matter T. H. 2 This position with me is an impregnable bulwarke of my Religion viz. Whosoeuer doth pertinaciously reiect any point of faith accepted by publike consent of the CATHOLICKE Church he is an HERETICKE and no member of her communion For which consideration I am as tenderly affected in this article as in any other of my Creede esteeming my selfe obliged thereunto for two respects FIRST because the essentiall truth thereof is clearely reuealed vnto me by God both in his word written and by Apostolicall Tradition In his word written for what can be more perspicuous then this saying Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hel c. By Apostolicall Tradition for what can be more plaine then this Article He descended in hell 3 SECONDLY I am moued by the authoritie of the Church For who saith Augustine denieth that Christ descended into hell vnlesse he be an INFIDELL And for the sence of this Article he hath this cleare resolution Who is he that was not left in hell Christ Iesus but in his SOVLE onely Who is he that lay in the graue Christ Iesus but in his FLESH onely For the NATVRALL vnion of his bodie and soule was dissolued but not the HYPOSTATICALL vnion of either with his Person 4 This truth being so patent and perspicuous I aske you now what reason haue you for any part of your faith if you haue not assurance in this And if you fall from this what certaintie haue you in any other point Therefore it importeth your Church to shew a due conformitie in this Article of the Creed Finally you may remember that S. Athanasius in his Creed which your Church pretendeth to admit throughly c. hauing premised this denuntiation Whosoeuer keepeth not the Catholicke faith entire and inuiolate without doubt he shall perish euerlastingly doth afterward subnect this Article of Christ his descent into hell as parcell of that CATHOLICKE faith The Answer No man may iustly discommend M. Hiogons resolution if he can make good all that he professeth The heads be three the first is the equall necessitie of this Article with any other and secondly the equall euidence for the proofe hereof and lastly a generall conformitie of profession herein For the weight and necessitie he pretendeth to be as tenderly affected in this Article is in any other I would willingly beleeue him but that in my booke of Apologie in the same Chapter from whence he now maketh his obiection I propounded the iudgement of their learned Professor and Iesuite Suarez who determined this question in these words There followeth saith he a doubt whether the truth of Christ his descent into hell be not onely a matter to be beleeued but also an article of faith the reason hereof is this because it was not in the Nicene Creed nor set downe by the Apostles and because the Fathers as namely Augustine Tertullian Irenaeus Origen haue omitted it in their expositions of the Creed I answer saith he that it is not altogether certaine that the Apostles added this Article if by an Article of faith we vnderstand a truth which all faithfull men are bound explicitly to know and beleeue I thinke it not necessarie to reckon this among the Articles of faith because it is not a matter altogether so necessarie for all men and for this cause peraduenture it was omitted in the Nicene Creed the knowledge of which Creed may seeme to be sufficient for the fulfilling the precept of faith This resolution M. Higgons doubtlesse there saw wherein an ods of necessary vse of this article is professed by your eminent Iesuit Schoolemā and yet doth our yong Antagonist exact an equall necessity of this with any other Article The equall euidence of this Article is the second point wherein he doth insist requiring as good an assurance and certaintie for this as for any other point accounting it an essentiall truth clearely reuealed vnto him by God both by Apostolicall Tradition and by the word written and by custome of the Church as though he had obserued a certaintie hereof among the Romanists which he could not finde among Protestants not vnderstanding that their foresaid Iesuite hath said concerning his first hold that it is not certaine that the Apostles added this Article And as for the Scriptures which they produce for the proofe of the Romish sence thereof the same Suarez saith some Catholicks so expound these Scriptures as destroying and denying this Article and of the Article it selfe their Iesuite Salmeron durst pronounce saying We doubt not that this article is not so euidently declared in Scriptures