vnto life again as soone as he did touche the deade bones of the Prophete And as for that that he was laied in an other mans graue and not in his owne the same was dooen for to signifie vnto vs that as he was come into our fleshe for to sanctifie it in the whiche he did dye not for his owne but for our sinnes thereby to take awaie the styng of death and to sanctifie our death to the ende that it should bee no more a dreadfull death vnto vs but a ioyfull passage vnto euerlastyng life so would he bee buried in a graue of ours for to sanctifie and open our graues and as it were for to constraine and compell theim to giue vp our bodies againe at the daie of the generall resurrection of al fleshe Againe the graue that he was laied in was newe whiche is a lesson vnto vs that if we will haue Christ to dwell in our hartes we must be no stinckyng graues but put awaie all filthinesse and sâ—incking abhomination we must be made newe creatures altogether and put of the olde Adam whiche is corrupted through the deceiueable lustes and put on that newe man whiche after the Image of God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holinesse And as the same graue was hewen out euen in the rocke so must we if at least we will haue Christe to dwell and continue in vs bee hewen out and created in hym who is that strong and sure rocke that the true Churche and faithfull coÌ„gregation is builded vpon we must be no waueryng children that bee caried with euery winde of doctrine by the wilinesse of men and craftines whereby thei laie awaite for vs to deceiue vs but abide stedfaste in the truthe and growe in hym that is the heade that is to saie Christe Who also would bee buried although he might haue risen againe without any suche thing I meane without the costes and charges of any buriyng for to signifie vnto vs that the misterie signe of the Prophete Ionas was fulfilled in him as he hym self doeth manifestly declare vnto the Iewes for as Ionas was caste into the Sea for to asswage and still the tempeste that was raised and stirred vp by the mightie winde of Gods wrathe and was receiued into the Whales bellie abidyng three daies and nightes in the deepe of the Sea beyng still in the Whales bellie And after three daies was caste out againe vpon the drie lande aliue and without any hurte so it was necessarie that the onely begotten sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Christe for to pacifie and still the wrathe of his father should be cast into the deepe and bottomelesse geulfes of death whiche thought to deuour and swallowe hym vp and that he shoulde be in the bowels of the earth as the Prophete Ionas was in the belly of the Whale and so rise againe the thirde daie Which truely is a misterie that passeth all misteries for who in all the worlde would haue thought that Ionas beyng thus caste into the bottome of the raging Sea should haue escaped death or who would haue beléeued that our sauiour Iesus Christ should in death finde euerlastyng life vnto vs and that after suche opprobriousnes and confusion of the Crosse hauyng been driuen downe euen to very hell gates he should rise againe with such an excellent glory power and maiestie and that by his death the wrath of God should be pacified as the tempeste of the Sea was pacified and ceassed as soone as Ionas was hurled into it that calmenesse should be giuen vnto the troubled consciences of synners peace made betwixt God and men And yet contrarie to the expectation of all the wicked worlde all these thinges I meane euerlastyng life forgiuenes of our synnes the pacifiyng of Gods wrath tranquilitie and peace of conscience and a moste sure attonement betwéene God and vs are mightely purchased vnto vs by the death and buriyng of the onely begotten sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Christe ¶ The .v. Chapter ¶ How many waies this worde hell is taken in Scripture and after what maner Christe descended into hell WHom I doe stedfastlie beléeue to haue descended into hell for whether
of them howbeit I thinke that he did vnderstande Origene Ierome and Tertullian But nowe we will sée howe well this doth agree with the person of Christe our Sauiour Firste and formoste if they will haue the punishmentes paines and tormentes that Christe suffered to be in all pointes corespondent vnto those synners for whom Christ died had deserued it had not been onely necessarie that he shoulde haue suffered here in the body vppon the earth And that the soule should also haue suffered in hell for a while but that hee shoulde haue suffered both in body and soule euerlastyng punishmentes with the damned But God his father did content hymself with the paines and tormentes that he was in for a while hauyng a respecte not onely vnto the paines that he did suffer but vnto his righteousnes innocencie and obedience whiche caused hym to take and allowe the paines whiche our Sauiour Christe did suffer for a tyme as sufficient for to obtaine and purchase vnto the faithfull beléeuers a full deliueraunce from euerlastyng paines and tormentes which thei had deserued through their synnes Moreouer it was no néede at all that the soule of our Sauiour Christe shoulde goe downe into hell for to suffer there for it hath suffered punishment enough here vpon earth sithe that in it I meane in his soule he did beare the same iudgement and condempnation that we had deserued for the bodie did not suffer without the soule yea if the sorowes and paynes of the one could bee separated from the sorowes and paynes of the other whiles the body and soule be ioyned together by life we should haue a iuste occation to saie that the soule did suffer afore the body and that the sorowes and griefes of the body did proceede and come firste of the soule For els what did these wordes meane my soule is heauie vnto the verie death whereof came this wofull sweate that did runne downe to the grounde as droppes of bloud and the complainte that he made to GOD his father in the Garden Wherof did also come that greate feare trouble and horror that he was possessed withall as the Euangelistes doe testifie vnto vs If he had not bene in an extreame agonie and much greater then mans wisdome can comprehende What neede should he haue of the Angels for to comfort hym Againe who would not wonder and marueile to sée christ our sauiour so sore affraide and troubled as the Euangelistes doe set hym foorth vnto vs for the death that he should suffer if he should haue had respect to none other thing but onely vnto the death Doe we thinke that there was lesse hearte lesse corage constancie and manfulnes in our sauiour christe then in many thousande of Martyres that haue gone so ioyfully and merely vnto their death for his sake But what doe I speake of Martyres howe many wicked doers doe we sée daiely goe to their death whiche they haue deserued with their wicked and abhominable doynges