A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 6
SECT. VI. Of that Article in the Creed. Deſcended into HellHe deſcended into Hell.
AFter Chriſts Crucifixion, Death, and Burial, the Creed ſubjoyns He deſcended into Hell. In treating of which I muſt in the firſt place ſuggeſt this, that this Article of Chriſts deſcent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds. 'Tis not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus. lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen. lib. foreign, or Tertullian, Adverſus Prax. cap. 2. 'Tis not in thoſe Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed; particularly not in the Nicene, where the words are theſe, He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, He ſuffered and was buried, and the third day he roſe again according to the Scriptures. It was not in the Roman, or any of the Oriental Creeds. This being premiſed we come to conſider this Article, which cannot with any ſhew of reaſon be underſtood of Chriſts Divine nature, which is every where preſent, and cannot be ſaid either to aſcend or deſcend. It muſt therefore be underſtood of his humane nature. And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be underſtood of his Soul or of his Body. If it be to be underſtood of his Soul, it muſt be meant either Metaphorically or really. Some underſtand it Metaphorically, and ſo by Chriſts deſcent into Hell they underſtand thoſe inexpreſſible ſufferings of his Soul, aSee Calv. Inſtit. lib. 2. c. 16.(which of all his ſufferings, were the moſt grievous) by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our ſins. But theſe ſufferings were all antecedent to his death, he having ſuffered part of them in the Garden, and part on the Croſs, and all before he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father, and ſaid it is finiſhed and gave up the ghoſt. But the deſcent into Hell (as it now ſtandeth in the Creed) ſeems to ſignifie ſomething done after his death. Beſides, the torments of the damned are ſurely ſuch as theſe, 1. Remorſe of Conſcience or the neverdying worm. 2. A bitter ſence of an utter rejection from the favour of God. 3. Deſpair of ever being eaſed of that unſupportable miſery; Now certainly none of theſe could befall our Saviour. He did not endure ſo much as for a moment any of the Helliſh torments. Therefore ſurely in this ſenſe Chriſts Soul did not deſcend into Hell. Others hold that Chriſts Soul did really and by a local motion deſcend into Hell. This they pretend. 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture. And 2. To aſſign the ends for which he did thus deſcend. We ſhall examine both. Firſt They ſay, that though theſe words are not formally expreſſed in the Scriptures, that Chriſt deſcended into Hell, yet they are contained virtually in them, which they will prove. 1. From Eph. 4.9. Now that he aſcended, what is it but that he alſo deſcended, firſt into the lower parts of the earth? by which they underſtand Hell. For anſwer, by the lower parts of the earth, I humbly conceive is meant, the earth it ſelf, which is the loweſt part of the World, as Heaven is the higheſt. For before Chriſt could aſcend unto Heaven, it was neceſſary he ſhould deſcend to the Earth by his incarnation, but there was no neceſſity of his deſcending into Hell. And further, the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in oppoſition to the ſurface or upper part of it, on which we live. And this is all that ſeems to be meant in this place. 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19. where 'tis ſaid, that Chriſt being put to death in his humane nature, was quickned or raiſed up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head, by which he preached to the Spirits in Priſon, whence they infer that he deſcended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments. Anſwer, From theſe words it appeareth. 1. That Chriſt preached in the dayes of Noah by the ſame Spirit, by the vertue and power of which, he was raiſed from the dead. But that Spirit was not his Soul but ſomething of a greater power. 2. thoſe to whom he preached were diſobedient all that time, the long-ſuffering of God waited for their repentance and return, while the Ark was preparing. And 3. Their Souls or Spirits, for their diſobedience, are now in Hell, and for refuſing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Chriſt. 'Tis true indeed, this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God, as if he had perſonally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world, but it was performed by the Miniſtry of Noah (who was guided and inſpired by his Spirit) and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteouſneſs, 2 Pet. 2.5. The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is, Acts 2.25, 26, 27, (a place that relates to Pſal. 16.10.) Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, &c. Therefore (ſay they) ſurely Chriſts Soul did locally deſcend into Hell. I Anſwer, Soul is ſometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man, ſometimes improperly, for the whole perſon as Acts 27.37. We were in the Ship two hundred threeſcore and ſixteen Souls. Sometimes the Hebrew word, foreign, Nepheſh, which ſignifies a Soul, doth alſo ſignifie a dead body, as Levit. 19.28. Ye ſhall not make any cuttings in your fleſh for the dead, Levit. 