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
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
16. Psalme hath left to eternall memorye Christ not only dyed but he would also for a litle season that is vntill the third day descend into the darknes of hell where is the image of death and as Iob saith euerlasting horror without any order and a little after for this cause did Christ dye and goe down into hell that thou shouldest not goe thether so that as they shall returne from death so he would redéeme them from hell that he might abolish al thy death by his death and that thou maiest rest in the hope of the glorious resurrection as all the Fathers in the séede of Abraham that is Christ. In which faith whosoeuer dyed are said to be receiued into the bosome of Abraham For in the faith of Abraham and of the blessing which should come by Christ they did rest and they doo rest to arise with vs. All others did dye in desperation and doo dye dayly being holden in horrible death vntill the euerlasting fire shall come vpon them by the last sentence Aretius a professor of diuinity in Berna approueth this doctrine in his Problemes the 2. part and setteth down it was necessary that Christ should descend into hell for 3. causes 1. For the reprobates sake that it might be known to them that he was come already whom they had heard should come so often but they had despised it greatlye to these therefore it was necessarye that Christ should be knowne by vertue of spirite 2. It was méete also he should be manifested vnto Satan that he might know the same Christ whom he had tempted in the desarte and whom by the fraud of the Iewes he had put to death the same was the Messias and the séede of the woman promised This I say was expedient to be made knowne to the verye diuels in the bottome of hell 3. It was expedient in respecte of the elect that Sathan might know that he should haue no power ouer the bodyes of the Sayntes whom he will raise to life euerlasting héerafter Hyperius a man endewed with most excellent giftes of learning in his 3. book of his methode of diuinitye writing de Ecclesia thus saith as Christ when he was dead and buried and descended into hell then he did chéefely conquere death and hell so the Church dooth most encrease and multiply when it séemeth to be destroyed extinguished Peter Martyr who trauailed in this our realme in the most famous vniuersitie of Oxford in planting the Gospelll in his exposition on the articles of the faith thus hath lefte his iudgment the soule of Christe after it departed from the bodye remained not idle but descended into hell For Denmark we haue Hemingius for Scotland Alesius for Berna Aretius for Mapurge Hipperius for Argentorat Peter Martir for Hambrough Aepnius and for other partes of Germany Luther Siluerer Pomeranus Lucas Lossius Vrbanus Rhegius Musculus and the authors of the Centuries whose woorkes be worthy both of eternall memory and credite And for our Realme of England we haue the Catechisme of M. Nowell a man whom those that know not his face doo loue and honour for his great trauailes he hath bestowed in the Church of God but especially for the setting foorth of that Catechisme for the vnity of doctrine which is the band of perfection In which Catechisme he hath deliuered these woords as Christ in his body descended into the bowels of the earth so his soule being seuered from his body he descended into hell And as this was the iudgement of that reuerend Father so was it no doubt the iudgment of the Synode of learned men assembled together in the conuocation house at that time which was Anno Domini 1571. who by an iuiunction there made tooke this order that no other Catechisme in this Realme should be taught Which iniunction if it had béene kept we should not haue so many sectes in our Church as we now haue to the great dishonour of God the ioye of our endlesse aduersaries the Papists and the bitter gréefe of all the good Ministers of this Land The articles also of the Synode of London in y e time of King Edward the 6. in y e yéer of our Lord God 1552 published by the Kings authority approue this doctrine amongst which articles it is thus written as Christ is dead and buried for vs so is it also to be beléeued that he descended into hell for his body lay in the graue vntill his resurrection and his soule seperated from his bodye was with the spirites which were detained in prison or hell and preached to thē as witnesseth the place of Peter which I haue before alleadged But because now the iudgement of boyes is more estéemed then of reuerend Fathers and euery singuler schismatique is more estéemed then a whole Synode of chosen and expert men in diuinitye Héereof it commeth to passe that whatsoeuer hath béene most gladlye and learnedly proued by M. Nowell and approued by our couuocations is accounted error and whatsoeuer euery fantasticall spirite dooth vtter without study rashlye and without feare of God presumptuously is accounted truth as though it had béene méerely reueiled vnto them from heauen For what a rashnes and presumption is this to say all reformed Churches are of their opinion whereas the contrarye dooth appeare by their own writings to y e great glory of God and to the no lesse great shame of them which in the Pulpits affirme most impudently that all reformed Churches beyond the seas are of their iudgement But to lye is an vsual thing to all Martinists as their books in other things can witnes against them aswell as in this behalfe To conclude not only most of the reformed Churches beyond the Seas approue this doctrine but euen the very Infidels haue acknowledged it For Sybilla thus prophecied of Christ as Augustine