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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16144	The effect of certaine sermons touching the full redemption of mankind by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus wherein besides the merite of Christs suffering, the manner of his offering, the power of his death, the comfort of his crosse, the glorie of his resurrection, are handled, what paines Christ suffered in his soule on the crosse: together, with the place and purpose of his descent to hel after death: preached at Paules Crosse and else where in London, by the right Reuerend Father Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester. With a conclusion to the reader for the cleering of certaine obiections made against said doctrine.	Bilson, Thomas, 1546 or 7-1616.	1599 (1599)	STC 3064; ESTC S102011	337,523	436

horrible torment of Stripes Thornes Wounds Sinewes and ioynts our Sauiour hoong on the crosse aboue thrée houres in most perfect sense with most extream paine till the verie instant that hee breathed out his soule A violenter death by fyre or otherwise our Sauiour might happilie haue suffered but a more painfull with perfection of patience neuer martyr much lesse malefactor did or could endure The torments of others when they are violent do either hasten death or ouerwhelme the sense and so the paine when it is most grieuous is least perceiued In Christ there was no such thing He died not by degrées as we do his senses did not decay no pangs of death tooke hold of him but in perfect sense and perfect patience both of bodie and soule he did voluntarily and miraculously resigne his spirit as hee was praying into his fathers handes Longer tortures others haue endured but neuer greater for the time nor with like patience For in all men Christ excepted though the spirit be neuer so willing the measure of faith neuer so strong yet vnles it please God to shorten or lighten the rage of their paine the flesh repineth at the present anguish howsoeuer grace support the soule that it sink not vnder the burthen But He which shortneth and lightneth the force of torments in his saints when they be grieuous in his owne would doe neither He spared not himselfe that knoweth how to spare his but suffered and indured all to the vttermost with so exact obedience and patience that he did not shrinke at the paine nor striue with death but y●elded so voluntarie a sacrifice to god that in the sharpest torments he made no shew of sense nor suffered his flesh so much as to tremble or struggle with paine or death The manner of rendring vp his soule the Scriptures and Fathers do carefullie obserue Saint Iohn thus describeth it When Iesus had tasted of the vinegar hee said all is finished bowed his head and gaue vp the Ghost Whereupon Bernard saith It is a great infirmity to die but so to die doth plainlie proue an infinite power S. Luke reporteth that Iesus cried with a loud voice to shew himselfe to be frée from any touch of death and saide Father into thy handes I commend my spirit Whereupon Hierom obserueth that the Centurion hearing his prayer and seeing him Statim spiritum sponte dimisisse presently of his owne accord to sende forth his spirite Commotus signi magnitudine mooued with the greatnesse of the wonder saide Truly this man was the sonne of God Augustine largely handling the maner of his death saith Who can so sleepe when he wil as Christ died when he would Who can so laie aside his garment at his pleasure as Christ laid aside his flesh Who can so leaue his place as Christ left his life with how great power shall he come to iudge that shewed so great power when he died Christ himselfe ralifteth these obseruations with his owne mouth in the Gospell of saint Iohn None taketh my soule from mee but I laie it downe of my selfe By this we may perceiue the coniunction of the Humane nature with the Diuine in the person of Christ was so fast and sure that neither sinne death nor hell assaulting our Sauiour could make anie separation no not of his bodie but he himselfe of his owne accord must put off his earthlie tabernacle that dying for a season he might conquer death for euer and so the laying downe of his life was no imposed punishment nor forceable inuasion of death vpon him but a voluntary sacrifice for sinne rendred vnto God for our sakes to appease the wrath and satisfie the curse which our manifold wickednes had most iustlie deserued Thus farre without feare we maie fréelie extend the crosse of Christ by the warrant of the holie scriptures Some men in our daies stretch it a great deale farther to the death both of bodie and soule and to the WHOLE PAINES OF THE DAMNED IN HELL but vpon how iust grounds when you heare you may iudge as you s●e cause This opinion hath growen by degrees and euerie daie taketh newe encrease At the first men contented themselues to thinke Christ suffered the paines of hel that is great and intolerable paines which metaphoricall kind of speach the Scriptures will beare if we conclude no worse meaning with●● those words Out of the bellie of HEL saith Ionas I cried and thou heardest my voice The sorrowes of HEL compassed me about saith Dauid and the griefes of HEL tooke hold of me Some others affirme that Christ in sustaining the wrath of God due to vs wrastled with the verie powers of hell that sought to fasten on him and howsoeuer beholding the terror of Gods vengeance prouoked by our sinnes he did somtimes tremble yet by firme