reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ First desdescended into the lower partes of the earth then he led captiuity captiue and not only we are deliuered from the captiuity of Satan sinne and damnation but also Christ triumphing ouer them as tirants hath ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Uery aptly likewise doth Hemingius expound this place as by his death he conflicted with his enemy on the crosse so by his glorious descending into hell resurrection and ascention he triumphed as it is Ephes. 4. leauing his crosse lift vp as a monument of his victorye This then is an other end of Christs descending into hell to triumph ouer the diuell to strike perpetuall terrors into thē and to deliuer vs from the feare of their tiranny I end therfore with this worthy saying of Fulgentius to Thrasymunde in his 8. chapter the true humanity of the sonne of God neither was wholy in the sepulchre neither wholy in hell but in the Sepulchre he lay dead according to his true flesh but in his soule he descended into hell In his soule he returned from hell to the slesh which lay in the sepulchre but in respect of his diuinity he neither is holden in place nor lymited by bond he was wholy in the graue with his flesh wholy in hell with his soule and by this meanes was fully euery where Christ because God was not seperated from the humanity which he had assumpted which was both in soule in hell that from hell his soule might return a conqueresse and was with his flesh that by reason of his spéedy resurrection it might not be corrupted Therefore the sonne of God took all man with all his infirmities without sinne for vs and the same Christ was giuen wholy for vs in respect of his flesh he was dead but in respect of his soule he descended into Hell It is not vnknowne therefore that Eusebius Fulgentius Mollerus Musculus Hemingius with many others before by me named being accompted lightes of the world in their time haue confirmed this article of our faith by this Scripture which thing when we doo likewise we are reckoned to be deceiuers But God who knoweth our harts and intent knoweth that both by praier and study we trauell to know the truth in this controuersie and we are assured by his holy and eternall woord we stand therein An other place we haue in Scripture to confirme our position in the Epistle to the Ephes. 4. verse 9. 10. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth he that descended is euen the same that ascended farre aboue all heauens that he might fulfil all things For the better vnderstanding of this place you must note that in the Hebrew tung there are 7. names of Hell Scheol Auaddon Bor Schachath Bor Scheon Tit Haijáuen Thalmáueth Erets Tachtiioth Erets Tachtiioth then signifying the lowest partes of the earth sith it is an appellation for hell this place must néedes proue manifestly the descending of Christ into hell For as ascend and descend are cōtrary so are heauen and the lowest partes of the earth I will therfore procéede by Gods grace in the expounding of this place as I haue doon in the rest First I wil proue by conference of Scriptures that the lowest parts of the earth signifieth hell In the 63. Psalme and 9. verse the Prophet thus writeth Therfore they that seeke my soule to destroye it shall goe into the lowest partes of the earth And in Ezekiel 31. verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. the Prophet prophecying the destruction of the Assirians saith They shall goe down into hell which he calleth in y e chapter 3. times Ercts tachtiioth that is the lower partes of y e earth The like manner of spéech is in the praier of Manasses ver 12. O Lord condemn me not by reseruing euil for me neither condemne me into the lower parts of the earth And so is this place vnderstood by Ambrose writing on the same place in his exposition of the 4. chapter of the Ephesians this man therefore comming downe from heauen into the earth was borne a man afterward he died and descended into hell from whence rising the third day he ascended into heauen before all mortall men aboue all heauens that he might shew death to be vanquished to euery creature So doth Augustine interpret this place in his 15. booke of the Trinity and 19. chapter and Chrisostom on the 4. chapter of the Ephesians And Athanasius expounding this parcell of Scripture thus explaineth the Apostles meaning into what place did he descend into hell truely which he calleth according to the common opinion of men the lowest partes of the earte For as Chrisostome saith he went to the partes of the earth beyond which was nothing lower and from thence he ascended into the heauens then y e which nothing is higher And in hell as he bound the diuell with the bandes of his iustice and power that he should not herafter hurt any of his members so from heauen he giueth his Saints giftes that they may resist the diuell and tread him vnder their féet Those men of worthy memory which com posed the centuries doo auouch y e in fimae partes terrae that is the lowest partes of the earth do signifie hel and proue it out of this text Ephes. 4. And for this cause Hierome in this place thus hath concluded and so doo I with Hierome that hell is vnder the earth no man doubteth for he that descended in soule into hell ascended with body and soule into heanen For as much then as the learned and godly Rabbins the Fathers both Gréeke and Latin haue consented that these woords doo signifie hell and the circumstances of the text doo proue the same it must néeds be confessed of all godly men that this place dooth proue this article of our faith strongly and no refutation béerof can be made by any deuise of man For as ascend and descend are contrary so hell and heauen are contrary and Christ did begin his triumph in hell make shew of it in earth and now hauing all power in heauen earth and hell is set down on the right hand of God not only as a valiant conquerour that hath made his enemies his footstoole but also as a terrible iudge that hath condemned y e diuels and as a glorious King that ruleth all creatures for euer If any man will not beléeue S. Hierome that hell is beneath let him consider these 2. Scriptures the 86. Psal. ver 13. and Pro. 15. ver 24. For great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell The Hebrew phrase is Scheol Tachtiioth The other place is The way of life is on high to the prudent to auoid from hell beneath Now let vs examine the place of S. Peter who in his first Epistle and 3. chapter
