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 yâ—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 sâ—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 withâ—â— 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 auoucâ— 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 coÌ„ceiue 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 vpoÌ„ 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 ofteÌ„ 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 submissioÌ„ or more deuotioÌ„ 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 maÌ„s 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 direcâ—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
PROPITIATE the Iudge It doth SEALE THE COVENANT of mercie grace glorie betwixt God man It doth CONCLVDE and bind the diuell what more can be required I verily cannot coÌ„iecture If the blood of Christ performe al these things for vs more we can not aske or expect why shrinke we from it as vnable to saue vs except it be supplied with the paines of hell Whether I affirme any thing of mine owne or deliuer you that which is plainly taught in y e scriptures iudge you Ye were REDEEMED saith Peter by the pretious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe vnspotred and vndefiled Christ by his own bloud saith Paul entered once into the holy place OBTAINING eternall REDEMPTION The bloud of Iesus Christ CLENSETH VS froÌ„ all our sinnes He WASHED vs from our sinnes in his bloud Beeing now IVSTIFIED by his bloud we shall bee saued from wrath through him Iesus suffered that hee might sanctifie the people with his bloud By Christ then wee haue redemption through his bloud euen the remission of sinnes and nowe in Christ Iesus yee which once were farre off are made neere by the bloud of Christ. For it hath pleased the Father by him to reconcile all thinges vnto himselfe And to pacifie through the bloud of his Crosse both thinges in earth and things in heauen Whome God hath purposed to bee a Reconciliation through fayth in his bloud And therefore the new testament is sealed with Christes bloud This is saith hee my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for manie for the remission of sinnes Yee are come to Iesus the mediatour of the newe Testament saith Paul to the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abell For Abels bloud cried for vengeance but Christs bloud speaketh for mercie and grace And for that cause Paul calleth it The bloud of the euerlasting Testament For this is the Testament that I will make with the house of Israel after those dayes sayeth the Lorde I will put my lawes in their minde and in their heart I will write them and I will bee their God and they shall bee my people I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnesse and I will remember their sinnes and iniquities no more This testament of mercie grace and glorie is confirmed by the death of Christ and sealed with his bloud which if we weaken or frustrate with our inuentions or additions wee must looke for that fearefull iudgement which the Apostle threatneth He that despiseth Moses lawe dieth without mercie vnder two or three witnesses Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shal he be worthie which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth vnholie the bloud of the Testament wherewith he was sanctified and reprocheth the spirite of grace The wrong that is offered to the bloud of the newe Testament treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and reprocheth the spirit of grace Now howe can we more vnsanctifie the bloud of the Testament then to make it so vnprecious that it cannot redeeme vs without the paines of hell or to set vp another price for which we haue no expresse record against or aboue the bloud of Christ by which we are cleansed from our sinnes and reconciled to God I knowe they will and must answere the paines of hell are contained in the bloud of Christ for so much as he suffered the one in â—heir imagination when hee shed the other Could they prooue by expresse and infallible testimonies which they cannot do that Christ suffered in soul the paines of the damned they had some reason to comprise the one within the other but no such thing being warranted or witnessed in the scriptures they must take héed that they do not elude rather then expound the words of the holie ghost with a perpetuall Synecdoche which shall frustrate the very force of all those euident and vehement speeches For it is strange to mee first that without iust proofe any such thing should be ioined to the bloud of Christ to helpe the price thereof Next that the holie ghost should alwayes vrge the one and as if were continuallie forget the other Thirdlie the things which are named in the Scriptures as they were the last so are they the chiefest parts of Christs sufferings the rest being vnderstood as antecedent to them and not eminent aboue them Nowe the CROSSE BLOVD and DEATH oâ— Christ are euerie where mentioned in the scriptures as the verie ground worke and pillars of our redemption Lastlie the bodie of Christ wounded and his bloud shed for the remission of sinnes are the seales that confirme and ratifie the new testament and therefore they giue chiefest power and strength to the whole couenant as appeareth by the Sacraments which import vnto vs not the paines of hell but the death and bloud of Christ as the right and true meanes of our redemption Know ye not saith Paule that all we which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death Wee are buried then with him by baptisme into his death And speaking of the Lords Supper he saith As often as ye shall eate this bread and drinke this cuppe ye shewe the Lords death vntill he come The cuppe of blessing which wee blesse is it not the communion of Christes blood The bread which we breake is it not the communion of