faith alwaies fixed on God he repelled and repressed those assaults of Satan and so saued not himselfe onely but vs also This might be indured if men could stay here it were to be wished that in matters of so great weight and danger we would rather try where we are then hasten to go onward But as water breaking her bankes still runneth and neuer stayeth so some lighting on other mens inuentions neuer leaue adding till they marre all In the case which we haue in hand the name of Hell paines being once admitted into the worke of our redemption some in our daies will no nay but that Christ on the crosse suffered the selfe same paines in soule which the damned do in hell and endured euen the death of the soule yea others auouc● that hee sustained farre greater torments then anie are in hell to wit as much paine in 15. houres as all the faithfull should haue suffered euerlastinglie and that as well in body as in soule To these dangerous deuises are some men slipt in our time And because I knowe not when or where they will make an ende I thinke it néedfull for discharge of my dutie and direction of your faith as well to set downe certaine limits beyond which you may not go as also to reiect such extremities as by no meanes may be closed in the crosse of Christ without apparant impietie The paines of hell if I be not deceiued make a fourefold impression in the soules of men a carefull feare which declineth them a doubtfull feare which conflicteth with them a desperate feare which sinketh vnder them and a damned feare which suffereth them The first is and must be in all the godlie and chieflie in Christ himselfe For the more we loue God the more wee detest and shunne all separation from God Hell therefore which is an vtter exclusion from the kingdome of God is most iustlie abhorred of all his saints and speciallie of his owne Son who not onelie by will but by nature is one with his Father A conflict with Hell if it come not from the inward

and did hee reuoke that which suddainly slipt from him All praier without faith is sin in Gods sight What then was Christs praier if it were directlie bent against the determined purpose and reuealed will of God but euident sinne His thrise repeating the selfe same words with good distance of time betwéene and aduised and vehement zeale what was it if it still needed to bee reuoked and amended but a voluntary spurning at the stedfast decree and eternall counsell of God for mans redemption But god forbid we should so cōceiue of our sauior as if there were in his deeds words or thoughts the least inclination to contradict his fathers resolution He was not onely patient without refusing but obedient without misliking his fathers wil. Esay saith of him He was oppressed and afflicted yet did hee not open his mouth Hee was brought as a sheepe to the slaughter and as a Lambe is dumbe before his shearer so opened hee not his mouth Doth the holie ghost giue him this testimonie that hee mildelie and silentlie bare all the oppressions and afflictions that were laide on him and shall we dare auouch that hee vehementlie and often struggled and striued in his praiers against the knowne will of his Father and sought by all meanes to decline the worke for which hee came into the worlde His flesh they will saie feared death though his spirit submitted it selfe to the will of his heauenlie Father As if his flesh did praie and not his spirite if then his praiers were passionate and vnaduised his spirit cannot bee excused from consenting and yeelding thereto And where do we learne that Christes flesh refused the lawe of his minde and so preuailed against the spirite that it wrested from him inconsiderate and disobedient thoughtes and wordes or when wee thus saie doe wee not plainelie bring the sonne of GOD within the communion of our sinnefull corruption But his spirit was amazed with feare and so hee knewe not what he praied We take too much vpō vs to put Christ besides himselfe when it pleaseth vs. His praiers in the garden were zealous but religious vehement but reuerent mourneful but faithful He offered vp strong cries and teares but HE VVAS HEARD in that he asked and so long as God performed what Christ desired it is more then presumption to challenge his praiers as inconstant and wauering For my part though I could not conceiue the sense of Christes praier in the garden yet do I fully resolue he was most assured in faith his praier should take effect His oftē repeating y e same words noteth how great a thing hee requested at his fathers hands which yet he obtained though it were neuer so great That which you call a reuocation I take to bee a limitation wherby Christ declared he neuer ment to aske or haue any thing against his fathers liking nor in any sort to prefer his owne choise or ease before his fathers will If this be a trance then faith and obedience are no fruits of Gods spirit but fits of a distempered humor and in the end we shall conclude godlines to be madnes For greater submissiō or more deuotiō then Christ vttered in that agony can no man shew If therfore we condemne this as a maze in Christ when shal zealous and deuout persons be in their wits But the scripture saith he was AFRIGHTED ASTONISHED The liuely beholding of Gods maiesty or mās misery might both afright astonish his humane nature on the suddaine but presently recollecting himselfe he fell to vehement and intentiue praier and therein continued almost an houre not warbling in his wordes nor wauering