moste manfully and with suche a face and countenaunce that ye would thinke that they did goe to a feaste or banquet Shall we saie that the sonne of god had lesse corage then these haue in so good a cause as he did die in It must needes be then that there was some greater thing then death of the Crosse which was at hande somewhat there was I saie that was of more weight and importaunce then that whichâ— did appeare outwardly His body was not yet in the handes of the tormentours he had onely the death before his eyes and as it were an imagination of it whiche troubled hym nothyng so muche as the dreadfull iudgement of God which he knewe he must needes beare When he did then enter into this agonie then did heâ— begynne already to descende and go downe into this horrible hell where he was deteined and kepte a while for our sakes for what greater hell can one imagine to be vnto man than to féele gods wrath throughly kindled against hym to be faine to beare his terrible iudgement and furie and to bee in the same estate that our sauiour Christe was in when he did crie out saiyng My God my God why hast thou forsaken mée Although he was true and naturall God and also true and naturall man so that his godhead could not be separated from his manhoode yet the humanitie was then as if it had been vtterly forsaken of the diuinitie and left succourlesse and as if it had been both in body and soule driuen downe into the bottomlesse pit of hell and geuen ouer of God. Therefore it was no neede that the soule of christ should goe downe after any other sorte for to suffer the paines and tormentes that we had deserued For the places doo not agrauate the paines or make them more heauie and greeuous but the heauie and intollerable burden of Gods wrath and iudgement wheresoeuer it is felte or whersoeuer men are faine to beare it Therefore they that doe affirme that the soule of our sauiour Christ must néedes of necessitie suffer in hell do plainelie declare that they knowe not what hell is nor what our sauiour christ did suffer for them nor yet what the vertue and efficacie of his death and passion is I allowe better the opinion of them whiche saie that this is to be vnderstanded of a spirituall descendyng or goyng downe whereby it was declared and preached through the efficacie vertue and power of christes holy spirite vnto the soules of the reprobate that were in the vnquenchable fire of hell that their vnbeléefe and stubburnnesse was the cause of their eternall and euerlasting damnation and that they should haue no deliueraunce from it by the death and passion of the onely begotten sonne of god our sauiour Iesu Christe where vnto the wordes of sainct Peter seemeth well to agree saiyng Christ hath once suffered for synnes the iuste for the vniust for to bryng vs to God and was killed as pertainyng to the fleshe but was quickened in â—he spirite in whiche spirite he also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prisone whiche were in tymes past disobedient So we perceiue by these wordes of the Apostle that both the damned and saued had alone maner of féeling of the death and passion of Christ but yet to diuers endes for the one that is to the godly that were in Abrahams bosome was certified by the diuine power and godhead of Christe that nowe was the fulnes of tyme come to fill vp the measure of their ioye and euerlastyng saluation that they long looked hoped and thirsted for And to the damned was preached christ crucified but to the encreasing and augmentyng of their owne damnation for that they had no parte or portion by his death of gods fauour But rather an heauie iudgement bicause as S. Paule saieth Christe is Odor mortis ad mortem his c. That is the sauour of death
vnto death to those that beléeue not But howsoeuer men liste to take it this shal be my beléef that the goyng downe of Christ into hell is our deliueraunce from thence For excepte our sauiour Christe had been enuironed and compassed aboute with the sorowes and paines of hell and in a maner ouerwhelmed with them for a while hell would haue swallowed vs vp vnto euerlastyng damnation we should haue perished vtterly both in body and soule wee should neuer haue escaped the tyranny of Sathan nor be healed of the deadly wounde that we haue receiued of that olde venimous serpent the deuill and enimie to our saluation So that I denie not that article of Christes discention but of the maner howe is the question for when it is saide he will not leaue his soule in hell he speaketh not of his discendyng into hell of the damned but that he shal rise againe from the dead that is he shall not leaue hym in death or liyng continuallie in the graue For the soule in that place is taken for the whole naturall man c. For seeke all the scriptures from one ende to a nother and ye shall neuer finde that Christ in body or soule discended into hell but that he died and rose againe the thirde daie accordyng to the Scriptures For you shall note that the East Churche had it not the Counsell of Nicen Creede hath it not nor the Counsell of Ephesus c. But to be short ye shal vnderstande that christ descended into hell three maner of waies Videl Firste in power as when the Uaile of the Temple did rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen and the graues did open them selues and many bodies of the Sainctes whiche slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy Citie and appeared vnto many Secondly in spirite when as he saide my soule is heauy euen vnto the death and when he cried my God my my God why hast thou forsaken mee The thirde in person when as he was laide in the graue as we reade that thei tooke the body of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the maner of the Iewes is to bury Paul saith now in that hee ascended what is it but that he had also descended first into the lower parte of the earth This deare brother is my beleefe grounded vpon the worde of GOD and not vpon men or mens dreames or phantacies And reporte not that I doe denie any article of the faithe God forbid I should wherfore reade with iudgement and with the spirite of mildenes come not pre iudicio but with iudicio Some there be againe that be of opinion that the soule of Christe went not downe into the hell of the damned but that it went onely downe for to deliuer the Patriarkes and other holy fathers of the olde Testament out of the Lymbe ▪ and also for to deliuer the soules of them that were of lesse perfection then the Patriarkes and other holy fathers out of the paines of purgatory where they were kepte for to make satisfaction for those synnes that they had done no penaunce for in this worlde But as for Lymbe I knowe none but Abrahams bosome whiche to saie truely is that moste blessed life whiche they that dye in the faithe that Abraham did shall enioye after this worlde ¶ The .vij. Chapiter ¶ Christe is our true Purgatorie