soule in hell wholy in the world wholy in heauen wholy in the vnity of the nature in the Father of whom he came and wholy by the omnipotency of his diuinity in all y e creatures which he made The Apostle kéeping this vnitye of person doth thus confirme the Church of Corinth in the faith of the truth For first of all I haue deliuered you that which I haue receiued that Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures and that he was buried and rose againe the third day according to the Scriptures He saith not that the body of Christ was dead but Christ that he might kéep the vnity of the person of God and man and that he might shew the substantial propriety of the deity and humanity In another place he sayth for although he was crucified of infirmie yet he liueth by the power of God Héer we are taught that the whole humanity was assumpted into the Godhead and that death albeit it did sunder the body and the soule yet it it did not sunder the Godhead from either parte and for this cause the Godhead being with the flesh in the graue it conld not corrupt and the same Godhead vnited to the soule the soule could not he left in hell but euen as his body was in graue to shew him to be true man and it rose againe without corruption to shew him very God so his soule was iu hel to shew himself a true man it came from hel to shew himself a true God and a most glorious conquerour of al his enemies both in earth and in hell The like hath Ciril in his treatise of the right faith to Theodosius the soule of Christ being coupled to his Godhead descended into hel vsing the power of God did appeare to the soules that were there And writing on Iohn in his 12. book and 36. chapter and when the time was come that he should preach to the soules that were in hell for he came to be Lord of the liuing and of the dead he dyed for vs and this proper passion of our nature he willingly took on him as concerning this flesh albeit as God he is life naturally that hell being spoyled he might be the first fruites of them that fléepe and being made the first begotten of the dead as the Scripture calleth him he might giue to our nature a returne to life And of this iudgement is Oecumenius interpreting the Scripture Christ dyed for the vniust not only for them which were after him but also for them that were before him and therefore went down into hell As the death of Christ was auaileable vnto thē that dyed before him so the descension of Christ into hell was profitable to them that liued before Christ as well as to those that liued after him Vigilius also in his 2. book and 3. chapter thus saith the flesh of Christ was not in Paradice nor in hell but lay in the graue without life the soule for y t 3. dayes was in hell and not in the graue and yet we say well that out Lord Iesus Christ lay in the sepulchre but in his onlye fleshe and that our Lord Iesus Christ was not lefte in hell but in his only soule and albeit Christ is in all these and euerye one of these yet it is but one Christ whereof one parte of his humanity was so in the graue and another in hell that he notwithstanding is one wholy euery where albeit he hath seuerally deuided himselfe by places and therfore we say the Lord lay in the graue but in only flesh and the Lord went down to hell but in only soule Alesius one of the first reformed Ministers of Scotland in his learned treatise vpon the Gospell of S Iohn thus writeth concerning this controuersie but this encourageth me that I haue a manifest place and text in Peter that Christ preached in hell to them which in the dayes of Noah were vnbeléeuers that is condemned in the nethermost hell then he alleageth the place of Ephe. 4. before by me alleadged and therupon thus concludeth I expound therefore this article simply and againe I meruaile what men meane that they deny that Christ descended into hell Alesius did wonder that any man would deny this article because it hath so many confirmations and in euery confirmation in such order as they are set in the Créed are proued the death descending into hell resurrection and ascension of Christ together For in the 16 Psalme he beginneth with the death of Christ in the 10. verse but in the last verse he speaketh of his resurrection and of his exaltation at the right hand of God So in the Act. 2. chap. First he speaketh of the death of Christ in the 29. verse Secondly of his buriall in y t same verse of his descending into hell in the 13. verse of his resurrection in the 32. verse and of his ascending and exaltation to glory and his giuing of the holy Ghost in the 33. verse so in the 4. chapter of the Ephe there is not onlye mention made of Christ descending into the lowest partes of y e earth but also it is saide in the 10. verse that he ascended far aboue all heauens And also in the 3. chap. of the Philippians not only the Apostle declareth the humility of Christs death but also setteth downe his presence in hell and that