The Rule of Faith, Exegesis of Apostles Creed · Article 4 · Tenet 5
He deſcended into Hell.
COncerning this Article of Chriſts deſcenſion into Hell, I propound three things to be conſidered of.
1. The Originall of it.
2. The Authoritie of it.
3. The ſenſe and meaning of it, with the Vſe.
For the firſt, theſe words, He deſcended into Hell, were not in the moſt ancient Creeds. Learned men giuegive inſtance both in the Creeds that hauehave them not in, as alſo of moſt ancient Expoſitors that vndertooke to expound the Apoſtles Creed, and yet makes no mention of this Article at all. Amandus Polanus ſaith they are not in the Nicene Creed, nor in the Creed of the Councell at Sardis, nor in the Creed of the firſt Councell at Conſtantinople, nor in the firſt Toletan Councell, nor in the Creed of the Councell of Epheſus, nor in the Creeds of the ſixt and the eleuenth Toletan Councells, nor in the Creeds of the Councels of Wormes and Franckford, nor in diuers other Creeds. And beſides, it is obſerued, that neither Clement the firſt, nor Iernaeus, nor Tertullian, nor Iuſtine Martyr, nor Origen, nor Auguſtine, though they expound the Creed, yet make any mention of this Article: and Ruffinus that doth receiue the words, yet ſaith that they are not in the Creed of the Romane Church, nor amongſt the Churches of the Eaſt.
For the ſecond, though theſe words hauehave not beene found to be acknowledged in the firſt Churches, yet becauſe for many ages they hauehave beene receiued with an vniuerſall conſent of all Chriſtian Churches, and are acknowledged by many of the ancient Fathers, and Councels, and are receiued by the Church of England, and by all ſorts of Diuines in our Church, therefore it were great impudencie for any man to reiect theſe words, or queſtion their authoritie, either for the truth or vſe of them: onelyonly for the interpretation of the words, the learned know that the Diuines of no one age ſince they came into the Creed, did fully agree about the proper meaning of them: and as I conceiue, the Church of England hath neuer made any interpretation of them, in any Nationall Synode, or Conuocation, that might declare which ſenſe our Church hath taken to. And therefore men muſt be aduiſed, and take heed of raſh cenſuring of the opinions of Diuines In this point, the Author being dead, I thought not fit to alter any thing: he deliuereth herein but his priuate opinion. What is the iudgemēt of the Church of England, touching the meaning of this Article, thou maieſt ſee in Nowels Catechiſme ſet out by publike authoritie, to which I referre thee.in our Church, that deliuer their conſciences in this Article, though there bee difference about the ſenſe amongſt them: and weake Chriſtians muſt know, that it is poſſible for a Chriſtian to be ſaued that beleeues the word of God, and the reſt of the Articles of the Creed, though he neuer come to know infallibly what is the proper ſenſe of this Article.
Now for the ſenſe of the words of this Article; if the opinions of Diuines be gathered together, ſome of them will be found apparantly falſe, ſome of them veriſimilies, things that be like Truth, ſome of them are manifeſtly true: And laſtly, there is a ſenſe is not onelyonly a truth, but the proper truth of this place, if we could finde it out.
Now for an introduction, it will not be vnprofitable to take notice of the diuers acceptations of the Originall words rendered here Hell▪ The Hebrew word is Sheol, and the Greeke word Hades. Now the Kings Tranſlators of the Bible, doe not render the words all alike in eueryevery place As for the word Hades, in the new Teſtament they tranſlate it the moſt places Hell: Yet in one place I finde it tranſlated the Graue, viz. 1. Cor. 15. 55. So for the word Sheol in the old Teſtament, vſually they tranſlate it Hell. Yet in diuers places they call it the Pit, as Iob 17. 16. and likewiſe in ſundrie places they call it the Graue, and it cannot well be otherwiſe rendered, as Gen. 42. 38. and 37. 35. 1 King. 2. 6. Pſal. 49 15. and 6. 5. Eſay 38. 18.
