world is the DEATH OF HIS FLESH ONLY nor thereby take occasion to defend that his bloud is not able to iustifie or sanctifie the beléeuers Sanguine suo hoc est SVAE CARNIS SANGVINE iustificat omnes in se credentes With his bloud that is with THE BLOVD OF HIS FLESH he iustifieth all that beleeue in him SI NON ALIO MODO SALVANDVS ERAT mundus nisi in SANGVINE ET CORPORE morti VTILITER derelicto quo pacto non necessarius verbo incarnationis modus vt iustificet in saÌ„guine suo credeÌ„tes in se conciliet patri per morteÌ„ sui corporis If the world MIGHT NONE OTHER VVAY BE SAVED but by Christes leauing his BODIE AND BLOVD VNTO DEATH for our good howe was not the taking of flesh necessarie for the sonne of God that by his bloud hee might iustifie such as beleeued in him and BY THE DEATH OF HIS BODIE reconcile them to God his father Quomodo sanguis communis hominis nos sanctos efficeret sed sanctificauit sanguis Christi Deus igitur non simpliciter homo deus enim erat in carne SVO SANGVINE nos purificans How could the bloud of a common man make vs holie BVT THE BLOVD OF CHRIST DID SANCTIFIE VS He was therefore God and not simplie a man For he was God in FLESH THAT CLENSED VS VVITH HIS BLOVD When the ancient fathers affirme that Christ died for vs THE DEATH OF THE BODY ONLY and that the BLOVD OF HIS FLESH doth saue and sanctifie the beleeuers we must not like children imagine they speake of insensible flesh or that in those wordes they exclude the vnion operation or passion of the soule whiles Christes bodie suffered and died that were to make Christ a stocke not a man and to giue him carrion and not humane flesh quickened and coupled with life and soule but in the death of his bodie shedding of his bloud they include all those afflictions and passions of the soule which naturally necessarily follow paine accompany death For these sufferings of Christs soule confirme his obedience witnes his patience only their intent is by all meanes to frée Christ from THE DEATH OF THE SOVLE and then to propose the death which hee suffered in the bodie of his flesh on the crosse with all painefull but no sinneful câ—â—comitants and consequents as the propitiation for our sinnes redemption of our soules and reconciliation vnto God by which al y e aduersaries of our saluation the law sinne death and Satan are vtterlie conquered and abolished And thus farre forth they haue the scriptures expresselie concurring with them The bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne It must clense then our soules as wel as our bodies for they are the chiefe agents in sin Much more shall the bloud of Christ purge your consciences from dead works Conscience is a part of the soule not of the bodie Thou hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud saie the saintes in heauen whose bodies lie in the dust of the earth Redemption remission of sinnes iustification sanctification and such like effectes of the bloud of Christ are PRINCIPALLY and PRIMARILY in the soule and by consequent in the bodie And therefore there can be no question but the bodilie death of Christ is the redemption of our soules as well as of our bodies in as much as the whole maÌ„ in Christ died the death of the crosse to redéeme the whole man in vs both partes in him ioyntlie féeling but with admirable patience enduring the bitter and sharpe paines antecedent and annexed to the death of his bodie Cum caro in doloribus est in poenis profecto anima tunc habet maximum agonem patientiae When the flesh is in anguish and paine saith Austen then the soule certainly hath the greatest triall of patience For the soule is so created and ordained that shee feeleth the pleasure and paine of her bodie and howsoeuer the flesh bee subiected to violence the sence and grieuance thereof is in the soule both in this life and in the next As the bodilie death of Christ paieth the price of our redemption so it remoueth all the impediments of our saluation which are manie and mightilie linked together For by the CORRVPTION of nature descending from our parents and dwelling within vs wee are solde vnder sinne fulfilling the will of the flesh and louing pleasures more then God whereby we neglect and breake the LAVV of God and so incurre the CVRSE pronounced against the transgressours of the law and by that obligation are liable to ETERNAL DEATH This is the chaine of originall infection actuall transgression legall malediction and eternal damnation which draweth vs from God and bindeth vs as prisoners and captiues to death and hell If then the DEATH of Christ suffered IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH loosed euery linke of this chaine and not onelie cleered vs from all these enemies and exactors but reconciled vs to God and made peace for vs by the bloud of his crosse it is a wrong to the death bloud of Christ either to disable theÌ„ as not sufficient to redéem vs or to supplie them with anie better or other addition which the holie ghost doth not mention Examine these particularlie and see whether the power of Christes death doe not perfectlie dissolue them all Our olde man is crucified with him that the bodie of sinne might bee destroied that henceforth we should not serue sinne Let not sinne raigne therefore in your mortall bodie saieth the Apostle that you should obey it in the lustes thereof The force and strength of originall sinne and corruption in all the faithfull is crucified and dead with Christ except they reuiue it by voluntarie obeying the lustes thereof For they which are Christes haue crucified the flesh with the affections and lustes by reason not onelie the guilt but also the life and power of sinne died in Christes flesh when it was crucified So that sinne nowe hath no dominion ouer them because they are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace And likewise for actuall sinne by Christ we haue redemption through his bloud that is the forgiuenes of sinnes For God hath proposed him to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud by the forgiuenesse of the sinnes that are passed through the patience of God The bloud therefore of Christ Iesus his sonne clenseth vs from all sinne since he is the mediator of the new Testament whose death was for the redemption of the transgressions that were in the former testament If the death of Christ on the crosse and the shedding of his bloud were the iust and full redemption of all our sinnes then apparentlie it eased and ended the curse which the lawe inflictedâ— for sinne For where he is accursed that continueth not in al things written in the book OF
our sinnes that whom the Diuell iustlie held as guiltie of sinne and obnoxious to death those hee might woorthilie loose through him whome hee wrongfullie slue beeing guiltie of no sinne with this iustice the Diuell was conquered and with this band was hee bound that his goods might bee spoyled And so Saint Austen concludeth in expresse wordes that THE BLOVD OF CHRIST which the Diuell was permitted to shedde by the handes of the wicked VVAS GIVEN AS A PRICE IN OVR REDEMPTION Which when the Diuell had spilt it was reckoned to him as a ransom for vs since Christ owed none for himself so were we dismissed out of his power In hac redeÌ„ptione tanquaÌ„ pretiuÌ„ pro nobis datus est Christi sanguis quo accepto diabolus non ditatus sed ligatus est vt nos ab eius nexibus solueremur In this redemption the bloud of Christ was giuen as a ransome for vs which being receiued the diuell was not inriched but concluded that wee might bee loosed from his snares S. Ambrose affirmeth as much Si redempti sumus non corruptibilibus argento auro sed precioso sanguine domini nostri Iesu Christi quo vtique vendente NISI EO qui nostruÌ„ iam peccatricis successionis are quaesitum seruitium possidedat Sine dubio IPSE flagitabat pretium vt seruitio exueret quos tenebat obstrictos PretiuÌ„ autem nostrae liberationis erat sanguis domini Iesu quod necessario soluendum erat EI CVI peccatis nostris venditi eramus If we bee redeemed not with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the precious bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christ who selling vs BVT HE that possessed vs as his seruants by reason of our sinfull succession doubtlesse euen HE required a ransome to dismisse vs from the seruitude which he had ouer vs. Now the price of our deliuerance was the bloud of the Lord Iesus which price was necessarilie to bee payde to HIM TO WHOM we were sold through our sinnes They which traduce this doctrine as inclining to Manicheisme had more neede of Elleborus to furge their braines then of authorities to perswade their hearts For since Christ paid no ransome for himselâ—e but for vs and his innocent bloud could not be shed but by the hands of the wicked what touch of vntruth can it haue that God accounted the bloud of Christ to bee of more value then all the sonnes of men and consequentlie that which the diuell eagerlie thirsted and wrongfullie shed to be reputed as mans ransome and a price most sufficient for all the world Yea the scripture which is the word of truth doth not onely teach vs who redeemed vs and with what price as God bought his Church with his owne bloud but in manifest words from whom we were redéemed euen from the power of DARKNES DEATH and HEL that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies wee should serue God without feare in holines and righteousnes all the daies of our life Whether therefore wee resemble the bodie and bloud of Christ to a PRAY that brake the téeth of the deuourer to a BAITE that held fast the swallower to a PRICE that concluded the challenger to a RANSOME that fréed the prisoner or to a CONQVEST that ouerthrew the infulter in effect it is all one Satan by killing him that was the authour of life lost both him and all his members the Lorde rising againe by his owne power and raising them all that could not bee seuered from him by the might and merite of his death and suffering And so the godlie which now liue on the earth are not their OVVNE but his that bought them with a price being before solde vnder sinne whose seruants they were till Christ with his bloud redeemed them vnto GOD and made them kinges and priestes to God his father Venit redemptor dedit pretium fudit sanguinem suum emit orbem terrarum Videte quid dederit inuenite quid emerit Sanguis Christi pretium est tanti quid valet quid nisi totus orbis quid nisi omnes gentes The redeemer came saith Austen and paied the price hee shed his bloud and purchased the worlde Consider what he gaue and marke what he bought The bloud of Christ was y e price what was valued at so great a price What but the whole world what but al the nations of the earth Hic sanguis effusus omnem terrarum orbenâ— abluit hic sanguis antea semper praesignabatur in sacrificijs in iustorum caedibus Hic orbis terrarum est pretiuÌ„ Hoc Christus emit ecclesiam Hoc eam omâ—em adornauit This bloud saith Chrysostom being shed washed the whole world This bloud was euer before figured in the sacrifices and martyrdomes of the righteous This bloud is the price of the world with this Christ bought his Church with this he wholy adorned it Christus non esset condignum pretiuÌ„ totius creaturae redimendae neque sufficeret ad bene redimendam mundi vitam etiamsi suam deponeret animam vt pretium pro nobis ac etiam pretiosum sanguinem nisi vere esset filius tanquam ex deo deus Christ had not beene a iust price saith Cyril to redeeme all creatures nor sufficient to purchase the life of the world though he would haue laid down his life and his precious bloud as a ransome for vs if he had not beene the true sonne of God as it were God of God Where as now Vnus dignitate vniuersos superans pro omnibus mortuus est quaecunque sub coâ—lo sunt sanguine suo redemit deoque patrivniuersae terrae habitatores acquisiuit He alone exceeding al other in worth valew died for al by his bloud redeemed all things vnder heauen purchased to God his father the inhabitants of the whole earth But our sauior saith the son of man came dare animaÌ„ suaÌ„ redemptionem pro multis to giue his soule a ransome for many And Esay foretold as much that he should make his soule an offering for sin It is no great masterie to cite places of scripture in shew repugnant one to the other howbeit in trueth these are not contrarieties but coÌ„sequents to the former authorities For where the soule of man is the life of his bodie Christ could not die for our sinnes but he must laie down his soule to death that it might be separated from his bodie so giue HIS SOVLE that is his LIFE a ransome for many an offering for sin And so she very traÌ„slators y t otherwise fauor this opinion of hel paines do interprete those words The son of man came not to be serued but to serue to giue HIS LIFE a ransome for many And the like elsewhere Bonus pastor dat animaÌ„ pro ouibus The good shepheard giueth HIS LIFE for his sheep AnimaÌ„ meaÌ„
a curse and sin but he was called by those names that he might abolish bâ—th the curse and sinne Christ was no more a curse then hee was sinne who indéede and with God was neither but with men he was reputed both wicked and accursed by reason God suffered him to endure that vilde and shamefull kinde of death which hee did to saue vs from the curse of sinne Epiphanius saith he was A CVRSE VNTO THE CVRSE that is a dissoluer and finisher of the curse Ignorat omnino miser ille quod neque Christus maledictio factus sit absit sed maledictionem quae propter peccat a nostra fuit abstulit seipsum cruci dedeâ—s factus est mors morti propter peccata nostra MALEDICTIO MALEDICTIONI Quapropter non est Christus maledictum sed maledicti solutio benedictio autem omnibus verè in ipsum credentibus That wretch Marcion is vtterly ignorant that Christ was not accursed God forbid but he tooke away the curse that lay on our sinnes in yeelding himselfe to the crosse and was made death vnto death for our sinnes and A CVRSE VNTO THE CVRSE Wherefore Christ WAS NOT A CVRSE but THE DISSOLVER OF THE CVRSE and A BLESSING to all that â—â—ulie beleeue in him These though they diuerslie applie the Apostles speach Factus pro nobis maledictum Christ was made a curse for vs some to the toleration of death some to the opinion of men and some to the depulsion of the curse from vs yet in this they all agrée that by giuing his bodie to die on the Crosse Christ receiued sustained and abolished the curse due to vs for transgressing the law of God And to iustifie their assertion they haue not onelie the plaine text of Paule and Moses Cursed is he that hangeth on the tree but the manifest wordes of Peter He bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree To proue the death which Christ suffered to be a cursed kinde of death the place of Moses is verie pregnant to proue the person to bee accursed in soule it hath neither cause nor truth For innocents maie suffer that wrong to bee hanged on trées and shall they then be accursed in soule And be they malefactors they may repent as did the theefe on the crosse and shall they notwithstanding their repentance bee accursed Shall we close both penitent and innocent within the true curse of the soule rather then we will suffer Pauls words to be referred to the death of the bodie For he saith Cursed is EVERIE ONE that hangeth on the tree excusing none and if anie might bee excepted out of the generall rule Christ Iesus most of all But euerie one that hangeth on the tree hath a cursed kinde of death though a blessed soule Paule therefore expresselie teacheth that Christ subiected himselfe to a cursed kind of death and in so dying he deliuered vs from the curse of the Lawe Ex parte quippe mortali pependit in ligno mortalitas autem vnde sit notum est credentibus Ex poena quippe est maledictio peccati primi hominis quam Dominus suscepit peccata nostra pertulit in corpore suo super liguum That part sayth Austen which was mortall in Christ hung on the Crosse and whence mortalitie came the faythfull knowe It came from the punishment of sinne and is the malediction of the sinne of the first man which the Lorde tooke vnto him and bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree Yea when Christ tooke the curse hee tooke the sinne of the olde man into his flesh and fastened it togither with his flesh vnto the Crosse. Quid pependit in ligno nisi peccatum veteris hominis quod Dominus pro nobis in ipsa carnis mortalitate suscepit Vnde nec erubuit nec tumuit Aposâ—olus dicere peccatum eum fecisse pro nobis addens vt de peccato condemnaret peccatum Non enim vetus homo noster simul crucifiâ— cretur sicut Apostolus alibi dicit nisi in illa morte Domini peccati nostri figura penderet What hung on the tree but the sinne of the olde man which sinne the Lorde tooke vpon him for vs in the verie mortalitie of his flesh Wherefore the Apostle was neither ashamed nor afraied to say that God made him sinne for vs that by sinne he might condemne sin For our olde man could not be crucified togither with Christ as the Apostle else where writeth except the figure of our sinne did hang on the Crosse in that death which the Lord died And if Peters words be true which can not be false Christ bare our sinnes that is the malediction and punishment of our sinnes in his body on the tree and thereby saued vs from the eternall malediction which is Go you cursed into euerlasting fire My resolution then is which I hope will bee receyued because it is the Apostles WE ARE DEAD TO THE LAVV BY THE BODIE OF CHRIST that we should be to another euen to him that is raised from the dead We are quit from the feare from the yoke from the curse from the vengeance of the law in one word WE ARE DEAD to the lawe which hath no more chalenge to vs nowe then a man hath to his wife that is long since dead And if you aske when and how we became dead to the lawe Saint Paul answereth BY THE BODIE OF CHRIST when hee suffered on the Crosse for our sinnes And as he that is dead is freed from sinne so we dying in and with the bodie of Christ are LOOSED FROM THE LAVVE OF SINNE AND DEATH Sinne beeing condemned and death conquered in the flesh of Christ VVHICH IS OVR FLESH not onelie because it was taken of vs but also for that it is vnited vnto vs as the heade to the members and communicateth with vs both in life and death as appeareth by that we died and rose againe in him and to this daie he suffereth in vs then which no coniunction can be surer or neerer Since then the corruption of our flesh the guilt of our sinne the curse of the lawe the sting of death were all closed and crucified in the bodie of Christ on the Crosse and his death hath discharged vs from their dominion iustlie doth the Apostle saie of Christ that hee did partake with flesh and bloud that through death hee might destroy him that had power of death euen the diuell For in that wee bee freed from the curse of the lawe which brought and bound sinners by death to hell the chaynes of darkenesse are broken and Satans force wholie frustrate and he himselfe nowe left to beholde the ruine of his kingdome to grieue at the spoyle of his goodes and to feare the vengeance prouided for him howsoeuer for a season hee bee suffered to pursue the members of Christ here on earth to his owne shame and their greater comfort in trying the mightie
sacrifice to God and is in effect nothing but what we affirme You affirme that Christ died the death of the soule which you interpret to bee such paines and sufferings of Gods wrath as alwaies accompany them that are separated from the grace and loue of God You affirme that Christ suffered wonderfull and piteous astonishment forgetfulnesse and confusion of the powers of nature euen of all the powers of his soule and senses of his bodie yea he felt the verie diuels as the instruments that wrought the verie effectes of Gods wrath vppon him and though the wicked oftentimes find farre more intolerable horror of their sinnes then any other yet you doubt not but Christ as touching the vehemencie of paine was as sharply touched euen as the Reprobate themselues yea if it may be more extraordinarily All this you affirme and by your owne words all this is the ONLY TRVE and perfectly accepted sacrifice to God So then whosoeuer feeleth not all this hath no broken nor contrite heart nor anie longer then hee feeleth these hellish torments in his soule And if this be the ONLY TRVE sacrifice to God I will not aske what shall become of the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiuing but howe vnhappie are the godlie that at anie time are free from the paines of the damned and from the tormentes of hell since the suffering thereof is the ONLY TRVE and perfectlie accepted sacrifice to God Godly sorrow saieth the Apostle causeth repentance vnto saluation those wordes please you not such hellish sorrowes and intolerable horrors as the Reprobate themselues feele yea as the damned doe suffer this saie you is the ONIY TRVE and accepted sacrifice to God You must haue other sacrifices and those accepted before you come to heauen or else the Reprobate and damned will bee there as soone as you God send you his grace and grant your wits and senses bee not distempered and distracted you talke so much of hellish paines and torments executed by diuels as the only true sacrifice of a broken and contrite hart The Apostles wordes whereon you first grounded this odious assertion haue no such intention as you imagine By death Christ conquered him that had power of death that is the Diuel Aske the simplest childe y t is catechised in your charge if you haue anie what death Christ died for vs and hee will answere you out of his Créede Christ was crucified deade and buried and that is the death which the Scriptures describe and deliuer I deliuered vnto you saieth Paul that which I receiued how that Christ died for our sinnes according to the scriptutes what death if wee aske the Apostle he will answere the death of the Crosse. For we preach saieth he Christ crucified and I esteemed not to know any thing among you but Christ Iesus and him crucified Christ crucified then that is by his death on the crosse destroied him that had power of death Of what death you aske hath the diuell power as well of the second death which Christ coulde not suffer as of the first which hee did suffer Christ you will saie coulde deliuer vs from no death but from the verie same which he suffered himselfe If so you saie or so would saie it is no lesse then heresie or blasphemie Hee deliuered vs from euerlasting death which hee neither did nor coulde suffer If you saie hee deliuered vs not from euerlasting death it is open heresie if you saie Christ suffered euerlasting death it is blasphemie Yet hath the diuell power of both deaths as well temporal as eternall What power you aske hath the diuel of this death which our bodies die God made not that death but by the enuy of the Diuell it came into the world He was the first procurer of it by perswading sinne and still reioiceth in it as the verie gate to hel I shal goe said Ezechiah to the gate of hell which was the death of his bodie that waie the wicked passe to hell Yea the Apostle calleth the corruption of our bodies the sting of sinne wherewith the diuell pearced vs when this corruption hath put on incorruption ô death where is thy sting For the exposition of the Apostles words I may either say with S Austen Ipse Dominus mori voluit vt quemadmoduÌ„ de illo scriptum est per mortem euacuaret eum qui ptoestateÌ„ habebat mortis id est Diabolum liberaret eos qui timore mortis per tâ—tam vitam rei erant seruitutis Hoc Testimonio satis illud monstratur mortem istam corporis principe atque authore Diabolo hoc est ex peccato accidisse quod ille persuasit Neque enim ob aliud potestatem habere mortis verissime diceretur The Lord himselfe would die that as it is written of him by death he might destroie him that had power of death euen the diuell and deliuer them which for feare of death were all their life long subiect to seruitude By this testimonie it is sufficientlie prooued that this verie death of our bodies came from the Diuell as the Authour and chiefe dooer thereof that is from the sinne which hee perswaded He cannot for any other cause be said to haue power of death which here is most truly spoken Ambrose Chrysostom and Cyril referre death throughout that sentence to the death of the bodie In these wordes saie they the Apostle noteth an admirable thing that whereby the diuel had power thereby was he ouerthrown The weapons which were his strength against the world that is death by y t Christ strooke him Why treÌ„ble ye why feare ye death now death is not terrible but acceptable as the end of labor and the beginning of rest Chrysostom hath almost the same wordes Cyrill verie often expoundeth death in that place for the death of Christs bodie The sonne of God was partaker of flesh and bloud that yeelding his BODY to death he by nature as God being life it selfe might quicken it againe otherwise how had hee abolished the imperie of death vnlesse he had raised againe his dead BODY And againe Because it was aboue mans nature to abolish death yea rather it was subdued of death the son of God that is life took vnto him mans nature subiect to death y t death as a cruell beast inuading his flesh should cease froÌ„ his tyranny ouer vs that should thereby be abolished If by death in the second place we vnderstand the death of body and soule with Fulgentius I am not against it this being alwaies remembred that Christ died no death but the death of the bodie Mors filij Dei quam SOLA CARNE suscepit vtramque in nobis morteÌ„ animae scilicet carnisque destruxit The death which the sonne of God suffered ONLY in his flesh destroied BOTH DEATHS in vs as well that of the soule as that of the body The Confuâ—er hauing
SOVLES From thence you leape to the Reuelation and there when Saint Iohn sawe one sitting on a pale horse whose name was death and HADES followed after him that is saie you the world of the dead It cannot be hell certainely because hel slaieth none in that sort Againe to saie preciselie that the fourth part of the world should go to hell I take it to bee a strange phrase in scripture Here first is a plaine proofe that death and HADES are two seuerall things the one following after the other For nothing doth follow it selfe The doubt is now what HADES importeth The world of the dead saie you The worlde of the dead if thereby you mean dead bodies is al one with death if you vnderstand the world of soules that hath two partes heauen and hell which of these two did follow after death to destroy the fourth part of the earth the kingdome of heauen is neuer proposed in the scriptures as a destroyer but the diuell hath his proper name in this booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the destroyer Againe this vision S. Iohn saw at the opening of the fourth Seale but the world of soules in heauen was shewed him in the opening of the fift Seale which presentlie followeth in the next verse in these words And when the lambe had opened the fift Seale I saw saith Iohn vnder the altar the soules of men slayne for the word of God and for the testimonie of the Lambe The world of soules in heauen was séene in the opening of the fift seale therefore that world of soules was not séene in the opening of the fourth Seale but of force if by HADES you will vnderstand anie world of soules it must be of those that were in HELL Howbeit because hee did accompanie death that was sent to destroy I take it rather to bee the power of the deuill that is there described then anie world of soules as you dreame And that the diuell destroyeth as well the bodie as the soule if it be strange to you you are a greater stranger in the Scriptures then you would seeme to bee Who threw the house vpon the heads of Iobs Children can you tell or who smote Iob himselfe with that loathsome disease But the fourth part of the earth you saie could not go to hell God graunt no more then the fourth part go thither Neuer reade you many called and few chosen and though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet but a remnant shall be saued And why might not the dragon as well deuoure the fourth part of y e earth as draw downe from heauē with his tayle the third part of the starres Or if there you take a certayne number for an vncertain which is S. Iohns manner of writing in this booke why not as well here as else where these therefore are a couple of idle quarrels if these be your best you are more willing then able to do harme But by y e same words in the same booke we shall better vnderstand what is ment by HADES then by your wandring and weake gloze Death and HADES saith S. Iohn were cast into the lake of fier It were absurd you adde to saie death and hell were cast into hell True but more absurd and more blasphemous to saie that death and the world of soules shall bee cast into the lake of fier For then not onlie the Saints of God but heauen it selfe should bee cast into hell fier Yet if we take the containing for the contained which is the most vsuall phrase of the Scripture as wo be to thee Chorazin wo to thee Bethsaida thou Capernaum as likewise Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the prophets it shal be easier for Tyrus Sydon with a thousand such euery wher occurrent then is it an easie true speach that hel to witte the powers of hell euen the diuels themselues shall be cast into the lake of fier And so doth Andreas Bishop of Cesaria expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wicked spirits the possessours of HADES shall be cast into hel fier And so Bede Mors Infernus missi sunt in stagnum ignis Diabolum dicit et suos quem supra in equo pallido sedentem Infernus sequebatur Death hel shall be cast into the lake of fier He meaneth the diuel his whō before sitting on a pale horse hell followed As yet then HADES in the new Testament is not onlie a thing different from death but euen hell it selfe and your world of soules in none of these texts can find any hold or help Let vs sée the rest That Christ triumphed ouer hell and Satan not ouer death onely the Apostle fully affirmeth when he saith Christ spoyled principalities powers made an open shew of them and triumphed ouer them in his owne person that likewise hee hath the keyes of hell and not of death onlie S. Iohn plainlie sheweth when he saw an angell come down from heauen hauing the key of the bottomeles pit and there binding shutting vp the diuell The same key of the bottomeles pit was in the 9 Chapter of the Reuelation giuen to the Star that slidde from heauen This keye must Christ haue for hee saith of himselfe that he hath the key of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth Since then there are keyes not of heauen onlie which Christ committed to Peter and his fellow labourers but of the bottomles pitte where Satan lyeth bound which of force must bee HELL when Christ professeth in the first of the Reuelation that he hath the keyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of death and of HADES who séeth not that HADES there must signifie hell it selfe the key whereof is so expreslie mentioned in that booke And so when the Apostle maketh two parts of Christs conquest against death and hell ô death where is thy sting ô HADES where is thy victorie what reason is there to exclude out of these words Christs victorie ouer HELL since the same Apostle witnesseth that Christ had a glorious triumph against hell and the word HADES in all the places of the new Testament which we haue yet viewed inferreth hell The Apostle you saie speaketh not of the Damnation of the wicked but of the resurrectiō of the dead And so do I and therefore inferre that when the bodies of the saints shall be raised from death whose soules be already saued from hell then shall these words be openlie verified ô death where is thy sting ô hell where is thy victorie For since by sinne hell gate possession of both parts of man as well of his bodie as of his soule the full deliuerance of man must free both parts and the full conquest ouer hell is the losse of both parts which in the resurrection of the dead shall be performed and
The effect of certaine Sermons TOVCHING THE FVLL REDEMPTION of mankind by the death and bloud of CHRIST IESVS WHEREIN Besides the merite of Christs suffering the manner of his offering the power of his death the comfort of his Crosse the glorie of his resurrection Are handled What paines Christ suffered in his soule on the Crosse Together With the place and purpose of his descent to hel after death Preached at Paules Crosse and else where in London by the right Reuerend Father Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester With a conclusion to the Reader for the cleering of certaine obiections made against the said doctrine 1. Corinth 3. I esteeme not to knowe any thing saue Christ Iesus and him crucified Athanasius de Incarnatione verbi dei Therefore the sonne of God tooke to him a bodie that might die that enduing it with a reasonable soule it might suffice for a full satisfaction to Death for all Imprinted at London by Peter Short for Walter Burre and are to be sold in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Flower deluce 1599. To the Christian Reader IT is some time since good Christian Reader that lying in London and preaching at Paules Crosse as the feast of Easter drawing neer did admonish mee I made choice to speake of the redemption of mankinde by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus And because that Citie then had and yet hath as manie learned and religious preachers so some conceited and too much addicted to nouelties who spared not in their Catechisings and readings to vrge the suffering of the verie paines of hell in the soul of Christ on the crosse as the chiefest part and maine ground of our Redemption by Christ I finding how fast that opinion had increased since it was first deuised and doubting where it would end thought it my dutie publikelie to warne them that were forward in defending this fansie to take heed how farre they waded in that late sprong speculation For as these words of Dauid The sorrowes of hell besieged me and these of Ionas Out of the belly of hel I cried thou heardest my voice may be tolerablie applied to Christ if they be metaphorically interpreted of Christ as the scriptures meane them in Dauid and Ionas so if wee grow from the figuratiue vse of the worde HELL to the proper signification thereof and rise from the degrees of sorrowes and feares which pursue the Saints in this life to the highest sense and suffering of ALL and THE VERIE SAME paines and punishments which the damned do and shall endure for euer freeing Christ from nothing but from the place and continuance of hell vve make not a curious and superfluous but an erroneous and daungerous addition to the mysterie of our Saluation The better to slacke their inconsiderate heate I laboured to prooue these foure pointes vnto them First that it was no where recorded in the holie Scriptures nor iustlie to bee concluded by the Scriptures that Christ suffered the true paines of hell and so the Consciences of the faythfull coulde not iustlie bee forced to the necessarie beleeuing of anie such strange assertion Secondlie that as the Scriptures describe to vs the paines of the damned and of hell there are manie terrors and torments which without euident impietie cannot be ascribed to the Sonne of God as namely extreame Darkenesse Desperation Confusion vtter separation reiection and exclusion from the grace fauour and kingdome of God remembrance of sinne gnawing the conscience horrour of Diuels tormented and tormenting and flame of fire intolerablie burning both bodie and soule Thirdlie that the death and bloud of Christ Iesus were euidentlie frequentlie constantlie set downe in the writinges of the Apostles as the sufficient price of our Redemption and true meane of our reconciliation to God and the verie same proposed in the figures resembled in the sacrifices of the Lawe and sealed with the Sacraments of the new Testament as the verie grounde worke of our saluation by Christ and so haue beene receaued and beleeued in the Church of God fourteene hundred yeares before anie man euer made mention of hell paines to bee suffered in the soule of Christ. Lastlie where the Scriptures are plaine and pregnant that Christ DIED for our sinnes and by his DEATH destroied him that had power of death euen the Diuell and reconciled vs when we were strangers and enemies IN THE BODIE OF HIS FLESH THROVGH DEATH for wee are reconciled to God by the DEATH of his sonne and sanctified by THE OFFERING OF THE BODIE of Iesus Christ once who himselfe bare our sinnes in his BODIE on the Tree where hee was put to death concerning the FLESH Besides that the holie Ghost in these places by expresse wordes nameth the bodilie death of Christ as the meane of our redemption and reconciliation to God no considerate diuine might affirme or imagine Christ suffered the Death of the soule for so much as the Death of the soule must exclude Christ from the grace spirit and life of God and leaue in him neither faith hope nor loue sanctitie nor innocencie which God forbid anie Christian man shoulde so much as dreame Wee shoulde therefore do well to reuerence the manifest wordes of Gods Spirit in so high a pointe of Religion and suffer our selues as schollers to bee taught by the leader into all trueth what to beleeue and confesse in the mystery of our redemption and not to controle or correct the doctrine so cleerelie deliuered in the Scriptures so consonantlie retained of all learned and vnlearned in the Church of Christ for so many hundred yeares And if anie man to maintaine his deuise woulde inuent a newe hell and another death of the soule then either scriptures or fathers euer heard or spake of they shoulde keepe their inuentions to themselues it sufficed me to beleeue what I read and consequently not to beleeue what I did not read in the word of God which is and ought to be the foundation of our faith Thus farre I purposed when I first entered by Gods grace to proceede in this cause according to y e simple vnderstanding wherwith god hath endued me for the good of his Church The article of the Creed Christ DESCENDED INTO HELL I meant not to meddle with choosing rather to leaue y t vntouched then to presse any sense as a point of faith for vvhich I had not so full and faire warrant as for the redemption of man by the death and blood of Christ Iesus but the vehemencie of some contradicting that I taught and the importunitie of others requesting to knowe what they might safelie beleeue of that article made mee to alter my minde For whē some vrged others doubted that if Christ did not suffer the paines of hell whiles he hung on the Crosse that part of the Creed was added in vaine and the wordes of Dauid Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell applied by Peter vnto Christ in
the second of the Acts could hardly haue any good construction because it seemed farre fet and altogither repugnant to the proper signification of the wordes to take the soule for the bodie and hell for the graue and as for the locall descent of Christ to hell after death they counted that but a fable I was forced to promise that I would openlie deliuer which I thought was the likeliest and safest sense as well of that article in the Creede as of those wordes of Dauid fulfilled in the person of our Sauiour This occasion drew mee to the next question of Christes descent to hell Wherin I resolued as by perusing the later part of this treatise will better appeare that Christs descent to the verie place of hell after his death did best concord both with the Creede and with the truth of Christian religion so we tooke care not to swarue frō the Scriptures in setting downe the cause why he went thither which was to ouerthrow destroy the kingdom might of Satan in the place of his greatest strength euen in hel and as our head to free all his members from daunger and feare of comming thither the sorrowes and terrors whereof hee loosed vvith his presence treading them vnder his feete and rose againe into a blessed and immortall life leading captiuitie captiue and taking from hell and Satan all povver to preuaile against his elect Both these resolutions that Christ suffered not the true paines of hell in his soule on the crosse and that hee personallie conquered and disarmed the powers and terrours thereof before his resurrection some as in such cases is common misremembred some misconstrued and some misliked vvhereupon I vvas both aduised and intreated by men of greater place then I vvill name to put the effect of that vvhich I had deliuered in vvriting that by mine ovvne vvords and not by other mens conceits or reports the learned might iudge of the doctrine Which I did that verie Summer and had it readie for the presse before Bartlemewtide but that the Parliament of States approching wherein men shoulde be otherwise imploied and a great hurle raised against it by certaine popular preachers in that citie through whose mouthes the contrarie had often passed to the people as currant I was desired by the same persons againe to staie till that time of businesse were ouer past that heat of contradiction somewhat alaied and respite giuen that it might be trāslated into Latin which also is now performed as wel as published in English To whole coūsell I yeelded referring the time wholy to their iudgements notwithstanding I were by many traduced in many places as a teacher of strange and false doctrine But I haue beene and am the more willing to beare the reproches of maligners because I seeke not my selfe heerein but that the church of Christ heere in Englande should hold fast that ancient and sure foundation of faith which hitherto it hath kept and professe that doctrine touching our Redemption by Christ which as wel the publike lawes of this realme as all the catholike fathers do vphold and allow In setting downe the summe of that which I preached I neither do nor can promise thee gentle Reader the same words which I then spake I wrote them not but I assure thee before him that knoweth all things that I haue not swarued nor altered anie materiall point from the methode propositions proofes and conclusions which I then vsed nor from the wordes as farre as either my notes or my memory vpon the fresh foote coulde direct mee which I haue yet to shew Manie proofes and authorities I omitted in the pulpit which the time shut me from and some obiections I haue answered here more largelie then the course of Sermons would permit but here is the selfe same in effect which then I vttered and purposed if the time woulde haue suffered The manner of handling this question I alwaies wished might bee temperate and sober as best became christian professours and teachers least by catching aduantages besides the cause wee increased quarrels and so much regarded our credits that wee neglected the truth I haue therfore in the Treatise it selfe touched no mans name oppugned no mans wordes traduced no mans iudgement but admitting and retaining as much as I thought might stande with the truth I haue pared off certaine extremities and reiected certaine additions which the first inuentors did refraine for that Christ suffered the death of the soule or all the same tormentes which the damned do and shall are positions lately coined and deriued from the proportion of Gods iustice as they call it but as I thinke from presumption of mans reason intruding into Gods secrets The doctrine which I defend that we are sufficientlie redeemed by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus without adding of hell paines to bee suffered in the soule of Christ hath the constant full and expresse warrant of the Scriptures and the like approbation from al the fathers without exception And therefore howsoeuer some men may despise all ancient writers and frustrate the scriptures with their figures al sober and wise christians will I doubt not beware how they admit this strange and late found nouelty into their Creede or consciences The second point I presse nor with like vehemencie because it hath not like certaintie So long as we confesse which the Scriptures do confirme that Christs humane nature after his extreame humiliation on the Crosse before his resurrection conquered spoyled not death only but hell Satan also of al their power right ouer y e faithful ascending on hie lead captiuitie captiue tooke the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands with the precise maner and hower I will not burden anie mans conscience that cannot be perswaded by reading the latter part of this treatise though I my selfe after long diligent search find no sense so agreeable to y e words of the Creede so answerable to the rules of the sacred Scriptures and so fullie followed by all the Fathers as Christs descent to the verie place of hell for the purposes aforesaid Hauing premonished thee Christian reader of thus much I am not willing to detayne thee anie longer from vewing and examining the booke it selfe but onelie to tell thee that whiles I stayed the printing hereof till others did like it as wel as my self one more hastie then either aduised or learned calling himselfe H. I. would needes traduce it and confute it before he saw it resting belike on such notes as his angry mind and brickle memorie tooke at the time when I preached of these points Wherein though others condemne his follie yet I commend his pollicie that least hee should trouble himselfe with more thē he could answere he thought it y e best way to come into the field alone and like a stout Champion fighting with his owne shadow to say no more thē he would be sure to deny or decline with one