witnesseth in his 18. booke of the Cytie of God the 23. chapter he shall come into the handes of Infidels and they shall strike him with their filthy handes and with their vncleane mouth shall cast on him their poysoned spittles he shall giue simply his holy back to strips and receiuing buffets shal hold his peace for his meate they gaue him gall for his thirste vinegar shewing this table of inhospitality for thou being a foolish nation didst not vnderstand thy God delighting in mens soules but didst crowne him with thornes and didst giue him bitter gall But the vaile of the Temple shall be rent and at noone it shall be darke for 3. houres and he dying for thrée dayes shall sléepe and then returning from hell shall come into the cléere light being the firste that shewed the beginning of the resurrection The same verses of Sibilla are repeated by the same Augustine in a sermon which he writeth to those that are catechised against the Iewes Pagans and Arrians in the 16. Chapter and in the 17. Chapter of the same booke where he thus reasoneth albeit O
was manifested in the flesh and also of Peter himselfe 1. Pet. 4. 1. Christ suffred for vs in the flesh Which antithesis of the deuine and humane nature Paule doth also expresse in the same tearmes speaking of Christ which was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh and declared mightely to be the Sonne of God according to the spirit Rom. 1. 3. 4. where you see he vseth the words no otherwise then he findeth them vsed in the scriptures Now that this can not be the sence of them you reason thus First you say that this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is going doth signifye motion from some place which can not stand with the deuine Essence which can not possibly leaue any place being at all times in all places To this I aunswere that it is spoken of the same spirit or deuine essence in Gen. 18. 21. I will go downe and see whether the Sodomites do altogether according to the cry that is come vnto me And in Exod. 3. 8. I am come downe to deliuer them that is the Israelites out of the hand of the Aegiptians You can not be ignorant M. Hill that the holie ghost speaketh oftentimes of the deuine Essence by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whē God declareth his presence in one place more then in another by some notable effect which in this place was most necessary to expresse the continuall presence of Christ in his Church in those dayes of Noah and so in all ages either past or to come departing as it were from all other places which indeed he can not and sitting as it were a perpetuall moderator and ruler thereof Next you alleage the other participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is quickned that because it is passiue it can not stand with the deuine essence which can not suffer This we deny not for we attribute not this participle to the deuine essence but to the whole Christ God man for we say not Christ the spirit was quickned but Christ was quickned in spirit Thirdly you tell vs that mortified and quickned were both participles and both attributed to Christ at one time We confesse they were attributed to one Christ but we see no matter to leade vs to refer them both to one time But by the contrary me thinks that the order of the wordes haue sufficient matter in them to proue that he was first mortified and then quickned As for the distinction of time the distance was not to great as to require it To this you adde how he was dead and how he was aliue by putting to killed flesh and to quickned spirit The very text as I take it will deny you this for it saith not that the flesh was killed and the spirit quickned but that Christ was killed in the flesh and quickned in the spirit which is all one as if he had said that Christ dyed as he was man and ouercame death as he was God Which thing also Paule doth expresse in other words 2. Cor. 13 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Fourthly you say that the scriptures do ioyn together this going preaching close to his passion as if he had said assone as he had suffered he went preached This as if concludeth no necessary matter We expect demonstrations cannot be caried with as and if Fiftly you adde out of Gen. 6. that the preching of Noah is attributed to the 3. person and not to the second which putting on mans flesh redeemed vs. We confesse that ability to preach was giuen Noah by the holy ghoste but he was stirred vp and sent by the whole Trinity The actions whereof seeing they are common to all three he erreth not that attributeth them to any of the three Where you saye that Christ was raised from the dead by the first person and not by the second I see not how that can stand with the truth of the Scriptures which telleth me that the second person did put on man and did neuer forsake him in all his distresses Afterwards you tel me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient and sometime doo seperate the time of their disobedience and Christs going to thē But I can not take it at your woord for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not as you seeme to take it a Verbe but a Participle greeing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits in the verse before and the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes belongeth to the principall Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached so that the sence must needs be he preached sometimes to the spirites that are in prison and were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Whereas you argue this can not be spoken of the preaching of Noah because he preached to men and to spirites it is strange to me how