Now Chriſt may be ſaid to deſcend into Hell, either in reſpect of the wholeman, or in reſpect of the body only, or in reſpect of the ſoule only.
In reſpect of the whole Man, it is true that he deſcended into Hell in foure Reſpects.
1. In reſpect of Incarnation: when our Sauiour deſcended from heauen to take our Nature, in a large ſenſe he may be ſaid then to deſcend into Hades. For the ancient Grecians, whence the word Hades comes, vnderſtood by Hades the Earth; and many of the ancient Fathers, call the earth Infernum, or Hell: for they make a diſtinction of Hell, and ſay, One is ſuperiour, and that is the Earth; and another is inferiour, and that is the Hell of the damned. Nor did Chriſt deſcend only to be vponupon earth, but to aſſume Earth, when he tooke our nature, and that too conſidered as the earth was vnderunder malediction for the firſt Adams ſinne, and expreſt in that ſentence, Thou art earth, and to earth thou ſhalt returne: and that other, The earth is curſed for thy ſake, thorns and briers ſhall it bring forth. And that he deſcended both in reſpect of his body and ſoule, and of both of them together: In reſpect of his body, as Adam, made of the earth; ſo was Chriſt borne of a Virgin, who had her originall from the earth: and the earth is vſually ſaid to be the common mother of vsus all: and his ſoule deſcended into this earth, when it was vnited to his moſt ſacred body: In both ſoule and body in his Incarnation he deſcended into the earth, euen the earth as it was accurſed, both in reſpect of infirmitie, and in reſpect of mortality. The infirmities of our Nature which he tooke, both in ſoule and in body, what were they but ſo many thornes and briers to afflict, and ſeratch, and paine his moſt bleſſed Nature? I meane by his infirmities, ſuch as were without ſinne, ſuch as came from ſinne, but did not tend to ſin: ſuch were in his ſoule, ſorrow and feare, and in his body, thirſt, hunger, pouertie. And beſides our Infirmities, he tooke our Nature as it was Mortall, and ſo deſcended into that Infernum, the Fathers call Infernum mortalitatis: for though he died not ſo ſoone as hee was borne, yet he liued alwaies vnderunder the ſentence of death. A priſoner in the Goale when he is condemned, all the time he liues is reckoned but as a dead man. So was Chriſt. Now the Scripture ſeemes clearely to acknowledge the deſcenſion of Chriſt into the earth of mortalitie and infirmitie, as when he deſcended to take vponupon him the forme of a ſeruant, Phil. 2. 7. So it is by ſome Interpreters conceiued to be meant, Rom. 10. 7. and Epheſ. 4. 9. though it is not doubted but theſe places hauehave a further meaning. Thus of the firſt ſenſe, as Hades ſignifies the earth: and the rather becauſe ſome Diuines make it a rule, that Chriſt is neuer ſaid to deſcend any whither, but into Hell or Hades.
2. Chriſt may be ſaid to deſcend into Hades, when by death he went among the dead, both in his body and ſoule. He deſcended when he went downe among the dead: And thus he deſcended not only into the Infernum mortalitatis, but into the Infernum mortis alſo. Thus according to the Pſalme he was free among the dead: and this was the greater abaſement, becauſe hee was detained ſo long among the dead, kept downe as a Priſoner in the graue, in reſpect of his body: He deſcended then, when he ſuffered the ſtate of the dead both in body and ſoule. I ſay his abaſement was very great in this condition, becauſe both his friends thought all was loſt in him, Luke 24. 21. Marke 16. 10. and his enemies inſulted ouer him as conquered, and called him Deceiuer, Matth. 27. 62, &c. Luke 23. 43. See what God ſaith, Dan. 9. 26. And death held him downe as his priſoner, Rom. 6. 9. So as it was with him, as Iob 17. 12, 13. But yet it is true he was glorious in this eſtate, both in that his ſoule was in Paradiſe, and his body inioyed incorruption. But yet all this was ſecret, and not knowne to men; therefore ſome Diuines call this a kinde of middle ſtate, betweene humiliation and exaltation, becauſe it was partly glorious, and partly ignomious. And his detention in the graue anſwer… fitly to the order of the Articles. For as Reſurrection anſwers to his death and crucifying, ſo A ſcenſion anſwers to his going into the graue; and Seſſion In this ſenſe Maſter Perkins takes the Article.at the right hand of God, anſwers to his continuance in the graue.