shift or other To make the easier conquest of that I preached hee cleane changeth the state of the first Question hee offereth to prooue that which I neuer denied hee confuteth that which I neuer affirmed hee runneth at Random no man can tell whither hee peruerteth my wordes hee maymeth my reasons hee skippeth all my authorities hee scornefullie reiecteth the iudgement of the Fathers when I alleage them the Scriptures hee turneth and windeth at his pleasure he wadeth desperately through thicke and thinne in matters of most importance his best reason is euerie where his own opinion outfacing the world with his ignorance in summe he sheweth vs by his example what it is for a man in matters of faith to despise both authoritie and antiquity and trust onely to his own fancie Such an opponent the wiser sort will thinke I were better neglect then encounter which resolution I my selfe do retayne onely lest my silence should augment his boldnes I thought it not amisse in the conclusion seuered from the treatise to giue thee a tast of the rashnes and weaknes of his enterprise intreating thee in the meane time to reade aduisedly and iudge indifferently for that the cause is weighty and toucheth thee as neere as mee For if we suffer the mayne foundation of our faith and hope in Christ to be wrenched neuer so little awrie the whole building is more endangered then wee are ware of In Gods causes let Gods booke teach vs what to beleeue and what to professe If thou thinke it thy duetie in matters of faith to beware of vnwritten verities in the greatest point of all which is our redemption by Christ take heede thou easilie admit not vnwritten absurdities This matter began in more generall and more tolerable tearmes if they might bee rather soberly mitigated then too vehemently pressed but as when we runne downe an hill we can hardly staie so in matters of religion when we fal to inuenting beyond the scriptures we quickly misse and seldome recouer the truth Farewell gentle Reader and pray that our thoughts and wits may be subiected to the truth of Gods word and that wee loath not the simplicitie which is in Christ. THE FVLL REDEMPtion of mankind by the death and bloud of Christ. GALATH. 6. verse 14. Be it far from me to reioice but in the Crosse of Christ. AS the naturall man no where liketh nor alloweth the thinges of God because they seeme foolishnes vnto him so of all the waies and workes of God there is none that more displeaseth and offendeth the vnbeléeuer then the Crosse of Christ. Wee preach Christ crucified saith the Apostle to the Iewes a stumbling blocke to the Grecians foolishnesse The Grecians â—auoring nothing but worldlie wisedome and fleshlie reason counted it a méere folly for the sonne of God to leaue his Throne of glorie in the heauens and as a man amongst men to taste of maâ—â—e miseries and to suffer a cruell and shamefull death at the handes of his enemies The priâ—â— of our Redemption for whose sakes hee died and the power of his resurrection by which hee raised vs to the imitation and expectation of a better life they did neither conceiue nor beléeue and therefore they reiected his birth and speciallie his death as a dreame of simple and vnlearned men such as they tooke the Apostles to be The Iewes hauing their eares full of those excellent promises which God made by his prophets concerning the kingdome of the Messias and referring them to an earthlie king that should sit on the throne of Dauid brusing his enemies with a rod of Iron and ruling the world with iustice and equitie when they sawe the weake and base condition of our Sauiour in outward shew promising nothing but reproch and penurie they so disdained and detested him that they could not bee quiet till they had crucified him being then and euer since ashamed and gréeued that anie should saie or thinke he was the Messias so much spoken of in the prophets Thus the Iewes looking for wonders and the Grecians for Wisedome did both condemne the crosse of Christ the one of weakenesse the other of foolishnesse and for that cause fell at the stone of offence but such as were called both Iewes and Gentiles to bee heires of the promise did plainelie perceaue and fullie confesse Christ crucified to be the mightie power and manifold wisedome of God for their euerlasting ioie and blisse and were so far from being ashamed of Christs sufferings that they were willing partakers and open reioicers in the crosse of Christ as the Apostle here saieth of himselfe Be it farre from mee to reioice but in the Crosse of Christ by which the world is crucified to me and I to the world And indéede if we beholde Christ crucified with carnall eies as did the Iewes wee shall see nothing in him but earthlie weakenesse and deadlie woundes as they sawe but if we bende the eies of our faith to the trâ—th of his person and to the force and fruite of his death as must all his saints we shall finde the power and wisedome iustice and mercie of God so tempered in the crosse of Christ for our good that by his paines we are eased by his stripes we are healed his weakenesse is our strength his shame is our glorie and his death our life worthely therefore doth the Apostle professe that he did and we should not reioice but in the crosse of Christ. And where hee saith he did reioyce in nothing but in the crosse of Christ he thereby teacheth vs to repose all our faith and hope aswell as our ioy in the fauour of God which Christ hath purchased for vs by his death and bloud Reioice in hope saith the Apostle that is in the expectation not in the present fruition of heauenlie thinges which God hath prepared for all that loue him Now hope without faith there can bee none Faith is the ground worke of that wee hope for howe can we with patience looke for that which we doe not beléeue wee shall receiue The doubting of Gods promises is the plaine distrâ—sting of them and bréedeth rather a feare we shall misse them then an hope to enioie them and in feare there is PAINE as saint Iohn saith and no IOIE Then as there is no perfect ioie but in hope assured by faith so if we must not reioice but in the crosse of Christ our faith and hope must wholie depende on that peace and attonement which Christ hath made betwixt God and vs by the sheading of his precious bloud for our sakes that is by his crosse Since therefore Christ crucified is the wisedome and power of God to saue all that beléeue and the crosse of Christ is the ful support of all our faith hope and ioie there is no one point in christian religion that more mainelie concerneth and neerelie toucheth the saluation of our soules then the right vnderstanding and only relying on the crosse
of Christ least we mistake the truth or distrust the force thereof to the dishonour of Christ and danger of our owne soules To preuent this perill I thinke best to obserue this order in that which shall be saide â—o shewe first what the Crosse of Christ CONTAINETH next what the crosse of Christ PERFORMETH that knowing the contents and effectes of Christs crosse I meane the paines which he suffered and the worke which he accomplished by dying on the crosse we may be setled and assured how far it extended and what it effected for vs. To begin with the CONTENTS of Christes crosse The crosse is sometimes taken in the Scripture for all manner of affliction He that will come after me let him denie himselfe and dailie take vp his crosse and follow me He that doth not take vp his Crosse and follow me is not worthy of me In this sence saieth Bernarde The whole life of Christ was a crosse and a martyrdom The reason 〈◊〉 Christ so vsed the worde for he first vsed it was for that he saw before hande that going to his crosse he should taste all kindes of calamities and so came it to passe For betwéene his last supper and his death hee was betraied of Iudas abiured of Peter forsaken of all his followers hee was wrongfulliâ— imprisoned falselie accused vniustlie condemned he was buffeted whipped scorned reuiled he endured colde nakednes thirst wounding hanging shame reproch and all sortes of deadlie paines besides heauinesse of heart and agonie of mind which oppressed him in the garden Rightlie then maie the crosse note all maner of miseries forasmuch as our Sauiour going from the garden to the graue suffered all sortes of afflictions howbeit this is no different signification but rather a participation of the crosse of Christ. The Church of Rome hath wedded a great part of her deuotion to the crosse of Christ but vnder that name she adoreth the matter and forme of the crosse as for the force and effects of Christs death which is remission of our sinnes satisfaction of Gods wrath and donation of eternall life she prodigallie imparteth that to her pilgrimages pardons purgatorie yea to the works and praiers of quicke and dead and so magniâ—â—eng the signe and wood of the crosse she dishonoreth the merite and fruit of Christ crucified But of her painted and caâ—ued crosses the scripture maketh no mention and therefore I shipt it rather as a manifest illusion then anie signification of the crosse of Christ. Most commonlie in the Scriptures by the crosse of Christ the holie Ghost meaneth the person suffering and the paine suffered on the crosse that is the punishments and torments which the sonne of God suffered for our sinnes after he was fastened to the tree the rest which went before not being excluded as superfluous but continued and increased by that sharpe and extreame martyrdome which hee endured on the crosse And so Christ crucified as the scriptures describe him had from top to toe no part frée from paine and griefe but hoong on the wood hauing his flesh torne with whippes his chéekes swolne with buffets his face defiled with spittle his head stuckt full with thornes his eies deiected for shame his eares burning with taunts his mouth sowred with vineger his hands and feete wounded with Iron spikes his bones vniointed his sinewes pricked and strained his whole body hanging by the sorenesse of his hands and feet and lastlie though he were first dead his heart pierced with a Speare whence issued bloud and water His bodie thus wounded and tortured vnto death his bloud thus shed and as it were powred on the earth are said in the scriptures to be the ransome of our sinnes and price of our redemption Hee bare our sinnes in his body vpon the Crosse saith Peter and again You are redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled I do not amplifie the bodilie paines which Christ suffered of purpose to make them séeme greater then they were I find my selfe rather vnable to expresse them but least wee should too much diminish them and aske What great matter it was for him to go securely and as it were sportinglie to his death I thought good shortlie to touch them and leaue the fuller and further consideration of them to the godlie at their priuate leysure In the meane time I may not omit in his Stripes Thornes Crucifying and Death to obserue that which the Reader will happilie ouerskippe in the historie of his passion vnlesse hee be both aduised and learned In his STRIPES I note that Pilate hauing a purpose to saue the life of Christ and not neglecting to satisfie the people that were incensed against him caused him extreamly to be whipped and shewed to the people in that plight with these worde Ecce homo Behold y e man to let them see that Christ had receiued very sufficient correction no crime being prooued agaâ—â—st him and so to withdraw them from seeking his death â—n CROVVNING him with thornes the souldiers did not onelâ—e wreath him a thicke crowne of thornes to sticke his head full of them but after the putting it on to fasten it they did strike him on the heade with their Canes as Matthew and Marke do plainlie testifie In NAILING him to the Crosse besides the greatnesse and sorenesse of his wounds which were worthie to be marked they so strained his bodie least hee should stirre hand or foote that all his bones might bee numbred The greatnesse of his woundes Dauid foreshewed by thâ—se wordes Foderunt manus meas pedes meos they digged my handes and my feete noting howe wide woundes they made in both which were rather digged than pierced and so bigge were the nailes as the Ecclesiasticall historie reporteth that Constantine made of them when his mother had found them in the mount where Christ was crucified A bridle and an helmet for his owne vse How tender and sensible the hands feét are aboue other partes of the bodie and what paine and anguish the pricking straining and tearing of the sinewes ligaments and ioynts in either which are verie thicke and full of sense in both those places did bréede and kindle in the whole bodie nature can teach vs without anie further proofe Of RACKING his ioints Bernard maketh this collection out of Dauid Tantum distentus sumâ— vt corpore nudo in moduÌ„ Tympanicae pellis distonto facile possint omnia ossa mea dinumerari I am so strained saith he in the person of Christ that my bodie naked beeing stretched like the head of a timbrell or drum all my bones may be numbred If this proofe reach not home Dauid hath plainer and expresser wordes in the 14. verse of the same Psalme which cannot be contradicted HITH PAREDV .i. Separauerunt se omnia ossamea All my bones are out of ioint or pulled one from the other In this
motion of the mind is but a temptation to trie the heart or shew the strength of the godlie So was Adam tempted in Paradise by Eue and Eue by the Serpent to prooue howe mindfull they were and thankfull they would be for the blessings of God bestowed vpon them So was Christ tempted in the wildernesse by Satan and all his life long by the wicked which were to him but occasions to declare the innocencie and integritie of his humane nature But the inwarde temptation of the heart and conscience though it bee in all the children of Adam the elect themselues not excepted by reason of their flesh lusting agaynst the spirite their conscience accusing them for sinne and their fayth sometimes fainting yet in Christ wee must graunt no such thing because in him there was neither corruption of flesh nor remorse of sinne nor weakenesse of faith that shoulde anie kinde of waie bréede or yeelde to the worme that gnaweth at our consciences A desperate feare is when the wrath of God awaketh the wicked to knowe and acknowledge what vengeance is prepared for them in the life to come and so hauing lost both fayth and hope they fall to an horrible expectation of iudgement and flaming fyre which shall deuoure the aduersarie But yet euen these men whose case is most despaired are not while they liue heere on earth in the true paines of Hell but are as farre from that as expecting is from suffering The last I knowe not howe to call but by the name of a damned rather paine then feare which the wicked departed this life doe presentlie feele For paine that is present inflicteth rather torment then feare since feare is properlie the trembling at euill before it come and not the grieuing at it when it is come Of these foure impressions yee see which I attribute vnto Christ and which not Despairing or so much as doubting of his saluation we cannot ascribe to him without euident impietie And as for Christes suffering the same paines which the damned soules in Hell doe to my simple vnderstanding it is rather a dreame then a doctrine to bee taught in the Church of Christ. Did they defende as great sense and anguish of paine to haue beene in Christes bodie or soule as hell fire doth inflict to the damned though that were a verie presumptuous and audacious position yet is it not so impious as when they affirme he sufred the self same which the damned do For the damned haue many sorts of paines in hel which by no means could fasten on Christs person and since there be degrées of paine in hell euen for the damned these curious teachers must shewe vs which of these degrees Christ suffered by what warrant of gods word they aâ—iunge the very paines of hell to the crosse of Christ. To perswade them to hold fast the forme of wholsom words which the holy ghost obserueth throughout the scriptures I feare is but lost labor hauing lighted on a strange doctrine they are forced to vse strange spéeches such as no where are found in the word of truth expressing mans redemption by the death and bloud of Christ yet somwhat to rebate the heat of such as despise all other sufferings of Christ in respect of their hell-paines I think it not amisse to examine the weight of those allegations and reasons that are brought to support their assertion The proofs that are pretended for this opinion may be recalled to thrée principal heds which are these PREDICTIONS that Christ should suffer the paines of hell in soul CAVSES why he must suffer them SIGNES that he did suffer them Predictions that Christ should suffer the paines of hel are cited the se Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell and againe The sorowes or streights of hell haue found me out beset me round The causes why he must suffer them are enlarged by some into many branches but may bee contracted into these two THE PART that chiefly sinned in man the VVAGES due to man for sin The WORKE of sin appeared first most in the soul of Adam therfore in y e satisfaction for sin the soul of Christ as they say must properly principally suffer The VVAGES of sin is expressely death both of soule and bodie and therfore Christ as our suretie and for our sinnes must taste of both as they affirm before he can discharge vs from both Signes that he did suffer were his AGONIE in the garden when he sweat blood which for a corporall death he would neuer haue don his COMPLAINT on the crosse that he was forsaken of God which as they thinke proouesh he felt in soule a most fearefull iudgement of God pronounced against our sinnes To euerie of these I will speake in order that finding the weaknesse of their foundation we maie the sooner see the lamenesse of their conclusion To the first I might answere with Saint Austen these words of Dauid specifie not anie suffering of hell paines on the crosse but rather a descent to the place of hell That the Lord after his bodie was dead came to hell is certaine enough for neither can the prophecie be contradicted which said Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell which least anie man shoulde dare otherwise to interpret Peter in the Acts of the Apostles so expoundeth nor the wordes of Peter bee auoided where hee saith that Christ brake the sorrowes of hell the which could not possiblie take hold on him who then but an infidell will denie that Christ was in hell But with antiquitte I will not vrge them if the text doe not refuse their exposition I will release them this authoritie That this saying of Dauid doth not import anie paines suffered while Christ liued but some honour done to his soule after his death maie thrée waies be prooued by the wordes next praecedent by the words next adioyned and by the application which Peter maketh when he citeth this place The wordes next before which are these My flesh shall rest in hope note Christs buriall and this is brought as a reason why Christes bodie should rest in hope not on the crosse where it had no rest but in the graue after he was dead because thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell If this respected any thing endured on the crosse the holy ghost must haue saide in the person of Christ because THOV HAST NOT LEFT MY SOVLE IN HEL the paines and time were both past but he speaketh in the future tence of future things Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell And this was the hope in which Christ died Now hope neuer tendeth to things past and known but to that which is to come This therefore toucheth somthing consequent after Christs death which he hoped for when he died and not anie paines suffered on the crosse or in the garden whiles he liued The words annexed infer the same Thou wilt not leaue my soule in
hell nor suffer thine holie one to see corruption Both these being iointlie spoken of Christ must both bee iointlie verified in Christ wherefore Christes soule must then not bee left in hell when his flesh lying in the earth sawe no corruption They may not bee seuered in performance which the holie ghost knitteth together in coherence Lastlie Peter in plaine words saâ—eth Dauid spake this of Christs resurrection If this concerned his resurrection then not his passion on the crosse but after death and before he rose as his flesh saw no corruption So his soule was not left in hell Yea God raised him vp as Peter saith breaking the sorrowes of death or hell before him of which it was impossible he should be held not that hee was euer in them and so loosed them as a man doth chaines where with hee was once bound but as the snares of hunters saith Austen are broken Ne teneant non quia tenuerunt before they take hold not after they haue taken holde For Christ was to rise againe not as others before him were restored to this present life but as the full and first conquerour of death and hell hee was to rise both in bodie and soule to eternall celestial glory and therfore he brake when he rose the paines and powers of death and hell that they should not preuaile for euer against him or his The other places of the Psalmes haue as manie aunsweres as they haue wordes for euerie word is an answere First Dauid speaketh of himselfe not of Christ and Dauids words to Christs person we may not refer at our pleasures without farther and better warrant Againe Dauid doth not saie the TORMENTS but the SNARES or STREIGHTS of DEATH as well as of HELL for the worde Sheol indifferentlie signifieth both if there bee none other circumstance to limite it to either and Dauid by the rules of diuinitie was neuer here on earth in the true paines of the damned haue FOVND me out or BESET and besieged mee but not oppressed nor ouerwhelmed me And if we take the name of HELL neuer so properlie it is no inconuenience that the gates of hell I meane the craft and power of Satan should hunt after the godlie heere on earth and seéke to entrap euen Christ himselfe but the true paines of hell the wicked and desperate do not suffer in this life much lesse the elect least of all Christ. It is a iudgement following death and maie no more be defended to bee here on earth then the ioies of heauen may be possessed in this life In the causes why Christ should suffer the paines of hell we may do well not to be too forwarde with the rules of reason as well for that there is no proportion betwixt the person of Christ and vs as also for that wee may not sit iudges with God and prescribe when or howe his iustice should bee satisfied It is requisite in our selues to confesse that as both parts of man sinned in Adam so the wages of sinne which is euerlasting death is due to both and as the soule shoulde haue principallie enioied God which is her life if shee had persisted in obedience so in falling from God her losse and smart must of the twaine bee farre the greater though the bodie shall not wante both grieuaunce and vengeance intolerable but if wee stretch these rules to Christ and subiect his person as our suretie to the verie SAME WAGES of sinne which we should haue suffered I knowe not howe in fewer wordes a man maie couch more grosse and open impiety For we should haue béene WHOLY SEVERED IVSTLY HATED and VTTERLY REIECTED from God yea ETERNALLY CONDEMNED BODIE AND SOVLE to hell fire May anie of these thinges be affirmed or imagined of Christ without hainous and horrible blasphemie This was the wages of our sinne must he endure THE SAME before wee can bee redéemed or Gods iustice be satisfied I hope no sound diuine will so conclude They will release eternall death to the dignitie of Christs person but he was as they saie for the time to taste the verie same death both in soule and bodie which wee should haue done and which in vs should haue béene euerlasting First by their leaues hell in the scriptures is an euerlasting torment and therefore if the excellencie of Christes person exempt him from euerlasting miserie that cléerelie quiteth him in bodie and soule from suffering hell Againe as sinne is the voluntarie defection of the soule from God so hell is the TOTAL if not FINAL EXCLVSION of the soule from all fellowship with God lesse thâ—n the death of soule it cannot be It is the wages of sinne and therefore it must bee the death as well of the soule as of the bodie and chiefelie of the soule because the soule of man is the principall agent in sinne S. Iohn calleth hell the second death If then the soule of Christ suffered either hell or the wages of our sinne of necessitie for the time it must be dead The wages of sinne is death If for the time Christes soule were dead it had no communion with God nor God with it no more then death hath with life or darkenes with light It lost for that time all faith and loue of God For by faith the iust doe liue and he that abideth in loue abideth in God And since God is the life of the soule Christ could not suffer the death of the soule which is the wages of our sinne no not for a day or an houre but he must be seuered from God forsaken of God Mors animae fit cum eam deserit deus the death of the soule is when God forsaketh it Mors est spiritus a deo deseri it is the death of the spirit to bee forsaken of God Mors animae deus amissus the losse of God is the death of the soule To lose God or to be forsaken of God is to haue no coniunction nor fellowship with God the soule then that is dead is excluded from the fauour and grace truth and spirit of God and if anie bee so irreligious or impious as once to affirme these thinges of Christ he may auouch that Christs soule suffered the true wages of our sin but if we abhorre these things as sacrilegious and monstrous absurdities as I doubt not but we do then certainelie the soule of Christ could not bee dead no not for an instant and consequentlie the true wages of our sinne the soule of Christ could not receaue nor suffer on the crosse or in the garden but wee must rather giue eare to Peter which saith Christ bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree where he was quickened in spirite though mortified in flesh and strengthened in the inward man by the ioy proposed for which hee sustained the crosse and despised the shame thereof Christ then tooke the burden of our sinnes from vs and laied it
part which moderation I wish in you all What I reade in the word of God that I beleeue what I do not reade that I doe not beleeue In Gods causes wee maie not easily leaue Gods words and with a new kind of speach make way for a new kinde of faith We must learne from God what to beléeue and not by correcting or inuerting his words teach him how to speake Since therefore redemption and remission of sinnes are euerie where in the scriptures referred to the death and bloud of Christ I dare not so much as thinke the words of the holie ghost in one of the greatest mysteries of our christian faith to be improper or imperfect And that you may the better perceaue how plainelie and fullie this doctrine is deliuered in the propheticall apostolical scriptures I thinke it good to go forwardes with the effects of Christes crosse by which it shall appeare howe sufficient the price of our redemption is in the bloud of Christ without anie supplie of hell paines to be suffered in y e soule of Christ. The effectes of Christs crosse though I might recken manie yet to keep my selfe within some compasse I restraine to fiue chiefe branches the MERITE of his suffering which was INFINITE the MANER of his offering which was BLOVDY The POVVER of his DEATH which was mighty the COMFORT of his CROSSE which was NECESSARIE the GLORY of his RESVRRECTION which was heauenly These fiue will direct vs not onely what to beléeue but what to refuse in the person and passion of our Sauiour I will therefore take them as they lie in order The merite of Christs suffering must be simply infinite that it may worke two things for vs to wit redeeme vs from Sathan and reconcile vs vnto God cleere vs from hell and bring vs to heauen in either respect it must be infinite The wages of sinne is death both of bodie and soule héere and for euer With the Iudge of the world is no vnrighteousnesse He therefore punisheth no man without cause or aboue desert Since the reuenge of each mans sinne is eternall y t is infinite in time the waight of each mans sinne must needs be infinite as being rewarded with euerlasting death It may séeme much to carnal men that God should requite sin with euer during reuenge but if we seriouslie bethinke our selues what it is for earth and ashes to waxe proud against God after so manifold abundant blessings to cast off his yoake readily yea gréedily to prefer euerie vanitie and fansie before his heauenlie truth glory we shall presently perceiue how iust cause God hath infinitely to hate our vncleannes eternally to pursue the pride contempt rebellion of wicked and wilfull men against his diuine maiestie howsoeuer we digest it it is a thing determined with God and no doubt balāced in his vpright and sincere iudgment The soule that sinneth that soule shal die Death life are both eternall y t is infinite in length though not in weight in durance though not in degree and sence of ioy or paine Then in either respect to counteruaile our deliuerance from hell our inheritance in heauen she merit of Christs suffering must be infinite An infinite purchase cannot be made but with an infinite price For this infinite price whither shall we seeke to the paines of hell or to the powers of heauen◠y e paines of hel are neither meritorious nor infinite What thanks with God to be separated from God and the soule being alienated from God what other part of man can merite his fauor If any man fal away my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Hel paines therefore are accursed not accepted of God and hee that suffereth them is hated and no way beloued Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire As they are not meritorious no more are they infinite I meane in waight but they must euerlastingly be suffered before they can be infinite For not only diuels but men of all sorts shal suffer them who cannot endure any infinite sence of paine All creatures are finite both in force to do strength to suffer Infinit is as much as God himself hath therefore God alone is infinite So that neither hel fire is of infinite force to punish nor men nor angels of infinite strength to suffer but the vengeance of sinne continueth for euer by reason no creature is able to beare an infinite waight of punishment Since then the paines of hel haue neither worth nor waight sufficient in themselues to satisfie the anger procure the fauor of God we must séeke to heauen euen to God himselfe for the true ransome for our sinnes and redemption of our soules which we no where find but in the person of Christ Iesus who being true God tooke our nature vnto him and by the infinite price of his bloud bought vs from y e power of hel brought vs vnto God For neither y e vertues of Christs humane soule though they were many nor the sufferings of his flesh though they were painful are simply infinite til we looke to his person then shall we find that God vouchsafed with his own bloud to purchase his Church that we were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne when we were his enemies Bernarde expressing the infinite merite of Christes death and passion saith Incomprehensibilis deus voluit comprehendi summus humiliari potentissimus despici pulcherrimus deformari sapientissimus vt iumentū fieri immortalis mori vt compendio absoluam deus fieri voluit vermiculus quid excelsius deo quid inferius vermiculo The incomprehensible God woulde be comprehended the highest humbled the most mighty despised the most beautifull deformed the most wise bee like a beast the immortall would suffer death to speake all in fewe wordes God would become a Worme what is higher then God what is baser then a Worme If betwéene the Creator and the best of his creatures there be an infinite distance what thinke yee then was there betwixt the throne of God in heauen and the crosse of Christ on earth not an infinite distance and so infinite that neither men nor Angels can comprehend it The ground of our saluation then is the obedience humility and charitie of the sonne of God yeelding himselfe not onelie to serue in our stéed but to die for our sinnes For when he was equall with God in nature power and glory hee refused not to take the shape of a seruant vpon him and to humble himselfe to the death of the crosse not onelie obeying his fathers will which we had despised but abiding his hand for the chastisement of our peace The Apostle noteth these thrée vertues in the person of Christ Let the SAME AFFECTION of loue bee in you which was in Christ Iesus vvho being in the forme of God emptied and humbled himselfe and became
obedient to the death euen to the death of the crosse By his humilitie obedience and charity hee purged the pride rebellion and selfe-loue which our first father shewed when he fell and we all expresse in our sinnes and therefore as wee all died in Adams transgression so we are all iustified that is absolued from our sinnes and receaued into fauour by the obedience of Christ. Yea the obedience of Christ did in farre higher degrée please God the Father then the rebellion of Adam did displease him For there the vassall rebelled here the equall obeied there earth presumed to be like vnto God here God vouchsafed to bee the lowest amongst men there the creature neglected his maker here the creator so loued his enemies euen his persecutors that hee tooke the burthen from their shoulders and laid it on his owne contentedly giuing his life for them who cruellie tooke his life from him to conclude those were the sinnes of men these are the vertues of God which doe infinitelie counteruaile the other and for that cause the iustice of God is farre better satisfied with the obedience of Christ then with the vengeance it might iustlie haue executed on the sinnes of men For God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked neither doth hee delight in mans destruction but with the obedience of his sonne he is well pleased and therein euen his soule delighteth This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Loe my chosen my soule taketh pleasure in him In which words God doth not onlie note the naturall loue betwixt his sonne and himselfe but he giueth full approbation of his obedience as being thereby throughlie satisfied for the sinne of man By Christs obedience I doe not meane the holinesse of his life or performance of the lawe but the obedience of the person vnto death euen the death of the Crosse which was voluntarilie offered by him not necessarily imposed on him aboue and besides the lawe and no way required in the lawe For it could be no dutie to God or man but onelie mercie and pitie towardes vs that caused the sonne of God to take our mortall and weake flesh vnto him and therein and therby to pay the ransome of our sinnes and to purchase eternall life for vs. He must be a Sauiour no debter a redéemer no prisoner Lord of all euen when hee humbled himselfe to be the seruant of all his diuine glorie power and maiestie make his sufferings to be of infinite force and value And from this dignitie and vnitie of his person which is the maine pillar of our redemption if we cast our eies on any other cause or deuise any new help to strengthen the merits of Christ wee dishonour and disable his diuinitie as if the sonne of God were not a full and sufficient price to ransome the bodies and soules of all mankind On this foundation doe the scriptures build the whole frame of mans redemption GOD purchased his church saith Paule WITH HIS OVVNE BLOVD GOD noting the dignitie HIS OVVNE the vnitie of his person and both importing a price far worthier then the thing purchased God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all In that he was the sonne of God al nations are counted vnto him or in ballance with him lesse thē nothing and vanitie in that he was giuen for vs the ransome excelleth the prisoner as much as God doth man We are reconciled to God by the death of his sonne Maruell we to sée Christs death of that power price with God that it appeased his wrath when he was angrie with vs as with his enemies when as his owne son being equall with him in the forme of God humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse for our sakes Fairer or fuller causes of our redemption we neede not aske the holie Ghost doth not expresse God cannot haue If the son of God be not able with his bloud to redeeme vs wee must giue ouer all hope and despaire For heauen cannot yéeld vs a greater value and the earth hath none like Wherfore if any man be disposed to seale his own condemnation with his own heart let him distrust the merits of Christs death but all that will be saued must acknowledge the infinite price of his death and bloud aboue our worth and we must learne being sinfull and wretched creatures not to amend the wordes of God in the mysterie of our redemption but suffer him that is trueth to be the guider of our faith and not by figures to frustrate all that is written in the word of God touching our saluation purchased by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus I am not the first that obserued or vrged this doctrine it is auncient and Catholike Cum super omnes esset Dei verbum merito suum ipsius templum corporale instrumentum pro omniū ammis pretium offerens id quod morti debebatur persoluit Where as the word or sonne of God saith Athanasius was aboue al worthily then by offering his owne temple bodily instrument as a price for the soules of all men did he pay that was due vnto death Cyril Si non esset deus quomodo ipse solus sufficeret ad hoc vt sit pretiū Sed sufficit solus pro omnibus mortuus quia super omnes est deus igitur est morte suae carnis à mundo mortē depellens If Christ were not God how could he alone suffice to be the ransome for al but he alone dead sufficeth for all because he is aboue all he is therefore God by the death of his flesh driuing away death from the worlde And againe Redempti sumus Christo proprium corpus dante pro nobis Sed si vt communis homo intelligeretur Christus quomodo corpus eius ad rependendum omnium vitam sufficeret At si deus fuit in carne qui dignissimus sufficiens ad redemptionem totius mundi per suum sanguinē merito fuit We are redeemed Christ giuing his own body for vs. But if Christ be taken to be no more then a man how should his body be sufficient to restore life to al men but if he were God in our flesh worthily thē did he suffice to redeem the whole world with his bloud Austen Si propter hominē mortuus est deus nō est victurus homo cum deo quomodo mortuus est deus accepit ex te vnde moreretur pro te nōposset mori nisi caro nōposset mori nisi mortale corpus If god died for mā shall not mā liue with god but how died god he took of thine wherin to die for thee There could nothing die but flesh there could die nothing but a mortal body And elsewhere an anciēt writer vnder his name if not himselfe Indubitanter credamus quod totum mundum redemit qui plus dedit quā totus mundus valeret
Patriarkes perished in their sinnes by mistaking the true price of their redemption For that they knewe anie thing of Christs suffering Hell paynes I thinke will hardlie bee prooued But out of question their faith was right which was settled on the bloud of Christ to bee shedde for the redéeming of their sinnes and themselues are Saintes in Gods kingdome Wee must therefore take heede that wee doe not rashlie varie from the foundation of their faith and hope which must likewise be ours with this onelie difference that they beléeued in him which should take away the sins of the worlde by his death and crosse and we in him that hath taken them away The time doth differ but the meanes are still the same The lamb was slaine from the beginning of the world not actually but in the counsaile of God which did purpose it and in the truth of God which did promise it as likewise in the faith of al his saints which did rest reioice in it frō whose steps if we swarue we may not looke to be Abrahās children y t refuse Abrahās faith as erroneous chalēge our father for misbeliefe If the offerings and faith of the Patriarks were not pregnant enough to lead vs to the true sacrifice for sinne the Apostle to the Hebrewes doth so purposelie and positiuely handle it that I much muse how any man of iudgement or learning can mistake it For if we marke but thrée conclusions which the Apostle maketh we cannot erre from the truth in this behalfe The true sacrifice for sinne must be but ONE and ONCE OFFERED not often nor iterated by reason it is perfect and able to clense vs from all sinne It must bee BLOVDY for so were all the offeringes of the lawe and without shedding of bloud is no remission It must bee CONFIRMED BY DEATH that redemption purchased might neuer bee reuoked nor altered These thrée positions are mainelie and mightilie vrged by the holie ghost the 9. and 10. to the Hebrues and for this faith are all the fathers of the old Testament from Abel to Samuel praised in the 11. chapter of that Epistle This man saith Paul meaning Christ after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINNE sitteth for euer at the right hand of God For with ONE OFFERING had he made perfit for euer those which are sanctified Now where remission of sinne is there is no more offering for sinne Christ then making but one offering for sinne we must not make two but rather learne what that one was which we may do without any difficultie since the Apostle so plainlie teacheth vs that we are sanctified by THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF IESVS ONCE that BY HIS OWNE BLOVD CHRIST ENTERED in Once into the holy place and FOVND ETERNALL REDEMPTION Almost all things are by the law purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission It was then necessary that the similitudes of heauenlie thinges in the law should be purified with such thinges as the bloud of bulles and goates but heauenly things themselues with better sacrifices then these euen with the bloud of Christ. For if the bloud of bulles and goates sanctifieth as touching the purifying of the flesh howe much more shall THE BLOVD OF CHRIST who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God PVRGE YOVR CONSCIENCES FROM DEAD WORKS to serue the liuing God And for this cause is he the Mediator of the newe Testament that THROVGH DEATH which was for THE REDEMPTION OF THE TRANSGRESSIONS IN THE FORMER TESTAMENT they which were called might receiue the promise of eternal inheritance For where a testament is there must be THE DEATH OF HIM THAT MADE THE TESTAMENT For it is of no force so long as he that made it is aliue wherefore neither was the first testament ordained without bloud Iesus then suffered without the gate that hee might SANCTIFIE the people WITH HIS OWNE BLOVD and this is the bloud of the euerlasting Testament through which God brought againe from the dead our Lorde Iesus Christ confirmeth the same when hee saith This is MY BLOVD of the new testament WHICH IS SHED for many for THE REMISSION OF SINNES The words be plainer then that they néede anie commentarie There was but ONE sacrifice that coulde abolish sinne euen THE OBLATION OF THE BODIE OF IESVS ONCE whose BLOVD purged our consciences from deade works and purchased eternal inheritance by the TESTATORS DEATH FOR THE REDEMPTION of those sinnes which we committed against the former Testament What shift haue we to shun the force of these wordes or to bring in the paines of hell in Christes soule as a part of the propitiatory sacrifice for sinne Christ made but one oblation of himselfe for sinne and that was the suffering of death in his body for the redemption of our transgressions and shedding of his bloud for the remission of our sinnes More then one hee néeded not make for that one obtained eternall redemption and other then this he did not make for his offering was both BODILY and BLOVDIE This is my body which is giuen and broken for you this is my bloud which is shed for manie THE OBLATION OF THE BODY of Iesus once THE SHEDDING OF HIS BLOVD are of strength force enough to clense vs from our sins to procure vs the promise of euerlasting inheritance which beeing confirmed by the death of the testator standeth irreuocable How canne wee then bring in another sacrifice of Christes soule suffering the paines of hell which could be neither bodily nor bloudy but wee must increase the number and confounde the differences of Christs offerings and weaken the force of his externall corporal sacrifice which was the truth that answered accomplished al the signes of the law For the inuisible paines of hel are no where prefigured in the sacrifices of the law that I find nor so much as once mentioned in the Apostles discourse of Christs sacrifice for sinne that I reade therfore if we adde them as a necessary part of our redemption we derogate from the bloud of Christ as insufficient without those torments to clense vs from our sins pacifie the wrath of God that was kindled against vs. What danger it is to depart from y e manifest words of the holy ghost in so high a point of faith by things vnwritten to discredit things written I néede not admonish such as be learned let the simple take héed that they suffer not reason to ouerrule religion obscure and doubtful places in the scriptures to wrest from them the perspicuous and perpetuall doctrine of the holy ghost Howe ful and perfect the redemption is which wee haue by the bloud of Christ if you search the Scriptures you shall easilie see if you doe but hearken you shall presentlie learne The bloud of Christ doth REDEEME CLENSE VVASH IVSTIFIE SANCTIFY the elect It doth PACIFIE and
the destruction of all the faythfull Wherefore the wisedome and iustice of God suffered him to shewe his rage on the flesh of Christ and as it were to trample in his bloud which hee spilt like water on the earth and left him that which hee so eagerly pursued and in his malice against Gods glorie preferred before all the worlde as a full payment for all those that shoulde be deliuered by the death of Christ. And for this cause the bloud of Christ is called by y e holie ghost the PRICE of our REDEMPTION Ye were REDEEMED saith Peter WITH THE PRECIOVS BLOVD of Christ as of a lambe vnspotted and vndefiled Yea the song which the Saints in heauen do sing vnto the lambe is this Thou wast killed and HAST REDEEMED VS TO GOD BY THY BLOOD When I say the bloud of Christ was â—he price wherewith God redéemed vs out of Satans power I doe not meane that God made anie contract with Satan or tooke his consent to exchange much lesse that Christ did profer his bloud to the diuell to set vs free it were an iniurie to Christ for vs to thinke his bloud was shed to satisfie the diuell as Gregory Nazianzene wel obserueth in his oration de Paschate but Christ offered his bloud as a sacrifice to god his father to verifie the iudgement pronounced against vs Thou shalt die the death and to satisfie the iustice of God prouoked with our sinnes yet in comming to his death since his life might not be ended neither with his owne hand nor by the hand of his Father the wisedome of God deliuered him into the handes of sinners by whose blinde zeale and bloudie rage the diuell that worketh in the children of disobedience conspired and compassed his death and with all maner of contumelie and crueltie abused his body and spilt his blood insulting at him by the mouthes of the wicked and reioycing in the conquest he gate ouer Christ in bringing him to a reprochfull death But this extreame rage of Satan against the person of Christ turned to the vtter ruine of his owne kingdome For God did not onely raise againe the Lord Iesus from death as dying an innocent without all desert but in recompence of the wrong which he receiued at Satans hands to the which he willingly submitted himselfe God gaue him power to spoyle the kingdome of the diuell and to deliuer all that euer did or should beleeue in his death and passion And in this sort Christ bought vs with his precious bloud from the daunger of sinne and hell not offering but suffering Satan by the hands of the Iewes to take his life from him neither compounding with his aduersarie but repressing him in the middest of his malice who assaulting Christ Iesus our head as he had done all the members was ouerthrowne by him and vanquished with an euerlasting victorie Mortuus est volens vt inuoluntarie mortuos exuscitaret Deuorauit ipsum mors ignorans vbi deuorasset cognouit quem non deuorauit Deuorauit vnum cum omnibus perdidit omnes propter vnum Rapuit vt leo confracti sunt dentes ipsius Christ died willinglie saith Basill that hee might raise those which died against their wils Death ignorantly deuoured him which when hee had done hee knewe whom he had not deuoured Hee swallowed vp one as he did all and for that one hee lost all Hee seased on him as a Lion but his teeth were therwith broken The créed extant vnder the name of Ruffinus Sacramentum carnis susceptae hanc habet causam vt diuina filij dei virtus velut hamus quidam habitu humanae carnis obtectus principem mundi inuitare posset ad Agonem cui ipse carnem suam velut escam tradens hamo eum diuinitatis intrinsecus teneret insertus ex profusione immaculati sanguinis The mysterie of Christes taking flesh was to this end that the diuine power of the Sonne of GOD couered as a hooke vnder the shewe of mans flesh might prouoke the Prince of this worlde to assault him to WHOM CHRIST DELIVERING HIS FLESH AS A BAITE helde fast the diuell with the hooke of his diuinitie sticking in him through the shedding of his immaculate bloud Conditorem omnium Satanae manui traditum quis vel desipiens credat sed tamen edoctus veritate quis nesciat cum se pro nostra redemptione Dominus membrorum Satanae manibus tradidit quod eiusdem Satanae manum in se saeuire permittit vt vnde ipse exterius occumberet inde nos exterius interiusque liberaret That the maker of all was deliuered into the hande of Satan who is so foolish as to beleeue And yet who taught by the trueth is ignorant that when the Lorde for our redemption yeelded himselfe into their handes that were the members of Satan hee suffered the hande of Satan to rage agaynst him that whence he outwardlie dyed in body thence he might both outwardlie and inwardlie deliuer vs And therefore hee concludeth Cum corpus eius ad passionem accipit electos eius à iure suae potestatis amittit When Satan receyued the bodie of Christ to crucifie it hee lost the elect of Christ from subiection to his power Saint Austen shewing howe Christ conquered the Diuell first by iustice and then by power sayeth Placuit Deo vt propter eruendum hominem de Diabolâ— potestate non potentia Diabolus sed iustitia vinceretur It pleased God for the deliuering of man out of the Diuels power that the diuell should be conquered by iustice and not by might Qua est igitur iustitia qua victus est Diabolus Quae nisi iustitia Iesu Christi Et quomodo victus est Quia cum in eo nihil morte dignum inuenit occidit eum tamen utique iustum est vt debitores quos tenebat liberi dimittantur in eum credentes quem sine vllo debito occidit Hoc est quod iustificari dicimur in sanguine Christi What then is the iustice whereby the Diuell was conquered What but the iustice of Iesu Christ And howe Because that when the Diuell founde in Christ nothing woorthie of death hee killed him notwithstanding and surelie iustice requireth that the debtours which Satan helde shoulde bee sette free beleeuing in him whome Satan slue without any debt This is it that wee are sayde to bee iustifyed in the bloud of Christ. Sanguis enim ille quoniam eius erat qui nullum habuit omnino peccatum ad remissionem nostrorum fusus est peccatorum vt quia eos Diabolus merito tenebat quos peccatireos conditione mortis obstrinxit hos per eum meritò dimitteret quem nullius peccati reum immerito poena mortis affecit hac iustitia victus hoc vinculo vinctus est fortis vt vasa eius eriperentur For that bloud because it was his who was vtterlie voyde of sinne was shedde for the remission of