and the Papistes Purgatorie is false AS for Purgatorie I knowe none other but the blood of Iesu Christe our onely sauiour that doth cleanse vs from all our sinnes Againe none other fire doe I know in all the Scriptures that hath any vertue or power to purge synnes but the fire of his holy spirite wherewith he promised to Baptize his elect and chosen and the fire of his sacred and diuine word whereof hym selfe speaketh on this maner ye are cleane bicause of the woorde that I haue spoken vnto you This is true purgatorie wherein all muste be purged afore that they can enter into the kingdome of God. That other Purgatorie that they haue inuented of their owne heades without and against Gods worde is a most deuillishe and abhominable blasphemyng against the merites and bloodshedding of our sauiour Christes death and Passion For by it the onely begotten sonne of God is made an vnperfect sauiour and of lesse aucthoritie power and strength then they will haue that fleshely ydoll of Rome and most pernicious antichriste to be vnto whom they dare attribute and giue full aucthoritie and power to absolue men and to graunte vnto them a ful pardon of all their synnes euen a poena a culpa that is to say to deliuer them not onely from the offence it self but also from the paine or punishment that is due vnto it Whereas poore Christe who hath shed his heart blood for vs and who hath troden the Wine presse alone is scarcely able by their doctrine to forgeue vs our offences at least he cānot release vs of the paine For if it be of his forgeuing we must suffer the paines that be due vnto our synnes in the fire of Purgatorie till we haue made satisfaction for them or till we haue bought them out at the antichristes handes and at the handes of his shauelinges or els we muste make a full satisfaction for them here in this worlde whiles we are here yet a liue if at least we entend for to escape that whot burning fire of theirs So that euery waie Christe shall be but halfe a a Sauiour and God his father a moste abhominable and deceitfull lyer for he saieth at what tyme soeuer a synner doth repent hym of his synne from the bottome of his harte I wil put his wickednes out of my remembraunce so that it shall no more be thought vpon How is this promise fulfilled I praie you if he doe so cruelly punishe our wickednes and offences in the fire of purgatorie after that he hath forgeuen and pardoned them Is this to thinke no more vpon them what can these deuillishe and abhominable Sophisters alledge nowe for them selues will they saie that GOD is a lier and that he doeth not performe and fulfil his promises moste truely either they must saie so what startyng holes soeuer they can finde out or els confesse and acknowledge that their doctrine is most detestable and also blasphemous against the trueth of Gods promises and against the merites of the moste precious death passion and bloodsheddyng of his onely begotten sonne our Sauiour Iesu Christe And in a nother place this moste mercifull Father and bounteous Lorde who is alwaies true and most faithfull in all his promises doeth crie out saiyng I am he I am he that taketh awaie thy wickednes and that for mine owne sake and thy synnes will I remember no more Here
in these fewe wordes which are both so swéete and so comfortable we haue three godly promises First howe that he will take awaie our wickednes our synnes and offences whiche thyng he did already fulfil and performe by the death and passion of his sonne Iesu Christe our Lorde of whom Iohn Zacharias sonne did saie this is the Lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the worlde Doth not this sufficiently teache vs that it is God onely and none other that taketh awaie our synnes and that he doeth it by none other purgatorie but by the blood of his only begotten sonne our sauiour and redéemer The seconde promise is that he will put awaie our sinnes and offences for his owne sake and not for any respecte that he should haue either to the merites of our owne workes or to any satisfaction that we be able to make here in this worlde whiles we be yet aliue for he saieth that he will doe it for his owne sake or for his owne selfe that is to saie of his owne meere goodnes and mercie beyng prouoked thereto by no maner of merites or deseruinges of our behalfe as Paule plainely setteth it out when he saieth Commendat autem suam charitatem erga nos Deus quod cum adhuc essemus peccatores christus pro nobis mortuus fuit That is to saie God setteth out his loue towardes vs seeyng that while we were yet synners Christe died for vs. They therefore that saie that they onely doe escape the paines of purgatory that doe beare here a sufficient penauÌ„ce and make satisfaction for ther sinnes doe most shamefully belye the trueth of Gods promises wherby we are certified and assured that God doeth take awaie our synnes for his owne sake only and not for any merites or satisfaction that we can make either in purgatorie or any where els though we were able to liue Mathusalahes life yea by their owne doctrine as ye shall finde it written in the maister of sentences though all the paines griefes sorowes and torments that euer were suffered by men sence the beginnyng of the world and shal be suffered vnto the laste daie of iudgement were heaped together one vppon a nother yet they should not be able to put awaie the least synne that is committed in this worlde Sainct Augustine saieth very wel acccordyng to the truth in the Psalmes Non tibi deus reddit debitam paenam sed donat indebitaÌ„ gratiam That is to saie God doth not render to thée due punishment but doeth giue to thée his vndeserued grace For as Peter Marter saieth vpon the Romaines Christus enim nobis donatus est gratis nullis intercedentibus nostris meritis Christus autem sibi nos non gratis sed suo sanguine cruce acquisiuit That is to saie Christe is giuen vnto vs freely without any our merites but christ hath gotten vs vnto hym selfe not fréely but by his blood and Crosse. And Sainte Barnarde saieth plainely these words Traditus est enim propter peccata nostra nec dubium quin potentior efficatior sit mors illius in bonum quà m peccata nostra in malum That is to saie He was deliuered vp or died for our synnes neither is it to bee doubted but that his death is mightier and of more force and effect in good towards vs then our synnes in euill As though he in fewe wordes had saide Christes death is more stronger to get saluation to vs then our synnes was to get vs dampnation for wee haue gotten more by our newe Adam then we lost by our olde Adams fal ¶ The .viij. Chapiter ¶ Popishe purgatorie is flat against the worde of god For it maketh Christes death and passion of litle or none effectâ— WHereby we sée plainely that their purgatorie pickpurse is cleane contrarie to the true doctrine of Christes passion for if I maie or can make a satisfaction by suffring