The Sufferings and Victory of Christ in the Work of Redemption, Part 2

The Sufferings and Victory of Christ in the Work of Redemption · Part 2

p. 92THAT CHRIST AFTER HIS DEATH ON the Croſſe, went not into Hell in his Soule.

THis wee ought alſo in Chriſtian fa… to beleeue, that Chriſt after his dea… on the croſſe, went not into Hell in his ſou… And heere becauſe that article … our cōmon Creed wilbe obiected ſtraigh… againſt vsus, He deſcended into Hell, we will be Gods helpe firſte make plaine this article according to Chriſtian verity & the Sc… pturs ſence: Secondly we will proue our aſſertion by the Worde, that Chriſt we… not into Hell after his death on the croſſe. And firſt to ſay ſomewhat in generall of our common Creed vſually called the Apoſtles Creed: Tou…bing the common Creed called the Apoſtles Creede what we are to acknowledge.we acknowledge it to be an excellent ſhort ſumme of Chriſtian faith: wherein are all the neceſſarie and chiefe heades of ſaluation compriſed, and nothing but is conſonant to the Apoſtles doctrine, beeing taken aright. Alſo wee acknowledge it ſo ancient, as if the Godlie Chriſtiaus gathered it not in the Apoſtles times, yet certenly, it was very ſoone after them. For**Ad Trall: Ignatius runneth vponupon the very articles of this Creede: Irenaus, Tertullian, Origen, Euſebius, doe ſhewe likewiſe that ſuch a rule of faith was ancientlie p. 93knowne before their times. So that wee knowe it could not be mane very longe after the Apoſtles times: I meane if not this whole Creed as now it is, yet ſurely a great parte of it, and namely this article, He deſcended to Hades, whereof Ignatius in the foreſaid place doth ſpeake, & others moſt …uncient likewiſe. For we muſt know as the trueth is,The common Creede not made all at once. This Creede was made not all at once, but ſundry articles were made and added, ſome after other as occaſion required, til it came to this whole ſumme and fulnſſe, which now it is at. For when by occaſion of Heretikes ariſing and calling in queſtion anie maine poincte of faith, open error beganne to aſſaile the Church, then the Godly & carefull Chriſtians reſiſted and armed the people as they could againſt the danger, then they contriued ſome ſhort article of faith to be learned and held generally and of the ſimpleſt, whereby as it were by one familiar word they might be prepared againſt the infection then ſpreading, & ſo might bee ſufficiently grounded in the trueth. This appeareth to be ſo, not only by the practice of the††In Nie: C… ſtant: Sph…ſ: …. ancient Councels, who added to their Creeds words and article: directly againſt the Heretikes who then troubled thē, but euen in this alſo, called the Apoſtles Creed it muſt needs be ſo: Seing in the moſte ancient recordes thereof, all the articles are not found full and whole, p. 94which after were added, but thoſe onelyonly whereof the Churches had need in thou former times.The Creede was not made by the Apoſtles And this is one ſure proof… that this common Creede was not made indeed by the Apoſtles thē ſelues, becauſe it appeareth (as I ſaid) to hauehave ben gathered & made parte by part as the after occaſiōs in y^e Church required. And though it were called the Apoſtles Creede, yet tha… verely was only becauſe it agreeth with the Apoſtles doctrine. Neither could a… the Apoſtles cōmunicate togither in making it: Some being preſently dead after Chriſtes aſcenſion, and manie ſcattere… farre and wide in the world. And if ſome of them only made it, their names would hauehave bene recorded. Finally if it had but made by the Apoſtles in deede, then i… had bene Canonicall Scripture, as well as the newe Teſtament. But the Creed was neuer ſo iudged nor beleeued to be Canonicall ſcripture. Therefore it was neu… beleeued of old, neither ought it nowe, to be the Apoſtles very making. And yet as I ſaid, we knowe it to be moſt ancient, and very neere to the Apoſtles tymes: yea this very article of Chriſtes deſcending to Hades. Becauſe Ignatius ſpeaketh of it, & others, as I hauehave aboue rehearſed.

Here then, let all men knowe, we denie not this Article of our Creede, but wee embrace it vnfainedly, and doe hold it to p. 95hauehave bene profitably added, when it was firſte put into the Creede, when and by whom ſoeuer it was, ſo that the reaſon and meaninge thereof bee wiſelie and rightly regarded.

no darke no obſewe nor diffioulte worde in the oulgare Creede.And further wee affirme, it hath no darke nor figuratiue meaning nor farre remoued from the vſuall phraſe of the Greeke language wherin it was written, but it hath a plaine eaſie & vulgare ſenſe familiar to the vnderſtanding of all, that ſpake Greeke after the true language. note. Wherfore it is great iniury now to count vsus Heretikes, as if wee denied an Article of our faith, for teaching thus much: as ſome more haſtily then wiſely hauehave pronounced.

But you will ſaye, What phraſe, what meaning,For the right vnderſtanding of this Article, it is neceſſarie to know what Hades in Greeke doeth properly ſignifie and what vſe of ſpeach is this that I ſpeake of? Surely it is the proper & vſuall meaning of Hades in Greeke that I ſpeake of: that I ſpeciallie require to bee well knowne and regarded: that which in deed openeth the whole preſent controuerſie of Chriſtes deſcending. For this I affirme, it is only the Fathers abuſiue ſpea king, and altering the vſuall and auncient ſenſe of Hades, that hath bred this errour of Chriſtes deſcending into Hell: their vnapt & perilous tranſlating it into Latin Inſers, & our naughty and corrupt tranſlation in Engliſh Hell, hath cōfirmed the ſame. note. And note here this firſt: It is a thing too rife p. 96with the Fathers, yea with ſome of th… ancienteſt of them to alter and chaung… the authentike vſe of words, whereby cō ſequently it is eaſie for errours and groſ… miſtakings to creepe in. As Chirotonia … ſignifie Ordination of Miniſters, when … ſignifieth authenticallie the Peoples g… uing of voyces in Election: Kleros to ſignifie only the Clergie, whē **1. Pet. 5.3.1 Pet 5:3it ſignifieth … the Flocke: Ecclesia to ſignifie a Dioceſe o… Prouince of Chriſtians, whē it is alwayes i… Scripture a particular Church, or els in dee… the Vniuerſall Church. So the Latines vſe Miritum to ſignifie good workes, which authentically ſignifieth merit or deſert: Claues the Keyes, to ſignifie only Church-gouernement, when in Scripture it ſignifieth always the whole Miniſteriall power and function, the worde, ſacramentes, and prayer, as well a diſcipline. Euen ſo truely the Greeke Fathers vſe Hades and the Latin Inferi, to ſignifie Hell properly & patticularly, that is, the place of the Damned: or els an other particular place vnderunder the earth a part of Hell, and not farre from Hell it ſelfe, when Soules remayned if not in paynes yet in priſon, and farre frō the place of eternall bleſſednes and ioye: which the††The dreame of Limbus Patrum. later Writers hauehave ſince fondlie named Limbus Patrum. Thus I ſay hauehave the Fathers written and ſpoken, applying Hades and Inferos ſo particularlie to the place for Soules vnderunder the earth, farre frō eternal bleſſednes. p. 97But this is a meere and a plaine abuſiō of theſe wordes, and ſpecially of our worde moſt in quaeſtion, that is Hades. They hauehave much altered and chāged the authentike and true vſe thereof. The Claſſicall Writers the Maiſters of the Greeke tounge do vſe Hades in proper ſenſe only in generall for the ſtate of the dead, The true and authentike and familiar ſenſe of Hades.the world of the dead, the world of ſoules departed, indifferentlie and indefinitelie meaning as well thoſe in eternall ioyes as thoſe in paines. So that they ſignifie herein a generall oppoſition betweene the Liuing & the Dead, not a particular oppoſition betwene the Damned and the Bleſſed. Examples hereof in the authentike greeke Authors are frequent. Plato the wiſe Maiſter**Plato in Phadons. ſaieth thus, ſpeaking in the perſon of Socrates, a litle before his death: He pſyche arà, to aides, to eis toroūton topon heteron otchómeaon, gennaion, kai katharon, kai aidé, eis Hadou, hos alethós, parà ton agathō kaì phronimon Theon: h…t, an Theos ethele, antika kaì te heme pſyche iteón. The ſoule being an inuiſible thing goeth (hence) to another place like (to it ſelfe, that is to) a noble place, & pure, and inuiſible, euen††eis Hadon. vntounto the Would of the dead, that is in trueth, to the good and wiſe God: whither if God will my ſoule muſt preſentlie goe. This moſte ſingular place ſheweth that Hades with them is not properly for Hell, but for the World of the dead, & ſometime, as namelie here, euen for Heauen: and that ſo it is named**VVhy Hades doth naturally betoken the World of the Dead. Hades becauſe it is a…les inuiſible, or hidden frō our eye & ſenſe in this world. We muſt note then, Socrates hopeth not p. 98heere to goe to Hell, but to Heauen preſently after his death: and that is it that he calleth Hades. As againe hee affirmeth … onti eſontai en hadou hai pſychas hemón Our … after this life ſhalbee in Hades truely or in very … Again he ſaith of Heauē, that it is aides … hades, hóſper légetas: an vnſeene Eſtate, euen Hade**Note, as it is commonly called. as it is (cōmonly) called. Laſtly he ſpeaketh … ta en Hadou agatha, of the good thinges in Hade… there is little good in Hell. Wherefore it … plaine by Plato, Hades ſometime may bee vnderſtood of Heauen: yea and with the Grecians it was a common phraſe. Likewiſe Plutarch ſheweth of Leonidas the Spartan King that moſt noble defendor of h…s Countrey,In Parall. when with a handfull of men he would reſiſt the huge hoſtes of Perſi… though he knewe well that himſelfe and his were all like to be ſlaine, as they were in deed, yet hee cheered vppe his m…n not to feare ſuch a bleſſed death, ſaying, we ſhall ſo breake our faſte, that wee ſhall ſuppe i… Hades not in Hell, that were a colde comfort, but amongſt the bleſſed departed. So H… mer ſaith,††Iliad. 1. many noble ſoules were ſent aidi to Hades, not to Hell, but to the ſocietie of the happy deceaſed. And Stephan **Steph. Theſaur. in Hades.citeth Plutarch peri tón euſebeón en Hadou. Concerning the Godlie departed, and beeing in Hades, that is in Heauen hee meant, I thinke, not in Hell. Therefore the authentike Authours of the Greeke tounge did vſe Hades for the p. 99place of the bleſſed ſoules alſo, not properlie for Hell, the place of the damned, although no man denyeth but††And that alſo euen as well as it is taken for Heauen. For both wayes it is reſtrayned by a fi…u…e: viz. Sy…e…doche, the whole for the parte. ſometime it ſerueth euen for Hell it ſelfe in deede.

This were enough to learned and reaſonable men for the cleering of the true and proper ſence of Hades in Greeke. But becauſe I feare this queſtion will not ſo quickelie ende, it ſhall ſerue very well for the better openinge of the ſenſe of this Greeke worde, if wee compare the Latine worde Inferi therewith, which with them was vſed to ſignifie the ſame thinge as Hades in Greeke did, albeit indeed Inferi was not ſo fit to expreſſe generally both the bleſſed and damned dead indifferentlie, as anon God willing wee ſhall further ſee.

Nowe firſte therefore lett vsus compare and conſider likewiſe the authentike and proper vſe of Inferi the Latine as we hauehave done of Hades the Greeke worde.The authentike ſenſe of Inferi. Inferi with the Latines is vſed authentically as we hauehave ſeene Hades is in Greeke, not for the damned only, but alſo for the bleſſed departed this life: indeed generally for the world of the dead, which by death are not cleane extinct but do liue ſomwhere els in another life. So; did Cicero meane,**Tuſcul. qu…ſt. 1. wher he ſheweth in latin that incouragment of Leonidas before touched to his p. 100aſſociates, that they ſhould not feare to dye for their Countrey, Forti animo estu…, nam coenabimus fortè apud inſcros, Be of goo… cheere (ſaide he) for it is likely wee ſhal ſuppe, where? in Hell? Nay verily: Neither Leonidas nor Tully thought ſo, but … ther in a place of eternall bleſſedneſſe, where they beleeued the moſt worthy defendours of their Countrey were receyued, as Socrates before ſaide of him ſelfe about to dye, parà ton agathon kai phronima Theon, with the good and wiſe God. Yet this place he nameth here Inferos. Hence alſo it is that Cicero ſayeth,““In …rut…. It is an Oratours part, ſometime Locupletaſsimos tefles ab in Inferis excitare, to rayſe vp witneſſes from the dead, not from H…. For he meaneth that which him ſelfe he did for**In Orat. pro Milon. Miloes defence, bringing the exāples of the worthy and bleſſed olde defendors of the common wealth, Hala Seruilius, Naſica, Opimius, C. Marius, and††Epiſt. ad Octa…. Olde Africanus, Maximus, Paulus, Scipto, and the twoo Dec… whiche woulde greeue at the Common Wealthes calamitie, whē any going vntounto them in illam aeternam domum, ſhould tel them of it. This eternall habitation of theſe moſt noble dead men called thus to witneſſe, was not““Philip. 14. Hell in his iudgement, yet generailie he reckoned them to bee apud Inferos. For ſo thought and ſo ſpake theſe Heathens: as alſo Virgill doeth,Aeneid. 6. Deuenere locos laetos, &c. Where hee deſcribeth Elyſios campos their Heauen, the goodlie Elyſian fieldes, the eternall p. 101habitation of the bleſſed to be apud Inferos, but not in Hell, whiche in our Engliſhe tounge is properly the place of the damned only. Who ſurely though being a Poet, and fayned manie thinges, yet ſpake he familiarlie and after the vulgar vſe, alſo for the ſubſtaunce of his matter, he vttered touchinge Heauen and Hell the opinion of the worlde then. Which alſo Hortentius commenting on the ſame place doeth ſhewe, ſaying: Veteres Elyſium putarunt in medio inferorum ſitum in quo piorum animae quieſcerēt. Philoſophi in Inſulis Fortunatis, &c. The auncient Heathen beleeued their Heauen to bee beneath in the worlde of the dead, where the ſoules of the godly had reſt. The Philoſophers thought it to bee in the Fortunat Ilandes, &c. Heerevnto let vsus adde, that the latter learned Writers, euen Chriſtians, hauehave alſo eſpyed and graunted this propertie of the Latine worde Infernum or inferi, as alſo of the Greeke Hades. ††In Oſe. 13.1….Hos 13:1Ierome ſaith, Infernus is a place where the ſoules are included either in reſt or paynes. The old Latin Trāſlator vſeth infernū not only for Hades but alſo for**Actes 2.24.Acts 2:24 Thanatos death, alſo††1. Cor. 15.55.1 Cor 15:55 Mors for Hades: So he eſteemeth Hades and Infernum (both theis words) for very Death.““In Mat. 2… 50.Matt 2:50 Bucer, Nō al… ter vſpiam Scriptura de inferno loquitur quā vt ſit communis omnibus tam ſanctis quam impijs. Gehenna autem ſolis impijs tribuitur. The ſcripture no where ſpeaketh of Hades or Infernum but as beeing common as well to the bleſſed as to the damned. But Gehenna is proper only for the damned.**In Ezec. 3….1….Ezek 3:1 Lauater ſaith, Hades apud Greces generale vocabulū eſt. Hades in Greeke p. 102is a generall worde for the condition of the dead both i… tormentes and in peace.**D…ad. 1.7 Bullinger, To goe ad inferos, is To goe into Abrahams boſome: that is into He… uen, not into Hell.††In Eſa. 33.Isa 33 Zwinglius, Port a inferorum eſ… periphraſis mortendi. The gates of Death is nothing els but a phraſe ſignifying Death.““In Pſal. 16.10.Ps 16:10 Moller touching Sheol, Hades, and Infernum, ſayeth, they doe but ſignifie that Chriſt dyed. As if hee ſhould ſay, Ideo latatus ſum quia futurumſ…n, vt quanquam mortēdum mibi ſit, tamen in vuan redeam. Therefore I reioyce becauſe I knowe, that although I dye, yet I ſhall ryſe to life agayue.**In Symb. Pe. Mart. Chriſtum deſcendere ad inferos nibil aliud indicat, niſi quod cundem ſubijt ſtatum quem reliqua animae à corpore ſejunctae experjuntur. That Chriſt deſc… ded to the dead ſignifieth nothing els, but that de did udergoe the ſame ſtate as other ſoules doe y^t depart this life. Thus comparing the Latine Inferos, & the Greek Hades togither, we ſee that the ancient and late Authours doe ſignifie by them both the generall ſtate of the dead, the world of the dead, conteyning Heauen for the bleſſed, as well as Hell for the wicked indifferentlie. Obiection. Nowe if any maruell at this, and thinke it ſtraunge that Hades ſignifying a darke place, and Inferi a place beneath the earth or in the earth, that theſe wordes I ſay ſhould any way ſignifie Heauen, and the bleſſed ſoules there. Seeinge all wiſe men would rather think that this is rather Hell, where is vtter darkneſſe: as for Heauen it is certainly a place of glorious brightnes, & that on high, not downwards. p. 103I aunſwere: Anſwere. Here in deede is the verie occaſion of all this error and of all the controuerſie at this day about Chriſts going downe into Hell. I ſay the very mitaking of theſe wordes is, and hath bene the cauſe of all this. As touching Hades al men graunt, it commeth of à the Greeke priuatiue, and eidò to ſee. But here is the errour: ſome men take it ſo as betokeninge impoſsibilitie for vt to ſee being there, by reaſon of darknes and ougly blacknes in that place: and thē this is likely to be nothing but Hell. Nay, they are deceyued that giuegive this reaſon of the Etymologie of Hades, if they giuegive it for the full, perfect, and generall Etymology, & as being euen with the naturall vſe of the worde. Plato **In Phaedon….in the place aboue cited, who knew it better thē any of our Contraries, doth giuegive another and a better meaning of this Deriuation: Where alluding to hades he ſaith it is topos aides a place inuiſible, a place which here in this worlde none can ſee, an inuiſible world. And ſo the Worlde of the dead generally and not only Hell, is thereby properly and naturally noted. Which Tertullian ““Ap…l. ….1….expreſſeth thus, à notitia orbis communis ſegregatum, remoued from the worldes knowledge. This is certainly the true Deriuation of Hades: and ſo it may rightlie, truelie, and by a natural emphaſis ſignifie Heauen ſometime, if other Circumſtances there doe ſo require, and not p. 104Hell, as in the former authentike Greeke Teſtimonies by the very circumſtances of the places I hauehave proued, and euen ſo alſo out of queſtion it is taken in**Actes 2.27.Acts 2:27 the ground of our controuerſie, and in the A. poſtles Creede, where it is ſaid that Christ be… dead went to Hades, he went to the World of the dead, that is namelie to the bleſſed ſoules in Heauen: I ſay in Heauen, not that Hades … ſelfe doth ſo importe, but becauſe he that dyed was a Bleſſed man. But ſome will ſay, Obiection. The reaſon of the deriuation of Hades from á priuatiue and eido, to ſee hath bene iudged otherwiſe, that is for a place wher in we can not ſee, and then it will followe that it ſhould ſignifie a darke place. Anſwere. I denie not but ſometime Hades may admit that reaſon of the Etymologie, and ſo the Poet alludeth to it ſine luce domus, a place without light. And thē it ſignifieth, firſt the Graue where is no light: and by a Metaphore frō hence it may be vſed for Hell, wher in reaſon we iudge alſo that there is ougly darknes, & no light. Thus I ſay no man doubteth but Hades ſometime ſignifieth: but this is neuer vnles,Synecdoche. by a figure ſynecdoche the whole for the parte, the ful and iuſt ſenſe thereof by ſome manifeſt circumſtance be reſtrayned. The full and iuſt ſenſe is the generall ſtate of the dead, the world of the dead, as before I hauehave ſhewed: ſo that it rightlie and properly noteth a difference betwene the dead and the liuing, not betwene p. 105the damned & the bleſſed. And yet it is true this is ſomtime reſtrayned as I hauehave ſaid, by the circumſtances in the place where we find it: and then it is ſometime for the place of the body being dead, ſometime of the ſoule departed being in Hell: and ſometime alſo for the place of ſoules in Heauen, as I hauehave declared before alſo. Note. So that aboue all things this is to be noted and to bee taken heede of, that wee reſtraine not this generall worde Hades, where it neede not to be reſtrayned: and moſte of all that wee take it not for Hell, where it may, nay where it muſt ſignifie Heauen, as in the places of this our maine controuerſie aforeſaid.