he can preach to men and not to spirits seeing that whosoeuer doth instruct men dooth also instruct their soules Lastlye you charge this construction to doo violence to the text taking the woord spirite for the diuinity in one place and for the power thereof in another where you doo vs great wrong for Beza himselfe refuseth it and proueth it is not taken for the power of the deitye in this place at all Hitherto haue I answered all that you can saye against vs now will I proue that your sence which you make of this place can not stand with the truth of the text You take this woord flesh only for the bodye of Christ which dyed and was buried and the woord spirite for his soule which you beare vs in hand descended into hell preached to the soules which had beene rebellious in the dayes of Noah if this your construction shall goe for currant then the apostle speaketh nothing heere of Christ which may not be verified of any man For though our bodyes dye yet our soules liue aswell as his The spirite here as it appeereth by the text doth signifie that which gaue life to that which was dead that I trust was not his soule but his deity thirdly this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed doth signifie not onelye the death of the bodye but also whatsoeuer Christ did suffer either in body or soule for the redemption of our bodies and soules and doth comprise his whole passion which the Spriptures doth many times terme death which if it be so as it is so indeed then the woord flesh noteth vnto vs the whole subiect of his passion that is the whole man Christ for it was expedient that he did aswell suffer in soule for our soules as in body for our bodies or else he had been but halfe a redemer Fourthly seeing his body was quickned that is restored from the graue aswell as his soule from the sorrowes of hell if you take spirite there for the humane soule then you confound those thinges which the Apostle doth distinguish attributing that to
the soule alone which is also common to the body Fiftly seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to giue life and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receiue life this cannot be vnderstood of the soule which neuer lost life after that it had once liued with the body and therefore could neuer receiue it againe Here you tell vs that to be quickened is to be deliuered from miseries how the English word may be taken I leaue it to the wise but in the Greeke woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latin word viâ—ificari I am sure it were strange and seldome seene to finde that sence Furthermore I am sure that if this deuise may stand that then you will ouerthrowe the antithesis betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead and quickned for if quickned doth not signifie a restitution to life what antithesis can it haue with death or dead Lastlye adde to those if it please you that infallible reason of Beza taken from the scope and drifte of the Apostle to whose greater notes I referre you being not able to handle his reason so effectually as he dooth himselfe Hill Héere you play the Captaine and will beate downe bulwarkes and therefore you should haue these 4. properties in you vertue knowledge authority and felicity for the first two they are in you God graunt you vse them to his glory but what authoritye you haue to interprete the woord I know not therfore in this case I hope you shall haue no felicitie Where you say that this woord spirite doth signifie the deity and this woord flesh the humanity of Christ and that there is an antithesis betwéene the diuine and humane nature I confesse that spirite sometime dooth signifie the Godhead and flesh the humanity of Christ. But they doo not so signifie in this place as I proue by the circumstances of the text and the woords themselues For where you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed or put to death dooth signifie the whole passion of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the resurrection of Christ that cannot be for of the passion of Christ is mention made before in the same 18. verse Christ suffered for vs the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God Now after his sufferings ended as Peter saith he was both killed and made aliue Now of his resurrection is mention made in the 21. verse as of his ascention in the 22. verse Therfore séeing the suffrings of Christ are mentioned before and his resurrection is namelye set downe after whereof can these woords be vnderstoode but of the seperation of the bodye and the soule and of the state of them during their seperation for an antithesis as you know is of contrary or diuers things as in this place you sée in killed and quickned Now how both these were true at one time S. Peter doth shew for at the same time he was dead as concerning his body he was aliue in spirite that is in soule for the soule seperate from y e body is aptly called in spirite Eccle. 12. 7. And dust return to earth as it was and the spirite returne to God that gaue it So is it taken Heb. 12. 23. Act. 7. 59. and so dooth this woord signifie in this place for Christ was not killed both in body and soule but only in body and in flesh for if the soule of Christ had béene killed then had it béene mortall Therfeore Athanasius Epiphanius and all the Fathers which did confute the Heretiques called Damoerite Appolinaris which denyed Christ to haue a soule doo confute them by this place prouing that his spitite was among the spirits that his soule seperate from his body was among the soules seperate from their bodies This interpretation you sée is gathered out of Gods woord and is made more manifest by the woords following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate In which spirite he went preached to the spirites in prison First you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which But in the 1. Pet. 16. you doo not so translate it nor in the 2. Chap. and 12. ver the same woords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Eph. 1. 