pono pro ouibus meis I lay down my LIFE for my sheep Diligit me pater quia pono animaÌ„ meaÌ„ vt iteruÌ„ sumaÌ„ eam My father loueth me because I lay downe my life to take it againe And indéed that phrase PONTRE ANIMAM in the Scriptures doth alwaies note a voluntary yeelding of the life which is A LAYING ASIDE OF THE SOVLE for y e loue of others as where Peter saith Ponam animam meaÌ„ pro te he did not meane he would go to hel for his master there was no cause nor néede thereof but I wil lay down MY LIFE for thee And when S. Iohn telleth vs Quoniam ille animaÌ„ suaÌ„ posuit pro nobis nos debemus animas ponere pro fratribus hee doth not charge vs to hazard our soules by sin or hel for others but insomuch as Christ gaue HIS LIFE for vs wee ought to GIVE OVR LIVES for our brethren So that for Christ to LAY ASIDE HIS SOVLE or to POVRE IT OVT VNTO DEATH was not to suffer hell paines for our sakes but to die for our sins al those places are rather coherent theÌ„ dissident to the rest of y e scriptures which I alleaged And yet because the ancient fathers some times saie that Christ gaue his soule for our soules as hee did his flesh for our flesh the scriptures often affirme hee gaue himselfe I will come to the third effect of Christs crosse which is the MIGHTY POVVER OF HIS DEATH and there examine what part of Christ died for our sinnes and howe by his death the guilt of sinne the curse of the lawe the sting of death and the strength of Satan are not onelie weakened and wasted but extinguished and abolished that they shal neuer preuaile against him or his elect That the Sonne of God loued vs gaue himselfe for vs making the purgatioÌ„ of our sinnes in his own person by the sacrifice of himself to put away sinne is a case so cléere that it néed not to be prooued much lesse may be doubted without apparant subuersion of the christian faith but whether Christ suffered the death of the whole man his soule tasting for the time an inwarde and spirituall death in satisfaction of our sinnes as his flesh did an externall corporall dissolution of nature this by some men is questioned in our daies That for our sakes he humbled himself was obedient vnto death euen the death of y e crosse is out of al doubt the Euangelists describe the maner of his death the apostles the cause to wit the REDEMPTION of our sins the CONFIRMATION of the new testament the RECONCILIATION of man to God the DESTRVCTION of him that was ruler of death the IMITATION of his obedience who suffered for vs leauing an exaÌ„ple y t we should follow his steps Al this he performed with y e death of his flesh the Scriptures no where mentioning anie other kinde of death that I can read Where a testament is there must be the death of him that made the testament r For the testameÌ„t is confirmed when men are dead Christ is the mediator of the new Testament that through death which was for the redemption of the trespasses in the former Testament they which are called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance This plainelie expresseth the death of the bodie For God forbid mens Testaments should be frustrate till their soules haue tasted the second death but from the death of the bodie all testaments take their force Wherefore the new testament is confirmed by the bodilie death of Christ and there neede no paines of hell before it can be good You y â— in times past were strangers and enemies in mind by euill works hath he nowe reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to make you holie vndefiled and faultlesse before him Paul thought it not enough to saie Wee were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne but that death he addeth was IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH to exclude all supposals of the death of the soule since THE BLOVD OF CHRISTS CROSSE did PACIFY thinges in earth and in heauen For so much as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud hee also did therein partake with them that through death hee might destroy him that had power of death euen the deuill The death of the spirit maie bee without fâ—esh and bloud as we see in the Deuils who are dead in spirite But Christ tooke flesh and bloud that by the death of his flesh hee might destroie the deuill that insulted and raigned ouer the weakenesse of mans flesh Wee are buried with Christ by baptisme into his death and if we bee grafted with him into the similitude of his death we shalbe likewise into his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroied that henceforth wee shoulde not serue sinne for hee that is dead is freed from sinne So manie wordes so manie reasons to prooue that Christ died not for vs the death of the soule but onelie of the bodie Wee are buried with him by Baptisme his bodie not his soule was buried Wee are grafted into the similitude of his death not the soule but sinne dieth in vs when we are grafted into Christ for hee quickeneth our spirits Our olde man was crucified with him his soule was not crucified but his flesh that the body of sinne might be destroied by the death of the soule the body of sinne is strengthned and encreased That henceforth we should not serue sinne they must needes serue sinne whose soules are deade with sinne He that is dead is freed from sinne but he that is deade in spirit is subiected to the force furie of sinne The death of Christ then is mentioned no where in the Scriptures but the verie words or circumstances doe cléerely confirme that they speake of the death which he suffered for vs on the crosse IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH That Christ did or could suffer the death of the soule is a position far from the words but farther from the groundes of the sacred scriptures For in God there is no death and without God there is no life of the soule So that it is neither possible for the soule ioyned with God to die nor for the soule separated from God to liue Then if Christs soule were at anie time deade it lost all coniunction and communion with God and consequentlie the personall vnion of God and man in Christ was for that time dissolued and the grace and presence of Gods spirit were vtterlie taken from him and so during that space there coulde bee in Christ neither obedience humility patieÌ„ce holines nor loue which are the fruits of Gods spirit yea the soule of Christ if it were but for an houre depriued of Gods grace and spirit must néedes for that time be subiected to all
sinne and wickednesse which the diuel himselfe dare not auouch of the soule of Christ. Men maie doe well therefore to beware how they venture vnaduisedlie to saie that Christ suffered the death of the soule for howsoeuer they may frame vnto themselues a new kind of death in the soule of Christ as they thinke far from these absurdities and blasphemies yet both scriptures fathers mightilie contradict that loose if not lewde assertion With thee is the fountaine of life saith Dauid to God Then if the soule of Christ were alwaies ioined with God or so much as in Gods fauor it must needs haue life for in Gods fauour there is life Yea the presence of Gods spirit giueth life Spiritus est qui viuiâ—icat it is the spirit y t quickneth saith our Sauiour and Paul citeth the same words Where then THE SPIRIT OF GOD is there is LIFE and consequently the soule y t is dead is depriued of Gods spirit Now from whom the spirit of God is departed in him must néeds want al the fruits of Gods spirit and so the soule that is dead is excluded from all godlinesse and vertue For these are not onelie signes but effectes of Gods spirit working in the soule of man And since between righteousnes and vnrighteousnes there is no middle the soule of man wanting light truth and sanctitie of force must be filled with darkenes error iniquity which to surmise in the soule of Christ is the hight of all impietie As manie as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God If Christes soule wanted at anie time the spirit of God he was not the sonne of God If he euer and alwaies had the spirit of life dwelling in him his soule coulde at no time be dead For the spirite is life through righteousnesse But whie seeke we proofes that Christes soule could not die since he himselfe is the AVTHOR and GIVER OF LIFE I am the waie the truth and THE LIFE saith our Sauiour He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in mee though hee were dead he shall liue And hee that liueth and beleeueth in me shal neuer die If the soule of him that beleeueth in Christ shal neuer die how could Christ himself at anie time die in soule Christ is our life howe then shall we be sure neuer to die if the fountaine of our life in Christes person might for the time bee dried vp with death shall we haue fuller or perfiter fruition of life then Christ Iesus our heade who giueth life to all his sheepe but he had so plentifull perpetuall and personall possession of life not onelie for himselfe but for vs all that the Apostle saith the first Adam was made a liuing soule the last Adam was made a quickening spirit that is not only to haue life in himself but to giue life to others Could hee then at anie time be a deade soule whome the holy ghost affirmeth to be made a QVICKENING SPIRIT could he giue that to others which himselfe did lacke or loose that which he once had I know to giue life is proper to God and for that cause the soule of Christ could not haue that power by creation but by coniunction with his godhead and in that respect was the receptacle whereby the life and grace of his diuine nature was deriued into his humane with such abundance and assurance that of his fulnes we al haue receaued insomuch that the words which he spake were spirit and life and the flesh which he tooke was the bread of life yea the body of Christ dying did not only resist and represse the force of death but rising againe destroied death restored life to the world If the temple of his bodie were stronger then death what was the sanctuarie of his soule I wish therfore all men that professe themselues christiaÌ„s to be soberlie minded and with the learned and auncient fathers to acknowledge that there is not mentioned in the scriptures anie death of the soule besides SINNE eternall DAMNATION neither of the which with anie moderation or mitigation can be attributed to Christ without shamefull blasphemie Anima peccans ipsa morietur The soule that sinneth that soule shall die In these wordes are both deaths of the soule expressed the first voluntarie when for the delights of sinne wee refuse the preceptes of God the other necessarie when God by his iustice withdraweth his presence from vs and executeth his VENGEANCE on vs that neuer shall haue end That sinne is a death of the soule cannot be denied Let the dead bury their dead saith Christ to one of his disciples follow thou me Which must néedes be meant of such as are liuing in body dead in soule as Paule speaketh of wanton widowes she which liueth in pleasure is dead whiles shee liueth These the scripture calleth DEAD IN SINNE When we were dead by sinnes God quickened vs together with Christ. And again You which were dead in sinnes hath he quickened together with Christ forgiuing you all your trespasses From this death I make no doubt but all christian men with heart and voice will cléerelie discharge the VNSPOTTED and VNDEFILED Lambe of God who did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his mouth The other kinde of the death of the soule which is damnation must be farther from Christ then euer was sinne For not onelie Christes innocency should bee vniustlie condemned which were altogether repugnant to Gods righteousnesse but the sonne of God wronged and mans saluation wholy subuerted Nothing might befall the humane nature of Christ which was vnfitting for his diuine both being ioined in one person And if our Sauiour were condemned to hell which way shall we thinke to scape the iust and fearefull iudgement of God for our manifold and grieuous sinnes he was indéed condemned by man that gaue wrongfull sentence of death against him but hee was acquited of God And because hee humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse God highly exalted him and gaue him a name aboue all names as well in witnesse of his innocencie as in reward of his humility Yea the holie ghost which euidently recordeth Christes assurance confidence and reioicing in God as hee hung on the crosse cleane excludeth all suspicion that he suffered the death of the soule For the soule in this life can haue no fuller nor faster coherence with God then Christ had And since God is the true life of the soule the inseparable coÌ„iunction of Christes soule with God proueth a continuall perswasion and fruition of eternal life which by no meanes admitteth anie danger or doubt much lesse anie sence or sufferance of the second death being the iust wages of sinne whereby the wicked are euerlastinglie punished Certe aâ—ima Christi non solum immortalis
secundum caeteraruÌ„ naturam sed etiam nullo mortificata peccato vel damnatione punita est quibus duabus causis mors animae intelligi potest Surely the soule of Christ saith Austen was not only immortall in nature as the rest but was NEITHER DEAD WITH ANY SIN nor PVNISHED WITH DAMNATION which two wayes the death of the soule may be vnderstood If then neither transgression nor damnation may be ascribed to the soul of Christ it is euident he suffered not the death of the soule yea to subiect the soule of Christ to either of these two deaths which onelie are the deaths of the soule were more horrible blasphemie then I hope anie Christian man meaneth to incurre But I mistake the death of the soule I must confesse I therein followe the sacred Scriptures and ancient fathers other kinde of death of the soule I know none because I reade none iustlie prooued These two are manifest in the scriptures That sinne killeth the soule besides manie other places before cited Saint Paule shortly sheweth in these words SIN REVIVED BVT I DIED for sinne deceiued me and slue me And likewise our sauiour except you beleeue you shall die in your sinnes That euerlasting death is the wages of sinne I take it to be as cleare a case as the former These shal go into euerlasting punishmeÌ„t saith Christ to the wicked They shall be punished with euerlasting perdition saith Paule of the ignorant and disobedient The smoke of their torments shal ascend euermore saith Iohn in his Reuelation The lake burning with fire and brimstone this is the second death Howe the ancient fathers define the death of the soule is soone séene by their writings Dicam audacter fratres sed tamem verum Duae vitae sunt vna corporis altera animae sicut vita corporis anima sic vita animae deus Quomodo si anima deserat moritur corpus sic moritur anima si deserat Deus I wil speake boldlie saith Austen but trulie There are two sortes of life one of the bodie another of the soule As the soule is the life of the body so God is the life of the soule as if the soule depart the body dieth so dieth the soule if God forsake it Mors proprie non est â—a quae animam à corpore sed quae animam à Deo separat â— Deus vita est quia Deo separatur mortuus est That is not properly death saieth Cyrill which seuereth the soule from the bodie but that which seuereth the soule from God God is life and therefore hee that is separated from God is dead Anima quae peccat moritur non vtique aliqua sui dissolutione sed merito moritur Deo quia viuit peccato Ergo quae non peccat non moritur The soule which sinneth dieth sayeth Ambrose not by anie dissolution of her substaunce but worthilie dieth shee vnto God because shee liueth vnto sinne The soule then which sinneth not dieth not Anima in corpore vita est carnis Deus vero qui viuificat omnia vita est animarum Sicut mors exterior ab anima diuidit carnem ita mors interior à Deo separat animam The soule in the bodie saith Gregorie is the life of the flesh but God that quickeneth all things is the life of the soule as the outwarde death diuideth the bodye from the soule so the inward death diuideth the soule from God Sicut anima vita est corporis ita Deus vita est animae Mors animae separatio à Deo mors corporis separatio animae à corpore As the soule is the life of the bodie so God is the life of the soule saith Bernard The death of the soule is to be separated from God the death of the bodie is the departure of the soule from the bodie Neither doe I sée howe this definition of the death of the soule can be auoyded or amended For can there be life from any other but onelie from God If it bee good it must come from the fountaine of all goodnesse andâ— none is good but onelie God Then the soule which is partaker of God is partaker of life and to be seuered from God is to be seuered from life which is the true description of death Rightly therefore do the auncient Fathers teach that Christ dying for our sinnes suffered ONLY THE DEATH OF THE BODIE but not of the soule and the scriptures wheresoeuer they mention the death of Christ must haue the like construction For the soule of Christ could not die so long as it had the presence and assistance of Gods spirit yea we leaue him neither faith nor hope loue nor ioy obedience nor patience nor any other merites or vertues if wee subiect him to the death of the soule for these are the buds and fruits of life From which if we cannot exclude the soule of Christ no not for a moment without sacrilegious impietie it remaineth that Christ neither suffered nor tasted the death of the soule but onelie the death of the bodie In his bodie he bare our sinnes on the tree and reconciled vs vnto God in the BODY OF HIS FLESH THROVGH DEATH when we were straungers and enemyes in heart by reason of our euill workes Quid est enim quod viniâ—icatus est spiritu nisi quod eudem caro QVA SOLA FVERAT MORTIFICATVS viuificante spiritu resurrexit Nam QVOD ANIMA FVERAT MORTIFICATVS IESVS hoc est eo spiritu qui hominis est QVIS AVDEAT DICERE cum mors animae non sit nisi peccatum à quo ille omnino immunis fuit Mortificatus ergo carne dictus est quia secundum SOLAM CARNEM mortuus est What is meant by this that Christ was quickened in spirite but that the same flesh IN WHICH ONELIE HE DIED rose againe quickened by the spirite For that Iesus was DEAD IN SPIRIT WHO DARE AVOVCH I meane in his humane spirite since as the death of the soule is nothing but sinne from which hee was altogither free And least wee shoulde thinke this slipte his penne elsewhere hee largelie and learnedlie handleth the same matter Diabolus per impietatem MORTVVS EST IN SPIRITV carne vtique mortuus non est nobis autem impietatem persuasit per hanc vt in mortem carnis venire mereremur effecit Quô ergo nos Mediator mortis transmisit ipse NON VENIT hoc est ad MORTEM CARNIS ibi nobis Dominus Deus noster medicinam emendationis inseruit quam ille non meruit By sinne the Diuell DIED IN SPIRIT in flesh he died not but to vs hee perswaded sinne and thereby brought vs to deserue the death of the flesh Whither then the mediator of death cast vs and came not himselfe that is to the death of the bodie euen there the Lord our God appointed a medicine to cure vs which the Diuell neuer
ex poena nostra Sic semper benediâ—tus in sua iustitia maledictus autem propter delicta nostra in morte suscepta ex poena nostra ac per hoc additum est OMNIS ne Christus ad veram mortem non pertinere diceretur si à malediâ—to quod morti coniunctum est insipienti honorisicentia separaretur Cursed is euerie one that hangeth on the woodâ— not this or that man but euery man without exception What the sonne of God himselfe yea in anie case You Manichees mislike Christ should be accursed for vs because you beleeue not hee died for vs. Then is Christ without the curse of Adam when he is without the death of Adam But for so much as from man and for man he did admit death euen from man and for man he vouchsafed to admit the curse which accoÌ„panieth death I meane euen that verie son of God alwayes liuing in his owne righteousnesse but dying for our sinnes in the flesh which he tooke from our punishment So alwayes blessed in his owne righteousnesse he was accursed for our sinnes in the death which hee suffered by reason of our punishment and therefore the Scripture sayth EVERIE ONE least Christ should be thought not truly to haue died if by an intent of foolish honour he should be excepted from the curse which is vnited vnto death And answering Faustus obiection if a king commaund anie Christian to worship the Sunne Moone or to be hanged on a trée hee must either way of necessitie be accursed Austen saieth Christianus videt vnum maledictum pertinere ad corpus mortale quod ligno suspenditur alterum ad ammum quo sol adoratur sicut mors est corporis in ligno pendere it a mors est animi solem adorare Eligendum est igâ—tur maledictum in corporis morte quo maledicto ipsum corpus in resurrectione liberabitur deuitandum autem maledictum in animi morte ne cum suo corpore in aeterno igne damnetur Nolite timere maledictum corporalis mortis quod temporaliter soluitur sed timete maledictum mortis spiritualis per quod anima in aeternum cum suo corpore cruciatur A Christian perceiueth the one curse to belong to the mortall bodie that hangeth on the woodde the other whereby the Sonne is worshipped to pertaine to the soule Hee must therefore choose the curse of the corporall death from which curse euen his verie bodie shall be deliuered in the resurrection and shunne the curse of the spirituall death least togither with the bodie the soule bee damned in euerlasting fire Feare not the curse of the corporall death which is dissolued with time but feare the curse of the spirituall death by which the soule is euerlastingly tormented with her bodie This doctrine is so sounde it cannot bee confuted and so cleare it neede not bee explained The temporall death of the bodie came first from sinne as a part of the curse and punishment of sinne and so to this daie doth it continue Christ therefore in that hee yeelded his bodie to die on the Crosse subiected himselfe to the curse of our sinne and by suffering a part of the curse abolished the whole but the curse of the soule which is the spirituall death Christ coulde not taste because that damneth bodie and soule for euer The rest of the ancient fathers tredd the same path The people saith Chrysostome were subiect to the curse which saith accursed is euery one y t abideth not in those things which are written in the booke of the law For none of them had continued therein neither had any man fulfilled the whole lawe but Christ exchanged the curse with another which saith accursed is euerie one that hangeth on the tree Where then he that hangeth on the tree is accursed and he that transgresseth the law is likewise accursed he that shall dissolue this curse must not bee subiect to the same but must admit an other in steede of that which Christ did and so by the one loosed the other The crosse therefore tooke away the curse Can we wish plainer words then that Christ by suffering the CVRSE OF SVSPENSION on the crosse tooke away THE CVRSE OF TRANSGRESSION to which the people were subiect Theodorete When all were subiect to the curse of the lawe Christ suffered that kinde of death which is accursed in the lawe that hee might deliuer all men from the curse Cyril Factus est pro nobis maledictum crucem ferens pendens in ligno ut soluat peccatum mundi Christ was made a curse for vs when hee endured the Crosse and hung on the tree that hee might release the sinne of the worlde Ambrose Quare maledictum dicatur Apostolus te docet dicens quia scriptum est malediclus omnis qui pendet in ligno Hoc est qui in carne sua nostram carnem in suo corpore nostras infirmitates nostra maledicta suscepit vt cruci sigeret Why Christ is called a curse the Apostle teacheth thee when hee sayth because it is written accursed is euerie one that hangeth on the tree that is which in his flesh bare our flesh AND IN HIS BODIE TOOKE OVR INFIRMITIES AND OVR CVRSES that he might fasten them to his Crosse. Hierom. It ought to trouble no man that Christ was made a curse for vs because God who is saide to make him a curse did also make him sinne for vs though he knew no sinne yea being life he died and being the wisedome of God he is called foolishnes but he died that we might liue he was made foolishnes that we should be made wisdome hee hung on the tree that being fastened to the tree hee might wipe out the sin which we had coÌ„mitted in y e tree of the knowledge of good and euil Oeâ—umenius We were vnder the curse because wee had not kept the lawe Christ was free from that because he had fulfilled the law and yet hee suffered a curse not due to him when he was hanged on the tree that he might dissolue the curse pronounced against vs. Other expositions if anie man séeke hee shall find euen in the learned and ancient writers Non maledictum vel peccatum factum est verbum sed cum iniquis reputatus est iustus existens vt aboleat peccatum appellatus est maledictus qui benedixit creaturam vt soluat nostrum maledictum liberet à poenà credentes in ipsum Igitur non est factus secundum veritatem maledictum peccatum appellatus autem illorum nominibus vt aboleat maledictum peccatum Christ was not made indeede a curse or sinne sayth Cyrill but hee was reputed amongst the wicked beeing iust that hee might put awaie sinne and he who did blesâ—e the creature was called a curse that he might dissolue our curse and free from vengeance such as beleeued in him Therefore he was not in truth made
power and steadfast fauour of God for their perpetuall defence and eternall recompence So that in all thinges wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs who will tread downe Satan vnder our feete that God may bee all in all Uerie mightie then is the power of Christes death by whose BLOVD the Saintes OVER COME the greate Dragon that olde Serpent called the Diuell and his ouerthrow prooueth all the enemies of mans saluation to bee vanquished and impediments remooued since he was the first perswader and procurer and is the Prince and ruler of them all We haue seene the power of Christs death in subduing sin and Satan as likewise in ending abolishing the curse of the lawe which obliged man for his vncleannesse and vnrighteousnesse to euerlasting condemnation and find that hee which bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree did in that mortall part which hee tooke of vs crucifie as well the flesh and sinne of man as the curse and death that raigned ouer man and so much hee performed in the bodie of his flesh through death by which hee reconciled vs vnto God to make vs holie and blamelesse in his sight let vs nowe see whether the death of the spirite and the curse of the soule will anie thing helpe the woorke of our redemption or whether the death of Christes bodie doe not more fullie demonstrate the mercies of God and merits of Christ then if the paines of hell had beene ioyned with it And where some men thinke it woulde much commende the TRVTH POVVER and IVSTICE of God and more amplie declare the OBEDIENCE PATIENCE and LOVE of Christ if hee refused not the verie torments of hell for our sakes shunning no part of the burthen that pressed vs I must confesse I am rather of a contrarie minde that the bodilie death of Christ on the crosse doth more plainlie expresse the vertues of God and Christ his sonne then if the terror and horror of hell were therewith coupled And first for the TRVTH of god his threatning Adam in this wise Thou shalt die the death or thou shalt certainely die was truelie performed in the bodie of Christ in the soule of Christ it could not without sinne or damnation neither of which with anie truth can be ascribed vnto Christ. That the mouth of God lied or the soule of Christ died is a choâ—se so hard that I wish all men that haue anie care of Christian religion to refraine either Next touching the POVVER of God the weaker the instrument which God vseth to ouerthrowe his enemies the greater is both his glory and their shame Then for flesh which was the feeblest part of Christ after it was deade and voide of all hope in shew to rise againe into a blessed and heauenlie life and to foile both death and Satan by recouering it selfe into the full possession and all his members into the ioyfull expectation of euerlasting glorie was farre a mightier conquest then for his soule with much adoe at length to escape and resist the assaultes of hell From the depth of hell here on earth manie sinnefull soules haue by grace struggeled and cléered themselues from the graue neuer rose none into an immortall incorruptible life before the flesh of Christ. Déeper in desperation and al other temptations of hel haue others been that yet were saued then anie man dare affirme of Christ déeper in death without corruption then the bodie of Christ neuer was nor euer shall be anie of the sonnes of men It was therefore an harder thing for the bodie of Christ past all sense to rise from death to immortalitie then for his soule voide of sinne and full of grace to repell the force of Satan and yet to repell it sheweth greater power then to suffer it to conquere it sheweth greatest of all But to beare the burden of Gods wrath due to our sinnes and to frée vs from it néeded greater strength they will saie then Christes flesh could haue To support and auert Gods iust indignation from vs the humane bodie or soule of Christ of themselues were not able but the DIGNITIE and VNITIE of his person must be placed in the gap to quench the flame of Gods iust vengeaÌ„ce against our sinnes which was euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule yet for so much as the sincerity and sanctitie of Christes soule personallie ioyned quickened and blessed with the perpetual vnion communion and fruition of his deitie could feele no want of grace no lacke of spirit no losse of fauour with God in which thinges consist the inwarde death and curse of the soule the wrath of God was executed on the flesh of his sonne which hee tooke of purpose from Adam that the rein he might beare the sinne and curse of Adam and so by his death might satisfie the sentence and pacifie the displeasure of God against our vnrighteousnesse And this is more agréeable to Gods iustice then if Christs soule had suffered the death and curse of the soule For to take life from the soule must be Gods proper and peculiar action No creature can giue the grace or spirit of God to the soule of man which is the life of the soule but onelie God Therefore no creature can take it from the soule but God alone that GIVETH it must TAKE IT AVVAY Since then Christ might suffer nothing iustlie but as the iust for the vniust that is willinglie but vniustlie his death must come by the handes of the wicked who might wrongfullie take his life from him but not touch his soule and not by the immediate hande of GOD who will doe no wrong and can kill the soule I haue sinned saith Iudas in betraying the INNOCENT bloud You denied the HOLIE AND IVST and killed the Lorde of life saith Peter to the Iewes warning them howe great a sinne they had committed in putting Christ to death If hee were an INNOCENT and deserued no punishment if hee were HOLIE and IVST and could not bee persecuted or put to death without haynous impietie and iniurie wee may doe well to remember that the death of his soule had beene a farre greater wrong then the death of his bodie was And therefore if the iustice of God would not farther interpose it selfe in killing his bodie then by deliuering him into the handes of the wicked permitting them to shed his blond which hee woulde accept for the sinnes of the worlde much lesse woulde God with his owne mouth accurse or with his owne hande slea the soule of his sonne whome hee sent to restore and quicken those that were accursed and dead in their sinnes Againe corporallie or temporallie God punisheth one for anothers fault bicause he can recompence them eternally that thereby repent and turne from their sinnes but eternally or spiritually he punisheth no man but for his owne vncleannes either naturally sticking in him or
I haue fullie shewed before the worthinesse of the person is the surest ground of our saluation and chiefest weight of our redemption and therefore his death is of infinite force and his bloude of infinite price euen as his person is For since all mens actions are and ought to bee esteemed according to the giftes which they haue and place which they holde from GOD whie shoulde not the death and bloud of Christ bee valued in Gods iustice according to the height and worth of his person and if in all thinges wee receaue honour not due to our fleshe wherein wee partake with Beastes but fitte for the soule wherein wee communicate with Angels howe seemeth it strange in our eyes that the dooinges and sufferinges of Christ Iesus which hath the natures of God and man in a surer and nearer coniunction then wee haue our soules and bodies shoulde not bee reckned and accepted in GODS iustice as the ACTIONS and PASSIONS of HIS OVVNE SONNE and haue their value from the diuiner and worthier parte of Christ As the death of Christes flesh ONELIE doth more expresse the TRVETH POVVER AND IVSTICE of God then if the death of the soule had beene ioyned with it so the same setteth forth Christes merites namelie his OBEDIENCE PATIENCE and LOVE in farre better sorte then if wee adde vnto it the death of the spirite which is the rewarde of all the reprobate and damned For what a man vnwillinglie suffereth that sheweth neyther obedience nor patience Obedience hath readinesse and patience if it bee perfect hath gladnesse both haus willingnesse If then wee bee forced against our willes to endure that which wee woulde gladlie auoide it is violence it is neither obedience nor patience and consequentlie it hath neither merits nor thankes with GOD. The death then of the soule which is a separation from the fauour and grace of God did Christ suffer it willinglie or vnwillinglie if willinglie there coulde bee no greater neglect of GOD then to bee willing to bee separated from God It were disobedience and insolence in the highest degree to be glad and forwarde to forsake God or to bee forsaken of him Christ therefore must not bee willing to suffer the death of the soule least wee wrap him within the compasse of contemning and reiecting the grace and fauour of GOD which are sinnefull enormities Was hee vnwilling to suffer it then coulde hee bee neither obedient nor patient in suffering it All vertue is voluntarie compulsion hath no merite God loueth a cheerefull giuer and sufferer Hee that murmureth in heart rebelleth though hee holde still his tongue So likewise I must aske if Christ suffered the death of the soule did hee suffer it iustlie or vniustlie if vniustlie God could not be the sole and immediate agent in imposing it and besides God no creature canne bereaue the soule of life Did hee suffer it iustlie then must hee be voide of all vertue for nothing but sinne deserueth the death of the soule Obedience and patience merite thankes with God and cannot wante the blessing of God where the death of the soule is the greatest curse that God inflicteth heere on earth And where they thinke it woulde greatelie increase the loue of Christ towardes vs if hee vouchsafed to taste the death of the soule for our sakes I replie that supposition woulde make Christ a sinner if not a lyar which God forbid shoulde once enter our thoughtes For â—irst Christ saieth Greater loue then this hath no man that one should laie downe his life for his friendes But God commendeth his loue towards vs that whiles we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. If it be loue for a man to loose his soule for his friend then is there found a greater loue then Christ euer knew for he saith there is no greater loue theÌ„ for a maÌ„ to laie downe his life And the Apostle applying it to Christ saith The height of Gods loue was this that Christ died for sinners that is for his enemies not for his friendes sinne beeing enmitie to God and sinners enemies to the holinesse of his will and glory of his kingdome This loue of Christ by which he died for vs we reiect as little worth vnlesse hee endured the losse of Gods fauour for vs which I take to bee sinne and not loue For loue is due first and aboue all to God then to men this order of loue if we breake it is no charitie it is iniquitie What doe all wicked ones but preferre the loue of themselues or of others before the loue of God to loue men so well that wee waxe willing to forsake the fauour and fellowship of God is transgression against God and not compassion towards men and therefore wee maie not bring the sonne of God within the listes of this loue no not for an houre by reason the loue of God afore all others may not faile in the hart of Christ not for a moment bee it neuer so short For our loue then he tooke flesh when he was God which was infinite humilitie and gaue his life for his enemies which was exceeding charitie and in the course thereof referred himself wholie to the wil and pleasure of God which was exact obedience willinglie but wrongfullie suffering whatsoeuer the malice of Satan and rage of the wicked contriued against him the wise and gracious counsell of God so turning the mischiefe of the diuell and his members to the generall good of mankind that Christes innocent and righteous bloud being furiously and vniustly shed by the hands of his enemies became the true sacrifice for sinne and the full price of mans redemption Farther then this if we will force the sonne of God with our fancies as namelie to the death or curse of the soule wee doe not onelie diminish the strength of his loue towardes God but we debase the price of his bloud and make it rather detestable then acceptable in Gods sight For nothing can please God but that which is RIGHTEOVS INNOCENT HOLIE VNDEPILED And in a dead or cursed soule what place leaue we for these giftes and graces of the holie Ghost Since then our high Priest must be holie harmelesse vndefiled and separate from sinners before his sacrifice coulde bee accepted the soule of Christ must necessarilie bee replenished with all goodnesse and embraced with all fauour before the death of his bodie could be an offering of a sweete sauour vnto God and so the power of Christes death is no whitte encreased but altogither weakened if wee conioyne it with the death of the soule The death of the soule then doth not encrease the obedience patience and loue of Christ towardes vs but doth rather decrease and endanger all the vertues of our Sauiour For if Christ suffered the death of the soule which is Gods immediate action since God will offer his owne sonne neither violence nor wrong wee must confesse that Christ deserued the death
to his suffering them for the time he might breake them and dissolue them for euer Naturall infirmities which are outragious in vs by reason of our corruption Christ might suffer to arise within him and there temper them as Cyrill other ancient fathers do teach but sinfull extremities as desperation confusion reiection damnation Christ must conquere by repelling not by suffering least the fellowship of our sinnes be more hainous in him then in vs. For as his faith hope and loue must by manie degrées exceed ours in perfection so the quenching or slaking of these graces in him is greater sinne then in vs. Doubt and distrust is farre more impious in Angels by reason of their excellent knowledge and strength then in men and most impious in the soule of Christ who by his personall vnion with God deriued clearer intelligence in knowing Gods will and greater assurance to persist therein then either man or Angell For the verie Angels haue but the condition of their creation from which some fell and confirmation of grace in which the rest stand but no creature euer had so fast coniunction and full communion with the godhead as the soule of Christ. And therefore DVBITATION DESPERATION TREPIDATION in his soule are more hainous sinnes then in any other creature for somuch as they beleeue not y e truth trust not the promise rest not secured in the VOICE and OATH of God which all are immutable and impossible to bee false and feare least Gods goodnesse and loue will faile and in fine doe depriue him of his diuine nature since without veritie bonitie and constancie there can be no God It then Christs soule could not be infected with sinne nor haue anie societie with euill no not for an instant these doubts and feares of Gods fauour and his saluation must be farre from him and in the full perswasion and steadfast expectation of eternall ioy and blisse howe desperation should lodge I yet vnderstand not God might reueale and the soule of Christ in this life beholde as all ours shall when we appeare before the face of God after this life what cup was prepared for the wicked to drinke and the sight thereof as it is most fearefull so might it make him tremble though he were neuer so frée from it but more then the VISION of Gods wrath and COMMISERATION of mans danger if wee attribute to the soule of Christ we must either grant he was tempted as well with our iniquities through lacke of grace as with our infirmities through want of strength or else cast him into a traunce at the time of his passion as some doe to excuse him from sinne For that in the fulnesse of Gods fauour grace and spirite the soule of Christ shoulde feele the flames of hell fire can neither bee prooued nor defended by the worde of God The proofe I leaue to them that like the position which if anie man affirme he were best bee sure of his footing It is no small arrogancie and blasphemie to sit Iudge in Gods place and to condemne Christs soule to hell fire without a sounde and cleare commission to warrant that assertion Besides hell fire in the Scriptures being ETERNALL by what authoritie will they quench it at their pleasure and make it temporarie And if Christes soule beeing personallie ioyned to the Deitie notwithstanding might feele the furie of hell fire when shall the Saints of God that can neuer bee so vnited vnto his glorie nor assured of his societie nor so endued with his sanctitie bee free from the flames of hell If that vnion and communion which Christ had with God coulde not exclude hell fire what shall hinder but that the Angels in heauen maie for the time likewise feele the flames thereof Can they haue faster coherence or fuller presence of God then hee which was ioyned with God in vnitie of person They come not neere the fauour and grace knowledge and truth power stedfastnes of the manhoode of Christ which here on earth they did serue and adore But none of these things can be intended in the Creede for there the articles are placed in ORDER and TIME as they were performed And therfore when Christ was DEAD AND BVRIED he then DESCENDED INTO HELL The second opinion is that Christs descent to hell is all one with his buriall for that SHEOL in the olde testament doth most commonlie if not continuallie signifie the graue But this is nothing to the Creede whose authoritie and antiquitie if wee reuerence it is soone concluded that hell there doth not signifie the graue For first it is absurde that in a short rehearsall of the faith made for the simplest to conceiue one article shoulde bee twice repeated and after a plaine and knowne worde hee was buried which no man could doubt of a darke and enigmaticall phrase of spéech HE DESCENDED INTO HELL which fewe men did vnderstande should bee added rather to obscure then to expound the former Againe HE DESCENDED signifieth a voluntarie motion where as the bodie dead hath neither VVILL nor MOTION Thirdlie HELL in the new testament is so vnusuall for the graue that I thinke no example can be shewed thereof Though therefore this exposition cannot be charged with falsitie for Christ was trulie buried yet may it not bee endured by reason of the idle repetition and strange circumloquution which troubleth and confoundeth the hearer besides the improprietie and incoherence of the worde that a deade corps should descend and speciallie vnto hell The third opinion doth neither mistake the TIME nor the PART which descended for they referre the words of the Creede to Christes SOVLE after DEATH but they change the name of hell into the state of the deade and so conâ—esse that Christes soule after separation from the bodie endured THE STATE OF THE DEAD To this a number of learned men incline because they would auoyde Limbus patrum disliking by all meanes that the soules of the righteous and faithfull before Christes suffering shoulde be kept in a region or part of hell and thence deliuered by his descent I see well enough what they woulde faine decline but what if by their farre fet exposition they fall into that errour which they seeke to flie Doe they not fairelie profer and quite besides the marke Let vs looke a little into their conceite Christ descended into hell that is saie they his soule after death conuersed among the soules of the iust that were dead before him But where were the soules of the iust In a place or no Without a place can nothing be but onelie God All creatures be they soules or angels are desined with place though they doe not replenish their places as bodies do yea what soeuer is not circumscribed within a place is infinite which no creature can bee The soules then of the righteous must of necesstie bee in a place And what call you that place by your opinion Forsooth euen HELL For Christs