It is eaſie to ſlip into errour by the vſe of y^e Latin Inferi or Infernum in the Creede, vnles we carefullie conſider the ancient vſe thereof.Howbeit notwithſtāding all this, compare the Latin Inferi with the Greek Hades, and then I graunt Inferi is proner to bring vsus into errour then Hades. For it is true Inferi commeth of Infra which is beneath: and therfore it ſeemeth there is no other way but to take it for a place beneath the earth, or in the earth, and not on high, where it is to be thought that Heauen is & the bleſſed ſoules doe dwell. Note. All this is true in deed: yet let vsus heedfullie note notwithſtanding, that this worde Inferi in Latin vſe doeth comprehend all that Hades in Greeke doeth: euen the whole ſtate or World of the dead generally, making**Bulling Dec. 1.7. oppoſition properlie betwene Superſtites and Defunctos, the Liuing and the Dead (as before was ſaide of p. 106Hades) without difference of the bleſſ… and damned, vnleſſe alſo ſome other re… ſon and circumſtance doe reſtrayne the words ancient & proper generalitie. The plaine reaſon of this, we may learne from Cicero him ſelf, Saith he““Tuſcul. g…aſt. 1. That Inferi ſh… ſignifie the ſtate of al the dead both good and bad generallie, it grew of an error of the Auncients, in terram cadentibus corpu… bus hiſ que humo tectis, ſub terra conſebant reliqu… vitam agi mortuorum. The old ſimple ignorant Latines thought when the bodyes of m… were layed in the earth, their ſoules alſo liued the reſt of their life vnderunder the earth. This they thought of all the dead, both the Bleſſed and the Damned. And this, ſayeth hee they thought becauſe they knewe not … deede of the ſoules of the dead qua in ſede manerent, in what place they were after death: Cu… ignoratio ſaith he further, ſinx…t Inſeros, eaſ que formidines, &c. The ignorance of trueth herein, begin this opinion that the ſtate and Worlde of the Dead was v… der the earth; vid particularly the terrours of Hell alſo. And ſo in deed not the opinion only, but the phraſe alſo whereby they ſignified this general ſtate and World of the Dead, was iuſtly & moſt fitlie, as they thought, from Infra beneath, viz. inferi and infernus And ſo they ſpake alſo excitare ab inferis, to rayſe vp, not from Hell, but generally and indifferentlie from the Dead: migrare ad inferos to goe to the dead, common as well to thoſe whom they beleeued to bee Bleſſed, as to the Damned. Alſo thus they beleeued Elyſios p. 107campos eſſe apud inferos, the Elyſian fields … namely the Gentils Heauen) to bee be…eath amongſt the dead: as alreadie I hauehave …hewed out of Virgil, Cicero, &c. Now Tully …urther ſayth of this opinion, Quam corum …pinionem magni errores conſecuts ſunt: This opini…n gaue occaſion of many and great errours.Touching Inferi in Cicero … things to bee noted. In all which wordes of Cicero I note 3. things. 1. That he vtterly miſliked this opiniō of y^e …old Latines or whom ſoeuer, that thought … World of the dead was vnderunder the earth, and therfore gaue this terme Inferi to ſignifie the ſame. This he openly miſliketh, yea that the damned Soules were beneath in the earth, or at leaſt ſuch kinde of torments for thē as conſequently the former errour did cauſe many to imagine. Howe much more did hee condemne them that thought al y^e deceaſed ſoules were beneath, vnderunder, or in y^e earth? The bleſſed he thought rather, as Plato did, to aſcēd vp to the heauens. Here we muſt note that the Heathē held diuerſly of their Heauen, the place for the bleſſed ſoules.††As Tertull. ſheweth: in lib. de Anima. Some thought it in the Heauens aboue, ſome in the ayer, ſome in the Sphere of the moone, and others as before we heard in the fortunate Ilandes, and many, ſpecially the common ſort, & moſt ſpeciallie in the olde times long before, that it was an other Region vnderunder the earth, as Hell it ſelfe alſo was one, but this cleane diſtinct & remoued frō that which they called**Their Heau…. Elyſium, as before I obſerued p. 108out of Virgill. This laſt opinion that the ſoules deceaſed were vnderunder the earth Ci… heere flatly reiecteth.2. I note in hi… that although he reiected this olde fab… lous opinion of the Latines, yet he …erayned the Latine phraſe as being now cōmo… and familiar eueryevery where, ad inferos, … inferos generally for the worlde of the de…. Which phraſe aroſe of old from that opinion, as namely, thinking all the dead after this life to be infra beneath. He had learned to thinke wiſelyer, but yet hee ſpake ſo as the vulgar phraſe had preuailed. According to**Topic. Ariſtotles rule, Loquend… vt vulgut, ſapiendum vt ſapientes, we muſt ſpeake as … cuſtome is, but beleeue as the wiſe doe. So then yet this phraſe of ſpeech remayned cōmon, though the ground of it euen then was held fabulous of diuers.3. Tully ſaith, of this opinion followed manie errours. Nowe as hee ſaith from this opinion amongſt the Heathen, Note. So I ſay, from this phraſe of ſpeech Inferi receaued amongſt Chriſtians, but firſt groūded on the heathniſh opinion, there hath followed many errors in the Church.The Fathers not duely conſidering the right vſe of Inferi & Hades, gaue occaſion of the errours at this day about Hell and Death. For this worde Inferi beeing vſed amonſt the Chriſtians vulgarly and familiarly, but taken from the Heathen, and the reaſon thereof not duely conſidered whence it firſt aroſe, namely that it was an error to thinke the ſoules of the dead were vnderunder the earth: likewiſe alſo the Greeke worde Hades, when men miſtooke p. 109the Etymologie of it as meaning a …ark… place, whē rather it betokeneth a place …nuiſible to vsus heere, as before I hauehave ſhewed: … ſay both theſe miſtakeings amongſt the Fathers preuailing, hauehave geuen occaſion both to them and vsus ſince of greate and grieuous errors, & of all this contention …n the Church heere bout at this day. To remedy the which, doubtles the beſt way is well and throughly to conſider the authentike vſe of theſe words Hades & Inferi, in ſuch ſorte as before I hauehave declared. And then this will appeare that our Engliſh word Hell which we commonly vſe for the former Greeke and Latine,Hell in Engliſh no fit worde to expreſſe the Greeke Hades. it fitteth not, it differeth greatly, it is much amiſſe. And ſpecially it ſerueth not for Hades, as before I hauehave ſhewed. For Hades ſignifieth an inuiſible place, and is vſed authentically for the Worlde of the dead in generall, the inuiſible World vnknowne to vsus heere, So that it makes difference not betwene the damned and bleſſed, as ſome ſuppoſe, but betwene the dead and the liuing: but Hell in Engliſh is properly and onelyonly the place of eternal torments for the wicked.

Thus hitherto by comparing alſo the Latine Inferi and the Greeke Hades togeather, we ſee now cleerly what the authentike vſe of Hades is. And ſeeing we ſee it. I inferre & affirme boldly, Euen ſo doubtleſſe doe the Scripture, ſpeake, ſo write the Apoſtles, yea the Septuagint Tranſlators, p. 110& all**Good Grammarians. good Grecians: they varie… not their language frō the vſual, know…, currant ſpeech which was ſpoken in ar… before their times. And if ſo they doe, then it remayneth concluded and firml… proued that the Scripturs by Hades mea… not Hell properly: but the World of the De… indifferently, or the general ſtate of dea…, or the Power of death, vnleſſe ſometime where ſpecial circumſtāces do reſtraine… proper & natiue generality of that word. Obiection. But yet this is doubted ſtil by ſome, that denie flatlie the newe Teſtament to hauehave vſed Hades anie other way then only for Hell. Anſwere. Theſe men, what ſhould I ſaye to them? You hauehave heard that the naturall propertie of the word Hades, according to the vſe of the authentike Authours, (by whom euen the Apoſtles wordes muſt be Grammaticallie conſtrued, I ſuppoſe… plainlie refuteth them. Wherefore I conſtantlie affirme as before, the Scripture vſeth Hades neuer properly for Hell. And this I affirme not onelyonly becauſe of the former authentike conſent with mee about the worde, but alſo becauſe all the ſeuerall places, eight in number, where Hades is vſed in Scripture,The Scripture hath Hades in 8. places. beeing well conſidered, they ſhewe the ſame manifeſtlie: alſo for that the Seauentie Interpretours doe vſe it ſo too, and finally becauſe Sheol in Hebrewe, whiche all men p. 111know to be the ſame that the Greeke Hades is, ſignifieth likewiſe ſo too.