euerye knée did bow vnto him and euery tung did confesse him to be the Lord and thus he sheweth first who was highly exalted he that hath made himselfe of no reputation from whence he was exalted from those that were vnder earth where he was exalted that is farre aboue al heauens and lastly who exalted him that is God his Father So in this place Peter proueth in the 18. verse the death of Christ in the 19. verse the descending of Christ into hell in the 20. verse the end of his descending that is to reproue them of ther disobedience to the preaching of Noah in the 21. ver he speaketh of the resurrection of Christ in the 22. verse he endeth the ascending vp into heauen vnto the right hand of God that all Angels powers and might might be subiect vnto him In all these Scriptures the order of our Créed being kept and all these thinges plainlye proued very great cause of maruell is giuen to Alesius and many learned men why this article should be denyed which is confirmed by the scriptures that the death buriall resurrection and ascension of Christ are confirmed and therefore those that deny these Scriptures to proue the descending of Christ into hell may aswell deny the resurrection of Christ for the resurrction being the ioyning of both partes of the manhood of Christ together cannot cléerely be proued vnlesse it be shewed from whence both partes seuered came which is proued before to be thus the soule of Christ from hell and the body from the graue Further where it is
the 18. 19. and 20. verses saith It is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well dooing then for ill dooing for as much as Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God and was killed as pertaining to the flesh but was quickened in the spirite in which spirit he also went and preached to the spirites that were in prison which sometime had been disobedient when the long suffering of God was once looked for in the dayes of Noah while the arke was a preparing wherein a few that is to say 8. soules were saued by the water For the better vnderstanding of this place because the woord spirite is diuerslye taken in the woord of God I will first set downe the diuerse acceptation of the woorde spirite and afterward by many vncontrollable reasons out of the text I will by Gods assistance confirme my assertion that Christ in soule descended into hell They that know not the signification of the woord spirite are often deceiued for somtimes it signifieth the wil and authority of a man as in the 1. Cor. 5 ver 3. I truly as absent in body but present in spirit c. Sometimes it is taken for doctors Prophets 1. Ioh. 4. 5. Proue the spirits whether they are of God or no Sometimes for a Ghoast Luke 24. 37. And they supposed that they had seene a Spirite Sometime for winde or breath as Ioh. 3. 8. the winde bloweth where it will Sometime for a voice or woord 1. Cor. 84. 15. I wil pray with the spirit I will pray with the vnderstanding Sometime for the life of the Lawe 2. Cor. 3. 17. Now the Lord is the life Sometimes it is taken for a kinde of deceipte whereby any pretendeth to haue a spirite of reuelation 2. Thes. 2. 2. Be ye not troubled neither by spirite neither by word nor by letter So is it taken in Micheas 2. 11. Sometimes it is taken for the animal life Psalm 104. 29. If thou take away their spirite they dye Sometime for wrath Pro. 25. and last verse A man that refraineth not his anger is like a Cittie which is broken down and without wals Somtimes for the gifts of the spirit first for ioy in the holy ghost Ephe. 5. 18. But be ye filled with the spirite Secondly for spirituall vnderstanding 1. Thes. 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirite soule and body may be kept blameles vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. So it is vsed Ephe. 2. 22. Thirdly it is vsed for seruencye of zeale sedulity and constancy 1. Timo. 4. 12. But be thou an ensample in word in cōuersation in loue in spirit Fourthly it is taken for the true doctrine of the Gospell which worketh effectually in our harts by the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 6. which hath made vs fit Ministers of the new testament not of the letter but of the spirit Where the letter signifieth the vtter preaching which toucheth not the hart Fiftly for a spirituall life Gal. 6. 8. He that soweth in the spirit shall in the spirit reap eternall life Sixtly it is taken for prophecy 1. Thes. 5. 19. quench not the spirit Which he interpreteth in the verse following despise not prophecying It signifieth sometime a thing of nothing Esa. 26. 18. We haue conceiued we haue borne in paine as though we should haue brought forth winde Sometime for euery creature that hath breath Psal. 150. and last verse Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Sometime it signifieth the diuine or immortal essence of y e soule Eph. 4. 4. There is one spirite Acts 7. ver 59. Stephen saith Lord Iesus receiue my soul. Somtime it signifieth God Ioh. 4. 24. God is a spirit And so the woord spirit is common to the whole 3. persons Sometimè it signifieth the holy Ghoste the 3. person in Trinity wherunto is alwaies put the Gréeke article Mat. 4. 5. Mar. 1. 12. Luc. 4. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Act. 8. 