3. Chriſt may be ſaid to deſcend into Hell in reſpect of efficacie: becauſe though neither ſoule nor body went into the Hell of the damned locally, yet the vertue of what he ſuffered in ſoule and body penetrated into Hell it ſelfe: This was an operatiue deſcenſion: The merit and vertue of his Paſſion deſcended euen amongſt the damned Angels, to ſpoile them of their power, and confirme them in the horror of their eſtates, and to ſignifie the deliuerance of the Elect out of their hands.
4. Theſe words, He deſcended into Hell, may be taken as an effectuall Epitome and repetition of all his Paſſion deſcribed before, with a generall intimation of the vnexpreſſableneſſe of the things he ſuffered for our ſinnes: as if they that inſerted the words into the Creed, would ſay, he ſuffered all things that might concerne our Redemption, which were ſo many and ſo grieuous, as the heart of man is not able to reckon them, or to finde the bottome of them; for when he came to ſuffer for vsus, he deſended into a very Abiſſus, or bottomleſſe pit of miſery, not to bee ſounded by any mortall heart. This ſenſe is taken too by ſome Diuines, as the moſt proper ſenſe of the words in this place. And for mine owne part, (with ſubmiſſion to information of better iudgements) if one particular ſenſe muſt be taken to, I beſt like this.
Thus of his deſcenſion in reſpect of the whole Man.
In reſpect of his body our Sauiour deſcended into Hades, or Sheol, when he deſcended into the graue; and ſo it is the ſame in ſenſe with his buriall: and this interpretation is not to be ſlighted, for firſt I hauehave quoted many places of Scripture before, where the Tranſlators themſelues render the words by the terme of the graue. So Iacob deſcended into Hell, when he went downe into the graue, Gen. 42. 38. And beſides, Athanaſius in his Creed, (which is one of the moſt ancient that hauehave this Article in) leaues out Buried, and puts in, He deſcended into Hell, as if he ſignified thereby, that he tooke that to be the meaning of the Article. And Ruffinus ſaith in his Expoſition of the Creed, that the ſenſe of theſe words ſeemes to be the ſame with the other word Buried.
Thirdly, in reſpect of his ſoule, our Sauiour may be ſaid to deſcend into Hell in two ſenſes: Firſt, in that hee abaſed himſelfe ſo farre, as to let his ſoule to be in that condition which our ſoules are in betweene the time of our death and our reſurrection, which was a great abaſement, though the ſoule ſuffered no paine: for his very ſoule herein endures the common condition of all mens ſoules in death, though the ſoule die not in reſpect of the ſubſtance, yet in a generall ſenſe eueryevery change from that being wee hauehave for the preſent, is a kinde of death, becauſe it makes a not being of that which was before, or makes ſomething not to be, which had a being before: What is mutabilitie but a kinde of death, which while it changeth any thing into another faſhion, that ceaſeth to be what it was, and beginneth to be what it was not. Thus in the ſoule of Chriſt, there was not only a change, but a priuation of what he had before: for firſt the Body was taken from the ſoule, and a diuorce made between that couple that had liued ſo louingly together: See 2 Cor. 5. 2. Secondly, the … part of the ſoule was aboliſhed, ſeeing, hearing, brea…ng, ſpeaking, and the like, all ceaſt in Chriſt, all the veſſels or inſtruments of the ſenſes being taken away from the ſoule. Thirdly, all outward operations did ceaſe, in which the ſoule was wont to worke, and now could worke no longer: This is to be vnderſtood of doing worke in the viſible and corporeall world. Fourthly, there is in the ſoules euen of the godly, and ſo in Chriſt, a moſt earneſt longing (yet without paine or ſorrow) for the conſummation of felicitie to be enioyed with the body reſumed. The ſoule departed is ioyned to the body ſtill, though not in life and ſenſe, yet in naturall affection, ſo as it enioyes no happineſſe which it doth not wiſh to the body. The ſoules of the righteous crie vnderunder the Altar; for though they reſt, ſaith one, à labore, yet they doe not reſt à clamore: and though they hauehave nothing that moleſt them, yet they hauehave not yet what would more delight them, viz. their bodies.