1**Mat. 16.18.Matt 16:18And firſte that we may viewe the ſeuerall places of Scripture, and ſo not be deceiued: Thus we read The gates of Hades …hall not preuayle againſt the Church. Hee ſpeaketh heere of perſecution and ſuffering death for the faith of Chriſt. But ſayeth …hee, This ſhall not preuayle againſt you: What? Death and Destrustion ſhall not. So that the gates of Hades heere are nothing …els but the gates of Death, the power of Death, ſhall neuer preuayle, though they aſſayle you. And this phraſe ſeemes to bee taken from the vſe of the Iewes, who executed their ſeuere iudgementes of life and death in the gates of their Cities. Hence the phraſe ſeemeth to come,““Ny a. Metonymie. The gates of Death, for the power of thoſe Rulers whiche ſhould††Except wee eſteeme it but as a ſimple Hebraiſme, as Iſa. 38.10. VVhere the gates of Sheol is nothing els but Death, or the power and ſtrength of Death.Isa 38:10 condemne to death the godlie for their faith and a good conſcience, and yet not preuayle. That wee ſhould tranſlate heere, the gates of Hell, meaning directlie vices, and ſinnes, and erroures, as ſome of the ancient Writers doe, the circumſtances of the Text doe ſeeme not to beare it. For by occaſion, as ſeemeth of the““ver. 21. former incouragmēt to his faithfull and godly ones, he falleth to tell them of his owne ſuffering at Ieruſalem ſoone after, where though hee ſhould be betrayed and ſlayne, yet ſhoulde hee p. 112riſe againe the third day, as it were giuing them an example and that firſt of all in himſelfe of that combate and victor… which**verſe 18. before he promiſeth them, & incourageth them vntounto. So then he doth not heere directlie and ſpeciallie arme them, nor promiſeth cōqueſt againſt the temptations of ſinne, though by proportion that alſo followeth from this plac… but he encorageth his to ſtande to the… faith manfully againſt all perſecutours, ſeeing all their rage ſhould not preuaile, nor death it ſelfe which ſhould bee ad…iged vntounto them in the gates, albeit it afflict them. Againe the gates of Hades ſhall not preuaill, theſe words doe manifeſtly pretend force and violence againſt them, which yet ſhould not get the victory ouer them. But errours and ſinnes though by them Sathan ſet vponupon vsus, yet they alwayes pretend contentment and quiet caſe toward vsus, not force and violence, as the rage of perſecutors doth, & as heere in this text is plainly ſignified. Wherfore heere ſurely††Zwing. in Iſa. 38. & others pag. 102.Isa 38 the gates of Hades meaneth the power of death and deſtruction & nothing els properly. Neither alſo that the power of theſe Tyrantes ſhould be called the gates of Hell doe I ſee any reaſon: their Power is from God, and not from Hell. Their malice moueth not Gods children, but only as it threatneth Death. Therfore to call it heere the gates of death it is good reaſon, p. 113& not the gates of Hell,††That is, regarding it as is in…eeds toucheth vsus. as is aboue ſaid. Howbeit if anie will vrge the common tranſlation, and ſay the gates of Hell, let him know this interpretation is receiued among the learned not for the proprietie of the word Hades, but for““Namely, becauſe this malice and …age of perſe…tors proceedeth from Hell, and is ſtirred up by all the power and might of Satan a circumſtāce of the text heere requiring, it to be ſo trā ſlated, as they conceaue. And I confeſſe that ſo here it may be, and doe ſhew that thus this Hades is ſometyme vſed: and namely in the laſt example following out of Luke Chap. 16.23. Yet properlie Hades is nothing els but the Vnſeene Worlde of the Dead, not Hell. 2. Our preſent place cheiflie in quaeſtion is to be noted.**Act. 2.27. taken out of Pſa. 16.10.Acts 2:27Ps 16:10 Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule (in Hades) with the dead, or in the vnſeene worlde of the dead: nor ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption. Our common tranſlation hath it, Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule in the graue, &c which is not much amiſſe, conſidering the ſcope of the Apoſtle and the maner of phraſe both in Hebrue and in Greeke ſometime, that is by a figure Synecdoche, the whole for the parte: as before I noted ſometime it may bee. But ſeeing a figure heere needs not, the moſt plaine, & moſte naturall, and familiar tranſlation ſhuld be thus, as I hauehave no…ed: Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule amongſt the dead, nor ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption. 1. That this is the natural and proper ſenſe of Hades, we hauehave ſeene enough alreadie by the authentike Greeke writers.2. That the p. 114Seauentie vſe it ſo to, after whoſe tranſlation & phraſe Peeter heere ſpeaketh: and; that the Hebrue word Sheol which is … originall of this phraſe hath the ſame ſenſe likewiſe anon herafter we ſhall make manifeſt, God willing. But to tranſlate this Hell as ſome now wil hauehave it, that is openlie wrong and iniurious to the text. And thus I proue it: Firſt““Pſal. 16.10.Ps 16:10 Dauid ſpeaketh it … ſome ſorte as true of††Bulling. Decad. 1.7. him ſelfe, being a type and figure of Chriſt, whom in deede in more ſpeciall wiſe it concerned. Again Peter in this point for the which he citeth this verſe of the Pſalme, **Act. 2.39.Acts 2:39doeth plainlie graunt all this of Dauid aſwell as of Chr…, ſauing that Dauid was left therin euen t…l this day, which Christ was not. But this is only the ſtate of death, and the graue whiche Dauid is yet left in, not Hell in any wiſe, yea he was neuer in Hell. Therefore Hades and Sheol here can not be for Hell. Secondlie, if it bee altogeather heere from the purpoſe of Peter to ſpeake to the Iewes of Chriſtes ſoule being in Hell, then there is no reaſon to take theſe wordes Hades and Sheol heere for Hell. But by the““Actes 2.Acts 2 whole text it is euident, Peter had no reaſon nor purpoſe to ſpeake to theſe Iewes of Chriſtes Soule being in Hell. His vvhole direct purpoſe was to ſhewe them of his Soule being amongest the dead, and his body in the graue, like as other men are when they dy, p. 115and was from thence mightily rayſed vp agayne, more then other men were or could bee. Therefore Hades and Sheol heere doe ſignifie the ſtate of death, and not Hell. The firſte propoſition ſtandeth on plaine and manifeſte reaſon, ſpeciallie ſeeing theſe are the very wordes that hee““verſe 31. preſſeth and ſtandeth on, to ſhew them howe Chriſt beeing truely dead, was yet riſen agayne. And as touching the aſſumption, that is moſt apparaunt, Peter had no reaſon in the worlde, and therefore no purpoſe to ſpeake to theſe Iewes of Chriſtes Soule being in Hell. 1. They being incredulous and vnbeleeuing.2. The thing beeing inuiſible and ſtraunge, and vncouth, not ſubiect to the ſenſe, and without all example of the like.3. Hee intending nothing els in all this ſpeech to them, but to teache that this IESVS whom they had ſlayne, was not nowe dead, but riſen agayne, why should hee nowe ſpeake of Hell: What reſon had hee? If Chriſt had bene in Hell, it made not neceſſarilie neither for his death, nor reſurrection, whiche was the onelyonly ſcope of his ſpeech (verſe 31.) but being an vncouth and inuiſible thing, it might rather hinder their faith, then further it. Therefore verilie the ſtate of death is all that Hades and Sheol doe heere ſignifie: and it is the whole and onelyonly purpoſe of Peter heere ſo to teſtifie.

p. 1163††Rev. 6.8.Rev 6:83. One ſitteth on a pale horſe whoſe name … death, and Hades followed after him. That is, the worlde of the dead, Regnum mortucrum. If you referre it only to our bodyes, then it may be the graue. But rather I take it generally for the ſtate of the dead after this life. It can not be Hell certēly: becauſe the text addeth Power was giuen them to ſlaye with its ſword, and with famine, and death, and with wilde beastes. Hell ſlayeth none in that ſort. Again it is ſaid, they had power, on the fourth parte of the worlde. But to ſay preciſelie that the fourth parte of the worlde at any time ſhould goe to Hell, I take it to be a ſtrange phraſe in the Scripture. In a worde this place is nothing els but a propheſie of great mortalitie that at a certen time ſhould come vponupon the world for the contempt of the Goſpell, & that they ſhould dye by ſuch meanes as are there ſpecified. Wherein Hell dealeth not, neither ſheweth any power. Therefore Hades heere can not be Hell.

4““Rev. 20.14.Rev 20:144. Death and Hades, (that is the place or world of the dead, or the kingdome and power of death) were caſt into Hell. It were abſurde to ſaye, Death and Hell were caſt into Hell: and therefore ſo we ſaye alſo in the verſe before, Death and the World of the Dead, rendred vp their dead to iudgment. 5**1. Cor. 15.551 Cor 15:555. O Death, where is thy victorie? O Hades, where is thy ſtinge? Neither can this be meant of Helli becauſe al his ſpeech heere is of the reſurrection from p. 117…he dead, and this very ſpeech is an**Death … ſwallowed vp in victory. ver. …4. inſulting & triumph, as it were, ouer Death & the power of Death: ſeeing they ſhall not be able to holde them, whom they ſhall gett into their power. As for Hell. that would not bee aduerſarie to the reſurrection, but would deſire it rather, as being greedie of the bodyes alſo of the damned which th… ̄ it ſhould hauehave togither with their ſoules, and not before. He ſpeaketh not then of the damnation of the wicked, but of the Reſurrection of the dead. Note alſo, hee doeth plainlie allude to that of the Prophet††Oſe. 13.14.Hos 13:14 Oſe Sheol, O graue, or O worlde of the dead, I wilbe thy destruction. Not o Hell: for the Prophet ſpeaketh to comforte Iſraell in their captiuitie, where though they were for their rebellion againſt God deſtroyed grieuouſlie a longe time, yet at length hee promiſeth to ſtaye his iudgements, & Death ſhould not deuoure them anie more, it ſhould not hauehave her former power vponupon Gods people, but they ſhuld liue and floriſhe againe, if they repented. And this the Apoſtle might very fitlie allude vntounto, when he ſpake of the reſurrestion, which might be notably compared to Iſraels returne out of the**Lacus. Zech. 9.11.Zech 9:11 pitt of miſerie in Babilons Captiuitie. But of hell there could be no direct nor proper moaning, neither in th'one nor th'other. 66. ††Rev. 1.….Rev 1I hauehave the Keyes of Hades and of Death: That is nothing els but Chriſt, who was dead, hath p. 116duplicate page p. 117duplicate page p. 118nowe ouercome death, and hath power to dye no more. He hath ouercome death & holdeth the power thereof for him ſelfe and others. For him ſelfe, in that hee can and will dye no more. For others, in that hee can giuegive to death whom he will, & whom he will he ſaueth. This therfore is a plain oppoſition to his former ſtate when hee was in death, but nowe ſhalbe ſo no men: and nothing els, as the beginning of the verſe hanging togither with this, doeth expreſſe. I liue, but was dead, and (nowe) beholde I liue for euer, and I hauehave the Keyes of Hades and of Death. As if hee ſhould ſaye: I am hencefoorth no more ſubiect, but ſuperior therevnto. Heere is nothing of Hell.

77.**Mat. 11.23.Matt 11:23 And thou Capernaum which art lift vp to the Heauen, ſhalt be brought downe to destruction, to Hades. He ſpeaketh heere of the deſtruction of the Citie and people thereof, which he calleth Hades. And this is manifeſt: 1. By the notable Oppoſitiō of their lifting lifting vp to the heauen, and their bringing down to Hades. In the 1. he meaneth not that they were lift vp to eternall bleſſednes, but only that they were lift vp in renowne, in pompe, & in flouriſhing ſtate, according as y^e Latins ſpeak alſo ad ſydera tolls, To be exalted to the ſkye. Wherefore in the later he meaneth they ſhalbe brought downe to deſtruction, to hauehave no being ingloriouſlie: that is Hades heere in this place, but not Hell.2. This is alſo manifeſt in y^t he ſaieth p. 119preſētly of Sodom, whervnto here he cōpareth Capernaū, if they had had the meanes of repētāce in ſuch maner as Capernaū had, Sodom had remayned to this day. This ſheweth he ſpake but of Capernaums deſtruction, & of her not being on the earth: and not of their damnation in hell by the word Hades.

88. This remayneth only,**Luke 16.23.Luke 16:23 The rich man ††in Hades.in the ſtate of Death, or in the world of the Dead, lifted vp his eyes being in torments: Thus I ſay we may trāſlate it, in the world of the dead, or being amongſt the dead, he lift vp his eyes, &c. And thē there is no text in all y^e Bible where Hades ſignifieth Hel neceſſarily. But if we graunt to ſay Hell in this place for Hades, yet we affirme, this ſenſe is giuē it for other circū ſtances, not for y^e nature of the word. Becauſe he was ſuch a man, and becauſe it is ſtraight expreſſed he was in tormentes beeing dead. Therefore to be in Hades, to be in th… the World of the Dead, that was to him in deed to be in Hell As for Hell in the Scripture it hath another word Gehenna which properlie ſignifieth it. As††Iuſt. Mart. Apol. 2. Iust. Martyr obſerueth, he de Gehenna eſt i topos entha kolazesthai mellou si hoi adikos biosantes, Gehenna Hell is a place where the wicked ſhalbe …ormented. Wherby is inſinuated that Hades is not properly Hell, which Gehenna is properly for. And thus M^r Bucer excellently obſerueth not only in that††Pag. 101. before cited, but alſo on Luk, **in Luke. 16.26. Hades and Gehēna which in the Scripture is only for Hell, are not all one.Luke 16:26Diues nō ſimpliciter ſcribitur eſſe en hade, ſed & in Gehēnâ, quia in tormentis & ſlamma. The riche man is not ſaide to be ſimply in Hades, but alſo in Hell: becauſe he is ſaid to be in ſyry torments. p. 120Therefore Hades and Gehenna are not properly all one: and wherſoeuer Hades is for Hell, there it is taken by a figure ſynecdoche the whole for the parte, the inuiſible ſtate of the dead for that where the damned are in torments. Thus then Hades in ſcripture is no where properly for Hell.

The Septuagints doe vſe Hades after the ſenſe of the authentike Greekes.Which alſo is further to be declared by the 70. Tranſlatours. Whoſe wordes and phraſes the Apoſtles themſelues vſed and chiefly followed in all their allegationes from the old Teſtament. So that their vſing of Greeke wordes and phraſes muſt needs bee of greate authority. Theſe put Hades generally after the authentike vſe for Death, the ſtate of the dead: as**Iob. 33.22.Job 33:22 His ſoule draweth neere to the graue, and he zôe autou en hade. hs life is amonge the dead, or in the world of the dead. And parokeſe to Hade he pſyke mou. ††Pſ. 94. or after the Greeke 93. ver. 17.Ps 94My ſoule had dwelt in the world of the dead. In Hebrue it is Dumah i… ſcilence, that is in the eſtate of death. Againe**Pſal. 88.49.Ps 88:49 ouk hoi nekros améſous… ſe, oude hoi pantes katabainontes eis Hadou. The dead praiſe thee not, o Lord, nor any that goe doune to the ſtate of the dead. Here alſo in Hebrue it is dumah to the place of ſilence. Further““Pſa. 111. or 113. ver. 17.Ps 111 what man liueth, and ſhall not ſee death, ruſetai ten pſychen autou ek chiros Hadou? ſhall he deliuer his Soule from the power of the Vnſeene world, that is from death? And**pſa 78.3. My ſoule was filled with ſorrowes, kai he zôe mou tô Hade engiſe, And my life drew neere vntounto the Dead, or to the worlde of the Dead. And Iob ſaith,††Iob. 17.13.Job 17:13 Hades mou ho oskes: The World of the Dead ſhalbe my habitation. In all theſe places and in many other ſuch like p. 121of the 70. Hades can not be hell: but the ſtate or world of the dead. Finallie conſider the Hebrue word Sheol: The Hebrue Sheol ſignifieth the Eſtate of death, or the World of death likewiſe, as hath bone ſe… in Hades.Al men will graūt that Sheol in Hebrue and Hades in Greeke, as**Pſ. 1….10.Ps 1:10 here they are vſed for the ſame thing, ſo in deed eueryevery where els they are all one. That is out of queſtion. But it is manifeſt in the Scripture that Sheol is generally vſed for the ſtate of the death, the worlde of the dead, and ſpeciallie ſometime for the ſoule, ſometime for the body, ſometime for the good, ſometime for the bad, according as the circumſtances doe imply: but alwayes for their ſtate in death, and no further properlie. And becauſe it commeth of Shaal, Shaal.to craue or aske, it ſignifieth that this Worlde or ſtate of the dead, though it takes infinite, yet it††Abae. …. …. Kiſhol veea… maueth, velo i…ſhbahh. Alſo Pro. 30.16.27.20.Prov 30:16Prov 30:27Prov 30:20 ſtill taketh, and is neuer ſatisfied. Neither ought any man to doubt that Sheol hath this familiar, ordinarie, and natural ſignification, to note as I ſaide generallie the ſtate of death. There are innumerable places of Scripture that doe euince it, and chieflie that it is not properlie Hell. Firſte that where Iacob ſayeth of Ioſeph whom he thought to be dead,Sheol not for Hell properly, but for the generall eſtate of Death. ““Gen. 37.35.Gen 37:35Ered el beni abel Sheolah, I will goe downe mourning vntounto my ſonne to the place of the dead. Queſtionles hee meant not into Hell, but into the place of the dead that were dead in the Lorde. Alſo Ezechia thought he ſhould hauehave gone††Iſa. 38.1…Isa 38:1 beſhagnare Sheol, to the gates of death. He thought not that he ſhould hauehave gone to Hell, but to the p. 122ſtate of Death. And**verſe 18. Lo ſheol todhecha, The w… of the Dead doeth not conſeſſe thee, Death can not pray… thee, They that goe downe to the pitt can not hope for up trueth. All this is meant not of the damned in Hell, but of them in the ſtate of death. So††Eccleſiaſtes 9 10.Eccl 9:10 Biſheol is in the World of the dead, or in the ſtate of Death: which the coherēce doth proue, which is betwene““verſe. 3. bammet him the dead, and this here. Againe,**Iob 14.13.Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest h… me in the World of the dead, hiſheol: Iob would not deſire to be in Hell: and he ſayeth, the like ſhall come to him ſelfe““Chap. 17.13. Sheol beths My houſe ſhalbe the place of the, dead: and all my hopes of recouery in this world, ſhall goe downe with me††verſe 16. badde ſheol to the**… els, on the Beere to the graue. ſtrong place of the world of the Dead. Howbeit Iob was not ſo faithleſſe as to thinke he ſhould goe to Hell. Again††Hoſe 13.14.Hos 13:14 I will redeeme them m…d Sheol, from the power of Death: Sheol o Death, or o kingdome of Death I will bee thy deſtruction. This hath bin ſhewed**Pag. 117. before to be ſpokē directly & ꝓperly of the ſtate of Death, or y^e power of Death, not of Hell. Which the olde Latin trāſlator doth alſo wel““Hoſe 13.14Hos 13:14 obſerue, who turneth††…ijad Sheol. it à Morte frō Death: again**Hoſ. 13.14.Hos 13:14 both inſerne &““1. Cor. 15.55.1 Cor 15:55 o Mors, that is, o Death. Further let it be noted y^t in Dauid, whoſe phraſewe are now a ſkāning of, ther is no word almoſt more cōmon then††Pſal. 89.49. and 88.4. and 18.6. and 16.10. &c.Ps 89:49Ps 88:4Ps 18:6Ps 16:10 Sheol in this ſenſe: and ſpecially there it is ſeene, where he expreſlie referreth it to the Soule. The ſame alſo**Iob. 30.23.Job 30:23 Iob meaneth, where he ſpeaketh of††He meaneth Sheol. Beth mogned lecol chai, the Houſe appointed for al the liuing. Thus therefore it is manifeſt that Sheol in Hebrue is not properly Hell, but it is the p. 123Worl of the Dead, or the ſtate of Death ſimply and indifferently. Whiche ſenſe the Sea…uentie doe plainlie confirme alſo: who ſometime tranſlate Sheol, Death:**Prov. 13.14Prov 13:14 Miſhcol …k thanatou from Death, not from Hell, and ſomtime where they turne Sheol Hades, yet it is moſte euident and vndenyable that very Death, or the eſtate of Death, or the power of Death is there meant: as in all thoſe places wherin we ſpake of Sheol immediarly before. Therfore the 70. vnderſtand ſheol and hades alſo for the ſtate of death ſimply & generally, not for Hell properly. Euen altogether after y^e natural propertie of the word with the authē take Grecians, as reaſon is that they ſhould. Note. Thus there is no queſtion then, but hades & ſheol being all one, & namely with the 70. who do almoſt alwayes vſe y^e one for the other, that therfore Hades & Sheol both do not fignifie Hell properly, but the ſtate of Death, the World or place of the dead, ſuch as are g…n out of this viſible World into another. Alſo where hades and ſheol are more ſpecially taken for y^e ††Gen 42.3…. 1. King. 2.9. Iſa. 14.10. cō pared with 11 E…e. 32.21.27 Ion. 2.2. &c.Gen 42:31 Kgs 2:9Isa 14:10Jonah 2:2Graue or the ſtate of dead Bodyes, euen heere in effect it is all one as before, they ſignifie the ſtate of Death: it is not poſſible y^t they ſhould be for Hell properly & primarily in any of theſe and infinite more ſuch like places. Which beſides all the former,““Omnino ſheol id quod Graci t…n Haden, Latini infernis reddere ſolent. in Scripturis ſepulchrum atque inde ſtatum mortuorum ſignificat qualiſcunque ſit vel ſoelix vel inſoelix. In Luk. 16.26.Luke 16:26 M. Bucer ſheweth excellently: Sheol Hades & Inſernum in Scripture do alwayes ſignifie the Graue, & ſo the ſtate of y^e Dead whatſoeuer it bee either happy or curſed. And**Sheol v…x Hebraea ſtationem quamlibet mortuorum in vniuerſum n… …at. In Pſal. 49.15.Ps 49:15 Tremell. This Hebrue word Sheol doth ſignifie any ſtation or ſtate of the dead in generall: and Hell it may ſometime ſignifie but by a figure ſynecdoche.

