Answer to Book by Romish Priests, Doctrine 46
XLVI. That Jeſus Chriſt deſcended not into Hell nor del…vered thence the Souls of the Fathers.
Anſwer.
WHat an impudent Lyar is this, to ſay we deny that which is an Article of our Creed, profeſſed by us every day, That Chriſt did deſcend into Hell? Not indeed, to deliver the Souls of the Fathers in Limbo; becauſe we read of no ſuch thing in any of the Scriptures which he mentions.
Epheſ. IV. 8.The Apoſtle in IV. Epheſ. 8. ſays nothing either of their Limbus, or of the Souls of the Fathers; but of leading captivity captive. Which hath no relation to the Souls either of the glorified, or of the damned, but of ſuch men and women as we are: Whom Chriſt did not captivate, when we were free (ſaith Theodoret upon the place) but being under the power of the Devil, he reſcued us; and making us his captives, beſtowed liberty upon us. To the ſame purpoſe Theophylact, but a little larger, (comprehending all our enemies) What captivity doth the Apoſtle mean? That of the Devil: For he took the Devil captive, and Death, and the Curſe, and Sin, and us, who were under the Devils Power, and obnoxious to the forenamed enemies.
The next place, II. Acts 27.II. Acts 27. only proves our Saviour deſcended into Hell, but ſaith nothing of the Fathers being there. What St. Auſtin ſaith, is not the buſineſs, but what the Scripture ſaith expreſsly. Yet the words which he quotes out of him, touch not us. who believe Chriſt's Deſcent into Hell, as much or more than himſelf. And it is worth the noting, how in this very place where he calls it Infidelity to deny Chriſt's going into Hell, he overthrows this end of it, (to fetch the Fathers from then…e); for he profeſſes he could find the name of H…ll no where given unto that place where the ſouls of righteous men did reſt.
There is no mention in 1 Pet. 3.18, 19.1 Pet. III. 18, 19. of ſo much as Chriſt's deſcending into Hell, but only of his Preaching to the ſpirits in priſon; and that not in perſon, but by that Spirit which raiſed him from the dead. St. Auſtin wiſhes us to conſider (in that very Epiſtle which he juſt now named, XCIX. ad Euod.) leſt perhaps all that which the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the ſpirits ſhut up in priſon, who did not believe in the days of Noah, do not at all belong to hell, but rather unto thoſe times (of Noah) whoſe pattern be applies to our times. And this St. Hierom relates as the opinion of a moſt prudent man; and is followed by Bede, Walfridus, Strabo, and others. And if this place ſhould not be thus interpreted of his Preaching by his Spirit in the Miniſtry of Noah unto the old world, but of his own Preaching unto the ſpirits in hell, it muſt be to the damned ſpirits (for we read of no others there) as a great many Ancient Writers, through miſtake of this place, conceived: And this is as much againſt his opinion, as againſt ours.
The XI. Heb. 39, 40. proves no more, but that they had not their compleat happineſs; yet were not in Hell, as that ſignifies any thing of torment; but in Heaven, tho not in the higheſt felicity of it. Thus Theodoret, and others of the Ancients underſtand it: Tho the combats of theſe men were ſo many and ſo great, yet they received not their Crowns: For the God of the Ʋniverſe, ſaith he, expects till others have finiſhed their race, that then he may ſolemnly declare them all together to be Conquerors. Which Theophylact thus farther enlargeth, Is not God unjuſt then unto them, if they who have got the ſtart in labours, muſt expect us in Crowns? No ſuch matter, for this is very acceptable unto them, to be perfected with their brethren; we are one body, and the pleaſure is greater to the body, if all its members be crowned together, &c. but God gave to thoſe who preceded us in labours, a certain foretaſte, bidding them wait for the compleat banquet till their brethren come to them. And they being lovers of mankind, joyfully expect (note that) that they may be all merry together. This plainly ſhows ſuch men as theſe did not look upon the Fathers as in Hell, but in Heaven, in a ſtate of joy; tho not conſummate, but in expectation of its completion. I could ſhow this to be the ſenſe which men in his own Church put upon this place; but I am afraid of being tedious, and therefore ſhall make ſhorter work of the reſt.
Jonas, mentioned XII. Matth. 40.XII. Mat. 40. was a Type of Chriſt's Death, Burial, and Reſurrection; and the Whale's belly repreſented his Grave, and nothing elſe. So Menochius acknowledges, That tho many by the heart of the earth, underſtand the Limbus of the Fathers, yet others take it for the Grave. As Ignatius doth, in that very Epiſtle which he quotes preſently, and St. Chryſoſtome, to name no more.
St. Matthew, XXVII. 52. ſpeaks of the Reſurrection of many out of their Graves; but whence their Souls came, neither he nor Ignatius ſay a word.
IX. Zach. 11.There is no reaſon to think that IX. Zach. 11. ſpeaks of fetching ſouls out of the infernal priſon; but Theodoret ſaith expreſsly, That if by the Pit or Lake, we ſhall underſtand either Eternal Death, or Idolatry, we ſhall not miſs the mark. For when men were bound in this lake, our Lord Chriſt looſed them and brought them out; and beſtowed liberty upon them by his Precious Blood, and ſent them forth into the way of life, when he gave them the New Teſtament. And ſo St. Auſtin *LXVIII. de Civit. Dei, c. 25.thinks it is beſt underſtood, of the profundity of human miſery. And I aſſure the Reader, that both St. Hierom, and St. Cyril, (to the great ſhame of this falſe Writer) underſtand this place, as Theodoret doth.
1 Sam. II. 6.1 Sam. II. 6. is very fooliſhly applied to this matter; for the plain meaning is, as Menochius acknowledgeth, That God, if he pleaſeth, raiſes dead men to life again; or by way of Allegory, he reſtoreth unhappy and miſerable men to a hapyy and flouriſhing condition, according to his will: As in the next verſe (ſaith he) is more clearly repeated, he raiſeth up the poor out of the duſt, &c. that is, from a low condition. He did not think it abſurd to underſtand the Grave, by that word which they tranſlate Hell; concerning which it is not proper now to diſpute, becauſe he promiſed to confute us out of our own Bible, not out of theirs. Nor is it fit to trouble our ſelves about the reſt of his Scriptures (which he barely names, and ſome of the very ſame over again) or his Fathers, which we have ſeen he alledges withour Judgment or Fidelity.