Christ descended into the pit of the damned it hath no other warrant out of the woord but such as is builded vpon a woord of a double signification which standeth at the curtesie of the reader to take it as to him shall seeme probable Hill Héere you confesse that Augustine doubteth and yet you say that in the matter in controuersie betwéene you and me he doubteth not but proueth it by the Apostolicall and propheticall testimonies for he willeth vs to hold it firmissima fide with a most firme faith and saith that none but an Infidell will dony it He doubteth whether the Fathers were in hell or whether they were conuerted in hell by Christs preaching as some did affirme vntruly and many such like thinges little or nothing appertaining to the question we haue in hand But ad Dardanū he doubteth not Fo. 3. col 272. Fo. 10. col 1410. Fo. 3. col 213. 702. Fo. 6. 788. Fo. 10. 899. 989. In all these places and in many other he telleth without doubting that he descended into hell and the end why To strike a terror into the diuels and to triumph ouer them It pleaseth you to make your selfe merry with S. Augustines infirmity I pray God you will with Saint Augustine acknowledge your owne which by and by shal be laide before you You wonder at S. Augustine but we wonder at your teachers and you for you confesse S. Augustine to builde vpon Dauid and Peter and yet you labour to ouerthrow this building how deceitfullye it shall now appeare You say that hell signifieth the sorrowes of hell sometime I graunt it dooth Héereupon you make this argument sometime it signifieth the sorrowes of hell therfore it dooth so in the 16. Psalme I deny your argumēt and that you haue spoken an vntruth the holy Ghoste by Peters mouth shalbe a witnes against you For you say it is spoken of the sorrowes which Christ suffered vpon the crosse Peter saith it is spoken of the resurrection and in the resurrection I am sure Christ suffred no tormentes or sorrowes Peters interpretation is thus Act. 2. 32. He knowing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ that his soule should not be left in hell neither his flesh to see corruption Now then héere is an answere to your demaund these woords are spoken of the resurrection a matter of ioy and not of torments for Dauid saith in the person of Christ Therefore did my hart reioyce and my tung was glad And moreouer also my flesh shal rest in hope If Christ at this time did reioyce how was he sorrowfull if he were glad how was he tormented if he did rest in hope how was it true also that he was afflicted with torments And héere you vtter another vntruth that Christ did svffer his whole torments on the crosse which is most vntrue for he suffered some in the Garden when he said Math. 26. 38. My soule is heauye vnto death And some in Caiphas house aud some vnder Pilat but all his torments and sorrowes were ended on the crosse which I think you would haue said Last of all the woords of the text that commeth after aswell as the woords going before do proue that it cannot be spoken of Christs sorrowes for they are these Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnes of ioy and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore Sith then Dauid both before and after maketh mention of ioy and pleasures for euermore and as Peter saith these woordes proue the resurrection of Christ I maruaile how you dare to contradict the meaning of the holy Ghoste You speake not now contrary to Augustine or Ambrose or Hill but contrary to Dauid and Peter themselues you boast your selues to be the best Christians but I shal hardly beléeue you are better Christians then Dauid and Peter In the conclusion you vtter blasphemy for Sheol being taken sometime for the sorrowes of hell and sometime for the place of hell you say it standeth at the curtesie of the reader to take it as to him shall séeme probable Are Gods woords to be interpreted after our pleasure Hillary was of a better minde he saide as God was the author of the Scriptures so God must be the Interpreter he opened the wittes of the Desciples going to Emaus so let vs pray that he may open our wittes that we may perfectlye vnderstand the Scriptures Humes Sectio 5. That he neuer was there what better proofe would a man aske then Christs own woords Luc. 23. 46. Father into thy hands I commend my spirite And in another place Luk. 23. 43. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Where it is a world to see how men of your side do trouble themselues to put out this candle First you say that the place Into thy hands I commend my spirite was borrowed of Dauid and must be spoken of Christ in that sence as Dauid did vse it before him This we confesse and gather hereupon that Christs soule did no more descend into hel then Dauids did but say you his soule did not straite way ascend into heauen for he liued many yeeres after That maketh not to the question when his soule went to heauen but whether his soule which was still in the hands of God euer went to hell proue this and we will giue you the goale As for Dauid he hauing deuoured heauen in hope did not doubt to speake that in the present time which he was sure would come to passe shortly Furthermore seeing Dauid was a figure of Christ and spake many thinges of himselfe in Christs person which were more agreeable with the thing figured then with the figure you must think that these wordes were spoken of Christ who was straite way to cōmend his soule with these words vnto his Father Wherfore if you will answere this place you must bring proof out of the Scriptures that he which meanes to go to hell doth vse to commend his soule into the handes of God or els you shal neuer be able to darken the light of this Sonne without any cloud of Sophistry Hill Indéede if these woords were spoken in the present time some shew of truth were in your woords but in the Gréeke they are in y e future tence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father into thy hands I wil cōmit my spirite Now your argument is thus Christ commended his soule vnto his Father ergo immediatlye he went not downe to hell Héere is more in your conclusion then is in your premises You may conclude his soule went to heauen But not immedlatly for it went to hell as I haue proued before for hell in the 16. Psalme doth not signifie the sorrowes of hel but the place as I haue confirmed already Therefore it is better to translate I will commend then I doo commend as Stepanus on this place noteth Paule sayth Eph. 4. and 10. verse Now in that he ascended what is it but that he