p. 124Now then ſeeing the authentike Gracians do vſe Hades for the inuiſible World after this life, that is for the World of the dead, yea Infer… in Latine is taken ſo to as wee hauehave ſeene, and ſeing the new Teſtament hath Hades ſundry times in like ſence, and the 70. interpreters before them, & ſeing the Hebrue Sheol whiche they make to be and is indeed al one with Hades, **VVhichWhich is ſo infinitly wide and large, that it is neuer full.may and doth ſignifie alſo the vnſeene worlde, that it the World of the dead generally. Therefore it followeth that in our Creed alſo Hades is lyable to this ſenſe, and for the force of the worde there is no cauſe to tranſlate it Hell, and the Fathers by meere miſtaking the proper & true vſe of this worde hauehave fancyed ſuch diuers and vaine thinges, which fooliſh childien hauehave ſince amplified, of Chriſts going downe to Hell in his Scul… after death, as neither themſelues knewe, neither can they declare to others.

Obiection. But now it will be obiected, how then ſhould wee tranſlate the Hebrue and the Greeke Sheol & Hades, to fit thoſe words in our language. Anſwere. It is true indeede, through the ſcarcitie of our toung it is moſt hard to fitte a tranſlation in Engliſh to thoſe words of““Pſa. 1….10. Act. 2.27. and in other places.Ps 1:10Acts 2:27 Scripture. But this is euident, that which is commonly vſed & namely in our vulgare Creedes,The Engliſh word Hell is not good in the Creede. Hell, is a word to partiall, to vnfitt, yea corrupt, and ſtarke nought. It is ſuteable to the largenes of the Hebrue and Greeke meaning, though p. 125not ſo iuſte with the Nature of our worde, to ſay in Engliſh, the Dead. As in the Creede,††Or if you wil, ſay thus: Hee went into the vnſeene world &c. He went vntounto the Dead: or, Hee deſcended among the Dead. Alſo““Act. 2.17. Pſa. 10.10.Acts 2:17Ps 10:10 Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule with the Dead, nor thy holye one to ſee corruption. Which as I hauehave ſhewed before, is the true, plaine, eaſie, familiar, and cōmon ſenſe of Hades among the authentike Greekes: as alſo of Sheol in Hebrue.

Obiection. But to tranſlate thus, is to depart from the Fathers ſenſe of Hades: they vſe it alwayes or moſt commonly for Hell. Anſwer. They vſe it indeed commonly, eyther for Hell it ſelfe, or for a place of darkeneſſe, a parte of Hell, far from the place of Bleſſedneſſe. And yet they graunt alſo, that it may bee (yea and Inſert to) vſed for Abrahams boſom, where Lazarus had ioy, and where was a great diſtance & contrariety betweene Hell and it. What may this be, but the place of bleſſednes, I thinke, euen in their iudgements? How ſoeuer it be, we ſtand not vponupon the Fathers language to tranſlate the Scriptures, or this Article of our Creede. The Apoſtles and Apoſtolike men as alſo the Septuagint to, did write and ſpeake as the authentike Grecians did, as they learned to ſpeake of the Maiſters of that tounge, and as the people then might. beſt vnderſtand, not making phraſes, nor fitting their wordes to the latter writers that ſpake and wrote long ſince them. Therefore according to the authentike p. 126vſeof Hades, ſo ought we indeede to tranſlate this both in Engliſhe and Latine: Deſcendit ad mortuos, He deſcended among the Dead.

Obiection. Why, in effect this is nothing els but to Dye: and that was expreſſed of Chriſt before, he was Dead, Buryed, &c. But in this ſhort ſumme of Religion to repeate one point twiſe were needles, and againſt the nature of a ſhorte ſumme. And to vſes darke and hard phraſe after a plaine and eaſie, is vnreaſonable & abſurd. Anſwere. It is true, I hold it vnreaſonable altogeather in the ſhort and vulgar Creede appointed euen for the common Chriſtians, to vſe words darke and difficulte. And when the ſame thing is by diuers wordes expreſſed, the later ought to bee the lighter and cleerer, for to open the meaning the better which in the former is not ſo euident. Therefore I fully graunte in the Creede ſpeciallie, the phraſe muſt bee familiar, triuiall, eaſie, and plaine. Which heere in this taking of Hades is ſo: it is moſte eaſie (I ſaye) and**Not if it bee taken for Hell, for ſo it is takē but ſometime. It is very eaſie and ſamiliar if wee take it generally for the world of the Dead. plaine to eueryevery Grecian, and moſte naturall and proper in it ſelfe, as I hauehave ſufficiently ſhewed††By many good authors. pag. 97. &c. before. For we muſt remember our Creed was not written in Engliſhe, and therefore our abuſiue worde Hell ought not to trouble vsus. But looke wee to the Greeke Hades wherein it was written, and to the Hebrue, Sheol wherevnto alſo the Greeke p. 127fitteth: and them it is as cleere as the Sonne at noone day,The Hebrue and Greeke phraſes …eerein all one. Redeth Sheolah: Kataben…j …in Haden. that katabena… c…s Haden and redeth Sheolah are the common and familiar phraſes to goe to the Worlde of the Dead, or among the Dead. As for the repeating of the ſame thing, it is not idle nor vnſignificant, but moſte Emphaticall. For euen preſentlie after the Apoſtles there aroſe Haeretikes**Ignat. a… Trall. denyinge that Chriſt was a true Man but only in ſhew, and therefore alſo ſuffered and dyed but in shewe and appearance onelyonly. Such alſo continued a long tyme, and ſuch are at this daye. Now to eſtabliſh all Chriſtians againſt ſuch diuelish opinions, the Primitiue Churche added heere diuers effectuall wordes, it ſeemeth. Whereas els it had bene enough to hauehave ſaide, Hee ſuffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate: But to expreſſe and the ſignifie this pointe of Chriſtian faith euen for the ſimple more fullie, there is added further, firſte Hee was Crucified: and yet further, Hee was Dead; yea more, He was Buryed; and finally to ſpeake to the full, Hee went to the Worlde of the Dead, or among the Dead. notesAnd this laſte verelie is meant of the Soule of Chriſt, to ſhewe what it did, being nowe parted from the body: as the other wordes before are touching the viſible parte his Bodye, Crucified, Dead, and Buryed. Which Bucer ſawe verie well,**Buc. in Ma… 27.50. Ex eo quod conſitemur Dominum diſcendiſſe ad inferna intelligendum est, Dominum Spiritis p. 128ſuo …ta ſe iunxiſſe ſpiritibus mortuorum ſanctorum, vtt corpore iunctus ſuit illorum corporibus per ſepulturam. In that we beleeue that the Lorde were vntounto the Dead, we vnderſtande that in his Soule he ioyned to the ſocietie of the Soules of the dead Saintes, euē as in his body he was ioyned to their bodyes by Buriall. So that all theſe wordes in the Creed hauehave a very profitable vſe and ſtronge Emphaſis for to ſhewe that Chriſt truely Dyed in deed, and had eueryevery way the verie ſame condition as other mē had as touching Humane nature, that ſo all Chriſtians might bee the better eſtabliſhed againſt thoſe Haereſies denying the ſame, as is aforeſaid. If any ſay, but in this ſhort ſumme there ſhould be no repetitions at all. I hauehave shewed, that this his going among the Dead, or vntounto the dead, or into the Vnſeene World, is moſt fithe to bee referred to the Soule of Chriſt parting from his body, shewing whither it went, euen whither all other Good mens Soules went, to the place appointed for the Sainctes: thither went Chriſtes ſoule too, like other mens, being parted from his body: …is Hadou. Whereof if any doe aske particularlie, Whither is this? I aunſwere, namelie into††Which is the true Grammaticall ſenſe of this word, viz. with reſpect had to the qualitie of Christes perſon. heauē: For whither ſhould the Saintes goe els? And thus it is no repetition of anie thing that particularlie went before. Howbeit in the Creed there are in deede repetitions, as short a ſumme as it is, and yet not vnprofitable. As thus, hauing ſaide, He ſuffered, it is added, Crucified▪ and after that Dead, yea Buryed is but an addition p. 129alſo to ſignifie that he was truely dead. Therefore it is poſſible that there might be repetitions profitable in the Creede, and namely when they be ſpecially emphaticall. Obiection. But further you will ſay, this word He deſcended to the Dead, doeth ſhewe, it ſeemeth, that the place was downeward, whither he went, and not vpwarde to Heauen. Anſwere. I aunſwere, That is nothing: So Iacob**Gen. 37.35.Gen 37:35 ſpake Eredel beni abel Sheolah: I ſhall goe downe mourning to my Sonne among the Dead. Yet Iacob thought not to goe to Hell to his Sonne, but among the ſoules of the godly dead, that is to ſay into Heauen, where he knewe he ſhould be after death, & his Sonne he doubted not (being dead as he thought) was††It ſeemeth not that the Graue properly can be bee…e meant, ſeeing Iacob hoped not to b… togeather with his Sonne as touching … bodye. there alreadie. So then this worde Deſcending or Going downe, is nothing els in this matter, but a ““Bulling. Dec. 1.7.decaying, a falling downe, or a cōming to an ende in this life: becauſe they … and flouriſh heere, are ſaid to a… … …ande vp, and ſpring vp. Only this further emphaſis ſeemeth to be in it: kateben may import that He came vnderunder the power and dominiō, as it were, of Death, although but for a while: for he††Act. 1.14.Acts 1:14 could not be held thereof. Which is it, I thinke, that**Oleuian i… Symbol. Oleuian vnderſtandeth in this place. Wherefore this phraſe in the Creede, agreeth with y^e Hebrue very fitly, whēce it ſeemeth alſo to be takē. And thus mē may ſee, it is eueryevery way a moſt eaſie, a familiar, and vſuall phraſe, not with the Greeke p. 130only, but in proportō with the Hebrues alſo, I ſay euen that in the Creede batch… cis Hadou to ſignifie Hee went vntounto the Dead, which we in Engliſh too corruptly vſe to ſay, He went into Hell: when as indeed heere concerning Chriſt, it was into Heauen.

Obiection. Laſtly it may be you will ſay, if Chriſts Soule after his death went immediatly into Heauen, then he Aſcended twiſe into Heauen: once before his reſurrection, and againe 40. dayes after it. In the Creede alſo then there are two articles touching this one matter of h…s Aſcenſion. But this ſeemeth very vntrue: ſpecially ſeeing himſelf ſaith after his riſing from death,††Ioh. 20.17.John 20:17 I hauehave not yet aſcended. Therefore immediatly after death hee went not into Heauen: and if not to Heauen, then to Hell. Anſwere. I anſwere, notwithſtanding all this, his ſoule might and did immediatly goe to Heauen. And what if in this wiſe he Aſcended twiſe? what reaſon is againſt it? That is, once in his Soule alone, in the time of his death, as the ſoules of all the Godly beſides doe: and once againe afterward when both Soule & Body togeather aſcended, euen as we alſo ſhall heereafter. Of this his later perfite intyre and apparant Aſcenſion, he ſaith,**Ioh. 20.17.John 20:17 I hauehave not yet Aſcended. Whereby he denyeth not his other maner of aſcending, that is in his ſoule only. Euen as““Act. 2.34.Acts 2:34 Peter denyeth that Dauid is yet aſcended. Hee meaneth as touching his p. 131body and all: for his ſoule was then, and long before that (no doubt) aſcēded into Heauen. And thus in our Creed there may well be 2. articles, for 2. ſo diuers and diſtinct kindes of Chriſts going to Heauen.

Hitherto we hauehave waded in our firſte point, about the opening of the word of this Article of the Creede, he deſcended to Hades. Wherein it is as cleere as the light at noone, that the natural, ſimple, proper, and true meaning therof may be, He went vntounto the Dead. Now followeth our††See pag. 9…. ſecond generall point, to proue that this is the very meaning therof, and nothing els indeede. Which thus I conclude.

If this Article meane not that Chriſt went to Limbus, nor went into the Graue, nor his Helliſh ſufferinges on the Croſſe, nor afterward locally in Hell, nor any going down locally into Hell at all: the… heere is certainly meant that his ſoule ſeparat frō his body did go, as other mens do, into the World of the Dead, or among the dead and nothing els.

But all thoſe former opinions are vntrue heere, and not meant in the Creede.

Therefore this our laſt relearſed is true & is there in the Creed truly & plainly intended, & meant.

