Positions of the Word Hades, Text
POSITIONS OF THE VVORD Hades:
THAT IT IS the generall place of Soules: and holdeth as vvell the Godly vvhichwhich are in Paradiſe, as the vvicked that are in Tartarus.
WITH A CATALOGVE of our hereſies, from which one word handled by a right Grecian would hauehave ſaued vsus.
TO the BB. of England.
BY HVGH BROVGHTON 1605.
OF HADES, THE place of Soules: diuerſe ſpeches vvher it is.
1. The Greeks vniuerſally ſince their tongue hath bene in record, holding truly in ſpeach, that mans ſoule is immortall, Place the ſoules of the dead in Hades. But vvher they should place it, that could not be knovvē of thē vvhichwhich had not faith to perceaue that by the vvord of God tvvo vvorldes vvere made.
2. Saturne and Iapetus, ſent of Iuppiter into Hades, held the other Haemiſphere. And Plato in Phaedone proueth that ſeing the earth is in the middes, Hades ūder the earth, to our Situation, muſt be as far as the heauens.
3. Euſtathius vpō Homer calting Haden for Iapetꝰ the half globe vnſeen, shevveth that ſome place Haden beyond the Ocean. And Homer, in Vlyſſes iourney to Hades, placeth it beyond the gates of the Sunne.
4. The Greek fathers follovv the Heathen in Phraſe: vvho term the place of all dead, foreign vnderunder the ground. Yet they knovv that Abraham and ſuch vvere in the Heauenly city. by Eb. XI. and that doth Baſilius confeſs vponupon pſ. 15, & 115, & 116. & many fathers in fragments vponupon the pſalmes ioyned to Athanaſius. And Athanaſius in mo places then tvventie shevveth that Hades to our L. vvas Holy Adams, & holy Abrahams Lodging. And vvhē the Porters of Hades trē bled: in that father, it vvas not for feare leaſt the vvicked should be rid from Gehenna: but leaſt all the faithfull should ariſe. And Euen Gehēna in Chryſologus is by abuſe of term Abrahams Lodg: vvhom & the rich man Eadem regio continebat. VVhat vicinity is to ſoules in their vvorld vve cannot tell. And as vve ſee the ſun ſo far off better thē a man diſtant forty paſes: So the ſpeach paſſeth of Abraham vvith Eleazar that made God his ſtrength, to the tormented: as though there vvere but a dingle, valley, or great ditch betvvixt them: yet theyr liſtance may be far: though vve muſt be ſpoken too: as mans capacity holdeth. And, by our Lords vvarrant, Hades hath Abraham no leſſe then the rich man. In that vvord Luc. 16. The Lord allovveth the general notiō of heathē Greek: That Hades is the place of all kynde of Soules: Faithfull & faithles.
5. By Ioſephus in Photius Librarj The boſom of Abraham is in Hades: and by the true Philo the Greek Ievv of Alexandria, Abrahā leaving mortality is ioyned to the People of God, enioying vncorruptiō, made equall vntounto Angels. And this ſentence a late Ievv R. Azarias hath tranſlated into Ebrevv: as being the Ievves comon opinion.
6. The learned Theodoret cō mendeth Platoes iudgment for double iudgments in Hades: ioy for the iuſt: & priſon for the vniuſt. And he accepteth Platoes terms, though Plato knevv not vvher Hades vvas.
7. The Ievves in Zoar made from Symeon Ben Iochaj, of S. Pauls time, hauehave Gehenna for the vvicked: & Paradiſe for the Godly. And no third place. And in Aboth Rabbj Nathan Moſes & all faithful are preſently caryed to Gods throne. and reſt vnderunder the throne. as the martyrs vnderunder the Altar. Ap. 6.
8. Our L. confirming the Ievves terme of Paradiſe, telleth the thief This day shalt thou be vvith me in Paradiſe. The Ievves vvere taught by Prophets termes for the vvorld to come: and thoſe vvould the holy ghoſt confirm in the nevv Teſtament.
9. Some Greek fathers, not knovving Paradiſe for ſoules Lodge vſed from the Prophets ſcholers, thought it opened firſt to the thief: and ſo, Hades for the fathers to be a degree Lovver: as doth Baſil on pf. 49. yet he checketh himſelf.
10. S. Paul diſputing vvith Ebrevves in their plain maner, to Greeks vvas hard in this Eb. XI. God providing better for vsus, that they vvithout vsus should not be perfected. He denyed not to Abel, Enoch, Noe, Melchizedek Abrahā, Iſaak, Iacob, Moſes, Barac, Gedeon, Iepthe, Samſon, Samuel, David his 37 vvorthies ſtrong in Battel, the Sareptane, the Sunamite, Elias & vexed prophets, Ananias, Azarias, Miſael & Daniel & the Machabees, vvho dyed for hope of the better reſurrection, he denied not to theſe all ioy, that tbe Martyrs had: But diſputed hovv the Lavv made nothing perfect in doctrine: vvithout the Goſpel manifeſted vntounto vsus, ſeen to the old fathers far off.
11. S. Paul vvas not a Lord of faith, but a teacher. And ſo he vvas to ſpeak vponupon grounds vvhichwhich his enemies could not deny. And he proteſteth he bringeth no nevv Principles. That Chriſt vvas to ſuffer, & being the firſt from the dead should shevv Light ūto the vvorld: this vvas all his difference from the Scribes. And his Epiſtle to the Ebrevves in eueryevery membre combateth vvith the Talmudiqnes: vvhos ſpeaches yf the Greek fathers had knovven, Abrahams Hades had not bene thought, one thought in ioy differing from his Iudaique Paradiſe: vvherin he vvas equall to Angels.