therin are and the Sea and the thinges which therein are that time should be no more Therefore to day signifieth not a naturall or artificiall day for if there be dayes in heauen there be wéekes moneths yéeres and all manner of changes which is absurd but to day signifieth for euer as I will proue by many Scriptures First in the 2. Psal. 7. verse Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten thee euen so Act. 13. 32. 33. verses And we declare vnto you that touching the promise made vnto the Fathers God hath fulfilled it in vs their children in that he raised vp Iesus euen as it is written in the 2. Psalme thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee Héere the Apostle prouing Christ to be euerlasting alleadgeth these woordes thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thée And in the epistle to the Heb. 1. 5. prouing Christ to be higher then the Angels and from euerlasting he saith For to which of the Angels said he thou art my sonne this day begat I thee And most plainly Heb. 5. 6. Prouing that Christ liued for euer but the Priests of the Leuiticall order dyed he proueth the eternity of Christ thus So likewise Christ tooke not to himselfe this honour to be made a high priest but he that saide vnto him thou art my sonne this day begat I thee gaue it him He also in another place speaketh Thou art an high Preest for euer after the order of Melchisedec Héere the Apostle prouing Christ to be an euerlasting Préest and to giue eternall redemption vseth this woord to day which signifieth for euer as it is manifest in the 6. ver By these reasons therfore it is proued that with me signifieth with the Godhead 1. By the petition of the théefe for he asked the kingdome of heauen 2. By that which was forgiuen him his sinnes 3. By that which was giuen him that was glory 4. By the place where it was giuen him that was paradise 5. By the time for how long it was giuen him that is for euer Lastlye by the person that giueth it that is Christ who being euerlasting as I proued before forgiueth infinite sinnes giueth grace alwaies in his euerlasting kingdome and in all eternity for euer And of this iudgement is S. Augustine who answering the like obiection of the aduersaryes of this doctrine in his time this hath left in writing there is an other meaning also much more frée from all ambiguities if it be taken to be spoken not in respect that he is man but in respect that he is God to day thou shalt be with me in paradise for the man Christ was in respect of his flesh in the graue that day in respect of his soule in hell and the same Christ was God euery where and at all times The last place that is alleadged by y e gainsayers of this doctrine is the last spéech which Christ vsed vpon the crosse Luc. 23. 46. Into thy hands O Father I commend my spirite Out of which place they thus conclude that the soule of Christ was committed to his Father in heauen therfore it went not to hell which is a false consequence For they imagine héer that the hands of God signifieth heauen which cānot be proued out of this place For this scripture being a deriuatiue place out of the 31 Psalme and 5. verse teacheth vs this that as the soule of Dauid being the figure of Christ did not immediatly after this prayer goe to heauen but was guided by the hand and gouernment of the Lord in all maner of perils so it dooth not follow that the soule of Christ being committed into the hands of the father for these woords are spoken in respect of the manhoode of Christ should passe immediatly into heauen but should so be guided by the Godhead that it should passe through death and hell mightily without resistance naturally with out assistance spéedily without tarying and happily without any returning But for the better vnderstanding of this place you must note how many waies this woord the hand of the Lord is taken in the holy book of God that when we sée the diuers acceptation of the woord we may take that sence which most fitteth this Scripture First the hand of God signifieth the Sonne of God Psal. 144. 7. Send thy hand from aboue 2. For his power Psal. 136. 6. In a mighty hand out stretched arme 3. The bountifulnes of God Psal. 145. 16. Thou openest thy hand and fillest with thy blessing euery liuing creature 4. It signifieth consolation Ezek. 3. 22. The hand of the Lord was with me comforting me Sometime it signifieth grace Psal. 118. 16. The right hand of the Lord hath doone valiantly Sometime it signifieth the gifte of prophecye Ezek. 8. 1. The hand of the Lord fel there vpon me Sometimes it signifieth mercy Psal. 37. 24 Though he fall he shal not be cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Sometime it signifieth the protection of the Lord. Psal 31. 15. my times are in thy hand Sometime it sigifieth the aide of the Lord Nehe. 2. 8. And the king gaue me according to the good hand of my God vpon me And in y e 74. Psal. ver 11. Why withdrawest thou thy hand Somtime it signifieth y e punishment of the Lord. Iob. 19. 21. Haue pittie on me haue pittie on me aye my freends for the hand of God hath touched me It signifieth also the creation Psal. 102. 25. The heauens are the workes of thy hands Last of all it signifieth his gouernment Psal. 95. 4. In his hands are al y e corners of the earth Christ therfore commending his soule into the hands of the Father teacheth vs when we are dying or in any affliction which is gréeuous we must cōmit our soules to the power consolation mercy protection ayde and gouerment of the Lord. For this being a deriuatiue place is taken out of the 31. Psal. and 5. ver Therfore as the soule of Dauid did not immediatly after goe to heauen so did not the soule of Christ. For if he went vp immediatly then Christ did ascend before he did descend which is contrary to the Scriptures in many places In the Ephe. 4. 9. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth But if the soule of Christ went into heauen before he was buryed or descended into hell as the gainsayers of the doctrine stoutly affirme then he ascended before he descended which is contrary to this Scripture therefore good Reader marke these circumstances 1. Who must descend that is Christ. 2. Whether into the lowest partes of the earth which I haue proued before to be hell for as ascend and descend are contrary so is heauen and hell 3. When must he descend first before he ascend And thus as many learned men before
