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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16144	The effect of certaine sermons touching the full redemption of mankind by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus wherein besides the merite of Christs suffering, the manner of his offering, the power of his death, the comfort of his crosse, the glorie of his resurrection, are handled, what paines Christ suffered in his soule on the crosse: together, with the place and purpose of his descent to hel after death: preached at Paules Crosse and else where in London, by the right Reuerend Father Thomas Bilson Bishop of Winchester. With a conclusion to the reader for the cleering of certaine obiections made against said doctrine.	Bilson, Thomas, 1546 or 7-1616.	1599 (1599)	STC 3064; ESTC S102011	337,523	436

the second of the Acts could hardly haue any good construction because it seemed farre fet and altogither repugnant to the proper signification of the wordes to take the soule for the bodie and hell for the graue and as for the locall descent of Christ to hell after death they counted that but a fable I was forced to promise that I would openlie deliuer which I thought was the likeliest and safest sense as well of that article in the Creede as of those wordes of Dauid fulfilled in the person of our Sauiour This occasion drew mee to the next question of Christes descent to hell Wherin I resolued as by perusing the later part of this treatise will better appeare that Christs descent to the verie place of hell after his death did best concord both with the Creede and with the truth of Christian religion so we tooke care not to swarue frō the Scriptures in setting downe the cause why he went thither which was to ouerthrow destroy the kingdom might of Satan in the place of his greatest strength euen in hel and as our head to free all his members from daunger and feare of comming thither the sorrowes and terrors whereof hee loosed vvith his presence treading them vnder his feete and rose againe into a blessed and immortall life leading captiuitie captiue and taking from hell and Satan all povver to preuaile against his elect Both these resolutions that Christ suffered not the true paines of hell in his soule on the crosse and that hee personallie conquered and disarmed the powers and terrours thereof before his resurrection some as in such cases is common misremembred some misconstrued and some misliked vvhereupon I vvas both aduised and intreated by men of greater place then I vvill name to put the effect of that vvhich I had deliuered in vvriting that by mine ovvne vvords and not by other mens conceits or reports the learned might iudge of the doctrine Which I did that verie Summer and had it readie for the presse before Bartlemewtide but that the Parliament of States approching wherein men shoulde be otherwise imploied and a great hurle raised against it by certaine popular preachers in that citie through whose mouthes the contrarie had often passed to the people as currant I was desired by the same persons againe to staie till that time of businesse were ouer past that heat of contradiction somewhat alaied and respite giuen that it might be trāslated into Latin which also is now performed as wel as published in English To whole coūsell I yeelded referring the time wholy to their iudgements notwithstanding I were by many traduced in many places as a teacher of strange and false doctrine But I haue beene and am the more willing to beare the reproches of maligners because I seeke not my selfe heerein but that the church of Christ heere in Englande should hold fast that ancient and sure foundation of faith which hitherto it hath kept and professe that doctrine touching our Redemption by Christ which as wel the publike lawes of this realme as all the catholike fathers do vphold and allow In setting downe the summe of that which I preached I neither do nor can promise thee gentle Reader the same words which I then spake I wrote them not but I assure thee before him that knoweth all things that I haue not swarued nor altered anie materiall point from the methode propositions proofes and conclusions which I then vsed nor from the wordes as farre as either my notes or my memory vpon the fresh foote coulde direct mee which I haue yet to shew Manie proofes and authorities I omitted in the pulpit which the time shut me from and some obiections I haue answered here more largelie then the course of Sermons would permit but here is the selfe same in effect which then I vttered and purposed if the time woulde haue suffered The manner of handling this question I alwaies wished might bee temperate and sober as best became christian professours and teachers least by catching aduantages besides the cause wee increased quarrels and so much regarded our credits that wee neglected the truth I haue therfore in the Treatise it selfe touched no mans name oppugned no mans wordes traduced no mans iudgement but admitting and retaining as much as I thought might stande with the truth I haue pared off certaine extremities and reiected certaine additions which the first inuentors did refraine for that Christ suffered the death of the soule or all the same tormentes which the damned do and shall are positions lately coined and deriued from the proportion of Gods iustice as they call it but as I thinke from presumption of mans reason intruding into Gods secrets The doctrine which I defend that we are sufficientlie redeemed