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
greate a commaunde in the Church of GOD that no worde maie bee vsed by anie man without your consent Doeth anie Father in expounding the Scriptures put the Cleargie for the people as if the rest had no part in the Kingdome of Christ but if they wanted a word to note them that were called to the publike seruice of Christes church and thought best to name them clerici clerkes what haue you to do with it or what reason to speake against it so long as the rest of Gods people are not thereby depriued of their parte in Gods heauenlie inheritance And what if they tooke this tearme from the scripture and deriued the verie word from the Apostles mouthes are you not well occupied to quarrel with them Peter doth twice vse that worde for a parte or place in the publike ministerie and seruice of the church with which the people did not meddle Iudas saieth Peter was numbred with vs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had his place in this ministerie So againe to Simon Magus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou hast no part nor lot in this businesse or function Where Peter in both places calleth the charge of an Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that Iudas or the rest of the twelue were chosen by lots but that he had a part with them in that function As for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I thinke there bee more saide then you will be able to answere you know where to finde it Could you proue that the Apostles did make elders with the peoples voices which you shall neuer bee able to doe you had some reason to thinke the worde might importe some such thing but where the worde in his owne nature is but to stretch out the hande and it is certaine by the scriptures the Apostles in ordaining elders did vse imposition of handes which is plainelie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 electing by voices they did not vse for ought that can bee prooued what a malepart guest are you to saie It was a rife thing with the fathers yea with the ancientest of them to alter change the authentick vse of words because the Athenians in Demosthenes time had a course in their publike assemblies to giue their consentes to make lawes and decrées with holding vp their hands which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you bite on the bridle I perceiue and so you must till you learne to be more sober then to condemne so manie learned and religious fathers of ignorance and corruption which in such a companion as you are might well be beléeued in men of their religion and iudgement can by no reason be mistrusted â—â— is by the way because you glance at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though the rein you accuse not me that alleage them but the fathers themselues as corrupters of church discipline and peruerters of their own language howbeit hades is now in question and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore saie for hades what you can or rather for your selfe since all wise men will hold you more then rash and presumptuous if you condemne so many without great cause The classical writers you say the maisters of the Greek tongue do vse HADES in proper sense only in generall for the STATE OF THE DEADE the VVORLD OF THE DEADE the VVORLD OF SOVLES DEPARTED indifferently and indefinitely meaning as wel those in eternal ioies as those in paines Labour you Sir Refuter to bring into the créede the maribones of a gréeke phrase or an article of the christian faith if you be so idle headed that you striue to haue a new phrase into the Creede remember the kingdome of God is not in speach but in power If you intende an article of the faith pagans and Poets are no such classicall masters to be cited or followed in the mysteries of christian religion What if it were true which here as your maner is you auouch with a brazen face y â— Homer Plato Plutarch did so vse the word is it therfore a consequent the scripture must so speak how many hundred Gréeke words haue with Pagans their general significations which the holie ghost restraineth to expresse Gods truth and serue Gods will The gréeke wordes for Apostle elder Bishop Deacon Gospell Scripture faith hope repentance sinneâ— the law conscience concupisence and infinite such like doe they not with Pagans import one thing with Christians an other thing and that by the warrant of Gods worde touching hell it selfe with your classicall writers and maisters of the Gréeke tongue I meane euen Homer Plato and Plutarch are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken for good and blessed spirits yea for Gods which the scriptures vse onlie for diuels Plutarchs booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Socrates spirit which thing also Plato mentioneth in his Apologie and dialogue De sapientia meaneth not Socrates Diuell neither doth Isocrates prescribe vnto Demonicus by this rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee shoulde worship the diuell but rather God and yet by that word the new testameÌ„t and the Septuagint in the olde intend onelie