Christs bodie By these we are grafted into Christ by these wee are quickned nourished into life euerlasting And these propose vnto vs no inuisible paines of hell but the bodie of Christ wounded and his bloud shed for the remitting of our sinnes â—ow vniting vs vnto Christ that we may be members of his bodie of his flesh and of his bones Yea what an vnthankefull part were it for the captiues that are inlarged to chalenge the ransome which was paide for their fréedome as defectiue when the aduersarie from whom we were bought receyued it by the rule of Gods iustice as a price most sufficient for vs all that were deliuered F I will redeeme them from the power of hell I will ransome them from death saith God by his Prophet g you were bought with a PRICE saith Paul The price then which Christ paid must be fully worth the thing redéemed For since it pleased God not by force to take vs from Satan but with a price to buie vs out of his hands it were dishonour to God and a kinde of reproch to giue lesse for vs then might counteruaile vs. And therefore let vs rest assured that the price which Christ payed for vs was of farre greater value then we were not onelie in the vpright iudgement of God but euen in the malicious and furious desire of Satan who thirsted after the bloud of the sonne of God with greedier â—awes then after all the worlde besydes and tryumphed more in bringing him to a shamefull death then in
sinne and wickednesse which the diuel himselfe dare not auouch of the soule of Christ. Men maie doe well therefore to beware how they venture vnaduisedlie to saie that Christ suffered the death of the soule for howsoeuer they may frame vnto themselues a new kind of death in the soule of Christ as they thinke far from these absurdities and blasphemies yet both scriptures fathers mightilie contradict that loose if not lewde assertion With thee is the fountaine of life saith Dauid to God Then if the soule of Christ were alwaies ioined with God or so much as in Gods fauor it must needs haue life for in Gods fauour there is life Yea the presence of Gods spirit giueth life Spiritus est qui viuiâ—icat it is the spirit y t quickneth saith our Sauiour and Paul citeth the same words Where then THE SPIRIT OF GOD is there is LIFE and consequently the soule y t is dead is depriued of Gods spirit Now from whom the spirit of God is departed in him must néeds want al the fruits of Gods spirit and so the soule that is dead is excluded from all godlinesse and vertue For these are not onelie signes but effectes of Gods spirit working in the soule of man And since between righteousnes and vnrighteousnes there is no middle the soule of man wanting light truth and sanctitie of force must be filled with darkenes error iniquity which to surmise in the soule of Christ is the hight of all impietie As manie as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God If Christes soule wanted at anie time the spirit of God he was not the sonne of God If he euer and alwaies had the spirit of life dwelling in him his soule coulde at no time be dead For the spirite is life through righteousnesse But whie seeke we proofes that Christes soule could not die since he himselfe is the AVTHOR and GIVER OF LIFE I am the waie the truth and THE LIFE saith our Sauiour He that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life I am the resurrection and the life hee that beleeueth in mee though hee were dead he shall liue And hee that liueth and beleeueth in me shal neuer die If the soule of him that beleeueth in Christ shal neuer die how could Christ himself at anie time die in soule Christ is our life howe then shall we be sure neuer to die if the fountaine of our life in Christes person might for the time bee dried vp with death shall we haue fuller or perfiter fruition of life then Christ Iesus our heade who giueth life to all his sheepe but he had so plentifull perpetuall and personall possession of life not onelie for himselfe but for vs all that the Apostle saith the first Adam was made a liuing soule the last Adam was made a quickening spirit that is not only to haue life in himself but to giue life to others Could hee then at anie time be a deade soule whome the holy ghost affirmeth to be made a QVICKENING SPIRIT could he giue that to others which himselfe did lacke or loose that which he once had I know to giue life is proper to God and for that cause the soule of Christ could not haue that power by creation but by coniunction with his godhead and in that respect was the receptacle whereby the life and grace of his diuine nature was deriued into his humane with such abundance and assurance that of his fulnes we al haue receaued insomuch that the words which he spake were spirit and life and the flesh which he tooke was the bread of life yea the body of Christ dying did not only resist and represse the force of death but rising againe destroied death restored life to the world If the temple of his bodie were stronger then death what was the sanctuarie of his soule I wish therfore all men that professe themselues christiaÌ„s to be soberlie minded and with the learned and auncient fathers to acknowledge that there is not mentioned in the scriptures anie death of the soule besides SINNE eternall DAMNATION neither of the which with anie moderation or mitigation can be attributed to Christ without shamefull blasphemie Anima peccans ipsa morietur The soule that sinneth that soule shall die In these wordes are both deaths of the soule expressed the first voluntarie when for the delights of sinne wee refuse the preceptes of God the other necessarie when God by his iustice withdraweth his presence from vs and executeth his VENGEANCE on vs that neuer shall haue end That sinne is a death of the soule cannot be denied Let the dead bury their dead saith Christ to one of his disciples follow thou me Which