by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus without adding of hell paines to bee suffered in the soule of Christ hath the constant full and expresse warrant of the Scriptures and the like approbation from al the fathers without exception And therefore howsoeuer some men may despise all ancient writers and frustrate the scriptures with their figures al sober and wise christians will I doubt not beware how they admit this strange and late found nouelty into their Creede or consciences The second point I presse nor with like vehemencie because it hath not like certaintie So long as we confesse which the Scriptures do confirme that Christs humane nature after his extreame humiliation on the Crosse before his resurrection conquered spoyled not death only but hell Satan also of al their power right ouer y e faithful ascending on hie lead captiuitie captiue tooke the keyes of death and of hell into his owne hands with the precise maner and hower I will not burden anie mans conscience that cannot be perswaded by reading the latter part of this treatise though I my selfe after long diligent search find no sense so agreeable to y e words of the Creede so answerable to the rules of the sacred Scriptures and so fullie followed by all the Fathers as Christs descent to the verie place of hell for the purposes aforesaid Hauing premonished thee Christian reader of thus much I am not willing to detayne thee anie longer from vewing and examining the booke it selfe but onelie to tell thee that whiles I stayed the printing hereof till others did like it as wel as my self one more hastie then either aduised or learned calling himselfe H. I. would needes traduce it and confute it before he saw it resting belike on such notes as his angry mind and brickle memorie tooke at the time when I preached of these points Wherein though others condemne his follie yet I commend his pollicie that least hee should trouble himselfe with more thē he could answere he thought it y e best way to come into the field alone and like a stout Champion fighting with his owne shadow to say no more thē he would be sure to deny or decline with one

ad Inferos descendisse Nam corpus vsque adresurrectionem in̄ sepulchoro iacuit spiritus ab illo emissus cū spiritibus qui in carcere siue in inferno detinebantur fuit illisque praedicauit quemadmodum testatur Petri locus As Christ died for vs and was buried so also it is to be beleeued that he went down to hel For his body lay in the graue vntil the resurrection his spirit which he breathed out was with the spirits that were in prison or in hel and preached vnto them as the place of Peter vvitnesseth But our Synode since correcteth it herein saith but thus only Quemadmo dū Christus pro nobis mortuus est sepultus ita est etiā credē dus ad inferos descendisse As Christ died for vs and was buried so we are to beleeue also that he went vnto the dead This therfore in thē is seene manifestly as I said to renounce and abrogate this particular sense of Christs descēding y t HE VVENT AFTER DEATH TO HELL Is this all you haue to saie Sir Refuter then when prouender is deuided you shall haue a part for your good collectiō You collect that y e later Synode by leauing out certain words of the former renounceth that CHRIST AFTER DEATH VVENT TO HELL and that which it retaineth of the former Synode in expresse wordes is this IT I TO BE BELEEVED THAT CHRIST VVENT DOVVN INTO HELL So in your iudgement by beleeuing that Christ wente downe into Hell they renounce that Christ went to hell If it were a matter of sight I shoulde aske whether you had anie eies or no nowe it is a matter of reason I must more doubte whether you haue your fiue wittes or no. Set your inference to the viewe of all men The Synode in her Maiesties time agreeth It is to be beleeued that Christ vvent downe into hell Ergo they apparātly renounce that Christ went to hel This is your conclusion shew it to any tapster or tinker in Englande and sée whether he will reward you with a mocke or no. But they leaue out the latter part of the Article which the former Synode concluded So they leaue out that Christs bodie vvas in his graue vntill his resurrection which are the wordes of the former Synode Is the omitting of this a manifest renouncing and abrogating of it God forbid But the first Synode in king Edwardes time added farther you saie that Christs spirit vvas vvith the spirits detained in Prison or in hel and preached vnto them First then tell your abettor that al the Realme wil take him not only for a Railor against al honesty but for a lier against al duty that voucheth so confidently king Edward the sixt and his subiects held that Christ his soule neuer vvent to Gehenna the realme knoweth the Q. othe as also the Q. aduentureth her eternal state These be no states to come within the compasse of his vncleane mouth He may doe well to remember who they be of whom it is written They despise gouernment speak euil of those that are in authoritie as raging vvaues of the Sea foming out their owne shame And to take héed that he proue not too true a prophet against himselfe in paying the price of misusing his liege and Soueraigne Ladie and her whole Realme But I wish him repentance and so I leaue him Secondlie Sir Refuter you maie see three thinges in the latter wordes of that Article in king Edwardes Synode which are verie wiselie with silence ouerskipped by the Synode in her Maiesties time and wherein for my part I thinke they did verie well not to adde to this Article