in his petitions or affections but perseuering in the same minde in the same matter till he obtained his desire Nowe to be abashed at Gods presence declared his pietie and to bee stricken at the heart with the feeling of vengeance prouided for vs commended his charitie Lay these two deuotion to God and compassion towards men as the grounds causes of his Agonie and you shall easily cleare this foule heape of absurdities and impieties that now pursueth the contrarie position It is humilitie for mans infirmitie to shake and tremble at the appearance of Gods glorie It is mercie to stand defixed and euen astonished with the sense and griefe of mans finall iudgement and eternall punishment From this fountaine that is from the meditation of the diuine Maiestie and commiseration of humane miserie if we deriue the HEAVINES of heart FEARE and ASTONISHMENT which Christ suffered or shewed in his agony we can do him no wrong because the more violent the more eminent signes they were of submission to God and compassion on man his faith and loue not being oppressed with stupiditie but inflamed with such vehemencie that the weakenesse of mans flesh not able to followe the readinesse of his spirit rauished with a wonderfull feruencie to giue himselfe to saue the worlde might for the time faile in the exteriour actions and offices of the bodie But we must beware that we continue not this astonishment when he came to his praiers For in praier the heart must be not one lie prepared and aduised but sincerelie affected and wholie deuoted to aske nothing but that which tendeth to Gods glorie and agreeth with Gods will He that otherwise asketh anie thing at Gods hands prayeth not but presumptuouslie tempteth God and seeketh to make the wisedome and power of God seruiceable to his corrupt appetites You knowe not what you aske said Christ to the sonnes of Zebedee when he refused their petition and reproued their follie How shall we beléeue wee shall receiue if we aske we knowe not what Faith must be rightlie direc●ed and throughlie perswaded before it can obtaine Christes prayers then in the garden were neither abrupt without sense nor wauering without faith that they néeded bee excused or corrected but his deuotion was instant and perswasion constant that he should preuaile and therefore hee ceased not to aske the selfe same thing thrise till hee was heard and strengthened by an Angel from heauen He asked that they will say which was not granted I am resolutelie of another minde My reasons are first the Apostle sayeth HE VVAS HEARD offering vp strong cries and teares Secondlie Christ himselfe sayeth Father I thanke thee because thou hast heard me I knowe THOV HEAREST ME ALVVAYES And howe coulde it be otherwise For if he prayed according to the will of God he must needes bee heard and agaynst the will of God hee neither did nor woulde praie For that were sinne in him that was not ignorant of Gods will both determined and reuealed And God forbid we should bee so wicked as to say or thinke that Christ would thrise in most earnest prayer impugne his fathers will so well knowne and so often foretolde by his owne mouth I beléeue rather his owne report of himselfe for hee coulde not lie I doe nothing sayde

sufficiently authorized so generally acknowledged should bee controlled or corrected either by the dangerous deuises of some late writers or by the vnsetled humours of some late teachers Hold therefore in Gods name close to the rules of the holie ghost close to the words of the christian catholicke Fathers close to the lawes of this realme they all concur and conioine together howsoeuer some giddie spirits haue lately buzzed in your eares that I impugned the doctrine of the church of England I Haue deliuered you foure effectes of Christes crosse the merite of his suffering which was infinite the maner of his offering which was bloudie the power of his death which was mightie the comfort of his crosse which was and is necessary for vs all there remaineth the glorie of his resurrection which was heauenlie of which I did not purpose to speake when I first entred this matter but the ignorance of some imagining I denied the Article of the Créede HE DESCENDED INTO HELL for descent but on the crosse they admit none and the zeale of others importuning me to knowe what they might safelie beléeue touching that article hath made me to change my mind and in this last part to shewe that I neither frustrate the faith nor alter the Créede by anie thing that I affirme or refuse Where to let you see the multiplicitie of mens wits and conceites there are foure seuerall opinions that take holde euerie one of this Article of our Créede and chalenge the true meaning thereof as their peculiar and vndoubted right The FIRST applieth it to the soule of Christ suffering on the crosse the SECOND to the bodie of Christ buried the THIRD to the state of Christes soule seuered by death from the bodie the LAST to the conquest and triumph which the humane soule of Christ had ouer hell by the glorie of his resurrection as his bodie had ouer death Which of these hath the best right and fittest sense to be an article of our créede wil appeare by comparison in the end and vpshot of all in the meane while I will shortlie sift them that you maie sée the substance of them and so be able the better to iudge of them The first is the verie same which I haue alreadie handled and refused as not consonant to the christian faith but rather repugnant to