must néedes be meant of such as are liuing in body dead in soule as Paule speaketh of wanton widowes she which liueth in pleasure is dead whiles shee liueth These the scripture calleth DEAD IN SINNE When we were dead by sinnes God quickened vs together with Christ. And again You which were dead in sinnes hath he quickened together with Christ forgiuing you all your trespasses From this death I make no doubt but all christian men with heart and voice will cléerelie discharge the VNSPOTTED and VNDEFILED Lambe of God who did no sinne neither was there any guile found in his mouth The other kinde of the death of the soule which is damnation must be farther from Christ then euer was sinne For not onelie Christes innocency should bee vniustlie condemned which were altogether repugnant to Gods righteousnesse but the sonne of God wronged and mans saluation wholy subuerted Nothing might befall the humane nature of Christ which was vnfitting for his diuine both being ioined in one person And if our Sauiour were condemned to hell which way shall we thinke to scape the iust and fearefull iudgement of God for our manifold and grieuous sinnes he was indéed condemned by man that gaue wrongfull sentence of death against him but hee was acquited of God And because hee humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse God highly exalted him and gaue him a name aboue all names as well in witnesse of his innocencie as in reward of his humility Yea the holie ghost which euidently recordeth Christes assurance confidence and reioicing in God as hee hung on the crosse cleane excludeth all suspicion that he suffered the death of the soule For the soule in this life can haue no fuller nor faster coherence with God then Christ had And since God is the true life of the soule the inseparable coÌ„iunction of Christes soule with God proueth a continuall perswasion and fruition of eternal life which by no meanes admitteth anie danger or doubt much lesse anie sence or sufferance of the second death being the iust wages of sinne whereby the wicked are euerlastinglie punished Certe aâ—ima Christi non solum immortalis
power and steadfast fauour of God for their perpetuall defence and eternall recompence So that in all thinges wee are more then conquerours through him that loued vs and gaue himselfe for vs who will tread downe Satan vnder our feete that God may bee all in all Uerie mightie then is the power of Christes death by whose BLOVD the Saintes OVER COME the greate Dragon that olde Serpent called the Diuell and his ouerthrow prooueth all the enemies of mans saluation to bee vanquished and impediments remooued since he was the first perswader and procurer and is the Prince and ruler of them all We haue seene the power of Christs death in subduing sin and Satan as likewise in ending abolishing the curse of the lawe which obliged man for his vncleannesse and vnrighteousnesse to euerlasting condemnation and find that hee which bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree did in that mortall part which hee tooke of vs crucifie as well the flesh and sinne of man as the curse and death that raigned ouer man and so much hee performed in the bodie of his flesh through death by which hee reconciled vs vnto God to make vs holie and blamelesse in his sight let vs nowe see whether the death of the spirite and the curse of the soule will anie thing helpe the woorke of our redemption or whether the death of Christes bodie doe not more fullie demonstrate the mercies of God and merits of Christ then if the paines of hell had beene ioyned with it And where some men thinke it woulde much commende the TRVTH POVVER and IVSTICE of God and more amplie declare the OBEDIENCE PATIENCE and LOVE of Christ if hee refused not the verie torments of hell for our sakes shunning no part of the burthen that pressed vs I must confesse I am rather of a contrarie minde that the bodilie death of Christ on the crosse doth more plainlie expresse the vertues of God and Christ his sonne then if the terror and horror of hell were therewith coupled And first for the TRVTH of god his threatning Adam in this wise Thou shalt die the death or thou shalt certainely die was truelie performed in the bodie of Christ in the soule of Christ it could not without sinne or damnation neither of which with anie truth can be ascribed vnto Christ. That the mouth of God lied or the soule of Christ died is a choâ—se so hard that I wish all men that haue anie care of Christian religion to refraine either Next touching the POVVER of God the weaker the instrument which God vseth to ouerthrowe his enemies the greater is both his glory and their shame Then for flesh which was the feeblest part of Christ after it was deade and voide of all hope in shew to rise againe into a blessed and heauenlie life and to foile both death and Satan by recouering it selfe into the full possession and all his members into the ioyfull expectation of euerlasting glorie was farre a mightier conquest then for his soule with much adoe at length to escape and resist the assaultes of hell From the depth of hell here on earth manie sinnefull soules haue by grace struggeled and cléered themselues from the graue neuer rose none into an immortall incorruptible life before the flesh of Christ. Déeper in desperation and al other temptations of hel haue others been that yet were saued then anie man dare affirme of Christ déeper in death without corruption then the bodie of Christ neuer was nor euer shall be anie of the sonnes of men It was therefore an harder thing for the bodie of Christ past all sense to rise from death to immortalitie then for his soule voide of sinne and full of grace to repell the force of Satan and yet to repell it sheweth greater power then to suffer it to conquere it sheweth greatest of all But to beare the burden of Gods wrath due to our