Answer to a Popish Pamphlet of Christs Descent to Hell, To the reader – Table of contents
TO THE READER.
COVRTEOVS READER,
AS the Apostle distinguisheth, and (according to Augustine's witnessing,Bell. l. 3. de Eccles. c. 9. cited by Bellarmine) as the orthodoxe CHVRCH ever believed, and primitiuelie professed, that they made but two Estates of the CHVRCH; one Militant on Earth, and another Triumphant in Heaven: So, altho our Beliefe and Profession, bee jumplie agreeable; yet not onlie will our Adversaries hauehave a third estate of Christians, vnderunder the GOSPEL, after death, in Purgatorie; but also of the Fathers and Patriarches, vnderunder the Law, in an Hellish Limbo; and, that thither our Saviour behoved locallie to descend, after His death, for their liberation.The state of the Controversie. So that heere-in standeth the question betweene vsus, (lest thou shouldest mistake the state there-of) Whether the Soules of the Patriarches, & Godly vnderunder the Law, vntill CHRISTS death, were detayned captiue, in a part of Hell, called Limbus Patrum? And, That CHRIST descended locallie in His Soule thither, for their liberation? They holde the Affirmatiue, and wee the Negatiue; seeing David, speaking of him-selfe, clearlie doeth say,Psal. 73.24. Thou wilt guide mee with Thy counsell, and thereafter (not inclose mee in an Hellish Dungeon,) but receiue mee vp in Glorie. Which made Augustine to professe accordinglie,Aug. Epist. 99. ad Evodium. That the Soules of the Iust, before CHRIST'S death, were in Abraham's Bosome, where they enjoyed constantlie the blessed presence of the divine Majestie. Wee controvert not, therefore, so much of CHRISTS descense into Hell; nor deny the same simplie, and everie-way; especiallie seeing with their owne great Master Durandus, Durand. in 3. Sent. Dist. 22. q. 3.all PROTESTANTS acknowledge His descense thither virtuallie, and by effect. But wee deny mainlie the Popish ende of His descense thither, whether virtuallie, or locallie the same were affirmed. Yea, taking Hell (as it should be) properlie, for the place of Torment onlie, and estate of the Damned, (all other Limboes beeing but imaginarie Chimeraes.) It is the constant doctrine of all the Romanists with vsus, that except virtuallie, or by effect, CHRIST no-wyse descended locallie into Hell, thus vnderstood. Therefore, if we proue, that the Patriarches, before CHRIST'S death, were not in Hell, (as both Scripture, and most orthodoxe Fathers doe witnesse) and consequentlie, that in Hell there was no such place of their detention, as a Limbus Patrum; Wee shall, without controversie, evince, that locallie CHRIST descended not thither, for that ende of their liberation: and so obtayning, that they were not in anie such Limbus, & that CHRIST descended not in Soule, to deliver them out of anie such Limbus; For anie other manner of His descense into Hell, (seeing both sides grant a descense virtuall, and in effect to the place of the Damned) betweene them and vsus, there would rest no controversie, nor can they bee anie way able vnjustlie to vpbrayd vsus, with any denyall of a cleare Article in the Creed, Of CHRISTS descense into Hell; this Popish Limbus onlie being taken out of the way, into which onlie, for the fore-sayd liberation, they affirme a locall descending.
Which detention of the holie Patriarches, and Godlie, in anie such Hellish Prison, vnderunder the Law, is a doctrine, not onlie crossing the veritie of Scripture, and abating from the force of Man's Fayth, and GOD'S MercieMercy; but also, is no lesse derogatorie to the efficacie of CHRIST'S merite, & vertue of His death, (who was that Lambe, slayne from the beginning of the Worlde;) nor Man's satisfaction, in that Popish Purgatorie, vnderunder the GOSPEL now, is a-lyke abasing of the same Merite, and curtayling of the blessed power of His paynfull Passion: and so, are both sacrilegious Heresies, and accursed encroachings vponupon the LORDS Prerogatiue Royall, and Priestlie Preheminence.
Thus, the matter and state of things being rightlie considered, thou mayest the more profitablie peruse these succinct ensuing pains… And the LORD giuegive thee vnderstanding, and a sober Mynde, zealous for His TRVETH, and carefull for thy preservation, from the seduction of deceitfull Errour.
Thine in CHRIST IESVS, W. G.
The Contents of this Treatise.
THAT the word [Infernus] doeth often-tymes signifie the Graue; and so, that both Infernus and Sepulchrum, in the Latine, are both frequentlie found of one signification. CHAPTER I.
That foreign and foreign, lykewyse, in the Greeke, are often-tymes put for one thing, and denotate the Graue, in lyke-manner. CHAP. II.
That Sheol and Keber, also, in the Hebrew, doe frequentlie signifie one thing, and that by both the Graue is also meant. CHAP. III.
Whether Hell, and Abraham's Bosome, bee one thing, as the Romanists affirme? CHAP. IV.
Whether the Patriarches, & just Men, were in Hell, or anie part there-of, detained till CHRISTS suffering? CHAP. V.
Whither CHRISTS Soule went immediatelie, after His suffering on the Crosse. CHAP. VI.
What is meant by the lower parts of the Earth. Ephes. 4.9. CHAP. VII.
What is meant by the heart of the Earth. Matth. 12.40. CHAP. VIII.
What is the meaning of leading Captivitie captiue. Eph. 4.8. CHAP. IX.
The true meaning of Hebr. 11.39. cleared. CHAP. X.
The true exposition, also, of Heb. 9.8. and 10.19. set downe, and fred from Popish wresting. CHAP. XI.
That place of Zachariah, 9.11. explained, adduced chieflie for Limbus. CHAP. XII.
That CHRIST suffered as well in Soule, as in Bodie: proven by cleare Scriptures. CHAP. XIII.
That CHRIST suffered in Soule, as well as in Bodie: proven out of the Fathers. CHAP. XIV.
That CHRIST suffered in Soule, against the Romanists: proven out of the Romanists themselues. CHAP. XV.
What paynes they were, which CHRIST suffered in His Soule, for Man-kynde. CHAP. XVI.
That CHRIST suffered the Punishmēt both of damni & sensus. CHA. XVII.
The Defence of Beza's Exposition, of Acts 2.27. CHAP. XVIII.
The place of 1. Pet. 3.19. alleadged for Limbus, clearlie expounded, and vindicated from Errour. CHAP. XIX.
In what sound sense, without controversie, it is confessed, and may bee yeelded vntounto, both by Papist, and Protestant, That CHRIST descended to Hell. CHAP. XX.
FINIS.