Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	according_a	church_n	true_a	2,752	5	4.8734	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86122	Of the article of our creed: Christ descended to Hades, or ad Inferos. Posit. 1. Christs soule went to Hades, or ad Inferos. 2. It concerns a Christian to know the right meaning of this article. Quest. 1. What is meant in the creed by this article? 2. Did Christs soule goe to heaven or Gehenna? With answers to both of them severally.	Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645.	1642 (1642)	Wing H1220; Thomason E128_3; ESTC R22249	20,794	28

OF THE ARTICLE OF OVR CREED Christ descended to Hades or ad Inferos Posit 1. Christs soule went to Hades or ad Inferos 2. It concerns a Christian to know the right meaning of this Article Quest 1. What is meant in the Creed by this Article 2. Did Christs Soule goe to Heaven or Gehenna With Answers to both of them severally LONDON Printed in the yeare 1642. To the Christian Reader GOD hath in these later dayes opened a plentifull fountain of sacred truth to informe our judgements and direct our practise yet such is humane frailty that ignorance and curiosity have broached many Controversies and prejudice and partiality maintained most of them with much vehemency of contention and disaffection of hearts Whereby the propagation of the Gospel and the advancement of Gods glory is much retarded These things it becomes us not onely tolament but to endeavour by all possible meanes to remedy Now what better and speedier course can be taken for cure herein then for the Sons of the God of Peace Subjects of the Prince of Peace men renewed by the Spirit of Peace to take to themselves a calm and peaceable temper to treat of sacred matters without malice and bitternesse in points of much controversie and difficulty to use a punctuall plain and breif discourse That Truth bee neither lost nor undiscerned nimium altercando by vastnesse of debate nor clouded by extravagant far fetcht and nice expressions I have in this present Treatise endeavonred to bring arguments and grounds most perspicuous breif and pertinent that the point here handled might not bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a rock of offence amongst us Some passages herein require not an ordinary skill in tongues So that men not versed that way are to bee intreated not to precipitate their judgments but many passages are so cleared by Scripture and good deductions thence that my appeale may be to any indifferent judge Such as this discourse is I present it unto your gentle perushall and serious consideration and humbly desire Gods gracious blessing on both our paines and the Divine assistance of his Holy Spirit leading us into all Trueth Two Positions about the ARTICLE Descendit ad Inferos to Sheol or to HADES POSITION I. Christ did Descendere ad Inferos to Sheol or Hades THe Old and New Testament the two excellent witnesses of sacred Truth affirme with one accord That Christs soule was in Sheol or Hades and as in latine these termes be generally by all translate apud inferos For Psalme 16.10 T is said Thou wilt not leave my soule in Sheol or Hades nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption And Act. 2. These very words are expresly cited from the Psalm And there S●nt Peter expounds the latter part of the words thus Nor suffer thine holy one to see corruption that is Christs Body or Flesh to to turne to dust in the grave The meaning therefore is that Christs So ●e going to Sheol or Hades or ad Inferos should not there bee left to abide or continue longer then the third day For Christ promised to rise againe and set the time of his Resurrection to bee not before the third day This it pleased him to doe that he might fulfill what was typed in Ionas As also that wee might assuredly know that he was truly dead From Christs interring untill the third day Christs flesh or body did rest in hope which could not in any wife bee frustrate And therefore on the third day Christ was quickned by the Spirit 1 Peter 3.8 So that his Sou●e which h●d beene in Sheol or Hades or apnd Inferos and his body which was in the grave united and that himselfe role dead For these passages concerning Christ David as a Prophet saw before and spake concerning Christs rising from death Which death to Christ as to all men was the parting of the soule and bodie to bee sent each to their due place Thus it is manifest by facred Scripture that Christs soule did descendere ad Inferos or goe to Sheol or Hades For what was not left there must goeth●ther be there and come thence Seeing Scripture is so expresse in this point I shall not need to use any further proofe thereof POSIT 2. It doth much co●cerne us Christians to understand aright what is meant by Christs Soule going ad Inferos to Sheol or Hades IT behooves us truely to understand what is meant by the descent of Christ because 1. It is a ru●h affirmed by the Holy Ghost in both Testaments and an expression of a chiefe action of CHRIST about his death and Resurrection 2. Because Saint Peter doth cite from the Old Testament words witnessing the same and expounds them as u●eful to be knowne for the confirmation of a Christians faith in the point of Chri●●efurrection which is a matter of great consequence for our salvation 3. Because this clause 1. Is taken into the common Creed of the Churches in this part of the world 2. Expounded as part of the Creed by many of the ancient Fathers and mentioned in diverse parts of their workes and generally acknowledged and received by late Writers upon the Creed 4. Because the different expositions thereof have in these latter times occasioned much controversie and jarres among Christians and beane a great stumbling blocke to Iewes who are of themselves too averse from Christianity and made by misprision and quarrells about this Article much more to disaffect our Doctrine ● What inconvenience and mischiefe these have brought to the Church of Christ in these our days is most apparent In regard of these and other reasons which might bee produced it very much concernes us Christians to understand aright and to professe what according to sacred truth is meant by Christ Soule going ad Jnferos That I may clearely set downe what I conceive both from Scripture and the learned and worthy paines of the most judicious Divines and exquisite searchers into the fa●red Text is meant thereby I propound the two following questions and answer thereun●o QUEST 1. What is the full meaning and true sense of the word in our CREED Hee des ended ad Inferos to Sheol or Hades● FOr the making a distinct punctuall answer to this question I will first produce the various significa ●o●s of the words Sheol Hades Inferi For unlesse ambiguous words bee well and rightly distinguished neither can I fully and perspicuously expresse my meaning nor others without misprision conceive what they endeavour to understand If words give not a certaine sound wee shall but beate the ayre and leave the matter doubtfull and give occasion to further dispute First Then Sheol Hades Inferi signifie Death when they are spoken of a person in danger of his life As Psalme 18.6 The sorrowes of Sheol compassed mee that is the sorrowes of Death or sorrowes bringing to the Grave and Ps●me 116.3 The paines of Sheol found mee that is griefe and paine hastning death They doe also signifie