as the other Articles are which concerne the humanitie of Christ insomuch that Scotus and Durand thought as he saith that it could not be proued out of Scriptures and yet their nouice M. Higgons presumed that all Romanists held it as most perspicuously deliuered in Scriptures As for his ground taken from the testimonie of S. Augustine this wil proue maruellously preiudicial to the Romish sence The last point which he professeth is conformitie in this Article of the Creed whereby he would be thought to auouch their owne consent herein notwithstanding he knew that among their Romanists there hath bene broached these differences one saying that Christs descent into hell was onely vertuall and not personall the second sort of them who held a personal descent but some applying it vnto the reall hell of the damned others onely vnto a Limbus Patrum which wil be proued out of S. Augustine to be no part of hell As yet the Romanists affoord vs neither an absolute necessity of the Article nor euidēce of their sence either from Apostolicall tradition or from perspicuous places of Scriptures nor yet entertaine among themselues a conformitie of consent So that as yet we cannot perswade our selues of M. Higgons equall tendernesse of affection in this behalfe but now concerning my selfe T. H. His Accusation §. 2. D. Mortons pretence of his Churches vnity in this point is clearely refuted NOw see your Doctors syncerity who may cal God to reuenge it vpon his soule if he deceiue any man with his knowledge First he citeth the opinion of Bellarmine in these words Opinio Catholica haec est CHRISTVM VERE SECVNDVM ESSENTIAM FVISSE IN INFERNO As much as to say Christ in his soule substantially did descend into hell Then he addeth Hanc vestram sententiam NOS quoque iuxtà cum Augustana confessione libentissimè profitemur non tamen quatenus vestram sed quatenus veram We also together with the Augustane confession do most willingly professe this opinion c. It is well that he left out the Scottish French Belgian and Heluetian confessions for he knoweth that the true Caluinists are hereticks in this behalfe The Answerers Iustification I concealed not the different expositions of some other Protestants who notwithstanding are no more guiltie of heresie in this point then are the Romanists as will appeare But
A DIRECT ANSWER VNTO THE SCANDALOVS EXCEPtions which Theophilus Higgons hath lately obiected against D. Morton In the which there is principally discussed Two of the most notorious Obiections vsed by the Romanists viz. 1. M. Luthers conference with the diuell and 2. The sence of the Article of Christ his descension into hell IOB 31. v. 35. 36. Though mine aduersaries would write a booke against me Would I not take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne vnto me LONDON Printed for EDMVND WEAVER 1609. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE RAPH LORD EVRE LORD PRESIDENT OF the Principalitie Dominion and marches of Wales and Lord Lieutenant of the same THe many tokens of that interest which by your fauour right Honorable I haue in your fauour hath thus emboldened me in this little Treatise to manifest my due acknowledgement of your Lordships loue towards me but much more vnto the truth of Christ which doth ennoble you both in the sight of Angels and of men Not many nobles saith the Apostle but he addeth according vnto the flesh that we should not wonder at this defect but deplore it for we know that the Spirit of Christ which called the faithfull of Thessalonica noble because of their diligent studie in the sacred Scriptures and zealous inquisition of the truth of the Gospell doth teach vs to esteeme of all such as the off-spring of right Nobilitie which issueth not from generation but from regeneration the praise and glorie whereof is not of men but of God My speciall intendment in this dedication right Honorable was to giue your Lordship notice what kinde of conflicts I am daily to expect seeing that after the assault of a Moderator and a Mitigator now one T. H. a Motioner is sent to insult vpon me vnder a pretence of charging me with falsifications But how farre my disposition hath bene from this wickednesse I haue presumed to appeale vnto your Honours experience What my desert is the examination of his particulars will best discouer which I referre vnto the equanimity of your Lordships censure submitting my selfe either vnto the abalienation of your Honorable fauour or else your further approbation of me according as I shal