13. 2. 22. 5. 18. and so could I cite at the least an hundreth texts in the new testament where if you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which or by whom you shal ouerthrow the meaning of the holy ghoste The next woord in construing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as I haue saide before so I auouche still is spoken not of the deity neuer in all the Scriptures and therefore must néedes be spoken of the soule of Christ. To confute this you alleadge Gen. 18. 21. Exod. 3. 8. First I must tell you these bookes were written in the Hebrewe toong and not in the Gréeke I craued an instance out of the new testament Secondly in those places that you haue named the interpreters do translate Iarad by the gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this I proue Ioh. 16 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if I shal not depart the coÌ„forter wil not come vnto you but if I shall depart I will send him vnto you Here you sée when he speaketh of the descending of the deity he vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when he speaketh of the humanitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the same Chap. verse the 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came out froÌ„ the Father came into the world againe I leaue the world go to my father And this proprietie of speach which y e holy ghost vseth ought to be obserued I confesse the scripture vseth the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when God is said to come downe there is vsed the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or some one of the forenamed and when mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is alwayes spoken of the humanitie as it is to be séene Luk. 4. 30. 9. 51. 52. 56. 57. Luk. 13. 22. Ioh. 8. 1. And in this place of Peter the last verse is vsed the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went vp into heauen Therefore if you can quote but one text in the new Testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is figuratiuely applied to the deitie your interpretation may séeme tolerable but if you can not as I knowe it is impossible then can you neuer proue your interpretation to be agréeable to faith because it is not agréeable to the word Out of the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this I note he that was killed and quickned did preach but Christ was killed and quickned ergo Christ and not the deitie preached He preached not vocally for he was killed ergo he preached really in soule for here is noted First who preached Christ. To whome to the spirits Where in hell When after his death and before his
resurrection This is the order of Peter and of our Créede which can not be by man ouerthrowen The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits also is not as you take it for you say it signifieth the men in Noahs time but you can not bring one scripture to proue it Therefore I say as I sayd before it signifieth soules separated from the body That my exposition is true I haue proued by thrée scriptures Eccle. 12 7. Heb. 12 23. Act. 7 59. Now as mine is true so will I proue yours to be false and impossible by Christs owne words Luk. 24 59. where our Sauiour to prooue himselfe to be no ghoste but to haue a true body after his resurrection thus reasoneth behold my hands and my feet that I am the same handle me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue This was Christs argument I haue a body therefore I am not a spirit and so I reason against you and your teachers The men in Noahs time had bodies ergo they could not be called spirits Euery boy can tell you in Oxford that Substantia is deuided into corpus and spiritum and that one of these opposit species can not be affirmed of an other And therefore to be short when you can proue out of the new testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mournying is spoken figuratiuely of the deity or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirit signifieth a man that hath a boy I will geue you the goale but if you will runne on this course vntill you haue prooued these two points which you must doo if you will haue me to recant then take héed least you run your selfe out of breath Lastly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is prison doth signifye hell as it is to be séene Apoc. 20. 7. When a thousand yeeres shall be fulfilled Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Thus thou séest good reader how I haue proued my interpretation out of the word of God for euery word which our aduersaries can not do for their interpretation therfore thou maist safely assure thy self ours to be good and theirs to be false And that this word prison doth signify hell you may sée Epiphanius Athanasius Fulgentius centuria 1. lib. 2. cap. 14. Peter Martyr on the Créede Nowell in his Catechisine Beacon in the sick mans salue and Crowley in his answere to the reasons of Pound the Papist All these olde and new writers haue alleadged this Scripture as I haue doone with good warrant conscience Now that I haue proued this my owne interpretation I will by Gods grace proue your answere to be friuilous First you confesse that killed and quickned are Participles of one tense and yet you say they are not referred to Christ at one time this is méerlye false as I thus proue Christ was after his passion dead and aliue or neuer if he were neuer dead and aliue at one time then Peter saith not truely if he were dead and aliue at one time then you speak falsely Now you your self cōfessed that he was dead and aliue at one time a little before and proued it out of the 2. Cor. 13. 