of paines in purgatory for my sinnes then Sainct Augustines wordes are false for he should saie he doeth render to thee thy deserued paine or punishment and not to saie he doeth not render to thée thy deserued punishment and againe thy deserued grace not vndeserued grace Saint Barnardes words are not true if I may make or get to my selfe satisfaction by suffering of punishment in purgatory for my synnes for he should haue saide we haue gotten more by our sinnes in sufferyng paine then we haue by Christes death And so consequently payne was more effectuall and strong to vs to obtaine heauen then was Christes passion which suffered for our synnes and therfore synne was good to vs by this reason for through sinne came punishment in purgatorie by punishment commeth life euerlasting as the Papist affirmeth so then we maie saie Christ died in vaine he shed his pretious hart blood in vaine The thirde promise is muche like vnto that whiche hee made before by the prophet Ezechiell he doeth promise here that he will no more remember our sinnes but vtterly forget them and neuer thinke vpon them Whiche is signified vnto vs in many other places of the scripture as when it is saide that the lorde hymselfe will caste awaie our sinnes in to the bottome of the Sea. Againe that as high as the Heauens bee from the earth and as farre of as the East is from the West so farre the Lorde will put awaie our synnes from vs Is it to be thought then that forgettyng his promises he will so tyrannously punishe our sinnes after that he hath once forgiuen and pardoned them and also so substauncially purged them by the onely and true purgatorie whiche is the moste precious blood of his onely begotten sonne our sauiour Christ who beyng the wisdome of the father appointed and ordeined of hym to be our onely teacher and instructour in thinges that parteine to his glory and to our saluation and whose doctrine we ought to content our selues withall doeth make mention onlie of twoo waies of the whiche the one beyng narowe and streight doth leade them that walke in it vnto life and saluation And that the other waie is both wide and broade vnto vtter perdition and death euerlastyng And as he doeth here speake onely of two waies that doth leade eâ—ther to life or destruction so doeth he in Sainct Luke appointe only two sundrie estates and conditions of the dead placing all the faithfull departed in the boâ—ome of Abraham where they were in felicitie and ioye and all the vnfaithfull and reprobates in the vttermost darkenes of hell where the riche glotton was in intollerable tormentes and paines But yet doeth he more liuely stoppe the mouthes of our purgatorie Scullians when he saieth verely verely I saie vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth on hym that sâ—nt mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement or condemnation but is passed from death vnto life These
in smal reputation And therfore that hee might the better shewe and put before our eyes the nature of originall synne and so moue men to haue the Sacramentes in better estimation and reuerence he doth declare that though the litle children haue yet no actuall sinne of their owne notwithstandyng they be not without synne that deserueth death euerlastyng damnation bicause of their corrupted nature whiche thei haue as it were by right of inheritaunce drawen of their fathers and mothers in their conception and birth Wherefore it was well sayde of one Gulielmus that a man is in suche maner conceaued in the wombe as if a man should fall into a mierie déepe and stony place and so shoulde both be drowned be arayed with myre and also be hurte So saieth he by originall synne we are drowned into the darkenesse of ignoraunce we are defiled with lustes and concupiscence and we are wounded in our powers and faculties of the mynde to doe any good For they haue both been conceaued and borne in synne and can be none other but such as the sinfull ofspryng originall is For that is borne of flesh is flesh What can be cleane that commeth of an vncleane seede A woolfe can engender none other then a woolfe nor yet a Serpent any other then a Serpent And as we doe not let to hate yong whelpes of a Woolfe though they haue yet killed no shéepe or the yong ones of a Serpent though they haue not yet cast out their poyson bicause of their wooluishe and poysoned natures So we must iudge that God hath no lesse occasion to hate and condemne vs euen from our mothers wōbe bicause of our peruerse and malitious nature that is engendered within vs. And that we might the better vnderstande that suche corrupted and peruerse nature is in the children and yong infantes euen from their mothers wombe the holy ghost doeth testifie vnto vs by the mouth of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul that they are also subiect vnto death whiche is the first fruicte and rewarde of synne Whosoeuer was then aucthour of this booke he had a good cause to aggrauate or set foorth to the vttermost this naturall corruption and to saie that not onely they that be of age but also the very infantes and children are euen from their mothers wombe guiltie of euerlasting damnation when thei die without Baptisme if he doe vnderstande by it the grace and mercie of God and the pourgyng that we haue in the blood of our sauiour Iesu Christe whiche by baptisme is signified and represented vnto vs and also communicated vnto the chosen and elect of God. And verely I thinke that he did so vnderstande it For if he will after the rigour of the letter take there baptisme for the visible signe and outwarde ceremonie I would in no wise hold with hym sith that he alledgeth no sufficient auctorities of the scriptures for to proue and confirme this saiyng of his which is both so rigorous and so repugnaunt vnto the goodnesse and grace of God as it hath been already sufficiently proued But I doe rather iudge that he doeth vnderstande by baptisme the vertue and efficacie of the blood of Christe whiche is signified and represented vnto vs by the visible signe and outwarde ceremony wherby neuerthelesse is signified and comprehended all the whole vertue of the true baptisme of Christe after the phrase and maner of speaking that the Scripture is wont to vse For in it the signe and the figure are many tymes taken for the thynges that are signified and represented bicause that the scripture doeth moste chiefly speake vnto the faithfull which do not receiue the sacramentes in vaine without the spirituall thyng that is represented by them And therefore the Apostle saieth all ye that are baptized are apparelled or clothed with Christe Simon Magus was baptized outwardly by Philip and yet I doe not beleeue that euer he had put on our sauiour Christe and that he was apparelled with him Neuerthelesse S. Luke who hath written the historie saieth that he did beléeue vsing the common phrase and maner