THE DEFENCE OF the Article Christ descended into Hell With Arguments obiected against the truth of the same doctrine of one Alexander Humes All which reasons are confuted and the same doctrine cleerely defended By Adam Hyll D. of Diuinity Magna est veritas praeualet AT LONDON Printed for William Ponsonbie 1592. To the right reuerend Father in God Iohn by the grace of God Archbishop of Caunterburye Adam Hyll Minister of the woord of God Wisheth grace peace and life euerlasting DIuers causes most reuerēd Father haue moued me to present this tretise vnto your grace The one because your grace hath been charged to defend an error maintaining this doctrine that Christ in Soule descended into hell The other for that there is like to be as great strife about the true vnderstanding of this Article in England as there was in Germany about the true meaning of This is my body For the better preuention whereof I thought it my parte though the vnwoorthiest of all the Ministers of the Church of England to set down in this short discourse a plain demonstration of the truth and a refutation of the contrary out of Gods Booke and godly Interpreters The last reason that hath moued me to evulgate these my labors is this I see diuers Ministers whome for their learning and life I do honor very often to preach against the true interprutation of this branche of our Creed wherby the Papist reioyceth the Atheist is hardned and the common sort of people deuiding themselues as they affection The Prechers do vpon this occasion striue more bitterly one against another then either of both do against our common aduersarye and by this meanes turning our swords into our own bowels we are a pray to our enemies and a scorne to the world If therefore this controuercie be not shortly by the prouidence of almighty God and your grace his ministery decided there will grow among vs enuy strife sedition and al manner of euill workes Sith then as there is but one God so there is but one truth My humble sute vnto your grace is that if the doctrine contained in this booke be Apostolicall It may be authorized to proceede and they that preach the contrary in this respect may haue their mouths stopped for if one builde and another destroy how can our building prosper if one gather and another scatter what profit will there be in our gathering sith it is more easie to destroy and scatter then to build or gather Agathon said Euery Gouerner must learne these 3. lessons the one that they rule men the other that they must rule by the laws the 3. that they shal not rule foreuer In that vnder her most excellent Maiestie you rule men you must vse continuall care and vigilancy In that you must rule by lawes you may not for feare of superior or multitude for loue of freends for hatred of enemy nor for desire of reward leaue the lawes of your Countrie vnexecuted In that you shall not rule for euer you are put in minde that you shall appeare one day before the God of order being the Iudge of the quick and of the dead who wil seuerely punish you for the disorders which are in the Church of England vnpunished except you endeuour as much as you can to reforme thē Some preach what they please some do what they fancy some liue as they list and the most are impatient of vniformyty for some weare surpleases and they are called Time seruers some gownes and they are like Citizens some clokes and they are like trauailers some Coates and they are like fugitiues Nazianzene saith in his oration of moderation to be vsed in diuine matters Confusion hath engendred thunders in the aire tremblings in the earth shipwrackes in the Sea warres and strifes in Cities and houses sicknes in bodies and sinnes in the soule So that by this learned mans iudgemēt the air the sea the earth euery house Cittie body and soule is ouerthrown by confusion For the purest things as the aire is it infecteth the calmest things as the sea is it troubleth the strongest thinges as Citties are it weakneth the richest thinges as the house is it impouerisheth the vnitedst things as the bodye is it serueth the holyest things as the soule is it profaneth God the giuer of all good gifts giue to our Church a beautifull order that he may dwell among vs least our puritye be turned to vncleannes our stedfastnes to tottering our peace to warre our strength to weaknes our riches to pouerty our vnion to ciuill discension and our religion to Atheisme For the head of this monster Confusion is the diuell the hart is enuy the eares are euill reporte the eyes are trouble and vexation the hands are vprore and sedition the feete are woe and destruction From the which God deliuer my sweete countrey for his sonnes sake Christ Iesus To whom with the holy ghost be all honor and glory for euer and euer Amen Your graces most bounden Orator Adam Hyll Christ descended into Hell THat Christ descended into hell it is an article of our faith and is to be beléeued as the rest of the articles are for it is proued by many and manifest Scriptures as it shal hereafter appeare The first Scripture that proueth that christ went down into hell is the 16. Psal. 9. 10. 11. verses Wherfore my hart is glad my tung reioyceth and my flesh also shall rest in hope for why thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither suffer thy holy one to see corruption thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnes of ioye and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore They that deny this place to proue the descending of Christ into hell say that the woord Nephesh or soule doth signifie the person of Christ and Sheol the graue But the place it selfe doth confute them for as in the 11. verse he sheweth the resurrection of Christ and his ascension so the 10. containeth his buriall and descending into hell from whence he did arise Some there be that deny that Nephesh the Hebrew word dothsignifie the soule seperated from the body but they are reproued in the 1. of King 17 ver 21. 22. where Elias thus praieth for his Hostesse childe O Lord my God I pray thee let this childes soule come vnto him again then the Lord heard the voice of Elias and the soule of the childe came into him againe and he reuiued wher Npehesh signifieth thesoule seperated from the body Carleil séeing this place to ouerthrow that which he goeth about busily toproue saith that this childe was not dead but in a swoune but the Sonne of Sirach saith otherwise Sir 48. 4. 5. O Elias how honourable art thou by thy wonderous deeds who may make his boast to be like vnto thee which hast raised vp the dead from death and by the woord of the most high out of the graue and