sinnes and to frée vs from it néeded greater strength they will saie then Christes flesh could haue To support and auert Gods iust indignation from vs the humane bodie or soule of Christ of themselues were not able but the DIGNITIE and VNITIE of his person must be placed in the gap to quench the flame of Gods iust vengeaÌ„ce against our sinnes which was euerlasting destruction both of bodie and soule yet for so much as the sincerity and sanctitie of Christes soule personallie ioyned quickened and blessed with the perpetual vnion communion and fruition of his deitie could feele no want of grace no lacke of spirit no losse of fauour with God in which thinges consist the inwarde death and curse of the soule the wrath of God was executed on the flesh of his sonne which hee tooke of purpose from Adam that the rein he might beare the sinne and curse of Adam and so by his death might satisfie the sentence and pacifie the displeasure of God against our vnrighteousnesse And this is more agréeable to Gods iustice then if Christs soule had suffered the death and curse of the soule For to take life from the soule must be Gods proper and peculiar action No creature can giue the grace or spirit of God to the soule of man which is the life of the soule but onelie God Therefore no creature can take it from the soule but God alone that GIVETH it must TAKE IT AVVAY Since then Christ might suffer nothing iustlie but as the iust for the vniust that is willinglie but vniustlie his death must come by the handes of the wicked who might wrongfullie take his life from him but not touch his soule and not by the immediate hande of GOD who will doe no wrong and can kill the soule I haue sinned saith Iudas in betraying the INNOCENT bloud You denied the HOLIE AND IVST and killed the Lorde of life saith Peter to the Iewes warning them howe great a sinne they had committed in putting Christ to death If hee were an INNOCENT and deserued no punishment if hee were HOLIE and IVST and could not bee persecuted or put to death without haynous impietie and iniurie wee may doe well to remember that the death of his soule had beene a farre greater wrong then the death of his bodie was And therefore if the iustice of God would not farther interpose it selfe in killing his bodie then by deliuering him into the handes of the wicked permitting them to shed his blond which hee woulde accept for the sinnes of the worlde much lesse woulde God with his owne mouth accurse or with his owne hande slea the soule of his sonne whome hee sent to restore and quicken those that were accursed and dead in their sinnes Againe corporallie or temporallie God punisheth one for anothers fault bicause he can recompence them eternally that thereby repent and turne from their sinnes but eternally or spiritually he punisheth no man but for his owne vncleannes either naturally sticking in him or
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 deserâ—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 remeÌ„bring 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
suffered it was ours not his owne that is for our sakes and for our Sinnes This the Prophet in the words following confirmeth He was wounded for our transgressions He was bruized for our iniquities The next is he sustained our sorrowes that is such weaknes faintnes wearines as are incident to our nature and that the Prophet confesseth in the words before He is a man full of sorrowes and hath experience of infirmities euen of such as naturallie offend afflict vs. But when the scripture faileth you you flie to similitudes of your owne making and where Paule saith Christ gaue himselfe a ransome for all you saie the Scripture speaking heere after the common vse and custome of redeeming captiues taken in warre doth meane that Christ paid for vs THE SAME PRICE which else wee should haue paid First whoe told you that the Scripture speaketh here after the common vse of Enimies since in our Saluation the sonne of God interposed himselfe as a mediator with his father to answere what the iustice of God would require at the hands of his sonne for the pardoning of a seruant that had offended You and your friends cannot abide to heare that the enimie who had vs in captiuitie should haue any price for our deliuerance you condemne that as a Manicheisme and doe you nowe for an aduantage vrge that the enemie must haue a price for his captiue Secondlie the price that wee shoulde haue paide was eternall condemnation of bodie and soule into hell fire If Christ paide the same looke wel least with séeking helpe from an enemie you light not on open blasphemie Lastlie to ioyne with you in your owne similitude is it not the common vse in warres to redeeme captiuitie with monie The Captiue himselfe is tyed to perpetuall imprisonment or seruitude hee that will ransome a prisoner is not bounde to bee a Prisoner himselfe but to yéelde such recompence in money or otherwise as the conquerour shall demaunde So that euen by your owne comparison it is euident the sonne of GOD in redeeming vs was not tied to our captiuitie but might yeelde his Father a greater recompence for our absolution then our condemnation woulde haue amounted vnto Your seconde speciall follie Sir Confuter is grounded vpon the wordes of Saint Paule Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the Lawe beeing made a curse for vs. Whence you reason It is vaine and senselesse to thinke that the Apostle speaketh here of two seueral kindes of curses And if Christ sustained anie curse for vs what curse could it be not the curse of the lawe or what was it not the curse of God If you aske to learne you may bee soone taught If you aske to brag you maie be soone cooled The curse of God vpon the sinne of man proceedeth from the wrath of God against the sinne of man howbeit God curseth not onelie sinners but other his creatures with