29. Because then the word hath so many significations we must proue by the circumstances of y e text what is héer his proper meaning They that say that by this place is meant Christs preaching in the spirit in y e time of Noah are many waies cléerely confuted First because that mortificatus and viuificatus two contrary particles of one tense are attributed to Christ so that Christ being dead was aliue and that at one time and in respect of his humanity Secondlye he sheweth how he was dead and how he was aliue by putting to mortificatus carne he was killed in the flesh and viuificatus spiritu he was quickned in the spirit or in the soule for to say the Godhead was quickned is a grosse error For as Augustine saith in his 99. Epistle it is very euident that the Lord killed as concerning the flesh went into hell Thirdly in his soule while he was yet dead in the bodye hée went downe into hell the Gréek woord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord must néeds be vnderstood of the soule of Christ because it is a motion from vs to another place and not of the Godhead and therfore is vsed again in y e 22. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went into heauen and thus proueth he the death of Christ in the 18. verse the descending of Christ into hell in the 19. verse his resurrection in the 21. verse and his ascending into heauen in the last verse Fourthly the Scripture doth straightlye ioyne together the passion of Christ with this perfection and preaching so that Christ went immediatly after his passion to preach to the spirits Neither dooth he deuide them as though now he did suffer preach long before for the resurrection and ascension héer spoken of succéeded this passion so did this iourney and going into Hell Fiftly the Scripture doth plainely attribute the preaching of Noah properly to the holy Ghoste not to y e second person as it appeareth Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not alway striue with man As all the scripture doth ascribe the doctrine and ministry of preaching to the 3. person and that the 3. person receiueth it of Christ doth speak by the mouth of holy Doctors inspireth the scripture and reproueth the world or comforteth Sixtly if the woord spirit must be vnderstoode of God héere of whom Christ is quickned as some would haue it it must néedes also be vnderstood of the first person that he preached in hell for the scripture attributeth the resurrection of Christ to the Father Last of all that we heap not to manye thinges in an euident matter the participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were disobedient doth fignifie and plainely shew this inobedience to be long before this preaching so also the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in times past and all the annotation of time following
therin are and the Sea and the thinges which therein are that time should be no more Therefore to day signifieth not a naturall or artificiall day for if there be dayes in heauen there be wéekes moneths yéeres and all manner of changes which is absurd but to day signifieth for euer as I will proue by many Scriptures First in the 2. Psal. 7. verse Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee euen so Act. 13. 32. 33. verses And we declare vnto you that touching the promise made vnto the Fathers God hath fulfilled it in vs their children in that he raised vp Iesus euen as it is written in the 2. Psalme thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Héere the Apostle prouing Christ to be euerlasting alleadgeth these woordes thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thée And in the epistle to the Heb. 1. 5. prouing Christ to be higher then the Angels and from euerlasting he saith For to which of the Angels said he thou art my sonne this day begat I thee And most plainly Heb. 5. 6. Prouing that Christ liued for euer but the Priests of the Leuiticall order dyed he proueth the eternity of Christ thus So likewise Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour to be made a high priest but he that saide vnto him thou art my sonne this day begat I thee gaue it him He also in another place speaketh Thou art an high Preest for euer after the order of Melchisedec Héere the Apostle prouing Christ to be an euerlasting Préest and to giue eternall redemption vseth this woord to day which signifieth for euer as it is manifest in the 6. ver By these reasons therfore it is proued that with me signifieth with the Godhead 1. By the petition of the théefe for he asked the kingdome of heauen 2. By that which was forgiuen him his sinnes 3. By that which was giuen him that was glory 4. By the place where it was giuen him that was paradise 5. By the time for how long it was giuen him that is for euer Lastlye by the person that giueth it that is Christ who being euerlasting as I proued before forgiueth infinite sinnes giueth grace alwaies in his euerlasting kingdome and in all eternity for euer And of this iudgement is S. Augustine who answering the like obiection of the aduersaryes of this doctrine in his time this hath left in writing there is an other meaning also much more frée from all ambiguities if it be taken to be spoken not in respect that he is man but in respect that he is God to day thou shalt be with me in paradise for the man Christ was in respect of his flesh in the graue that day in respect of his soule in hell and the same Christ was God euery where and at all times The last place that is alleadged by y e gainsayers of this doctrine is the last spéech which Christ vsed vpon the crosse Luc. 23. 