anie time purpose or prisoners when why or to whome Christ descended But therein to imitate the wisedome of the best ages who kept this Article as they founde it without enterlacing it with anie newe additions For in the later wordes of that former Synode nowe left out are three thinges that cannot bee iustified by the Scriptures 1. that the Spirits of the iust vvere in hell 2. that Christ there preached vnto them 3. that he staied there till his resurrection These three pointes contained in the Article of that Synode were aduisedlie and profitablie suppressed by the Synode kept in her maiesties time and these are the pointes which I my selfe impugne in this Treatise as hauing no iust nor tolerable grounde in the Scriptures But these thinges being drowned by omission what is that to the rest of the article which the later Synode imbraceth as a matter necessarie to be beleeued for thus they resolue As Christ died for vs vvas buried so also it is to be beleeued y t HE VVENT DOVVN INTO HELL And though you woulde weaken their resolution with a false translation as your maner is by making them saie vve are to beleeeue that Christ vvent vnto the dead yet may you gain no thing by that for we haue publike assurance allowance that their words were and are IT IS TO BE BELEEVED THAT CHRIST VVENT DOVVNE INTO HELL Their words in Latin were you will say Credendus est ad inferos descendisse But the same Bishops the same Clergie that were at the first Synode in the 5 of her Maiesty assembling again in the 13 yeare of her highnes raign did themselues english it as I report it and offered it to the Prince Parliament in those words to be cōfirmed which accordingly that high Court did So y t now not these words Christ descended into HADES though they be true as being the originall words much lesse yours Christ went to the dead but preciselie these Christ went downe into hell are the faith doctrine which the Church Realme of England professeth or which the lawe establisheth and what they meane were it not for your addle quirckes is soone perceaued euen of the simplest You conclude that the publike sentence of our Church yea the publike law of our land is against this opiniō of Christs descending into hell And I conclude likewise that which is in the bone will neuer out of the fl●sh with arrogance and ignorance you began and so you will end If HELL in english be HELL GOING DOVVNE be DESCENDING thē both the Church the law of England directly expressely precisely mayntayneth CHRISTS DE●CENDING INTO HELL If HELL in english be HEAVEN GOING DOVVN be GOING VP then the Church and lawe of England fauoureth your fansie And hereof I am wel content thou shalt be Iudge Christian Reader that vnderstandest best thine owne toong For the latine INFE●NVM and the Gréeke HADES I am content to be tried by all Fathers Greeke Latine that euer wrate in the Church of Christ. If these men cānot keepe their quarter cléere nor vpholde their conceite but they must exclude all Greeke Latine and English diuines since Christs time from vnderstanding euerie man his owne naturall toong I will see their braines better settled and their mouthes b●tter tempred before

it is temporall when it should iustlie be eternall and afflicteth the bodie where it might worthilie kill the soule it is rather the chastisement of a father then the rigour of a Iudge And yet the scriptures call it wrath because God neuer proceedeth to punish but when he is prouoked and despised in such sort that were it not for smart of correction wee would fall to the rage of open rebellion Wherefore the displeasure of God against our sinnes was verie great that pursued our suertie beeing innocent and obedient and euen his owne and only sonne with all maner of corporall and temporall scourges vnto death before it could bee pacified but that Gods fauour towards his sonne was altered or diminished or that Christ in feare and terror apprehended anie such change in his father or so much as doubted the constant and eternall counsell and decree of God to make him the Sauiour of the worlde and by the bloud of his crosse to make peace in heauen and earth these are so dangerous doctrines that I thinke no learned diuine will vndertake them Though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by that which he suffered saith the Apostle Now obedience could not breed diffidence but confidence and was the vertue that so highlie pleased God in Christ that hee was made the authour of eternall saluation vnto all that OBEY HIM A double sense then of Gods wrath Christ Iesus had The first that pursued his bodie vnto death on the trée where hee bare our sinnes that is the chastisement of our peace the STRIPES of our iniquities and VVOVNDES of our transgressions The next was the serious contemplation of that eternall and intolerable vengeance which the iustice of God had in store for vs by reason of our manifold sinnes whose danger and destruction touched him as néere through the tendernesse of his loue and pietie as if it had beene imminent ouer his owne heade And therefore euen sicke with sorrowe for vs trembling at the terror of Gods wrath prepared to reuēge our vnrighteousnes he neuer left SVVEATING VVEEPING and CRYING to God for vs that his stripes might heale vs his anguish excuse vs his death quicken vs and his person sustaine and suffer for vs whatsoeuer the iustice of God would laie on him till he was heard and allowed of God to offer the sacrifice that should propitiate the sinnes of the worlde In these paines and