descending into hell as you expound it was his conuersing among the soules of the dead Those soules then were in a place and that place by your construction the Creed calleth Hell Their state you will say is called hell but not their place A wittie difference I assure you The place for soules after this life is answerable to their state If their state bee hell their place can neither bee Heauen nor Paradise As is their receptacle so is their rest the place doth bring either ioy or paine which is their state So that if Christ descending into hell conuersed with the soules of the righteous of force the soules of the righteous were in hell which is the selfe same errour that you woulde seeme by your newe founde interpretation to preuent But the state of the â—eade is in Hebrew noted by the worde Sheôl and thither Christ descended And the state or place whither Christ descended is in the Creede named hell and so Sheôl is that which the Creede calleth hell In deede some say that Sheôl doth neuer in the olde testament signifie the place of the damned but I must be borne with if I bee not of their minde Manie men saie that they neuer proue and some speake they know not what As both partes of man sinned in the first transgression so was there a pit of perdition prouided for either part the graue for the bodie which there should rot and hell for the soule which there should bee tormented with euerlasting fire Both these pits because they alwayes expect and exact as their due the bodies and soules of mortall and sinfull men and neuer are satisfied are contained in the word Sheôl and are not distinguished by the nature of the worde which is common to both but by the circumstances added which are proper to either For example when the word Sheôl is qualified with an OPPOSITION to heauen with a differeÌ„ce of SCITVATION as the LOVVER PIT with an ADDITION of the soule there suffering or of the pain there suffered all these are proofs that the word Sheôl which is otherwise indifferent must there be taken not for the buriall of the body nor for the change from this life but â—or the state of destruction and place of damnation Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I slie from thy presence If I ascend into heauen thou art there If I lodge BENEATH IN HEL thou art there Opposite to heauen is not the graue where the bodies of all gods saints do lie but hell as being the farthest from it and most repugnaÌ„t to it since from hel to heauen there is no passage for man but from the graue to heauen is the assured hope of all the faithfull This opposition our Sauiour expressing in the new testament saith And thou Capernaum which art exalted to heauen shalt bee thrust downe to hell Christ doth not threaten the contemners of his doctrine and myracles with the graue which is common to all the godlie but with perpetuall destruction and punishment proportionable to the height of their pride which must needes be hell And so much followeth in plaine wordes in the next verse I say to you it shall be easier for them of the land of Sodome in the day of iudgement then for thee In the daie of iudgement as death so the graue are at an ende for the bodies of the wicked shall then liue for euer and then shall Capernaum be cast downe to hell for the contempt of Christs preaching As hel is the farthest place from heauen that can be named so it is the lowest and therefore by the lower pit is ment not the graue but hell which in scituation is far lower then y e outside of the earth where men are buried Canst thou by searching find out God canst thou find out the perfection of the almightie to the height of heauen what canst thou do it is deeper then hell how canst thou know it Gods perfection is higher then the highest place which is heauen deeper then the deepest place which is hel To compare his power or iustice with the depth of the graue which is not foure yeards déepe at the most were a very slender comparison for the incomprehensible greatnes of god but since in height depth it excéedeth all things there can be no doubt but it is compared with the highest déepest places that are which are heauen and hel In like sort Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest pit can not be ment of the graue For mens souls are not inclosed in graues with their bodies but as the pit prouided for the body is the higher of the twaine and the pit prepared for the soule is the lower so the lowest pit out of question is hell where the soules of such as are reiected from God are detained against the day of vengeance And albeit some of these spéeches may perchance admit an allegoricall sense and so signifie the greatest and extreamest dangers that might be yet the ground of the allegorie dependeth on the nature of hell and not of the graue because of the two sortes of pittes hell is the lowest and made to receaue the soules of men which the graue doth not A fire saith God by Moses is kindled in my wrath and shall burne to the bottome of hell and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines Fire in the graue there is none in hell there is neither can the sepulcher where mens bodies lie buried be the bottome of hell For so shall we make the place of hell higher then the earth which the scripture euerie where crosseth when it calleth hell the deepe or lowest pit A fire then burning to the bottome of hell and inflaming the verie foundations of the hils can haue no resemblance to the graue nor performance in the graue but Sheol in that scripture as in manie others must signifie the verie place of the damned which we call hell The wordes then of the Créede hee descended into hell since the defenders of this thirde opinion doe not referre to the bodie of Christ buried but to the soule of Christ after death it is euident by their position that not onelie Christs soule after this life descended to hell but all the soules of the iust and righteous leauing this worlde before Christes comming descended likewise into hell And this euasion of theirs that Sheol in Hebrew signifieth the state of the deade after this life be it good or bad standeth them in little stéed For first they doe not auoid that obscure and idle repetition wherewith the second opinion was charged that after a plaine and easie article hee was deade the selfe same thing should bee iterated againe with a verie darke and doubtfull kind of hebraisme he descended into Sheôl By this former he was dead euerie man must néedes conceaue not onelie the separation of the soule from the bodie but also the subiection of either
part to the state of the deade What néeded then an vnknowne hebrew phrase hee descended into Sheôl to expresse the verie same point which before was fullie and fairelie deliuered Againe though Sheôl be common to the bodies of the faithfull and infidels yet may it bee verie well doubted whether the soules of the righteous departed this life be in Sheôl or no. And vnder correction I take it to bee more then the Scripture anie where doeth positiuelie affirme My reason is that Abrahams bosome is by our Sauiour placed ABOVE PARRE OFF from the place where the wicked after this life are tormented Now to Sheôl the Scripture maketh a DESCENT not an ascent as when Iacob saieth I VVILL GOE DOVVNE TO Sheôl vnto my sonne mourning And againe you will bring my gray hayres with sorrow DOVVNE TO SHEOL And least wee shoulde dreame of a metaphoricall kinde of descent in the rebellion of Corah Dathan and Abiram the scripture saieth THE GROVNDE claue asunder that was VNDER THEM and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them vp with their families So they and all that were with them DESCENDED aliue into Sheôl and the earth COVERED THEM To Sheôl then the scripture maketh a locall descent which is either of the bodie to the graue for so Iacobs words must be vnderstood when he saith I will descende to Sheôl vnto my sonne or of the soule after death to the place of torment which is the rewarde of all the wicked The wicked saith Dauid shall be turned into Sheôl and al nations that forget God Where he doth not meane they shall die aswel as the godly which is likewise the lot of all the iust righteous but they shall haue the due wages of sinne both body and soule descending to Sheôl that is the one to corruption in the earth the other to damnation in hell For Sheol containeth both and importeth both to the forgetters and despisers of God albeit it fasten no farther on the godly then to bring their bodies to the graue which is the gate of hel Ezechiah mentioning in his praiers how he was willed by the prophet to prepare himselfe to die thus expresseth it I said in the cutting off of my daies I shal goe to the gates of Sheol I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres but y e wicked go to THE DEPTH OF SHEOL which is the place of euerlasting punishment The way of life saith Salomon is ON HIGH to him that vnderstandeth to decline froÌ„ SHEOL BENEATH So that after this life the soules that liue are aboue for the way to life is on high the soules that die go to the depth of Sheol euen to the bottomles pit of perdition Of him that hanteth harlots Salomon saith He knoweth not y t her ghests are in the depth of Sheol that is so wrapped in their sinnes that they cannot preuent euerlasting damnation And againe Thou shalt smite the child with the rod and shalt deliuer his soule froÌ„ Sheol Correction will not saue a â—hilde that hee shall not see death but it will bow him to obedience and so saue his soule from destruction Yea how should Dauid so often confesse to God that his soule was freed from Sheol if by Sheol hee ment the state after death for thence it was impossible his soule shuld be deliuered What man liueth shal not see death so pretious is the redeÌ„ption of the soule froÌ„ death that it must cease for euer And yet comparing himself with the wicked his state with theirs he saith Like sheepe shall they lie in Sheol death shal deuoure theÌ„ and the righteous shall haue dominioÌ„ ouer theÌ„ in the day spring But God wil deliuer my soule from the power of Sheol for he will receiue me Doth Dauid meane he shal neuer die or that his soule shalbe deliuered from Sheol that is from the state of such as were departed this life y e imagination were both false absurd but he meaneth that death shal deuoure the wicked wholie as well soule as bodie whereas he did firmly beleeue y t God would deliuer his soule from the power of Sheol would receaue him after death though his body must of force by the condition of nature waxe olde as a garment and rot in the graue til the day of resurrection And if anie man thinke good in some such places as these are to interpret the SOVLE for LIFE because it is the spring and cause of life in the bodie and SHEOL for the GRAVE where life endeth I will not vtterlie condemne his exposition so long as he leaneth a different power of Sheol ouer y e iust vniust froÌ„ which Dauid saith God will deliuer his soule and do not make the soules of the righteous DESCEND TO SHEOL after death For that directlie impugneth the doctrine as well of the olde testament which saith the way of life is on high as of our Sauiour who placeth Abrahams bosome VPVVARD A FAR OFF from hell when he saith of the rich man that being in hell in torments hee LIFT VP his â—ies and saw Abraham A FAR OFF and Lazarus in his bosome Upon which place S. Augusten learnedlie and trulie inferreth Ne ipsos quidem INFEROS VSPIAM scripturarum locis IN BONO APPELLATOS potuireperire Quod si nusquam in diuinis authoritatibus legitur non vtique sinus ille Abrahae idest secretae cuiusdam quietis habitatio ALIQVA PARS INFERORVM esse credenda est quanquam in ijs ipsis tanti magistri verbis vbi ait dixisse Abraham Inter nos vos chaos magnum firmatum est SATIS VT OPINOR APPARET NON ESSE QVANDAM PARTEM ET QVASI MEMBRVM INFERORVM tantae illius felicitatis sinum Chaos enim magnum quid est nisi quidam hiatus multum ea separans inter quae non solum est verum etiam firmatus est The name of Inferi I could no where finde in anie place of scripture vsed IN ANY GOOD SENSE which if wee doe no where reade in the authorities of the scripture surelie Abrahams bosome which is an habitation of secret rest may not be thought to bee ANY PEECE OF THE LOVVER PARTS albeit in the words of so sufficient a maister as our Sauiour where he maketh Abraham say betwixt vs and you there is a GREATE GVLFE ESTABLISHED it is EVIDENT ENOVGH as I take it that the bosome of so great felicitie is NO PART NOR MEMBER of hell For what is a great gulfe but a great distance separating those places betweene which it lieth Inferi are the lower parts where the deade remaine which the Hebrew calleth Sheôl and touching Inferi which are the places or spirits beneath we maie with S. Austen conclude two thinges out of the manifest wordes of our Sauiour First that Abrahams bosome is VPVVARD towards heauen and therfore the soules of the righteous before the death of Christ ascended rather
then descended Next that neither paradise nor Abrahams bosome which was the receptacle for y e soules of all the sonnes of Abraham that held the faith and did the works of Abraham was anie part or member of hell So that CHRISTS DESCENDING INTO HELL cannot be expounded of his conuersing with the spirites of the iust and perfect men after his death nor of his enduring the state of the deade since the place where their soules doe rest after death is no where in the scriptures called HELL or SHEOL or as S. Austen speaketh INFERI And this I take to be so cleere that neither Iewish Rabbines with their grammaticall obseruations nor Gréeke poets with their fantasticall imaginations may be suffered to contradict it Howe easie it is to wrangle with the words NEPHESH SHEOL and HADES a meane scholar maie soon perceiue but I hold it no sound course to fetch the explication of the mysteries of christian religion either from such impudent impugners of it as were the Rabbines or from such ignorant deluders of it as were the prophane poets who talke euerie where of heauen and hell according to the false and lewde perswasion of their own hearts And therfore they may spare their paines that promise vs so manie thousand deponentes both Iewish and heathen that Sheol and Hades do not signifie hell It wil trouble them more then they thinke to bring vs but one good proofe out of the scripture that the soules of the righteous before Christs comming were in Sheol or Hades and till they doe I rest on Saint Austens collection out of the wordes of Christ that Abrahams bosome is no péece nor part of Hades or Inferi which the hebrew calleth Sheol as being deuided from it with a mightie distance and that the soules of the iust departing this life before Christs death were CARIED VP BY THE ANGELS INTO ABRAHAMS BOSOME So that as yet wee haue not the true meaning of these words of our creed he was CRVCIFIED DEAD BVRIED HE DESCENDED INTO HEL neither doeth anie of the precedent opinions come nére the plaine and true exposition thereof For in my iudgement they must haue a sense both DIFFERENT in matter and CONSEQVENT in order euen as they lie before we can rightlie vnderstand thē First he must be DEAD then BVRIED in body which was laid in y e earth lastlie the soule after it was seuered by death from the bodie DESCENDED INTO HEL this third point he descended into hell must neither be ALLEGORIZED which in matters of faith is verie dangerous so long as the proper sense containeth a truth nor CONFOVNDED VVITH THE FORMER for so the Créed shal not shortly touch mysteries of religion but darckly trouble vs with phrases of variation And therefore for my part I retaine in expounding this Article 3. things DISTINCTION of matter CONSEQVENCE of order PROPRIETY of words and those thrée considered the sense of the Article maie must be that Christ after his BODY was BVRIED in SOVLE DESCENDED VNTO that place which the scripture properly calleth HEL this sense I find to be so far from any falsity or absurdity that it is more honorable to Christ and more comfortable to christians then any of the rest that we haue yet examined Which that you may the better perceiue giue me leaue somewhat farther to repeat the fruit and force of his glorious resurrection Christ is called the first fruits of them that slept not that neuer none before Christ was restored from the deade to liue héere on earth but though many were so reuiued againe yet from the foundation of the worlde not one was euer raised vnto a blessed and immortall life before Christ. Elias raised the widow of Sareptas sonne Elizeus the Sunamites Christ himselfe restored to life the daughter of Iairus the widowes onlie sonne of Naim and Lazarus yet all these after their returne to life were still subiect to sinne and death as they were before but he whom the scripture nameth the first begotten of the dead was indéede the first that euer rose from the deade into an happy and heauenly life For where man here on earth is beset with thrée dangers with SINNE during life with DEATH shortning life with HEL tormenting after life the iust vengeance of sinne deliuering the body to death the soule to hel the resurrection of Christ being the ful conquest of all his our enemies that impugne either his glory or our safety must ouerthrowe sinne death hel not in his own person onlie to whom no such thing was due but in our stéed for our good y t we might bee likewise fréed from the power of those foes and as members be ioyned vnto our head wholy without any hinderance euerlastingly without anie disturbance and ioyfully without any gréeuance Wherfore Christ rising into a SPIRITVAL IMMORTAL CELESTIAL life fréed vs from the dominion of sinne feare of death and fury of Satan and by quickening vs raising vs vp and setting vs together with himselfe in heauenly places hath not only giuen vs the victorie against sinne and death but euen trodden down Satan vnder our féet Of Christs conquest against sinne death I shall not néed to say much things not impugned require lesse paines to be defended his conquest ouerhel as in himself it shewed most power purchased most honor so from vs it deserueth greatest thanks as bringing vs greatest comfort that though sinne remaine death preuaile against our bodies there is yet no cause to feare or doubt the fulnesse and surenesse of our redemption since the strength of hell is altogether conquered abolished from the faithfull which before was the very sting of sinne and death As therfore Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification so by MERCY REMITTING and GRACE REPRESSING he pareth the branches and drieth the roote of sinne till the bodie of sinne and death turning to dust withering in the graue be restored againe after Christs example to perpetuall celestial life and blisse Insomuch that by lamenting sinne past and resisting sinne to come sin daily dieth in vs and the inward man of the heart being lightened and renewed by grace doth daily more and more by desire and delight of heauenly thinges aspire to the imitation and participation of Christes resurrection The force of sinne then being quenched by Christes dying vnto sinne and his rising againe vnto righteousnesse the power of death is abolished by the pardoning and decreasing of our sinnes that being nowe the passage to glorie for all repenters which before was the gate to hell for all transgressors In his owne person Christ shewed his conquest ouer death not by kéeping his flesh from death which he could easilie haue done but by sauing it from rotting in the sepulchre and by raising it againe into an immortall and glorious state that death being swallowed vp
proper sense of the diuine oracles as their pleasures This rule therefore must be helde throughout the scriptures y t in mysteries of religion we diuert not from the natiue proper significations of the wordes but when the letter impugneth the grounds of christian faith charity Otherwise we shal leaue nothing sound sure in the word of God if we may auoid al things by figures that please not our humors To this lesson saith Austen whereby wee take heede not to interpret a figuratiue speach as if it were proper we must adde an other that wee take not a proper speach as if it were figuratiue First then we must shewe the meane how to finde out whether the speach bee figuratiue or proper And this is the way to discerne them vt quicquid in sermone diuino neque ad morum honestatem neque ad fidei veritatem proprie referri potest figuratum esse cognoseas that whatsoeuer in the diuine scripture CANNOT PROPERLY be referred to the honestie of maners or to the verity of faith thou maist be sure it is FIGVRATIVE So long then as the proper sense of the scriptures may stand with the Analogy of faith and direction of charity we offer violence to the word of God if wee wrest it to a figuratiue vnderstanding From this rule which must be obserued throughout the body of the scripture if we do not rashly slide it is no harde matter to shew where Christes descent to hell is expreslie recorded in the scriptures The words are well known often alleaged if men were not disposed to peruert or elude them with their enigmaticall allegoricall constructions Thou VVILT NOT FORSAKE MY SOVLE IN HELL nor suffer thine holy one to see corruptioÌ„ If Christs soule in hel were assisted with the glorious power and presence of God ergo Christes soule VVAS in hel And THERE it could not be without DESCENDING THITHER The descent then of Christes soule into hell when it was seuered from the bodie is apparantly witnessed in the scriptures howsoeuer the diuers conceits of men doe diuersly expound it To take the SOVLE for the CARCAS HEL for the GRAVE as some do if it be not a wrested exposition I am sure it is not the proper interpretation of the words and therefore in mysteries of faith by no meanes to be admitted To let the soule retaine her true signification and by hell to meane paradise where others defend the soule of Christ was al the time that his bodie lay in the graue if it be not a misconstruction it is no literall exposition of the place and in my iudgement a verie strange kind of figure it is to expresse Christs ascent into Paradise by his descent into hell so to expound the words of the Créed that we draw them to a cleane contrary sense If therefore we leane sorcing wresting the words of the holy ghost let their proper true signification stand as wel y e words as the circumstances wil exactly proue that y e soule of Christ after death DESCENDED INTO HEL That this was performed after Christ was dead and consequently when his soule was seuered from his bodie there can bee no question as I haue shewed before for that Christ saieth his flesh SHAL LIE DOVVN or take rest in the tabernacle of his graue IN HOPE that God VVIL NOT FORSAKE HIS SOVLE IN HEL and in this hope Christ died this assistance was therfore giâ—en him after death That his soule must be taken properlie for that part which after death sawe the power and presence of God not forsaking him as well the separation of the bodie as fruition of Gods assistance do plainelie proue Whiles we liue the bodie or soule may rightlie import the whole man but after death it is more then absurd to take the soule for the bodie or the bodie for the soule yea in men here liuing wee must take héede that in matters of doctrine we mistake not the one for the other In matters of fact to note the person by either part can be no danger but in their attributes and properties to confounde them is to leaue nothing certaine in christian religion Tertullian saith truly Certe peruersissimuÌ„ vt carnem nominantes animaÌ„ intelligamus animam significantes carneÌ„ interpretemur Omnia periclitabuntur aliter accipi quam sunt amittere quod sunt dum aliter accipiuntur si aliter quam sunt cognominantur Fides nominum salus est proprietatum It is most peruerse that the flesh being named wee should vnderstande the soule or the soule being signified wee should interpret it for the flesh All thinges shall be in danger to bee otherwise taken then they are and to loose that they are whiles they are mistaken if wee call them by other names then their owne The distinction of their names is the preseruation of their properties And yet in these words the case is cleèrer For heere are both partes expressed and distinguished as well by their NATVRES and PLACES as by their NAMES Christs soule was not forsaken in hell but enioyed the glorious assistance of God euen there where God forsaketh all others Christes flesh lying dead without sense in the graue was there preserued from all corruption For Dauid saith Peter spake of Christs resurrection that his SOVLE was not forsaken or left in hel nor his FLESH saw corruption Quum diuidit species carnem animam duo oftendit saith Tertullian When the scripture deuideth the kindes as the soule and the flesh it noteth two distinct things Since then Peter doth not onlie so reporte but so interpret Dauids wordes that hee spake of Christs soule and Christs flesh it is euident they must be two distinct and different thinges both in Dauids prediction and in Peters application Againe in these words is not comprised the generall state of the dead common to Christ with all other but a speciall prerogatiue verified in none but in the true Messias and Sauiour of the worlde For neither of these was euer accomplished in anie but in Christ. Then as no flesh in the sepulchre was euer free from corruption but onlie Christs so no soule in hell was euer supported and assisted by God and not forsaken but onely Christes If by hell wee vnderstand Paradise it was no priuiledge to be there not forsaken but rather a childish absurditie to thinke that any soule might there be forsaken and so no cause for Christ so strongly to hope and so greatly to reioice that HIS SOVLE should not bee forsaken where it was impossible that anie soule should be forsaken but this is rather a iust grounde of exceeding ioie if where all soules were forsaken of God as in hell they are there Christes soule should not be forsaken but assisted with the might and maiestie of God to breake the force and tread the power of hell vnder his féet And this prooueth Christes resurrection more
stronglie for which cause Dauid spake it then if wee applie the name of hell to the state of Paradise For if Christ did rise againe without corruption because his soule was not forsaken of God in Paradise then all the soules that rise not in like maner are forsaken of God though they still remaine in the rest and cōfort of Paradise which is a palpable falsity if not impietie But if neither the graue could corrupt his flesh nor hell detaine his soule what better assurance could be brought of his resurrection then that neither death could dissolue his bodie into dust nor hell preuaile against his soule And this I take to be S. Peters reason when hee saith to the Iewes Iesus of Nazareth haue ye taken by the handes of the wicked crucified and slaine whom God raised againe BREAKING THE SORROVVES OF DEATH in as much as it was IMPOSSIBLE he should BE HELD THER OF God made way for Christ to rise againe by BREAKING THE SORROVVES OF DEATH before him that they should not hinder him Christes bodie lying dead in the graue lacking sense could haue no sorrow In Paradise a place of rest ioie if his soule were there much lesse may we imagine any sorrow Since then the sepulchre hath no SENSE where Christs flesh lay Paradise hath NO SORROVV the SORROVVES OF DEATH must needes be referred to the paines of hel which were all loosed and dissolued before Christ because IT VVAS IMPOSSIBLE THEY SHOVLD TAKE HOLD OF HIM But Peter they will say nameth the SORROVVES OF DEATH and not of hell as if the name of death did not extende as well to the SECOND DEATH which is hell as to the first which is the dissolution of nature and THE SORROVVES OF THE FIRST DEATH Christ apparantly suffered as much as any man and they ended with death they dured not after death But in Peters words the sorrows of death were broken at Christs resurrection God raised him vp loosing the sorrowes or paines of death Wherefore the SORROVVES OF THE SECOND DEATH must necessarilie be vnderstoode those were all broken and dissolued before Christ by reason his soule was not forsakē in hell but vnited vnto God aided by the mighty hand of God to tread vpon al the power of y e aduersary in his own person to triumph ouer Satan and al the strength of the kingdom of darknes Lastly howsoeuer some presumers on their Hebrew may wrangle with the word Sheôl in Dauids speach thou wilt not forsake my soule in hel yet the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which S. Luke expresseth Dauids meaning doth properly import in the new testament the place of the damned I remit poets Pagans vsing that word after their prophane imagination to the alleagers in what sense the Euangelists and Apostles take it wil soone appeare by their writings Vpō this Rock saith Christ wil I build my church the gates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hel shal not preuaile against it The church doth not assure the godly that they shall not die but that the gates of the second death shal not hurt thē When the merciles rich man died was buried as wee read in the gospel of S. Luke y e scripture saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being in hel in TORMENTS he lift vp his eies and saw Abrahā a far off Lazarus in his bosome I hope the soule of this rich man was neither in the graue nor in paradise but plainelie IN HEL euen in the PLACE OF TORMENTS where no mercy can be shewed nor release hoped for and that place state of the damned S. Luke calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Sauior expressing it maketh the rich man most truly to saie I AM TORMENTED IN THIS FLAME S. Iohn in his Reuelation noting the coherence of death and hell in the destruction of the wicked saith Behold a pale horse and his name that sate thereon was death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEL FOLLOVVED AFTER HIM and power was giuen THEM ouer the fourth part of y e earth After death followeth none other death but HEL which is the second death and y t as it commeth AFTER the death of the body so is it distinguished from the death of the bodie because it killeth the soule for euer and that S. Iohn calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He doth the like in the 20. chap. of the same booke The sea saith he gaue vp her dead which were in her death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEL deliuered vp her dead that were in them and death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HEL were cast into y e lake of fire this is the second death When our sauiour then saith I haue y e keies of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of hel he doth not onlie mean the graues of dead bodies are subiected to his power but the place and paines of damned soules are likewise at his disposition And when Paule saith O death where is thy sting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ò hel where is thy victory he teacheth vs that God hath giuen vs the victory ouer DEATH AND HEL through our Lord Iesus Christ. That victorie Christ could not make vs partakers of except hee had first triumphed ouer them both in his owne person And that victorie Christ did foresee and foreshew when he said to God thou wilt not forsake my soule g d = fo in hell or leaue it to the power of hell but assist me there and bring me thence with safetie and victory If my collections were not allowed by the scriptures the generall faith and confession of all the fathers in all ages and countries since the first foundation of Christs church should moue men that are modest not hastelie to leape from the vniuersall consent of al places and persons grounding themselues on the manifest words of the sacred scriptures To quote them all were to increase another volume I will therefore content my selfe with shewing you how soone it began and howe long it continued in the church of Christ to be receaued and beléeued as a matter of faith Thaddaeus one of the 70. disciples mentioned in the tenth of Luke taught the citizens of Edessa within ten yeares after Christs death amongst other points of faith as Eusebius reporteth Quomodo Christus crucifixus fuerit ad inferos descenderit sepemque illam antea nunquam diruptam sciderit resurrexerit etiam ac mortuos qui à seculo dormierant vná excitauerit quomodo solus quidem descenderit multâ vero turbâ comitatus ad patrem ipsius ascenderit Howe Christ was crucified and descended into hell and ouerthrew the wall which was neuer before that time broken and rose againe and raised vp with him those y t had bin dead long before how he descēded alone but ascended vp to his father with a great multitude This report by
some men is counted fabulous for y t the letters sent to Christ and receaued from him by the ruler of that city are no where remembred in the Euangelists but by their leaues that reason is rather friuolous for so much as S. Iohn saith There are also many other thinges which Iesus did the which if they should be writteÌ„ euery one I suppose the world could not containe the bookes that should be written Since then this is no sure ground to reiect a storie for that it is not contained in the scriptures I sée no cause either to preiudice the publike and ancient records of the citie of Edessa remaining at that verie time when this report was made or to mistrust the credite of Eusebius as if he had impudentlie forged the olde monuments of that citie where he might so easilie bee reprooued His words are Habes harum rerum testimonium scriptis comprehensum ex Grammatophylacio vrbis Edessae tunc regiae de sumptum Nam in ipsis publicis chartis quae res prisâ—as continent ista ad hunâ— vsque diem ex eo tempore seruata reperiuntur Nihil autem impedit quo minus literas ipsas quae nobis ex Archiuis desumptae e Syrorum lingua his verbis translatae sunt audiamus Thou hast the testimonie of these thinges comprised in writing and taken out of the chamber of Edessa that then was a princely Citie For in the publike recordes of things aunciently past thus much is there extant TO THIS VERIE DAY preserued from the time wherein these things were done And I thinke it best to set downe the letters which I my selfe COPIED out of the Authentick records and TRANSLATED from the Syrian tongue in these wordes How the report of a writer y t is not canonical should haue more credite then this hath I know not The records were auncient and publique and then extant to be viewed by euerie man when Eusebius did exemplifie them If wee discredite all antiquitie and testimonie which wee sée not with our owne eies wee must looke to receiue the like rewarde from our posteritie Ignatius that liued with and after the Apostles in his Epistle to the Church of Trallis consesseth the same Article almost in the same words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ descended into Hell alone and returned or rose againe with a greate number and brake downe the rampiere that had stoode from the beginning and ouerthrewe the mid-wall thereof Athanasius present at the great councell of Nice as a Cleargie man though not then a Bishop in his short recapitulation of the Catholike faith addeth this Article as necessarie to be beléeued of all Christians Passus est pro salute nostra descendit ad inferos tertia die resurrexit a mortuis haec est fides Catholica quam nisi quis firmiter fideliterque crediderit saluus esse non poterit Christ suffered for our saluation descended into hell rose againe the third day from the dead This is the Catholike faith which except a man doe firmelie and fastlie beleeue he cannot bee saued Saint Austen doth so presse it that hee pronounceth it infidelitie to denie it Secundum animam Christum apud inferos fuisse aperté scriptura declarat per Prophetam praemissa per Apostolicum intellectum satis exposita qua dictum est non derelinques animam meam in inferno That Christ according to his soule was in hell the Scripture plainelie declareth forespoken by the Prophet Dauid and sufficientlie expounded by the Apostles application where it was saide Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell Quis ergo nisi infidelis negauerit fuisse apud inferos Christum Who then but an infidell will denie that Christ was in Hell Hilarius maketh it a necessarie cause of our redemption Crux mors inferi salus nostra est Christes Crosse death and beeing in Hell are the meanes of our saluation For as hee died that wee might liue so hee went to hell by Hilaries assertion that wee might goe to heauen Christus Dei filius moritur sed omnis caro viuificatur in Christo. Dei filius in inferis est sed homo refertur ad coelum Christ the sonne of God dieth but all flesh is quickened in Christ. The sonne of God is in Hell but man is restored to Heauen And least wee shoulde thinke that Hilarie dreamed of Christes suffering hell paines on the Crosse as some haue alledged him his wordes are plaine else where that Christs soule after death descended into hell Humanae istae lex necessitatis est vt sepultis corporibus ad inferos animae descendant Quam descensionem Dominus ad consummationem veri hominis non recusauit This is the lawe of mans miserie that their bodies goe to the graue their soules to hell WHICH DESCENT the Lorde did not refuse to prooue himselfe in euerie point to bee a true man This necessitie was the wages of mans sinne the strength whereof coulde none abolish but onelie Christ. Hic vnus est â—duersantes nobis iniâ—â—â—icasque virtutes ligno passionis affigens mortem in inferno perimens spei nostrae fidem resurrectione confirmans corruptionem humanae carnis gloria corporis sui perimens Christ alone was hee that fastened to the wood of his passion the powers which were aduersaries and enemies to vs that vanquished death euen in hell that confirmed the stedfastnesâ—e of our hope with his resurrection and abolished the corruption of mans flesh with the glorie of his bodie Leo likewise Resurrectio saluatoris nec animam in inferno nec carnem diu morata est in sepulchro quoniam deitas quae ab vtraque suscepti hominis substantia non recessit quod potestate diuisit potestate coniunxit The resurrection of our Sauiour neither stayed his soule long in hell nor his flesh in the graue because his Godhead which did not depart from either part of his manhoode mightilie conioyned what it mightilie seuered But no man hath more pishilie or more soundlie deliuered the full course and cause of Christes descent to Hell then Fulgentius which I muste repeate at large because euerie woorde is woorth the marking Restabat ad plenum nostrae redemptionis effectum vt illuc vsque homo sine peccato à Deo susceptus descenderet quousque homo separatus à Deo peccati merito cecidisset id est ad inferâ—um vbi solebat peccatoris anima torqueri ad sepulchrum vbi consueuerat peccatoris caro corrumpi sic tamen vt nec Christi caro in sepulchro corrumperetur nec inferni doloribus anima torqueretur Quoniam anima immunis à peccato non erat subdenda supplicio carnem sine peccato non debuit vitiare corruptio Nam quia peceans homo meâ—uit in seipso per supplicium diuidi quia maluit à Deo praeuaricationis reatu disiungi propterea factum est vt peccatoris mors â—arnem peccati ad
sepulchrum corrumpendam perduceret animam inferno torquendam protinus manciparet Vt autem peccator fuisset gratuito munere liberatus factum est vt mortens corporis quam à Deo iusto peccator homo pertulerat iusté Deifilius a peccatore pateretur iniuste ad sepulchrum perveniret caro iusti quousque fuerat caro deuoluta peccati vsque ad infernum descenderet anima saluatoris vbi peccatimerito torquebatur anima peccatoris Hoc autem ideo factum est vt per morientem temporaliter carnem iusti donaretur vita aeterna carni per descendentem ad infernum animam iusti dolores soluerentur inferni It remained for the full effecting of our redemption that man assumed of God without sinne shoulde thither descend whither man seuered from God fell by desert of sinne that is vnto hell where the soule of the sinner was woont to bee tormented and to the graue where the flesh of the sinner was woont to bee corrupted yet so that neither Christes flesh shoulde bee corrupted in the graue nor his soule bee tormented with the paines of hell because the soule free from sinne was not to be subiected to that punishment nor flesh cleane from the contagion of sinne shoulde suffer corruption In so much as man sinning deserued by punishment to bee seuered from himselfe who by his transgression woulde needes bee seuered from God therefore it was appointed that the death of the sinner should bring his sinfull flesh to the graue there to rotte and presentlie should send his soule to hell there to be tormented But when the sinner by the gift of Gods grace was to bee deliuered it was prouided that the sonne of God should vniustlie suffer at the hands of sinners the death of the bodie which sinfull man had iustlie beene wrapped in by the iustice of God and the flesh of the iust should come to the graue whither sinfull flesh was tumbled and that the SOVLE OF OVR SAVIOVR SHOVLD DESCEND TO HELL VVHERE THE SINFVLL SOVLâ— VVAS TORMENTED FOR THE REVVARD OF SINNE This was therefore done that by the flesh of the iust temporally dying eternall life might be giuen to our flesh and by the soule of the iust descending to hell the torments of hell might be abolished Out of Fulgentius I obserue two things which if it please men to marke they shall cleare themselues from all absurdities touching Christs descent to hell The first is THE PLACE VVHITHER he desended the next is THE CAVSE VVHY he descended The place whither hee descended was hell whither the soule of man sinning against God was adiudged for the wages of his transgâ—ession The cause of his descent was to free all the faithfull from the beginning of the world to the ende thereof from comming thither And in both these the Scriptures and fathers doe fullie concurre though some auncient writers doe swarue and striue about Christes deliuering some from hell that were there at the time of his descent as they suppose Which varietie and vncertaintie of opinions concerning the state of the deade before Christes comming hath verie much entangled this question and induced manie men of learning and iudgement otherwise to reiect Christs descent to hell as a fable or to wrest it to an other sense with newe founde expositions Howbeit I see no cause but the doctrine of the Scriptures confessed by all the fathers may stande verie cleare whatsoeuer we resolue of this other assertion touching the state of the righteous departed this life before Christs death I will therefore shortly discusse both the place and the cause and so draw to an end As for the place whither Christ descended the Church of Rome gréedily hunteth after it to heare of her Purgatorie hoping whence the soules of the righteous were by Christ deliuered there to make a stand for soules not perfectlie confessed and absolued in this life that she maie set to sale her praiers and pardons But if shee follow Christ descending her deuotion must reach to the place and paines of the damned for thither Christ descended And so by their leaues both Scriptures and fathers auouch First the wordes are plaine and must bee proper as well in the Canon as in the Créed Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell and he descended into hell Againe the kingdom of Satan consisteth of these three SINNE DEATH and HELL SINNE RAIGNING whiles the bodie and soule are ioined togither DEATH SEVERING them both and TVRNING the bodie to earth HELL RECEIVING and TORMENTING the soule till the daie of iudgement when bodie and soule shall for euer bee cast into hell fire If these three bee not abolished by Christ Satans kingdome is not destroyed by Christ and speciallie if hell bee not vanquished no part of our saluation is performed The woorke of sinne is sweete if the wages were not sower which is hell fire To raise our bodies from death is no fauour if Hell bee not ouerthrowen it were more easie for them to lie in dust then to burne in hell Howe hath Christ restored vs to Heauen if hee haue not yet freed vs from Hell Or brought vs to God if he haue not yet taken vs from Satan Wherefore either Hell must bee destroyed or wee are no waie redeemed And in all these when I speake of Hell I speake of the place of the damned For if the feare of damnation continue what hope of saluation can wee conceiue But the Apostle saieth plainlie that Christ through death DESTROIED HIM that had power of death euen the DIVELL and DELIVERED ALL them which for feare of death were all their life time subiect to seruitude If the DIVELL bee DESTROIED then Hell is fullie conquered for whiles that retaineth force against the faithfull the Diuell is in the height of his kingdome Neither is death to bee feared at all but in respect of hell following after death If then all the Saintes heere on earth be DELIVERED FROM THE FEARE OF DEATH and from the handes of all that hate them to serue God without feare all the dayes of their life in holinesse and righteousnesse before him it is euident that hell is spoyled of all right and claime to the members of Christ by reason our heade beeing there in our names and for our sinnes brake the strength of hell abolished the power and loosed the sorrowes and paines thereof that they shoulde not take holde on him nor euer after on anie of his For as hee suffered and died not for his owne sake but for ours so hee descended and loosed the sorrowes of death and hell not as prouided for him but for vs. And since to our sinnes was due damnation and no lesser or easier punishment it was requisite that Christ shoulde thither descende and by dissoluing the wages of our sinne in his owne person thence deliuer vs though not there tormented yet thither adiudged and so release vs not as beeing there but from comming thither