were Holy persons therefore their soules came from the place in which before Christs death the soules of the Saints departed rested from their labours That place is Abrahams bosome to Lazarus Luc. 16.22 A better and heavenly country which the Patriarches who died in the true faith sought even a Citie prepared by God Heb. 11.6 That place is called Paradise to the beleiving theif and Paradise by Saint Paul 2. Cor. 12.2.4 is the third heaven It is also the house of God in which are many mansions and whither Christ went to prepare or make assured a place for the Disciples and to come again to them Iohn 14.2 and thence he came at his resurrection with the attendance of those Saints rising with him Obj. If it bee here objected That we read not any words recorded which these Saints spake concerning Christ or any testimony given concerning the place whence he came or otherwise Ans I Answer T is most true yet seeing they appeared to many in the Holy City as Christ also did wee may conceive that they conversed with and spake to the Saints then living as Christ himselfe did after his rising again In this as in many other things the servants might be as their master and conformable to him So that wee may further conceive that whatsoever they spake was doubtlesse holy and heavenly yet it pleased not the spirit of God to have it recorded because we have a sufficiency of sacred doctrine in Moses the Prophets the Evangelists and Apostles writings and ought to heare them For so the course here shall be consonant to that in the speech made to the richman Luc. 16.29 concerning his brethrens instruction They have Moses and the Prophets c. If they will not beleive them neither will they beleive though one rise from the dead Further suppose they spake nothing but in generall as Paul did who was rapt up into the third keaven VIZ. That they came from Paradise or the third Heaven and that the words there heard the glory there appearing the blisse there enjoyed was exceeding great and unutterable This was not necessary to be recorded Because 1. other Scriptures mention and declare for our comfort Gods abundant mercy goodnesse towards us in giving us in this life grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which can not be unfolded and joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unspeakable and reserveth for us in heaven a treasure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall nevenfaile which Saint Paul expounding calleth Such an eternall weight and exceeding riches of Glory that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to bee reached to by an Hyperbole by other the like speeche● From all which wee may by the ordinary ministry of men bee taught out of the word written to conceive so much of Heavens blisse the like as God thinks fit here to acquaint 〈◊〉 with all and what wee are here capable of If the world make us not backward to listen thereunto and dull rightly to conceive thereof as the Rich mans speech to Abraham intimats that his brethren were Again the very appearance of the Saints who rose again was a sufficient witnesse that Christ came to that Paradise or Heaven where their soules had bin and brought them thence that they might rise from death together with him This very work of Christ did witnesse of him as els where in an other case hee said John 10.25 29. Nor is it unusuall to draw conclusions from Christs works as well as from his words Omnis ejus actio est nostrainstructio And in this present occasion wee may doe well to believe both for his work and for his companies sake Obj. If it be further objected what need is there of witnesse in this kind was not the witnesse of the 12. Disciples sufficient for all things which wee need to know Ans I Answer 1. Of all other passages from Christs Baptism God provided them to be witnesses and seeing it was his will that these Saints should rise again and in likely hood be witnesses as I have shewed in that point to which no living man could give testimony great reason it is that wee should rest content and accept of their witnesse not dispute against it 2. It appears that witnesse in this point was necessary For seeing it is necessary to understand a right what is meant by Christs soule going to Hades or ad Inferos as is shewed in the second Prosition and seeing the sacred Scripture assures us that Christs soule was in Hades or apud Inferos and much dispute there is and hath bin in the world about the condition of the place whether it bee Heaven or Hel Surely if the Testimony of these Saints was not necessary yet it cannot be denyed to be very expedient and usefull 3. Where as in the Epistle to the Trallians among Ignat. Epist it is asserted that Christ did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 really and indeed and not in appearance and things in Heaven on earth and under the earth are brought in as witnesses thereof the things in Heaven are said to bee the incorporeall natures which must bee the Angels and the soules of these Saints now spoken of things on earth were the Jewes and Romans and all present at Christs death things under the earth are the bodies of the dead Saints who rose with him at his resurrection Thus was their testimony necessary for the truth of Christs death and rising again So that the soules and bodies of these dead Saints coming to life again did shew and testify 1. that as their death was un leniable and never questioned So was his death true ought not to be questioned 2. As their resurrection from death was most certain so was his And I will further 3. adde which I conceive I well may as their soules continuance in Paradise or Heaven from he time of their death untill their resurrection was undeniable so was Christs They were alike in the former therefore in this point also The third Ground IN the third place from the consideration of Christ as the Head of the Church and all true believers his members let us see what is that Conformity between him and them which in many passages of Scripture is mentioned Concerning the point in hand these conformities following are most considerable In the very same manner as it was with Christ The Saints suffered many calamities in their life time They denyed themselves and took up their crosses They died their bodies were buried Their soules were commended into the hands of God They enjoyed the Heavenly country which they sought the City prepared by God As Christ their Lord did The soules of some of them came from that Heavenly country and were united to their bodies again They appeared in soule and body alive in Jerusalem Seeing the Conformity holds in other points we may well conceive and affirm that it holdes also in this that Christs soule went to and continued in Ab●ahams bosom or the