The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · Christ's two natures · Question 44
Queſt. 44. Why is there added, He deſcended into hell?
Anſ. That in my greateſt paines and moſt grievous tentations, I may ſupport my ſelfe with the comfort, that my Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath delivered me, by the unſpeakable diſtreſſes, torments and terrours of his ſoule, into which hee was plunged both before,aPſal. 18.5, 6. & 116.3. Mat. 26.36. & 27.46. Heb. 5.7. and then eſpecially when he hanged on the Croſſe, from the ſtraits and torments of hell.bEſay 53.5.
The Explication.
Two things are here to be handled: 1. The true ſenſe and meaning of this Article. 2. The use.
1. What the true ſenſe of this Article is, or what the deſcent of Chriſt into Hell ſignifieth.
HEll in Scripture is taken three waies: For it ſignifieth, 1. The Grave. Three ſignifications of hell in Scripture.Then yee ſhall bring my gray-head with ſorrow unto hell. Thou wile not leave my ſoule in hell: neither wilt thou ſuffer thine holy One to ſee corruption. 2. The place of the damned: as in the ſtory of the rich man and Lazarus. The Glutton being in hell in torments, Gen. 42.38. Pſal. 16.10.lift up his eyes, and ſaw Abraham a farre off, and Lazarus in his boſome. If I lye downe in hell, thou art there. 3. The paines of hell, that is, the terrours and torments of the ſoule and conſcience. The paines of hell gate hold upon mee. Luke 16.23. Pſal. 139.8.The Lord bringeth downe to hell, and raiſeth up: that is, into exceeding paines and torments, out of which afterwards he againe delivereth.Pſal. 116.3. In this third ſenſe it is taken in this Article: For it cannot be underſtood in the firſt ſenſe, of the Grave. 1. Becauſe it is ſaid before, Hee was buried. If any ſay,Why he I is not here taken for the grave. that this latter Article is an expoſition of the former, he ſaith nothing: For as often as two ſpeeches expreſſing the ſame thing are joyned together, ſo that the one is an expoſition of the other, it is meet that the latter be more cleere and open than the former, which here is cleane contrary. For. To deſcend into hell, is more obſcure than to be buried. 2. It is not likely in this ſo brief and ſuccinct a Confeſsion, that the ſame things ſhould be twice ſpoken in other words. Neither can this place be underſtood of the place of the damned; Why hell is not here taken for the place of the damned.as is proved by this diviſion: 1. If Chriſt did locally deſcend into Hell, he deſcended either as touching his God-head, or as touching his ſoule, or as touching his body. Not as touching his God-head: (For this is every-where) Nor as touching his body: (For that reſted in the grave three dayes, as was prefigured by Jonas, the type of Chriſt,Becauſe no part of Chriſt could be in hell. neither roſe it from any other place, but from the grave.) Nor us touching his ſoule, 1. Becauſe Scripture no where expreſſeth and mentioneth it. 2. Becauſe Chriſt, dying on the Croſſe, Luke 23.46. &23 4…. Chriſts ſoule deſcended not locally.ſaid of his ſoule: Father, into thy hands I commend my ſpirit: And to the Theefe, This day ſhalt thou be with mee in Paradiſe: Therefore the ſoule of Chriſt after his death, was in the hand of his Father, in Paradiſe, not in Hell.
And that cavill little ſteadeth the Adverſaries of this doctrine, that hee might be alſo in the hand of his Fathe…, that is, in his Fathers protection, even in Hell: according to that, Pſal. 139.8.If I lye downe in Hell thou art there; that is, there alſo will God have care of me, and there alſo will he keep me, that I periſh not; for one place interpreteth another: And he had ſaid before unto the Thief, This day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe, Luke 23.43.that is, in the place and ſtate of the bleſſed, where both of us ſhall be free from theſe paines; that is, he ſpeaketh of felicity and liberty, which is not in hell: for his meaning is, both of us, who now ſuffer, ſhall this day be in Paradiſe, a place of everlaſting ſalvation or happineſſe, where, being delivered from all torments we ſhall injoy moſt pleaſant quiet and repoſe. But Paradiſe is neither hell, nor in hell, which is the place of torment. Whereupon alſo it is cleere, that Chriſt ſpake this to the Thiefe, not of his God-head, but of that which ſuffered, which was his ſoule: For the God-head was not with the Thiefe, neither did Chriſt ſuffer, or was elivered as touching his God-head, but as touching his ſoule. 2. If Christ did locally deſcend into hell.Becauſe there was no cauſe why Chriſt ſhould deſcend. Jo… 39.30. he deſcended either to ſuffer, or to deliver the Fathers thence, as the Papiſts affirme. But he deſcended not to ſuffer; becauſe now all things were finiſhed on the Croſſe: as Chriſt himſelfe alſo hanging on the Croſſe ſaid, It is finiſhed. Hee deſcended not to deliver the Fathers: 11. Not to ſuffer.1. Becauſe hee did this before in ſuffering for them on the earth.22 Not to tree the Fathers out of the Limbo. Wiſd. 3.1. Luke 16.26. 2. He did the ſame by his power, and efficacy of his God-head, from the very beginning of the world, not by the deſcenſion of his ſoule or body into hell. The Fathers were not in Limbo; Therefore they could not be delivered thence: as it is ſaid. The ſoules of the just are in the hand of God. Between you and us there is a great gulfe ſet. ſo that they which would goe from hence to you cannot; neither can they come from thence to us. And in the ſame place, Lazarus dying, is ſaid to be carried by the Angels into Abrahams boſome, not into Limbus Patrum.