be found in these points innocent or obnoxious Our Lord Iesus preserue your Honour vnto the glorie of his sauing grace Your Lordships in all due thankfulnesse TH. MORTON To the Reader THe speciall occasion of this Answer Christian Reader was in thy behalfe lest thou shouldest stumble vpon me as vpon a Falsificator who professe my selfe a publisher of truth I haue read my Aduersarie his pretended Motiues and haue since also vnderstood of his true motions which occasioded him to reuolt and comparing them together I could not but recken him among the number of that people who as histories relate did first execute men whom they called Malefactors and then afterward examined their cause For if T. H. had not first run out in a passion and afterwards deuised pretext of Reasons which he calleth his Motiues the law of charitie and of humanitie would haue chalenged him to haue consulted with those Authors whom he doth impugne with whom the Motioner did then stand in the termes of brotherhood As for my selfe I perceiue he hath read my Apologie in which there are many hundreds of testimonies alledged out of the Romish writers wherein they are found to contradict one another almost in euery question and to conuince their owne men of manifest slaunders against Protestants and almost in euery Article to iustifie the grounds of our Religion out of all which M. Higgons hath singled out onely fiue which it may seeme he thought to be more singularly false then any others These haue I examined and after due triall am now prouoked to expostulate the matter with my Aduersarie as Iacob did with Laban saying What haue I trespassed what haue I offended that thou hast pursued after me Seeing thou hast searched all my stuffe what hast thou found suffer me to change a word to charge me withall Put it here before thy brethren and mine either Protestants or Romanists that they may iudge betweene vs both I can say no more but laying open the parcels wish that the Brethren of both sides would iudge betweene vs both are in some sort chargible hereunto not onely by my Aduersaries chalenge who intitleth this part of his booke thus Trie before you trust but much more by the Apostles authoritie exhorting all men concerning things of this nature to Trie all things and to keepe that which is good The Lord Iesus blesse vs and by his preuenting Grace prepare vs alwaies for a comfortable appearance before him in the great day of Triall Thy friend and seruant in Christ Iesus TH. MORTON A DIRECT ANSWER VNTO THE SCANDALOVS EXCEPTIONS WHICH Theophilus Higgons hath lately obiected against D. Morton Theoph Higgons THE PREFACE IF you consider the deliberation of D. MORTON in the contexture of his APOLOGY or his pretended sinceritie therein it may seeme very strange that this worke which was borne after so long trauell should be surcharged with impertinent trifles or subtile collusiōs or malicious vntruthes The Answer I doubt not but my sincerity will indeed seeme strange vnto any that shall consider aright with what insinceritie and impietie it is impugned T. H. For which respects Iames Gretzer a verie noble author hath exorned it with a speciall encomion viz. Hoc opus c. This censure because it proceedeth from an aduersarie and a IESVITE also with whose order it pleaseth D. Morton to contend more eminently then with any other may peraduenture seeme vniust but yet the equitie of it or credibilitie at the least may appeare vnto you by the sequele which being a part doth delineate the condition and qualitie of the whole The Answer I cannot enuie Iames Gretzer your exornation of a very noble if you adde Rayler for although I haue seene many Doctors yet neuer read I of any other that was professor in that kinde whose onely phrases and emblemes of vnciuill Rhetoricke vsed against learned Protestants in that one booke here cited by you I haue seene collected into such a swelling bulke as may bewray that your noble Author in writing it laboured of a tympanie which since hath bene so skilfully vented by the reasons of a learned Protestant that we stand in good hope of his better temper hereafter Concerning whose censure of me you haue said in my behalfe that it proceedeth from an Aduersarie whom my selfe might haue incountred with by the testimony of a friend euen of his own Nation Omnes docti qui hîc sunt c. but I abhorre this folly Yet I wish that I had bene so much beholdē vnto you M. Higgons as to haue examined the particular exceptiōs which Iames Gretzer hath taken against me to haue noted any one thing wherin I haue bene iustly charged of subtle collusion or of malicious vntruths I should