Paul saith Heb. 11. 35. Their women receued their dead raised to life Both these say the childe was dead therfore it is vntrue that Carleil affirmeth in his booke fol. 144. that the childe was not dead and as the wise man saith it was a wōderous déed but it is no wonder to quicken one that is in a swoun as Nephesh in this place doth signifie the soule so dooth it in many other places Pro. 23. 14. Thou shalt smite him with the rod and shalt deliuer his soule from hel Farther y t Nephesh signifieth the Soule it is manifest by this for y e interpreters called Septuaginta haue translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were in times past many Heretiques that did deny that Christ had a soule of whom Appollinaris was one against whom Athanasius thus writeth in his book of the wholsome comming of Christ neither his body was left in the graue neither his soule was left in hell for this the Prophet writeth Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell nor suffer thy holy one to see corruption And a little after for if the Godhead had béen seperated from the body and death had shewed his force on him how could the body depriued of the immortall God shew forth incorruption or how could the woord finish his going downe to hell or arise from hell Epiphanius writing against the Heretiques called Damaeritae vseth the same proofe haer 77. Fulgentius ad Thrasymundum in his 6. Chapter thus writeth concerning this matter whose flesh neither the diuinity forsooke in death neither did it leaue the soule in hell as the Prophet saith thou shalt not leaue my soule in Hell And in his 8. Chapter alleadging the 2. of the Acts 16. Psalm he addeth these words there blessed Peter being lightned indéede by the holy Ghost and made according to the woord of the Lord the light of the world did shew by the manifest light of preaching how we should vnderstand this place least any man in Christ should so vnderstand the true flesh that he should deny the true soule In this therfore the diuinity of Christ did shew his impossibilitie because hée is present alwaies and in all places and after an vnspeakable manner and was as concerning his soule in hel without sorrowes and as concerning his bodye laye in the Sepulchre without corruption for hee neither was absent from his flesh when he did not suffer his soule to be gréeued in Hell neither did he leaue his soule in hell when he kept his flesh in the graue without corruption But most plaine of all others is Ciril who in his book of the true faith to Theodosius the Emperour thus writeth it is not lawfull to saye that the flesh coupled to the Godhead could be subiect to the corruption at any time and y t diuine soule to be holden within the gates of hell for he was not left in hell as S. Peter saith For we may not saye that that nature which cannot be subdued by death that is the deitye of the onely begotten Sonne should returne from those dennes vnder earth neither should this thing haue any miracle vnlesse the Sonne of God by the efficacy and nature of the diuinity had tarried in hell fulfilling all things marueilouslye and aboue the reach of reason and working in all things for God is aboue measure place circumscription and magnitude he himselfe is comprehended of none This also is wonderfull that his body rose againe being corruptible by nature and his soule being vnited to the Godhead by the vertue and power of the Godhead did appeare to the soules that were there In these places Ciril Fulgentius and Athanasius doo proue y t Christ had a true body and a true soule and to proue that he was a true man in respect both of body and soule they alleadge this text of the 16 Psalm out of S. Peter If then Nephosh doth not signifie the soule the reasons of those learned Fathers were of no validitye And for this cause in the interlineall glosse you shall read this interpretation animam quam haheo vt verus homo My soule which I haue as a true man And thus M. Hutchinson in his most learned woork of the Image of God vseth this Scripture against the Arrians to proue that Christ had a true soule As then Athanasius Epiphanius Fulgentius and Hutchinson with all the rest of the auntient fathers doo vnderstand Nephesh heer to be the Soule euen so doo I with them séeing no reason why I should beléeue otherwise Peter Martyr in the 1. Cor. 15. teacheth vs a doubtfull place of Scripture must be interpreted First saith he it must be conferred with the like places of Scripture Secondly we must sée what the Fathers especially of the Gréek Church which day and night did exercise this book of God in their hands and conferred it with all the books they could doo write of it So haue I doone in handling this place First I haue proued by the woord of God that Nephesh signifieth y e soule seperate from the body Secondly by the Gréeke Fathers who translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the soule Mat. 10. 28. Feare ye not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the Soule but feare him that hath power to cast both bodye and soule into hell As Nephesh signifieth the soule so Sheol doth in the 16. Psalme signifie Hell this phrase of Scripture is in other Psalmes as in the 86. 13. For thy mercye is great towards me and thou hast deliuered my Soule from the nethermost hell and in the 9. Psalme verse 17. The wicked shal be turned into hell and al the people that forget God So in Deut. 32. 22. Iob. 21. 13. Psal. 30. 4. 54. 16 138. 8. Esa. 5. 14. Ose. 13. 14. Habac. 2. 5. Mat. 11. 23. In these and many other places of Scripture it can not be denyed but Sheol signifieth hell and so doth it in this place as by Gods grace I wil proue First Sheol com ming of Nephesh which is to ask signifieth such a place as ne uer is satisfied but alwaies asketh and this is most properly hel which albeit it hath receiued infinite soules yetas it is in y e 5. of Esay His mouth is alwaies open and gapeth for more Secondly it is translated by the Septuaginta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord fignifieth in the Scriptures hell alwaies and neuer the graue as yon may sée Mat. 11. 23. Luke 16. 23. Apoc. 1. 18. 6. 8. 20. 13. 14. And therefore to translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a graue which signifieth a place where nothing can be séene is a forced and false translation for sith the holye Ghost doth vse it alwaies for hell I meruaile how any man dareth to translate it graue Theophilact translateth it thus Non derelinques animam meam apud orcum Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell vsing the
reconciling the world to himselfe in Christ First desdescended into the lower partes of the earth then he led captiuity captiue and not only we are deliuered from the captiuity of Satan sinne and damnation but also Christ triumphing ouer them as tirants hath ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Uery aptly likewise doth Hemingius expound this place as by his death he conflicted with his enemy on the crosse so by his glorious descending into hell resurrection and ascention he triumphed as it is Ephes. 