feares whiles hee felt the arrowes of God sticking in his flesh and sawe the terror of eternall death readie to swallow vp all his members we maie grant that the CONSOLATION and IOIE which the humane soule of Christ before had of his Fathers continuall presence and assistance was for the time somewhat diminished his heart being oppressed with sorrow his bodie afflicted with sharpe and bitter paine his soule besieged with feare and care for vs that neither the dreadful wrath of God ouerwhelmed vs nor the deceitefull fraude of Satan vndermined vs but by no meanes we maie admit in Christ either feare or doubt of his owne saluation nor forgetfulnes of his person or function but the harder the work he vndertooke the stronger his faith that performed it the more terrible our danger the more stedfast his loue that shrunke not from vs in so great extremitie Might not yet the soule of Christ in this constant and full assurance of Gods loue towardes him and mercie towards vs feele the torments of hell for the time without anie distrusting or doubting of his saluation or our redemption The essentiall torments of hell are the absolute losse of Gods kingdome without recouerie and exquisite sense of hell fire euerlastinglie without release Neither of these without horrible blasphemie can be imagined in the soule of Christ the ●est that are consequents to these as desperation murmuration darkenesse horrour and such other impressions are like to these and coulde no more haue place in Christes person then the antecedentes might And since it is no where witnessed in the Scriptures nor anie waie prooued that Christ suffered the paines of hell whie striue we to establish a méere conceite of men neuer written or spoken of before our age beare wee so small regarde to the Church of Christ and to all the learned fathers and teachers in the same that for thirtéene hundred yéeres no man euer knew or heard the right waie and true meane of our redemption and reconciliation to God till the paines of hell were latelie deuised Abuses and errours did by little and little creepe into the church by the wilinesse of Satan and wilfulnesse of men but that the gates of hell shoulde so much preuaile against it as from the Apostles time to this present age no christian should euer trulie teach or rightlie beléeue how we are saued by the crosse of Christ is to me so strange that I wil be ten times aduised before I will once admit it Let vs giue thankes to God for dispelling the mist of darkenes and ignorance that ouerspred the world vnder Antichrist but let vs neuer glorie that we first inuented a newe faith neither testified in the scriptures nor mentioned in anie ancient writers nor euer heard of amongst christians before our time It is no corne but cockle that springeth so late in the Lordes field it is no saith but fansie that neuer before was in y ● foundation of Christs church The simplicitie therfore of the scriptures continually PRESSING the DEATH and BLOVD of Christ as the TRVE CAVSES of our saluation redemption and the consonancy of all antiquity according therewith do so chalenge my faith and establish my hart that I will see this new deuise of hel paines suffered in the soule of Christ better warranted before I wish it to be beléeued And as for the doctrine of the church of England which some men would faine infect with this late fansie giue mee leaue men and brethren to admonish you shortlie but trulie that who so will reade the sermon of the saluation of al mankinde in the first volume of Homilies and likewise the two Homilies concerning the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ contained in the second tome of Homilies shall finde that the doctrine which I haue deliuered you hath the publike approbation of Prince and Parliament the consent and agreement of all the Bishops and the subscription of all the clergie of this kingdome to bee taught as truth in all the churches of this realme and so hath had as well in the daies of king Edwarde the sixt as all the time of her maiesties most happie raigne whatsoeuer some forward nouices haue told you to the contrarie And thus much let me speake in the Honor of her maiestie and this realme I see no cause why the doctrine of the church of England so plainelie warranted by the Scriptures so fullie confessed by all the Fathers so long continued in Christs church without contradiction so

sufficiently authorized so generally acknowledged should bee controlled or corrected either by the dangerous deuises of some late writers or by the vnsetled humours of some late teachers Hold therefore in Gods name close to the rules of the holie ghost close to the words of the christian catholicke Fathers close to the lawes of this realme they all concur and conioine together howsoeuer some giddie spirits haue lately buzzed in your eares that I impugned the doctrine of the church of England I Haue deliuered you foure effectes of Christes crosse the merite of his suffering which was infinite the maner of his offering which was bloudie the power of his death which was mightie the comfort of his crosse which was and is necessary for vs all there remaineth the glorie of his resurrection which was heauenlie of which I did not purpose to speake when I first entred this matter but the ignorance of some imagining I denied the Article of the Créede HE DESCENDED INTO HELL for descent but on the crosse they admit none and the zeale of others importuning me to knowe what they might safelie beléeue touching that article