and Patriarks were before Christs resurrection in hell or no but what soeuer we determine or imagine of this later question the other position standeth vncontrolled both by Scriptures and fathers yet for their sakes that happilie maie stumble at this blocke I will not refraine to speake what I thinke of this assertion so as I bee first allowed to say with saint Austen Quod dicimus fratres hoc si non vobis tanquam certus exposuero ne succenseatis Homo enim sum quantum conceditur de scripturis sanctis tantum audeo dicere nihil ex me Infernum nec ego expertus sum adhuc nec vos fortassis alia via erit non per infernum erit Incerta sunt enim haec That which in this question I say brethren if I can not auouch it as certaine you must not bee offended I am but a man and what I am assured by the Scriptures that I dare affirme and of my selfe nothing Hell neither I haue yet experience of neither you and perchance there shall bee another way and by hell it shall not bee For these thinges are altogither vncertaine The thinges after this life God will not haue particularlie knowne vnto vs whiles here wee liue and therefore to make sodaine resolutions of them can haue neither certaintie nor safetie yet so much as the scriptures reueale we must necessarilie beléeue and may boldlie professe without anie danger Touching the state of the dead in the olde Testament I see a number of auncient writers incline to this conclusion that the soules of the righteous before Christes death and descent were in hell but as the foundation of their opinion is verie weake so the consequents are plainlie contradicted both by Scriptures and fathers This assertion first grewe from the confession of the Patriarkes and Prophets that they must after this life DESCEND TO SHEOL which the Septuagint doe alwayes expresse by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine interpreter by Infernus wherevpon the fathers both Greeke and Latin supposed the saints in the old Testament departing hence DESCENDED TO HELL But the signification of the worde Sheôl is so manifestlie mistaken that it is nowe no great masterie to finde the foile When Iacob saith I will go downe TO SHEOL mourning to my sonne and againe You will bring my gray haires with sorrow vnto Sheôl and likewise Iob Sheôl is my house oh that thou wouldest hide me in Sheôl till thine anger were past as also Dauid what man liueth that shall deliuer his soule from the hand of Sheôl And lastly Ezechias I shal go to the gates of Sheôl If by Sheôl in these places wee vnderstand hell as some Greeke and Latine interpreters and writers haue done we must needes confesse the faithfull dying in the former Testament descended into hell but if wee take Sheôl for the graue where life endeth and the bodie lieth then make they no kind of proofe that the soules of the godly before Christs comming were in hel but only that their bodies were in the graue of which there was neuer any question amongst christians or pagans Nowe that Sheôl in the Scriptures noteth as well the graue where mens bodies putrifie as she place where the soules of the wicked are after this life detained and punished to him that considereth the circumstances of these and other such places will soone appeare The words of king Ezechiah at large are these I said in the cutting off of my daies I shall goe to the gates of Sheôl I am depriued of the residue of my yeares I saide I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing I shall see man no more amongst the inhabitants of the worlde I haue cutte my life in sunder like a weauer Here is a full description of death not of hell and least wee shoulde dreame that both are linked togither in the end hee saieth Sheôl can not confesse vnto thee neither can death praise thee nor they that descende into the pitte trust in thy trueth but the liuing the liuing hee shall confesse thee as I doe this day It is manifest impietie to saie that the soules of the Saints departed did neither CONFESSE NOR PRAISE GOD nor TRVST IN HIS TRVTH but in the graue where the bodie wanteth sense and life this is most true which Ezechias deliuereth and confirmed by the holie Ghost in diuerse places of the Scriptures In death there is no remembrance of thee saieth Dauid to God and in Sheôl who shall confesse or praise thee The soules of iust and perfect men did then most praise GOD when they were loosed from the warfare of this life therefore they were not in Sheôl for in Sheôl none shall confesse vnto God nor trust in his truth The deade praise not the Lord nor all that goe downe into silence DEATH SILENCE and SHEOL are taken for one and the same thing and in none of these is God praised or confessed And what can bee plainer then that Dauid saieth in the 141. Psalme Our bones lie scattered at the mouth of Sheôl as chippes â—ewed on the earth Their bones I trust lay not scattered at the mouth of hell but at the mouth of their graues where their bodies were buried Iob in like maner though I hope yet Sheôl must bee mine house I shall take vp my bedde in darkenesse I shall say to corruption thou art my father and to the worme thou art my mother and my sister Darkenesse corruption and the worme are the partes of Sheol aâ—d thâ—se consume the bodie they waste not the soule Salomon shall seale vp this inquisition where hee â—aieth All that thine hande is able to doe dispatch it in thy strength for there is neither VVORKE nor THOVGHT nor KNOVVLEDGE nor VVISEDOME in SHEOL whither thou goest If the soules of the righteous neither DOE nor THINKE nor KNOVVE anie thing they bee surelie a sleepe and neither in ioy nor paine but if this bee absurde and wicked to affirme either of hell heauen paradise or of Abrahams bosome then certainlie SHEOL where none of these things are is THE GRAVE and there it is eâ—ident all these thinges are wanting Since then without question Sheol signifieth as well the graue where the bodie lieth dead and rotten as the place where the soules of vniust and sinfull men are kept and tormented if in the wordes of the Patriarkes and Prophets confessing they must go to Sheôl we vnderstand the graue which indéede they ment there is no shew in the scriptures that the faithfull before Christes death went to hell as some fathers haue collected out of these and such like sayings of the godlie before Christes birth but rather the places that mention their state after death do euidently import the contrarie The booke of Wisedome though it be not Canonicall yet doth it shewe what opinion the Church of the Iewes had of the soules of the
forsaken reiected of God could not after death rest in the same place with Samuel the elect and approoued seruant of God Lastlie the fathers doe for the most part resolue it was an illusion of Satan to strike Saul into desperation Tertullian disputing against it verie learnedlie saieth Ecce hodie Simonis haereticos tanta praesumptio artis extollit vt etiam Prophetarum animas ab inferis mouere se spondeant Et credo quia mendacio possunt nec enim pythonico tunc spiritui minus licuit animam Samuelis essingere post deum mortuos consulente Saule Absit alioquin vt animam cuiuslibet sancti nedum Prophetae à daemonio credamus extractam edocti quod ipse Satanas transfiguretur in Angelum lucis nedum in hominem lucis Dubitauit si forte tunc Prophetam se Dei asseuerare vtique Sauli in quo ipse morabatur ne putes alium fuisse qui phantasma administrabat alium qui commendabat sed eundem spiritum in pseudoprophetide in Apostata facile meÌ„tiri quod fecerat credi ideo per quem visurum se credidit vidit quia per quem vidit credidit Nulli autem animae omnino inferos patere satis dominus in argumento illo pauperis requiescentis diuitis ingemiscentis ex persona Abrahae sanxit non posse relegari renunciatorem dispositionis infernae quod vel tunc licere potuisset vt Mosi Prophotis crederetur Euen at this day the followers of Simon Magus are so puffed vp with the presumption of their art that they promise to raise from hell the soules of the Prophets And I thinke they can easily belie themselues for so did the familiar spirit of the witch at Endor resemble the soule of Samuel when Saul reiected of God consulted the dead Otherwise GOD FORBID VVE SHOVLD BELEEVE that the soule of any Saint much lesse of a Prophet could bee raised by the Diuell since wee are taught that Satan is often transfigured into an Angell of light much more into a man of light Perchaunce the Diuell did doubt to auouch himselfe to bee the Prophet of God and that to Saul whom hee alreadie possessed least you should thinke it was anie other which commended the apparition then hee that procured it but euen the same spirite both in the false Prophetesse and to the Apostata Saul easilie belied that which he had made to be beleeued And therefore by whome Saul beleeued hee should see the ghost of Samuel by him he saw it because by whom he saw it to him he gaue credite And to teach vs that no soule may rise from the dead the lord doth sufficiently determine by the person of Abraham in that argument of the poore man in rest the rich man in torment that none can returne to report the state of things in hell which then might haue beene done to get the more authoritie to Moses and the Prophetes The booke of questions vnder the name of Iustine Martyr being of good antiquitie if it bee not his saieth Caetera omnia ab ipsa Pythonissa facta sunt Daemonis operâ praestigijs eorum oculos deludentis qui videbant cum qui Samuel non erat Veritas autem dictorum a Deo fuit qui permisit Daemoni vt in forma Samuelis Pythonissae appareret res futuras praemonstraret Et quoniam Samuelem Saul non audierat dum amissionem regni praediceret illi sed post diuinam sententiam ei regnum adimentem per hariolos imperium retinere satagebat indignum eum duxit Deus vt ei ventura significaret per homines sibi adhaerentes All the rest the witch did by the operation of the Diuell deluding their eies which sawe one that was not Samuel But the trueth of that which was spoken was of God who permitted the Diuell both to appeare to the witch in the shape of Samuel and to foretell the euent of thinges to come For in that Saul would not giue â—are to Samuel prophecying vnto him the losse of his kingdome but sought to retaine it by the helpe of witches God counted him vnworthie to vnderstande what should come to passe by anie seruants of his Theodorete in his questions vpon the first booke of Kings doth reiect this opinion that the witch raised vp Samuel not as false only but as impious also His words are Quomodo oportet intelligere do ventriloqua Nonnulli dicunt eam veré retulisse Samuelâ—m NoÌ„nulli autem hoc refellerunt Ego quidem PRIMVM EXISTIMO ESSE IMPIVM Existimo enim mulieres necromanticas ne quamlibet quidem reducere animam tantum abest vt prophetae tanti prophetae Est enim perspicuum quod in aliquo alio loco degunt animae expectantes resurrectionem corporum EST ERGO VALDE IMPIVM credere ventriloquam habere vim tantam What shall we say concerning the witch Some thinke shee truly raised vp Samuel Some others refell it I think the first to be a VVICKED imagination For I resolue that witches can raise no mans soule much lesse the soule of a prophet and of so great a prophet It is euident that the soules of the dead are in a place besides this world expecting y e resurrectioÌ„ of their bodies It is therfore VERY IMPIOVS to beleeue y t a witch hath so great power And where Theodoret alledgeth a place of the Chronicles to proue Quod ipse deus vniuersorum efformata vt voluit specie Samuelis protulit sententiam minime per aduersarios protulit sententiaÌ„ That God himselfe framing the shape of Samuel as pleased him pronounced the sentence and did not giue that iudgement by his aduersaries there are no such wordes in the Text as he quoteth For he citeth them thus Et mortuus est Saul in suis iniquitatibus in quibus peccauit domino super eloquium domini propterea quod ipsum noÌ„ custodiuit quod interrogauit Saul in ventriloqua vt exquireret ET RESPONDIT SAMVEL PROPHETA non exquisiuit in dâ—mino occidit eum Saul died in his sinnes in which he sinned against the Lord as touching the word of y e lord which he performed not also in that Saul consulted the witch to know what successe he should haue And Samuel the prophet answered him Saul sought not the lord he slue him These wordes AND SAMVEL THE PROPHET ANSVVERED HIM are not in the booke of Chronicles and therefore Theodorets foundation being false his conclusion that God spake these wordes and not the diuell is no way iustifiable Besides if God had saide that Saul and his sonnes after death should bee with God as hee that spake to Saule saide they should be with him God had promised vnto Saul ETERNAL LIFE after his departure hence which is a plaine contrarietie to the wordes of the Scripture that saith SAVL DIED IN HIS SINNES The first part then of Theodorets resolution that a
If he were not drawne against his will hee consented to come both which are absurd to beleeue of so iust a person And this is the sleight of Satan that to deceiue the more hee maketh as if the iust were in his hands The storie doth describe the mind of Saul and the shew of Samuel expressing what was seene and said but pretermitting how true or false either was For what saith it Saul hearing in what habite the spirite was raised vnderstoode it to be Samuel It reporteth what Saul conceiued and because hee conceiued amisse hee adored another then God against the scripture and thinking it to bee Samuel worshipped the Diuell that Satan might reape the fruite of his fallacie For if Samuel had indeede appeared vnto him the iust person woulde neuer haue suffered himselfe to bee worshipped which preached God alone to be worshipped And how did the man of god that was with Abraham in rest say to that pestilent man worthie of hell fire to morrowe thou shalt bee with me By these two wayes Satan afore he was ware betraied his fraudulent subtiltie because he suffered himselfe to be worshipped vnder the habite and name of Samuel against Gods lawe and lied that Saul loden with sinne should after death be with righteous Samuel whereas there is a great distance betwixt the iust and vniust after this life and Saul went hence to him whom he worshipped If the fathers so much varie and dissent from themselues and from others whie do I presse their testimonie touching Christs descent to hell I presse them no further then they accord with the words of the scripture and with the grounds of faith wherein they all concurre with one consent When they swarue aside or part asunder I dissemble it not wishing the reader as not to regarde their priuate opinions without good proofe so not to reiect their general confession in matters of faith agreeing with the scriptures without better demonstration then I yet sée made for the contrarie That the diuell was destroied and man deliuered by Christes death from the feare of death is no supposall of mine or theirs but the manifest conclusion of the holy ghost That Christ in his owne person spoiled powers and principalities and openly triumphed ouer them that death and hell might bee swallowed vp in victorie is not mans imagination but the Apostles resolution That Christs soule was in hell and there not forsaken if Dauids prediction and Peters application were not plaine inough S. Lukes interpretation is so pregnant that without wrong to the word it can not bee pared Lay these togither and sée what they lacke of Christs soule descending into hell His being there must néeds inferre his descending thither And yet least some scrupulous person should stick at the phrase of Christs DESCENDING INTO HEL I think S. Paul hath words equiualent to them Ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue That he ascended what is it but that he FIRST DESCENDED into the lower partes of the earth He that descended is euen the same that ascended aboue al the heauens that he might fil al. If hell be any where there can be no doubt but it must be in the lower parts of the earth From the earth vpward is heauen where hell can not be Christ then DESCENDED into the lower partes of the earth and thence ledde captiuitie captiue that hee might fill all places with his presence Christs sepulchre was in the higher parts of the earth hewen out in a rock and thence he might lead the death of the bodie captiue but not the diuell that was ruler ouer death and had a chalenge to the soules of men that came not neare their graues Since then ascending from the lower parts of the earth he lead captiue all y e powers that held man in bondage and those chiefelie were the powers of hell which had interest into the soule of man by reason of sinne it must needes bee that Christ descended to those partes of the earth where mans captiuitie was strongest which is in hell and thence fréed him by his presence and led those captiues that ruled ouer him as conquerour of all the power of the deuill and darkenesse whose prisoner man was before hee was redeemed Againe hee first descended to the lowest and then ascended to the highest that he might fill all places with his presence If hee descended not to hell howe filled hee that place where hee neuer was except with the brightnesse of his diuine glorie which is euerie where present without descending or ascending But the Apostle saith he descended to the lowest and ascended to the highest that he might fill all places with the presence of his manhoode all knees in heauen earth and hell bowing vnto the exaltation of his humane nature And if the lower partes of the earth whither Christ descended to leade captiuitie captiue bee not lowe enough to shewe the scituation of hell Saint Paul hath plainer wordes of Christes descending as lowe as might bee when he writeth to the Romanes in this wise Say not in thine heart who shall ascende into heauen that is to bring Christ downe from aboue or who shal DESCEND INTO THE DEEPE that is to bring Christ backe from the deade Christ dying DESCENDED INTO THE DEEPE as rising from the deade hee ascended into heauen Nowe the deepe is so lowe that no place canne be lower yea hell it selfe and the prison of Diuels is knowne by that name in the newe Testament When the spirits that possessed the mad man amongst the Gadarens were to bee cast out by Christ they besought him that hee would not commaund them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to departe into the deepe In the Reuelation of Saint Iohn hell is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pit of the deepe and the Diuell is there named the Angell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the deepe yea the verie place where the Diuell is shut vp is expressed by that word I sawe an Angell saith Saint Iohn come downe from heauen hauing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the key of the deepe and a great chaine in his hand And he took the dragon that olde serpent which is called the diuell and bounde him and cast him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the deep shut him vp If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be a bottomles deep then which can nothing be déeper if in the scriptures it properly signifie the verie dungeon of hel where the diuels are kept the Apostle then auouching that Christ when hee died DESCENDED 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 INTO THE BOTTOMLES DEEP doth cléerely confirme that he descended into hell As therefore if we aske who can descend into the deep or ascend into heauen we reuerse Christs being among the dead and his sitting at the right hand of God in the heauens so if wee confesse thē both to be verified in Christ but in Christ they neuer were nor euer
shalbe verified of any man we must no more deny y t he descended into the bottomles pit which is hell then y t he ascended into y e heauens both are necessary partes of our redemption euident proofes of his mighty operatioÌ„ We must be fréed froÌ„ hel before we can be placed in heauen and if Christ haue omitted either he hath performed neither What maruaile then if the ancient fathers with one consent make Christs descent to hel a material point of our redemption and presse it as an appendix to faith since it hath so good ground and iust proofe in the scriptures howsoeuer they or we doubt where the soules of the righteous were before Christs suffering Crux mors inferi salus nostra est saith Hilary The crosse death and descent of Christ to hell are our saluation Diuinitas neque corpus in monumento neque animaÌ„ in inferno destituit hoc est enim quod dictuÌ„ est per prophetaÌ„ non relinques animaÌ„ meaÌ„ apud inferos neque dabis sanctuÌ„ tuuÌ„ videre corruptionem Quocâ—rcain ANIMA quideÌ„ CHRISTI MORS DEVICTA EST resurrectioque ab inferis deprompta spiritibus annunciata est in corpore vero dei corruptio abolita est et incorruptibilitas é sepulchro emicuit Christs deity neither forsooke his body in the sepulchre nor his soule in hel For y t is y e meaning of the Prophet wheÌ„ he saith Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hel nor suffer thine holy one to see corruptioÌ„ Wherfore in THE SOVLE OF CHRIST DEATH VVAS CONQVERED and the rerurrection from hell performed and signified to the spirits that rose with him In the body of him that was God corruption was abolished incorruption shined out of the graue Yea Austen himself putteth great difference betwixt the certainly of Christes descent to hell and the vncertainty of deliuering of some soules thence which he found there as he imagineth Teneamus firmissimé Quod fides habet fundatissimâ auctoritate firmata quia Christus mortuus est secundum scripturas et caetera quae de illo testante veritate conscripta sunt in quibus etiam hoc est quod apud Inferos fuit solutis eoruÌ„ doloribus quibus euÌ„ erat impossibile teneri Let vs hold most firmly y t which y e faith containeth confirmed with most assured authority that Christ died according to the scriptures the rest y t is written of him by the testimony of the truth amongst y e which this is also to be nuÌ„bred y t he was in hel dissoluing y e pains therof Of which it was impossible he shuld be held Thus far doth Austen vrge the very articles of our faith confirmed by the scriptures that maketh him infer who then but an infidel wil deny that Christ was in hell But when he commeth to the second point of deliuering some from hel that were in the paines thereof he tempereth his stile and saith à quibus recte intelligitur soluisse liberasse quos voluit from which paines Christ may well be conceaued to haue loosed and deliuered whom he would that which Peter saith loosing the sorrowes of hel accipi potest in quibusdaÌ„ may be vnderstood of some whom he thought worthy to be deliuered For which since there can bee no sure proofe brought out of the worde of trueth we shall doe best to giue eare to his owne aduise in the like case Ergo fratres siue illud siue istud sit hîc me scrutatorem verbi dei non temerarium affirmatorem teneatis Therefore brethren whether this or that bee it heere take me as a searcher of the word of God and not as a rash affirmer All the defence that may be made out of the Scriptures that Christ deliuered some of the saints out of the present possession and power of hell is that which is written in the gospell of Saint Matthew touching the bodies of the saintes rising from death When Iesus yéelded vp the ghost Behold the vaile of the temple rent in twaine and the earth did quake and the stones did cleaue and the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy cittie and appeared to many The death of the bodie as it is parte of the wages of sinne so is it the gate of hell and the Diuell is saide in the scriptures to haue the power thereof So that howsoeuer the soules of the iust were in the handes of God and at rest in Abrahams bosom their bodies lying dead in the graue rotten with corruption were within Satans walke and when Christ raised them out of their sepulchers to an happie life he tooke them from the power of darknes and translated them into the kingdome of light Death is an enemie though the last that shall be destroied and death as well as hell shall be cast into the lake of fire and therefore Christ tooke the keyes both of death and of hell and by his rising from the dead insulted against both ô death where is thy sting ô hell where is thy victory It is the force of sinne that killeth the bodie and likewise the force of sinne that rotteth the bodie sinne being the strength of hell against bodie and soule As then our soules are freed from the power of hell when our sinnes are remitted so our bodies are deliuered from the handfast of hel when corruption the consequent of sinne is abolished In this sense it may bee saide that Christ deliuered some from the power of hell that is their bodies from the sepulchers where they laie turned into dust For by death and corruption the sinnefull flesh of man is till the resurrection subiected to the range of Satan hee beeing the Prince of the ayre and gouernour of darknesse and ruler of death Saint Austen doubteth whether those bodies of the saints were wholie freed from corruption or laie down againe in death after they had giuen witnesse to Christs resurrection Scio quibusdam videri morte domini Christi iam talem resurrectionem praestitaÌ„ iustis qualis nobis in fine promittitur Qui vtique si non iterum repositis corporibus dormierunt videndum est quemadmodum Christus intelligatur primogenitus a mortuis si eum in illa resurrectione tot praecesserunt I know saith Austen some thinke that at the death of the Lord Christ the same kind of resurrection was performed to the iust which is promised to vs in the ende of the worlde but if they slept not againe by laying downe their bodies we must looke howe Christ can be vnderstood to be the first borne of the dead if so many went before him in that resurrection But his reasons are of no such force as to perswade that the bodies of the saintes which rose with Christ slept
againe in their graues and returned to corruption yea that would somewhat impeach the power of Christs resurrection if it were able to raise them to life but not preserue them in life and the whole fact will seeme rather an apparition then a true resurrection His first obiection is answered in the text it selfe For the saints did not rise before Christ but after Christ and so still Christ was the first borne from the dead The wordes of the text are manie bodies of the saintes which slept arose and came out of the graues AFTER HIS RESVRRECTION Nowe to thinke that they rose presentlie vpoÌ„ his death staied aliue in their graues till he was risen is a vaine imagination and a waie rather to punish them with a wearisome life then to prefer them to a comfortable resurrection His second reason hath some more shew but it is not sufficieÌ„t to conclude his intention It seemeth hard saith he that Dauid should not be in that resurrection of the iust if it were eternall of whose seede Christ is so often commended to vs with so great honor and euidence And if Dauid rose with them Peters proofe vnto the Iewes is verie weake when hee saith Dauid is deade and buried and his sepulchre remaineth with vs vnto this daie For if Dauids body were risen before the speaking of those words his sepulchre was emptie and concluded nothing for Peters purpose For aunswere heereto the holie Ghost had no meaning by Peters mouth to prooue that Dauid laie then in his graue when those wordes were spoken but onelie that Dauid saw corruption as his sepulchre remaining to that daie conuinced wherein his bodie was buried aboue a thousand yeares before Christes comming and consequentlie must néeds be turned into dust many hundreds before Peter spake the worde His prediction therfore that God would not suffer his holy one to see corruption could no waie pertaine to himselfe but must bee verified in some other which was Christ and so Peters argument was verie sound and cléere whether Dauids ashes were then in his sepulchre or no. Peters other allegation that Dauid is not ascended into heauen doth not hinder but Dauid might be translated into Paradise with the rest of the saints y t rose from the dead when Christ did but it is a iust probation that Dauids body was not then ascended when Christ sate in his humane flesh at the right hand of God which expresseth the power and glorie wherunto the bodie of Christ was exalted by his ascension into heauen So that here Austen hath some hold to proue that Dauid did not ascende in body when Christ did or at least not to heauen whither Christ ascended because in plaine wordes Peter saith Dauid is not ascended into heauen but either the bodies of y e saints slept againe when they had giuen testimony to Christs resurrection or they were placed in Paradise and there expect the number of their brethren which shall bee raised out of the dust or lastlie Dauid was none of those that were raised to beare witnesse of Christes resurrection but onelie such were chosen as were knowne to the persons then liuing in Hierusalem Whatsoeuer it was melius est dubitare de occultis quam litigare de incertis It is better as Austen saith to doubt of things vnknown and hid then to striue about things vncertain The last reason of S. Austen that God so prouided for vs that the fathers of the olde testament without vs should not be perfect proueth not that al â—he saints in Paradise lacke their bodies for then we must deny that Henoch was translated not to see death and that Elias was taken vp by a whirlewind into heaueÌ„ as also that he was seene on the mount talking with Christ which are directlie affirmed by the scriptures but it wil make some proofe that they haue not y e same perfection of ioie and blisse which they shall haue when all the members of Christ are receaued into glorie There remaineth one obiection which must be eased before I ende And that is Christ saide to the théefe which confessed him on the crosse This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise how then could Christs soule be thrée daies in hell except we grant it might be in manie places at once S. AusteÌ„ laboreth in his 57. epistle to remooue this stumbling blocke and after some turnes and wrenches he thus concludeth Est autem sensus multo expeditior ab his omnibus ambiguitaâ—â—bus liber si non secundum id quod homo erat sed secunduÌ„ id quod deus erat Christus dixisse accipiatur Hodie mecuÌ„ eris in paradiso Homo quippe Christus illo die secunduÌ„ carnem in sepulchro secundum animam in inferno futurus erat Deus vero ideÌ„ ipse Christus vbique semper est The far easier vnderstanding and free from al these ambiguities is if wee take Christ to speake those wordes This day shalt thou bee VVITH MEE in Paradise not of his manhoode but of his Godhead For the man Christ was that day in the graue according to his flesh and in hell as touching his soule but the same Christ as God is alwaies euery where And though this answere please that learned Father best that Christ shoulde speake of the theeues soule and his diuine presence in Paradise yet wee haue no warrant in the word of God so to fasten Christs soule vnto hel for the time of his death that it might not bee in Paradise before it descended into hell and he first shew himselfe to the saints to their vnspeakeable comfort before hee went to subiect the powers or darkenesse vnder his yoke That hee descended into the deep must be receaued because it is auouched by the apostle but what time he went or how long he staied as also what maner of triumph he brought thence cannot bee limited by anie mortall man In all these cases I thinke it safest to particularize nothing which is not defined in the worde of God there may be likelihoods but the consciences of the faithfull must not bee enforced except to certainties This is that I thought fit to be saide touching Christes descent to hell vrging the force and fruite of his going thither or appearing there to subiect the whole strength and kingdome of Satan vnto himselfe and to acquite all his members from comming thither but the time or manner of his descending I dare not determine least I should auert you from truth to fables Farre surer is the former doctrine teaching the redemption of mankinde by the death of Christ to bee all-sufficient and euerlasting wherein the scriptures being euident and the Fathers consonant I shall néede no moe words I wil therfore close them both with the confession of Fulgentius who liued 500. yeeres after Christ and so commend you to God Deus verus viuus imo deus veritas et vita aeterna nisi
to the Lord alone But nowe where in the number of them that come to the Lord some belong to the Lord some deserue to bee cast awaie and seuered from the Lordes offering therefore part of the sacrifice which the people bring to wit one of the Goates is offered to the Lorde the other is cast off and sent into the Desart Ambrose in the like sense As of two founde in the fielde one istaken the other forsaken so are there two Goates one fitte for sacrifice the other to bee sent awaie into the Desart Hee serued for no vse neither might hee bee eaten or tasted of by the children of the Priestes Beda ioyneth with them If all the people were holie there shoulde not bee two lottes vpon the Goates but one lotte and one offering nowe when manie are called and fewe chosen part of the peoples sacrifice is offered to the Lord the other parte is cast awaie Or else this maie bee vnderstoode of Iesus and Barrabas that one of them which was the Lordes lotte euen Iesus was slaine the other accursed caitife was sent into the Iewes Desart bearing the sinnes of the people that cried Crucifie him So that the scape Goate by the iudgement of these fathers signified the reprobate among the people and not the soule of Christ as you boldlie auouch But did it signifie the soule of Christ what gaine you by that The scape Goate was neither done to death nor made anie sinne offering as you falslie suppose but was separated from the Lords offering and let go free and vntouched Then by your owne similitude the soule of Christ neither died anie death as you after falselie and absurdlie conclude that the soule of Christ died and was crucified neither was it anie part of the offering for sinne to GOD which you so much endeuour to proue Such is your vnderstanding that by your owne examples you ouerthrow your owne positions whiles you labour to establish them with faint conceits of your owne deuising But in the burnt offering or holocaust prescribed Leui. 6 you find more helpe then in the scape Goate to proue that Christ soule suffered for our sins as wel as his body If you meane that Christs soule suffered the paines of hel I would faine sée how you proue that out of the holocaust or burnt offering If you thinke the name of fire doth somewhat relieue you remember Sir besides the sundrie references that fire hath in the scripture the holocaust was first slaine and after burnt and therefore vnlesse you will fasten the fire of afflictioÌ„ as you call it to Christs body or soule after his death the burning of the dead sacrifice by fire will little further your purpose Again in one and the same fire was the holocaust consumed If this therefore touch the death and passion of Christ his bodie and soule must iointly suffer one and the same kind of affliction which is the thing you so much impugne And since by your owne position the bodies of beasts could not prefigure the immortall and reasonable soule of Christ how commeth it now to passe that y e body of the holocaust after death shall signifie as well the soule as the bodie of Christ Can you thus plant and plucke vp with a touch It is no waie denied or doubted by mee that the soule of Christ was afflicted and tormented with sorrow and paine all the time of his passion which this Trister so much laboureth to proue and therefore if the holocaust did signifie the whole manhood of Christ suffering for our sinnes it could not preiudice anie thing that I did or doe teach as anon thou shalt gentle Reader more plainlie perceiue but yet whie the burning of the holocaust should signifie Christes affliction on the Crosse either in bodie or soule I see no proofe made by this Confuter â—nd why it should not resemble Christes afflictions before death these two reasons mooue me First it was burnt after it was dead next it was wholie consumed by fire neither of which can accord with Christes sufferings or the crosse but by the burning of that sacrifice I take rather the acceptation of Christs death or his incorruption after death to be signified For that part of each sacrifice which God reserued for himselfe and receiued to himselfe was alwayes burnt with fyre and the Hebrue word HOLAH which the Scripture vseth for the holocaust signifieth that which ascendeth vp to God by fire whence God is often saide in the scriptures when hee accepteth an holocaust to smel a swéete sauour Which words saint Paul applieth to the death of Christ in saying Christ gaue himselfe for vs to be a sacrifice vnto God of a sweet smelling sauour that is well pleasing and acceptable vnto God So likewise because the fire consumed in the holocaust all that was subiect to corruption the holocaust may signifie Christs incorruption after death This sense S. Austen approoueth when he saith Sic leuetur holocaustum vt absorbeatur mors in victoriam Let the holocaust so ascend that death bee swallowed vp in victorie And againe Quando totum consumitur igne diuino holocaustum dicitur Totum moùm consumat ignis tuus nihil inde remaneat mihi totum sit tibi Hoc erit in resurrectione mortuorum quando mortale hoc induerit immortalitem Cum absorbet ignis diuinus mortem nostram holocaustum est When the whole sacrifice is consumed with heauenlie sire it is called an holocaust Let thy fire ò Lord consume me wholie let nothing therof remaine mine let the whole be thine this shall bee in the resurrection of the dead when this mortalitie putteth on immortalitie When Gods fire consumeth our Death then is it an holocaust And other kinde of holocaust is mentioned by Saint Austen which I mislike not Holocaustum est totum igne consumptum Est quidam ignis flagrantissimae charitatis totus exardescat igne diuini amoris qui vult offerre Deo holocaustum An holocaust is when the whole is consumed with fire There is a fire of most feruent charitie hee must wholie burne with the fire of the loue of God which will offer to God an holocaust No man euer burned with this fire comparable to Christ Iesus whose loue towardes God and man flamed as vnto death so after death most feruentlie So that touching the holocaust the Confuter presumeth but proueth nothing and yet if his supposall were granted it weakeneth not the force of my reason since by the bodily and bloudie sacrifice shadowed in the law I do not exclude the torments on the crosse imparted to the soule or rather wholy discerned by the soule of Christ but onelie the paines of hell which were neuer figured by anie sacrifice nor scaled by anie Sacrament of the old or new testament though now they bee made the principall part of our redemption which indéede was purchased by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus In auoiding the reason which
I drewe from the Sacraments of the new testament and namelie from the Lordes Supper in the length of six lines Sir refuter you contradict the definition and institution of that Sacrament as also the plaine resolution of S. Paul and the principles of naturall reason The Sacraments you saie are earthlie elements they cannot set out spirituall and inuisible effects in Christ. I had thought Sacraments by their nature had beene visible signes of inuisible graces which definition is so common in the schooles that no smatterer in diuinitie besides you is ignorant of it Si tu incorporeus esses nudè dona ipsa incorporea tibi tradidisset quoniam vero corpori coniuncta est anima in sensibilibus intelligibilia tibi traduntur If thou hadst been without a bodie God would haue giuen thee his spirituall gifts vncouered but because thy soule is ioined with thy bodie in sensible thinges are deliuered thee spirituall or inuisible graces Where all the Sacraments were common saith Augustine Grace which is the vertue of the Sacraments was not common to all In the Lords Supper that there should be no horror of bloud yet the grace of Redemption might remaine for a resemblance thou receiuest the Sacrament but thou obtainest the grace vertue of Christs true nature So that if those earthly elements of water bread and wine did not set out and exhibite the spiritual and invisible effects in Christ they were no Sacraments But the Ceremonie of breaking bread say you cannot properly belong to the body but to the soule In the first institution of his Supper did not Christ breake the bread and deliuer it saying Take eate this is my bodie If breaking belong to the bread then breaking belongeth properlie to the body of Christ for the bread was ordained to shew forth the body of Christ that S. Paul noteth in expresse words The bread which we break is it not the Cōmunion of the body of Christ But Christs body you say was not properly broken because y e scripture saith not a bone of him shalbe broken A speculation fit for such a diuine as you are had Christs body nothing in it but bones Had he not as well flesh as bones A spirit saith our sauiour hath not flesh bones as you see me haue Then if Christs flesh were rent torne with whips with nailes with a speare as it certainly was though his bones were whole his body was properly truly broken For the cutting or tearing of the flesh is the breaking of the flesh and from a part the whole maie and doth properly take his denomination And therfore Paul spake truly and properlie when he thus expresseth the words of Christs institution This is my body which is brokē for you Neither doth he in that word varie from Christs institution but he rather teacheth vs that as the bread is broken and the wine powred out in the Lords supper so was the flesh of the Lords body giuen to be broken torne on the crosse for vs his bloud likewise shed for the remission of our sinnes The nailes spear you grant did pearce him but in no sort can that be called breaking or bruising in peeces as the worde in Esay doth plainlie signifie Wherefore the meaning is the torments of his soule did bruize and breake him in peeces Your Hebrue your Greeke your Philosophie came all out of one forge they are so like You can not finde that Christes flesh was broken and bruised on the Crosse by grieuous stripes and wounds but you haue spied that his soule was broken in peeces and that properlie If one of the Prentices before whome you were wont to talke should aske you into howe manie péeces it was broken your heade would ake to shape him a wise answere But the word DACHA which Esay vseth doth plainly you say signifie to breake in peeces Doth it alwaies and euer signifie properlie to breake into péeces How can it then be applied to the soule but improperlie and by a figuratiue kinde of speech A Moole hill with you is a Mountaine The worde doth signifie to treade vnder foote to bruise to oppresse to humble When Dauid saith the enemie hath cast my life downe to the ground Will you saie he hath broken my life in péeces When Iob saith How long will yee vexe my soule and afflict mee with your wordes will you adde and breake mee in peeces with your wordes When Ieremie saith of the men of Iudah They are not humbled vnto this day Will you phrase it and say They are not broken in peeces to this day In the power of Christs death to proue the bloud of our sauiour to be the true price of our redemption and that as wel of our soules as of our bodies I alledged the words of Peter You were redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ and of the souls in heauen saying vnto Christ Thou wast killed hast redeemed vs to God by thy bloud when their bodies were rotten in y e earth Hence I reasoned if our soules be not redeemed frō death by the blood of christ our bodies haue in this life no benefite of redemption I meane from death for wee die as doe infidels and our bodies rot in the graue as theirs doe till the daie of resurrection But S. Peter saieth wee are redeemed not we shall bee and the saints say to Christ when their bodies lie in the dust Thou hast redeemed vs by thy bloud ergo that redemption which we haue in this life must be referred to our soules and our bodies must expect the generall daie of redemption in the ende of the world To this our Confuter replieth What a paradox yea what impietie is this Haue our bodies no good at all by Christes death no more then the bodyes of infidels because wee die stil as wel as they Good Sir remember Redemption from death is the point which I vrged y t our bodies in this life haue not no more then the bodies of Infidels haue but must expect it And therefore if our Soules be not redeemed by the blood of Christ from Sinne death we haue presentlie no redemption by the bloud of Christ but must staie for the time of our resurrection before we shall haue it Which is contrarie to the words both of Peter and of the Soules in heauen that saie to Christ when their bodies bee rotten in earth Thou hast redeemed vs by thy blood Here y u tell vs of the iustification mortification and sanctification of our bodies as also of the expectation of glorie which our bodies shall haue and thinke to make a great conquest of the words NO GOOD AT ALL but pull in your hornes Besides that my meaning is verie plaine whatsoeuer the wordes were which I might vse which I do not acknowledge to be these that you bring but that our bodies haue no benefitte of Redemption from
of the bodie cannot bee felte but by the soule And so againe Dolores qui dicuntur carnis animae sunt in carne ex carne dolor carnis tantummodo offensio est animae ex carne The paines which are called bodilie paines are the paines of the soule in the bodie and by the bodie For bodilie paine is nothing else but the griefe of the soule by the bodie Whereof Diuines maie not doubte since naturall reason and experience teacheth that as the soule seeth by the eies and heareth by the eares of the bodie so the soule feeleth paine and offence by euerie part of the bodie when it is wounded or wronged If this suffering of Christes soule by communion with his bodie did not properlie make to our Redemption which are your own words then neither the stripes woundes nor death of Christ did any way make to our redemption since of all these violences offered to Christes bodie the flesh it selfe had not the féeling but onlie the soule of Christ by communion with her bodie or as you terme it by Sympathie Yea farther by your owne rule the flesh of Christ was néedelesse in the worke of our Redemption for so much as his flesh could not properly and immediatlie féele any paine but of force must leaue the féeling of all that was suffered to the soule and so whiles you talke so much of the proper and immediate suffering of Christes soule you haue cleane excluded all the sufferings of Christ which the scripture expresseth as not making properlie to our redemption But insteede of a false argument of mine you will returne a reason better grounded and of certaine truth which is this Whereby Adam first and we euer since doe most properlie commit sinne by the same hath Christ our second Adam made satisfaction for our sinne But Adam first and we euer since most properlie commit sinne in our soules our bodies beeing but the instruments of our soules and following the soules direction and will Therefore Christ in his soule chieflie and most properly made satisfaction for vs. Thou shalt perceiue christian reader by the answere to this argument howe ill I spend the time in pursuing this Trifler which neither can tel what he would haue nor what he should proue nor whether his own reasōs make with him or against him I made no such argument as here he pretendeth the effect of my reason was this The flesh of Christ must be as able to redéeme vs as Adams was to condemne vs but we inherit pollution and condemnation from Adams flesh wherefore the flesh of Christ must both quicken and clense vs. The Maior is euident vnlesse we make the diuell more able to destroie vs by an other then God is able to saue vs by himselfe The Minor is cléere without intermedling with the question whence soules be deriued I vtterlie refused to ground anie reason vpon that difficultie I vsed Dauids words in sinne my mother conceiued me and as Ambrose saith prius incipit in homine macula quam vita pollution which is originall beginneth in man before hee hath life Now the soule is the life of the bodie Then if pollution cleaue to the flesh before life come and consequentlie before the soule come whence soeuer it commeth it is euident that Adams flesh defileth and so condemneth vs. As for my conclusion that Christes flesh must quicken and clense vs if the premisses would not support it which they fully doe the Scriptures will maintaine it He that eateth my flesh saith our Sauiour and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last daie I am that bread of life If anie man eate of this bread he shall liue for euer and the bread that I will giue is my flesh which I will giue for the life of the world My reeason standing good Sir Refuter let vs looke a little to yours that you saie is so well grounded and of certaine truth How prooue you your first proposition In which part Adam did first Sinne by that part Christ must satisfy for sinne Satisfaction for Sinne the Scripture acknowledgeth none but by death because y ◠Iudge in prohibiting Adam to transgresse threatned death In the day that thou eatest therof thou shalt die the death and the Apostle saith plainlie Christ is the mediator of the new testament that THROVGH DEATH which was for the REDEMPTION of the transgressions in the former Testament they which were called might receiue the promise of eternall inheritance If nothing might satisfie for sinne but death then consequently the Soule of Christ which could not die could not paie the satisfaction for our Sinnes howsoeuer Adam did and we still doe sinne most properlie with our Soules This is but a straw in your waie for you stiflie but absurdly if not impiously defend that Christ died the death of the Soule yet because the Scriptures and Fathers with one consent auouch the contrarie yea S. Austen is so peremptorie therein that he asketh QVIS AVDEAT DICERE VVHO DARE AFFIRME IT you shall giue mee leaue to tell you that the Apostle denieth your Maior till you can make it good not by your own vnlearned frensie but by good testimonie of Scripture that Christ did die the death of the Soule Now by your assumption that Adam most properlie committed sinne in his soule If you mean that Adams soule was the agent his body the Instrument which the soule vsed as in all sins so in this that indéed is most true but directly repugnant to your conclusion Put that for your Minor that Adams soule transgressed the commaundement with hir bodie and by hir bodie the conclusion then followeth in spite of your hart ergo in satisfying for sinne the Soule of Christ must be punished with hir bodie by hir bodie which is the thing you labour to ouerthrowe with all the wits you haue Meane you otherwise that Adam brake the Commaundement of God not by his bodie properlie but by his soule Then is your assumption a manifest contradiction to the fact of Adam For with his eares he heard the perswasion of the woman with his eies he liked the forbidden fruit with his hand he tooke it with his mouth he did eat it which was the fact that God preciselie did prohibit God did not saie to Adam thou shalt not like it or desire it which the soule of Adam did but THOV SHALT NOT EATE THEREOF which could not bee performed but by the hand and mouth of Adam and therefore Adam transgressed the commandement not by his soule but by his bodie euen as in murder theft adulterie these facts men commit by their bodies and not by their soules But in that and all other sinnes brought to effect the soule you will saie is the principall agent the bodie is but the Instrument I grant it willinglie and thence I conclude ergo in the satisfaction for sinne the soule must be the principall patient