whom he is not angrie but only because they shoulde not serue the pride and lustes of the wicked When Adam transgressed God cursed the earth for his sinne in saying Cursed is the earth for thy sake thornes and thistles shall it bring thee For not onelie the soules and bodies of the wicked are cursed and consumed with plagues resting in them and on them but all that they take in hand and all that belongth to them is accursed like wise If thou wilt not saieth Moses obey the voice of the Lorde thy God to doe all his commaundementes then all these curses shall come vpon thee and ouertake thee Cursed shall thy basket bee and thy store Cursed shall bee the fruite of thy bodie and the fruite of thy lande the increase of thy kine and the flockes of thy sheepe The Lorde will sende vpon thee cursing in all that which thou settest thine hande to doe vntill thou bee destroyed and perish because of the wickednesse of thy workes The rest of GODS curses there numbred vnto the ende of that Chapter and laide vpon bodie and soule wife and children goods and landes life and death of such as transgresse peruse gentle Reader at thy leâ—â—ure and thou shalt easilie see how farre the curse of GOD in this life pursueth sinners besides the horrible tormentes of the nexte life kept in store for them So that as I did in the wrath of God I must in the curse of God aske you Sir Confuter whether you meane that Christ suffered for vs the whole curse of the lawe or parte thereof if you aunswere the whole looke in that place which I now cited how manie kinds of curses there be reckned which neuer touched our Sauiour besides the graunde curse which closeth vp all and continueth for euer Depart from me ye CVRSED into euerlasting fire If you saie a parte then proue you nothing with your hot and sharpe spurres as you thinke when you saie what curse could it be not the curse of the law or what else not the curse of God Christ suffered a parte of that curse which God by his owne mouth laid on Adam and all his posteritie for sinne By one man sinne entred into the worlde saieth Paul and by sinne death hee also suffered other partes of the curse which GOD by his lawe threatned vnto sinners to wit shame and TROVBLE VVRONG and VIOLENCE CAPTIVITY and MISERY THIRST and NAKEDNES GRIEFE and PAYNE of bodie and minde Besides the verie kinde of death to which he submitted himselfe was accursed by speciall words in the law accursed is euery one that hangeth on the Tree Now to verifie the words of S. Paul that Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the law due to our sinnes being made a curse for vs it sufficeth that the sonne of God being equall with his Father in glorie and maiestie vouchsafed to vndergoe not all the partes of our curse but some partes thereof Gods euerlasting curse which is most due to sinne I hope you will free him from Gods spirituall curse by which he depriueth the wicked of his trueth of his grace and other giftes of his spirite you must likewise cleare the sonne of GOD from Hee cannot be subiected to that parte of Gods curse without apparant impietie Take from him trueth you make him a lyar take from him grace you charge him with a reprobate minde take from him the Spirit of GOD you giue place to Satan to worke in him as in the children of vnbeliefe I trust Sir Refuter you bee neither so wicked as to thinke neither so desperate as to defend that the sonne of God might suffer any of these curses Then haue you boldelie but falsely and lewdly concluded out of S. Paul that he putteth a part of the iust curse of the lawe thereby meaning the whole Are you so well acquainted with Saint Paules minde that of your owne heade to vphold your humorous fansie you will vrge his meaning without his wordes to support a manifest falsitie
harts of men when y e diuel preuaileth with temptation there he worketh leading such as consent and yéeld vnto him into all wickednesse euen with greedinesse So he worketh in the children of disobedience as the Apostle testifieth This can haue no place in Christâ— because he did no sinne neither was there anie guile found in his mouth He that committeth sinne saith saint Iohn is of the diuel and for this purpose appeared the sonne of God that hee might dissolue the workes of the diuell Then since inward temptation by the hart Christ could haue none and outward temptation by the mouthes hands of the wicked is no effect of Gods wrath but rather a triall of Gods gifts and graces bestowed on vs It remaineth that if Christ felt the diuels as the very instruments that wrong he the verie effects of Gods wrath vpon him that is vpon his soule for that part of Christ you say must properly and immediateliâ— feele the wrath of God it resteth I saie by your owne wordes y e Christ FELT the DIVELS TORMENTING HIS SOVLE And indeede for so much as in executing the true paines of hell and of the damned God hath none other instruments but diuels you cannot defend that Christ suffered the paines of hell but you must graunt that Christ felt the diuels as instruments executing those paines on his soule Nowe the bodie of man they may torment with touching as they did Iobs the soule they can not but by possessing it For they can not woorke but where they are and therefore they must possesse the soule which they torment Is not here Christian Reader an wholesome clearke and an holie cause that concludeâ— Christes soule was possessed and tormented of diuels on the Crosse And the proofe is as ridiculous as the position is impious Christ spoiled principalities and powers and openlie triumphed ouer them ergo say you hee felt them the instruments of Gods wrath by tormenting his soule If your learning and Logicke serue you so well you may procéede Doctor in doâ—age when you will For my part christian Reader I will giue none other answere to these lewd and wicked absurdities but that which