the dignitie certainty sanctity of Christs person coniunction communion with God The scriptures auouch that Christs SOVLE was IN HELL but not whiles he liued here on earth it was a consequent to his death and no part of his suffering on the crosse as I shewed before And since the times do so much varie there can be no truth in taking the one for the other In this life God sometimes suffereth the sorowes and feares of hell to besiege his seruantes and bringeth them euen vnto hell but his saints descend not into hell feare may humble them that would otherwise presume of themselues or make triall howe fast they stande on that foundation against the which the gates of hell shall not preuaile but this conflict of conscience must resolue on the assurance of Gods fauour except they yéelde themselues vnto to despaire In Christ as there was no vse so was there no place for anie such temptation There was in him no danger of pride to exalt him and therefore no neede of feare to depresse him no slacknesse or coldnesse coulde take holde of him and so no terror requisite to awake him from sleepe or inflame his zeale generallie there was in him no corruption of nature no infection of sinne no wauering of faith no want of grace no doubt of Gods fauour and so those dreadfull thoughts and feares of hell which amaze other could not arise within his heart but all the paines and griefes which the sonne of God felt in his pretious bodie or righteous soule as they were VOLVNTARY for our example and SATISFATORIE for our sinne and not MEDICINABLE for anie infirmitie of his nor PROFITABLE to bring him to perfection of holinesse as they are in vs so were they proportioned to his person that was most assured of Gods euerlasting loue and to his gifts that could endure no inward decrease and therefore hee must in this point differ from all the saints of God that euer were or euer shall be on earth For they may be tossed with the waues of temptation rising from the remembrance of sinne remorse of conscience but our Sauiour as he was frée from all touch of sinne so was he from all feare of heart that hee should or might bee reiected from Gods fauour or adiudged to euerlasting death Smart paine and griefe of bodie or minde be it neuer so great will commende his obedience and patience but the SENSE of damnation or separation from God or the FEARE or DOVBT thereof in Christ as they quench faith and abolish grace so they dissolue the vnion and communion of both his natures or else bréede a false perswasion and sinnefull temptation in the soule of Christ. In vs that haue infinitelie prouoked the iustice of God it is the true beholding what wee haue deser●ed if God be not pleased for Christs sake to pardon and forgiue vs In Christ that was perfectlie righteous and personallie ioyned with God there coulde bee no apprehension of hell paines as due vnto him or determined for him without renouncing his innocencie and leauing the vnitie of his person and consequentlie hee must find or feare that God would be inconstant and vniust which are more then hainous impieties For Christ coulde not FEARE or DOVBT his owne saluation but he must feare or doubt that either his humane nature should bee separated from his diuine or his diuine together with his humane bee cast into hell fier from which the Lord blesse the tongues and thoughts of al christian men As for Christs not remēbring in a maze that he was the son of God sauiour of the world is a seely shift to shun these inconueniencies I had rather simply deny then any way beléeue this kind of descending into hel Do I charge then anie man with vpholding these impieties God forbid I sée by their own words they purpose and professe by al meanes to decline them no doubt detest them but I confesse my dulnes that sée not how to auoide the one if I auouch the other If we take hell paines METAPHORICALLY for great and intolerable paines in which sense the word maie bee vsed then it is no daunger to saie Christ suffered on the crosse the paines of hell because there canne bee no doubt but HIS PAYNES were exceeding GREATE and more SHARPE then wee canne conceiue or vtter But this is not the meaning of the Créede in that Article hee descended into Hell by reason there are wordes before inferring the paynes which hee SVFFERED when hee was CRVCIFIED If wee attribute the sense of Gods wrath and feeling of hell paynes vnto Christ

these be your best exceptions against Christs triumphing ouer hell all the world will know that you are a worthie man to weare a woodden dagger The Apostle made it a part of Christs high exaltation that euerie knee as well of things vnder the earth as of things in heauen should bow vnto him and euerie toong confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord and do you thinke it a méete matter to be mocked and derided Paul saith Christ spoyled principalities and powers of hell darknes and made a shew of them openlie and triumphed ouer them in his owne person for so I must reade till you shew me better authoritie against it then I haue brought for it your selfe both sée and sate that whyles Christ suffered and whyles he died it was a miserable triumph yea a piteous triumph it was indeede where himselfe remayned in such woful tormēts where appeared no shew of conquest but rather of being conquered stil he suffered til he gaue vp the ghost What letteth them I praie you since these words were not verified on the Crosse but they did take place in his resurrection as I