that men doe vse commonly speakyng of thinges as they doe appeare outwardely and leauyng the iudgement of the hearte vnto god Whiche phrase and maner of speakyng is also customably vsed in the Scriptures And therefore Sainct Augustine and other auncient writers doe expounde this place of Sainct Luke after this sort and maner he did beléeue that is to say he did fayne him selfe to beléeue Now these thinges being diligently considered and weighed all men may easily perceyue what ought to be the right vse of the Sacramentes what ought to be the true baptisme and the true regeneration or newe birth of man Whiche if they do once vnderstande perfectly and well they shall be no more in doubt nor yet in any perplexitie touching the litle infantes and children that dye without baptisme but will leaue them in the handes of God and commit them to his bounteous goodnesse and mercis and so endeuour them selues that they them selues may be of the number of the faithfull the children of the euerlasting Testament wherein god hath promised that he will be our God the God of our séede after vs. If they do so they may be sure that God wyll according to his promise saue them and their children though he taketh them away in the very mothers belly or before that they can receiue the outward and visible baptisme which is but a signe of the spirituall and inwarde washing wherewith God is able him selfe to baptize the young infantes children of his faithfull seruauntes assoone as they begin to liue in the mothers wombe Againe they shall if they be once brought to this poynt espie out the deuillishe and abhominable errour of them that did cary their styll borne children vnto idols for to obteyne life vnto them as to our Ladye of Ipswiche and to our Ladye of Walsingham to Ioseph of Aramathia to Saint Rocke and to such other It ought to suffice nowe at this tyme that the soule of our sauiour Iesus Christ is deliuered from the paynes of the vnquencheable fire of hell and the poore séely soules of the christians that dye in the Lorde put out of pickpurse Purgatorie and brought into the heauenly rest and that the wofull prison that the papistes did builde for the poore children and infantes of the faithfull that be styll borne or dye without baptisme is quite ouerthrowen to their owne shame that deuised the place and to the comfort of the séely infantes in the euerlasting habitation so that in despite of all popishe heartes there shall remayne no more but heauen and hell as it is sufficiently declared vnto vs by the wordes and example of our Sauiour Iesu Christ. All these good benefites haue we gotten by Christes precious death bloodshedding and buryall such comfort I say that tongue can not expresse such
I am with you alwaies vnto the worlds ende can not be vnderstanded of the naturall presence of his fleshe but of his diuinitie and godhead onely ¶ The .xiij. Chapiter ¶ Christes humane body can be but in one place at once â–ª and noâ— in many and diuers places NOW will I come to their gaie painted reason whereby they goo aboute to proue that whersoeuer the diuinitie and godhead of Christe is â–ª there muste his manhoode be also bicause that they bee so ioyntly ioyned together that thei cannot be separated one from another But I entende God willyng tâ— proue nowe â—oth by naturall reason by the Scriptures and also by the auncient Fathers that it is not the propertie and nature of those thynges that be so ioyntly ioyned together that the one can not bee separated from the other that wheresoeuer the one is there the other must be also For first and formost the body of the sonne and light of it are so ioyntly ioyned together that the one caÌ„not be separateâ— from the other yet it foloweth not that whersoeuer the light of the sonne is there the body of the sonne must be also And herevpon may I gather a goâ—â—y similitude 〈◊〉 yâ—méete for our purpose For as the Sonne 〈…〉 in the â—lement according to the order that God hath appointed among his creatures doth with his light refreshe comfort quicken and viuifie all thynges here vppon the earth so our Sauiour Christe Iesus who is the true sonne of righteousnesse beyng still vntill the tyme that GOD hath appointed on the right hand of his father touchyng his manhode that is to say aboue in heauen in the place of beatitude felicitie and ioye raigning there with the father in coequall glory and maiesty doth continually assiste ayde and comforte his Church by his holy spirite beyng alwaies present with his electe and chosen by his diuine maiestie prouidence and inuisible grace whom he doth not cease through his almightie power the spirite beyng the worker of it to féede still with the wholsome foode of his most precious fleshe and blood And yet as it were moste noysome and hurtefull vnto all the whole earth if we had here belowe the bodie of the sonne so is it not expedient that the churche and congregation of the faithfull should haue Christe still present here touchyng his humanitie and manhoode For so saieth he hymselfe It is expedient for you that I goe hence for vnlesse I goe awaie the comforter shall not come Againe they can not deny but that the eye and the sight of it be so ioyintly and inseparably ioyned together that as long as the eye is whole and sounde the one can not be separated from the other will they saie therefore that the eye is in all places that the sight doeth reache too Seueritie and mercie are in God so ioyntely ioyned together that the one cannot be separated from the other and yet they that feele his seueritie doe not feele his mercie that is to saie whom he doeth accordyng to his righteous iudgement punishe euerlastingly in hel fire them doeth hee vtterly banishe and put awaie from his bounteous goodnes and mercie But nowe will I come to the Scriptures and worde of God. When our Sauiour Christe did talke with Nicodemus where was hee touchyng his humanitie and manhood in heauen or in earth I am sure that they will not saie that he was in heauen And yet he saith No man ascendeth into heaueÌ„ but he that came downe from heauen the sonne of man that is in heauen Here do we manifestlie see that the Godhead of Christe was then in heauen and yet no man will saie that his humanitie and manhoode was there For he did then in it talke with Nicodemus here vppon the earth Againe when Lazarus was dead Christ beyng then away from Iurie did saie to his Apostles Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sake that I was not there that ye maye beléeue Christ at the same time that he spake these words was in his humanity or manhoode conuersaunte with his Apostles out of the lande of Iurie that is to saie farre froÌ„ among the Iewes that sought his death and yet without all paraduenture he was in his Godhead present with Lazarus when he departed When that Marie Magdalene came to the graue to embalme the body of Christe did not the