12. Ioſephus Book for Abrahās boſom in Hades, fathered vponupon Irenęus, Iuſtine Martyr, & one Caius elected Bishop of the Gentils, in Photius, sheevveth the Greeks comon opinion: That they took Hades the General to Paradiſe diſe & Gehenna. But vvhen they feared ſpeaches to Rabbins for the thiefes Paradiſe, & hovv the Patriarks had not perfection vvithout vsus. yet Theophilact vvreſtleth vvell vp on S. Luc. 23. vvith both poincts. But novv 1400. yeares the Greeks hauehave ſtaggered: Saying vvell and tottering vponupon their ovvn ſayings.
13. VVithout knovvledge of Rabbins & Heathen Greeks, none can be a fit Bishop to expoūd ſoūdly the Ebrevv and the Greek Teſtament: & to shevv Conſtantly that Hades is the Generall for Heauen & Hell.
14. The Scribes hold vniuerſally that Sheol neuer diſtinguisheth Lots, but vvhen it is taken for a ſpedy death, vponupon vvickednes: and yet then no ſure vvarrant, for to be Hell.
15. Yf any vvill be heaping Chriſtians for Sheol to be Hell, againſt the moſt Learned Scribes, Rambam, the greateſt Thalmudi que that ever vvas: vvho to. 1. 49. in a treatiſe of repentance ſvveateth to find the Metaphores for Hell, and all notes of it but neuer durſt touch Sheol: yf any vvill make our Barbarous to teach ſuch Rabbins Ebrevv, that mā making us ask off to Turks & Ievves, Laboureth for Machmad more then many thouſands that take his pay. And ſuch should be bridled not honoured.
Of the manyfold Haereſies vvhichwhich Hades, holden The vvorld of Soules, generall to Paradiſe & Gehenna, doth plainly, ſtrongly, & moſt profitably confute.
1 The Pope thanketh GOD, vvho ſent his S. to Hades, to bring the fathers to Paradiſe: This thāk is foolish. They vvere & are ſtill in Paradiſe: the ioyfull part of Hades. And they changed not their place, by our Lords paſſage.
2. Some of ours ſay: The Church ever held that out L. vvēt to Hell. The Ieſuites of Mentz being demaūded of their faith: vvhichwhich is in a Greeke Epiſtle vvritten by their chief Pater Nicol Serarius vtterly deny that our L. vvēt to vvorſe Lodge then the fathers had. And no old Church vvent further that vvay then the Popish. So our Doctrine fayleth, and falleth. And of reformed Churches Breame alone or vvith ſmall company, holdeth Hell, to be named in the Creed.
3. Geneua made them ſelves rediculous to all Graecia: teaching impoſibilities: that our L. vvent to paradiſe: and not to Hades. As if they vvere men & not Animalia.
4. The ſame in vvord deny the ſoules immortality. All Platoniques vvill tell thē that yf the ſoul be immortall, it muſt needs go hēce to Hades. Not onelyonly Theodoret named about: but alſo S. Luc. 16. allovveth Platoes ſpeach. So Geneva tongue denyeth the ſoules immortality: though it have a mind vndenying of it: and a good hope of the vvorld of Soules: better thē the Ievves: vvhichwhich ſay Gholā haneshamoth Gholam hanechamoth The vvorld of ſoules is the vvorld of Solace. But alas they hauſmal hop, vvho deny Chriſt our only hope.
5. Geneva, ſaying: To deſcēd to Hell is to hauehave the torments of Hell: vvould be rediculous to three thouſand yeares Greek: none euer tooke it ſo. Therin they do them ſelves exceeding great iniury: shevving that they miſſe in vveighty matter: againſt the Perpetuall vſe of the ſpeach.
6. The ſame teaching in this order that our L. ſuffred: vvas crucified dead and buryed, and ſuffred: Make the Penner of the Creed to be no Logician: that knevv not in vvhat order things vvere to be ſpoken.
7. The Soules immortality should ſpecially be opened in the Creed: that the body being declared, hovv it vvas crucified dead, & buryed: this article vvas needfull: That our Lord his ſoule vvent vntounto the Father. That doth the Greek in ſpeach of the faithfull, ſignify. This goodly article the Geneveans exclude.
8. The aſſertion that our L. ſuffred Hell torments, appeareth not true by any Scripture. True modeſty vvould looke to Scripture phraſes in handling our redemtion. The WORD telleth our L. his danger, shame and reproch, vvere vnſpeakable: and that God left him pſ. 22. vntounto paynes and contumelies there ſet dovvn. But that GOD forſooke him: that is our ovvne term. The vvord is Leaue. And the pſalme expoundeth the vvord. And Shabak in the Goſpell, Syria que and in Dan. 4. is plainly to leaue. As to leave the ſtumpes of the tree in the ground.
9. Calvins vncircūſpect vvordes herein gaue Papiſts much advā tage: and troubled all Churches. Greek skill for one vvord vvould hauehave holpen all.
10. Purgatory falleth vvhē. Hades Lodgeth all ſoules departed: & can hauehave but Paradiſe & Gehenna for them.
11. Archb. VVhitgift, vvas vviſe vvhen he obteyned by Syr Iulius Caeſar Q. Elizabeths hand for M. Ieffrey K. felovv of the Kinges Colledge to paſſe ouer ſea to cōfeſſe his haereſy: vvhile he denyed deſcēding to Hel in the Creed to mean in a Barbarous & shamefull tranſlation a going vp to Paradiſe. And he vvas thankfull in promiſe of 400 Lib. ꝑ annū: to his Catechizer. So that he vvould ſtir no more in the matter. Archb. VVhitg. vvas vvell Learned in the comon kind: and could ſee. When he the Arch. yeelded, the inferior BB. should hauehave done ſo:
End of the text · Hugh Broughton, Positions of the Word Hades (1605)