diuels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the masters of the Greeke tongue is but a carper or reprehender insomuch that most of Platoes schollers were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet in the newe testament this is the proper name for the diuell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch doth take for the ayre and deriueth that word from colde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tartarus is so termed from colde whence Hesiode calleth it the ayrie tartare and he that shaketh and trembleth for cold is sayd tartarizein Yet your instructor maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the tayle and prison in hell and saith S. Peter when hee telleth howe God condemned the Angels taketh all the words from Homer and HIS PROSE COMMENTARIE If he meane Eustathius the Christian Bishop it is a foule ouersigat if hee meane anie other he shall do well to proue and not to presume that Peter read Homer and his prose commentarie to expresse the punishment of Diuels Nowe if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue other significations and acceptions with the masters as you make them of the gréeke tongue yet in the new testament are wholy onlie referred to note hell and the diuels thither adiudged whie may not the word HADES in like sort be taken from his prophane vse among the heathen writers and bee applied by the Euangelistes and Apostles to signifie hell yea if the opinion which the pagan Poets and prophane Philosophers helde of HADES were false and repugnant to the christian faith howe could the canonicall writers of the new testament vse the word and not change the sense dare you so much as dreame that the holy Ghost woulde canonize the Poets fables and the Philosophers fansies of the world to come or if you be so foolish as to forget the difference betwéene
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
with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen saith our Sauiour The second is that if more besides Abraham and Lazarus were in that bosome of rest the Prophets and Patriarks must néeds be there who for fidelitie and pietie are commended by the witnesse of Gods spirite and placed in the foundation of the Church with the Apostles next the heade corner stone as HOLIE MEN OF GOD inspired and mooued by the holie ghost These deductions being sound and sure whereof there can bee no doubt it is certaine Christ went not to hell to fetch the Patriarkes and Prophets thence for they were not there but in Abrahams bosome which was an habitation of REST COMFORT and BLISSE so farre distant from the place of torment that by no meanes it coulde bee a PART or MEMBER THEREOF But Austen himselfe saith hee doubteth not but Christ deliuered some from the paines of hell at his descent thither Saint Austen refelleth the receiued opinion of others before him that Christ descended to hell to deliuer thence the Patriarkes and Prophets that were there detained and addeth that because he then presentlie sawe no cause why Christ should descend but to saue from the paines of hel he doth not doubt but Christ deliuered some froÌ„ thence But when he commeth to make proof for this his opinion he fainteth and saith the words of Peter that Christ loosed the paines of hell may bee taken in that sense and that Adam was then loosed ALMOST the whole church consented Howbeit both these proofs are no more then probable scant so much and therfore they compell no man to receiue S. Austens coniecturall inclination but leaue vs at libertie as wel to examine his reasons as to suspend our iudgemeÌ„ts till we sée stroÌ„ger better motiues to induce our consent For touching Peters wordes himselfe confesseth they may bee referred to Christ. Quod scriptuÌ„ est in morte Christi factuÌ„ solutis doloribus inferni vel ad ipsum potest intelligi pertinere quod eos hactenus soluerit hoc est irru os fecerit ne ab eis ipse teneretur praesertim quia sequitur in quibus impossibile erat teneri EVM vel si causa quaeritur cur venire voluerit in infernum vbi dolores illi essent quibus omnino teneri non poterat hoc quod scriptum est solutis doloribus inferni non in omnibus sed IN QVIBVSDAM ACCIPI POTEST quos ille dignos ista liberatione iudicabat What the Scripture saieth was perfourmed in the death of Christ THE PAINES OF HELL BEEING LOOSED may either bee vnderstoode to pertaine to Christ himselfe that hee loosed that is frustrated those paines from taking anie holde of him speciallie whereas it followeth in the Text OF VVHICH PAINES IT VVAS IMPOSSIBLE HEE SHOVLDE BE HELDE or if wee aske for the cause why he woulde come to hell where those paines were which coulde take no hold of him these words loosing the paines of hel may bee taken not of all but of some whome he thought worthy to be deliuered Either way these wordes make nothing to S. Austens supposition that some were in the paâ—nes of hell when Christ did thence deliuer them For if we applie them to Christs person which in déede S. Peter doth they note that Christ brake before him the strength of hell when he approched to his resurrection If wee refer them