Defense of a Treatise Touching the Suffering and Victory of Christ, Title page – Dedication
A DEFENCE OF A TREATISE TOVCHING THE SVFFERINGS AND VICTORIE OF CHRIST IN THE WORKE OF OVR REDEMPTION.
Wherein is confirmed,
1 That Christ ſuffered for vsus, not only Bodily griefe, but alſo in his Soule an impreſsion of the proper wrath of God, which may be called the paines of Hell.
2 That after his death on the Croſſe he went not downe into Hell.
For Anſwere to the late writings of Mr Bilſon, L. Biſhop of Wincheſter, which he intitleth, The effect of certaine ſermons, &c. Wherein he ſtriueth mightily againſt the doctrine aforeſaid.
By HENRY IACOB Miniſter of the worde of God.
Iohn 7. ver. 24.
Iudge not according to the appearance, but iudge righteous iudgement.
1600.
To all the godly and religious Magiſtrates, faithfull Paſtors, and other Chriſtian brethren in England, Grace and peace be multiplied in the true ſufferinges and victorie of IESVS CHRIST, our onelyonly and moſt glorious Redeemer.
GIVE me leaue I beſeech you (Fathers and Brethren right honorable & beloved in Chriſt) in ſo great and neceſſary a caſe to reply and Defend my ſelfe in ſuch wiſe as becommeth me againſt the vnſeemely writings of a mā, who indeed, I aknowledg, in the world is far greater then I am. Yet forasmuch as the Cauſe which heere I maintaine is right and iuſt, as to any man I hope it ſhall ſoone appeare that will ſimply and ſoberly trie it by the Scriptures: Againe in regard of mine owne perſon and poore credit, although meane in the world, yet by Gods merciemercy ſuch as in conſcience I am bound by all honeſt and Chriſtian meanes to preſerue, ſeeing he ſo ſtrangelie traduceth & accuſeth me in his booke as is almoſt incredible, I am therfore of neceſſitie (as I take it) to open my mouth at this time, and ſpecially in the behalfe of that doctrine, which I am vndoubtly perſwaded, for the ſubſtance of it, that hither vntounto I with infinit mo in England hauehave truly & faithfully taught. And albeit I finde my ſelfe very vnequall to try any queſtion with him, who is ſo high in authoritie, ſo prompt of witt, ſo exquiſit in learning, my ſelfe in all things ſo deſpiſed and rejected as I am by him and ſome others: inſomuch that I might iuſtlie be altogeather terrified and wholly turned away (were my cauſe neuer ſo good) frō maintayning the ſame againſt him: yet ſurely, God is my witnes, it ſeemeth to mee ſo eaſy and ſo plaine to defend, togeather with the neceſſitie of duetie binding me (as likewiſe indeed all mē els I think) to ſtande therevnto, that I could not chooſe but ſpeake againe in this matter, and cleere it againe ſo well as I can from his further weake exceptions, and vnſufficient obiections againſt it. Neyther let any man thinke that in thus doing I greatly pleaſe my ſelfe, or ſeeme vnwilling to let others to vtter their iudgments heerevpon. Nay ſurely it is the thing that heerein chiefly I deſire, even that others, yea many others (if ſo it may ſeeme good vntounto thē) would declare their mindes touching this new doctrine ſprung vp from Wincheſter, and likely to bring a common calamitie with other errors mo vponupon our Churches in England, becauſe I feare that not a few among vsus, are, & wilbe troubled therewith. And ſo I doubt not but it will moſt amply appeare how Holy & true a doctrine this is, which he ſo diſdainfully skoffeth at and reprocheth, beeing well aſſured that even the moſt learned and godly Teachers in this land, Defendours of the trueth againſt Poperie, as wel before time as now at this day vnderunder our gracious Queene, doe concurre & agree with my opinion herein. This if it ſhall pleaſe God that I may ſee, it wil far more exceedingly pleaſe me to beholde, then whatſoever myne owne vnskilfulnes hath or can vtter. In the meane while, I beſeech thee, Chriſtian Reader, conſider duly with thy ſelfe, not who ſpeaketh, but what is ſpoken by eyther of vsus. As for me, I am not aſhamed to teſtifie with all duetie, though after my ſimplicitie, in the behalfe of the Goſpell of Chriſt againſt mens improbable conjectures: which my truſt is that the godly and ſober minded will take in good worth vprightly, even as my heart meaneth it (the Lord knoweth) ſincerely. The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt bee with you all. Amen.
H. I.