111. No Limbus ſignifyed in our Creede.Chriſt went not to any Limbus ſ…ing y^e faithful before Chriſts time, had the ſame benifit of grace in effect which wee ſince hauehave had. Becauſe Chriſt was the ſame yeſterday, & the ſame to day, & the ſame for euer: and Faith, w^e they had as well as we, was the euidence of things not ſeene, and p. 132the ground of things hoped for: and Abraham ſaw the day of Chriſt, and reioyced: and the Fathers before did eate the ſame ſpirituall meate, & dranke the ſame ſpirituall drink which we doe: and Chriſt was the Sacrifice of redemption ſlaine before the beginning of the world. Therfore by the vertue and efficacie of Chriſtes death, Heauen was opened to them before his Incarnation, as well as vntounto vsus ſince. And therefore there was no Limbus, neyther could Chriſt goe to anie ſuch place.222. The Graue properly not ment by going to Hades in y^• Creed. This Article can not be meant of the Graue, becauſe that was moſt plainlie and familiarlie noted before in theſe wordes, He was buried: which to repeate againe in a darker & more doubtfull word as Hades is, without difference added, can not be likely. For Hades, as I ſaid, is referred generallie to the ſtate of the Dead: that is, to the Soules as well as to the Bodyes of the dead.333. Chriſtes Helliſh ſorrowes which he ſuffred, not meant by his going to Hades. Heere are not meant Chriſtes Helliſh ſorrowes and ſufferings, which in deed he on the Croſſe indured, as wee hauehave ſhewed in the former quaeſtiō. Although Maister Caluin thus thought, yet ſurely this Article ſeemeth to meane another thing:**Sauing the reuerence of ſo worthy a man. (quod pace tanti viri dixerim) becauſe 1. the word Hades ſignifieth not Hel peculiarly, as I hauehave ſhewed, but whē y^e place doth neceſſarily**As this place in the Creede …th not. require it. 2. If it were ſo, it muſt be here by a Figure not altogither ſo familiar, namely a Metaphoricall ſpeech, which p. 133hardly may be admitted into this vulgar …nd familiar Creed. And generally it vvas meant and compriſed in thoſe former wordes, He ſuffered vnderunder Pontius Pilat. Laſt…ie, it ought not then to followe after ſo manie Articles put in betweene, as Crucified, Dead, Buryed. 444. Chriſtes going to Hades in the Creede, ſignifieth not …y ſuffring locally in Hell after his death.This Article meaneth not anie ſufferings of Chriſt locally in Hell after his death on the Croſſe, as Illiricus thought: becauſe y^e Scripture ſaith, by the bloud of his Croſſe hee reconciled all things in heauen and in earth, and through death he deſtroyed him that had the power of death, and on his Croſſe he razed out all things that were againſt vsus, and ſpoyled Principalities and powers, and triumphed openlie ouer them, and on the Croſſe he cryed, It is finiſhed. All this ſheweth that on the Croſſe was the laſt act and finall accompliſhment of all his ſufferinges. Therefore he ſuffred nothing after his death.

The laſt errour that heere I am to confute, is this,555. Laſtly, Chriſt went not locallie into the verie Hell of the damned at any time, nor manie occaſion. (which nowe chieflie I bende againſt) that which chieflie troubleth the Churches in England at this day, by reaſon that ſome men, I knowe not whom, hauehave thought ſo. It is this, That Christ after his death went downe into Hell, not to ſuffer, but he went to triumph, or to inſult ouer the damned reprobat, or what to doe, it is not well knowen, nor yet determined. Nowe we affirme, this alſo is a meere fiction, and as falſe as the reſt. And that by p. 134diuers reaſons.

A generall argumit y^t Chriſt went not into Hell.Firſt, If no Scripture proue it, then God forbid we ſhould put this opinion among the Articles of our faith. But no Scripture proueth it: Therefore i… ought in no wiſe to be beleeued of VsUs.

Allegations againſt us.They alleadge for the Denyall of the Aſſumption chieflie ſoure textes of Scripture. But none to any purpoſe at all, as eaſilie we may ſee. 1Firſt,**Actes 2.27. and Pſal. 16.1….Acts 2:27Ps 16:1 Thou wilt not leaue my Soule in Hell, (ſaye they) but falſlie and iniuriouſlie to the text, as**Pag. 113. before we hauehave declared. Our common tranſlation hath, Thou wilt not leaue my Soule in the Graue: which is not much amiſſe, conſidering the ſcope of the Apoſtle there, and the manner of Scripture-phraſe ſometime. But the moſt playne, the moſt naturall, and familiar tranſlation ſhould be this (as alſo††Pag. 126. I hauehave plainly noted before) Thou wilt not leaue my Soule among the Dead, nor thy Holy one to ſee corruption▪ This is certaine, it can not bee meant of Hell, as alſo I hauehave proued““Pag. 114. before ſufficientlie. Thus therefore their firſte and chiefeſt place doeth ſaye nothing at all for them.

2Their ſecond is:**1. Pet. 3.18, 19, 20.1 Pet 3:181 Pet 3:191 Pet 3:20 Chriſt ſuffering for vsus was thanatotheis men ſarks zoopotetheis do Pneumati, en ho kas tois en phylake pneuman poreutheis ekeryxen Apeithéſais pote, hote hapax exedécheto he tou Theou makrothumta en hemérais Noe: Don to Death in the Fleſh, but made aliue by the Spirit, wherein hee went (or, had gone) and p. 135preached to the ſpirites in priſon Hauing bene (or, whiche were diſobedient in tyme, paſt when once the longe ſuffering of God did wayte in the dayes of Noe.The true ſenſe of Peter in this place. This place is as playne as may be cleane to an other purpoſe: that is Christ in his Paſsion dyed as touching his Manhood but was rayſed to life again by his Diuine Spirit, in which in the dayes of Noe he went and preached to th…ſe who were nowe (in Peters tyme) damned ſoules in Hell, and had bene in tyme past (in Noes tyme) diſobedient, when as the long ſuffering of GOD wayted for their repentance but all in vayne. Thus heere is no one word of his Soules going after death to the ſoules in Hell, and of his then preaching to them: as ſome would frō hence willinglie gather. Firſt I will proue our former tranſlatiō & ſenſe to be true: then, I will confute ſuch of their chiefeſt reaſons as they vſe to make frō this place for them ſelues.Reaſons for iuſtifying our interpretation of Peter in this place. And firſt, If to Pneumati by y^e Spirit be here the Diuine Spirit the Godhead of Chriſt and not his Humane Soule, thē our tranſlation & ſenſe is true, & theirs falſe. But here to Pneumati ſignifieth by the Diuine Spirit, that is by the Godhead of Chriſt, and not by his Humane Soule. Therfore our tranſlation & ſenſe is true, & theirs is falſe. The aſſumptiō only is here doubted of. But it hath many moſt certain proofs. Firſt, it is moſt familiar & cō mon in Scripture by Fleſh to vnderſtand y^e whole ††1. Ioh. 4.…. Ioh. 1.14. Heb. 5.7. & 2.14. & 1. Pet. 4.1.1 John 4John 1:14Heb 5:7Heb 2:141 Pet 4:1Humane nature, & by Spirit the**Reu. 2.7. &c. Actes 16.7.Rev 2:7Acts 16:7 Diuine nature. But where both are mētioned togither oppoſitely, there they always & euermore p. 136ſignifie ſo in**Rom. 1.3, 4. 1 Tim. 3.16.Rom 1:3Rom 1:41 Tim 3:16 Chriſt, and in††Gal. 5.17. Rom. 8.5.Gal 5:17Rom 8:5 other men Fleſh alwayes ſignifieth the corrupt nature wholy, the Spirit, all the regenerate parte in them. I ſay, theſe wordes Fleſh and Spirit mentioned thus togeather oppoſitely, do neuer in Scripture ſignifie the Body and Soule of a man. Therefore in this place alſo agreeably to the perpetuall vſe of the Scripture beſides, theſe wordes Fleſh and Spirit ought to ſignifie the Humane and the Diuine natures of Chriſt, not the 2. partes of his Humanitie, his Soule and his Bodye: ſpecially ſeeing no Circumſtance heere ouerthroweth this ſenſe, as both before, and likewiſe preſentlie after we ſhall further ſee. Againe, the very ſame thing is ſpoken by““2. Cor. 13.42 Cor 13:4 Paul, but more expreſlie: Hee was crueified touching his infirmitie, but liueth by the power of God. A place moſt excellent to be cōpared with this heere in Peter. That which Peter calleth Fleſh, Paul calleth infirmitie, and that whiche Peter called Spirit, Paule calleth the power of God. That is, the one ſignifieth his whole Humanitie, both bodye and Soule, the other his verie Deitie. And ſo by comparing theſe two moſt like textes, our ſenſe is cleerly iuſtified. Thirdlie, if Spirit heere ſignifie his humane Soule, then of neceſſitie you muſt ſay, Hee was made aliue in his Soule, or by his Soule: zôopoietheis tô pnéumati. But both theſe are wicked and falſe to ſay: Firſt, not in his Soule, for then his ſoule was once dead or p. 137…all at leaſt, becauſe the word is zôopoietheis, He was made aliue in his Soule, beeing don to death in his body.2. Neither can it be by his Soule, for then he liued againe by the power of his Soule, and not of God, whiche is abſurd and contrarie to many Scriptures before noted. Therefore Spirit here muſt needes be the Godhead & Diuine power of Chriſt, by the which he was in deede made aliue after his death in his Manhood.4. If theſe wordes Fleſh and Spirit doe ſignifie heere in Chriſt his Body and Soule, then they can not beare any ſenſe but ſuch as agreeth with all other men when they dye: to be dead in their bodies, but to liue in their ſoules. But this text in theſe wordes ſheweth ſurelye ſome ſingular thing happening to Chriſt, wherein hee differed from other men: as who ſo veweth the place, may eaſilie ſee. Therefore theſe words here do not ſignifie in Chriſt his body and ſoule, but his Manhoode and Godhead.5. All preaching is to amende the hearers, or to take away from them all excuſe. This is the very nature and perpetuall vſe of Preaching. But thus hee coulde not preach to the Spirites in Hell. On the earth he could by his eternal Spirit in the mouth of Noe to thoſe liuing then in thoſe dayes, though careles and diſobedient. Therefore this preaching is heere meant to hauehave bene on earth in thoſe former tymes, and not then in Hel. And ſo cōſequently in his p. 138Diuine Spirit, That Chriſt ſhould be ſaide being dead, to goe and preach horrour and cō fuſion to the Damned of Noes time now in Hell, not mentioning any other of them beſide, is abſurd & vaine.& not in his Humane Soule. 6. … it be abſurd to ſaye, He preached to the damned in Hell who liued in Noes time, more then to the other damned: and i… there be good reaſon to ſaye this of his preaching on earth in Noahs time, th… this is meant of his Diuine Spirite preaching then in the mouth of Noe, and no… of his humane ſoule preaching after his death in Hell. But it is abſurd to ſay, Hee preached in Hell to thoſe of Noes tyme, more thē to the other damned there. And if you aske what reaſon there is to mention his preaching on earth to them of Noes time more then to all other diſobedient before & ſince. I anſwer, it meaneth not but y^t Chriſt preached by his diuine ſpirit to all the reſt likewiſe, euē frō Adam to Iohn Baptiſt: but this ſpeciall inſtance is firly named, as being one of the moſt ſingular tymes of convicting the prophane rebellious worlde. Nowe this reaſon can not be yeelded for his preaching to thē in Hell which were of Noes time, more thē to the reſt: as all men of any reaſon doe ſee. Therfore this place is meant of Chriſtes Diuine Spirit, not of his Humane Soule.

Now cōtrarie wiſe for their reaſons that this is meant of Chriſts Soule preaching in Hel, the moſt & the beſt that I finde are in Mr Hill, noted & confuted by Mr Humes verie effectually.Phil. 2.7, 8, 9.Phil 2:7Phil 2:8Phil 2:9 I wil now touch but 2. of thē: becauſe if I ſhould deale further, I might p. 139ſeeme to do y^t which he hath don already.

Obiection. Firſt thus they ſay, No Paſsiue can agree to the Deitie. But made to liue is heere a Paſſiue. Therfore it can not be that the Deitie is here the Spirit, in which he is ſaid to be made aliue. Anſwer. We ſaye not, He was made aliue in y^e ſpirit, but by the ſpirit, & ſo ought it to be tranſlated. Therfore this Paſsiue is attributed to the Deitie, but is the effect not of Chriſtes Deitie in his Manhood.

Obiection. An other obiection is, that pote in time paſt doth diſtinguiſhe apeitheſaſi to the diſobedient with which it goeth, frō poreutheis ekeryxen he had gon and preached. Anſwere. Which is moſt vntrue: for though pote follow apeitheſaſi, yet it is to euident and vndenyable that this Aduerbe pote may hauehave reference (and by all reaſon it muſt) to this whole clauſe poreutheis ekéryxen apeithéſaſi pote, and ſo diſtinguiſheth all this from all y^t clauſe next before tois en phylake pneuniſi (where vnderſtand ouſi) and that is, to the Spirits that are in priſon. And ſo pote plainly diſtinguiſheth apeithéſaſi frō tois en phylake (ouſi) but not frō ekéryxen. As Mr. Beza heereon doth well declare.

The other reaſons, though 9. or 10. in number, are not worth the naming: yet whatſoeuer force is in them, Mr. Humes hath ſo defeated it, that I will ſurſeaſe to ſpeake any more thereof. But thus it remayneth that this place of Peter is nothing at all for them, who moſte erroneouſly thinke that Chriſt in his Soule went down after death, and preached in Hell.

p. 140Nowe the third Scripture is,††Ephe. 4.9.Eph 4:9 Chriſt in that he aſcended, what is it but that he… deſcended firſt into the loweſt partes of the earth? Heere firſt note the true meaning, and then the miſtaking of this place. I ſay then theſe words are a reaſon takē frō Chriſts Aſcending into Heauen to proue his Deſcending from Heauen firſt. As if he ſhould ſay, in aſmuch as wee ſee Chriſt our Lordes Aſcending vp into Heauē, it followeth that he the very ſame Lord Deſcended thence firſte: that wee may learne by him howe humiliation goeth before glory, and ſubmiſsion before exaltation. Nowe this beeing all, as indeed it is in this place, there is no need to take this Deſcending of any locall going downe into Hell. But you will ſay, whether doe the words cloſe following cista katôtera mere tês gês, to the lower partes of the earth, adde any thinge in the ſenſe further, or no? And if they doe adde more in the ſenſe, how far do they ſignifie? I anſwer, I ſee not but they may be taken moſt fitlie to adde ſomething in the ſenſe of that ſentence before of his Deſcending, and yet nothing for his going to Hell. Euen this (as I take it) to ſhewe more particularly howe baſe a Deſcending and comming into the world Chriſt had, in humbling himſelfe euen to the Graue. And ſo it may bee very like that other place of this Apoſtle:Phil. 2.7, 8, 9.Phil 2:7Phil 2:8Phil 2:9 He made himſelfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the forme of a ſeruant and was p. 141made like vntounto men, and was found in ſhape as a man. He humbled himſelfe and became obedient vntounto death, euen the death of the Croſſe. Wherefore God hath highly exalted him, &c. Thus I ſay in both theſe places this degree of the baſeneſſe of Chriſts humiliation is notablie expreſſed: heere in the Philip▪ in that hee humbled himſelfe vntounto death, and before in the Epheſ. in that bee deſcended euen to the Graue, that is to ſay alſo vntounto Death.