4. leauing his crosse lift vp as a monument of his victorye This then is an other end of Christs descending into hell to triumph ouer the diuell to strike perpetuall terrors into thē and to deliuer vs from the feare of their tiranny I end therfore with this worthy saying of Fulgentius to Thrasymunde in his 8. chapter the true humanity of the sonne of God neither was wholy in the sepulchre neither wholy in hell but in the Sepulchre he lay dead according to his true flesh but in his soule he descended into hell In his soule he returned from hell to the slesh which lay in the sepulchre but in respect of his diuinity he neither is holden in place nor lymited by bond he was wholy in the graue with his flesh wholy in hell with his soule and by this meanes was fully euery where Christ because God was not seperated from the humanity which he had assumpted which was both in soule in hell that from hell his soule might return a conqueresse and was with his flesh that by reason of his spéedy resurrection it might not be corrupted Therefore the sonne of God took all man with all his infirmities without sinne for vs and the same Christ was giuen wholy for vs in respect of his flesh he was dead but in respect of his soule he descended into Hell It is not vnknowne therefore that Eusebius Fulgentius Mollerus Musculus Hemingius with many others before by me named being accompted lightes of the world in their time haue confirmed this article of our faith by this Scripture which thing when we doo likewise we are reckoned to be deceiuers But God who knoweth our harts and intent knoweth that both by praier and study we trauell to know the truth in this controuersie and we are assured by his holy and eternall woord we stand therein An other place we haue in Scripture to confirme our position in the Epistle to the Ephes. 4. verse 9. 10. Now in that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth he that descended is euen the same that ascended farre aboue all heauens that he might fulfil all things For the better vnderstanding of this place you must note that in the Hebrew tung there are 7. names of Hell Scheol Auaddon Bor Schachath Bor Scheon Tit Haijáuen Thalmáueth Erets Tachtiioth Erets Tachtiioth then signifying the lowest partes of the earth sith it is an appellation for hell this place must néedes proue manifestly the descending of Christ into hell For as ascend and descend are cōtrary so are heauen and the lowest partes of the earth I will therfore procéede by Gods grace in the expounding of this place as I haue doon in the rest First I wil proue by conference of Scriptures that the lowest parts of the earth signifieth hell In the 63. Psalme and 9. verse the Prophet thus writeth Therfore they that seeke my soule to destroye it shall goe into the lowest partes of the earth And in Ezekiel 31. verse 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. the Prophet prophecying the destruction of the Assirians saith They shall goe down into hell which he calleth in y e chapter 3. times Ercts tachtiioth that is the lower partes of y e earth The like manner of spéech is in the praier of Manasses ver 12. O Lord condemn me not by reseruing euil for me neither condemne me into the lower parts of the earth And so is this place vnderstood by Ambrose writing on the same place in his exposition of the 4. chapter of the Ephesians this man therefore comming downe from heauen into the earth was borne a man afterward he died and descended into hell from whence rising the third day he ascended into heauen before all mortall men aboue all heauens that he might shew death to be vanquished to euery creature So doth Augustine interpret this place in his 15. booke of the Trinity and 19. chapter and Chrisostom on the 4. chapter of the Ephesians And Athanasius expounding this parcell of Scripture thus explaineth the Apostles meaning into what place did he descend into hell truely which he calleth according to the common opinion of men the lowest partes of the earte For as Chrisostome saith he went to the partes of the earth beyond which was nothing lower and from thence he ascended into the heauens then y e which nothing is higher And in hell as he bound the diuell with the bandes of his iustice and power that he should not herafter hurt any of his members so from heauen he giueth his Saints giftes that they may resist the diuell and tread him vnder their féet Those men of worthy memory which com posed the centuries doo auouch y e in fimae partes terrae that is the lowest partes of the earth do signifie hel and proue it out of this text Ephes. 4. And for this cause Hierome in this place thus hath concluded and so doo I with Hierome that hell is vnder the earth no man doubteth for he that descended in soule into hell ascended with body and soule into heanen For as much then as the learned and godly Rabbins the Fathers both Gréeke and Latin haue consented that these woords doo signifie hell and the circumstances of the text doo proue the same it must néeds be confessed of all godly men that this place dooth proue this article of our faith strongly and no refutation béerof can be made by any deuise of man For as ascend and descend are contrary so hell and heauen are contrary and Christ did begin his triumph in hell make shew of it in earth and now hauing all power in heauen earth and hell is set down on the right hand of God not only as a valiant conquerour that hath made his enemies his footstoole but also as a terrible iudge that hath condemned y e diuels and as a glorious King that ruleth all creatures for euer If any man will not beléeue S. Hierome that hell is beneath let him consider these 2. Scriptures the 86. Psal. ver 13. and Pro. 15. ver 24. For great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell The Hebrew phrase is Scheol Tachtiioth The other place is The way of life is on high to the prudent to auoid from hell beneath Now let vs examine the place of S. Peter who in his first Epistle and 3. chapter
the 18. 19. and 20. verses saith It is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well dooing then for ill dooing for as much as Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God and was killed as pertaining to the flesh but was quickened in the spirite in which spirit he also went and preached to the spirites that were in prison which sometime had been disobedient when the long suffering of God was once looked for in the dayes of Noah while the arke was a preparing wherein a few that is to say 8. soules were saued by the water For the better vnderstanding of this place because the woord spirite is diuerslye taken in the woord of God I will first set downe the diuerse acceptation of the woorde spirite and afterward by many vncontrollable reasons out of the text I will by Gods assistance confirme my assertion that Christ in soule descended into hell They that know not the signification of the woord spirite are often deceiued for somtimes it signifieth the wil and authority of a man as in the 1. Cor. 5 ver 3. I truly as absent in body but present in spirit c. Sometimes it is taken for doctors Prophets 1. Ioh. 4. 5. Proue the spirits whether they are of God or no Sometimes for a Ghoast Luke 24. 37. And they supposed that they had seene a Spirite Sometime for winde or breath as Ioh. 3. 8. the winde bloweth where it will Sometime for a voice or woord 1. Cor. 84. 15. I wil pray with the spirit I will pray with the vnderstanding Sometime for the life of the Lawe 2. Cor. 3. 