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmity yet liueth he by the power of God Héere by your owne woordes Christ was aliue when he was crucified so may I say with Peter he was aliue when he was dead and at one time Then you say the flesh signifieth the manhoode and spirite the deitye this also is vntrue for the body may be killed but the soule cannot Againe shew me any Scripture where one and the same woord in one sentence and period is taken for diuers things for in this sentence In which spirite he went and preached to the spirites that are in prison Héere y e woord spirit in the beginning of the sentence signifieth the deity in the latter ende the same woord signifieth the men that liued in Noahs time by your interpretation but by my interpretation it signifieth the soule seperat from the body in both places For as Cirill saith as Christ was with the liuing in body and soule so to shew himselfe a true man his bodye was among the dead bodies and his soule among the soules Then you auouch the preching of Noah is attributed to the whole Trinity be it so but can you proue that Christ after he was killed did preach in Noah for this preaching was after Christs death which is mentioned in the 18. verse and before his resurrection which is spoken of in the 21. verse You goe forward and tell me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dooth not determin the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached I must tell you plaine you speake neither like a Deuine nor a Gramarian For an Aduerd is sometime put to a Participle as Mathew 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then Herod calling priuilye the wise men Sometime to a Noune as Homo egregiè impudens Sometime to an Aduerb as Parum honestè se gerit Therfore the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next and immediatly and being distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Comma cannot by any example in diuinitye or by any rule of Grammer be coupled with the Uerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now to answere your infallible reasons First you reason against me that if my construction be true then nothing did happen to Christ which might not be verified of any man And did you not blush when you wrote these things Can any mans soule goe to hell and returne againe For his going downe to hell I proue in the 19. verse and his returne from hell in the 21. verse Seconly you say the woord spirite doth signifie that which gaue life what then as God giueth life to the body effectually so the soule giueth life to the body formally Your Geneua translation which you follow saith he was quickned in the spirite not of the spirite And this I note against your side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 18. verse you translate In But in the next verse as though you had not doone well in the former you translate it by Now you know the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth by and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appéereth in the 21. verse and in many places mo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by the resurrection Moreouer if you had said quickned of the spirite then had you made a probable answere but no diuine is able to proue this exposition that Christ was quickned in the spirit that is in the deity for the deity is life it selfe Your third pregnant reason is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not only the death of the body but also the whole passion of Christ. This cannot be for the suffrings of Christ are set downe before in the same verse then in this woord 〈◊〉
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
that pertained vnto God who was in stéed of the voice Moreouer in the holy places who might enter but one and that not euer but once a yéer Heb. 9. Who might carry the arke but the Leuytes 1. Leuit. 15. And they as they were appointed for some were of a high office some of a lower as euery one was worthye and because that ought to be kept it was appointed also who should kéepe it euerie way for some should kéep one side some an other side neither should any thing remaine indistincted or disordered in their smallest matters Marke good Reader what is y e conclusion of this swéet discourse for it toucheth most néerelye our disordered Martinists but we if we haue gotten a little glory and excellency of name and haue learned two or thrée woords of Scripture not often but by chaunce and these vnskilfully and ill couched together by and by we furiously rebell against Moses and followe the importune contumelye and impiety of Dathan and Abiram whose contumelye I becéech you let vs flée and let vs flée their madnes least we be ouerthrowne with the same punishments Nazianzene affirmeth that order is beautifull in naturall thinges in sensible and in reasonable but more beautifull in houses Citties and common weales but most beautifull in the house and Church of God For God is not the God of confusion but of order 1. Cor. 14. 33. And for this cause all thinges in the Church must be doone in order 1 Cor. 14. 