46. Into thy hands O Father I commend my spirite Out of which place they thus conclude that the soule of Christ was committed to his Father in heauen therfore it went not to hell which is a false consequence For they imagine héer that the hands of God signifieth heauen which cānot be proued out of this place For this scripture being a deriuatiue place out of the 31 Psalme and 5. verse teacheth vs this that as the soule of Dauid being the figure of Christ did not immediatly after this prayer goe to heauen but was guided by the hand and gouernment of the Lord in all maner of perils so it dooth not follow that the soule of Christ being committed into the hands of the father for these woords are spoken in respect of the manhoode of Christ should passe immediatly into heauen but should so be guided by the Godhead that it should passe through death and hell mightily without resistance naturally with out assistance spéedily without tarying and happily without any returning But for the better vnderstanding of this place you must note how many waies this woord the hand of the Lord is taken in the holy book of God that when we sée the diuers acceptation of the woord we may take that sence which most fitteth this Scripture First the hand of God signifieth the Sonne of God Psal. 144. 7. Send thy hand from aboue 2. For his power Psal. 136. 6. In a mighty hand out stretched arme 3. The bountifulnes of God Psal. 145. 16. Thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing euery liuing creature 4. It signifieth consolation Ezek. 3. 22. The hand of the Lord was with me comforting me Sometime it signifieth grace Psal. 118. 16. The right hand of the Lord hath doone valiantly Sometime it signifieth the gifte of prophecye Ezek. 8. 1. The hand of the Lord fel there vpon me Sometimes it signifieth mercy Psal. 37. 24 Though he fall he shal not be cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Sometime it signifieth the protection of the Lord. Psal 31. 15. my times are in thy hand Sometime it sigifieth the aide of the Lord Nehe. 2. 8. And the king gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me And in y e 74. Psal. ver 11. Why withdrawest thou thy hand Somtime it signifieth y e punishment of the Lord. Iob. 19. 21. Haue pittie on me haue pittie on me aye my freends for the hand of God hath touched me It signifieth also the creation Psal. 102. 25. The heauens are the workes of thy hands Last of all it signifieth his gouernment Psal. 95. 4. In his hands are al y e corners of the earth Christ therfore commending his soule into the hands of the Father teacheth vs when we are dying or in any affliction which is gréeuous we must cōmit our soules to the power consolation mercy protection ayde and gouerment of the Lord. For this being a deriuatiue place is taken out of the 31. Psal. and 5. ver Therfore as the soule of Dauid did not immediatly after goe to heauen so did not the soule of Christ. For if he went vp immediatly then Christ did ascend before he did descend which is contrary to the Scriptures in many places In the Ephe. 4. 9. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth But if the soule of Christ went into heauen before he was buryed or descended into hell as the gainsayers of the doctrine stoutly affirme then he ascended before he descended which is contrary to this Scripture therefore good Reader marke these circumstances 1. Who must descend that is Christ. 2. Whether into the lowest partes of the earth which I haue proued before to be hell for as ascend and descend are contrary so is heauen and hell 3. When must he descend first before he ascend And thus as many learned men before
named haue vnderstoode this place so dooth Erasmus writing on the fourth Chapter of the Ephe. certainlye this is the thing that the Palsmists by the inspiration of the holy ghost spake of so long agoe for Christ hauing already conquered the hell is ascended aliue againe into the high kingdome of his Father And a little after he addeth after most low humbling followeth most high aduauncing from the most high heauens then the which nothing is higher he deiected himselfe euen into the hell the which nothing is lower When Mare Magdalene came to Christ Ioh. 20. 17. Christ saith to her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but to goe to my brethren and say vnto them Iascend vnto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God Héer the truth it selfe saith he had not yet ascended into heauen whosoeuer therefore affirmeth the contrary affirmeth an vntruth They wil answere Christ was not ascended in respect of his body but I reply if Christs soule being the principall parte of the humanitye had béene in heauen as they imagine then this speach is vntrue marke my reason for in death when both partes are sundered a man is saide to be where his soule is and not where his body is for the man taketh his name of the principall parte In this forte Christ saith Mat. 8. 11. Many shall come from the East and West and shall sit with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Héere you sée because the soules of those Patriarkes are in heauen they themselues are saide to be in heauen Euen so if Christs soule were in heauen Christ was in heauen and then this saying can not be verefied I haue not yet ascended to my Father for Christ ascended visibly and for this cause willeth Mary to goe tell his brethren whome he calleth to this action as witnesses For as the time of his ascending is noted to be forty dayes after his resurrection and the place to be Bethaniel and that on a mountaine that it might the more esily be séen and y e maner of his going to be meruelous for he was carried vp in a clowde so his faithfull Disciples and glorious Angels were witnesses of his triumphant ascension into heauen Out of these Scriptures this I conclude as Christ was borne but once dyed but once was buried but once so he did but once descend into hell once arise from the dead and once ascended into heauen and but once shall come into iudgement But if the soule of Christ went presently into heauen thē not only this absurditie followeth that he ascended before he descended but also that there are two ascendings of Christ into heauen the one inuisible of his soule the other visible of his body Ignatius who died in the yéere of our