Angell saie vnto them non est hîc he is not here he is risen as he saide come and sée the place where the lorde was laide And beholde hee goeth into Galilée before you there ye shall see him here is plainely opened that his humaine nature was not in the Sepulchre and at Galile and doubtlesse his diuinitie and Godhead was both in the graue and at Galilée too Therefore that auncient father Fulgentius saieth Christ beyng one and the same is a locall man of man that is to saie touchyng his manhoode that he tooke of man he is conteined in place Who is God incomprehensible of the father beyng one and the same touching his humanitie or manhood was absent from heaueÌ„ when he was in earth and leauing the earth when he ascended vp into heauen but touching his incomprehensible and diuine substaunce he was not absent from heauen when he was in the earth â–ª nor forsaking the earth when he went vp into heauen And that hee might shewe vnto his Apostles that his humanitie or manhoode was locall that is to say conteyned in place he did say I go vnto my father and vnto your father Againe when he had sayde Lazarus is dead he did adde by and by And I am glad for your sake that I was not there But declaring the incomprehensiblenesse of his diuinitie or Godhead he did say Beholde I am with you alwayes vnto the worldes ende Howe did he ascende vp into heauen but that because being the same he is locall and true man And howe is he alwayes with his elect but that bicause being the same Christ he is incomprehensible and true God Wherevnto Saint Augustine doth agrée saying Doubt not but that Christ being man is there from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead Holde faithfully and beare in remembraunce the christian confession howe that he rose againe the thirde day he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of the father and that he shall come from none other place but from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead and that he shall so come the angelicall voyce testifiyng the same as he was seene to go vp into heauen that is to say in the same shape and substaunce vnto the which he gaue immortalitie but he did not take away the nature of it we must not thinke that touching his shape and substaunce he is euery where for we must beware that we do not so defende the diuinitie of man that thereby we shoulde take away the
our mediatours of intercession I woulde faine knowe of them where they learne this in the holy Scriptures and worde of god I am moste sure that as they cannot finde in all the Scriptures that we ought to praie vnto the dead sainctes So shall they finde that Christ is there appointed to be our aduocate and intercessour euen after his glorious resurrection and ascension when he had alreadie performed all maner of thynges that parteine to our saluation and to the redemption of all mankynde For S. Paule saieth It is Christe whiche is dead yea rather whiche is risen againe whiche is also on the right hande of God and maketh intercession for vs And to the Hebrues he saith plainely that Christ our soueraigne Bishop and high priest liueth for euer for to make intercession for vs Else what should his continuall appearyng before the face of God for vs whereof he speaketh in the ninth Chapiter of this same epistle profit or auaile vnto vs Againe Sainct Iohn the Euangeliste who did write his Epistles a greate while after Christes ascension when our attonement was already made and our peace fully purchased doth sende vs to none other aduocate but only to Iesus christ the righteous He saith not there in that place If any of you do sinne ye shal haue me who am the deare beloued disciple of Christ and did sleepe vpon his brest to be your aduocate vnto the virgin Marie his mother whom he did commit vnto me and whiche dyd loue me so well that she toke me for her sonne Againe he doth not say Get you to the virgin Marie or to my felowes the Apostles or to the Patriarkes and Prophetes â–ª that be alreadie dead and in glorie with God but putting him selfe in the number of sinners he saieth If we haue sinned we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the righteous He had not forgotten the wordes of his maister whiche he him selfe had set foorth by writyng For Iesus Christ did not say All that ye shall aske my father in the name of my mother or of the Patriarches and Prophetes or of myne Apostles and Disciples it shal be geuen vnto you but he saieth Whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name it shal be geuen vnto you And S. Paul doth not only testifie vnto vs that he did in the time of his flesh offer vp prayers supplications with strong crying and teares and that he was hearde but also he doth write as it hath been alredie aleaged that he is on the right handâ— of God where he doeth incessantly make intercession for vs. Moreouer where S. Paul doth say â–ª that there is one mediatour of God and men whiche is that man Iesus Christ hath he not a respect vnto the prayers that he had spoken of before For after that he had sayde that we must pray for all men for a confirmation of that saying he addeth by and by that there is one God and one mediatour And none otherwise doth S. Augustine expounde it when he saith Christian men do pray one for another in their prayers But he for whom no man doth pray but he for all men is the onely and true mediatour Paul the Apostle although he were a chiefe member vnder the head yet because that he was a member of the body of Christe and did knowe that the high and true priest of the Church was entred not into the holy places that be made with handes which were but similitudes of true thinges but into very heauen he doeth also commende hymselfe vnto the praiers of the faithfull Paulus non facit se mediatorâ—m inter populum deum sed rogat vt prose orâ—nt inuicem omnia membra corporis Christi Paul maketh not hymselfe a mediatour betwéene God and the people but requireth that thei praie all one for a nother beyng all the members of the body of Christ bicause that the members are carefull one for another and if one suffereth thei doe all suffer with it And set the mutuall praiers of al the members that be yet here labouring vppon the earth ascende vp vnto the head which is gone before into heauen In whom is the satisfaction for our synnes For if Paule were mediatour the other Apostles also shoulde be mediatours and so there shoulde be many mediatours Neither coulde the reason of Paule stande where he saieth For there is one God one mediatour of God and men that man Iesus Christe in whom we are also one if wee keepe the vnitie of faith in the bonde of peace Haec Augustinus c. And in another place hee saieth these wordes At verò sacerdotem si requiras super caelos est interpellat pro te qui in terra mortuus est prote But if thou seeke for the Priest he is aboue in heauen where he maketh intercession for