Some thinke that Chriſt indeed deſcended not into hell either to ſuffer,33. Not to triumph over Death and the Divell, and affright them. 1 Pet. 3.19. or to deliver the Fathers thence, but to ſhew there the Divell and death his victory, and to ſtrike a terrour into them. But that Chriſt deſcended for this cauſe, is no where found extant in Scripture. They object unto us firſt that place of Peter: By the which he alſo went and preached unto the Spirits that are in priſon, which were in time paſſed diſobedient. Anſw. Peters meaning in this place is not as theſe men conjecture, but is on this wiſe: Hee ſaith, Chriſt went; that is, being ſent from the beginning, of the Father, unto the Church: By his Spirit; that is, by his God-head: To the Spirits that are now in priſon; that is, in hell: He preached in time paſſed, When as yet they lived, and were diſobedient; namely, before the Floud: For then hee preached to the diſobedient▪ when they were diſobedient: But they were diſobedient in the time of Noah: Therefore Chriſt preached by Noah, and by the Fathers, inviting the diſobedient to repentance. Farther, if Peter here ſpake of the deſcenſion into hell, yet this was not their opinion who pretend the broaching of it, but the Papiſts, who affirme and teach, that Chriſt preached in hell unto the Fathers, and delivered them.1 Pet. 4.6. They bring another place of Peter: The Goſpell was alſo preached unto the dead. Anſw. That is, unto thoſe which are now dead, or were then dead when Peter wrote this, and who then lived, when the Goſpell was preached unto them. They wreſt and miſconſtrue alſo a place of Paul:Epheſ. 4.9. Chriſt deſcended into the loweſt parts of the earth. Anſw. Into the loweſt parts of the earth, that is, into the earth, which is the loweſt part of the world: For one part of the earth is not oppoſed unto another, but the earth is oppoſed unto heaven, and the humiliation of Chriſt is thereby ſignified. This interpretation is proved by the ſcope and drift of the Apoſtle, who maketh in that place an oppoſition of Chriſts great glory, and his great humiliation. So on the other ſide, Christ aſcended into the higheſt paris of heaven; that is, into heaven▪ into the higheſt part of the world. Theſe places therefore make nothing for the deſcenſion of Chriſt into hell: and were it ſo, that theſe places, alledged to eſtabliſh this opinion, were to be underſtood of a locall deſcenſion of Chriſt into hell; yet would they not make for them, but rather for the Papiſts, who teach, that Chriſt preached unto the Fathers in hell, and thence delivered them. Now if theſe teſtimonies help not the Papiſts, much leſſe will they help them: For, it is certaine, that it cannot be thence proved, that Chriſt deſcended into hell, to ſtrike a terrour into death and the Divell. This opinion indeed is not impious or ungodly, and is approved by many of the Fathers; ſo that we are not to contend maliciouſly with any therein: yet I leave it, becauſe it is not grounded on any firme reaſons, neither can be gained by witneſſe of Scripture; and contrary reaſons are at hand eaſie to be had: For, 1. After his death, when he had ſaid, It is finiſhed; the ſoule of Chriſt reſted in the hands of his Father, into which he had commended it. And, 2. If hee deſcended to triumph, this Article ſhould be the beginning of his glorification: but it is not likely, that Chriſt took the beginning of his glorification in hell: For it is apparent by the oppoſition of the Article following, that Chriſts deſcenſion was the loweſt degree of his humiliation. And yet I confeſſe withall, that Chriſt ſtrook a greater terrour into the Divels, but that was by his death, whereby hee diſarmed and vanquiſhed the Divell, Sin and death: and without doubt, the Divell perceived himſelfe conquered by the death of Chriſt.