Obiection. But ſome will ſay, the Graue is not in the lower partes of the Earth, but alwayes a little vnderunder the earth, that is in y^t higher part of it. Rather Hell may be thought to be in the**As Mat. 12.40.Matt 12:40 midſt of y^t earth. Anſwere. I anſwere: Takatoter a mere tés gés the lower partes of the earth, ſeems to me a very plaine Hebraiſme, expreſſing Tachtijoth erets: which wordes are no where found for Hell, for††Pſal. 63.9.Ps 63:9 the Graue they are found: alſo where in a ſimilitude w^t the Graue (not with Hell) a““Pſal. 139.15Ps 139:15 womans wombe is called tachtijoth …rets. Like to this alſo is**Ezech ….14 16, 18. erets tachtith the Earth beneath. Now albeit Maiſter Hill auoucheth eagerlie that theſe places are for Hell, yet the very ſeuerall circumſtances in them doe plainly teach that the Graue only is there meant, and the condition of Death: as††Sect. 9. Mr. Humes doeth plainly declare againſt him. If a man aske, how the Graue may be called the lower part of the earth I anſwer, it may very well, and is in compariſion of this Earth where wee liue, which is the““Whence the liuing are called Superſlit… and ſometime Superi; the Dead ſometime Iuſ…ri. higher parts of the earth: the p. 142oppoſitiō thus ſtāding betwene y^e Liuing & the Dead & betwene their proper habitations, not betweene the Liuing & Hell. The ſame ſēſe manifeſtly hath another Hebru phraſe very like to this:**Pſal. 86.13. Iſa. 14.10.Ps 86:13Isa 14:10 Sheel tachtijah or tachah, where thogh many think Hel is ſignified, yet ſurely y^e circumſtances do conuince that the Graue only is there meant, the Graue beneath: as Mr. Fulke againſt Gr. Martin doth cleerlie proue. Which alſo we ſhall further declare & make manifeſt by y^t phraſe““Mat. 12.40Matt 12:40 in the heart of the earth, as we ſhall ſee preſently in the anſwere to the next Scripture obiected afterward. But if any yet ſay touching††Eph. 4.9, 10Eph 4:9Eph 4:10 this, y^t heere is oppoſed Chriſts loweſt debaſing to his highe…l aſcending. Now Hell is the loweſt debaſing of Chriſt, not y^e Graue. Therfore Hell is heere vnderſtoode, & not the Graue. Surely thus by this reaſon it muſt follow y^t Chriſt not only was in Hell, but y^t he ſuffered alſo in Hell. For indeed it was a far greater humiliatiō of Chriſt to ſuffer the paines of Hel (which we hauehave proued before that he might &**Not after his death, but before his death. did ſuffer indeed) thē to be locally in Hell with triumph without ſuffering. But it is moſt falſe & injurious to Chriſtes death to ſay, he ſuffered in the lower parts of the Earth, taking the ſame for Hell. Therfore his debaſemēt here we take in the eſtimatiō of the world, y^t is ſo far as they might ſenſibly cōceiue of his miſerable & baſe cōdition. Now that could be no lower thē the Graue. As for Hel, both his going thither, & his ſuffering of it, whether in y^• very place, p. 143or out of the place, all this was inſenſible to the world, & not cōming within their eſtimation: & ſo not heere ſpoken of nor intended, where only the apparant baſenes of Chriſt is compared with the apparant going vp of Chriſt aboue the ſenſible Heauens. Thus do I iudge that the deſcēding of Chriſt to the lower parts of the earth may be taken truly, plainly, and as is agreeable to the Hebrue phraſe whence ſurely this Greek phraſe ariſeth, namely for Chriſts humiliation euen vntounto the Graue, that is to becom vnderunder the power of Death Howbeit ſome do thinke, it may be takē as directlie alluding to that††Pſal. 139.19Ps 139:19 metaphoricall Hebrue phraſe tachtijotherets, the lower partes of the earth, where Dauid meaneth his mothers wombe, where he tooke fleſh & ſo came into this worlde of men. And then likewiſe Paul **In Ephe. 4.Eph 4here meaneth only Chriſtes taking our fleſh, & his cōming into this our world, in that he ſaith hee deſcended to the lower partes of the earth. So alſo y^t ſenſe of theſe ſcrip may be fitly cōpared withit.††Ioh. 3.13.John 3:13 No man aſcendeth up to Heauen but he that deſcended from Heauen, the Sonne of man which is in Heauen. And**Ioh. 16.28.John 16:28 I came out from the Father and came into the world: againe I leaue the world, and go to the Father. Euen ſo theſe wordes, He deſcended to the lower partes of the Earth with oppoſition to his Aſcending into Heauē, in this ſenſe may ſignifie generally his abaſement, in taking fleſh in his mothers wombe, and ſo his comming into this our world, before hee was exalted in his Aſcenſion. Laſtly others doe thinke, that this Greeke p. 142duplicate page p. 143duplicate page p. 126phraſe eis katotera mere tes ges, to the lower part… of the earth, is no Hebraiſme, but onelyonly a figure of ſpeach in the Greeke, a kinde of Hypallage: Hypallage.the lower partes of the earth, for the Earth which is the lower partes of the world. And ſo both theſe later ſenſes do adde nothing in ſignification touching Chriſtes Deſcending or his comming from Heauen into this world: but they meane onlie and generally, He firſt deſcended before he aſcended. And this laſt ſenſe amplifyeth it (as it were) by a kinde of deſcription, ſhewing what this world, or this earth is where we liue, and whither Chriſt deſcended; euen the lower partes of the world in compariſon of the Heauens whence he deſcended, and whither afterwarde from the earth he went vp againe.

Either of theſe two later ſenſes might heere very well ſerue: but I iudge rather the firſt to be likelieſt. Howſoeuer it bee, to dreame heere of Hel there is no reaſon. And this wee ſhall make further to appeare by confuting the next and laſt obiection of Mat. 12.40.

In**Mat. 12.40.Matt 12:40 this place therefore Chriſt is ſaide to hauehave bene three dayes and three nights in the heart of the Earth. What is that, but in the middeſt of the earth? And how was Chriſt there, vnles he were there in Hell? I aunſwere, this alſo is a manifeſt Hebraiſme, like to††Erech. 27.25, 26. that: Tyrus was very glorious in the heart of the Seas: beleb iammim. Tyrus was not in the p. 145deepe of the ſea, nor in the middeſt of the ſea, for it ſtood cloſe by the continent land, as Geography teacheth vsus: but the Prophets meaning by that phraſe is, that Tyrus was**or in a man…r compaſſed. compaſſed about with the Sea, though ſtanding neere to the Sea ſhore. Euen ſo Chriſt in his Graue may well bee ſaid to bee in the heart of the earth after that phraſe: that is compaſſed about with the earth though far from the middeſt of the earth, euen a little beneath the vpmoſt parte of the ſame, as Graues are wont to bee made. Further this cannot poſſibly be meant of Chriſtes Soule going into Hell, becauſe the Iewes heere asked Chriſt for a viſible ſigne, & he ſaid he would giuegive them a ſigne: that is to ſay a viſible miracle. Now this miracle was, how Chriſt ſhould be 3. dayes & 3. nights buryed in the earth, and then riſe againe to life: like Ionahs comming againe into the world after hee had bene 3. dayes and 3. nights in the Fiſhes belly. In this only hee would condeſcend vntounto them, and giuegive them only this viſible ſigne, like as they craued, but not any more. Therefore this cannot bee any going to Hell and comming thence againe: for that had ben vtterly no viſible ſigne, neither had he anſwered any whit to their deſire at al, as the text ſaith he did, namely to giuegive them this one ſigne only ſo as they deſired, and as might bee cōparable in their ſenſe to that of Ionah. Againe if heere the heart p. 146of the earth be Hell, then was Chriſt all the time of his death in Hell euen till the moment of his reſurrection, which thing the chiefe defendors of this dreame dare not auouch: and that of**Luke 23.43.Luke 23:43 Luke refuteth it, This day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe: as anon God willing, we ſhall further ſee. Therefore the heart of the earth ††Mat. 12.40.Matt 12:40heere muſt not in any wiſe be takē for Hell. Which alſo that ſpeech of Chriſt nowe a dying, Father into thy handes I commend my Spirit, doth euidentlie proue. Where Chriſt ſheweth (according to the vſuall phraſe of men in ſuch a caſe) that hee hoped preſently to goe to Heauen. No man thinketh to go to Hell, whē he ſaith, Lord into thy handes I cōmend my Soule: no more therfore now did Chriſt, as is further ſhewed““Pag. 151. afterward. Laſtly, both againſt this and**Ephe. 4.9.Eph 4:9 that laſt before, thus I reaſon: If theſe Textes ſpeake of Hell, then certainlie Hell is in the loweſt partes of the earth, in the middeſt of the earth. But it could neuer bee affirmed directlie and preciſelie that Hell is in the middest or deepeſt of the earth. Nay it is moſt falſe: For the Diuells are††2. Pet. 2.4.2 Pet 2:4 holden in Hell. But the Diuells are locallie““Math. 8.28 Ephe. 2.2.Matt 8:28Eph 2:2 on the earth, and in the ayre. Obiection. Therefore Hell is not preciſelie in the middost of the Earth. Some will ſay, Hell is beneath, as the††Prou. 15.24Prov 15:24 Scripture teacheth. Anſwere. I aunſwere, if you tranſlate that ſo, yet it ſayeth not Hell beneath vsus, but Hell beneath. That is in compariſon of Heauen, whiche p. 147is on Highe: ſo Hell maye bee downewarde from Heauen, but hee ſayeth not in reſpect of vsus here on earth. Secondly, They who take this for the Graue, and the Bodilie deſtruction (as the worde in deede verie often, and familiarlie doeth alſo ſignifie) doe eaſilie auoyde this Obiection. Thirdlie, it is not the vnlikelieſt to hold, that She…l heere ſignifying the ſtate of death or destruction in this world, Mattah, declining or downeward: Conſidering alſo and comparing the former parte of this verſe with this later, & the next following likewiſe: It ſeemeth the wiſe man ſayeth: The way of life to the wiſe tendeth after thinges on high, whereby hee eſcapeth destruction, the way whereof is groueling on the earth, and ſeeketh not the thinges that are aboue, which bring life, but the thinges that are beneath, which are ſnares of death. And thus heere may be ſome affinitie with the Exhortation**Col. 3.1, 2.Col 3:1Col 3:2 to ſeeke the thinges aboue, and not the things that be earthly beneath. But heere is no locall aſſignation for Hell. Obiection. You will ſaye, Where then is Hell, is there no certaine locall place of tormentes to the reprobates nowe? Anſwer. We doubt not but the wicked and the Diuels††Luke 16.23.Luke 16:23 are now locally tormented in ſom certain place, & ſhalbe after this world ended: but where this is the Scripture teacheth not, neither ought we to inquire after it, but to learne howe by all meanes to auoyde it.

p. 148Nothing in all the Scripture for Chriſtes going to Hell: therefore it is a fable.Thus farre the Scriptures hauehave bene examined, and nothing in them is found to proue Chriſts Soules going to Hell. Wich aboue all things ought to be; I ſaye ſomewhat ought to be in Scripture for it, if we vvill hauehave ſuch an Article of our faith. And I demaund, are not they Haretikes that will needes holde an Article of Faith meerely without Scripture, as well as they that will not receaue ſomething expreſſed in Scripture? Well: to beleeue therefore anie article of our faith, it is requiſit that we hauehave the Scriptures warrant. Yea further, It ought not onelyonly to be in the Scripture, but it ought to be very plaine, expreſſe, and moſt eaſie to be proued out of Scripture: or els in no wiſe to make it a maine Article of our common Faith. But all men know, and our Aduerſaries herein confeſſe y^t it is a hard, a doubtfull, and a very intricat point, and with much difficultie to be proued in ſcripture, that Chriſtes Soule went downe into Hell. Therefore them ſelues graunt in effect that this doctrine ought not to be any part of our common Creede.

The Scriptures are cleerely againſt Chriſtes going into Hel.Nay further I vrge, if wee conſider the Scriptures vnpartiallie, we do find diuers ſingular places in them againſt this doctrine, prouing y^t his ſoule after his death was not in Hell. I.Firſt,**Luke. 23.43.Luke 23:43 This day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe. This is ſpoken of the Humanitie of Chriſt. But not of his Body which lay p. 149in the Graue: Therefore of his Soule, that it wente the ſame day preſentlie into Paradiſe and then not into Hell. If you denie that this is meant of his Humanitie, I proue it moſt plainlie. 1. This Participle Meta, is more pregnant then Sun, to ſignifie a mutuall participation of ſomewhat. So that if we note the emphaſis of this phraſe well, met' emou ese is as much as to ſay This day I ſhall hauehave parte with thee, and thou with me of a bleſſed chaunge, that is, from this miſerable Croſſe which now we both ſuffer, to Paradiſe, whither wee ſhall both goe hence preſentlie. But this is true of his Humane Soule, not of his Deitie, to participate with the Theefe, and the Theefe with him both in ſorrow & ioye. Therefore he meaneth heere his Soule ſhal be preſently to day in Paradiſe. Againe, this ſpeach is directlie and purpoſelie a Conſolation to the Holy Theefe, certifying him that he ſhould ſee quickly an alteration in the things that nowe he ſorrowed for. But he ſorrowed grieuouſly both for his owne miſerie and for Chriſtes moſt vnworthy torments, as may be ſeene††ver. 41. preſentlie before y^t he receaued this cōſolation. Therefore this Conſolation ſheweth him, that Chriſt ſhould be tranſlated alſo as wel as him ſelfe very quickly from the Croſſe into glorie. Laſtly, the good Theef ſaith to Chriſt as Man being yet in miſery, but beleeuing he ſhould ſhortlie bee in glorie, Lord remember me when thou comeſt into p. 150thy kingdome. As if he ſhould ſay, Lord, I ſe… well thy wofull miſerie nowe, but I know thou ſhalt hence goe into thy glorious kingdome: remember me therfore when thou comeſt thither. This is nowe alltogeather of Chriſtes Manhood. Muſt not Chriſtes aunſwere bee iuſt to his ſenſe, Speciallie ſeeing he aunſwereth to Comfort him in his forenoted griefe? Yes verelie. He aunſwereth therefore to this effect. Be of good cheere, this day I ſhall in deed come into my kingdome, and thy ſelfe with me. That is Me, whom nowe thou grieueſt to ſee thus afflicted, & whō thou belieueſt to goe hence to a kingdome, euen me, though nowe in deede an afflicted man, yet to day thou ſhalt ſee in my kingdome in Paradiſe. And therefore this worde semeron to day ſeemeth alſo to hauehave a cōtrarie reference to this his ſtate nowe, and this nowe, contrarie to that to daye inſuing quicklie afterwarde. As if he ſhould ſaye, Nowe afflicted, but preſently anon in glorie. All this muſt needes be of his Humane Soule verily without all quaeſtion: There is none can conſider heerein his Deitie. If anie thinke his Soule might goe to Hell firſt, and yet preſentlie goe thence to Heauē yer night alſo. That is ridiculous and toyiſh: it needeth maruelous plaine ſcripture to deſcribe that, or els we ought to hold it as a ſingular fable. It was nowe within 2. or 3. houres of the dayes ende, p. 151when Chriſt ſpake this: ſo that hee had neede to goe quicke, & come quicke, and tarie but a little there. Well this place thē I doubt not, is very plaine againſt Chriſts Soules deſcending into Hell.

2Likewiſe**verſe 4… Father into thy handes I commend my Soule. What if Gods hand ſometime doth ſignifie his generall protection onelyonly and gouernement? But conſider the preſent circumſtance here: Chriſt was now on the Croſſe ſo pitifully oppreſſed with ſorrowes, as that he ſeemed a forlorne man, & forſakē not of men onelyonly, but of God to: yet he euen nowe being about to yeelde vp his life to death, lifting vp his harte to God in peace and great aſſurance, ſaieth, Father into thy handes I commende my ſoule. Tell me, doe men vſe thus to ſaye when they thinke to goe to Hell, or doe they not hope preſentlie to inioye Heauen? And what els did Stephan, **Act. 7.59.Acts 7:59ſaying, Lord, receaue my Spirit. Men in ſuch caſe when they ſpeak thus, declare a certaine hope in thē that they ſhall ſpeedilie be releaſed from their ſorrowes, and receaued into ioyes with God in Heauen. Thus is Gods hande taken heere agreeablie to this common phraſe of men. As alſo the Scripture hath it††Pſal. 16.12.Ps 16:12 In thy preſence is fulnes of ioye, and at thy right hande are pleaſures for euermore. Wherefore Chriſt now hanging heere on the Croſſe, and readie to dye, vnderſtandeth Gods hande ſurelie in this manner.

p. 152There is no man of ſenſe cōſidering theſe circumſtances that can iudge otherwiſe. Gods handes thetfore we ſay in this caſe ſignifieth the meanes wherby he taketh his ſeruauntes to him ſelf,Gods Handes. and holdeth them with him ſelfe as his owne poſſeſſions, cō ming out of tribulation, wherein while they were, they ſeemed far of from God, and as it were out of his hand and poſſeſſion, & ſubiect to their enimies power: but nowe commending their Soules into Gods hande, they declare their deſire and hope to be rid from theſe ſeparations, and to be there where they deſire, that is receaued by Gods hande into his ioyfull preſence and heauenly poſſeſſion.

Obiection. But they will ſaye, Dauid from whom theſe wordes are taken, did not preſentlie after he ſpake thus, goe to Heauen. No more then may we think that Chriſt did. Anſwere. If Dauid thē preſentlie went not to Heauen, What then? I hope he went not to Hell, neither thought he of Hell when he ſpake ſo. Howſoeuer it was, this I ſaye, if Dauid were nowe a giuing vp the ghoſt, as Chriſt was when he thus ſpake, doubtles then he meant thereby that preſentlie he hoped for Heauen. I graunt men ſomtime though not a dying, but beeing in grieuous anguiſhe and daungerous troubles whiche often tymes bringe euen death with them, then alſo they will commend their Soule into the hands of God. p. 153And ſo might Dauid in this††Pſal. 3…Ps 3 place whence Chriſt taketh this ſentence: and yet neuertheleſſe he deſired and hoped for preſent releaſe, and inſteed of his ſorrowe, preſent inioying of the Lordes comfort and ioyfull fauour. Which in a meaſure and proportion is anſwereable to the attayning of Heauē, which they hauehave who depart hence. If any ſay, the Greeke word in the text paratheſomas is I will commend: noting that he look't not for preſent and immediat entring into Heauen, but in time heerafter. That is a moſt vaine and ignorant cauillation, proceeding from not conſidering the Hebraiſme there in. For Dauid in like maner hath aphkid, a worde Future in forme, but of the praſent time in ſenſe, as is moſt frequent with the Hebrues, and as the very circumſtances heere doe require it to be.