hee shall saie no such thing as this is to bee repelled from the honour of that blessed glorie Neither of these two could be in the person of our Sauiour much lesse the paine of hell fier no nor so much as the feare or doubt that anie of these should or could light vppon him which amazeth and driueth the wicked to desperation in this life and often afrighteth the godlie when they behold and consider the horror of their owne sinnes and the dreadfull power of the Iudge But this feare could not possesse the soule of our Sauiour being alwaies most assured of Gods fauour and certainelie knowing not onlie the counsell and decree of his father that annointed and sent him to saue his people from their sinnes but chieflie the coniunction of his humane nature with his diuine in the vnitie of his person which neither sinne nor death nor diuell nor hell could infringe or frustrate And touching the feare of hell torments which this discourser would faine hide vnder the name of Gods wrath heare Christian Reader what an ancient father or two saie Cyrill examining the cause of Christs teares and praiers in the garden and of his words my soule is sorrowfull vnto death repelleth the feare of hell to be the cause therof with some indignation Sed infernum timâ—it inquiunt mirum est quod haec audeant dicere But he feared hell they saie It is a marueilous thing that they dare so saie And when others affirmed congruit ipsi mortem formidare periculum suspicari flere in teÌ„tationibus et opus habere alterius manu vt seruetur ad haec discere obedientiam ex iis quae teÌ„taÌ„do passus est It was fit for Christ to feare death to suspect danger to weepe in temptations to haue neede of another to saue him and to learne obedience by those temptations which he suffered Cyrill replieth hoc est absurdè loqui sentire this is an ABSVRD BOTH SPEECH AND THOVGHT His owne opinion is this Igitur nos eramus in illo tanquam in secundo generis principio cum clamore valido non sine lachrymâ—s adorantes aboleri mortis imperium roborarique vitam olim naturae donatam precantes Therefore wee were in Christ as in the second roote of our nature worshipping with strong cries teares praying the imperie of death might bee abolished and the life which was giuen to man at the first strengthned Athanasius in like manner Quî quaeso non absurdum impiumque hunc dicere mortem aut infernum exhorâ—uisse ad cuius conspectum Ianitores inferorum metu se contraxerunt How I praie you can it be but ABSVRD and IMPIOVS to saie that Christ feared death or hell at the sight of whom the keepers of hell for feare shruncke awaie Hilarie hauing cited Christs praier in the garden and his complaint on the Crosse and his commending his soule into his fathers handes as proofes brought by others of Christs feare at the tyme of his passion saith hoc legens non intelligens aut piè tacuisses aut etiam religio se intelligentiam eius orasses non magis per impudentem assertionem stulto furore veritatis incapax vagaueris Anne tibi metuere infernum chaos torrentes flammas omnem paenarum vltricium abyssum credendus est dicens latroni in cruce Amen dico tibi hodie mecum eris in Paradiso Reading this and not vnderstanding it thou shouldest either with pietie hould thy peace or religiouslie praie for the right vnderstanding thereof and not with an impudent assertion wander in a foolish madnesse as vncapable of the trueth Wilt thou beleeue Christ feared hell gulfe and those burning flames and depth of penall vengeance when as hee told the thiefe on the Crosse verelie I saie to thee this daie shalt thou bee with mee in Paradice What would these fathers haue saied to these that defend Christ suffered the verie same torments of hell which the damned doe when they are soe earnest against such as imagined Christ might haue some feare of hell In that which is past I haue giuen thee a view Christian an Reader how scornfully this Confuter reiecteth the iudgments of the auncient fathers by mee alleaged touâ—â—ing the causes of Christs agonie in the garden and his complainte on the Crosse as likewise how forgetfullie hee changeth or purposelie maimeth my reasons that hee maie the better auoyde them and thirdlie how vncertayne his propositions and how lame his conclusions are that hee maketh for his owne side yea often such as ouerthrowe his owne assertion Thou shalt heare now some of his speciall reasons as hee calleth them but as the trueth is some of his speciall absurdities and impieties wherein I will be no longer then of force I must bee I take little pleasure in raking such an vncleane sinke The first is Christ suffered the paines and sorrowes for sinne which we should This proposition Sir confuter if you take it indefinitlie as it lieth prooueth nothing for you you maie do well to goe to the Uniuersitie againe whence you came afore you were wise and there learne to put quantitie to your propositions that wee maie know when you speake of any thing whether you meane ALL or SOME for if you meane here that Christ suffered ALL that wee should this proposition is an horrible blasphemie then Christ suffered the LOSSE of Gods GRACE SPIRITE FAVOVR LIFE and KINGDOME for so should wee then hee was plunged into finall desperation irreuocable malediction and eternall condemnation for so should wee You are farre from that frensie you will saie I hope so too neither doe I charge you with it but if your proposition bee generall you cannot auoide it and therefore after your loose and trifling manner you sette downe a doubtfull assertion that maie serue for all or for part of y â— which wee should haue suffered If you meane but part then your proposition prooueth no such thing as you intend For you would faine from hence inferre that Christ suffered the paines of hell which were due to vs if hee suffered but part of that which wee should a wise Christian will suppose anie part rather then the paines of hell howbeit the Apostle teacheth mee to saie that Christ died for our Sinnes according to the Scriptures and that death was the death of the Crosse He humbled himself became obedient vnto death euen to the death of the crosse That is no sufficieÌ„t answere you wil saie because on the Crosse He sustained our sorrowes as Esaie said he should The wordes of Esaie are not as you would faine haue them he bare ALL our sorrowes for then he must haue sorrowed for the losse of gods grace fauour kingdome as I said before but the prophet saith he bare our sorrowes which maie receiue a double construction and either of them verie religious and christian The first whatsoeuer hee felt or
CVRSE is powred vpon vs written in the law of Moses because of our sinnes Ierusalem and thy people are a REPROCH to all about vs. If the scriptures were not cleare that shame and reproch is a chiefe part of Gods curse against sinne howe manie wise men and good men choose death before shame What generous nature doth not more decline slandering then wounding In common reason to which you appeale howe can it bee lesse wrong or griefe to whippe the soule with reproches then the bodie with scourges Uerily our Sauiour who best knoweth the waight of both giueth like reward to both Blessed are you when men reuile you and speake all maner of euill against you for my sake falselie reioice and be glad for great is your reward in heauen As you shuffle with the shame which our Sauiour suffered on the Crosse so you doe with his death affirming that Death may in no sort heere be called a curse because death to the godlie is no curse properlie nor punishment of sinne but a benefite and aduantage You are too yoong a Doctor to controll Saint Austen whose wordes I haue alledged in the Treatise at large His resolution is that when Paule saieth Christ was made a curse for vs he meant Christ died for vs. Idem est mortuus quod maledictus quoniam mors ipsa ex maledicto est It is all one to saie Christ died for vs and hee was accursed for vs because death came from the curse This you denie for that the godlie after death goe to heauen which is rather a benefite then a curse to them Good Sir it is no benefite of death it selfe but Christes blessing after death that departing this life wee goe to heauen Did you incourage men to die since of force for sinne dwelling in their bodies they must die it were well said that death is rest from their labours and an entrance into blisse for so Christ hath prouided for his when they goe hence but if you will reason what death is in it selfe you must resolue it to be a part of Gods curse inflicted on Adam for sinne and from him naturallie deriued to all his posterity from which though our soules be exempted and our bodies shall be restored yet it remaineth to this day a part of Adams punishment which can not bee auoided though it must not bee feared because Christ hath ouerthrowne the force and feare therof with his death By one man saith Paul meaning Adam sinne entred into the world and by sin death I hope it entered not as a blessing God doâ—h not vse to blesse sinne but it entered as a part of the wages of sinne or curse for sinne and so it doth and shall continue to the ende The last enemie that shall be destroied saith Paul is death when this mortall hath put on immortalitie then is death swallowed vp in victorie till then the sting of death is sinne If the death of the bodie be an enemie and must be destroied by Christs second comming then is it no blessing for those shall increase when hee appeareth in glorie If Christ be in you saith Paul the spirit is life for righteousnes sake the bodie is deade because of sinne If sinne bee the cause of death yet seazing on our bodies it can bee no blessing that riseth from so badde a cause neither could the resurrection of our bodies which Christ hath promised and we expect at the last day bee so great a ioy as it is if the corruption of our bodies in the meane time were a blessing Gods blessings be not contrarie one to the other S. Austen learnedlie resolueth this question in this sort Boni benè moriuntur quamuis mors sit malum The godlie die well though death be euill Mors hominis ex poena peccati est quia ex peccato factum est vt moriatur The death of mans body commeth from the punishment of sinne because sinne brought it to passe that man dieth This conclusion in exact wordes Prosper collecteth out of saint Austen Mors etiam pâ—orum poena peccati est The corporall death euen of the godlie is the punishment of sinne This collection to bee true S. Austen himselfe confirmeth Si vero quom mouet cur velipsam patiantur si ipsa poenapeccati est quorum per gratiam reatus aboletur tam ista quaestio in alio nostro opere quod inscripsimus de Baptismo paruulorum tractata ac soluta est If it moue any man why they whose sinne is abolished by grace doe yet suffer the death of the bodie if that death bee a punishment of sinne that Question I haue handled and resolued in another worke of mine intituled of the baptisme of infants The effect of his resolution here is this Per ineffabilem dei misericordiam ipsa poena vitiorum transit in arma virtâ—tis sit merituÌ„ iusti etiam suppliciuÌ„ peccatoris NON QVIA MORS BONVM ALIQVOD FACTA EST QVAE ANTEA MALVM FVIT sed tantam deus fidei praestitit gratiam vt mors instrumentum fieret per quod transiretur in vitam By the vnspeakeable mercie of God the verie wages of vice becommeth an instrument of vertue and the punishment of a sinner is made the merite of the righteous not that death VVHICH BEFORE VVAS EVILL IS NOVV BECOME ANIE GOOD THING but God hath shewed so great fauour to our faith that death is the waie or meane by which wee shall passe to life And so concludeth that Pie fideliterque tolerando auget meritum patientiae non aufert vocabulum poenae By induring the death of the bodie religiouslie and faithfullie the merite of patience is increased but the name of the punishment is not altered And if death were nowe no part of the punishment of our sinnes but a gaine to the godlie as you woulde haue it by what meanes I praie you came it so to bee Not by the resurrection of Christ conquering death and changing the nature of it Then till Christ was risen death was a punishment to the faithfull themselues and consequentlie when Christ died for our sinnes hee tooke vpon him a part of our curse which after he turned as you saie into a blessing Primus parens propter transgressionem mortis poenam intulit verum superceniens Christus haec omnia abstulit Neque enim mors vltra mors est sed nomen tantum habet mortis Our first parent by his transgression brought in the punishment of death But Christ comming after tooke all away For death is no longer death but hath onelie the name of death Ipsam mortem quamuis esset poena peccati pro nobis tamen sine peccato Christus per soluit Death it selfe saieth Austen though it were the punishment of sinne yet Christ that was without sinne vndertooke it for our sakes And so for anie thing you haue yet said or shall euer be able to say
an other time and place and his wordes import a deliberation of two partes proposed by our Sauiour with his resolution in the ende what shall I saie Father deliuer me from this hower that is shall I saie deliuer me from this hower but therefore came I into this hower Father glorifie thy name Chrysostom thus expoundeth Christes wordes NON DICO libera me ex hac hora sed pater glorifica nomen tuum I SAIE NOT deliuer me from this hower but father glorifie thy name And so doth Epiphanius Quid dicam pater serua me ex hac hora hoc inquit dicam at propterea veni in hanc horam What shall I saie Father saue mee from this hower shall I saie so but therefore came I into this hower But what better expositor canne wee haue then Saint Paul who plainely saith that Christ in making this praier was heard deliuered from that he feared Hee praied not against the knowne will of God whose praiers God heard and performed And where you flie to this hellish confusion to saue Christ from sinne by pretending to cléere him from sinne you charge him rather with sinne For the praier which is not made in faith is sinne Nowe can the heart be assured it shall receaue that it asketh at Gods hands if it bee neither directed to aske according to the will of God nor prepared to aske with that deuotion which is fit for God So that when you make Christ to triple his praiers with vehement teares and cries still repugnant to the will of God you chalenge the sonne of God with open sinne from which you would seeme to excuse him And as for your double relapse into the same astonishment still when Christ was twice cléere from it it is a foolish deuice of your idle braines as if the Lorde no sooner returned to his praiers but your hellish confusion did waite at his heeles to interrupt and ouerwhelm him and within sixe wordes againe to leaue him If your cause be holie iest not thus prophanelie with the sonne of God nor bereaue him of his wits when you thinke good If it were a necessarie effect of Gods wrath then after it lighted on our Sauiour in the garden it must continue till man was redéemed and Gods wrath appeased which was not done but by the death of Christ. And therefore make your choise either let the wrath of God cease in the garden when Christ ended his praiers or if that still continued to â—he death let also this astonishment still continue or at least bee no necessarie effect of Gods wrath One of these you must take take which you wil the rest will serue to subuert your tower of Babell I doe you wrong you will saie to call your opinion the tower of Confusion you do your selfe wrong Sir Refuter in the chiefest point of Christian religion to leaue the faith confessed by the whole Church of Christ for these 1500. yeares and to walke in such ambiguities and absurdities as your selfe doe not vnderstande For I praie you Sir this wonderfull confusion and astonishment in all powers of the soule and senses of the bodie is it a necessarie consequent to the wrath of GOD or no If it bee for you saie Christ coulde not but sinke and bee confounded vnder that burden howe commeth it to passe that the reprobate and desperate feeling the sense of GODS wrath vpon them doe not loose their wits and senses as Christ by your assertion did will you affirme they are astonished and all confounded as Christ was then if you excuse Christ from sinne in disâ—iking and declining his Fathers knowne will because hee was astonished you must likewise excuse all the wicked and Reprobate from their sinnes after they once feele the sense of Gods wrath because they cannot but bee astonished and confounded vnder that burden Againe coulde Christ not sinne whiles hee felte the wrath of God vppon him because he was astonished Ergo neither coulde hee merite all that while and so neither his obedience patience humilitie nor charitie coulde haue anie place or vse so long as the sense of GODS wrath dured Haue you not deuised vs a goodlie sense of Gods wrath that shall exclude Christ Iesus from the exercise of all his graces vertues and merites This palpable absurditie you thinke to skippe Sir Refuter but your wit is too weake or your cause not good it will not bee If a man in distresse fall a sleepe saie you or be astonished with some violent blowe on the heade in such an one there is no decaie of faith nor of obedience nor of patience nor of loue euen so in Christ there was no defect of grace but an infirmitie of nature Was Christ a sléepe or in a swoune astonished you thinke he was Was hee so astonished that his senses were taken from him did hee not walke did he not speake did hee not pray whie then compare you this to a sléep or a swoune wheras in Christ was neither and though you plainelie faile in your comparison yet were it so as you would haue it for your life you cannot auoide my conclusion For a man in a sleepe or a swoune though he loose not the habite of faith and patience obedience and loue yet hath hee no vse of them for that time much lesse doth hee serue God with them But Christ Iesus by all his sufferinges must merite which a man a sleepe or amazed cannot doe And therefore remember Sir Refuter this reason amongst the rest is yet vnanswerd and I thinke wil somwhat trouble your braines before it bee answered All that Christ suffered for our Redemption was and must bee meritorious with God But the suffering of hell paynes which astonish and confounde all the powers of the soule and senses of the bodie neither was nor coulde bee meritorious with God Christ therefore did not suffer such hellish paynes as did confounde and astonish all the powers of his soule and senses of his bodie And thus by your amazed position you haue wholie confounded your owne opinion Thou hast heard good Reader a number of the Refuters speciall follies I haue some fewe more to trouble thee with and so I will leaue him to his holie cause and thee to the mercies of God To shewe himselfe learned as well in the Gréeke tongue as in philosophie hee vndertaketh an other reason that I made and sporteth himselfe somewhat handsomlie with it Out of the fift to the Hebrewes where the Apostle saieth Christ in the daies of his flesh did offer vp prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death and was heard in that he feared or deliuered from his feare I collected two things First that Christ in his praiers made in y e garden for to those the Apostle pointeth did but feare and not as then suffer that he feared The nexte he was deliuered from his feare and consequentlie neuer
came to suffer that from which hee was deliuered This Confuter replieth as hee thinketh verie soundlie and verie sufficientlie Thou shalt heare the whole My reason hee maketh to bee this That wherein Christ was hearde and deliuered from by praier he feared but felt not But Christ was heard and deliuered by prayer from the wrath which he feared therefore he felt it not His answere is Nay euen therefore he felt it Wee deny therefore the first proposition For hee was in some sense of it when hee praied against it and was heard He had then some foretast but the extremity came after which hee before feared And finallie hee being in all this was heard as the verie word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seemeth to import and delyuered from it that is at least not before hee had felt it Againe very the fearing of Gods wrath is a true feeling I saie not a ful feeling but a true feeling but it is granted that now in this Agonie hee feared the wrath of God Therefore hee truelie felt it Therefore the Question is granted You wrote this in the morning Sir Refuter when you were fresh and fasting it is so short and sharpe but be like it was darke or your eies were dull you could not sée neither what I said nor what your selfe saie The force of my reason consisted in this that where feare goeth before suffering and is no longer called feare when suffering commeth if Christ at the time of his praiers in the garden were deliuered from his feare much more from anie suffering of that hee feared And since by your owne positions you affirme hee feared in his agonie the paines of hell I concluded hee suffered them not Let vs now sée howe you impugne this reason You first change suffering into séeling and because the soule in all hir affections hath a kind of feeling you inferre naie therefore Christ felt it Your manner is too shrowde your selfe with generall and ambiguous words that maie signifie anie thing and then you shew your learning in speaking you knowe not what But vse the word suffering which I did or take feeling for suffering in which sence it maie stand and then sée how absurdlie and falslie you take my reason at this rebound For then you must saie Fearing is a kind of feeling Christ feared the paines of hell ergo Christ suffered them and so by your logicke whosoeuer feareth captiuitie or death is a captiue and dead and hee that feareth to loose his purse hath lost it yea hee that feareth to offend God doth offend him and hee that feareth to bee an hereticke is an hereticke I thought though your diuinitie had not yet your Philosophie coulde haue serued you to vnderstand that metus est mali impendentis aegritudo praesentis feare is of an euill approching griefe or paine of an euill present If you scorne philosophers whom for the proprietie of words you preferre before all the diuines in the world as anon shall appear◠Lactantius telleth you that of Desire ioy feare and sorrow the two first desire and ioy are for good things approching or present the two last feare and sorrow for euill likewise approching or present S. Ambrose will teach you that ante dolorem est timor post dolorem tristitia feare is before griefe or paine after paine followeth heauines And likewise Gregorie In his vitae tormentis timor dolorem habet dolor timorem non habet quia nequa quam mentem metus cruciat cum pati iam caeperit quod metuebat In the torments in this life feare hath some griefe but griefe hath no feare because feare doth not afflict the mind when a man once suffereth that which he feared This were enough to make my argument good but it hath yet more strengh from the Apostles words Christ praying in the garden was heard from his feare that is was deliuered from his feare Now is a man deliuered from his feare by suffering that he feared So wee iest with men when we will giue them their deserts and let them stand no longer in suspence but God so iested not with his sonne as to rid him from his feare by present punishment God therefore heard Christs prayer and deliuered him from his feare when as yet he did not suffer it and being deliuered from it in the garden how came he to suffer it more extremely on the Crosse For you saie Christ was in some sense of it when hee praied against it he had then some fortaste of it but the extremitie came after which he before feared Syr confuter if you can iest gybe thus with the Apostles words I must leaue you as lacking both conscience commō sense so will all y t be godly Christ praying in the garden was deliuered from his feare saith Paul that is say you after he had suffered on the Crosse the extremitie of that which he before feared So thē for Christ to be deliuered from that he feared was by your construction to suffer the extremitie of that he feared Will you that God send you such deliuerance in the time of néed that so prophanely play with the deliuerance of his sonne Hée was deliuered you will say from the continuance of it No good Syr Christ neuer feared the paines of hell should continue on him after death it is horrible blasphemy so to think vnto death you say they continued How was he then deliuered from his feare or haue you so soone forgotten your owne words if you regard not myne It is absurd to saie he praied in feare against that which he perfectly knew should neuer come vnto him namely that the Dominion of Death should hold him If the dominion of death should not hold his bodie much lesse should hell hold his soule But the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you saie séemeth to import a deliuerance after Christ was in that he feared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee was heard being in it As is your diuinitie Syr confuter so is your Greeke For if Christ were heard then God did heare him so if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioyned to the passiue of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie that Christ was heard being in the paines of hell then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ioyned to the Actiue and referred to God must likewise import that God being in y e same paines did heare him Haue you not brought vs a learned obseruation out of your Greeke store that God which heard and Christ that was heard were both in the paines of hell But indéed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to hearken vnto as wee do when we bend our eare to anothers spéech and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is harkned vnto or heard The word is fiue times vsed in the new testament but in the Septuagint nothing more frequent to signifie that we harken to Gods voice when we obey him and God harkneth to our voice when hee graunteth our praiers
Feare not saith the Angell to Zacharie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy praier is heard thy wise Elizabeth shall bring thee a sonne Soe the Angell to Cornelius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy praier is hearde with strange toonges will I speake to this people saith the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and neither so will they harken vnto mee The wise man in like manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee that harkeneth vnto the Lord giueth rest to his mother And the Septuagint Whē thou praiest saith Eliphas in the booke of Iob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God will heare thee Earlie saith Dauid to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shalt thou heare my voice So in Esaie the eare of the Lord is not shutte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to heare Infinite examples might bee brought to the same end but these are sufficient to conuince your ignorant mistaking of the Gréeke tongue yet the Question you saie is granted For fearing is a true feeling and if Christ feared the wrath of God ergo he felt it You recken a pace when you recken alone but when you come for allowance you will lacke a faire deale of your reckning If fearing wore suffering which is most absurd if there were no kind of feare but your amazed and all confounded feare as there be more other kinds of feares if there were noe more parts of the wrath of God but hell paines as there be sundrie more if no man might feare but for himselfe as in charitie wee may and in duty we ought to feare for others and Christ in loue might and did for vs then had you some hope that he which granteth the one would admit the other but if this be all you can saie that feare is a kind of feeling I am as farre from granting the Question as I was in the first beginning For though you dallie with doubtfull words and thinke it enough to catch here and there at a likelihood my course is not so Indéede out of these words I reasoned vppon your owne principles and supposing it for the time to be true which on this place some auouch that Christ feared the paines of hell I concluded if Christ were deliuered from fearing he was certainlie deliuered from suffering the paines of hell And before you answere the argument you triumph as if the Question were granted But Syr remember it is the suffering of hell paines that we talke of and not of a Metaphoricall kinde of féeling which you substitute in stéed thereof Againe all the effects of Gods wrath Christ did not feele nor feare as namelie neither reprobation nor desperation nor eternall damnation which is the chiefest and sharpest effect of Gods iust wrath against sinne Some partes thereof if hee did feare and so in affection feele howe doth it followe hee felt or feared hell paines Thirdlie hee did sustaine as well our person as our cause hee had not onelie compassion on vs but coniunction with vs and in that respect as our head hee might worthilie feare the euerlasting destruction of his bodie if he did not interpose himselfe and auert Gods wrath from them by healing them with his owne stripes and bearing their sinnes in his owne bodie Fourthlie he might feare the power of Gods wrath able to punish euen the bodie of Christ with farre more smart then his humane flesh was able to endure Lastlie hee might carefullie shunne and decline both our sinne and the wages of our sinne which is eternall death with a religious feare as content to redeeme vs but not to destroie both himselfe and vs. And this commeth néerest the signification of the Gréek worde there vsed which is no confused or amazed feare such as you woulde cunninglie conuey vnder the name of a perplexed feare but a carefull and diligent regarde to beware and decline that which wee mislike or doubt And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not onelie one that feareth God by taking good care not to displease him but a circumspect and warie man in other thinges and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is circumspection and warinesse in priuate or publique affaires as well as Religion to GOD. Nowe because the bolder men are the sooner they aduenture on anie thing and the more fearefull the more héede they take what they do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by consequent signifieth an inclination rather to feare then presumption but it is lesse then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the vsuall worde in Greeke for feare as maie plainelie be prooued by Plutarch in his Treatise of Morall vertue where noting howe men couer vitious affections vnder the names of vertues he saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They call blushing reuerence mirth gladnesse and feare warinesse Euripides in the person of Eteocles king of Thebes saieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Circumspect care is the most profitable Goddesse And where you quote the 23. of the Acts for proofe of your conseit the place is rather against you then with you For when the Councell dissented about Paule and some tumult began to arise the Tribune doubting least some hurt might happen vnto Paule then his prisoner preuented it and sent his souldiers to take him a waie from the midst of the throng This feare of the tribune was for another man not for himselfe neither was a perplexed or amazed feare but a doubt forecasting the worst and preuenting it So is it written of Noah that being admonished by God of the floud which should come vpon the world by saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fearing declining and preuenting what God had threatned to others he made ready the Arke for the sauing of his housholde This could be no distrust full feare what should befall him and his house for his faith is commended by the Apostle in preparing the Arke for the safetie of himself and his children but he shunned that which he saw would light on others and that the scripture there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rest that maie concerne Christs praier in the garden or might occasion that agonie which there hee shewed thou hast gentle Reader in the treatise before which I will not here resume least I wearie thee with ouer much tediousnesse For a farewell to his speciall reasons the Confuter hath reserued matters of most speciall moment to the last and because they are weightie and neede good proofe hee hath searched the bottome of his studie and sheweth vs here the depth as well of his reading as vnderstanding Out of the Epistle to the Hebrues he citeth these wordes Christ through death abolished him that had the power of death that is the Diuell From hence hee reasoneth thus Surelie the worde DEATH hath the same meaning in both places verie fonde it were to take it here otherwise Nowe it is questionlesse in this latter place death signifieth the death of the soule the tormentes and sorrowes of the damned which are separated
from the life of God of which death the Diuell is sayde to haue the power and execution Therefore in the former place death signifieth so to euen the death of the soule that is the torments and sorrowes due to the damned and consequently Christ suffered the death of the soule And because this reason will seeme altogether vnreasonable and harsh in the eares of some to saie the least of it let them soberlie consider it and it is most true and euident Or if this will not perswade men to beleeue that Christ died the death of the soule men liuing being surprised with grieuous sorrowes and paines will saie as Terence witnesseth occidi perij interij they die they perish So likewise the death of the soule sometimes maie bee vnderstoode and that most sitlie for the paines and sufferinges of Gods wrath which alwayes accompanie them that are separated from the grace and loue of God And if Terence bee not authoritie sufficient Saint Peter against whome lieth no exception saith that Christ in his suffering for vs was done to death in the flesh but made aliue by the spirite And in the Scripture whensoeuer the fleshe and the spirite are opposed togither the flesh is alwayes Christes whole humanitie I saie not his bodie onelie but his soule also From hence nowe it followeth that Christes soule also died and was crucified according to the death and crucifying which soules are subiect vnto and capable of I haue Christian Reader neither peruerted the reasons nor pared the authorities on which this Confuter groundeth his conclusion that Christ died the death of the soule and that Christs soule was also crucified as well as his bodie I haue onelie sette them togither that thou maiest with one view behold both the deepnes and soundnesse of this vpstart writer and in thy secrete and vpright iudgement is it not patience enough to heare and endure a two legged creature to talke in this sort without all learning religion or discretion controlling all the fathers as fooles for thinking otherwise then hee doth commaunding the Scriptures pretor-like to serue his ignorant and lewd assertions and estéeming none to be sober or considerate except they confesse his shamefull absurdities to bee most true and euident But I haue not learned nor vsed to giue reuiling spéeches the Lorde reprooue his follie Though it bee not worth the answering yet for their sakes that bee simple I will not refuse to speake to it and to let them see what difference there is betwixt truth and errour Your maine reason Sir Refuter is this in these wordes of the Apostle Christ through death abolished the diuell that had power of death This worde DEATH say you hath the same meaning in both places the proofe you make for it is this verie fond it were to take it here otherwise Your assumption is but death in the latter place questionlesse signifieth the death of the soule Therefore Christ died the death of the soule It were as easie for mee to saie it is not so as for you to saie it is so but that course which you holde is but prating of euerie thing it is no proouing of anie thing Howe manie kinds of death there are wee shall better learne by the graue father Saint Austen then by the young louers in Terence Dicitur mors prima dicitur secunda Primae mortis duae sunt partes vna qua peccatrix anima per culpam discessit a creatore suo altera qua indicante Deo exclusa est per poenam à corpore suo Mors autem secunda ipsa est corporis animae punitio sempiterna There is a first death and a second Death Of the first death there be two parts one when the sinfull soule by offending departed from her Creator the other whereby the soule for her punishment was excluded from her bodie by Gods iustice The second death is the euerlasting torment of bodie and soule The same partes and kindes of death are often repeated by him in his 13. booke de ciuitate Dei as namelie Mors animae fit cum eam deserit Deus sicut corporis cum id deserit anima Ergo vtriusque rei id est totius hominis mors est cum anima à Deo deserta deserit corpus Ita enim nec ipsa vixit ex deo nec corpus ex ipsa Huiusmodi autem totius hominis mortem illa sequitur quam secundam mortem diuinorum eloquiorum appellat authoritas Nam illa poena vltima sempiterna recte mors animae dicitur The death of the soule is when God forsaketh her as the death of the bodie is when the soule forsaketh the bodie So y e death of both that is of the whole man is when the soule forsaken of God forsaketh her bodie For so neither she liueth by God nor the bodie by her This death of the whole man that other death followeth which the diuine scriptures call the second death for that last and euerlasting punishment is rightlie called the death of the soule Here are thrée kinds of death sinne which separateth vs from God bodilie death which separateth the soule from the body and eternall damnation which tormenteth body and soule for euer In the Apostles words to the Hebrues that Christ through death abolished y e diuell that had power of death you wil by no meanes haue the death of the bodie intended that is a benefite and gaine to the godlie Then of sinne and eternall damnation the diuell must be said to haue power and indeede so he hath For hee is the perswader and leader to sinne and the executioner and tormentor in damnation And so by your diuinitie Christ must sinne and be euerlastinglie condemned to hell fire before he can abolish the Diuell that hath power of both these For he must abolish him by the same kind of death whereof hee hath power Looke Sir Refuter what an wholsome exposition of the Apostles words you haue made vs which the diuell himselfe durst not aduenture it is so blasphemous God forbid you will say this should be anie part of your meaning But if such bee your ignorant rashnesse that you will so expound scriptures as these consequents shall necessarie followe you must leaue writing and fall to learning an other while till you be able to foresée what may iustly be inferred vpon your positions Deaths of the soule there are none mentioned in anie Scripture or father but sinne and eternall damnation Leaue the patheticall hyperbolicall metaphoricall phrases of Terence to boies in the Grammer schoole speake at least like a diuine though you bee none If your cause bee so holie a truth as you talke of it hath both foundation and approbation in the Scriptures You shall not neede to runne to heathen Poets to prooue that the Sauiour of the worlde died the death of the soule What the death of the soule is what consequentes it hath and what maine
and moste sufficient reasons there are why Christ neither did nor might die the death of the soule thou hast good Reader before in the Treatise it selfe if this fumbler either will skippe them or can not answere them I must not repeate them as often as hee will neglect them Yet to ease thee of going backe I will here giue thee the effect thereof The life and death of the soule is in manie hundred places learnedlie and trulie vouched and prooued by Saint Austen Mori carni tuae est amittere vitam suam mori animae tuae est amittere vitam suam Vita carnis tuae anima tua vitae animae tuae Deus tuus Quomodo moritur caro amissa anima quae vita eius est sic moritur anima amisso Deo qui vita est eius For thy bodie to die is to loose his life and for thy soule to die is to loose her life The life of thy bodie is thy soule The life of thy soule is thy God As the bodie dieth when the soule is departed which is his life so the soule dieth when God is departed which is her life And againe Quomodo ergo mortua est anima de qua viuit corpus Audi ergo disce corpus hominis creatura Dei est anima hominis creatura dei est De anima deus viuificat carnem ipsam autem animam viuificat de seipso non de seipsa Vita ergo corporis anima est vita animae Deus est moritur corpus cum recedit anima moritur ergo anima si recedit Deus Carnem iacentem sine anima vides animam miseram sine Deo videre non potes Crede ergo adhibe oculos fidei How dieth the soule then by which the bodie liueth Hearken and learne The bodie of man is the creature of God so is the soule By the soule God giueth life to the flesh but the soule her selfe God quickeneth by himselfe and not by herselfe The life of the bodie then is the soule the life of the soule is God The bodie dieth when the soule departeth ergo the soule dieth if God depart from her Thou seest the flesh lying dead without a soule and canst thou not see the soule wretched without God Beleeue then and open the eies of faith And speaking of the particular consequents to the life and death of the soule the same father saith Quomodo cum anima est in corpore praestat illi vigorem decorem mobilitatem Sic cum vita eius Deus est in ipsa praestat illi sapientiam pietatem iustitiam charitatem veniente itaque verbo audientibus infuso resurgit anima à morte sua ad vitam suam hoc est ab iniquitate ab insipientia ab impietate ad Deum suum qui est illi sapientia iustitia charitas As when the soule is in the bodie shee giueth vigour comelinesse and motion to the bodie so when God her life is in the soule he giueth her wisedome pietie righteousnesse and charitie The worde of God then sounding and infused to the hearers the soule riseth from her death to her life that is from iniquitie follie and impietie to her God who is to her wisedome righteousnesse and charitie If this were not plaine inough the Scriptures themselues are so euident that no man can mistake the life of the soule except hee will purposelie blinde himselfe least hee shoulde come to the knowledge of the truth For the sonne of God is life and comming down from heauen gaue life to the world quickning whom hee would with the waters of life that is by the spirite of life yea whosoeuer beleeueth and abideth in him hath life and beareth fruite in him For the iust shall liue by faith and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and God in him for God is loue So that not onely Christ is our life and he that hath the sonne hath life but with him and in him alwaies was and alwaies will bee the fountaine of life which neuer did nor can drie vp how then could Christ die the death of the soule whose soule was personallie vnited vnto the worde that was life in it selfe And if the grace and spirite of God in vs make vs liue by God and in God if faith and loue knitte men to the life of God howe coulde the soule of Christ alwaies full of grace and truth alwaies full of faith and loue and of the holie Ghost bee deade But this Refuter meaneth another death of the soule What his meaning is is not materiall but whether hee meane truth or no. If he wil frame vs a monster in christian religion what haue I to do with that but to detest it There is another death after this life mentioned both in scriptures and fathers which is the second death But I hope this Confuter will eate and sléepe vpon the cause before hee wrappe our Sauiour within euerlasting damnation That is a death in déed from which God blesse and saue vs all They must néedes bee good Christians that labour to bring Christes soule within the compasse of the second death Haec mortalitas est vmbra mortis vera mors est damnatio cum Diabolo Our death is here but a shadow of death the true death indeede is damnation with the diuell saith Austen And againe Quid est istamors Est relictio corporis depositio sarcinae grauis mors secunda mors aeterna mors gehennarum mors damnationis cum Diabolo ipsa est vera mors What is this death It is the leauing of the bodie and the laying downe of an heauier burthen for the second death the death that is eternall the death of hell the death of condemnation with the Diuell that is the true death Which of these two deathes of the soules you will haue the soule of Christ subiected vnto you must tell vs Sir Refuter if you will néedes haue him die the death of the soule and the choise is so good that take which you will you inâ—ur hainous and horrible blasphemie I wish you to bee better aduised then to procéede to the defence of so wilfull a frensie As for new deaths of the soule you haue no commission to inuent anie shewe what scripture or Father spake it before you or you must giue the godlie leaue to thinke you no fit founder of a newe faith S. Austen was of opinion that no Christian durst auouch that Christ died the death of the soule Nam quod Iesus anima mortificatus fuerat quis audcat dicere cum mors animae non sit nisi peccatum a quo ille omnino immunis fuit That Christ was dead in soule VVHO DARES AFFIRME IT whereas the death of the soule in this life is nothing but sinne from which hee was altogether free you not onelie auouch it but you thinke no man sober that will not consent to it