the reason for Bellarmine himselfe in the verie next chapter is of a contrarie opinion vnto that which M. Doctour deriueth generally vpon the Papists What pietie then or humanitie was in this preposterous deuice The Answerer I will tell you euen with that pietie which truth it selfe did challenge of my conscience and which your humanitie I hope will easily acknowledge after that I haue informed your ignorance what among the Romanists is the most common opinion Feu-ardentius you know deliuering the Romish meaning of this Article held that Christs soule went not into the place of the damned but onely vnto the place which is called sinus Abrahae the bosome of Abraham and is commonly termed Limbus Patrum where say they the soules of Patriarcks were detained vntill Christ his ascension into heauen But Cardinall Bellarmine held thus At probabile profectò est c. That is It is probable that his soule descended through all the parts of hell both because the Scriptures do not otherwise distinguish and because S. Augustine Fulgentius Ambrose Eusebius Emissenus Nyssenus and Cyrill do signifie as much You now aske me why I did pretermit this opinion of Bellarmine and suggest the other of Feu-ardentius my reason was because the opinioÌ„ propouÌ„ded by Feu-ardentius is the more common as may appeare by Salmeron and other Iesuits saying Ad Limbum Patrum reipsa descendit ad damnatos per effectum that is Christ went downe into the Limbus Patrum in deed but onely vertually or by the effects thereof vnto the place of the damned O but Bellarmine himselfe say you is of a contrarie opinion Take heed what you say he is of a contrary opinion he was indeed but now he is not because euen Bellarmine himself hath lately retracted that his former opinion and is become contrarie vnto himselfe in these expresse words Re mâ—lius consideratâ c. that is after that I had better aduised of the matter I resolued to follow the iudgement of Thomas wherein other Schoolemen do consent Do you not perceiue how wisely your great Bellarmine had considered of so many testimonies of Fathers whence he concluded his probabile est with a profectò for his former opinion Do you not also see how he reclaimeth himselfe and accordeth vnto the common opinion whch I proposed from Feu-ardentius to be the ordinary tenet of the Romish faith Faithlesse therefore had I bene in setting downe the doctrine of your Church if I had obiected a priuate opinion in stead of a common Whereby it is euident that I haue not bene preposterous but you I forbeare to giue you your due peruerse For you confesse that the different iudgements of Bellarmine and Feu-ardentius were both by me expresly set downe so that you could not iustly interprete the word you to signifie you all Is this the man that cried Alas c. weepe not for me but weep for your selfe who if I had bene so vnconscionable as to coÌ„mit a sleight meant by this knacke to be euen with me and yet calleth his collusion a faithfull conuiction But God forgiue him this also I returne vnto that Article This being the doctrine of your Church I will make bold to inquire Whether the sence of the Article of Christs descent now commonly maintained in the Romish Church doth stand vpon any sound foundation T. H. SECONDLY that your difference is in the substantiall sence and meaning of this article but our difference is a scholasticall disceptation in a matter of greater or lesser probabilitie which being a doubt not resolued by the Church may be indifferently accepted by her children without breach of charitie or violation of faith The Answer The place which the Romanists assigne vnto the reall presence of Christ in his descension into hell is onely that Limbus Patrum which they call Abrahams bosome which place Tertullian calleth sublimiorem inferis that is higher then hell Other Fathers might be alledged but because M. Higgons dependeth principally vpon S. Augustine let vs heare him for in his time this opinion of assigning the place of Abrahams bosome vnto a part of hell had some suggestors but I confesse saith S. Augustine that I haue not found that place called hell wherein the soules of the Patriarks did rest And then he reasoneth thus We reade saith he of a great gulfe or distance set betweene the place of torment and Abrahams bosome and many obserue that when mention is there made of hell it is not applied vnto the rest of Lazarus but vnto