Lord 112. For he was cast to beastes to be deuoured this Father lyuing in the time of Policarpus who was Scholler to Iohn Euangelist in his Epistle to the Church of Trallis thus writeth Christ descended into hell alone but he ascended with a multitude Athanasius in his Créed saith who suffered for our saluation and descended into hell and interpreting the 2. Cor. 6. he saith Satan was enuyous against our Sauiour for he killed him not knowing it would be against himselfe for Christ after his crosse going downe into hell hath vanquished death and because he knew no sinne he could not be holden of death so saith Ambrose in his exposition on the 3 Chap. of the Galathians for when they thought y t he should be slaine that he might not teach they profited nothing for his doctryne encreased and he euacuated death in his passion for descending into hell he deliuered mankinde for that cause he suffered himselfe to be murdered knowing that he was for vs against the Diuell And the same Father writing on the 1. Tim. 2. chap. thus confirmeth this doctrine because man now reconciled to God was subiect to infernall death that he could not ascend to God to whom he was reconciled our Sauiour to bring his will to effect suffered himselfe to dye against lawe that descending into hell he might condemne death for the impiety it wrought on him taking away from death those which he hid holde that from hencefoorth whatsoeuer had the signe thereof shovld not be detayned therewith of which thing he shewed a testimony when he arose Therefore to ende these woords into thy hands I commend my spirite doo not shew vs the state of Christs soule but sheweth vs how we must pray in all our tribulations and in the houre of death For the soule of Christ no doubt was in hell but this consider that spirite héere signifieth the soule which in S. Peter they will in no wise confesse Farther where it is obiected that Cyprian saith it is left out of the Créed of the Romane and orientall Church I answere that is not Cyprians woorke for in that treatise is mention made of the Arryans who began their error vnder Constantine the great in the yéere 320. But Cyprian was put to death vnder Valerian in the yéere of our Lord God 249. Therfore Ciprian being dead almost an hundred yéers before that heresie sprāg vp could not write of Arrians for Cyprian is of my opinion as it shal appeare by this y t followeth For in his sermon of the ascending of Christ into heauen he vttereth his iudgement thus Christ did once descend into hel and goeth down into hell no more they shall not sée God no more on the crosse nor those that are damned in hell And in other places he proueth the descension of Christ into hell by the 16. Psalme and by the text of the 1. Pet. 3. Chapter before by me alleadged which héer I omit for breuities sake It is farther obiected that this article is left out of the Nicene créed true it is so Athanasius créed lacketh the buriall Hieroms ad Damas. lacketh it also Tertullian leaueth out in his Créede the catholique Church the resurrection of the flesh and life euerlasting Cirill maketh mention only of the trynity and leaueth out all the rest of the articles therfore this is the answere ab authoritate humana negatiué non valet argumentum It is no good reasoning from the authority of man negatiuely Séeing then that this article is proued by many and manifest Scriptures and by the generall consent of the pure and primitiue Church to beléeue it is safety to deny it peruersely is infidelity Last of all because it hath béen confidently auouched that all the reformed Churches beyond the Seas allowe not this doctrine I will therefore héere reproue that allegation as most false and vntrue First as before I haue proued that Aepnius Luther and the authors of the Centuries confirme this doctrine so héer I will adde to them Pomeranus who trauailed much in the reformation of the Churches of Germany who thus in his exposition of the
putteth in for them in the midst of the garden Farther God said they should not eate of it she added that they might not touch it God said they should surely dye Eue said least we dye héere she diminished the scriptures If then the Fathers haue added to the scriptures that the Fathers were set out of hell there I leaue them And if you change hell into graue as you doo in the 16. Psal Act. 2. I will leaue you also for I stande not vpon mens sayings but vpon the word of God But where you boldly affirme that not one of the Fathers haue déemed that which I say you shewe your selfe either to be malicious in hiding the truth or else so ignorant that you haue not read the Fathers for diuers both old and new are of my iudgement Ambrose on the fourth Chapter of the Ephesians thus writeth Christ therefore comming downe from heauen into the earth was borne a man afterward he died and descended into hell from whence rising the third day he shewed death vanquished to euery creature Augustine de tempore in his 137. sermon and in his third sermon of the resurrection thus sayth Hell did restore him as a conquerour and the Heauens did receaue him as a triumpher And in his second sermon he saith thus Behold you haue heard what our defender the God of vengeance is said to haue done fréely For after that he was exalted that is was hanged of the Iewes on the crosse that I may touch these things briefely assoone as he had giuen vp the ghost the soule vnited to the deuinitie descended into the bottome of hell and when he had touched the band of darkenesse as a fearefull and glorious spoyler the wicked and hellish Legions were afrayde and trembling began to enquire saying Who is this dreadfull and glorious man Eusebius writing of the resurrection of our Sauiour hath the lyke