3Third: In††Luke 16.26.Luke 16:26 Luke we ſee a generall and eternall Lawe ſet estérsktai between Hell and Heauen, that none in Hell can come to Heauen, nor out of Heauen into Hell. This Law I ſay is confirmed more ſurely then that of the Medes & Perſians which alſo might not be broken. Dan. 6.Dan 6Therefore Chriſt brake it not, neither went he down into Hell at all. Obiection. If any ſay, true it is, this a generall and eternall Law for all other Creatures, that they can neuer paſſe to and fro beeing once in Hell. But Chriſt being the Son of God heerin was priuileged aboue all other men, this p. 154was a thing peculiar to him. Anſwere. Is that a priuilege for Chriſt to goe into Hell, and to come thence againe? A worthy priuilege ſurely, and very honorable. All men woulde thinke it a greater honor neuer to hauehave come in Hell at all. But ſeeing it is ſo flatly contrarie to ſo generall a Lawe, it behoueth you to hauehave moſt cleere euidence and plaine proofe in the worde to affirme it, or els wee hauehave great cauſe to abhorre it and to holde it no prerogatiue, but a thing verie iniurious and derogatory to the Man whiche was alſo the Sonne of God. Now what euidence and proofe you hauehave for it which defend it, wee hauehave ſeene and tryed to bee more then vaine, if wee note them with any indifferency. Seeing therefore he which was like vsus in all thinges (ſinne onelyonly excepted) hath left him ſelfe no witneſſe of this moſt ſtrange and wondrous difference in him, why ſhould wee dreame of ſuch an extraordinary caſe ſo preſumptuouſly?Other reaſons that Chriſte went not into Hell. 1Further I reaſon thus: If he triumphed not in Hell, hee went not into Hell. But hee triumphed not in Hell. Therefore he went not into Hell at all. The Aſſumption is proued: firſt, Seing Triumph is a word taken from the cuſtom of men of warre, who hauing in battaile conquered their enemies doe vſe to triumph ouer them. And this their Triumph men vſe to make in the preſenſe of ſuch, as to whom the glory thereof doeth in parte appertaine. p. 155But in Hell there were none with Chriſt in whoſe preſence he ſhould triumph, and to whom ſome parte of his glorie might belong. There were none beſides, but the Diuells and damned ſoules. 2Therfore it is abſurd to ſay Chriſte triumphed in Hell. A againe, where Chriſt actually & meerlie triumphed there began his glorification. But is it not abſurd, vea of all abſurdities the greateſt to ſay Hell was the beginninge of Chriſtes glorification. Therefore certainly Chriſte did not triumph in Hell. Obiection. Some will ſay hee might aſwell triumph in Hell, as on the Croſſe. Howe could Chriſt triumphe on the Croſſe, as we interpret that he did:††Col. 2.15.Col 2:15 He triumphed on theſame Croſſe. Hee was there in ſore torments, and in moſt pitious plight. Call ye that a triumph? Anſwere. I anſwere, wee neuer ſaide, nor the Apoſtle meante that Chriſt triumphed actually on the Croſſe,How Chriſt is ſaid to triumph on the Croſſe. but virtually as I may ſay. That is the virtue and efficacie of that death did not bring deſtruction to the ſufferer but to the Doer and to the executioner, that is to the Diuell: with whom hee ſpirituallie combated there euen vntill death, and by death was not vanquiſhed, but did vanquiſh him that had the power of death, that is the Diuell: and him ſelfe triumphed. Which effect is contrarie in all other battaills and conflictes. For with vsus they who are ſlaine in fighte, are conquered, and the ſuruiuer triumpheth.

p. 156But the Holy Ghoſt giueth vsus to know… the contrarie touching Chriſt and his ſufferings. For his ſuffering was his victorie, & his dying his triumph. But he meaneth not actually: for while hee ſuffered, and while he dyed, this was a miſerable triumph: and ſtill he ſuffered, euen till he gaue vp the Ghoſt. Therefore the meaning heere is not of any actuall triumph: but onelyonly by virtue of that which there he ſuffered, hee triumphed indeed, and the Croſſe whereon he was lifted vp was like a triumphing Chariot. All this is thus named becauſe the effect of thoſe ſufferinges ſimplie was the moſte perfite treading vnderunder feet of Sathan and of all infernall powers. But nowe his triumphing in Hell can be nothing ſo.Dilemma. Either in Hell it was actuall, which is monſtruous abſurd: for then Hell was the entrance of his Glor…fying, which all the worlde knoweth is the moſte inglorious and vileſt debaſinge. Or at leaſt his verie preſenſe was meritorious, and virtually triumphant: and this is flatly blaſphemous againſt the all ſufficient merit of the Croſſe of Chriſt.

Heere ſome will aſke, howe doth this derogate from the Croſſe of Chriſte, if hee triumphed in Hell? Becauſe hee triumphed on his Croſſe, yea perfitlie: therefore hee did not in Hell. Obiection. But it is doubted, yea denyed that Chriſt triūphed at all on the Croſſe. Anſwere. Let the Scripture then ſpeake: p. 157…o en hypenantion hemin what ſoeuer was any way againſt vsus he tooke it out of the way, and faſtened it to the Croſſe, hauing ſpoyled Principalities and powers, made a ſhewe of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the ſame Croſſe. They except heere againſt this tranſlation, namely of the laſt words, as if the true reading were not en auto in the ſame with reference to Croſſe, but en hautò in himſelfe. We aunſwer: Firſt, Howſoeuer the reading bee, this doctrine cannot bee impeached notwithſtanding, that Chriſt o… the Croſſe did all thoſe meritorious and triumphant actions ouer ſinne and Sathan which are heere in the Coloſsians ſpecified. I ſay this doctrine is manifeſt ſtill, euen by the expreſſe wordes which are there found: If you tranſlate he triumphed in himſelfe, the meaning is by himſelfe there on the Croſſe. For all thoſe words & phraſes they hauehave apparant & vndenyable cohaerence and certaine reference to that tyme and place: He put out the hand writing of ordinances that was any way againſt vsus, he euen tooke it out of the way faſtening it to the Croſſe ““Apekduſ… menos.hauing (then alſo) ſpoyled Principalityes and powers, hee made a ſhew of thē openly **Thriar…bouſa….hauing triumphed ouer them by himſelfe. By himſelfe? where? euen there on the Croſſe moſt apparantly. For where he took away all things that made any way againſt vsus, there he ſpoyled the Diuells & triumphed ouer thē: all the words heere beeing iointly of one and theſame tyme, and that alſo not the future but the tyme now paſt. But he tooke away all things any p. 156duplicate page p. 157duplicate page p. 158way againſt vsus on the Croſſe, and faſtened the hande writing of our inditement is the Croſſe, the text ſayeth. Therefore all the reſte was there don alſo. Wherevnto other Scriptures alſo beeinge compared doe giuegive further light.**Heb. 2.24.Heb 2:24 Through death hee deſtroyed, not ſimply conquered, but deſtroyed and aboliſhed him that had the power of death, that is the Diuell. And this is the true ſenſe alſo of that finall ſpeach of his, beeing about to ſtrike the laſte blowe at his aduerſary,††Ioh. 19.30.John 19:30 It is finiſhed. What is finiſhed? ſurely all that hee had to doe with any aduerſary, or any contrary thing to our freedom, euen there and then hee finiſhed it. And heereof is that vehemente““Ioh. 12.31.John 12:31 ſpeach of Chriſt though ſpoken before he was apprehēded: Now is the iudgement of this worlde: now ſhall the Prince of this world be caſt out. Hee ſaith caſt out, as if hee neuer appeared any more in his ſight after that moſt abſolute victory on the Croſſe: **Hee ſpake of the death that be ſhould dye: ver. 33.for thereof he ſpeaketh in this place, as††Pag. 61. before wee hauehave ſeene. Thus then appeareth plainly this doctrine, that Chriſt on the Croſſe did all and eueryevery one of his victorious actiōs againſt Sathā, & wrought meritoriouſly our full deliuerance frō him, ſo that no …ot of his right nor power againſt vsus remayned after that, but there hee ſpoyled him, there hee confidently triumphed, and made a ſhew openly of him, and trode him vnderunder foote for euer: he ſo beate him & ſo deſtroyed his power p. 159that there was no feare y^t any thing ſhuld once ſtirre againſt him or vsus afterward. This is meant by Chriſtes triumphing on the Croſſe. For els indeed a pitions triumph it was, where himſelfe remayned in ſuch wofull tormēts, where appeared no ſhew of conqueſt, but rather of being conquered. Therefore this is ſpoken in regard of the effect which came of this action,His triumph on the Croſſe was in regard of the effect whiche it wrought. not of the ſimple action (or rather paſsion) it ſelf. What effect? An effect rare and ſtrange, nothing like, yea contrarie to that which happeneth in like caſe amongſt men. When they in fight are beaten, & wounded, and ſlaine, they are conquered: but Chriſt euen in beeing beaten, and wounded, and ſlaine, therein hee conquered, and triumphed, and led openlie his enemies in captiuitie. Nowe hee ſaith openly, not that Chriſte did this openly and euidently to our ſenſes, but alluding to the maner of conquerours in their triumphes, who lead in open ſhew thoſe enemyes which henceforth cannot once ſtrirre againſt them any more: ſo hee ſignifieth that the effect of Chriſtes very death was ſuch and ſo forcible indeede, and fully to bee compared with theſe doings of perfect conquerours: and therefore moſt emphatically he ſetteth it out in theſe termes.

Thus farre this doctrine is iuſtifyed of Christes triumphing on the Croſſe, howſoeuer the reading be in thoſe laſt words of that p. 160**Col. 2.15.Col 2:15text. Howbeit the trueth is, this reading en auto in the ſame Croſſe, which wee in our common tranſlations vſe after Beza, is no forgerie of Beza. But that noble inſtrument of God doeth ſhewe,Beza. as many other things moſt worthie and profitable to the Church of God, ſo this to bee no new, but a moſt ancient, and in all likelihood, the common reading in old time, or at leaſt to that very effect. Oecumenius the Greeke Scholiaſt doeth both read and interprete this place plainly thus: who commonly ſheweth what the Greeke Churches vſe was Origen who was farre elder, if he††Homil. in Exod. 4.Exod 4 read not en auto in the ſame Croſſe, yet he read e… xylo in ligno on the tree, which in effect is all one. And thus not onelyonly Origen, but alſo““Cypri. d… Paſsione. Cyprian, **Ierom. Algas. quaſt. ….Ierome, with many others. So that if a Romiſh Prieſt had traduced M^r Beza for leauing heere their vulgar Latin tranſlation, it had bene ſhamefull wrong to that faithfull ſeruaunt of God: Howe much more when brethrē, as they ſeeme, doe ſo diſgrace him, or rather the trueth of God in him? Thus then it is manifeſt that Christ triumphed ouer Sathan on the Croſſe. And then to doe it againe in Hell, were ſuperfluous and vaine: nay it were iniurious to the Croſſe of Chriſt, as if it were not ſufficiently nor perfitely there done.

Obiection. If any ſay, That parable in the Goſpel ſignifieth as much, that Chriſt bound the Diuel in Hell.††Luk. 11.21.22.Luke 11:21Luke 11:22 When a ſtrong man armed keepeth p. 161his pallace, the things that he poſſeſſeth are in peace. But when a ſtronger then he commeth vponupon him, and ouercommeth him, hee taketh from him, all his armour, and deuideth his ſpoyles. This ſtrong mans Palace is Hell, where Chriſt, which is the ſtronger man comming vponupon Sathan, ſpoyleth him, &c. Anſwer. A fine toy, or rather a ſhamefull gloze, by vnſauoury Allegorizing ſo to corrupt the text. Is this a good way to proue articles of Faith, viz. by allegories? A better ſenſe heereof may be giuen, and more to Chriſtes purpoſe. That is, Chriſt really diſpoſſeſſed Satā out of ſome in thoſe times that were once reallie poſſeſſed, but afterward by him, a ſtronger then Sathan, cleerely freed. Alſo conſequentlie it may be meant of the Spirituall casting out of Sathā out of Gods elect, who by Nature through ſinne hath poſſeſsion of**Ephe. 2.….Eph 2 all men: but by Gods grace and the Ministerie of his worde, he is cast out when Chriſt calleth vsus and ſanctifyeth vsus vntounto himſelfe. Wherefore in a worde there is no holde for you in the Scriptures, but they are vtterlie against all going downe of Christ into Hell.

3Which we may gather likewiſe by the Historie of the Euangelistes, who write the doeings of Chriſt exactlie, all that††Ioh. 20.3….31.John 20:3John 20:31 wee ought to beleeue: and of all other, his Death and Reſurrection moſt ſpecially. But in all of them there is not a worde of any going downe to Hell. Therefore there is no p. 162ſuch thing to bee beleeued.

4Which alſo may further appeare by that ſingular recapitulatiō in the Apoſtle of certaine preciſe Articles of our faith, and namelie of theſe wherein Christes full victorie for our perfite deliuerance is orderlie and ſufficiently ſet downe,The very Apoſtolike Creed found in Scripture wanteth this art…le of Chriſts going to Hell after Death. as the Church it ſeemeth generally held in thoſe tymes.**1. Cor. 15.2, 3, 4.1 Cor 15:21 Cor 15:31 Cor 15:4 I hauehave chieflie deliuered vntounto you, that which I hauehave receaued, that Christ ““The very ſame in effect ſeemeth to hauehave ben deliuered to this ſame purpoſe by Chriſt himſelfe Luk. 24 46, 47.Luke 24:46Luke 24:47dyed for our ſinnes according to the Scripture, and that hee was buryed, and that he aroſe the thirde day according to the Scriptures. This was the full foundation of Faith in thoſe dayes, by whiche if a man beleeued he might be ſaued, and which if he beleeued not, hee beleeued††ver. …. in vaine. Whence it ariſeth that Paul had heere great and iuſt occaſion to hauehave ſpecified this ſeuerall and waightie Article, that Chriſt went alſo into Hell, if anie ſuch thing were then beleeued. Hee nameth the Articles both before and after this. His Dying, Buriall, and Reſurrection: hee ought not to hauehave skipped his Going into Hell, to ſaue vsus from Hell, if thoſe wordes in our common Creede had anie ſuch meaning, if it had any diuers meaning from all thoſe mētioned articles, and ſo waightie a ſenſe as ſome ſuppoſe. It will not be excuſed to ſay. The Apoſtle meant heere to prooue our Reſurrection onelyonly: and therefore would ſpeake of purpoſe, but onelyonly of Chriſtes Death and Reſurrection, p. 163from whence he might argue ours likewiſe. I graunt that this is his maine purpoſe in deede: but when hee ſayeth, Except you hauehave beleeued in vayne, he meaneth that wee bleeeue in vayne, not onelyonly if wee holde not the Reſurrection, but alſo if we holde not thoſe ſpeciall Articles of Faith touching Chriſtes ſufferinges and victorie for vsus, which there preſentlie hee nameth: and conſequentlie if wee holde them, then that we beleeue not in vaine, but euen thoſe to be ſufficient. Whence it followeth, and it is moſt certaine, that their fancie of Christes going downe into Hell, is ſuperfluous, and excluded out of this vndoubted Apostles Creed, and out of the Holie Scriptures.