Iacob said to Simeon and Leâ—i Into their secret my soule shall not come To strengthen thee thou maiest remember what Peter saide of Christ. God anointed Iesus of Nazareth with the holy ghost with power to heale all that were oppressed of the diuell for God was with him or else what Christ said of himselfe The prince of this world commeth and hath naught in me or at least what the diuels themselues said to Christ Iesus the sonne of God VVHAT HAVE VVE TO DO VVITH THEE Art thou come to torment vs before the time And so in the Gospell of saint Luke the soule spirit when he saw Iesus cried out what haue I to doe with thee Iesus the sonne of God most high I beseech thee torment me not But perchance I mistake him would God there were so much grace in him as to reuoke it or refuse it I woulde gladlie confesse mine errour in mistaking his wordes but what if he go on from bad to worse What if he heapeth vp reasons as he thinketh but indeede trifles void of sense and reason to confirme the same This reason will proue the same saith hee taken from the lesse to the more Thus do the members of Christ suffer Therefore of necessitie Christ our head suffered the like Yea to the Hebrues hee sheweth a reason which can neuer be refuted by the witte of man Christ succoured vs not but wherein hee had experience of our temptations and infirimities but he succoureth vs euen in these our temptations of feeling the terrours of God and the sorrowes of hell Therefore hee himselfe had experience of the same Adde hereunto that of all absurdities this is the greatest that meere men should suffer more deepely and bitterly then Christ did You haue more words then witte Sir Confuter that propose these childish arguments for inuincible reasons Your selfe shall sée the weakenes of them What soeuer the members of Christ say you did or shall suffer of necessitie Christ our head suffered the like Meane you in bodie or in soule or in both If in bodie thâ—n Christ had his eies put out for so had Sampson he was swalowed vp by a whale for so was Ionas hee was cast into a burning furnace for so were Sidrac Mishac and Abednego he was stoned to death for so were Naboth Steuen and others You meane not in bodie meane you then in soule Inwarde assaults of error lust and sinne Christ neuer had He was â—ree from all conflicts of heart that rise in vs from the roote or remorse of sinne that increase with weakenesse of faith want of grace and quenching of Gods spirite The terrors of minde which wee feele through conscience of our vnworthinesse ignorance of Gods counsell and distrust of Gods fauour hee neuer felt his faith admitted no doubting his loue excluded all fearing his hope reiected all despairing So that howe you shoulde make a falser proposition and more repugnant to the Apostles wordes which you alledge then this which you haue made I by no meanes can conceiue Hee was tempted in all thinges a like except sinne Then neither the rootes partes nor fruites of sinne must bee in him But the Apostle that excepteth sinne excepteth all sinnefull adherentes The punishment of sinne which proceedeth from the iustice of GOD and is no sinne that Christ might and did beare but in no wise those terrours and feares of conscience which proceede from sinne and augment sinne as doubting distrusting despairing in which GOD reuengeth sinne with sinne these muste bee farre from Christ vnlesse wee will wrappe him within the snares of our sinnes The feare of Gods Maiestie armed with mightie power to reuenge sinne is profitable to keepe vs from sinne therein Christ may communicate with vs though not to that ende â—or he could not sinne but fearing doubting or distrusting that God wil for our manifold sinnes cast vs from his presence and condemne vs to hell commeth in vs from the guiltinesse of conscience and weakenesse of faith and hope which in Christ neither had nor coulde haue anie place But the Apostle you saie sheweth a reason which can neuer bee refuted by the witte of man Christ succoured vs not but wherein he had experience of our temptations Are those wordes in the Apostle No you will saie but collected from the Apostles wordes where hee saith In that Christ suffered being tempted he can helpe those that are tempted Hence you conclude vpon your owne warrant that Christ can succour vs in no temptation but whereof himselfe had first experience and this you proclaime to be irrefutable Such lips such lettice such doctors such diuinitie Your collection Sir Refuter is not onelie farre different from the Apostles wordes but euidentlie repugnant to the christian
Ambrose writing vpon these words alleaged by Paul thou hast fitted me a bodie saith Hoc ex persona dicitur eius qui CORPVS SVSCEPIT nostrae mortalitatis vt pro nobis haberet quod offerret This is spoken in his person who put on our MORTALL BODIE that he might haue what to offer for vs. Vna quippe oblatio corporis Christi perfectos facit sanctificatos quae remissionem integram facit peccatorum The one OBLATION OF THE BODIE OF CHRIST maketh perfect such as be sanctified and giueth full remission of sinnes If you thinke Ambrose mistooke the matter heare Athanasius A nobis simili corpore mutuato eo quod omnes mortis corruptioni obnoxij essemus pro omnibus IDIPSVM in mortem deditum patri suo SACRIFICAVIT vt homines à morte ad vitam CORPORE suo quod proprium sibi fecit reuocaret IMMOLATIONE enim SVI CORPORIS legi nobis in festa sinem posuit primordium vitae noâ—is renouauit spe resurrectionis nobis data The son of God BORROVVING FROM VS a â—ODIE LIKE OVRS because we all were subiect to the corruption of Death did SACRIFICE THE SAME to his father by yeelding it vp vnto Death that BY THE BODY which he made his own he might recall men from Death to life For by the OFFERING OF HIS BODIE he ended the lawe that oppressed vs and renewed the beginning of life vnto vs giuing vs