to mans deliuerance thence that Christ in our names and for our safetie loosed the sorrowes of hell this will proue we should haue gone to hell if Christ had not saued vs thence but that wee were there it no way proueth For hee deliuered all his as wel liuing and not then borne as dead from all the right and claime that hell had to them and as we were deliuered not from being there but from comming thither so the dead might bee acquited and assured from the chalenge that hell had to them though they were then in rest and in hope of Christs comming to performe their expectation and perfit their redemption from the power of hell As for the consent of the whole church ALMOST since Austen himselfe leadeth vs to dislike the opinion of all the fathers ALMOST that the soules of the righteous were in hel before Christes descent thither hee openeth the waie for vs to aske how the church came by that perswasion whether by scripture or by Tradition Scripture there is none extant for Adam more then for all other men Tradition for things done in hell where no man liuing was present can none bee pretended The testimonie which Austen alleageth out of the booke of Wisedome maketh rather against that position then for it Wisedome kept the first man that was alone created euen the father of the world and BROVGHT HIM OVT OF HIS SINNE and gaue him power to gouerne all thinges That wisedome brought Adam out of his sinne is here affirmed but whether by chastisement and repentance in this life or by deliuerance out of hell after this life since neither is specified the first is rather to bee receaued For God both by punishing Adams offence and by offering him grace in the promised Scede did make way for repentance yea the whole life of Adam was nothing else but the meditation of his fall but that Christ fet him from hell when hee descended thither canne by no rules of religion bee warranted Indeed Christ went to hell to loose the bands of Adams sinne and so the church might well beléeue and professe For the guilt of Adams transgression and roote of Adams corruption brought vs all to be iustlie condemned to hell but that the death of Christ reconciled vs againe to God by the remission of our sinnes and the personall descent of our Sauiour loosed all the bandes and brake all the chaines of darkenesse that were prouided for vs and so fréed Adam and his ofspring from the power and paines of hell In this the whole church might consent that Adams sinne was released and Adams bandes loosed by Christs descent to hell but other tradition what soules were in hell and thence deliuered at Christes comming as it was altogether vnknowne to men on earth and consequentlie most vncertaine so is it rather presumptuous to define then religious to beléeue And least I shoulde séeme to be led with the spirit of contradiction to refuse both the tradition of the church and opinion of the fathers I will plainelie shew what causeth me to consent to neither First in these secret and vnknowne things no mans assertion is to be trusted without the witnes of the scriptures and forsomuch as is expressed vnto vs in the word of God it rather crosseth then fauoreth this assertion of the fathers Next the ancient writers heere in doe not onelie varie one from another but euen from themselues to manifest that they had no settled truth but some coniectures and those verie slender in these hidden matters Touching the soules of the
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
become an ale-house where no maÌ„ should heare you but in the face of the world to bray after this sort is tolerable in no man but in you that neither know what you say nor see what you should prooue nor vnderstaÌ„d what maketh with you or against you You no sooner reade in any maÌ„ new or olde mention of Gods wrath or of death but you straight fansy that he meaneth your hel paines the death of the soule and so you play with the homilies allowed by the lawes of this Realme Where because you find that Christ interposed himselfe betweene the wrath of God vs to auert it from vs you forthwith resolue the Homilies teach your doctrine But awake Sir Refuter and you shall sée great difference betwixt the doctrine taught in the booke of Homilies and publikely approoued by the lawes of this Realme your frenzies that Christ DIED the DEATH of the SOVLE that the VVHOLE CVRSE of God was executed on Christ that he was by our sins defiled sinful hateful accursed that al the powers of his soule senses of his body were ouerwhelmed distracted and all confounded that he felt the verie Diuels to be instruments executing the wrath of God vpon him that the sufferings of Christs soule by Sympathie as you call it that is from and by the body make not to our redemption that Christs soule died and was crucified where it is absurd and most false to say Christ was made aliue ether in his humane soule or by the same these and an hundred such absurdities and impieties haue no allowance in the bookes of Homilies nor any thing sounding towards your hellish paines of the damned The doctrine there taught is sound true and plaine that we are redeemed