No end nor vſe vſus Chriſtes going locally into Hell after his death Therfore he went not.Thus farre wee hauehave ſeene the Scriptures againſt this deuice: Nowe it were good to ſee if there bee any vſe at all or Ende, that his Deſcendinge into Hell may hauehave. 5If there can bee no ende nor vſe at all, no benefite to the Godlie thereby, then it is idle, and vaine, and a very dreame, and nothinge els. But there can be no certaine vſe at all, and eſpeciallie no commoditie nor benefite to the Godly by it. Therefore it is a dreame. For what good is there ſo much as pretended? The generall Redemption of all Gods elect & choſen people was wrought and fullie finiſhed on the Croſſe, euen to the Cancelling of the very writinges, p. 164and taking away of whatſoeuer was anie way againſt vsus: as hath bene ſhewed before. What could his going downe into Hell adde more? Neither was it any peculiar good to the godlie then deceaſed before: for they were all in Heauen immediatlie euen then, as well as we that dye ſince: as we hauehave proued already. If then it be no way profitable to any of Gods children, what if it were ſo that the Diuells and reprobate in Hel might be more cōfounded by ſuch his locall deſcending? yet ſee I not, neyther can I beleeue howe it may be amonge the Articles of our Creede, all which in trueth auayle ſingularly to Gods owne childrens ſpeciall good. It can not be I ſay in the Articles of our faith, if it directly profit not the Godly. Yea and touching the further daunting and confounding of the damned; that is a ſillie ſhift God knoweth, & y^e vayneſt reaſon of all, that Chriſt ſhould goe to triumph and inſule vpō the thriſe miſerable and wofull wretches in their preſent vnſpeakeable Damnation infinitlie confounded alreadie. Sure a very ſorie triumph this were for the Sonne of GOD, which euen among mē were nothing but diſhonorable. Yea a beaſt, the Lyon, they ſay, hauing but the inſtinct of Nature, yet he refuſeth to inſult and pray vppon the pitiefull & helples creatures. And would the Lion of the Tribe of Iudah take pleaſure to goe thither only to inſult farther vppon p. 165the miſerable damned? I deny not but the wicked in torments might conceaue further horror, and the bleſſed in heauē further ioyes by the actuall death of Chriſt: but that might full eaſilie bee by the vertue and efficacie of the power of the Godhead deriuing ſome fence thereof to all, howe and when it pleaſeth him. There needed no locall Deſcending into Hell, nor Aſcending to Heauen for that matter. 5Neyther in deed did hee Deſcende, becauſe it is certaine he did not Aſcende for any ſuch purpoſe, for ought that we any where reade. 6Neither ſurely ſhould the Damned hauehave bene viſited firſte, and the Bleſſed laſt, yea ſo long after, that is 40. dayes after his death was paſt. But contrariwiſe the Godlie in all reaſon ſhould first hauehave had his preſence to certifie them, and then the wicked afterward, if any ſuch locall cōming and going for giuing notice had bene required. Wherefore this remayneth that there was no vſe, no good at all by Chriſtes Soules deſcending into Hell. And M^r Hill in ſaying**Hill Sect. 14 He thereby perſonally redeemed vsus frō Hell, and““Sect. 5. If Christs Soule had not, A bad aſſertion.Dauids Soule must, and his, & ours hauehave gone to Hell, doth no leſſe then derogate frō the Croſſe of Chriſt, and blaſpheme his all ſufficient death. 7Alſo if his Soule must goe thither of neceſſitie to ſaue our ſoules thence, why went not his Body too, for to ſaue our bodyes thence? But of theſe preſumptuous & groſſe vanities p. 166we hauehave ſayd enough, & to much alreadie, but that neceſſitie hath inforced vsus.

Howbeit yet let vsus goe a little further. The Creede it ſelfe being viewed and marked, will plainly yeelde another meaning of theſe words, through a right diſtributing of the Articles thereof: viz. thoſe that concerne Chriſtes Office in being our Sauiour and Redeemer. 9Theſe are all of 2. ſortes: ſome touching his Humiliation, and ſome his Glorificatiō. The Articles of Chriſtes Humiliation I ſuppoſe eueryevery ſenſible man will confeſſe to be theſe, Hee ſuffered, was Crucifyed, Dead, Buryed, Deſcended to the Dead, or to Hell: and thoſe of his Glorification to be only theſe: The third day he roſe againe, he Aſcended into Heauen, he ſitteth at the right hande of God, and thence he ſhall come to iudgement. Which if it be the very naturall and neceſſarie Diuiſion of theſe Articles of the Creede, as it is in deede, thē this ouerthroweth wholy their opiniō, and ſtabliſheth ours, that Chriſt went not downe into Hell:By the very order of our Creed Chriſt went not into Hell. namely not to triumph, for then this was not the loweſt point of his Humiliatiō, but the firſt of his Glorification. Which can ſtand with no ſenſe in this place: & therefore he deſcended not by our very Creeds into Hell at all.

10By other ſufficient Creedes Chriſt went not into Hell.Moreouer we finde almoſt all the Creeds and Rules of Chriſtian faith, certainlie the moſt & the ancienteſt & the beſt (beſide p. 167this called the Apoſtoli…e Creed) to want theſe wordes of Chriſtes deſcending altogither. Theſe Creedes or ſummes of our faith we finde i… **Ad Magnet.Ignatius, ††Lib 1 cap 1.Irenaeus, ““Apol 2Iust. Mart. **De preſer. aduerſ. ha…. & cou… Prax.Tertull. ††De princip.Origen, ““Ad Epictet.Athanaſ **A… Pet. Diac.Auguſtin Symbol: Nic. Conſtantinop: 1. Toletan. 1. and††Cap. 13. Epheſin: 1. &c. Which whoſoeuer did hold, they were euer acknowledged true and ſound Chriſtians. And God forbid that ſuch preciſe and exact Summaries of Chriſtianitie ſhould be thought defectine in any needfull point. Therefore all theſe neuer thought that Chriſtes going downe into Hell as ſome nowe vrge it) was any diſtinct and certaine Article of Chriſtiā faith. But how then is it poſſible that theſe perfit and famous Creede ſhould want that whiche our common Creede hath? Surely**In Symbol. Ruffinus ſheweth, Vis verbi eadem videtur eſſe, in co quod ſepultus dicitur. Note Ruffinus.The effect of this Article He deſcended to Infernum ſeemeth (ſayeth he) to bee the ſame with this, Hee was baryed Whereby euen the Ancients do appeare to cōſent with vsus here in effect, that theſe wordes of Chriſts going to Hades or Inſernum in our Creede doe ſignifie no more in deed, then the former wordes there ſignified, and that this was added but for Emphaſis ſake to ſhewe more plainly that he was truely dead in deede, as we††Pag. 127.128. before obſerued. And certainly vnles this were ſo, all thoſe moſte excellent Creedes before mentioned, ought not in any wiſe ſo vtterly to want it, as they doe. p. 168Alſo howe generallie this was wantinge, Ruffinus ſheweth heerewithall, Sciēdum ſanè est quod in Eccleſiae Romana Symbolo non habetur additum, Deſcendit ad inſerna, ſed nec in Orientis Lceleſus habetur hic Sermo: Wee muſt knowe verilie, that the Church of Romes Creed hath not this added, Hee went vntounto the Dead, neyther is this clauſe in the Eaſt Churches. But ſo generally, and ſo farr and wide in the Criſtian worlde, a neceſſarie Article, diſtinct from the reſt, neyther was, nor could be wanting: ſpecially ſeeing they al found it in the Apostolike Creed expreſly put in. Therefore it muſt needes be, I thinke, they all tooke it but to ſignifie in effect the ſame as Dead and Buryed: yea euen in the common Creede called Apoſtolike. And therefore they**Athanas. Symb. &c. ſometime vſed thoſe expreſſe wordes, & ſomtime they vſed them not: and yet they neuer differed, they neither aboūded nor wanted in their maine ſenſe. And ſo it could not meane with them, that Chriſt went to Hell.

Obiection. Now it remaineth vt res ad Triarios redeat, that this matter may bee holpen with the laſt, the beſt, & the only ſuccour: that is ſome of the particular Fathers. What ſay they? Doe they teach that Chriſt after death, went downe into Hell. Anſwere. I denye that alſo: the Fathers teach not ſo. Taking Hell as in Engliſh properly we always meane, for the very place of the damned. I graūt many of them thought that he went to Limbus patrum: though this name bee not found in them, but was framed by the p. 169Schoolmen ſince. Howbeit ſuch a place they dreamed of, as was out of Hoauen, they thought in y^t deep of the earth, whēce he fetch'd the ſoules of y^t Patriarks out, & caried thē vp with him to Heauen. Which opinion the Papiſtes hauehave laid faſt hold on ſince euē till this day, hauing alſo increaſed it with other fables. And thus in deed ſom of y^t Auncients imagined & gheſſed by reaſon of their miſtaking of the Greeke Hades in the cōmon Creed, and in the Scriptures, and ſomwhat alſo by miſtaking the old vſe of the Latin Inſert, wherwith they commonly vſed to tranſlate Hades, as before I hauehave largely declared. When they once miſtooke theſe words, and ſpecially Hades, to ſignifie Hell properly, then they could not but deuiſe ſome likely matter of it, & ſome purpoſe for it, which els had bene ridiculous. And yet euen heerein they ſpake waueringlie & ambiguouſlie: a token indeed that they ſpake they knew not what, as in**Auguſt. Eph. 99. Auguſtin we may ſee. But I hope with vsus eueryevery where esthaec tampridem exploſa ſententia eſt, This old rotten errour is abhorred: which I alſo hauehave refuted brieflie before. How be it in a worde,The Fathers are not for Chriſts deſcending into the Hell of the Damned. the Fathers knewe not this our preſent opinion in Controuerſie now, that he went locallie into the Hell of the damned, and not to any Limbus. Herein they that hold againſt vsus hauehave no helpe at the Fathers handes, whatſoeuer they pretend. It begā p. 170not I ſuppoſe till about Ma… Luhers time, when they ſawe ſomewhat of the Popiſh errours heerein, but could not preſentlie bee purged from all their filth. Nowe ſince that tyme diuers of our Proteſtants, though they l…ſ in deed the olde Popiſh Lambo, yet not diſcerning but that ſurelie Chriſt went into Hell after death (becauſe I thinke ſundrie of the Fathers in wordes make ſhewe of ſome ſuch vncouth thing) therefore they deuiſed a freſh howe this might be,The contrarietie about Chriſtes deſcending unto Hell. and wherefore. Some thought to ſuffer torments there, ſome not to ſuffer in anie wiſe, but to triumph forſooth in Hell, and ſome knewe not why he went to Hell, but thither he went they thought. And ſome, that hee went and came agayne from thence preſently, not ſtaying two houres in Hell: others that he ſtayed there all the while till his Reſurrection. In the ende of Maiſter Humes againſt. D. Hill, we may ſee how diuerſlie they thought herein who were the defendours, yea the beginners of this opinion. Scarce any of them agree with an other, it ſeemeth: & with thoſe of vsus in England that leane this way, not one of thē all that are ſtrangers, doe ſeeme fully to conſent. But whether they doe or no, whether any of the olde or newe Writers ſay of or on, it maketh no great matter. Wee hauehave learned Chriſt Ieſus otherwiſe, thē to ſtay our holy faith on the credit of any man, or men. p. 171Our treatiſe I hope before groūded wholy on Gods word, hath ſufficiently cleered this point to be but a deuiſe of mē, a meer forgery, & no truth in Religion at al: yea & ſo much the more hatefull, as that it is vrged to be taken as one of the Articles of faith. In which our deniall neither want we the cōſent of mē. The Ancients we hauehave noted before: the late Godly Chriſtians are many & moſt famous that giuegive their ioint conſent with vsus heerin. The beſte reformed Churches, the French, Dutch, Heluetian, and Scottiſh, with all their moſt worthy and learned Paſtors in them are with vsus. And to ſpeake of our ſelues in England: firſt all our moſt famous & learned Teachers in her Maieſt▪ time hauehave ſo taught, Mr Fulk, Mr. Whitakers, Mr Rainolds, Mr Deering, The conſent of many Godlie learned in this that Chriſte went not properly into Hell.&c. Mr Nowel ſome think holdeth contrarie. The good old Father liueth, and therfore himſelf can ſhew his own mind therin beſt. As for his**In Catech. words that bee extant, they proue it not: Chriſts ſoule beeing ſeparate frō his body deſcendit ad inferos: whiche we may well interpret thus, it went vntounto the Dead. or amonge the Dead, as wee hauehave ſhewed before that Inferi or Infernum may ſignifie. And ſpeciallie we may thinke his meaning in thoſe wordes was not againſt the manifeſt meaning of our whole**Anno. 1562. Synod: whoſe doctrine was well knowen to him, and is our publike doctrine, and eſtabliſhed by Lawe in Englande.

p. 172This Synod apparātly renounceth this doctrine of Chriſtes going downe to the Hell of the damned.The Doctrine receaued and eſtabliſhed in England is againſt Chriſtes going into Hell properly. But howe appeareth it? Euen thus: The Synod before holden in K. Edwardes time affirmed this doctrine directly and expreſly. This Synod comming after doth correct and amend this very article of the former. It repeateth and ratifieth parte thereof in expreſſe wordes: but parte of it, euen all and eueryevery whit that contayneth this doctrine expreſly of Chriſts going down to the Hell of the damned, all this I ſay,††Anno 1562. our Synod cutteth of, it putteth out, it caſteth away. Therefore our Synod renounceth apparantly this ſenſe of the Creede, that Chriſt defended to the Hell of the damned. The words are theſe of the former Synod: Quemadmodum Chriſtus pro nobis mortuus eſt & ſepultus, ita eſt etiam credendus ad inferos deſcendiſſe. Nam Corpus vſque ad reſuriectionem in ſepulchro iacuit, ſpiritus ab illo emiſſus cum ſpiritibus qui in carcere ſiue in inferno detine hantur ſuit, illiſ que praedicauit, quemadmodum teſtatur Petri locus. In whiche laſt wordes they in deede expreſlie determine that Chriſt went in his ſoule after death into the Hell of the damned: and no maruaile in them, who did but newlie peepe out of Poperie. But our Synode ſince correcteth it heerein, and ſaieth but thus only, Quemadmodum Chriſtus pro nobis mortuus est & ſepultus, ita eſt etiam credendus ad inferos deſcēdiſſe: As Chriſt dyed for vsus and was buried, p. 173ſo wee are to beleeue alſo that he went vntounto the Dead. That he went into the Hell of the damned, which followed expreſlie in all the next wordes, this they wholy corrected, ſuppreſſed, and refuſed. This therefore in them is ſeene manifeſtlie (as I ſaide) to renounce and abrogate this particular ſenſe of Chriſts deſcending, that he went after death into Hell. If any ſay, Obiection. Our Synod leaueth it free to any conuenient ſenſe, it denyeth none. Anſwere. Firſt, then it is graunted, as in deede it is true, they would hauehave none puniſhed for holding any probable ſenſe heerein, though he thinke not that Christ went into Hell. Secondly, I ſay this is true alſo and manifeſt by the praemiſſes, that they leaue in deede this Article of our Creed to any conuenient ſenſe, they denie none, ſauing onelyonly this which before in K. Edwardes tyme was expreſlie commanded, and is here with vsus ſpecially put out. By putting it out, they denye this apparantlie. Therefore I conclude,The Lawe in England is againſt Chriſtes going into Hell properly. if we note this well, it can not be denyed but the publike ſentence of our Churches, yea the**Act of Par…. anno Eliz. 1…. Cap. 12. Lawe of our Land confirming the ſame, as wel as the Holy Scripture which is the Lawe of God, is againſt this opinion of Chriſtes deſcending into Hell.

All which being duely conſidered, I maruaile that a man of learning and wiſdome as he is thought, who hath openlie impugned this doctrine of late, would ſo p. 172duplicate page p. 173duplicate page p. 174raſhlie runne into theſe errours, and ſo vainly defend them afterwardes, that hee would rather Gods Church ſhould bee pitiouſly diſturbed about them, as now it is, then that his ill conceites ſhould bee kept to himſelfe. And for my parte, my truſt is, that in reſiſting theſe ſanſies and notable errours of Chriſtes ſuffering for vsus only in Fleſh, and of his Soule deſcending into Hell, ſauouring ſo ſtrongly of Popery, and vanitie, I hauehave done according to my power without reſpect of perſons, but what in conſcience I owe both to God, and to his Church, & to our whole ſtate. And thus the Lorde in mercy will yet (I doubt not) beate downe errour, and aduance his trueth ſtill, yea euen by making thinges that are not to bring to nought thinges that are, that his own Name may hauehave all the glorie. Amen.

2. Cor. 2.17.

Wee are not as many, which make marchandiſe of the Worde of God: but as of ſinceritie, but as of God, in the ſight of God ſpeake we in Chriſt.

H. I.

End of the text · Henry Jacob, The Sufferings and Victory of Christ in the Work of Redemption (1598)