hope of Resurrection Cyrill with the whole Synode of Alexandria which I mentioned before wrote thus to Nestorius Christ is made the mediator of God and man and a reconciler of peace offering himselfe to God to his father as a sweet smelling sacrifice for he OFFERED HIS OVVN BODIE FOR VS to bee a sweete sauour But of the true sacrifice for sinne which Christ offered I haue spoken enough before as well in this conclusion as in the Treatise It must haue the BODIE the BLOOD and the DEATH of the offerer none of which agrée to the soule of Christ though the bodie without a soule could be no reasonable sacrifice therefore I exclude not the soule whose obedience innocence patience concurred to sanctifie this sacrifice but I note the parts of the sacrifice for sin by the Apostles doctrine were those which I named the blood and death of the Sacrificer both which must néeds be found in his body and not in his soule From Ambrose you roue to TertulliaÌ„ there you find that which I neuer doubted of The Son suffered forsakeÌ„ of his father Haec vox est animae corporis id est hominis This was the voice of soule bodie that is of man Did you think the body could speak without the soule before you read in Tertullian that this was the voice of both If you did you were deeply learned if you did not why doe you bring it as a matter worth the hearing that bodie and soule ioyned in speaking But you help it ouer y â— stile with a false translatioÌ„ where Tertullian saith this was the voice of soule flesh you english it o this is meant of the flesh and of the soule to wit as you expounde it that both soule and bodie died forsaken of God Take back Sir Refuter your false and vnsauerie glozes that corrupt the text Tertullian neuer heard nor thought of the death of Christs soule nor of anie such forsaking as you imagine hee expoundeth himselfe without your additions in the verie same place plaine enough Denique posuit spiritum statim obijt Spiritu enim manente in carne caro omnino mori non potest Ita relinqui a patre fuit mori filio silius igitur moritur resuscitatur Dicendo denique Christus mortuus est id quod vnctum est mortuum ostendit id est carnem Christ laid aside his spirit and PRESENTLY DIED For his spirit remaining in his flesh the FLESH by no meanes coulde DIE. So to be forsaken of the father was for the sonne TO DIE. The sonne therefore died and was raised againe Then in saying Christ died Paul shewed that died which was annointed euen the flesh of Christ. Of the death of Christes flesh Tertullian speaketh which hee saith could not possiblie bee so long as Christes soule remained in his bodie Christ then died no death of the soule whiles he liued and breathed on the crosse but the death which hee died was the laying aside of his soule and leauing his bodie vnto death You ende with Cyril that Christ made his flâ—sh a Redemption for our flesh and his soule a Redemption for our soules Cyril meaneth nothing lesse then that which you would implie that wiâ—h the death of either part in himselfe Christ redeemed â—ach part in vs But Cyril knowing that Christ in his sufferings on the crosse ioyned both partes together the one to receaue the violence and rage of the wicked which was his bodie other to féele endure the smart thereof with all obedience patieÌ„ce which was his soule saith truly that Christ ioyning both soule and bodie in suffering for vs redéemed both soule and bodie in sauing vs which wee acknowledge to bee true without exception For had not the soule of Christ béene partner yea chiefe patient in those bodilie sufferinges of Christ they could not haue profited vs neither doe we at anie time otherwise speake or thinke of Christs sufferings but that the bodie was the instrument whereby the soule of Christ did admit and feele all those paines wrongs shames wounds and whatsoeuer he endured on the crosse or before at their hands which put him to death But these paines and sorrowes of Christs soule you saie MAKE NOT TO OVR REDEMPTION and vnlesse the soule properlie and immediatlie not from or by her bodie féele hellish paines and sorrowes such as the damned doe you make no reckning of all that Christ otherwise suffered And this is your error which you shrowde vnder the name of a most holie trueth where indéede if it be vrged followed as you beginne it will fall out to be a most hainous contemning of all that Christ suffered for vs and a dangerous substituting of other deuises which Christ neither did nor could suffer as you propose them You end Sir Refuter as you beganne with egregious lyes that not the most or the best BVT ALL AND EVERY ONE both churches and writers in the world that are protestants teach as you doe and that your doctrine is publiklie authorized by the lawes of this Realme as appeareth by the booke of Homilies where it is said that Christ put himselfe betweene Gods deserued wrath and our sinne But Syr confuter if you haue this propertie of Mydas y t you can turne all Fathers Churches writers and lawes with touching them to be of your opinion you must haue Mydas eares too vnlesse you looke better about you Such an insoleÌ„t and impudent speach would well