We must knowe that in the selfe same houre wherein our Sauiour bowing his head gaue vp the ghost his body béeing left in the graue his Soule with the Diuinitie went downe to triumph ouer Hell Fulgentius writing to King Thrasymund in his third booke and eight Chapter not dreaming but well aduised thus writeth The true humanitie of the Sonne of God neyther was wholie in the graue nor wholie in Hell but in the Sepulcher he lay dead according to his true fleshe but in his Soule descended into Hell In his Soule he returned to the flesh which lay in the Sepulcher but in respect of the Deuinitie which neyther is holden in place nor limited by bond he was wholie in the graue with his flesh and wholie with his Soule in Hell And by this meanes was fully euery where Christ because God was not seperated from the humanitie which he had assumpted which was both with his Soule in Hell that from Hell his Soule might returne a Conqueresse and was with his flesh that by reason of his spéedie resurrection it might not be corrupted I haue héere alleaged the olde which disprooue your assertion for all these accord with mée Now to these will I adde also the iudgements of some newe Writers Mollerus a very learned Minister of Germany on the 16. Psalme thus teacheth Christ would shewe his victorie in a certaine sort ouer the Diuells to strike perpetuall terrors into them and to take away from vs the feare of their tyrannie To this agréeth Musculus on the sixtie and eight Psalme This GOD which was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe first descended into the lowest partes of the earth then he led captiuitie captiue and not only wée are deliuered from the captiuitie of Satan sinne and damnation but also triumphing ouer them as Tyrants he hath ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things The same learned Father interpreting the second Chapter of the Colossians thus hath There are some that be perswaded it is an absurditie if it be sayd that Christ did triumph ouer the principalities and powers but if all these things be attributed to God the Father that he did them with Christ and in Christ we may truly reade héere triumphing ouer them in his owne person In like sort dooth Hemingius expounde this place in the second Chapter of the Colossians As by his death he conflicted with the Diuell on the Crosse so by his glorious descending into Hell Resurrection and Ascention he triumphed as it is Ephes. 4. leauing his Crosse lift vp as a monument of his victorie So doth M. Fox vnderstand this place in a booke which hée hath written entituled Christus triumphans Therefore in this behalfe you haue tolde a manifest vntruth wherefore I shall thinke you will scarce haue care to set forth the truth of God when you will presumptuously vtter such an vntruth which may be reproued by so many and honourable witnesses Farther héere you leaue out at your pleasure two other endes of Christs descending into Hell which I taught in my Sermon the one is the manifestation of his death the other is our deliuerance from Hell Playne dealing ought to be in this case and therefore I exspect it at your hands Humes Sectio 4. But if you will see how doubtfull Augustine was in this point I pray you reade his 99. Epistle to Euodius where you shall finde many his doubts and almost no other thing affyrmed for certaintie but only that hee doubteth not that Christ went to Hell building vpon the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Peter Thou wilt not leaue my Soule in Hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption Where I can not choose but wonder what should moue so worthy a wit and so learned followers of him seing it is apparant that the word doth signifie aswell the sorrowes of hell as the place of hell in the scripture to passe by that significatiō of the word which the whole church of Christ cōfesseth to be true that our Sauiour did suffer vpon the Crosse whole torments of hell for our redemption and to fall vpon that signification which hath slender proofe and led them iuto such streites as Augustine himselfe cannot escape Whosoeuer doubteth that the name of hell is vsed in the Scripture for those sorrowes let him read that of 1. Samuel 2. 6. The Lord killeth and makaeth aliue he casteth downe to hell and bringeth vp againe Or that of Dauid Psal. 30. 3. Thou hast brought my soule out of Hell Or that of Ionas 2. 2. I haue called to thee out of the bowels of hell And many other places where the woord can not signifie the pit of hell whence there is no redemption but the sorrowes of hell which the Saintes of God did suffer in this life Now seeing this is so I would fain know of you good M. Hill why we may not more safely take the woord Hell in that signification which you cannot deny then you in that signification which the better parte of Christians do take to be false For that
determining circumscribing the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is which were disobedient dooth altogither seperate the time of their incredulitye from the time of this iourneye and preaching For if the meaning of the enemies of this doctrine were true Peter would haue ioyned this annotation of time which the iourney and preaching of Christ and would haue said being quickned in spirit in the which in times past when the patience of God was looked for in the daies of Noah when the arke was a preparing he went and preached to the spirites now holden in prison But Peter ioyneth the time of disobedience not with the iourney or preaching of Christ but with the first incredulitye and preaching of Noah and on the other side knitteth together the prison with this iourney and preaching which if he would haue disioyned he would haue said to the spirits which are now in prison but he simply said he went and preached to the spirits in prison that is which thē were in prison whē he went and preached vnto them This also may be added that it is to no purpose to make mention of a prison or to name them the vnbeléeuing spirits or soules of y e olde world for Noah preached not to spirits or soules only but to whole and beléeuing men the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be taken for men endewed with bodies for Christ prouing his resurrection vseth these woords Luke 24. 