17. Now the Lord is the life Sometimes it is taken for a kinde of deceipte whereby any pretendeth to haue a spirite of reuelation 2. Thes. 2. 2. Be ye not troubled neither by spirite neither by word nor by letter So is it taken in Micheas 2. 11. Sometimes it is taken for the animal life Psalm 104. 29. If thou take away their spirite they dye Sometime for wrath Pro. 25. and last verse A man that refraineth not his anger is like a Cittie which is broken down and without wals Somtimes for the gifts of the spirit first for ioy in the holy ghost Ephe. 5. 18. But be ye filled with the spirite Secondly for spirituall vnderstanding 1. Thes. 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirite soule and body may be kept blameles vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. So it is vsed Ephe. 2. 22. Thirdly it is vsed for seruencye of zeale sedulity and constancy 1. Timo. 4. 12. But be thou an ensample in word in cōuersation in loue in spirit Fourthly it is taken for the true doctrine of the Gospell which worketh effectually in our harts by the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 6. which hath made vs fit Ministers of the new testament not of the letter but of the spirit Where the letter signifieth the vtter preaching which toucheth not the hart Fiftly for a spirituall life Gal. 6. 8. He that soweth in the spirit shall in the spirit reap eternall life Sixtly it is taken for prophecy 1. Thes. 5. 19. quench not the spirit Which he interpreteth in the verse following despise not prophecying It signifieth sometime a thing of nothing Esa. 26. 18. We haue conceiued we haue borne in paine as though we should haue brought forth winde Sometime for euery creature that hath breath Psal. 150. and last verse Let euery thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Sometime it signifieth the diuine or immortal essence of y e soule Eph. 4. 4. There is one spirite Acts 7. ver 59. Stephen saith Lord Iesus receiue my soul. Somtime it signifieth God Ioh. 4. 24. God is a spirit And so the woord spirit is common to the whole 3. persons Sometimè it signifieth the holy Ghoste the 3. person in Trinity wherunto is alwaies put the Gréeke article Mat. 4. 5. Mar. 1. 12. Luc. 4. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Act. 8. 29. Because then the word hath so many significations we must proue by the circumstances of y e text what is héer his proper meaning They that say that by this place is meant Christs preaching in the spirit in y e time of Noah are many waies cléerely confuted First because that mortificatus and viuificatus two contrary particles of one tense are attributed to Christ so that Christ being dead was aliue and that at one time and in respect of his humanity Secondlye he sheweth how he was dead and how he was aliue by putting to mortificatus carne he was killed in the flesh and viuificatus spiritu he was quickned in the spirit or in the soule for to say the Godhead was quickned is a grosse error For as Augustine saith in his 99. Epistle it is very euident that the Lord killed as concerning the flesh went into hell Thirdly in his soule while he was yet dead in the bodye hée went downe into hell the Gréek woord is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which woord must néeds be vnderstood of the soule of Christ because it is a motion from vs to another place and not of the Godhead and therfore is vsed again in y e 22. verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went into heauen and thus proueth he the death of Christ in the 18. verse the descending of Christ into hell in the 19. verse his resurrection in the 21. verse and his ascending into heauen in the last verse Fourthly the Scripture doth straightlye ioyne together the passion of Christ with this perfection and preaching so that Christ went immediatly after his passion to preach to the spirits Neither dooth he deuide them as though now he did suffer preach long before for the resurrection and ascension héer spoken of succéeded this passion so did this iourney and going into Hell Fiftly the Scripture doth plainely attribute the preaching of Noah properly to the holy Ghoste not to y e second person as it appeareth Gen. 6. 3. My spirit shall not alway striue with man As all the scripture doth ascribe the doctrine and ministry of preaching to the 3. person and that the 3. person receiueth it of Christ doth speak by the mouth of holy Doctors inspireth the scripture and reproueth the world or comforteth Sixtly if the woord spirit must be vnderstoode of God héere of whom Christ is quickned as some would haue it it must néedes also be vnderstood of the first person that he preached in hell for the scripture attributeth the resurrection of Christ to the Father Last of all that we heap not to manye thinges in an euident matter the participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which were disobedient doth fignifie and plainely shew this inobedience to be long before this preaching so also the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in times past and all the annotation of time following
determining circumscribing the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is which were disobedient dooth altogither seperate the time of their incredulitye from the time of this iourneye and preaching For if the meaning of the enemies of this doctrine were true Peter would haue ioyned this annotation of time which the iourney and preaching of Christ and would haue said being quickned in spirit in the which in times past when the patience of God was looked for in the daies of Noah when the arke was a preparing he went and preached to the spirites now holden in prison But Peter ioyneth the time of disobedience not with the iourney or preaching of Christ but with the first incredulitye and preaching of Noah and on the other side knitteth together the prison with this iourney and preaching which if he would haue disioyned he would haue said to the spirits which are now in prison but he simply said he went and preached to the spirits in prison that is which thē were in prison whē he went and preached vnto them This also may be added that it is to no purpose to make mention of a prison or to name them the vnbeléeuing spirits or soules of y e olde world for Noah preached not to spirits or soules only but to whole and beléeuing men the woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot be taken for men endewed with bodies for Christ prouing his resurrection vseth these woords Luke 24. 