But you did well to prophesie of this conceite of yours that it woulde seeme harsh and altogether vnreasonable in the eares of some to◠saie the least of it In the eares of all that bee wise and learned it will sound worse for it is a flat repugnancie not only to all the Fathere but euen to the christian faith that Christ died as well in soule as in bodie and as meane a man as I am I thinke I shall bee able to make that good which I saie For if the soule of Christ were alwaies perfectlie vnited vnto life fullie possessed of life and aboundantly able to giue life tell me I praie you howe it maie stande with the trueth of the scriptures that the same soule was for anie time deade you may euen as well defende that Christ sinned as that his soule died for the death of the soule is sinne in this life and damnation in the next Certe anima Christi nulla mortificata peccato vel damnatione punita est quibus duabus causis mors animae intelligi potest Surelie the soule of Christ was deade with no sinne nor punished with any damnation which are the two waies that the death of the soule may bee possibly conceaued The death of the soule say you may be vnderstood that most fitly for the paines and sufferings of Gods wrath which alwaies as company them that are separated from the grace and loue of God This death of the soule yee affirme Christ suffered yet hee himselfe neuer separated but most intirely beloued yea most holie most innocent and most blessed You contradict Sir Refuter not onlie the scriptures and fathers but euen your selfe in one and the same sentence and reele like a man whose braines are not steadie Secundum scripturas triplicem esse mortem accepimus Vna est cum morimur peccato deo viuimus Beata mors quae a mortali nos separat immortali conseruat Alia mors est vitae excessus cum anima nexu corporis liberatur Tertia mors est de qua dictum est anima quae peccauerit ipsa morietur Ea morte non solum caro sed etiam anima moritur haec mors non est perfunctio huius vitae sed lapsus erroris By the scriptures saith Ambrose we learne there is a triple death One when we die to sinne and liue to God This is a blessed death which seuereth vs from that which is mortall and ioineth vs to that which is immortall The second is the departure out of this life when the soule is deliuered from the bandes of her bodie The thirde death is that of which it is written the soule that sinneth shall die this death dieth not onelie the flesh but the soule also for it is not the ending of this life but the running into errour The first is the life of the soule and the death of sinne which is SPIRITVALL The second is the ceasing of this life which is NATVRALL the thirde is not onelie sinne but destruction which is PENALL Which of these agreeth to Christ Ambrose himselfe will tell you Quid est Christus nisi mors corporis spiritus vitae What is Christ but the death of the bodie and the Spirit of life Then Christ died not the death of the soule for the spirit of life cannot die vnlesse you will make life it selfe to bee death Yea they which in this worlde die the death of the soule are separated from Christ for did they abide in him they shoulde abide in life he is the waie the truth and not onelie liuing but life it selfe This testimonie our Sauiour giueth of himselfe Verilie verilie I saie vnto you hee that beleeueth in mee hath eternall life If they cannot die the death of the soule which beleeue in Christ howe mush lesse can Christ himselfe die that death And heere Sir Refuter you broch so grosse and palpable an errour that women and children will deride you For if the tormentes of hell and paines of the damned do alwayes accompany them that are separated from the grace and loue of God howe manie hundred thousand thousandes of all sortes sexes and ages in all kingdomes and countries shoulde bee disturbed distracted and confounded in all the powers of their soules and senses of their bodie where are the riches of Gods bounteousnesse patience and long suffering which the Apostle so highlie commendeth as leading vnto repentance How could Abraham with anie truth saie to the rich man in hell Sonne remember thou in thy life time receauedst thy good thinges and Lazarus paines where if your position be true the paines of Lazarus coulde not bee comparable to the tormentes and paines that ALVVAIES ACCOMPANIE the wicked I assure thee christian Reader a man could not with fewer and foolisher wordes then these more crosse the whole tenor of the scriptures For the wicked here in this life abound with all wealth ease and prosperitie insomuch that manie of the godlie haue beene and still are offended with it Reade the 72. Psalme and see whether these intolerable and horrible feares sorrowes paines and tormentes of hell and the damned do alwaies accompanie them heere in this life My feete were almost gone saith Dauid when I sawe the peace of the wicked There are no bands in their death they are Iustie and strong they are not in trouble nor plagued with other men their eies stand out for fastnesse they haue more then their heart can wish Lo these are the wicked yet PROSPER THEY ALVVAIE and increase in riches This was too hard for me till I went into the sanctuarie of God then I vnderstood their ende So that God with much patience suffereth the vessels of wrath prepared vnto destruction who according to their harde and impenitent hearts heape vp wrath vpon themselues against the daie of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God whose suddaine destruction is then nearest when they shal say peace and safety And what maruell you crosse the scriptures in confounding the wrath of God to come with the wrath of God present in this life when you doe not see your owne wordes to be contrarie one to the other For if Christ died the death of the soule which is an alienation from the life of God howe was he neuer separated but alwaies intirely beloued and most blessed If hee were neuer separated from the life of God howe came he to die the death of the soule which must néeds be a separatiō for the time from God vnlesse you can match light and darkenesse death and life together and make the one to be the other and both to cleaue to God himselfe But what cannot you do that can make the paines of the damned and torments of hell the onlie true and perfectlie accepted sacrifice to God These are your words Such a sorrow indeed of a broken and contrite heart is the only true and perfectly accepted
be stirred himselfe in his special and choise arguments as thou hast heard christiaÌ„ reader now drawing to an ende purposeth like a politicke captaine so to entrench himself that no force shal fetch him out of his hold And because wordes are the weapons that can endanger him he taketh the readie waie with them to turne wind them at his wil and so maketh anie thing to be euerie thing that nothing should hurt him The scriptures affirmeâ— that Christ crucified is the wisedome and power of God to all that be called and that we are reconciled to God by the death of his sonne and our sinnes redeemed and the diuel destroied by the death of Christ Iesus as also that hee suffered for vs in the flesh yea he suffered for our sinnes being put to death in the flesh And least it should hence bee collected that Christ died not y e death of the soule but rather the death of his bodie was a sufficient price for the life of the worlde the Refuter vndertaketh this place of Saint Peter that Christ was done to death in the flesh and thence will proue that the flesh comprehendeth bodie and soule and that the soule of Christ DIED and was crucified as well as the bodie Reason or authoritie besides his owne he bringeth none but out of the hinder part of his head he giueth an obseruation which if he saie the worde must needes prooue sounde and good and this it is Whensoeuer in scripture the flesh and the spirit are opposed together the flesh is alwaies Christes whole humanitie as well his soule as his bodie From whence it followeth that Christs soule also died and was crucified How proue you this note Sir Refuter had you saide that wheresoeuer the flesh of Christ liuing is spoken of there the flesh of a man endued with a humane soule is intended you had saide well for Christ was perfect man and perfect God in one and the same person but when you will stretch all the attributes of the bodie and make them common to the soule because Christ had a soule as well as a bodie it is no true obseruation deriued from the scripture but a partiall supposition intended to further your hellish sorrowes In the 26. of Matthew when Christ telleth his disciples that the spirit is readie but the flesh weake doth hee take spirit there for the godheade as if that were readie to suffer anie thing or for the soule which was willing but that the flesh was weake In the 24. of Luke when Christ saieth a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue had his soule flesh and bones and those to be seene as his bodie had To the Romanes when Paul saith Christ our Lord was made o the seede of Dauid according to the flesh and declared to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the deade will you conclude that Christes soule was made of the seede of Dauid and came from Dauids loines as Christes flesh did The like he repeateth in the same Epistle of the Israelites came Christ according to the flesh which is God ouer all to be blessed for euer whereâ—f your obseruation faile not Christes soule must be kinne to the Iewes as well as his flesh Whie thenâ— when Peter saith Christ was put to death according to the flesh but quickned by the spirit doe you make it so cleere a case that the worde flesh there compriseth both bodie and soule and therefore by Peters confession Christ died in soule as well as in bodie so when Paul saith Christ was crucified through infirmitie yet liueth through the power of God what leadeth you to imagine that his soule was crucified as well as his bodie who did crucifie him I praie you God or the Iewes Peter saieth to the Iewes Iesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God after you had taken with wicked hands you haue CRVCIFIED and slaine So againe the holy and iust one ye denied and killed the Lord of life And likewise By the name of Iesus whom ye haue crucified whom God raised againe from the deade doth this man heere stande whole who before was a creeple If the Iewes then crucified and killed the Lorde Iesus coulde they crucifie and kill his soule Are you so simple that you remember not the wordes of our Sauiour Feare not them which kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule And you make it not an ouersight but a positiue point of your holie truth as you call it that Christes soule was crucified and died and consequentlie that the Iewes directlie against the wordes of Christ were able to kill and crucifie the soule of Christ. Will you saie that God crucified the soule of Christ for what will you not saie that say Christs soule was crucified died in what scripture shall wee reade that God crucified the soule as the Iewes did the bodie of Christ you woulde seeme to conclude it out of the scriptures which whensoeuer they speake of Christ crucified they note the shamefull and cruel death which the Iewes executed on him not anie thing that God did vnto him And out of that word euerie where in the scriptures referred to the Iewes to inferre that God also crucified his soule is as much madnesse as the former If you feare not the paines of hell because you are so well acquainted with them feare at least the shame of the worlde least they deride you to skorne as lacking that common vnderstanding which boies in the streetes and prentices in the shoppes haue But what if your selfe being be like amazed and as you saie of Christ all confounded in all the powers of your soule and senses of your bodie when you wrate in defence of your holie cause do contradict your selfe and call your owne assertion ABSVRD and MOST FALSE and that not ten or twelue leaues off but in the verie same place where you labour to iustifie this position and prouing and pronouncing it to be absurd and most false you presently conclude it as a principle of your newe faith well if it bee not so then I must confesse I was a sléepe when I thought you did so But if it fall out to be true which I saie I hope christian Reader thou wilt thinke my time anie waie better imploied then longer to reason with such a brainsicke babler The words of Peter are Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust and was put to death in the flesh but quickned by the spirit Saint Austen writing vpon this place obserueth this for a sure rule to expounde the whole In eare quippe viuificatus est in qua fuerat mortificatus Christ was quickned in that verie part wherein hee suffered death or was put to death This rule hath in it a mightie truth that maie not be resisted For if any part of
Christ died which was not againe quickned but still left dead then that parte suffered perpetuall death which is not onelie plainelie false but openlie blasphemous Then must this stande for an vndoubted grounde that whatsoeuer part of Christ was dead the same must be quickned againe to auoid the eternall death of anie part And if anie part of Christ néeded not quickning or restoring to life it neuer died for quickning is heere the restoring of life to that which was dead and not the giuing of life to that which had none before Then if Christs soule died of force it must either be quickned againe or kept vnder eternal death but to saie that Christs soule was quickned or made aliue IS ABSVRD AND MOST FALSE Ergo to saie that Christes soule died IS ABSVRD AND MOST FALSE You will aske me howe I proue the Minor or second parte of this Argument if Saint Austen did not helpe me to proue it the Confuter will Loe Sir Refuter your own words in the very same place take care I praie you that I misrepeat them not for if I hit theÌ„ right you wil proue your selfe as verie a baby as euer suckt a bottle BOTH THESE saie you ARE ABSVRD AND MOST FALSE that Christ was made alïue either in his HVMANE SOVLE OR BY THE SAME Sée and shame if there be anie grace or sense in you that going about purposelie to prooue that Christs soule died and was crucified you set this for a preface vnto it it is ABSVRD and most FALSE that Christ was made aliue in his humane soule which without any shift or colour you do saie must saie before your conclusion can be true except you wil flie to this that Christes soule died in deede but was neuer restored to life or made aliue againe which if wee come to I must proclaime you no longer foolish but blasphemous Howbeit I hope you will rather see your follie then fall to this frensie for my part I wish you better counsell and more reading and although you tell me of errors corrupt fansies and vayne imaginations shameful questioÌ„s toyish fables fond absurd without sense or reason when I doe but repeat the iudgementes of the ancient and learned Fathers yet I will beare them at your hand and from my heart doe pittie your ignorance for I hope it bee but ignorance howsoeuer you take vpon you to controle all as fond and absurde that yeelde not to your humour For the cleering of this place of Peter wherein the Confuter hath so much ouerseene himselfe I stand not vpon the aduantage of his wordes but vpon the sounde and learned exposition of Saint Austen whose antiquitie and authoritie concurring with the truth of the scriptures doth please me I trust christian reader wil content thee Christus spiritu viuificatus est cuÌ„ in passione esset câ—rne mortificatus Quid est enim quod viuificatus est spâ—ritu nisi quod eadem Caro qua sola fuerat mortificatus viuificante spiritu resurrexit Nam quod anima fuerat mortificatus Iesus hoc est eo spiritu qui hominis est quis audeat dicere cum mors animae non sit nisi peccatum a quo ille omnino immunis fuit Certe anima Christi non solum immortalis secundum naturam caeterarum sed etiam nullo mortificata peccato vel damnatione punita est quibus duabus causis mors animae intelligi pâ—test ideo non secundum ipsam dici potuit Christus viuificatus spiritu In ea re quippe viuificatus est in qua fuerat mortificatus ergo de carne dictum est Ipsa euim reuixit anima redeunte quia ipsa erat mortua anima recedente Mâ—rtificatus ergo carne dictus est quia secunduÌ„ solam carneÌ„ mortuus est viuificatus autem spiritu quia spiritu operante etiaÌ„ ipsa caro viuificata surrexit Christ was quickned by the spirit when in his Passion he was put to death in his flesh What meaneth it that he was quickned by the spirit but that the same flesh in VVHICH ONLY HE DIED rose againe by the quickning of the spirit For that Iesus DIED IN SOVLE I meane in his humane spirit VVHO DARE AFFIRME IT where as the death of the soule is nothing in this life but sinne from which he was wholie free Surelie the soule of Christ was not onlie immortal by nature as others are but neither died by sinne nor was punished by any damnation which are the two waies how the soule maie possiblie die And therefore Christ could not bee said to bee quickned in soule by the spirite for in that part was hee quickned in which hee died Therefore it was spoken by Peter of Christs flesh That reuiued when the soule returned because that died when the soule departed Christ then is sayd to bee done to death in his flesh for that hee died ONLY IN HIS FLESH and to be quickned by the spirite because that verie flesh rose againe being quickned by the working of the spirite These learned and sound conclusions of S. Austen are derectlie repugnant to your weake and false obseruations Syr Refuter Christ died in the flesh saith Peter that is saith Austen in THE FLESH ONLY for the soule of Christ died not since the death of the soule is either sinne in this life or damnation in the next both which were farre from Christ. You tell vs that Christs soule not onlie died but was also crucified and all the proofe you bring for it besides Terence is that Peter saith Christ died in the flesh Now the flesh saie you signifieth as well the soule as the bodie and so Christ died in both but such proofes if you vse them often will prooue you to haue a great deale lesse religion and learning then you would seeme to haue What death the Scriptures affirme Christ died for vs if you bee now to séeke at these yeares it is pittie your shoulders haue beene so long troubled with your head Can there bee fuller or plainer words then those which the foure Euangelists vse in describing the death buriall and resurrection of the bodie of our Sauiour Shew but one such word in Scripture or father that Christs soule died at the time of his Passion and take the cause He layd downe his soule vnto death you will saie You should haue done well in your pamphlette at least to haue laid that downe for a shewe and not vpon your single word to haue vouched so weightie a matter as the death of Christs soule is but you must be borne with your wits are often not at home What is ment by this that Christ laid downe or yéelded his Soule vnto death S. Austen largelie disputeth in his 47 treatise vppon S. Iohns Gospell The effect is when Christ laid downe his soule vnto death his bodie died and not his soule Quid fecit Passio quid fecit mors nisi corpus ab anima separauit
Sâ— enim mortuus est dominus immo quia mortuus est Dominus mortuus est enim pro nobis in cruce sine dubio caro ipsius expirauit animam Hoc est ergo ponere animam quod est mori Cum ergo exit anima a carne et remanet caro sine anima tunc homo ponerâ— animam dicitur Carni hoc tribue caro ponit animam suam caro iterum sumit eam Caro ponit animam suam expirando Ipse Dominus Christus dictus est sola caro Audeo dicere et sola caro Christi dictus est Christus Confiteris illud quod habet fides in eum Christum te credere qui crucifixus est sepulâ—ns Ergo sepultum Christum esse non negas tamen sola caro sepulta est Ergo Christus erat etiam caro sine anima quia non est sepulta nisi caro Disce hoc etiam in Apostolicis verbis Humiliauit scmetipsum factus obediens vsque ad mortem Iam in morte SOLA CARO a Iudaeis est occisa tamen carne occisa Christus occisus est Ita cum caro animam posuit Christus animam posuit cum caro vt resurgeret animam sumpsit Christus animam sumpsit What did the Passion what did the death of Christ but separate his bodie from his soule If the Lord died for vs yea rather because indeede the Lord did die for vs for hee died for vs on the crosse doubtlesse his flesh did breath out his soule Soe that to laie downe his soule and to die is all one When the soule departeth from the flesh the flesh remaineth any soule then a man is said to lay downe his soule VnderstaÌ„d this of the flesh for the flesh laieth down her soule taketh it againeâ— the flesh laieth down her soule by breathing it forth The Lord Iesus is called his flesh alone I dare be bold to auouch it THE ONLY FLESH of Christ is called Christ. Thou confessest as it is in thy Creede that thou beleeuest in that Christ which was crucified buried Then thou acknowledgest Christ to be buried yet only his flesh was buried Therefore flesh without a soule was Christ because nothing of him but his flesh was buried Learne the selfe same in the Apostles words Christ humbled himselfe was obedient vnto Death Now in his death ONLY HIS flesh was killed of the Iewes and yet the flesh being slaine Christ was slaine So when the flesh laid downe her soule Christ laid downe his soule and when the flesh tooke her soule againe to rise Christ tooke his soule againe To men that do not wilfullie blind themselues these words are cleare enough and they haue for their warrant the full consent of Scriptures Councels Fathers for 1400 yeares without dissenting from it Christ suffered for you saith Peter leauing you an ensample that you should follow his steppes who himselfe bare our sinnes in his bodie on the Tree that we being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnes Then when Christ died to sin his body died on the tree his soul liued in righteousnes So must we do for so did he when he left vs an example how to follow his steppes Our soules must not die before we can resemble his death they must liue in righteousnes as he did Euery where saith Paul we beare about in our bodie the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life of Iesus might also be made manifest in our bodies which he thus expoundeth afterward Therefore we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is daily renewed Then in our bodies we carrie about the death of Christ who for our example died in his bodie vnto sinne that we should follow his steppes And why doubt we hereof since the same apostle doth in as plain expresse words as might be spoken testifie that Christ when we were enimies reconciled VS IN THE BODY OF HIS FLESH THROVGH DEATH to make vs holy and without fault in his sight grounded and stablished in faith and not mooued awaie from the hope of the Gospell What could the hart of Paul inuent or his toong vtter more effectuall then this that Christ THROVGH DEATH IN THE BODIE OF HIS FLESH reconcileth vs to God and maketh vs holie and without fault in his sight If you can quarrell with these words Sir Refuter you maie do what you will with the Scriptures No words will bind you that take bodie for soule life for death faith for amazed feare hope for intolerable horror descending for ascending and hell for heauen What is this els but to make a confusion of all Religion and giue open defiance to the trueth by taking one contrarie for the other You do not so you will saie Leaue so doing and these Questions will soone be determined I prooue there was alwaies in Christ euidence of faith assurance of hope Ioy of loue euen in the midst of his paines on the crosse and you graunt there was not anie the least diminution in Christ of his faith patience or obedience to God neither was Christ so much as touched with anie wauering much lesse fearing in his trust and confidence of Gods loue and protection towards him How then can the horrour of Gods seuere iustice and wrath like them that indeed be separated from the grace and loue of God bee in Christ Or how can the sorrowes of the damned which are separated from the life of God bee found in Christ how could Christ suffer the same terrours of Gods wrath and assaults of the Deuill yea far greater then the godlie féele in their consciences for want of faith and feare of Gods displeasure What are these but plaine contrarieties Againe in Christ you saie was no defect of grace how then could the soule of Christ replenished with the spirite of life and liuing in all fulnes of grace and trueth bee dead can you make one and the same part of Christ both aliue and dead Soe likewise if Christ had but feared to bee vtterly forsaken with the hatred of his Father that indéed you saie were desperation which God forbid And yet you doe not doubt but Christ was as deepelie touched with the vnspeakeable horror of Gods seuere wrath due to sinne as the Reprobates themselues A number of these hogepots you haue made vs speaking of things which your selfe cannot or dare not expresse Sometimes you would faine affirme it in generall words and when you come to particulars you renounce it againe In the verie case that gaue vs occasion of this rehearsall when the Apostle saith we are reconciled to God by the death of his sonne and explaining himselfe saith the death that reconciled vs to God was the death which Christ suffered in the bodie of his flesh Is it not as cleare as daie light that the bodilie death of Christ which he suffered on the crosse is by
the scriptures resolued to bee the sufficient price of our redemption and meane of our reconciliation to God except you take the bodie of Christ for the soule of Christ and the stripes and woundes of his â—lesh for the paines of hell Yee were redeemed with the precious bloud of Christ saieth Peter Can there bee plainer wordes that Christes bloud shedde for the remission of our sinnes is the perfect price of our redemption without the deaâ—h of the soule or paines of hell which you interpose So likewise when Peter saieth Christ bare our sinnes in his bodie on the Tree in that hee suffered once â—or sinners when hee was put to death in his flesh are you not forced to peruerâ— these woordes for defence of your fancie and to take the flesh for bodie and soule that you maie make the death of Christe to bee common to both It is one thing you will saie to take the fleshe for the whole man and another to take the bodie for the soule I knowe it right well but the one will not serue your turne without the other By a part to name or note the whole man is no newes in the Scriptures but to ascribe the attributes of one part to the other because the name of either part is sometimes taken for the whole that is a generall subuerting of all the trueth of the Scriptures Saint Austen tolde you euen nowe that Christes dead flesh is called Christ will you therefore referre the properties of Christes dead flesh vnto his soule and not thinke you take the waie to dissolue as well the vnion as communion of two natures in Christ and of the distinction of two parts in his manhood The body indeede is more distinguished from the soule then the name of flesh is because the vnregenerate part of the soule is in the Scriptures euerie where called flesh but this hath no place in Christ by reason no corruption of sinne cleaned vnto his soule and therefore the name of fleshe doeth no where signifie the soule in Christ as it doeth often in vs onelie by naming flesh in Christ the scripture sometimes intendeth that he disdained not the weakest and basest part of our nature when he came to redéeme vs. And so Saint Iohn saith The worde was made flesh meaning the true and eternall sonne of God vouchsafed to take not onelie our reasonable and humane soule vnto him but euen our vilde and mortall flesh into the vnitie of his person and so became man that hee might restore man nowe fallen from God and perished in his sinnes to the fauour and life of God againe But when the Scriptures saie that Christ died for our sinnes the auncient fathers and Councels with one consent applie that to the death of Christes bodie on the Crosse and not to the death of the soule or to anie paines of hell And though in the Treatise before I haue cited such as sufficientlie witnesse that doctrine to be sounde and Catholike yet will I not bee greeued to let thee see Christian Reader that there was nothing more commonlie nor constantlie professed in the Primitiue Church then the doctrine which I am now forced to defende against the rage and reproch of this slaunderous impugner Post edita per facta diuinitatis suae monumenta reliquum iam erat vt pro omnibus sacrificium offerret pro omnibus templum suum morti tradens quo omnes innoxios liberos à veteri praeuaricatione efficeret seque declararet mortis victorem Corpus igitur quod communem cum omnibus habebat naturam corpus enim humanum mortale erat ad similitudiâ—em sui generis mortem excepit verbum enim quoniam mori non potuit vtpote immortale corpus sibi sumpsit quod mori poterat illudque vt suuÌ„ pro omnibus obtulit vt ita pro omnibus omnibus ipse corpore coniunctusâ— mortem patiens compesceret eum qui mortis habebat imperium hoc est Diabolum liberaret eos quotquot formidine mortis per omnem vitam obnoxiy erant seruituti After Christ by his deedes had declared his diuinitie it remained that hee shoulde OFFER A SACRIFICE FOR ALL yeelding vnto death the temple of his bodie for all thereby to deliuer and discharge all from the olde transgression and to declare himselfe the conquerour of death His bodie therefore which in nature was like all ours for it was an humane and mortall bodie died in like maner as bodies doe For the sonne of God because he could not die being immortall tooke a bodie vnto him that might die and offered that as his owne for all men that so being ioined in bodie to all and suffering death for all he might represse him that had power of death euen the Diuell and free those that for feare of death were all their life long subiected to seruitude Epiphanius treadeth in the same steppes When the sonne of God saith he would suffer of his owne good will for mankinde because his diuinitie coulde not suffer beeing of it selfe impassible hee tooke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OVR BODIE THAT MIGHT SVFFER that therein hee might yeelde to suffer and admitted our sufferings his Godhead being present in his flesh the godhead suffreth not For he that saith I am life how can he die But God remaining impassible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferâ—th by his flesh that his passion may be accounted to his deitie though it suffered not to the ende our saluation shoulde bee from God In his flesh was the suffering least wee should haue a passible God Which indeede is impassible imputing that suffering vnto himselfe according to his free choise and not of anie necessitie Ambrose in like sort Laqueus contritus est nos liberati sumus Non potuit melius conteri laqueus nisi praedam aliquam diabolo demoÌ„strasset vt dum ille festinaret ad praedam suis laqueis ligaretur Quae potuit esse praeda nisi corpus Oportuit igitur hoc fraudem Diabolo fieri vt sâ—sciperet corpus dominus Iesus corpus hoc corruptibile corpus infirmum vt crufigeretur ex infirmitate Sienâ—m fuisset corpus spirituale non dixisset spiritus promptus est caro autem infirma The snare is broken and we are deliuered The snare could not bee better broken then by shewing the diuel some pray that whiles he hastned to the pray he might be wrapped in his owne snares What pray could there be beside the bodie of man It was therefore requisite the diuell should bee thus deceiued that the Lord Iesus should take a body vnto him euen this corruptible weake body of ours that he might be crucified through infirmitie Had it beene a spiritual bodie that he tooke he would neuer haue said the spirite is readie but the flesh is weake The same Christ suffered and suffered not died and died not rose againe and did not rise because hee raised vp his owne bodie
For that which fell that rose againe that which fell not needed not rise Hee rose then according to the flesh which being dead did rise againe Ergo also he died in our nature which he tooke vnto him and suffered in the body which he tooke that we might beleeue he tooke a true bodie To the vnbeleeuer asking Shall I beleeue God in flesh God borne of a woman God crucified whipped dead wounded buried Austen answereth thy God remaineth vnchangeable feare not he perisheth not Christ was borne of a woman but in his flâ—sh Hee was an infant but in his flesh Hee sucked increased was nourished and grewe in age but in his flesh Wearied he slept but in his flesh Hee hungred and thirsted but in his flesh He was taken bound whipped mocked yea he was CRVCIFIED AND KILLED BVT IN HIS FLESH Why art thou afraid The word which was God remaineth for euer He that despiseth this humblenes of God wil neuer be cured from the deadly swelling of pride The Lord Iesus therefore by his flesh gaue hope to our flesh To be borne and to die were here on earth common to liue for euer was not here Christ found here our earthlie wares which were vilde and brought with him his heauenlie which were strange If thou feare his death loue his resurrection He came to the place of our pilgrimage to take that which aboundeth here eueÌ„ mocks whippes blowes spittings in his face reproches hanging the crosse and death These things abound in our region to this entertainment hee came What hath he giuen thee here Instruction exhortation and remission of sinnes What hath he promised thee O mortall man that thou shalt liue for euer Doest thou not beleeue it Beleeue it I say beleeue it It is more that he hath alreadie done then that hee hath promised It is more incredible that the eternall died then that the mortall shall liue for euer If God died for man shall not man liue with God But can God die Hee tooke from thee wherein to die for thee THERE COVLD NOT DIE BVT FLESH THERE COVLD NOT DIE BVT A MORTALL BODIE Hee clothed himselfe with that wherein hee might die for thee hee will clothe thee wherin thou shalt liue with him In that part Christ died in which thou shalt die in that part Christ rose in which thou shalt rise Thou wilt pardon mee Christian Reader if among so much lothsome stuffe of reprobate horrors damned paines and hellish torments as this Confuter hath heaped together I solace my selfe sometimes with the longer comfort of sounde and sweete doctrine so sincerelie and sensiblie deliuered by the learned and auncient Fathers I will alledge one place more wherein thou shalt see the full consent of prouinciall and generall Councels not to bee gainesaide by anie man that will beare the name of a Christian and so shutte vp this point Cyrill writing to Nestorius to stay and suppresse that false doctrine which hee beganne then to spreade teacheth vs verie plainelie howe the sonne of God is saide in the Scriptures to SVFFER DIE AND RISE AGAINE for vs and our saluation So wee saie the sonne of God suffered and rose againe not that the sonne of GOD suffered in his owne nature either the stripes or the boaring of the nailes or the rest of the woundes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Deitie coulde not suffer by reason it is no bodilie substance but because THAT BODIE which hee made his owne suffered these things himselfe is saide to suffer these things for vs. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that coulde not suffer was then in his bodie which suffered After the same manner wee thinke of his dying The sonne of God is by nature immortall incorruptible life and the giuer of life but because the bodie which was his owne tasted death for all by the fauour of God as Paule speaketh hee himselfe is saide to haue suffered death for vs not that hee had experience of death as touching his owne nature it were a madnesse so to thinke or say but for that as I saide euen nowe his flesh tasted death So his flesh rising againe it is called his Resurrection not that hee fell to corruption God forbidde but that his bodie rose againe When this stayed not the frenzie of Nestorius the heretike but that hee replied in swelling woordes Cyrill called a Councell at Alexandria and there with one consent they approoued the trueth and sent it vnto Nestorius to bee confessed in these woordes amongst others If anie man doe not confesse that the Sonne of GOD suffered in his fleshe was crucified in his flesh and tasted death in his flesh let him bee accursed Dilating this and the rest of their Articles in their Synodall Epistle sent to Nestorius they saie Wee confesse that the onelie begotten God euen the sonne borne of God his father though hee were impassible in his owne nature yet suffered hee in his flesh for vs according to the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and was in his bodie that was crucified accounting the sufferings of his owne flesh as proper vnto him though he were without suffering and by the grace of God tasted death for all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he gaue his owne bodie vnto death This doctrine came to bee scanned in the third generall Councell helde at Ephesus and being there deliberatelie read was woâ—de for worde allowed of the whole Councell as agréeable to the Scriptures and the Nicene fathers The like approbation it had not onelie in the Councell of Constantinople vnder Fluuianus but in the great councell of Chalcedon where the proceedings of both these Councels were a fresh examined and the former woordes of Cyrill repeaâ—ed and confirmed with the ful consent of that general Councel as most â—ound and catholike So that he shall ill deserue the name of a christian that after so manie fathers and Councels both Prouinciall and Generall will begin to teach vs a new faith and tell vs that the Scriptures meane Christ was crucified and died as wel in his soule as in his bodie since the whole Church with one assent hath euer so conceiued and expounded the Scriptures that Christes crucifying and dying must bee referred to his bodie and consequentlie that the ioynt sufferings of Christ the soule feeling what the bodie suffered were most auailable for our redemption For when they ascribe the crucifying and death of Christ to his bodie they doe not exclude the soule from the sense and feeling of the paine which is a naturall consequent to the coniunction with her bodie but they shew what part of Christs manhoode suffered the crosse and death that the Scriptures so much speake of and whereby wee are redeemed and reconciled vnto GOD. One place repeated in the Councell of Ephesus maie serue in steede of manie to declare their meaning Howe can the Creator of all thnges who is neither visible palpable nor mutable sustaine the Crosse
and get you some other profession So then the paines which the damned feele besides the griefe of heauen lost is FLAMING FIER intolerably formenting both bodie and soule and as Cyprian obserueth Omni tormento atrocius desperatio condemnatos affliget Desperation which shall afflict the condemned worse then al their torments To these if you subiect the Sonne of God you know what will follow from these if you frée him as you needes must then is the Question at an end for in euery mans sight Christ did not suffer the paines of hell nor the torments of the damned which the scripture maketh to be these not those which you can neither expresse nor proue FroÌ„ slender reasons you come Sir Refuter to slenderer authorities and though you quote but few and not one of them speaking one word to your purpose yet before you produce them you chalenge them as vnsufficient to testifie in this or any cause against your liking For where they may not be iudges nor with you so much as witnesses of the Scriptures sense you so reieâ—t their expositions euerie where with pride disdaine yet you in your wisedome take vpon you to build vpon the words of the holy Ghost what absurdities and follies you list and your best reason is it were fond to thinke otherwise but be more sober if you will be ruled by me it is the way to hazard your own wits not their credits to entertaine theÌ„ in this maner They speake not plainly nor fully you say because it was neuer in question in their time Touching the redemption of man by the death blood of Christ Iesus they speake as plainly and fully as it is possible for men to speake and kéepe exactly the forme of wholesome doctrine deliuered in the Scriptures touching your hell paines they say nothing in déed because it was neuer heard of in y e Church of Christ in their times but that Christ died NOT THE DEATH OF THE SOVLE and by the ONLY DEATH OF HIS BODY and shedding of his blood sufficiently ransomed redéemed vs this cannot be spoken in plainer and exacter terms then they haue proposed it and proued it And therfore you and others shal doe well not to make al the ancient learned lights of Christs Church so ignorant in their Créed Catechisme as not to know how they were saued by y e Crosse death of Christ before your hellish paines of the damned were of late deuised Your better sifting of this matter is the open wresting and forcing of the scriptures against their true proper and perpetual sense to serue your strange conceits And as you do with the scriptures you must be suffered to do with the Fathers which you produce that is to put theÌ„ quite from their own meaning frame their words to your fancies before any man can tell to what end you cite them The first word you quote out of Ierom you falsifie by putting maledictum to it where Ierom doth not so but simply saith VVHAT VVE should haue suffered for our sinnes that he suffered for vs. The very next words that are his owne for he interposeth a place of Scripture that in his fâ—esh Christ dissolued our enmitie with God and healed vs with his stripes are these Ex quo perspicuum est sicut corpus flagellatum laceratum ita animam verè doluisse pro nobis Whereby it is euident that as his bodie was whipped and torne so his soule truely sorrowed for vs. Here you must be permitted to adde of your owne besides Ieroms meaning that this sorrow was your hellish sorrow or else I cannot sée why you cited Ierom except it were to falsifie him But how and why Christ sorrowed for vs when Ieroms own words were alleaged by me your answer was this is more fond and absurd than the other Cyprians words you neither vnderstand nor like he saith that Christ taking our person and cause vpon him sayd in our names that he was forsaken Quod pro eis voluisti intelligi qui deseri à Deo propter peccata meruerant quorum reconciliationis causam agebas which he would haue to be vnderstoode of vs or for vs who deserued by our sinnes to be forsaken of God whose reconciliation he then vndertooke So S. Austen expounded those words of Christ My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Illa vox membrorum ipsius vox erat non capitis that voyce was the voice of his members and not of the head but you could not endure either Austen or my other father so to say without controlement But Cyprian saith Christ endured like punishment to those that be sinners accursed In part not in all otherwise he must haue suffered eternall death of bodie and soule and therefore expounding himselfe in the next sentence he saith In tantum infirmis compateris vt nec crucifigi nec mori dum illi viuant non pereant nec erubescas nec formides So far didst thou suffer with the weake that thou didst neither shame to be crucified nor feare to dye so they might liue and not perish Ambrose saith With the sorrow of his soule Christ abolished the sorrow of our soules Here you must haue leaue to bring in your hellish sorrowes against Ambroses minde or else this is but lost labour the causes of Christs heauines and sorrow when I repeated out of this very place of Ambrose you reiected them as fond and false and now with the bare name of sorrow you think Ambrose dreamt of your hell paines For shame reade out the chapter and leaue these mistakings But Ambrose saith the man in Christ now readie to die by the separation of the Diuinite cried my God my God why hast thou forsaken me A man dieth when his soule leaueth his body Christ therefore ready to die the death of the body which was left of y e deitie vnto death by withdrawing it selfe for a time vttered these words Death of the soule or dereliction vnto hell paines there are none to be found in Ambrose nor any words sounding that way vnlesse you peruert them at your pleasure The words next going before are these Gloriosa Dei professio vsque ad mortem se pro nostris descendisse peccatis vel euidens manifestatio contestantis Dei secessionem Diuinitatis CORPORIS It was a glorious profession of God that he descended euen vnto death for our sins or an euident manifestation of God witnessing the departure of his Diuinitie from HIS BODIE when it dyed The next words of Ambrose why you alleage I doe not sée but to make vp the number which is very smale and lesse forcible Who doubteth but Christ offered that which he put on He put on his body his body he offered S. Paul will tell what Christ offered We are sanctified by the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made Your own author Saint
these be your best exceptions against Christs triumphing ouer hell all the world will know that you are a worthie man to weare a woodden dagger The Apostle made it a part of Christs high exaltation that euerie knee as well of things vnder the earth as of things in heauen should bow vnto him and euerie toong confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord and do you thinke it a méete matter to be mocked and derided Paul saith Christ spoyled principalities and powers of hell darknes and made a shew of them openlie and triumphed ouer them in his owne person for so I must reade till you shew me better authoritie against it then I haue brought for it your selfe both sée and sate that whyles Christ suffered and whyles he died it was a miserable triumph yea a piteous triumph it was indeede where himselfe remayned in such woful tormeÌ„ts where appeared no shew of conquest but rather of being conquered stil he suffered til he gaue vp the ghost What letteth them I praie you since these words were not verified on the Crosse but they did take place in his resurrection as I teach and therein as by the effects it was most euident and apparant to the eies of all men he did spoyle powers and principalities made a shew of them openly and triumphed ouer them in his owne person Doth the holy ghost attribute this as a great honour to the humane nature of Christ that ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue and doe you make a merriment of it appealing to the whole world for their censure on your side Your strongest sort is this There can bee no commoditie nor benefit to the godlie by it For what good is there so much as pretended The generall redemption of all Gods elect and chosen people was wrought and fullie finished on the Crosse what could his going downe to hell adde more Is the subduing of hell powers and the treading on all their force and the restraining of all their furie so small a matter with you that it doth no good to the godlie Hee hath triumphed and spoyled them to frée vs from feare and hath taken the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands to shew that all power is giuen him in heauen earth hell and that he can restrayne and bind Satan at his will and pleasure Is the performance and assurance of these things no coÌ„modity nor benefit to the godlie The redemption of Gods elect was you say fully finished on the Crosse. Deserued and obtained it was on the Crosse and by the crosse but not there executed There were our sinnes pardoned and our selues reconciled to God but as Christ died for our sinnes so he rose for our iusâ—ification His resurrectioÌ„ in that glorious manner which I haue mentioned in the treatise his ascension are necessary parts of our Saluation and therefore vse not the force of Christs crosse to exclude but to induce the rest For so doth the Apostle when he saith Christ humbled himselfe became obedient vnto y e death of the crosse Wherfore that is euen for that his humility obedience God hath highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus should euery knee bow of things in heauen in earth vnder the earth So that his descending rising and ascending added nothing to the force of his death but shewed the fruite thereof and tend all to our good since wee are presentlie secured from the power of hell and Satan and shall be certainelie raysed and receaued to glorie Christes death without his resurrection and ascension had beene our confusion and no redemption for if sinne had slaine him without rising it must needes haue damned vs without hoping now in his Resurrection as euery Enemie was most mighty so was there most néed he should be subdued But hereof I haue spoken so largelie before that I shall not néede to rehearse it againe with turning the page it maie soone bee seene But The Scriptures you tell vs are clearely against Christs going to Hell For this daie sayd Christ to the theefe thou shâ—lt bee with mee in Paradise All this must needes be of his humane soule verelie without all question There is none can consider herein his Deitie If anie thinke his soule might goe to hell first and presentlie goe thence to heauen yer night also that is ridiculous and toyish You haue so manie toyes in your head Syr Refuter that a coloured cap would well become it when you come to a non plus in your proofes then you crie this is ridiculous and toyifh Go like your selfe and looke to the ridiculous toyes that you bring vs in euery page almost You would prooue forsooth that the SCRIPTVRES ARE CLEARE against Christs being in hell at anie time betwéene his death and his Resurrection for your warrant you bring his words to the theefe on the crosse this daie thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise and at his death when he sayd Father into thy hands I commend my spirite And when the places conclude no such thing as you would haue them nor anie thing néere it then you helpe it with outcries and saie There is no man of sense considering these circumstances that can iudge otherwise But will your wisdome remember that S. Austen in his 57. Epistle discussing this place of purpose to day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise saith the word MEE maie verie readily and easily bee referred to Christs Godhead promising the thiefe Paradise that present daie and all the childish amplifications that you haue brought vs to the contrarie are not worth a nut-shell to conteruaile S. Austens iudgement But graunt it were ment of Christs soule are you so perfect in the length of the waie from hell to Paradise and the wearines of Christs soule in going to both that you be sure he could not do both that daie You thinke belike Christ would not goe thither but to view the deuils one by one and call their names to sée who were absent You haue forgotten that with his presence or with his word whiles hee liued here on earth hee could torment the diuels and therefore if it pleased him but to shewe himselfe who hee was whom they had so despitefullie pursued by the handes and tongues of the wicked on the Crosse all hell must not onelie bende and bowe vnto him but feare and fall before him Againe what coulde hinder though he did not descende that daie which hee died but hee might so doe the daie that hee rose and euen when hee was to rise to loose all the strength of hell before him and to let Satan see that his kingdome was ouerthrowne by that death at which hee so much insulted and reioyced The time I doe not determine though I thinke it pertained rather to the glorie of his resurrection then otherwise as I