the punishment of Diues Therefore as I haue said I haue sought and yet search and cannot find in all the Canonical Scripture that hell is takeÌ„ for any place of well-being But who will say that the place of rest wherein the Patriarks were was not good The Argument which was necessarily deduced from this doctrine of S. Augustine is this They who beleeued that Christs soule descended onely into the place of the soules of the Patriarks called AbrahaÌ„s bosome or Limbus PatruÌ„ do not beleeue the descending of Christ into the reall hell But the common and almost vniuersall doctrine of the Romish Church at this day is to beleeue that the soule of Christ went only vnto that Limbus Ergo by the iudgement of S. Augustine they hold not the reall descent of Christ into hell And can you yeelding vnto S. Augustine call your now common exposition no violation of faith The differences of opinions thus standing I adde A determination of this question concerning Christ his descending into Hell whereunto our Aduersaries are compellable to accord I can truly say with M. Higgons that the difficultie of this Article did not a little perplexe me to heare of such differences of sences not onely among Protestants whom he hath noted but also among the Romanists some of our Aduersaries holding this descension of Christ to be vertuall onely and not personall and among these who defend the personall some to beleeue his presence in the reall hell and the most to fancie onely such a Limbus which hath bene proued to be no part of hell And againe concerning the Romish sence of this Article some of themselues doubting whether it be an Apostolicall Tradition and some affirming that it is not proued by Scriptures And finally not to vrge the Councell of Trent other Catechismes which haue singled out that forme of Creed as the onely foundation of faith in all Churches wherin this Article is awanting their owne most accomplished Iesuite Suarez to account it an Article of no such absolute necessitie I thought it necessarie to diue deeper into this mystery as God should enable me in some sort to compose the distractions of all parts which do arise from the fore-said differences of expositions so farre as otherwise they are consonant vnto Scriptures by conceiuing that our Aduersaries if they wil religiously acquit themselues must grant that notwithstanding all these diuersities of sences attributed vnto this
Article yet both sides generally do hold that which is most necessarie to saluation and meerely fundamentall herein because whatsoeuer belongeth vnto such the foundation of faith from the time of Christ his passion vnto his resurrection consisteth in these two points the truth of his death and passion the power thereof now to explane my purpose somewhat more particularly The burial of Christ in the graue was for the auouching and ratifying of the truth of his death and resurrection Suppose we now that some Christian had not the perfect reuelation of this article of Christs burial in the graue and should notwithstanding beleeue the truth of his death and resurrection with the powerfull effect of both should he not be thought to be a fundamental Christian and though not literally yet sauingly to beleeue his buriall seeing the reason of the buriall of Christ in the graue was as I said before to verifie the certaintie of his death prouing it to haue bene true and not phantasticall Not that the Article of his buriall being now so euidently reuealed is not necessarily to be beleeued farre be it from vs thus to conceiue but onely supposing that there were no better euidences for this Article then such as our Aduersaries haue for proofe of their sence in the other which as some principall Doctors among them haue confessed is not euident by Scriptures nor yet consonantly agreed vpon in their Church Now then the power which any ascribeth vnto his descension is either Christs triumph ouer hell or his deliuerance of souls from hell For his triumph euery intelligent Christian will say that as soone as it was reuealed that Christ had consummated his glorious worke of our Redemption all the powers of hell were at their last gaspe As for the deliuerance of soules from hell euerie one doth likewise beleeue professe that there is no redemption whatsoeuer of any from hell but it is wrought by the vertue of the same Death of Christ either by subuention as the Romanists hold which is by deliuering souls from hell wherein before Christs death Patriarks and holy men were imprisoned or