40. Take away order from naturall things all thinges would come to annihilation take away order from men and we become brutish but take away order from Christian men and they become very diuels In these last and dangerous times like beastes voide of reason we despise gouerment and like diuels that haue come out of the horrible pit of shameles confusion we ouerthrowe all the orders which are established in the Church of England Obedience by the woord of God is a sacrifice but we holde it to be a superstitious yoke S. Paul sayeth we should obey not for feare of wrath but for conscience but now a daies they are accounted the holyest men which haue no conscience and doo stubbornlye resist all the orders of the Church and desperately continue in their confused disobedience euery man will be a head no man a foote euery man a tung no man a eare S. Iames saith we should be slow to speak and swift to heare but we haue peruerted his woords in our déeds and are slowe to heare and swifte to speake against Prince and Ministers And euen as the Donatists wrote against Augustine in his time and the Catharoi against Ciprian in his time aud as the Pharasies withstoode our Sauiour and his Apostles in their time so are the Martinistes now bent against the Church of God and Ministers in our time For as their hart is full of enuy so their tung is as kéene as a rasour as sharpe as a Swoord as hotte as coles asvenymous as vipers and as they are swift to speak without number waight or measure of their woords so are they slowe to heare for they will not heare the voice of the charmer charme he neuer of wiselye Of these men Gregory Nazianzene in the place before quoted saith very well it is a shame truelye when thou doost embrace not magnificence but basenes in thy apparrell and dyet and to pretend humilitye in the hardnes of thy knées in thy fastings and watchings and in the asperitye of thy bed being laide in the ground and in thy labours and in al manner of pyning and subduing thy body and to challenge to thy selfe a principalitye and tirannye in diuine disputations neither to yéeld to any man but to aduance your self aboue the Preachers of the Law where humility hath not only glory but also securitye What then will some of them which are of a hotte spirite obiect doost thou by this Oration forbid to talke of God what shall we talke off or how thinke you of this place his praise shall euer be in his mouth Psal. 33. I will blesse the Lord alwaies Psal. 29. My throate shal meditate on his truth and beholde I haue not forbid my lippes and so will bring many testimonies meditated and quoted to that purpose To whome I answere gentlye and without bitternes of minde that héereby we may teach also the moderation of the minde I doo not exhorte a wise man to silence but I studye to feare thée from stubborne contention neither doo I bid thée to suppresse or hide the truth but I forbid thée that thou teach not besides Lawe For I my selfe doo professe my selfe to be a chéefe man among them which praise wisedome and learning and either doo spend or desire to spend their times in holy Sermons and sacred studies and God graunt that I neuer be turned aways from this busines least of wisedome it selfe I be pronounced a wretch and an vnhappy man because I haue despised learning and wisedome In the mean season I auoide the excesse and doo bridle the vnsatiable desire of man and am so minded that if I could not auoide both faults and kéep a mediocrity I had leyffer be too slowe then a busie body or too fearful rather then too bolde or rash He addeth shortly after holde fast those woords in the which thou hast béene instructed in thy infancy commit the care of reasoning and disputation to the learned it is inough for thée to holde fast the foundation let a wise maister builder build vpon it it is sufficient for thée to strengthen thy hart with bread leaue dainty dishes to the rich and wealthye No sober or wise man will accuse thée if thou furnish not thy supper with liberall and bountiful fare But if thou wilt not set bread or giue a cup of water to the Disciple of Christ. Mat. 10. Or to any other when thou art able then art thon iustly and worthily condemned also Be not swift in thy woords saith the wise man Eccle. 5. And being poore compare not thy selfe with the rich affect not to be wiser thē the wise It is a poynt of wisedom to know thy self and not to be immoderately proud and so to be affected as the voices who whē they are strained too high by reson of the immoderatiō they do altogither faint Thus this auntiēt father perswaded the people of God to a moderation in his time that knowledge might not make them proud for pride is the cause of singularitye singularitye bréedeth schismes schismes disorder disorder confusion God saith in the 4. Ephe that he hath made vs Pastors and Doctors héereby it is manifest that we are not the ordering or appointment of man nor of angel but of God himself How dare euery man then being scarse skilfull in his owne mistery take vpon him our office being in dignety the highest in labours the painefullest in disposing the wisest and in abusing the most daungerous function of
