Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 18 · Section 5
He was buried, he deſcended into hell.
19 Two parts there be of man, aſſumpted by the word into the vnitie of the perſon; namelie, the ſoule and the bodie, euen as other men alſo conſiſt of a ſoule and bodie: but thoſe parts were ſeparated and diſioined vponupon the croſſe. The bodie (as the euangeliſts doo teſtifie) was laied in the ſepulchre, The ſepulture of Chriſt.wherein it remained vntill the third daie: which was the time appointed by the eternall father, for the moſt happie reſurrection of Chriſt. Of which myſterie, when Paule intreateth in the epiſtle to the Romans, he ſaith; that The faithfull which be baptiſed into Chriſt Ieſus, are buried in baptiſme. Rom. 6, 4.Which ſaieng muſt thus be vnderſtood; namelie, that we are ſo dead vntounto ſinne in Chriſt, that we hauehave no more to doo therewith; ſéeing Chriſt dieng blotted out the ſame, ſo that it ſhould not afterward be imputed vntounto vsus vntounto death. Whereby, that as the bodies of them that be dead, be buried in the ſepulchre; neither doo appéere from thence vntounto the eies of men (not that they be not in the world, but bicauſe that that which is corrupt and rotten in them is not ſéene:) euen ſo our ſinne, peruerſe will, and naughtie luſt, howſoeuer they be deſtroied by the croſſe of Chriſt, yet they ceaſe not to remaine in vsus, but are couered in the ſight of God. Not that God knoweth not of them ſufficientlie, vntounto whoſe eies all things are diſcouered and manifeſt: but that he dooth mercifullie diſſemble them, reuengeth not, nor yet is ſo angrie that he bringeth death vponupon vsus by reaſon of them. Wherefore the fleſh of Chriſt, being buried after his death, ſignified that our ſinne is as it were buried before the iuſt tribunall ſeat of God. It ſignified alſo, that the power of the lawe is broken. Finallie, it betokened, that the old ſhadowes and ceremonies of the lawe are vtterlie aboliſhed.
The deſcending of Chriſt into hell.20 As concerning the verie ſoule it ſelfe, immediatlie after that it departed from the bodie; it remained not idle, but it deſcended into the lower parts. Which words declare nothing elſe, but that it entred into the ſame ſtate, which the reſt of the ſoules ſeparated from the bodies hauehave experience of; the which are either choſen into the fellowſhip of ſaints, or elſe are thruſt out into euerlaſting deſtruction, with the ſpirits of them that be damned. And aſſuredlie, both the one and the other; as well the ſocietie of the godlie ſpirits, as alſo of them that ſhould be damned, felt the preſence of the ſoule of Chriſt. For the ſpirits of the faithfull (who as Chriſt ſaith in Luke, Luke. 16, 22.while he maketh mention of that vnhappie rich man, and of moſt happie Lazarus) reſted in a verie quiet place, which there is aptlie called The boſome of Abraham, that they being all indued with one faith of that holie patriarch, ſhould wait for ſaluation, through Chriſt, which there was named from Abraham. Thoſe ſpirits (I ſaie) reioiſed with great conſolation, & gaue thanks vntounto the excellent God, who had deliuered them by the hand of the mediatour; and bicauſe he had perfourmed that thing, which he ſo long before had promiſed. Alſo the other ſpirits, which were appointed to damnation, felt the comming of the ſoule of Chriſt. For (as we read in the firſt epiſtle of Peter, the third chapter) To them the ſpirit of Chriſt preached.verſe. 19.
Which may be vnderſtood after this ſort; namelie, that he might reprooue them for their obſtinacie and vnbeléefe, wherein they were hardened againſt the word of God, and againſt the godlie admonitions, which euer among were propounded vntounto them, while they yet liued: or elſe, that he euen then ſhewed vntounto them, that ſame holſome and moſt true word. Which word, ſéeing they, being alwaies like to themſelues, did obſtinatelie reiect; and being dead, reteined ſtill that incredulitie which they did being aliue, they themſelues gaue a moſt manifeſt teſtimonie againſt themſelues of their moſt iuſt condemnation; eſpeciallie, ſéeing they might not anie longer pretend anie maner of ignorance. Thus the wiſedome of God through his iudgements carieth perfect praiſe and renowme. And here we are to craue of GOD, that he will vouchſafe to giuegive vntounto vsus ſuch a mind, as we eſtéeme not more of our peruerſe luſts, than of a ſtinking carcaſe, which is alreadie laid cloſe in a ſepulchre: and that he will ſo open our heart, to imbrace his holie promiſes; leaſt while our eares are ſtriken onelie with the outward ſound of them, we wickedlie reſiſt the truth & certeintie of them. It is our part alſo, that ſéeing Chriſt, by ſo manie labours and ſufferings, approoued him ſelfe for certeintie to be verie man; we being comforted by his helpe, ſhould plainlie meditate diuine and heauenlie life. And hauing ſo great a benefite giuen of God, by the death and buriall of Chriſt; we ſhould doo him no ſmall wrong, if we would in verie déed thinke, that our owne works auaile anie thing for reconcilement of vsus vntounto him: when as we profeſſe rather by this article of faith, that he was pacified with mankind, by the onelie death of Chriſt, and by his bitter paſſion.