39. Behold my hands and my feet for it is I my self handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue It was no néed also to shew where these vnbeléeuers are or be holden for this both maketh nothing to the matter and also would be vnderstood he holding his peace vnlesse it was the purpose of the Apostle to shew that y e soule of Christ went down to this prison that is to hell and so sheweth first that death parted them as in the 2. of the Acts. Secondly that the body was in the graue and the soule was in hell Thirdly that it was not in hell idle but did manifest his death to them which beléeued it to be but a fable to reproue their incredulitie and to captiue them that we should not feare them Fourthlye he did rise againe triumphing ouer them in his owne person Lastly he did ascend into heauen and there sitteth Lord of heauen and of the Angels of earth and of the inhabitantes of hell and of the very diuels For the diuels are of him imprisoned and chayned that they can doo no more then hee permitteth them Farther where as some doo affirme that there could be no preaching in hell because there is no conuersion to this I answere that this preaching was not vocal but real neither was there in this preaching edification exhortation or consolation but as it is saide before of Damascene a redargution or vpbrayding of those vnbeléeuing soules in this or the like manner beholde ye vnfaithfull and broodes of the serpent how in season and out of season my eight preacher of frée righteousues and other the Patriarkes haue often preached vnto you that there should come a blessed séed of the woman according to y e promise made vnto Adam that both should iustifie the beléeuers deliuer and saue them from the corporall and spirituall deluge and also that he should destroye the serpent with the vnbeléeuing séed for euer but to you being incredulous that promise was a fable But now beholde O ye wretches me to be exhibited of the true God and by my passion the head of Satan and his vnbeléeuing séede is broken and the worlde is ouercome and on the other side you shall be forced to know by liuely experience that the faithful are saued And to conclude you now doo beholde me the conqueronr of Satan and his members against your will and to your great sorrow in soule and shall sée me héereafter in the last iudgement both in body and soule And this manner of spéech is vsed in the Scripture that a verball preaching is put for the reall opperation of a thing so Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered vnto God a better sacrifice then Cain by the which he obtained witnes that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts by which faith he being dead yet speaketh So Gen. 4. 4. God saith vnto Cain the voice of thy brothers bloud cryeth vnto me out of the earth Abels bloud is saide to cry while truely by his example of true faith and of the doctrine of saluation and of martirdome yet dayly not verbally but really and effecttually by speaking he teacheth Last of al the word prison signifieth hell as we may sée in the names of hell Cent. 1. li 2. ca. 4. Now let vs sée the iudgement of the auntient and learned Fathers on this point and especiallye of the Gréeke Fathers Athanasius woords to Epictetus Bishop of Corinth are cited by Epiphanius in the heresie of the Dimerites haer 77. The bodye of Christ was laide in the graue when he went to preach to the spirits that were in Prison as Peter saith Athanasius in his book of the incarnation of the world hath thus written In the death of Christ his body being carried into the graue his soule went into hell the places being far a sunder and a little after he saieth for death could not preuaile on his humaine soule to tye him there neither corruption by tiranny inuading his bodye could shew his force on him to putrefaction as thinges not wel séene vnto For to think so of him were a wicked thing and euen as Adam had a double punishment inflicted on him for his disobedience the one was on his body earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne again and so by this decrée the body of the Lord departed to the earth the other on his soule thou shalt dye the death héerof it commeth to passe that man is diuided into two partes and is condemned to departe to two places and therefore it was necessarye that by the selfe same iudge which had made this decrée that he by himselfe being vnder the colour of a condemned man shewing himselfe vncondemned and sincere from sinnes should frée from that sentence all beléeuers The like hee hath in his tracte against Appollinarius of the wholesome comming of Christ and in his Sermon against all heresies You sée good Reader how Athanasius a very auntient Father in the Gréek Church shewing the cause of Christs descending into hell proueth out of Gen. that as our body was punished by death for sinne so was our soule and for this cause both partes in Christ must descend that our soule may be deliuered from hell and our body rise to glory For as Fulgentius writeth in his 3. book and 7. chapter to King Thrasimunde he did know that God the suscepter of whole man was wholy with his flesh in the graue wholy with his