héere argued by some why should Peter héere dispute of the spirits or soules detayned in hell considering he exhorteth to suffer afflictions I answere that he might shew to the faithfull which then were persecuted very often to death that the soules doo not perish with the bodies as the soule of Christ did not perish when he descended into hell but as the soule of Christ did triumph ouer the diuell so shal the godly triumph ouer them that persecute them But some will say how did Christ triumph ouer the diuell by descending into hell sith it was the extreamest degrée of his humilitie To this I reply that euerye article of our faith is a misterye 1. Tim. 1. 9. Hauing the misterye of the faith in a pure conscience And therfore in all the actions of Christs humility he shewed himselfe alwaies to be a glorious God he was borne of a poore Uirgin in a small towne in an Inne yea and in a Stable he was wrapte in cloutes and layde in a cratch yet the Shepheards of y e féeld the noble men of the East the starre in the firmament and the Angels from heauen did witnes in a merueilous sorte that he was the sonne of God The birdes as our Sauiour saith haue nestes the foxes holes but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head he was called a glutton a drunkard a Samaritane a fréend of Publicanes sinners a man possessed with a diuell his Disciples also were very poore but yet he gaue sight to the blinde hearing to y e deafe spéech to the dumme cleansed the Leapars raysed the dead commaunded the windes the sea yea and the very diuels In like manner when he was humbled to the death of the crosse albeit he was in the state of dereliction and cryed my God my God why hast thou forsaken me yet at that time the Sunne was abashed the earth trembled the vaile of the Temple was rent the stones claue asunder the dead arose yea and vpon the crosse he forgiueth the théefe on the right hand and euen as in his natiuity in his life and death he shewed himselfe to be both God and man so in his descending into hell he proueth the same and in this lowest degrée of his humility as he proueth himselfe a true man for that his soule was among y e soules in hell so by triumphing ouer thē he sheweth himself to be a true God And for this cause it standeth well with the mistery of our faith that his going down to hell is both the lowest degrée of his humilitye to shew him to be a true man and also the beginning of his endlesse triumph to proue him a glorious God in all places and at all times ouer all persons for euer Some curius body will say what néeded he to manifest his death to those in hel it was néedful in respect of thē y t were in hel in respect of vs that liue now and in respect of thē y t haue preached in times past and in respect of Christ himself In respect of thē which were in hell because that those which would not hear the vocal preaching of Noah should sée Christ really present in soule and so confesse that the destruction of their bodies in the deluge and y e damnation of their soules in hell was iust In respect of vs which liue now because that whē we finde by Gods woord that he manifested his death in earth and hell we should not remaine incredulous but beléeue in Christ least hearing of the wondrous workes of the Sonne of God which he hath wrought for vs. and for our saluation both in earth and hell and despising the same we féele by experience with the damned olde worlde that Christ was in hell for our deliuerance from hell and denying with the reprobate Iewes this comfortable article of our faith we be cast into those insufferable torments of extreme damnation from which to deliuer vs Christ in a maruelous manner descended into hell It was néednfull in respect of them which preached in times past for sith Dauid and other prophets haue foretolde of this going downe of our Sauiour and that his soule should not be left in hell it was I say most requisite that the Scripture should be fulfilled It was néedfull also in respect of Christ himselfe for he came to subdue our enemies therefore as Dauid trampled on the face of Goliah so was it méet that Christ in soule should triumph ouer the diuell that he might haue all power not onlye in heauen ouer Angels or in earth ouer all the inhabitantes therof but also in hell ouer the diuels And for this cause as he hath saide O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorye so shall all his members say and shall for this their wonderfull and glorious deliuerance from death bell and the diuell sing reioyce and giue thankes for euer Moreouer wheras diuers Scriptures are alleadged by Carleil Vrsinus and others that Christ descended not into hell I will answere them by Gods grace and proue that it was not the meaning of the holy Ghoste to haue them alleadged to that purpose The first Scripture is that which is written in Ioh. 19. ver 30. It is finished therfore Christ néeded not to goe down into hell this is a false kinde of reasoning á dicto secundum quid ad simpliciter for if all had béen finished then christ néeded not to haue dyed nor to haue shed his bloud for he was aliue when he spake these woords Therefore these woords It is finished are to be referred to all the prophecyes that precéeded the death of Christ that is that all the prophecies of the Iewes and Gentiles which should conspire together against him either of Iudas that should betray him or of the Souldiours that should apprehend him or of y e false witnesses which should belye him or of the place where he should dye or of the time when or of the manner how and of the Iudge vnder whome he should suffer or of the transgressors with whom he should be crucified al scriptures concerning al these things were fulfilled And therfore in the 28. verse are these woords After that Iesus did know that al things were fulfilled and that the Scripture might be fulfilled he saith I thirst It is finished also signifieth the woorke of our redemption was finished and so Paul expoundeth it by one sacrifice once offered he hath made perfect for euer those that are sanctified Therfore there néedeth no other sacrifice of the olde lawe nor no other merite of any creature in heauen or in earth therefore the Papists doo dishonour God which doo say they dayly offer a sacrifice propitiatory and doo ioyne to the merites of Christ the merits of all the Saintes Mary Peter Paul and many other and in the end of the canon of their Masse vse these woords Quorum meritis praecibusque concedas vt