these be your best exceptions against Christs triumphing ouer hell all the world will know that you are a worthie man to weare a woodden dagger The Apostle made it a part of Christs high exaltation that euerie knee as well of things vnder the earth as of things in heauen should bow vnto him and euerie toong confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord and do you thinke it a méete matter to be mocked and derided Paul saith Christ spoyled principalities and powers of hell darknes and made a shew of them openlie and triumphed ouer them in his owne person for so I must reade till you shew me better authoritie against it then I haue brought for it your selfe both sée and sate that whyles Christ suffered and whyles he died it was a miserable triumph yea a piteous triumph it was indeede where himselfe remayned in such woful tormeÌ„ts where appeared no shew of conquest but rather of being conquered stil he suffered til he gaue vp the ghost What letteth them I praie you since these words were not verified on the Crosse but they did take place in his resurrection as I teach and therein as by the effects it was most euident and apparant to the eies of all men he did spoyle powers and principalities made a shew of them openly and triumphed ouer them in his owne person Doth the holy ghost attribute this as a great honour to the humane nature of Christ that ascending on high he led captiuitie captiue and doe you make a merriment of it appealing to the whole world for their censure on your side Your strongest sort is this There can bee no commoditie nor benefit to the godlie by it For what good is there so much as pretended The generall redemption of all Gods elect and chosen people was wrought and fullie finished on the Crosse what could his going downe to hell adde more Is the subduing of hell powers and the treading on all their force and the restraining of all their furie so small a matter with you that it doth no good to the godlie Hee hath triumphed and spoyled them to frée vs from feare and hath taken the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands to shew that all power is giuen him in heauen earth hell and that he can restrayne and bind Satan at his will and pleasure Is the performance and assurance of these things no coÌ„modity nor benefit to the godlie The redemption of Gods elect was you say fully finished on the Crosse. Deserued and obtained it was on the Crosse and by the crosse but not there executed There were our sinnes pardoned and our selues reconciled to God but as Christ died for our sinnes so he rose for our iusâ—ification His resurrectioÌ„ in that glorious manner which I haue mentioned in the treatise his ascension are necessary parts of our Saluation and therefore vse not the force of Christs crosse to exclude but to induce the rest For so doth the Apostle when he saith Christ humbled himselfe became obedient vnto y e death of the crosse Wherfore that is euen for that his humility obedience God hath highly exalted him giuen him a name aboue euerie name that at the name of Iesus should euery knee bow of things in heauen in earth vnder the earth So that his descending rising and ascending added nothing to the force of his death but shewed the fruite thereof and tend all to our good since wee are presentlie secured from the power of hell and Satan and shall be certainelie raysed and receaued to glorie Christes death without his resurrection and ascension had beene our confusion and no redemption for if sinne had slaine him without rising it must needes haue damned vs without hoping now in his Resurrection as euery Enemie was most mighty so was there most néed he should be subdued But hereof I haue spoken so largelie before that I shall not néede to rehearse it againe with turning the page it maie soone bee seene But The Scriptures you tell vs are clearely against Christs going to Hell For this daie sayd Christ to the theefe thou shâ—lt bee with mee in Paradise All this must needes be of his humane soule verelie without all question There is none can consider herein his Deitie If anie thinke his soule might goe to hell first and presentlie goe thence to heauen yer night also that is ridiculous and toyish You haue so manie toyes in your head Syr Refuter that a coloured cap would well become it when you come to a non plus in your proofes then you crie this is ridiculous and toyifh Go like your selfe and looke to the ridiculous toyes that you bring vs in euery page almost You would prooue forsooth that the SCRIPTVRES ARE CLEARE against Christs being in hell at anie time betwéene his death and his Resurrection for your warrant you bring his words to the theefe on the crosse this daie thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise and at his death when he sayd Father into thy hands I commend my spirite And when the places conclude no such thing as you would haue them nor anie thing néere it then you helpe it with outcries and saie There is no man of sense considering these circumstances that can iudge otherwise But will your wisdome remember that S. Austen in his 57. Epistle discussing this place of purpose to day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise saith the word MEE maie verie readily and easily bee referred to Christs Godhead promising the thiefe Paradise that present daie and all the childish amplifications that you haue brought vs to the contrarie are not worth a nut-shell to conteruaile S. Austens iudgement But graunt it were ment of Christs soule are you so perfect in the length of the waie from hell to Paradise and the wearines of Christs soule in going to both that you be sure he could not do both that daie You thinke belike Christ would not goe thither but to view the deuils one by one and call their names to sée who were absent You haue forgotten that with his presence or with his word whiles hee liued here on earth hee could torment the diuels and therefore if it pleased him but to shewe himselfe who hee was whom they had so despitefullie pursued by the handes and tongues of the wicked on the Crosse all hell must not onelie bende and bowe vnto him but feare and fall before him Againe what coulde hinder though he did not descende that daie which hee died but hee might so doe the daie that hee rose and euen when hee was to rise to loose all the strength of hell before him and to let Satan see that his kingdome was ouerthrowne by that death at which hee so much insulted and reioyced The time I doe not determine though I thinke it pertained rather to the glorie of his resurrection then otherwise as I