else as the Protestants teach by preuention that is which maketh more for the glorie of his power and grace in preuenting the soules of his faithfull that they should not come into hell euen by that power of his death he being the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world whereby he freed the same Patriarks and all his elect that they should neuer suffer the eternall paines of hell according to the beleefe of all Christians in the world This foundation of faith thus standing in the beleefe of all Christan professors the Romanists notwithstanding all the forenamed different sences are chargeable to acknowledge in both sides an accordance in that which is absolutely necessarie essential in this point of Christian faith except they will plunge themselues into the gulfe of doubtfulnesse and distraction T. H. Thus I haue giuen you a little signification of those many vntruths which I haue obserued in this Doctor If it consist not with his credit or profit to yeeld yet it concerneth you to beware of his Sirenicall incantations Your benefit shall be my reward if not so yet this schedule may be a token of my loue and be you well assured that either by following my counsell TRIE BEFORE YOV TRVST you shall preuent an heauie doome or by neglecting it you shall increase your iudgement The Answer Nay but these are not all the inditements which you prosecute against me for you haue inserted in your booke another taxation * The Doctor say you is pleased to colour and cloake the exposition of Lombard with the name of Ambrose and for this purpose frameth this quotation in the margent ex Ambrosio c. If in the margent of Lombard there be not quoted Ambrosius directly ouer this place or if any one in reading that place could haue otherwise vnderstood it then will I acknowledge my selfe guiltie of all the imputations which M. Higgons hath deuolued vpon me by whose reproofe I am admonished not to beleeue their owne Lombard who was Master of the Romish Schoole in his marginall allegation of Fathers But I hold him in better regard and therefore thinke that although the testimonie alledged be not found in Ambrose vpon the 11. Chap. ad Rom yet for Lombard nameth no place that it is extant in him else-where Thus we see that M. Higgons among moe then twenty plaine calumniations and slanders whereof I conuicted Cardinall Bellarmine could instance but in one for iustification of that Doctor whereby appeareth his partialitie in swallowing of Camels and straining out Gnats Againe out of many hundreds of testimonies wherin I manifested the irkesome contradictions of our Romish Aduersaries among themselues therby the confirmation of our Religion in the chiefe controuersies he hath taken exception vnto these silly few whereby to aduance his clamorous insultation and notwithstanding bewrayeth in his proofes as hath bene shewne more will then wit and yet more wit then good conscience Of whom I may as well challenge according to his promise a satisfaction as I may not expect it I wish that he may conscionably satisfie himselfe and pray the Father of all mercie not to charge him with any wrong done against me but to illuminate his heart and fashion it vnto the obedience of the Apostolike faith Amen * 1. Cor. 1. 2. * Act. 17. 11. * Gen. 3. 1. v. 36. 37. * 1. Thess 5. 21. a See before pag. 147. b Ibid. pag. 99. c Defens Bellarm. pag. 435. a Sibrandus Lubbertus in his Replication against that cited booke of Gretzer b The same Lubbertus with his own hand Galat. 4. 12. c Dixi quidē hoc verumtamen poenitet me sic illie nominasse fortunam cū videam homines habere in pessima cōsuetudine vbi dici debet hoc Deus voluit dicere hoc voluit fortuna Augustinus Retract li. 1. ca. 1. * 2 Tim. 4. 10. * Del ' rius Iesuit lib. 4. de Magia cap. 1. q. 3. §. 5 * Apud Surium 1. Iunij NOTA. d Luke 11. 15. e Matth. 4. f Luc. 8. 28. g The Jesuit Tollet vpon that place h Author vitae S. Bernardi ◠1. cap. 12. i Alteri item Daemon apparuit imagine B. Vrsulae crucis vexillū praeferens cum multarum virginū comitatu atque ita locutus est Videt Deus amatque istud tuum tuendae pudicitiae studium c. Del'rio Tom. 2. l. 4. c. 1. q. 3. sect 5. k Animiaduers in lib. 2. cap. 21 l Scrupulo us est qui ex prophanis authoribus nihil audet mutuari cùm omnis veritas à quecumque dicatur à spiritu Sancto dicatur Salmeron Ies Comm. in Tit. 1. Pag. 626 Tom. 15. * See a little after Theodoret. hist l. 3. c. 3. m Lasciuâ formâ motu eundem Daemonem cognouit sanctus Dunstanus ignito forcipe arrepto eius