Hell ſignifieth in this place the terrours and torments of the ſoule.What meaneth then this Chriſts deſcenſion into hell? It ſignifieth, 1. Thoſe extreme torments, ſtraights and griefes which Christ ſuffered in his ſoule, namely, the wrath of God againſt ſinners, and that ſuch as the damned feele, partly in this life, and partly in the life to come. 2. The exceeding and extreme ignominy and reproach which Chriſt ſuffered. That Chriſt ſuffered theſe things, is proved by the teſtimony of David before alledged. The griefes of hell caught mee: Pſal. 116.3.which is ſaid of Chriſt in the perſon of David. There are other the like ſayings whereby the ſame is proved: The Lord would breake him, and make him ſubject to infirmities. Eſay 53.10. Mat 26.31.My ſoule is very heavie, even unto the death. The ſame doe thoſe his vexations alſo ſhew in the Garden, when he ſweat bloud: becauſe, The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all: Luke 22.44. Eſay 53.6.Therefore he crieth out; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee? The ſame is alſo proved by theſe reaſons: 1. Chriſt was to redeeme not only our bodies, but alſo our ſoules: Therefore he ought to ſuffer not only in body, but in ſoule alſo. 2. Chriſt was to deliver us from the paines and torments of hell: Therefore hee of force muſt ſuffer them: which being ſo, he either ſuffered them before his death, or after death. The Papiſts themſelves confeſſe, that hee ſuffered not after death: Therefore it muſt needs be, that he ſuffered them before death. But theſe paines he ſuffered not in the body, for the ſufferings of the body were only externall: Therefore he ſuffered thoſe griefs in his ſoule. 3. It is very convenient, that the extremeſt and moſt grievous part of Chriſts Paſsion (which was theſe dolours of minde) ſhould not be paſſed over without mention in the Creed: But if the Article of Deſcenſion into hell concerne them not, they ſhould be left unmentioned; ſith that the former Articles treat only of the externall ſufferings of the body, which Chriſt ſuffered without him. There is no doubt therefore, but that by this Article the ghoſtly paſſions, or ſufferings of his ſoule are ſignified. This is the true meaning of the Deſcenſion into hell; and wee are to maintaine and defend againſt the Papiſts, that which is certain; namely, that Chriſt ſo deſcended, as hath been proved in this diſcourſe: Howbeit, if any man be able to maintain with ſure grounds and proofs that Chriſt deſcended in any other ſenſe, it is well: I cannot. Object. 1.See D. Tho. Bilſ. Biſh. of Winchin his Tract. touching the redemption of mankind, Pag. 154. &c. John 19.30. The Articles of faith are to be underſtood properly, and without any trope or figure. Anſw. True, except an Article, being taken according to the proper ſignification, be diſagreeing from other places of Scripture. But this Article of Chriſts deſcenſion into hell, being taken properly, is much repugnant to that ſaying of Chriſt, It is finiſhed: For if Chriſt fulfilled and finiſhed all the parts of our Redemption on the Croſſe, there was no cauſe why he ſhould deſcend into hell, that is, into the place of the damned. Object. 2. The terrours and torments of the ſoule in Chriſt went before his buriall. But the deſcenſion into hell followeth his buriall: Therefore the deſcenſion into hell concerneth not thoſe torments. Anſ. The Minor of this Syllogiſme is faulty, in alledging that for a cauſe which is no cauſe: For in the Creed, the deſcenſion into hell followeth the buriall, not that it was performed after the buriall, but becauſe it is an illuſtration of that which went before touching the Paſſion, Death and Buriall, leſt any thing ſhould be detracted from them: as if it were ſaid, He ſuffered not only in body, hee died not onelyonly a bodily death, hee was not onelyonly buried; but alſo ſuffered in ſoule the extreameſt vexations, and helliſh dolours, ſuch as all the reprobate ſhall ſuffer for ever. The chiefeſt therefore and weightieſt part of Chriſts paſſion followeth in good order: For the Creed proceedeth from the griefs of the body to the vexation and anguiſh of the minde; and from the viſible Paſſion to the inviſible, as it were from a leſſe to a greater matter and circumſtance.
2. The fruits and uſe of Christs deſcenſion into hell.
CHriſt deſcended into hell: 1. That we might not deſcend thither, but rather that hee might free us from the eternall paines and torments thereof. 2. That he might tranſport and carry us triumphantly with him into heaven. What it is to beleeve in Chriſt, who deſcended into hell.Wherefore, to beleeve in Chriſt, which deſcended into hell, is to beleeve, that Chriſt ſuſtained for mee in his ſoule infernall and helliſh paines and torments, and that exceeding ignominy, which is due unto the wicked in hell: that thereby I might not deſcend into hell, and that I might never be forced to ſuffer them; all which otherwiſe I ſhould ſuffer in hell eternally: but that of the contrary rather I might aſcend with Chriſt into heaven, and there injoy with him exceeding happineſſe and glory for ever and ever. This is the uſe and profit of this Article of Chriſts deſcenſion into hell.