Thus of the firſt ſenſe.
Secondly, Chriſt in ſoule deſcended into Hell, when as our furetie he ſubmitted himſelfe to beare thoſe *Or equiualent to them.helliſh ſo… rowes, which we were bound by our ſinnes to luffer for euer: His deſcenſion is his proiection of himſelfe into the ſea of Gods wrath conceiued for our ſinnes, and his ingreſſion into moſt vnſpeakable ſtraits and torments in his ſoule, which we ſhould elſe hauehave ſuffered for euer in Hell. This way of Chriſt deſcending into Hell is expreſly vttered in the perſon of Dauid, as the type of Chriſt, Pſal. 86. 13. and 116. 3. and 69. 3. Thus the Prophet Eſay ſaith, His ſoule was made an offering, Eſay 53. 10. And this I take it Dauid meanes, when hee ſaid of Chriſt, Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule in Hell, Pſalm. 16. Acts 2. And thus Chriſt deſcended into hell when hee was aliue, not when he was dead. Thus his ſoule was in Hell, when in the Garden hee did ſweat bloud, and on the Croſſe, when hee cried out ſo lamentably, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee, Matth. 26, 38. And according to this ſenſe is the Article fitly placed in the Creed: for hauing reckoned before what hee ſuffered in bodie, in this Article is expreſſed what hee ſuffered in ſoule: and in the ſixteenth Pſalme it ſeemes hee firſt reckons what hee ſuffered in ſoule, and his deliuery from it, when hee ſaid, Thou wilt not leaue my ſoule in Hell, and then ſpeakes of the priuiledge of his body in the graue, as a thing which followed the ſuffering and deliuerance of his ſoule out of Hell.
The vſe of this Article may be,
1. To informe vsus againe of the hatefulneſſe of ſinne, that hath thus abaſed the Sonne of God: and withall to ſhew vsus how great that ſurpaſſing louelove of Chriſt to vsus was, that could bee content for our ſakes, to be thus abaſed.
2. To inſtruct vsus eſpecially in two things, Humility and Patience. This is a matchleſſe patterne for vsus to learne by: how ſhould our hearts fall low, and deſcend in vsus, when we heare how many wayes Chriſt hath deſcended and abaſed himſelfe for vsus? this ſhould deſtroy our pride, and thoſe high thoughts in vsus, that hinder true lowlineſſe of heart, Phil. 2. Matth. 11. 29. And for Patience, what can wee ſuffer that is comparable to the deſcenſion of Chriſt into Hell in all thoſe ſenſes? Such vnworthy creatures are we, as whatſoeuer God doe with vsus, wee cannot deſcend lower than wee are, or deſerue to be: and if God hauehave deliuered our Sauiour from this bottomleſſe ſea of miſery, into which he deſcended for our ſakes, why ſhould wee doubt through vnbeleefe or deſpaire? This ſhould teach vsus to truſt vponupon God, and wait for deliuerance from whatſoeuer diſtreſſe we doe, or can fall into.
3. To comfort vsus: for his Deſcenſion is our Aſcenſion. He deſcended into Hell, that we might aſcend into heauen. He hath endured vnſpeakable ſorrowes on earth, that we might enioy riuers of pleaſure in heauen.