teach and therein as by the effects it was most euident and apparant to the eies of all men he did spoyle powers and principalities made a shew of them openly and triumphed ouer them in his owne person Doth the holy ghost attribute this as a great honour to the humane nature of Christ that ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue and doe you make a merriment of it appealing to the whole world for their censure on your side Your strongest sort is this There can bee no commoditie nor benefit to the godlie by it For what good is there so much as pretended The generall redemption of all Gods elect and chosen people was wrought and fullie finished on the Crosse what could his going downe to hell adde more Is the subduing of hell powers and the treading on all their force and the restraining of all their furie so small a matter with you that it doth no good to the godlie Hee hath triumphed and spoyled them to frée vs from feare and hath taken the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands to shew that all power is giuen him in heauen earth hell and that he can restrayne and bind Satan at his will and pleasure Is the performance and assurance of these things no cōmodity nor benefit to the godlie The redemption of Gods elect was you say fully finished on the Crosse. Deserued and obtained it was on the Crosse and by the crosse but not there executed There were our sinnes pardoned and our selues reconciled to God but as Christ died for our sinnes so he rose for our ius●ification His resurrectiō in that glorious manner which I haue mentioned in the treatise his ascension are necessary parts of our Saluation and therefore vse not the force of Christs crosse to exclude but to induce the rest For so doth the Apostle when he saith Christ humbled himselfe became obedient vnto y e death of the crosse Wherfore that is euen for that his humility obedience God hath highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus should euery knee bow of things in heauen in earth vnder the earth So that his descending rising and ascending added nothing to the force of his death but shewed the fruite thereof and tend all to our good since wee are presentlie secured from the power of hell and Satan and shall be certainelie raysed and receaued to glorie Christes death without his resurrection and ascension had beene our confusion and no redemption for if sinne had slaine him without rising it must needes haue damned vs without hoping now in his Resurrection as euery Enemie was most mighty so was there most néed he should be subdued But hereof I haue spoken so largelie before that I shall not néede to rehearse it againe with turning the page it maie soone bee seene But The Scriptures you tell vs are clearely against Christs going to Hell For this daie sayd Christ to the theefe thou sh●lt bee with mee in Paradise All this must needes be of his humane soule verelie without all question There is none can consider herein his Deitie If anie thinke his soule might goe to hell first and presentlie goe thence to heauen yer night also that is ridiculous and toyish You haue so manie toyes in your head Syr Refuter that a coloured cap would well become it when you come to a non plus in your proofes then you crie this is ridiculous and toyifh Go like your selfe and looke to the ridiculous toyes that you bring vs in euery page almost You would prooue forsooth that the SCRIPTVRES ARE CLEARE against Christs being in hell at anie time betwéene his death and his Resurrection for your warrant you bring his words to the theefe on the crosse this daie thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise and at his death when he sayd Father into thy hands I commend my spirite And when the places conclude no such thing as you would haue them nor anie thing néere it then you helpe it with outcries and saie There is no man of sense considering these circumstances that can iudge otherwise But will your wisdome remember that S. Austen in his 57. Epistle discussing this place of purpose to day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise saith the word MEE maie verie readily and easily bee referred to Christs Godhead promising the thiefe Paradise that present daie and all the childish amplifications that you haue brought vs to the contrarie are not worth a nut-shell to conteruaile S. Austens iudgement But graunt it were ment of Christs soule are you so perfect in the length of the waie from hell to Paradise and the wearines of Christs soule in going to both that you be sure he could not do both that daie You thinke belike Christ would not goe thither but to view the deuils one by one and call their names to sée who were absent You haue forgotten that with his presence or with his word whiles hee liued here on earth hee could torment the diuels and therefore if it pleased him but to shewe himselfe who hee was whom they had so despitefullie pursued by the handes and tongues of the wicked on the Crosse all hell must not onelie bende and bowe vnto him but feare and fall before him Againe what coulde hinder though he did not descende that daie which hee died but hee might so doe the daie that hee rose and euen when hee was to rise to loose all the strength of hell before him and to let Satan see that his kingdome was ouerthrowne by that death at which hee so much insulted and reioyced The time I doe not determine though I thinke it pertained rather to the glorie of his resurrection then otherwise as I