by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus that such was the iust displeasure of God against our sinnes that though he were his owne son that vndertooke the cause for vs the iustice of God pursued him with most painfull smart and anguish euen vnto death and forced the weaknesse of his humane flesh to crie my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee But you content not your selfe with this you must haue him suffer the verie paines of the damned in Hell or nothing His bodilie death were it neuer soe paynefull and sharpe you make light account of the theeues crucified with Christ suffered you say as great bodily violence as he did yea wicked vngodly men indure with boldnes great ioy far more exquisite barbarous tormeÌ„ts sharper tortures as touching the body then Christ could endure and therefore in plaine words you saie such follie in the sonne of God bee it farre from yâ—u once to imagine as that he should stagger shrink or faile for any corporal tormentes whatsoeuer forgetting what Ambrose writeth Neque enim habent fortitu linis laudem qui stuporem magis vulnerum tulerunt quaÌ„ dolorem it can haue no praise of fortitude to be desperately confirmed rather then patientlie subiected vnto paine of torments And what AusteÌ„ confesseth Nihil erat tunc IN CARNE INTOLERABILIVS there was nothing more intolerable in the flâ—sh then the crosse of Christ as likewise what Bernarde resolueth Nec aliquo modo dubitandum quin infirmitatem exterminationem corporis incomparabilem sustinuerit it must not be doubted but Christ suffered incomparable weakenes and torment of body For this if you did striue it were to be tolerated for that which no father euer testified nor scripture euer affirmed when you shew your selfe so eager you bewray your humor you benefit not your cause Thou hast heard christian Reader what things I haue misliked in the first part of this opponents pamphlet but nothing more then this that he wasteth so manie wordes and neither expresseth what hee meaneth nor proueth what hee pretendeth All that he hath saide is this in effect Christ suffered in soule the wrath and curse of God foâ— our sinne or due to sinne but these are so generall termes that in parte they bee true in parte they bee false and therefore hee that walketh in these cloudes and descendeth not to particulars meaneth to hide his heade vnder the Couert of these generalities when neede is and out of these to fashion to himselfe such assertions as please best his humour The waâ—e to come by a trueth is to specifie the partes of Gods wrath and curse which they suppose Christ suffered and then shall wee in fewe wordes trie whether those sufferings accord with the rules and groundes of the scriptures or no. And this I foretell because if hee or anie other for him bee disposed to reuiue his cause hee must not bring a sacke full of words for so waightie matters but plainlie and particularlie declaring what he holdeth and proouing what he affirmeth go directly to the point and then by Gods grace we shall soone trie where trueth standeth But if anie man will draw the grounde of our redemption to generall and ambiguous termes which shall still increase contention to noe purpose I meane not to repell words with words till they answere these proofes I will not trouble my selfe with their emptie phrases In the second Question of Christs descent to hell I shall not hold thee long gentle reader because this babler forgetting what I sayd concerning the proofe and purpose of Christs descent to hell runneth a new course to Pagans and Poets for help to expound that article of our Creede and there presumeth himselfe to be so strong that of the rest he doth prate without reason or remembrance The end of Christs descent to hell I noted out of Athanasius Fulgentius and others and prooued their speach conformable to the Scriptures the places thou hast in the latter part of the treatise I meane not to increase this close with néedlesse repetitions The CoÌ„futer belike distracted and distempered with the cogitation and confusion of his hell paines vtterly mistaketh or forgetteth the whole He supposeth Christs descent to hell had none other purpose but to triumph and insult vpon the thrice miserable and wofull wretches in their present vnspeakeable damnation infinitely confounded alreadie inferreth Sure a verie sorie triumph this were for the sonne of God which euen among men were nothing but dishonorable but if his braines be so briâ—kle that he can neither conceaue nor carrie awaie what I sayd I must not beate it into his head that I then preached is here now printed let him refell it if hee can Soe when I made the subduing of hell and treading on Satan with all the power of darknesse a chiefe part of the glorie of Chrits resurrection this scorner in his foolish conceite mocketh at it and saith a worthie priuiledge surelie and verie honorable All men would thinke it a greater honour neuer to haue come in hell at all For his actuall triumphing in hell all the world knoweth is the most inglorious and vilest debasing In sadnes Syr refuter if
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