and thou shalt see both the textes and the proofes whie the place of the damned must often bee vnderstoode by Sheôl in the bookes of the law and the prophets I hope thou wilt thinke it supersfluous for mee to defende it or enlarge it before anie man doe particularlie impugne it So that whatsoeuer you prate Sir Refuter without waight or warrant touching Sheol I count it lip labor when you or your helpers bring anie thing worth the regarding you shal find me readie to receaue it or refute it as the matter deserueth Sheol then in the olde Testament and Hades in the Septuagint signifiyng somtimes the state of deade bodies which is the graue sometimes the place of deade soules which is hell but neuer the world of soules whereof some are in heauen let vs see what force HADES hath in the new testament or whether it can thence be proued that HADES importeth the world of soules As y e mysteries of God were more fully declared by the gospel then by the law so the kingdom of heauen was more preciselie seuered from the kingdome of Satan by Christ then by Moses What Moses darkelie shadowed vnder figures that Christ reuealed in plaine wordes and therefore hell fire which is obscurelie mentioned in the law and prophets is often and openlie named by the mouth of our Sauiour and HADES which before extended to good and bad is nowe by the writers of the newe testament restrained to the place of the damned So that Hades with thē signifieth hell and the powers thereof and not the death of the bodie much lesse the world of soules Examples hereof I haue giuen thée gentle Reader in the Treatise before saue that I then reasoned the death of the bodie was not signified by HADES which now those deuisers haue changed into the VVORLD OF SOVLES I must therefore nowe ouerrun all those places againe and shewe that the VVORLD OF SOVLES cannot bee expressed by anie of those places Which I will with as much brenitie as I canne considering the wise Reader will soone bee able to discerne this newe Camisadoe latelie offered with the VVORLD OF SOVLES The first place is Woe to thee Chorazin and woe to thee Bethsaida saith our Sauiour And thou Capernaum exalted to heauen shalt bee brought downe euen to hell it shall bee easier for Sodome in the day of iudgement then for thee What is Gods curse and threates to impenitent sinners HELL or the VVORLD OF SOVLES and in the daie of iudgement when their punishment shall bee greater then the Sodomites shall they go to hell fire or to the VVORLD OF SOVLES I praie you Sir Refuter were are the Sodomites at this houre in hell or in your VVORLD OF SOVLES In hell I thinke Saint Iude saith They do sustaine the punishments of euerlasting fire Is that your VVORLDE OF SOVLES if it be not they shal certainlie be where the Sodomites are yea in worse case shall they bee and that I suppose must bee in hell and not in heauen The second place is in the wordes of Christ to Peter Vpon this rocke will I builde my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it and I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdom of heauen The VVORLD OF SOVLES doth not impugne y e church therfore it is no signe of Gods fauour for that not to preuaile against the church Againe whatsoeuer preuaile not yet if hell preuaile what safetie hath the church Heresie and iniquitie are the gates of hell fighting against the church as well as crueltie Ego portas Inferni reor vitta atque peccata vel certé haereticorū doctrinas per quas illecti homines ducuntur ad Tartarum Nemo itaque putet de morte dici quòd apostoliconditioni mortis subiecti non fuerint quorum martyria vides coruscare I thinke saith Ierom the gates of hell to be vices and sinnes or else heresies by which men being enticed are led to hell Let no man therefore imagine it is spoken of death as if the Apostles were not subiect thereto whose martyrdoms thou findest so famous Digna aedificatione illius Petra quae infernas leges Tartari portas omnia mortis claustra dissolueret It was a Rocke saith Hilarie worthy of Christs building which should dissolue the lawes of hell the gates of Tartare and all the Cloisters of death So Origen Portae inferorum dicentur etiam principatus ac potestates aduersus quas nobis est colluctatio The gates of hell may the powers and principalities bee called against the which we haue to striue Portas inferni haereticam prauitatem nominat siue vitia peccata vnde mors ad animam venit The gates of hel Christ calleth Haeresies saith Bede or else vices and sinnes by which the soule dieth So Ambrose Quae autē sunt portae Inferni nisi singula quaeque peccata What are the gates of hell but all kind of sinnes And Gregorie Portae Inferni haereses sunt quae quasi inferorum aditum pandunt The gates of hell are heresies which open as it were the passage to hell The fifte generall councell of Constantinople with one full consent alloweth the same Portae inferni non praeualebunt aduersus eam id est haereticorum linguae mortiferae The gates of hell that is the deadlie tongues of heretickes shal not preuaile against the church You might haue more but these are enough Here Sir Refuter you tell a long and a foolish tale of death out of your owne heade as if Christ did promise his Apostles protection against the violence of Tyrants but not against the rage of Satan To vnderstande sinnes and errours as some of the ancient writers doe the circumstances of the texte you saie doe seeme not to beare it Your ignorant humour is loth to haue it so otherwise the wordes of Christ respect the trueth of Peters confession that himselfe was Christ the sonne of the liuing God against the which faith no policie nor tyrannie of Satan shoulde preuaile and so by your leaue the Fathers goe directlie to the meaning of the texte and you woulde wrest it to your priuate fansie least HADES shoulde signifie HELL and yet at length vpon aduisement you confesse it may bee heere the GATES OF HELL and that HADES is thus vsed sometimes and namelie in the last example out of the 16. of Luke It is well then that in the 16. of Luke you yeelde HADES doeth signifie HELL where the wicked are tormented and did you denie it the Scripture auoucheth it the wordes are plaine I am tormented in this flame againe least they come into this place of torment Then HADES without anie other addition noteth HELL and when Christ saith the rich man IN HADES LIFT vp his eyes he addeth this as a necessarie consequent being in tormēts to shew that HADES is the place of torment and not the VVORLD OF
vnto Sheol that is to his Graue refusing to take anie comfort whiles he liued since his sonne was dead You like a tyrant ouer the Scriptures will haue what sense pleaseth you in euerie place and then you saie it is plaine and common In déede your ignorance and insolencie is verie plaine and common but the interpretations which you make of Scripture be absurde and more then foolish A man liuing maie well be said to descend into his graue liuing hee standeth dying he lieth downe and the face of the earth on which we are is higher then the bowels of the earth where wee lie buried but of a soule ascending vp to heauen to say it descendeth to hell is a phrase of your making and fit for your faith which is guided more by will then by truth When you proue these two points that HADES is HEAVEN in the Scriptures and that DESCENDING IS ASCENDING we will hearken to your exposition till then wee will leaue it as a distemper of your vnsetled braine For the last exposition of the three which remaineth I haue shewed thée Christian reader by the particular circumstances of the Scriptures that in the continuall vse of the new Testament HADES signifieth HELL which is the place where the wicked after this life are in torments I haue also in the sermons before examined the words of Dauid alledged and applied by Peter to Christ Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell whence Peter concludeth Christs soule was not left in hel as likewise the words of Paul importing that Christ descended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the bottomlesse deepe which worde throughout the new testament doth signifie nothing but HEL I haue noted how anciently Christs local descent to hel was preached in the church euen by one of the seuentie disciples that were conuersant with Christ continued to this daie with the full consent of the fathers both Greeke Latin without exception and by the whole church of Christ receiued I must not iterate that which there is so latelie written The words are faire and plain there is no danger nor difficultie in them the end of Christes descending thither being both honourable to him and comfortable to vs as I haue before deliuered it Lastly I see no cause either in this Confuters ridiculous pamphlet or in his abettors tempestuous and furious libell why anie man should dislike or distrust this exposition as vnfit for the wordes or vnsound for the faith of the Creede To load thee with authorities were to make an other volume thou shalt onelie see I haue not deuised it of mine owne heade but that it hath both antiquitie for it and authoritie with it and so I will make an ende Cyprian in his Sermon of Christs passion Ipse dicit ad patreÌ„ non derelinques animaÌ„ meam in inferno nec sines corrumpi carnem meam in sepulchro quia vbi in praesentia illius effractis inferis est captiuata captiuitas praesentata victrice anima in praesentia patris ad corpus suum siue dilatione reuersus est Christ saieth to his Father Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer my flesh to rotte in the graue because as soone as captiuitie was subdued hell being broken vppe in his presence and his triumphing soule presented to the sight of his Father hee without delay returned to his bodie Arnobius writing vppon the hundreth thirtie and seuenth Psalme Postea vidit Inferos longè factus est non solum à coelis sed ab ipsa terra Abyssi profunda descendens scidit quia indereuerteretur ad superos quia a superis remearet ad coelos Afterward Christ went to hell and was farre not onelie from heauen but from the earth descending hee brake the bottomlesse deepe that hee might thence returne to life and from thence to heauen Lactantius in his verses of the resurrection saith Tristia cessarunt infernae vincula legis Expauâ—tque Chaos luminis ore premi Depereunt tenebrae Christi fâ—elgore fugatae Aeternae noctis pallia crassa cadunt The fearefull bands of the infernall power ceased and Chaos was afraid to be oppressed with the light of his presence The darknesse of hell was chased away with the brightnes of Christ and the grosse couerings of eternall night vanished Athanasius Ipse est dei virtus qui infernum expugnauit imperium Diaboli demolitus est qui Deus in descendeÌ„do deus in ascendendo corpus suum à morte excitatum patri repraesentauit ac vindicauit à morte sub â—uius imperio tenebatur Christ is the power of God which surprised hell and ouerthrewe the kingdome of the diuell who beeing God in descending and God in ascending presented his body raised from death to his father and tooke it from death vnder whose power it was helde Hilarius Hic ergo vnus est mortem in inferno perimens spei nostrae fidem resurrectione confirmans corruptionem carnis humanae gloria sui corporis perimens Christ alone is hee that in hell killed death confirmed our hope with his resurrection and destroied the corruption of mans flesh with the glorie of his owne bodie Basil Habes ergo myrrham ob sepulturam guttam ob descensionem ad infernum quod non inefficax in sepulchro permanserit sed ad infernum descenderit gratia dispensationis circa resurrectionem absoluendae vt quae de seipso erant oracula Prophetarum vniuersa expleret Thou hast in this Psalme myrrhe for his buriall dropping for his descent to hell because hee lay not in his graue without force but descended into hell to dispatch thinges needfull for his resurrection that hee might fulfill all that the Prophets forespake of him Nazianzene maketh Christes mother to say of him At vbi veneris in atram nocte Plutonis domum Infernum acerbo iaculo defixeris But when thou wentest to the house of Pluto where darke night is thou diddest thrust thorow hell with a wounding speare Fulgentius Dauid spake of Christes resurrection that his soule was not left in hell nor his flesh saw corruption In this then the Godheade of Christ shewed the power of his impassibilitie that being euery where alwaies and vnspeakeablie present it wanted not to his flesh when it suffered not his soule to feele any paine in hell neither forsooke his soule in hell whiles it kept his flesh from rotting in the graue Beda our countriman shall be the last My flesh saith Dauid of Christ shal rest in hope expounding in what hope to wit in this hope that though my soule descend to hell yet thou wilt not leaue it to be possessed of hel The rest go all cléer that way applying y e words of Dauid cited by Peter Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell to Christs descent thither after death And howsoeuer the fathers incline to thinke as Ierom did that the saints before Christes comming
ad Inferos descendisse Nam corpus vsque adresurrectionem inÌ„ sepulchoro iacuit spiritus ab illo emissus cuÌ„ spiritibus qui in carcere siue in inferno detinebantur fuit illisque praedicauit quemadmodum testatur Petri locus As Christ died for vs and was buried so also it is to be beleeued that he went down to hel For his body lay in the graue vntil the resurrection his spirit which he breathed out was with the spirits that were in prison or in hel and preached vnto them as the place of Peter vvitnesseth But our Synode since correcteth it herein saith but thus only Quemadmo duÌ„ Christus pro nobis mortuus est sepultus ita est etiaÌ„ credeÌ„ dus ad inferos descendisse As Christ died for vs and was buried so we are to beleeue also that he went vnto the dead This therfore in theÌ„ is seene manifestly as I said to renounce and abrogate this particular sense of Christs desceÌ„ding y t HE VVENT AFTER DEATH TO HELL Is this all you haue to saie Sir Refuter then when prouender is deuided you shall haue a part for your good collectioÌ„ You collect that y e later Synode by leauing out certain words of the former renounceth that CHRIST AFTER DEATH VVENT TO HELL and that which it retaineth of the former Synode in expresse wordes is this IT I TO BE BELEEVED THAT CHRIST VVENT DOVVN INTO HELL So in your iudgement by beleeuing that Christ wente downe into Hell they renounce that Christ went to hell If it were a matter of sight I shoulde aske whether you had anie eies or no nowe it is a matter of reason I must more doubte whether you haue your fiue wittes or no. Set your inference to the viewe of all men The Synode in her Maiesties time agreeth It is to be beleeued that Christ vvent downe into hell Ergo they apparaÌ„tly renounce that Christ went to hel This is your conclusion shew it to any tapster or tinker in Englande and sée whether he will reward you with a mocke or no. But they leaue out the latter part of the Article which the former Synode concluded So they leaue out that Christs bodie vvas in his graue vntill his resurrection which are the wordes of the former Synode Is the omitting of this a manifest renouncing and abrogating of it God forbid But the first Synode in king Edwardes time added farther you saie that Christs spirit vvas vvith the spirits detained in Prison or in hel and preached vnto them First then tell your abettor that al the Realme wil take him not only for a Railor against al honesty but for a lier against al duty that voucheth so confidently king Edward the sixt and his subiects held that Christ his soule neuer vvent to Gehenna the realme knoweth the Q. othe as also the Q. aduentureth her eternal state These be no states to come within the compasse of his vncleane mouth He may doe well to remember who they be of whom it is written They despise gouernment speak euil of those that are in authoritie as raging vvaues of the Sea foming out their owne shame And to take héed that he proue not too true a prophet against himselfe in paying the price of misusing his liege and Soueraigne Ladie and her whole Realme But I wish him repentance and so I leaue him Secondlie Sir Refuter you maie see three thinges in the latter wordes of that Article in king Edwardes Synode which are verie wiselie with silence ouerskipped by the Synode in her Maiesties time and wherein for my part I thinke they did verie well not to adde to this Article anie time purpose or prisoners when why or to whome Christ descended But therein to imitate the wisedome of the best ages who kept this Article as they founde it without enterlacing it with anie newe additions For in the later wordes of that former Synode nowe left out are three thinges that cannot bee iustified by the Scriptures 1. that the Spirits of the iust vvere in hell 2. that Christ there preached vnto them 3. that he staied there till his resurrection These three pointes contained in the Article of that Synode were aduisedlie and profitablie suppressed by the Synode kept in her maiesties time and these are the pointes which I my selfe impugne in this Treatise as hauing no iust nor tolerable grounde in the Scriptures But these thinges being drowned by omission what is that to the rest of the article which the later Synode imbraceth as a matter necessarie to be beleeued for thus they resolue As Christ died for vs vvas buried so also it is to be beleeued y t HE VVENT DOVVN INTO HELL And though you woulde weaken their resolution with a false translation as your maner is by making them saie vve are to beleeeue that Christ vvent vnto the dead yet may you gain no thing by that for we haue publike assurance allowance that their words were and are IT IS TO BE BELEEVED THAT CHRIST VVENT DOVVNE INTO HELL Their words in Latin were you will say Credendus est ad inferos descendisse But the same Bishops the same Clergie that were at the first Synode in the 5 of her Maiesty assembling again in the 13 yeare of her highnes raign did themselues english it as I report it and offered it to the Prince Parliament in those words to be coÌ„firmed which accordingly that high Court did So y t now not these words Christ descended into HADES though they be true as being the originall words much lesse yours Christ went to the dead but preciselie these Christ went downe into hell are the faith doctrine which the Church Realme of England professeth or which the lawe establisheth and what they meane were it not for your addle quirckes is soone perceaued euen of the simplest You conclude that the publike sentence of our Church yea the publike law of our land is against this opinioÌ„ of Christs descending into hell And I conclude likewise that which is in the bone will neuer out of the flâ—sh with arrogance and ignorance you began and so you will end If HELL in english be HELL GOING DOVVNE be DESCENDING theÌ„ both the Church the law of England directly expressely precisely mayntayneth CHRISTS DEâ—CENDING INTO HELL If HELL in english be HEAVEN GOING DOVVN be GOING VP then the Church and lawe of England fauoureth your fansie And hereof I am wel content thou shalt be Iudge Christian Reader that vnderstandest best thine owne toong For the latine INFEâ—NVM and the Gréeke HADES I am content to be tried by all Fathers Greeke Latine that euer wrate in the Church of Christ. If these men caÌ„not keepe their quarter cléere nor vpholde their conceite but they must exclude all Greeke Latine and English diuines since Christs time from vnderstanding euerie man his owne naturall toong I will see their braines better settled and their mouthes bâ—tter tempred before
Corinth 15 e Rom. 5. f Philip. 2. Rom. 3. verse g 25. h 24. i Psal. 51. k Iob. 14. l Ephes. 1. m Ephes 4 n Rom 7. o Rom. 7 p Galat. 5 q Rom. 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r Rom. 1 s Rom. 7 t Rom. u Rom. 7 x Rom. 8. y 2. Corinth â— z Ephes. 2 z Ephes. 2 why the death of Christs body doth counteruaile all the bodies souleâ— of men The bodilie death of christ doth more coÌ„mend the merits of Christ then if y e paines of hell were ioyned with it In the death of the soule there could neither be obedience nor patience a 2. Corinth 9. It is no loue to renounces God for mans sakeâ— b Iohn 15 c Rom. 5 Christs loue towards vs in dying for vs. d Heb. 7. e Ephes. â— All Christs sufferings were INIVRIOVS in respect of the doers and VOLVNTARIE in respect of him selfe f 1. Peter 2. g 1. Pet. â— g 1. Pet. â— h Luke 23. i Augusti de tempore serm 101. k Idem de trinitate li. 13. ca. 14 l Ibid. cap. 1â— m Greg. 〈◊〉 3. ca. 11. n Iohn 10. o Galat. 2 p Ephes. 5. q August de trinitat li. 4. ca. 13 r August de 〈◊〉 contra Manichaeos cap. 26. The recapitulation of y e maner and merit of Christs death s Gen. 2. t Iohn 3. The coÌ„fort of Christs crosse taken out of the 22. Psalme u Psalm 2â— x Vers. 9. y 10 z 11 a 19 b 12 c â—4 d Vers. 1. e Ambros. in Psal. 118. ser. 1. The same oâ—â— of the 16. Psalme f Psal. 16. The ground of Christs faith g Act. 1. h Bernard de verbâ—â— I saiae serm 5. Rom. 14 Doubting of Gods fauour is sinne in Christ k Matth. 14. l Rom. 4. m Iacob 1. Feare is more intolerable in Christ then doubting n Actes 2. o Iohn 1. p Ephes. 4 q Iohn 3. Christ was not amazed on the Crosse. r Mark 14. s Iohn 18 t Iohn 19 u Luke 23 x Luke 23. y Iohn 19 z Luke 23 a Matth. 2â— b Marke 14 b Marke 14 c Luke 23. d Iohn 19 d Iohn 19 e Matth. 1â— f 1. Peter 2 Christ wauered not in his praiers in y e garden g 1 Galat. 5 h 1. Corinth 7 i Matth. 26. verse 44. k Esay 53â— Christ praied often and earnestly but with full assurance to be heard l Hebre 5. m Mark 14. verse 33. Christ might at the first be abashed with Gods maiesty or mans misery but he recouered himselfe before he entered into his praiers How and why Christ might be rauished n Mat. 20. Christs praier could not be reiected o Heb. 5. p Iohn 11. q Iohn 8. The cup did passe from Christ in that sense in which he prayed it might r Esay 5â— s Hebr. 5. s Hebr. 5. Christ on the crosse must be assured his sacrifice should be accepted t Matt. 1. u Phil. 2. x Colos. 1. y Colos. 1. vers 19. 20 z Phil. 2. ver 8. a Ephe. 5. b Heb. 12. c Acts. 2. Psal. 16. We must suffer as Christ did which I hope is not the paines of hell d 1. Pet. 2. e Rom. 8. f Phil. 3. g 1 Peter 4 h 2. Cor. 1. Christs affliction on y e crossâ— was full of consolation i 2. Cor. 4. k Ibidem l 2. Cor. 12. m Ibidem m Ibidem Heb. 12. o Luke 4. p Heb. 2. q 2. Cor. 12. r 1. Pet. 4. All miseries are the effectâ— of gods wrath s Num. 16. t 2. Chro. 13 u Esay 51 x Mich. 7. y Esay 47. z Lament 5. a 2. Tim. 2. b Rom. 11. c Iohn 13. d â— Peter 4. e 1. Cor. 11. f Heb. 8. g Heb. 12. h Heb. 12. Heb. 13. k Rom. 2. l Ephe 4. Gods wrath towards his â— mixed with mercy and iustice The wrath of God against our sinnes was very great in the crosse of Christ. m Hebre. 5 n Ibidem o 1. Peter 2. p Esay 53. It should somwhat moue vs y t hell paines were neuer added to Christs crosse for 1300 yeeres since the Apostles time The doctrine here deliuered is authorised by the lawes of this realme q Num 3. r Num 13. The fiâ—t effect of Christes crosse which is the glory of his resurrectioÌ„ Foure opinioÌ„ touching the article of the Creede he descended into hell s 1. Samuel 2 The â—eare of hell may fall on vs but not on Christ. How Christ in some sense may be said to haue suffered the paines of hel on y e crosâ—e Papists were the first brochers of this opinion that Christ suffered hell paines on the crosse t Nicholaus de Cusa Excitationum lib 10. ex sermone qui per spiritum sanctum semetipsuÌ„ obtulâ—s u Ibidem x August Iustinianus in scholiis Octapliâ— Psal. 30. y Ferus lib. 4. in Mat. cap. 27. in illa verbaâ— Deus meus deuenitus z Ibidem Charitie supposeth the best Sinful infirmities are more hainous in Christ then in vs. Christs soule â—reer from hel then either saints or angels This opinion is not false but impertinent and idle The third opinion can hardly auoid 〈…〉 Sheol as well hell as the graue a Psal. â— b 〈…〉 c Ibid. ver 24. d Iob. 11 The lowest place and farthest from heauen is hell e Psal. 85. f Deut. 32 The scripture maketh a descent to Sheol g Luke 16 h Genes 37 i Genesâ— 42. k Numb 16 l Psal. 9. The soules of y e wicked were in Sheol before Christs comming but not of the godly â—say 38 n Prouerb 15 o Prouerb 9 p Prouerb 23 q Psal. 89. r Psal. 49 s Psal. 49. Abraham bosome is no part of Sheol or hel t Prouerb 13 u Luke 16. x August epist. 99. y Luke 16. How y e words of the Creed are best expounded z 1. Corinth 15 1. Regum 17. b 2. Regum 4 Marei 5. d Luke 7 Iohn 11 Reuelat. 2. Christ the first that euer rose conqueror of sinne death and hell g Ephes. â—â— The conquest of Christ ouer sinne death h Rom. 4. i Reuel 14 In vaine is all that christ did for vs if hel be noâ— coÌ„quered The methode of handling Christs descent Christs conquest ouer Satan had these three effects The proofe of these three by the scriptures k Mat. 12. Mark 3. l Phil. 2. m Colos. 2. n 1. Cor. 15. o 1. Peter 3. On the crosse Christ obtained his triumph but he executed it at his resurrectioÌ„ p Mat. 28. q Philip. 2 r Reuel 1. s Psal 2. t Heq. 2. n Colos. 2. The fathers read in sâ—metipso in his own person and those y t reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applie it to Christ not to the crosse saue onelie Occumenius Oâ—cumeniusâ—â— 2. cap. ad 〈◊〉 Christs resurrectioÌ„ was a famore glorious triumph ouer Satan then his passion was x 2. Corâ— y Româ— z 1. Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 â— Heb. 13. â— Heb. 12. Luke 24. Phil. â— The cause
and â—â—ne of christs triumph f Math. 〈◊〉 g Reuel â— h Reuel 3. i Esay 5â— Ephes. 4. l Reuel 10. Christs manhood must triumph and not his Godhead 〈◊〉 3. u Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 20. o 1. Corinth 15 And in his maÌ„hood the soule not the bodie which lay dead in earth p Rom. 14 q Matth. 16. Osee. 13 Whether Christs desceÌ„t to hel be written in the scriptuâ—es or no. August de doctri Christiana lib. 3. câ—p 10. Ibidem u Psal. 16. Actes 2 The words are plaine enough if we wrest theÌ„ not from theiâ— proper sense Psal. 16. The soule must not be taken for the bodie though man may be signifiâ—d by either y Tertullian dâ— carne Christi cap. 13. Actes 2. a Tertullian de carne Christi cap. 13 The circumstances proue the words must be properly taken Actes â— Apoc. 2 20. 21. Death is either the first or the second d Acâ—es 3 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which S. Luke expresseth Daâ—ids meaning doth alwaies note hel in the new testament e Matth. 16 f Reuelat. â—â— g Luke 16 h Ibidem ver 23 i Ibidem ver 24 k Reuel 6. l Reuelat. 20 m Reuel â— n 1. Corinth 15 The church from the beginning hath confessed Christs descent to hell Euseb. ecclesiaâ—â—â—â—stor lib. 1 cap. 13. p Iohn 22 q Euseb. ibid. Ignatius 〈…〉 r Asâ—anas in Symbolo August epist. 99. t Ibidemâ— u Hilarius de â—rinitat lib. 2 x Ibid. lib 3. y Hilarius in Psal. 138. z Idem de trinit lib. 4. a Leo de resâ—â— domini sermâ—â—â— b Tulgentius de passione domini ad Trasim lib. 3 Christ descended to y e place of the damned c Act. 8. d Symbol â—post d Symbol â—post e Heb 2. To destroy the diuell and to deliuer man Heb. 2. g Luke â—â— Whither christ descended after death d Athanas de salutari aduentoâ—â— Christi i Athanas. de incarnatione Christi Athanasius agreeth in this point with Hilary and Fulgentius k Athanas. ibidâ— l Hilar. in Psal. 138. m Hilar. de triâ—â—taâ— lib. 3 n Pulgenâ— vt 〈◊〉 o Luke 13. p Ezech. 18 q August epi. 99 The ende of Christs desceÌ„t to hell was the destruction of Satan and deliuerance of man Esay 25 s Osee. 13 t Osee. 13 u Rom. 16 x 1. Corinth 15 y Luke 1 2. Tim. 3 a Actes 26 Deliuerance was performed as well to the liuing and vnborne as to the deade b Hebre. 2 c Fulgent ad Trasimundum lib. 3. d Ibidem e De trinitat 1. 4 f Ibidem lib. 3 g Athanas. de salutari aduentu Christi h Idem de incarnat Christi i Ibidem We are deliuered not from being in hell but from comming thither k Psal. 85. l August in Psal. 85. m Ibidem n Tertullian de anima cap. 55 Where the soules of the righteous were before Christs comming is nothing to this question o August in psal 85. The reason why the fathers thought they were in hell p Gen. 37. q Gen. 42. r Iob. 17. s Iob. 14. t Psal. 89. u Esai 38. Sheôl signifieth as well the graue as hell x Esay 38. y Ibid. ver 18. 19. z Psal. 6. a Psal. 1â—5 b Psal. 141. c Iob. 17. d Eccles. â— The Church of the Iewes thought the soules of the righteous to be in peace c Sapient ca. 3. f Psal. 19. g Luke 16. Christ himselâ—â— placed y e 〈◊〉 of the righteous far aboue beâ—â— in 〈◊〉 h August â—pi 9â— The summe of S. Austens collections out of the 16. of sainâ— Luke i Mat. 8. k 2. Pet. â— S. Austens coÌ„iecture that some were deliuered out of hell is vâ—ne weake l August epist. 99. How y e church might beleeue Adams bandes were loosed in hell by Christs descent Sapient 10 From hel was no release by the doctrine of our Sauiour n Luke 16 o Mark 9â— p Mark 9. The fathers varie touching the place of the soules departed before Christs comming q De anima ca. 55. r In Psal. 48. concio 13. s In Eccle. cap. 9 t In Epistol ad Rom. cap. 5. u Cap. 55. x Idem cap. 5â— y Idem contrae Marcion lib. 4 z In Epistol ad Rom. cap 5 a In Psal. 118 serm 3 b Ambros. de bono mortis ca. 10. b Ambros. de bono mortis ca. 10. b Ambros. de bono mortis ca. 10. c Iohn 14 The soules of the righteous were in Abrahams bosome by the confession of the fathers d Orig. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 e Hieron in Esay cap. 65. f Ambros. in Psal. 38 g Idem de bono mortis cap. 12â— h Hilar. in Psal. 51. i Idem in Psal. 120. k Idem in Psal. 2. l 1. Samuel â—8 Whether the soule of Samuel were in hell or no. l 1. Samuel 18. Whether the soule of Samuel were in hell or no. Reasons to proue it was an illusion of the Diuel m Luke 16. n Deut. 18. o Reuel â—â— p Tertul. de anima cap 57. Authorities to proue the same q Ibid. r Respons ad quaest 52. s Theodoret. questioâ—um in lib 1. Regum quaest 62 t Ibidem u Idem quaest 62 x Vide lib. 1. Paralip cap. 10. ver 13. â— 14. y 1. Paral. ca. 10. vers 13. z Ad Simplician lib. 2. quaest 3. a Ibidem b Ad octo Dulcitij quaestione quest 6 c De doct Christiana li. 2. ca. 23 Neither opinioÌ„ proueth that Samuels soule was in hell d 1. Sam. 1â— e Ad Simplie lib. 2. quaest 3 e Ad Simplie lib. 2. quaest 3 g Quaest. ex veâ—er testâ—mento â—uaest 27. h Caus. 26. quâ—st ◠§ 14. nec miruÌ„ Ivrge not the fathers but agreeing with the scriptures and with them selues Heb 2. k Colos 2. l 1. Cor. 15. m Acts 2. m Acts 2. n Ephes. 4. o Mat. 27. Christs desceâ—â—ding into the deep and into hel are al onâ—â— p Rom. 10 q Luke 8 r Reuelat 9. verse 1â—8 Ibidem ver 11 Reuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 20. Christ descended into the bottomlesse deepe The descent to hell after death a part of our redeÌ„ption t De Trinitat lib. 2 â—â—thanas de salutari adueâ—mu Christi x August â—pist 99. y Ibidem z Ibidem a Ibidem b August 〈…〉 Christ deliuered the bodies of some saints from the power of hel that is he raised theÌ„ from death c Matth. 27 d Esay 33 Hebre. 2 f 1. Corinth 15 g Reuelat. 20 h Reuel 1. i 1. Corinth 15 k Ephes. 2 l Ephes. 6 m Hebre. 2 Whether the bodies of the the saints that rose with christ slept againe or no. n August epist. 99 o Matth. 27â— p August â—â—pistola 99â— q Actes 2 Dauid saw corruptioÌ„ though he were then risen from corruption but Christs flesh neuer putrified r Acts. 2. ver 34 s August de genesi ad literam li. 8. cap. â— t Hebre. 11. u Hebre. 11 x 4. Regum 2 y Matth. 1â— z Luke 23 a
VNA SVA CORPORALI ac voluntaria benigne potenter occurrit ILLAQVE SVA VNA NOSTRAM VTRAMQVE DAMNAVIT Where man was condemned vnto a double death to witte in either part of his nature the one death spirituall and voluntarie the other corporall and necessarie God beeing made man did mightilie and mercifullie release both our Deathes with his ONE CORPORALL and voluntarie Death and with THAT ONE DEATH OF HIS DESTROYED BOTH OVRS And so concludeth Dum sponte tantum in corpore moritur vitam nobis iustitiam promeretur VVhiles Christ dyed willinglie and ONELY in his BODY he merited for vs both righteousnesse and life I hope to all men learned or well aduised it will séeme no Iesuiticall phrensie but rather christian catholike doctrine that the son of God dying for our sinnes suffered NOT THE DEATH OF THE SOVLE but ONLIE OF THE BODIE by the hands of the Iewes and by the bodily bloudie sacrifice of himself did not only redeeme clense both our souls bodies but destroied sin death purging our transgressions by the merit of his obedience swalowing vp death by power y t of his life And howsoeuer the scriptures sometimes affirme that hee gaue himselfe a ransome for all men and the Fathers likewise teach that hee gaue his flesh for our flesh and his soule for our soules yet neither Scriptures nor Fathers haue anie meaning either to subiect Christ to the death of the soule which assertion they abhorre as wicked or to diminish the force or fruit of his bodily death which they extoll as most sufficient but to expresse that in the death of his flesh on the crosse his soule did suffer the sense of paine and smart of death which parted the bodie and soule in sunder and so ioyntlie with the bodie and seuerallie by it selfe the soule of Christ had not onely temptations afflictions and passions but euen endured the naturall sting and sharpenesse of death to which he submitted his soule that he might haue the feeling of our infirmities and in all things bee tempted as wee are but still without sinne How Christ gaue himselfe wholy for vs we maie learne out of Bernard Sicut TOTVM HOMINEM saluâ—m fecit sic DE TOTO SE HOSTIAM fecit salutarem corpus exponens tantis supplicijs iniurijs animam vero geminae cuiusdam humanissimae compassionis affectui inde super moerore inconsolabili sanctarum foeminarum inde super desperatione dispersione discipulorum In his quatuor crux domiâ— mea fuit As Christ saued the VVHOLE MAN so of HIMSELFE WHOLIE hee made a wholesome sacrifice yeelding his bodie to so great torments and wrongs and his soule to the feeling of a double most tender compassion on the one side for the vncomfortable greefe of the holie women on the other side for the desperation and dispersion of his disciples In these foure consisted the crosse of Christ. Since then the death of Christ did both affect and afflict his soule and his bodie iustlie might Irenaeus say The Lord bought vs with his owne bloud and gaue his soule for our soules and his flesh for our flesh For in dying hee layde downe his soule not onelie to sorrowe gréefe and paine but euen to the bitter diuorce of death that brake the communion of bodie and soule Sicut TOTVS SEMETIPSVM tradidit TOTVS HOMO SEMETIPSVM OBTVLIT ita totus homo ANIMAM SVAM POSVIT cuÌ„ anima in cruce moriente carne discessit As WHOLE Christ gaue HIM SELFE saith Fulgentius and the WHOLE MAN OFFERED HIMSELFE so the whole man LAYD DOWNE HIS SOVLE wheÌ„ the flesh dying on the crosse the soule departed So that Christ yéelded his soule for our soules to the susception of sorrow prepossion of paine and dissolution of nature but vnto the death of the soule he did neither offer nor yéelde himselfe since that is a separation from God and exclusion from grace from which it was vtterlie impossible the soule of Christ could either willingly or forceablie for an houre be remoued yea where you find the suffering of his soule witnessed there shall you see the DEATH OF HIS FLESH ONELIE to be auouched Quia TOTVM HOMINEM deus ille suscepit ideo TOTIVS HOMINIS in se passiones in veritate monstrauit ammam quidem rationalem habens quicquid fuit infirmitatis animae sine peccato suscepit pertulit vt dum humanae animae passiones in anima quam accepit vinceret nostras quoque animas ab infirmitatibus liberaret Carnem quoque humanam accipiens in eiusdem veritate carnis veritatem voluntariae habuit passionis vt IN CARNE MORTVVS TOTAM in se HOMINIS OCCIDERET MORTEM Because the sonne of God tooke vnto him the WHOLE NATVRE of man therefore he shewed in himselfe the sufferings OF THE VVHOLE MAN and hauing a reasonable soule he tooke vpon him and endured all the infirmities of the soule but without sinne that whiles in the soule which he tooke hee conquered the passions of mans soule he might free our soules also from infirmities Taking likewise mans flesh in the truth of the same flesh he suffered a true and voluntarie passion that DYING IN THE FLESH hee might kill in his person the WHOLE DEATH dew to man Christ endured the passions of the whole man hauing neither bodie nor soule frée from suffering but yet he died ONLY in the FLESH and thereby he killed the WHOLE DEATH inflicted on the body and soule of man Quis ignorat Christum IN SOLO CORPORE MORTVVM sepultuÌ„ Who is ignoraÌ„t that Christ in BODY ONLY DIED and was buried And againe Sicut in MORTE SOLIVS CARNIS immortalis fuit sic in passionibus totius hominis impassibilis omnino permansit The godheade of Christ was immortall when ONELY HIS BODY DIED and impassible when the whole man suffered Moriente carne non solum deitas sed NEC ANIMA CHRISTI POTEST OSTENDI COMMORTVA When Christs bodie died not onelie his deitie but his SOVLE CANNOT BE SHEWED TO HAVE BEEN PARTAKER OF DEATH Wherefore I easilie admitte the wordes of Nazianzene to be true that euerie part in man is sanctified by the like in Christ our condemned flesh by his flesh our soule by his soule our vnderstanding by his vnderstanding yea I dislike not the wordes of Cyrill Carnem suam in redemptionis pretium pro omnium carne dependit animam suam similiter pro omnium anima redemptionis pretium constituit quamuis iterum reuixerit vita secundum naturam existens Christ yeelded his flesh as a ransome for the flesh of all men and made his soule likewise a price to redeeme the soules of all though he were restored againe to life as beeing life by nature so long as we abuse not his wordes to maintaine our fansies impugning his generall and setled doctrine that sufficient for the redeÌ„ption of the
death marke well the condition annexed to the proposition If our soules bee not redeemed by the death and bloud of Christ and then all these absurdities which you thought to fasten on mee â—all full on your owne head For if our soules be not redeemed by the bloud of Christ our bodies haue vtterlie no good euen no good at all by the death of Christ. They haue you saie Iustification mortification sanctifiâ—â—tion hope of resurrection besides the lawfull possession of earthly things Haue our bodies these things of themselues or from our soules first iustified mortified sanctified and assured of life I trust you dare not saie that our bodies haue anie of these but for and from the Soule Then if the soule be not redéemed by the death of Christ the bodie can haue none of these and consequentlie my words are sound and good yours if you stand to them against the condition annexed to mine are prophane and false But I alter my words you will saie to my best aduantage when I sée your obiections to preuent that danger It had bene fittest for you to haue staied the printing of mine owne wordes and then you might haue charged me with them and not bee repelled as a forgetteâ— or misconstruer of them or to haue gotten you a copie of that which I deliueerd out that verie summer to men of great honour and learning a yeere and more before I euer heard or thought of your pamphlet because I founde so manie humorous heades misconceaning and misreporting my wordes But your hastâ— was such you coulde not or your skill you woulde not staie the sight of mine owne wordes least they shoulde trouble you more then you were ware and therefore out of your owne ill conâ—eaued and worse digested Rapsodies you framâ— obiections as pleaseth your selfe which either were not mine or not so proposed by me And that maketh me pursue no more of your aunsweres by reason I spende more time in recalling you to the trueth of my wordes then in refelling your exceptions which haue neither waight nor witnesse more then the buzzing of your owne braine Let vs therefore view howe well you behaue your selfe in your owne proofes which you cannot forget or mistake In proposing the question and pursuing the proofes there is some hope christian Reader the holines of the confuters cause wil lead him to go plainly souÌ„dlie to work Thus therfore he beginneth The whole controuersy hath in it two points 1. That Christ suffered for vs the wrath of God 2. That after his death on the crosse he went not into hel in his soule Now then for the former thus we saie and constantly auow Christ Iesus did suffer in his whole manhoode for the redemption and satisfaction of our sinnes yea he suffered properly and immediatelie in his soule and not in his flesh only Therefore he suffered for vs the wrath of God This consequent is manifest and cannot be denied The antecedent or first part of the former generall reason is denied and confidentlie reiected yet how falselie by Gods helpe shal easily appeare Touching the first part of this controuersie were you awaked or a sléepe Sir refuter when I preached of these thinges that you so constantlie auowe this was the question whether Christ suffered for vs thâ— wrath of God or no if you were present and not a sleepe it is too much boldnes to outface the world in print that this was the position which I impugned There were too manie witnesses there for mee to denie or you to belie the question you knowe it well enough but you cannot tell how to proue that which I then reproued and therefore you shrink from that and dallie with generall and doubtfull termes which according as they are expounded may either make with you or against you The question proposed by me was whether it could be proued by the scriptures or by necessary consequent from them that Christ in his soule suffered the true paines of hell such as the damned doe suffer and wee shoulde haue suffered had we not beene redeemed by him I added if we tooke the paines of hell metaphoricallie for great and extreame sorrowes and paines as Dauid and Ionas did she speach might be tolerated but if wee tooke them properlie for the verie same which the damned doe and shall suffer in hell as there is no proofe for it so there is no truth in it To this you saie nothing and so to all wise men make a confession that you cannot iustifie that which I then disallowed Ye bee come since to tell vs that certainelie Christ suffered the wrath of God for vs which if it be granted you I doe not see what it canne helpe your cause or hurt mine For the wrath of God extendeth to all paines and punishmentes as well corporall as spirituall in this life and the next be they temporall or eternall So that no paine or punishment small or great coulde befall the bodie or soule of Christ but it must néedes procéed from the wrath of God Wherefore your idle discourse of 32. leaues in which you labor to proue that Christ suffered the wrath of God for sinne might wel haue bin spared Thrée lines directlie to the purpose had bin more worth then so many leaues thus wastfullie spent But in the ende you conclude like a Clark Christ suffered the wrath of God which we affirme is equall to hell it selfe and all the tormentes thereof What you affirme I little regarde what you can proue is that I intend And out of this proposition Christ suffered for vs the wrath of God for sinne you shall neuer conclude Ergo hee suffered the true paines of hel Were your proposition generall shal Christ suffered all the wrath of God for sinne that is the whole wrath of God and euery part thereof due to sinne you might well conclude Ergo he suffered the true paines of hell for hell indéede as it is the last so is it the greatest effect of Gods wrath against sin but from an indefinite proposition as yours is which maie signifie the VVHOLE or SOME PART of GODS VVRATH due to sinne you shall neuer inferre what part you list as here you doe Will you to make your consequent good amend your antecedent and make it generall that Christ suffered the whole wrath of God euery part thereof due to sinne Then heare good Sir mine answere That proposition besides that it no waie followeth vpon your first antecedeÌ„t Christ suffered properlie and immediatlie in his soule therefore he suffered the whole wrath of God and euery part thereof due to sinne besides I saie that there is no coherence no consequence betwixt these two propositions the later of them that Christ suffered the whole wrath of God due to sinne and euery part thereof is most impious and blasphemous For so neither vtter desperation nor finall reiection nor eternal damnation are excepted but Christ did and must suffer them all since they are