thee which vpon the earth died for thee Here any man may sée if he wyll sée at least howe substantiall their distinction is and what grounde it hath in the scriptures worde of god Besides all this I might reason against them vpon the right vnderstanding of this word Intercession whiche among the Latines signifieth nothing els but the letting of a matter that it goeth not forwardes When we say then that Christe maketh intercession for vs our meaning is that that he doth by the merites of his death passion and bloodshedding let or stop the wrath and vengeaunce of God that it beÌ„ not powred vpon vs for our filthy sinnes and offences Againe we say that he maketh intercession for vs when he suffereth not the ears of the father to be stopped vnto our prayers but causeth them to be hearde and accepted And it is a maner of speaking borowed of the auncient Romanes For when the Consules and Senatours of Rome went about to make any decrée or lawe that did séeme to be preiudicial and hurtfull vnto the common weale then the officers of the people called Tribunes were woont to let that decrée or lawe that it should not go forwardes and thereof did come intercessio Tribunorum that is to say a let or prohibition of the Tribunes that some matter might not go forwardes Euen so that almightie and most righteous God the father of sauiour Iesu Christ hath euery day and euery houre â–ª a most iust occasion by reason of our detestable enormities to destroy vs both bodyes and soules and by his determinate decrée and sentence to condemne vs to the euerlastyng punishmentes of hell fire But we haue in the Senate house of heauen a most mightie aduocate which doth continually appeare before the face of God for vs that so he may by his omnisufficient intercession stop this determinate decrée and sentence of that righteous iudge that it do not proceede and go forward against vs. But what if any man besides the Tribunes had taken vpon him or presumed in the olde Senate
of mens hartes shall be iudged who then can reioyce at the commyng of so dreadfull a daie Uerely these saiynges are most true and also most dreadfull and ought to moue vs to liue in the feare of God and to abstaine not only from euil deedes but also from euil wordes and thoughtes They ought also to put vs in remembraunce how muche bounde we are vnto the mercie and goodnesse of almightie God whiche when we were his enemies fightyng vnder the banner of Sathan the deuill against hym and al his holy lawes and ordinaunces did so loue vs that he did giue his only begotteÌ„ sonne for vs making him our righteousnes wisedome sainctification and redemption Why should then these greeuous saiynges be dreadfull vnto vs Is it not written At what tyme soeuer a synner doeth repente hym of his synne from the bottome of his harte I will putte his wickednesse out of my remembraunce so that it shall no more bee thought vpon If our wickednesse shal bee put out of remembraunce so that thei shall no more be thought vpon how shall thei bee laied to our charge at the daie of iudgemente Is not besides all this Christes righteousnesse our righteousnesse His wisedome our wisdome His holinesse our holinesse His innocencie and redemption our innocencie and redemption Doeth not Paule write â–ª That there is no condempnation to them that are in Christ Iesus These are more ouer the wordes of our Sauiour Christe He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in hym that hath sent me hath life euerlastyng he shall not come into iudgemeÌ„t but is passed from death to life What shall we saie then Sall not the faithfull beléeuers come into iudgement Is it not written that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe It is most sure that we shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of our sauiour Christe But as some doe come to the Sessions or Assises there for to receaue their iudgement and coÌ„demnation some for to geue euidence against them and to asist the iudge in his office so shall it be in the laste iudgement For the reprobate vnfaithfull and mercilesse shall come thether for to receiue their deserued condemnation And the faithfull with the blessed Angels for to adsiste their iudge Christ as he himselfe doth witnesse saiyng vnto his Apostles When the sonne of man that sit in the seate of his maiestie ye which folow me shall sit also vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell And sainct Paule saieth these wordes Doe ye not knowe that the Sainctes shall iudge the worlde Knowe ye not how we shall iudge the Angels This is conclusion ought we to marke and also to beléeue that through a liuely faith in our Sauiour Christe we are iustified that is to saie we are counted iuste and righteous before God so that our synnes shall no more be imputed vnto vs nor laide to our chardge For as Iacob hauyng not of hym selfe deserued the right of the firste borne did put on the apparell of his brother and also his Goune whiche had a swéete odour and smell and so vnder the title and name or person of an other did come to his father that he might to his owne commoditie and profite receaue the blessyng euen so we are hidden vnder the precious purenesse of our eldest brother Iesus Christ our sauiour that we may in the sight of god receaue the testimonie and reward of righteousnesse I meane that sweete and comfortable blessyng that Dauid â—oth speake of saiyng Blessed are thei whose vnrighteousnesse are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord iâ—puteth no synne And as for our good deedes that doe procéede and come of that iustifiyng faith whiche can no more be without good woorkes then the Sunne can be without light or fire without heate â–ª although in them selues they be moste vnperfect yet in our sauiour Christe they are moste perfecte For Christe is the perfection performyng or fulfilling of the lawe for a iustification vnto all them that beleue Sithe then that we shall through faith in our sauiour Iesu Christ be iustified that is to saie counted iuste and righteous before GOD so that our synnes shall no more be laide to our chardgeÌ„ nor imputed vnto vs Sith againe that the vnperfection or vnsufficiencie of our good workes shal be cleane taken awaie by the perfect and omnisufficient obedience of our Sauiour Iesu Christe who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs all and deliuered vs from the curse and malediction of it why shoulde those greeuous sentences be dreadfull vnto vs. The .xxx. Chapiter ¶ To whom the sharpe Sentences of the Scriptures are terrible THere be thrée maner of people vnto whom these saiynges ought to be verie dreadfull For thei shal most extremely and with all rigour be executed vpon them These are the infidels or vnfaithful For it is writen he that doth not beléeue is iudged and condemned alreadie bicause that he did not beléeue in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god