hath made me to change my mind and in this last part to shewe that I neither frustrate the faith nor alter the Créede by anie thing that I affirme or refuse Where to let you see the multiplicitie of mens wits and conceites there are foure seuerall opinions that take holde euerie one of this Article of our Créede and chalenge the true meaning thereof as their peculiar and vndoubted right The FIRST applieth it to the soule of Christ suffering on the crosse the SECOND to the bodie of Christ buried the THIRD to the state of Christes soule seuered by death from the bodie the LAST to the conquest and triumph which the humane soule of Christ had ouer hell by the glorie of his resurrection as his bodie had ouer death Which of these hath the best right and fittest sense to be an article of our créede wil appeare by comparison in the end and vpshot of all in the meane while I will shortlie sift them that you maie sée the substance of them and so be able the better to iudge of them The first is the verie same which I haue alreadie handled and refused as not consonant to the christian faith but rather repugnant to the dignitie certainty sanctity of Christs person coniunction communion with God The scriptures auouch that Christs SOVLE was IN HELL but not whiles he liued here on earth it was a consequent to his death and no part of his suffering on the crosse as I shewed before And since the times do so much varie there can be no truth in taking the one for the other In this life God sometimes suffereth the sorowes and feares of hell to besiege his seruantes and bringeth them euen vnto hell but his saints descend not into hell feare may humble them that would otherwise presume of themselues or make triall howe fast they stande on that foundation against the which the gates of hell shall not preuaile but this conflict of conscience must resolue on the assurance of Gods fauour except they yéelde themselues vnto to despaire In Christ as there was no vse so was there no place for anie such temptation There was in him no danger of pride to exalt him and therefore no neede of feare to depresse him no slacknesse or coldnesse coulde take holde of him and so no terror requisite to awake him from sleepe or inflame his zeale generallie there was in him no corruption of nature no infection of sinne no wauering of faith no want of grace no doubt of Gods fauour and so those dreadfull thoughts and feares of hell which amaze other could not arise within his heart but all the paines and griefes which the sonne of God felt in his pretious bodie or righteous soule as they were VOLVNTARY for our example and SATISFATORIE for our sinne and not MEDICINABLE for anie infirmitie of his nor PROFITABLE to bring him to perfection of holinesse as they are in vs so were they proportioned to his person that was most assured of Gods euerlasting loue and to his gifts that could endure no inward decrease and therefore hee must in this point differ from all the saints of God that euer were or euer shall be on earth For they may be tossed with the waues of temptation rising from the remembrance of sinne remorse of conscience but our Sauiour as he was frée from all touch of sinne so was he from all feare of heart that hee should or might bee reiected from Gods fauour or adiudged to euerlasting death Smart paine and griefe of bodie or minde be it neuer so great will commende his obedience and patience but the SENSE of damnation or separation from God or the FEARE or DOVBT thereof in Christ as they quench faith and abolish grace so they dissolue the vnion and communion of both his natures or else bréede a false perswasion and sinnefull temptation in the soule of Christ. In vs that haue infinitelie prouoked the iustice of God it is the true beholding what wee haue deser●ed if God be not pleased for Christs sake to pardon and forgiue vs In Christ that was perfectlie righteous and personallie ioyned with God there coulde bee no apprehension of hell paines as due vnto him or determined for him without renouncing his innocencie and leauing the vnitie of his person and consequentlie hee must find or feare that God would be inconstant and vniust which are more then hainous impieties For Christ coulde not FEARE or DOVBT his owne saluation but he must feare or doubt that either his humane nature should bee separated from his diuine or his diuine together with his humane bee cast into hell fier from which the Lord blesse the tongues and thoughts of al christian men As for Christs not remēbring in a maze that he was the son of God sauiour of the world is a seely shift to shun these inconueniencies I had rather simply deny then any way beléeue this kind of descending into hel Do I charge then anie man with vpholding these impieties God forbid I sée by their own words they purpose and professe by al meanes to decline them no doubt detest them but I confesse my dulnes that sée not how to auoide the one if I auouch the other If we take hell paines METAPHORICALLY for great and intolerable paines in which sense the word maie bee vsed then it is no daunger to saie Christ suffered on the crosse the paines of hell because there canne bee no doubt but HIS PAYNES were exceeding GREATE and more SHARPE then wee canne conceiue or vtter But this is not the meaning of the Créede in that Article hee descended into Hell by reason there are wordes before inferring the paynes which hee SVFFERED when hee was CRVCIFIED If wee attribute the sense of Gods wrath and feeling of hell paynes vnto Christ