21. v. 1. There ſhall none be defiled for the dead among his people, Numb. 6.6. All the days that he ſeparateth himſelf unto the Lord, he ſhall come at no dead body. In all which places the word rendred here the dead or dead body is Nepheſh. And Anima is uſed pro cadavere, in Virgils Aeneiad. 3. animamque Sepulchro condimus. And as the word Nepheſh ſometimes ſignifies a dead body and might have been ſo rendred in Pſal. 16.8. ſo the word Sheol there rendred Hell does alſo ſometimes ſignifie the grave. As Pſal. 55. v. 15 Let death ſeiſe upon them, and let them go down quick into Hell: Pſal. 141.7. Our bones are ſcattered at the graves mouth, where the word Sheol ſignifies the grave and not a place or receptacle of Souls under the earth. And let this be further conſidered that theſe words are to be underſtood only of Chriſts Reſurrection (as appears plainly by the Apoſtles drift, v. 31.) and prove not at all the deliverance of his Soul out of Hell, but of his body from the Grave. And if the words inſtead of, [Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell,] had been rendred thus (as the Hebrew words, as we have ſhewn, will well bear) thou wilt not leave my dead body in the Grave, nor ſuffer thine holy one to ſee Corruption, there had been no pretence to alledge this place to prove Chriſts deſcent into Hell. Having thus examined their Scripture-grounds for this Doctrine, I come now to conſider the ends aſſigned by them, why our Saviour ſhould thus deſcend. And thoſe are two,
1. Some hold that he deſcended into Hell to deliver the Souls of the Patriarchs detained till then (as they ſuppoſe) in limbo Patrum, that is, in an out-skirt, or outward region *The Papiſts divide Hell into four Regions 1. The Hell of the Damned or place of everlaſting torments. 2. Purgatory, where they ſay the Souls of ſuch as were not ſufficiently purged from their ſins in this life are detained for the thorow purging of them. And are there in torment, equal for the time, to that of the damned. 3. Limbus infantium, a place where they ſuppoſe ſuch children are diſpoſed of, as die without Baptiſm, whom they ſuppoſe to ſuffer the loſs of H…aven and heavenly happineſs, but no pain or torment. 4. Limbus patrum, Where in like manner the Fathers before Chriſt (as they ſuppoſe) were detained, though ſuffering no pain, yet wanting the joys of H aven. And they ſay Chriſts Soul when it was ſeparated from his Body deſcended thither to deliver them f…om thence, and to carry them to Heaven.of Hell, where they ſuffered no pain indeed, yet wanted the joys of heaven. I Anſwer, There is no ground to believe that the Souls of the Patriarchs or other Righteous Perſons, that died before the coming of Chriſt, were kept in any place below, which can be called hell or limbus Patrum. Abraham's boſom ſurely was in the Heavens above, far from any region where the Devil, and his Angels were. Elias was carried up in a Chariot to Heaven; and our Saviour ſayes, Many ſhall come from the Eaſt and Weſt, and ſhall ſit down with Abraham, Iſaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 8.11. And ſurely the Kingdom of Heaven is no region of Hell. This alſo muſt be remembred, that Chriſts death was efficacicous for the Salvation of Believers before his coming as well as ſince, he being a Lamb ſlain (in the decree of God) from the beginning. And therefore no neceſſity to place the Patriarchs in limbo, our Saviour having by his Allſufficient merits, and interceſſion provided a better place for them.
2. Others ſay that the end of our Saviours deſcent into Hell was to triumph over Satan, and all the powers below, within their own dominions. And the places of Scripture they bring to prove it are Col. 2.14 15 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was againſt us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his Croſs: And having ſpoiled Principalities and Powers he made a ſhew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. And Epheſ. 4.8. Wherefore he ſaith, when he aſcended up on High, he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men. I Anſwer. From theſe two places of Scripture no more can be proved than this, that Chriſt triumphed over Principalities and Powers at his death upon the Croſs, and led Captivity Captive at his aſcenſion into Heaven. And if the places be well weighed, I believe they will be ſo far from proving that Chriſt deſcended into Hell to triumph there, that they will appear more proper to perſwade the contrary. For why ſhoud he go to Hell to triumph over them, over whom he had triumphed on the Croſs? And why ſhould he go to Captive that Captivity then, which he was to lead Captive when he aſcended into Heaven? And further, in vain ſhall we pretend that Chriſt deſcended into Hell to lead Captivity Captive if we withal maintain, that when he deſcended thither, he brought none away that were Captive there. And for his triumphing over his enemies in Hell, ſurely the Prophet David intended no ſuch thing when he ſaid, Acts 2.26, 27. Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad becauſe thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell. He ſpeaks of it as a matter of joy and gladneſs, as a matter of great benefit not to be left there. But can it be accounted a benefit or matter of joy to any one not to be left or permitted to ſtay in that place to which he came purpoſely that he might triumph over his adverſaries, whom he had conquered? ſurely no. So that there ſeems not to be any ſufficient ground to aſſign either of theſe for the ends of his ſuppoſed deſcent. But to come cloſer to the matter, none need trouble themſelves to find out ends why our Saviour ſhould deſcend thither, ſeeing there is no expreſs place in the Scripture where the Holy Ghoſt ſayes, that Chriſt did deſcend into Hell, the place of the damned. The four Evangeliſts that wrote the Hiſtory of our Saviour make no mention of his going to any ſuch place. The Apoſtle Paul. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2. mentions Chriſts Death, Burial, and Reſurrection, but not a word of his deſcent into Hell. This was no part of the Goſpel which Paul Preached. And for the further clearing of this matter, let us conſider theſe things. 1. His God-head could not deſcend, being every where preſent as we ſaid before. 2. His Body was laid in the Grave. 3. His Soul went not to Hell, but immediately to Paradiſe the place of joy and bliſs, Luke 23.43. This day (ſayes our Saviour to the penitent Thief) ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe. Theſe things being premiſed I ſee not that this article of Chriſts deſcent can be underſtood of his Soul either metaphorically or really. Others therfore underſtood it of his body. And here alſo is ſome difference. For ſome by Chriſts deſcending into Hell underſtand only his burial, becauſe in thoſe Creeds where this Article of Chriſts deſcent was expreſſed, there is no mention of his Burial, but it is wholly omitted. Thus the Athanaſian Creed, who ſuffered for our Salvation, deſcended into Hell, roſe again the third day from the Dead. And Ruffinus tells us, that though the Oriental and Roman Creeds had not theſe words in them, that Chriſt deſcended into Hell, yet they had the ſenſe of them in the word Buried. By which it appears that the firſt intention of putting theſe words into the Creed was to expreſs the burial of our Saviour, and the deſcent of his body foreign *foreign quaſi foreign, locus inviſi…lis, ſic …eddidit v…tus I…enai interp…s.into an inviſible place, namely, the Grave. The Aquileian Creed is the firſt that we read of, that mentioned both his burial and deſcent into Hell: But Ruffinus thinks they intended by both expreſſions one and the ſame thing, though others by miſtake (as it ſeems) did from the latter expreſſion conclude that our Saviours Soul did actually and locally deſcend into Hell. But we have ſhewed before what little ground there is for that opinion. But there are ſome, who by Chriſts deſcent into Hell, will not allow, ſhould be meant his burial only; for then (ſay they) there will be a tautology in the Creed, which that in ſo ſhort a ſymbol the compoſers of it would be guilty of, is hard to imagine. Others therefore to obviate that objection ſay, by his deſcent into Hell is not to be underſtood his burial, but his continuance under the power of death for ſome time, though it was very ſhort. For death had no long dominion over him, Rom. 6.9. This I acknowledg to be a true and ſafe ſenſe. But that foreign doth ſignifie a permanſion or continuance for ſome time in the ſtate of the dead, does not to me appear. However let every pious and judicious perſon follow his own Judgment herein, eſpecially ſeeing, as the learned Voſſius tells us, The Fathers did not hold this deſcent of Chriſt into Hell for an Article of Faith. Patres hoc dogma de deſcenſu animae Chriſti non habuere pro capite, ſive (ut nunc loqui ſolemus) pro articulo fidei. Ʋnde id videas prope in omnibus ſymbolis omitti: ut in ipſius ſynodi Nicenae ſymbolo: ubi profecto non praeteriiſſent, ſi dogma hoc agnoviſſent. Quippe eo nihil magis valuiſſet ad refellendum Arrium, ſiquidem is negabat Chriſtum habuiſſe animam, ac Divinitatem ei pro anima fuiſſe, aiebat. Nec hujus meminit confeſſio fidei ſynodi Illyricae nec meminere Concilia duo Occumenica Conſtantinopolitanum, & Chalcedonenſe. Sic ergo ſtatuimus Orientales per deſcenſum Chriſti ad inferos primitus intellexiſſe, id quod Occidentales vocarunt Sepulturam: Et errore quodam factum eſſe, ut cum prius qui unum dicerent, alterum praeterirent, ambo poſtea caeperint conjungi. Sane temporibus Ruffini, id eſt, circa annum quadringenteſimum ipſa eccleſia Romana erat contenta meminiſſe ſolius ſepulturae. Aquileienſis vero Eccleſia habuit quidem utrumque in ſymbolo ſuo, ſed ſi ex Ruffini mente judicandum, unum idemque ambobus ſignificari arbitrabatur. Ruffini verba in expoſitione ſymboli haec ſunt. Sciendum eſt quod in Eccleſiae Romanae ſymbolo non habetur additum, deſcendit ad inferna ſed neque Orientis in Eccleſiis habetur hic ſermo. Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur eſſe in eo quod ſepultus eſt. Errore etiam illa duo conjungi judicium eſt doctiſſimi Schindleri, ſic in Lexico ſuo ſcribentis in voce Sheol. Sheol ſignificat Sepulchrum. Gen. 44.29. deducetis canos meos (i. e. canitiem meam, vel me canum ex ſenectute) in Sheol, id eſt, in terram, quatenus eſt mortuorum receptaculum 1 Reg. 2. v. 6. 9. Neque ſinito canitiem ejus deſcendere cum pace foreign, ubi Gehennam non poſſumus intelligere, nec enim hec poena a Judice terreno infligitur ſed plane ſign atur Sepulchrum, ſtatuſque mortuorum.