And vnder them I doe comprehende all the Godlesse Epicures of this wicked worlde which doe thinke that there is no God liuyng as though there were neither heauen neither hell For as S. Paule saieth vnto them that are rebellious and disobeye the trueth and folowe iniquitie shall come indignatioÌ„ and wrath tribulation and anguishe vppon the soule of euerie man that doeth euill The second sorte that ought to feare these sharpe and gréeuous sentences of the Scriptures are the mercilesse generation For as S. Iames writeth there shal be iudgement without mercie vnto hym that sheweth no mercie And for this cause our Sauiour Christe shall saie vnto them that shal be on his left hande Departe from mée ye cursed into euerlastyng fire whiche is prepared for the deuill and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue mée no meate I thirsted and ye gaue mée no drinke I was harbourlesse and ye lodged mée not I was naked and ye clothed mée not I was sicke and in prisone and ye visited mée not Then shall they saie vnto hym when sawe we thée an hungred or thurste or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prisone and did not minister vnto thée And hee shall aunswere and saie verely I saie vnto you in as muche as ye did it not to one of the leaste of these ye did it not to mée All these shall go into euerlastyng fire and paines of Hell. This nowe is to be vnderstanded of them that will haue no pitie compassion vpon their poore néedie brethren but suffer them most vnmercifully to perishe for lacke of succour at their handes They that are suche I meane they that stoppe their eares at the clamours and cries of their poore needy brethren they themselues shall crie and shall not be hearde they shall
nother fol. 125. The imperfectioÌ„ of our owne workes fol. 130.2 Thre maner of powers to forgeue synnes fol. 132. Two thynges to be learned in S. Paules saiyng Ro. 8. fol. 137. The Lawe hath moe endes then one fol. 137.2 Twoo thynges to bee noted fol. 140.2 The spirite of god worketh in vs our regeneration fol. 24. V Unto whom hell is ouercome fol. 6.2 Uaine opinions of sundry meÌ„ fol. 29. Vsia fol. 73.2 VV Wherefore Christe was iudged and condemned before Pilate fol. 1.2 What the Serpent signified ibidem Why the Sacrifices of the old Lawe were offered often fol. 2.2 Why Christe was laide in a newe graue fol. 4.2 Why Christe was laide in a nother mans graue ibidem What the newe graue signified fol. 7. What was signified by the graue that was he wen out of the stone ibidem What is to bee vnderstanded when we saiâ— â–ª Christ barowed hell fol. â—â—2â— Whereto God had respecte in his sonne our sauiour fol. 5.2 What thyng caused Christ to be so heauie before his death fol. 8. What Abrahams bosome is fol. 9.2 What we learne by the third of Iohn fol. 23.2 Wherin the fire of purgatory doth differ froÌ„ the fier of hel 12.2 We are al saued by priuiledge fol. â—3 What is the firste foundation of our election fol. 18. What fruicte their doctrine doeth bryng that condemne children that dye without baptisme fol. 19. Without faith no man can be deliuered from condempnation fol. 20. What daunger it is to refuse to receiue the sacrameÌ„ts f. 20. What we ought to doe if we should followe the Fathers in all thynges fol. 22. Why the spirite of God is called fire fol. 24. Why the holy ghoste is called water fol. 24.2 What certaine of the learned called Augustine for his rigour towardes infantes not Baptized fol. 26.2 What moued Augustine to write as he did of children not Baptized fol. 27. Wherin the Anabaptistes exceeded fol. 27. Whereof Confirmation dyd come fol. 27.2 Why the Fathers did magnifie the Sacramentes so much fol. 29. What profite commeth to theÌ„ that are perswaded in this doctrine fol. 30.2 What many foolishe people vsed to doe in carriyng their children to Idols fol. 31. Wee doe parte our saluation betweene Christes death and his resurrection fol. 31.2 What it is to bee dead vnto synne fol. 32.2 What a large doctrine our baptisme doeth preache vnto vs. fol. 34. What it is to sit on the right hande of the Father fol. 35.2 What the Papistes must doe if they wyll haue vs to beleue them 47.2 What it is to receiue the Sacrament vnworthely fol. 48. Why the papists can not perceaue in what parell they bee fol. 49. Wherin the papists haue the Fathers in estimation fol. 53. Wherin we must beare with our weake brethren fol. 53. Why the sacramentes were ordeined fol. 16.2 We do make more then bare signes of the Sacramentes fol. 58.2 What honour we ought to do to the sacrament ibid. What we learne of the lordes wordes in Zacharie fol. 60. Why Christ would be baptized fol. 63.2 Who can choose but laugh at the papistes fol. 68. Why the sacramentes be called by the names of the thynges whereof they bee Sacramentes fol. 69. What this word Signum doth signifie in the .2 of Luk. f. 72.2 What it is to examine our selues fol. 57. and 76.2 Who they be that féede effectuously vppon the bodye and blood of Christe fol. 76.2 Why Christ our sauiour was man. fol. 81.2 What is the chief marke that the papistes shoote at fol. 89. Why the Apostles were called light fol. 87 2 What properties must bee in hym that we must pray vnto fol. 89.2 What was the meanyng of the Prophete Ieremie fo 96. What is signified by psalmes hymnes and songes fol. 104. What the Sunne doth signifie fol. 104.2 What the Moone doth signifiâ— fol. 105. What the Starres doe signifie ibidem We must beleue in Gods power Gods prouidence Gods goodnesse fol. 111. What the true Churche of Christe is fol. 111.2 Who can bee the heade of the Churche fol. 112. Who bee the kéepers of the keyes of Gods kyngd fo 114.2 What it is to loose ibidem What it is to bynde fol. 115. Wherof the certitude of gods worde doth depende fol. 118.2 When the Churche can not erre fol. 122.2 When the Churche can and doeth erre ibidem Whole vniuersall Churche doeth neuer fall awaie from God. ibidem Why it is called the inuisible Churche fol. 122. We muste not deuide our selues from the Churche bicause the wicked are among vs. fol. 123. Whence this worde iustificare hath been borowed and what it signifieth fol. 124. Why God doeth crowne his giftes in vs. fol. 129.2 What the nature of merite is fol. 130.2 What we are as long as we are without the spirite of god fol. 135. What this worde Apochripha is fol. 135.2 What this word CanoÌ„ is ibi Why the faithfull are saide to be free fol. 141. What thyng caused Christ to be so heauie before his death fol. 8. What Christes goyng downe to hell is fol. 9. Without faith no man can be deliuered from condemnation fol. 20. Whereto the Papistes haue brought the order of confirmation fol. 28.2 What it is to bee crucified to the worlde fol. 32. Wherefore the Sacramente was instituted fol. 56.2 What greate absurdities doe come of the doctrine of traÌ„substantiation fol. 67.2 What Christe meant by the keyes fol. 114. FINIS