39. Behold my hands and my feet for it is I my self handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me haue It was no néed also to shew where these vnbeléeuers are or be holden for this both maketh nothing to the matter and also would be vnderstood he holding his peace vnlesse it was the purpose of the Apostle to shew that y e soule of Christ went down to this prison that is to hell and so sheweth first that death parted them as in the 2. of the Acts. Secondly that the body was in the graue and the soule was in hell Thirdly that it was not in hell idle but did manifest his death to them which beléeued it to be but a fable to reproue their incredulitie and to captiue them that we should not feare them Fourthlye he did rise againe triumphing ouer them in his owne person Lastly he did ascend into heauen and there sitteth Lord of heauen and of the Angels of earth and of the inhabitantes of hell and of the very diuels For the diuels are of him imprisoned and chayned that they can doo no more then hee permitteth them Farther where as some doo affirme that there could be no preaching in hell because there is no conuersion to this I answere that this preaching was not vocal but real neither was there in this preaching edification exhortation or consolation but as it is saide before of Damascene a redargution or vpbrayding of those vnbeléeuing soules in this or the like manner beholde ye vnfaithfull and broodes of the serpent how in season and out of season my eight preacher of frée righteousues and other the Patriarkes haue often preached vnto you that there should come a blessed séed of the woman according to y e promise made vnto Adam that both should iustifie the beléeuers deliuer and saue them from the corporall and spirituall deluge and also that he should destroye the serpent with the vnbeléeuing séed for euer but to you being incredulous that promise was a fable But now beholde O ye wretches me to be exhibited of the true God and by my passion the head of Satan and his vnbeléeuing séede is broken and the worlde is ouercome and on the other side you shall be forced to know by liuely experience that the faithful are saued And to conclude you now doo beholde me the conqueronr of Satan and his members against your will and to your great sorrow in soule and shall sée me héereafter in the last iudgement both in body and soule And this manner of spéech is vsed in the Scripture that a verball preaching is put for the reall opperation of a thing so Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered vnto God a better sacrifice then Cain by the which he obtained witnes that he was righteous God testifying of his gifts by which faith he being dead yet speaketh So Gen. 4. 4. God saith vnto Cain the voice of thy brothers bloud cryeth vnto me out of the earth Abels bloud is saide to cry while truely by his example of true faith and of the doctrine of saluation and of martirdome yet dayly not verbally but really and effecttually by speaking he teacheth Last of al the word prison signifieth hell as we may sée in the names of hell Cent. 1. li 2. ca. 4. Now let vs sée the iudgement of the auntient and learned Fathers on this point and especiallye of the Gréeke Fathers Athanasius woords to Epictetus Bishop of Corinth are cited by Epiphanius in the heresie of the Dimerites haer 77. The bodye of Christ was laide in the graue when he went to preach to the spirits that were in Prison as Peter saith Athanasius in his book of the incarnation of the world hath thus written In the death of Christ his body being carried into the graue his soule went into hell the places being far a sunder and a little after he saieth for death could not preuaile on his humaine soule to tye him there neither corruption by tiranny inuading his bodye could shew his force on him to putrefaction as thinges not wel séene vnto For to think so of him were a wicked thing and euen as Adam had a double punishment inflicted on him for his disobedience the one was on his body earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne again and so by this decrée the body of the Lord departed to the earth the other on his soule thou shalt dye the death héerof it commeth to passe that man is diuided into two partes and is condemned to departe to two places and therefore it was necessarye that by the selfe same iudge which had made this decrée that he by himselfe being vnder the colour of a condemned man shewing himselfe vncondemned and sincere from sinnes should frée from that sentence all beléeuers The like hee hath in his tracte against Appollinarius of the wholesome comming of Christ and in his Sermon against all heresies You sée good Reader how Athanasius a very auntient Father in the Gréek Church shewing the cause of Christs descending into hell proueth out of Gen. that as our body was punished by death for sinne so was our soule and for this cause both partes in Christ must descend that our soule may be deliuered from hell and our body rise to glory For as Fulgentius writeth in his 3. book and 7. chapter to King Thrasimunde he did know that God the suscepter of whole man was wholy with his flesh in the graue wholy with his
2. sinne 3. al the miseries of this life 4. death death is vanquished but not wholy taken away and againe death is vnarmed but not extinguished For albeit they are not felt yet they are as a Serpent without poyson and as a Bée without a sting this he manifesteth by a prittie similitude As poyson first infecteth the vaines 2 the bloud 3. the members and last of all the hart so the Diuell and all our enemies are by little and little dayly subdued but in the day of iudgement shall be vtterly conquered and cast downe for euer so that euerye Saint shall sing O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victorye the Scriptures as Musculus noteth writing on this place sometime speaketh in the preterperfect tense sometime in the present tense sometime in the future tense therfore Christ both hath abolished dooth abolish and will abolish death he hath abolished death by dying for our sinnes not that it should be no more but that it should no more destroy the faithfull he doth abolish it while he doth translate his Saints from death to life and he will abolish death for euer in the end of the worlde For then shall that saying be fulfilled Apoc. 21. 4. There shall be no more death As by all that hath béene spoken it is manifest that the death of Christ dooth not take away the iudgemēt wherin all our enemies shal be for euer and vtterly ouerthrowe so it doth not take away his descending into hell wherby he strake a terror into the diuell and all the hellish Spirites Therefore as Bude saith then shall there be no contention of death which now is and maketh vs to sigh for our defect for the mutability of thinges for the frailtye of mans flesh temptations striue with vs daily pleasures striue with vs dayly and although we consent not yet are we troubled by resisting pleasures the enemy dieth not but in the resurrection of the dead By all these reasons it is manifest the Diuell is chayned but not cast out vtterly that the gilt of sinne is taken away but the matter remaineth that as we haue many sorrowes in this life so we haue greater comfortes that death albeit he is vnarmed yet his neck is not broken and so the destroying of death dooth no more take away the descending into hell then it dooth the resurrection ascenfion and comming of Christ vnto iudgement All which must néeds be in our Sauiour to the vtter and euerlasting ouerthrow of our enemies An other Scripture which they alleadge is the saying of Christ to the théefe on the crosse Luk. 22. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Héerupon they frame this argument to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise therfore the soule of Christ and of the théefe went both that day to heauen They that so conclude are deceiued in two things the one is in that they imagine this woord me to signifie the soule of Christ which signifieth the Godhead the other in that they take this woord to daye to signifie the space of 12. or 24. houres which indéed signifieth for euer both these shal be strengthened by Gods grace with proofes First the circumstances of the place doo proue these thinges most euidentlye For what dooth the théefe aske deliuerance from the gilte of sinne from the cursse of the lawe from the wrath of God from the terrors of death from the tormentes of hell and the tirannye of of the diuell He asketh not only forgiuenes of his sinnes but that he may be a new creature that the righteousnes of God may be giuen him that he may haue the adoption and liberty of Gods children and so after his death glory honour peace and immortality that is familiarity with God he asketh to be an heire with God and a ioynt heire with Christ for euer In one woord he asketh a kingdome pure in righteousnes perfect in peace perpetual in ioy Who can forgiue sinnes but God only Mar. 2. 7. Who can giue this kingdome but God and therfore these woords with me signifie the Godhead and not the soule of Christ as some 〈◊〉 haue it And so all the Fathers that euer I read vnderstoode it and the new writers also Hierome on these words writeth thus Christ brought the théefe from the crosse into Paradise least any man should think conuersion to be too late at any time he made the punishment of homicide martyr dome the truth being accounted among the wicked he left th'one on the left hand and tooke the other on the right hand as he will doo in the day of iudgement Where I note that Christ did on the crosse as he will doo in the day of iudgmēt that is seperate the bad from the good and cast the wicked into hell which is the office of the Godhead Psalm 7. 11. God iudgeth the righteous and him that contemneth God euery day And in the 2. Tim. 4. 8. From hence foorth is laide vp for me the crowne of righteousnes which the lord the righteous iudge shal giue me at that day not to me only but to all them also that loue his appearing Augustine hath y e like saying also vpon this place the crosse if you marke it was the iudgement seate the Iudge was set on the middle the one théefe which beléeued was deliuered the other which blasphemed was condemned To saue and condemne is the office of God and therefore must néeds be vnderstoode of the Godhead So saith Ambrose in his Sermon of the holy théefe he sawe him hanging on the crosse and praieth to him as though he were sitting in heauen he séeth him cōdemned and yet he praieth to him as to a king So Ferus on the 27. of Mat. Thou shalt be with me which am euery where which am all in all To be with me therfore is not spoken of the soule of Christ but of the Godhead Damascene saith to speake more expressely he was in the Sepulcre according to his body and in hell according to his soule but as God he was both in Paradise with y e théefe and in the throne with the Father aud the holy Ghost And as with me signifieth the Godhead so to day fignifieth for euer For as Aristotle noteth in his Metaphisicks in aeternis non est tempus In eternall thinges there is no time for time is the measure of those things which are subiect to motion now in hell all shall suffer in earth all must labour so in heauen all must rest Apoc. 12. 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord euen so saith the Spirit for they rest from their labours aud their woorks follow thē For where no mutation is there is no time and for this cause Apoc. 10. 6. it is said And he sware by him that liueth for euermore which created the heauens the things that therin are and the earth and the things that
ye enuyous Iewes ye doo with a shameles face saye to Christ Ioh. 8. 13. Thou doost beare witnes of thy selfe and thy witnes is not true Yet that the trueth of the Maiestye of God may apeare besides so many excellent consents of witnesses euery creture hath séemed to giue testimony to christ their creator Did not the heauen giue witues when as a new Starre in the new generation of a man did as it were with his tung or hand point to God was born a man for al nations did not the sea giue testimony to him when forgetting her selfe after a sorte the liquide humor soliditye being receiued carried the liuely steps of their Lord that it might be fulfilled which is written Psa. 77. 19. Thy way is in the sea and thy paths in the deep waters When the seruant of Christ being wise about himselfe that they might shewe what difference is betwéene the creature and the creator the water had swallowed vp Peter in the flouds vnlesse the Lord of all things had reached him his hand being ready to be drowned did not the earth giue him testimonye when being mingled with his spittle he annointing with it the eyes of the borne blinde restored light to him that saw not and by his woorkemanship like an Artificer he repaired that which he had not out of the dyrte of the earth which made all men out of the earth before did not thinges vnder earth giue testimony vnto Christ when léesing their right they yéelded vp Lazarus whole whom they had taken to be corrupted and kept him 4. dayes y t they might render him safe when they heard the voice of the Lord commanding and in the end thus concludeth O Iudaei daemones qui corda vestra possiderunt dixerunt scimus qui sis quid venisti ante tempus perdere nos the diuels which haue possessed your harts haue sayde We know who thou art why comest thou before thy time to destroy vs Mark 1. 24 Euen as the heauen the sea the earth things vnder earth and the diuels did confesse him to be the Sonne of God in this life so in his death as the same Father noteth the heauen was darkned the earth did moue the vaile of the Temple is rent the stones did cleaue asunder the graues are opened the diuels at the presence of Christ doo tremble and euery diuell in hell confesseth Iesus Christ to be the Lord to the glory of God the father Phil. 2. 10. If then we be led by the woord of God as we should be then I hope I haue sufficientlye proued this article by the blessed woord of God if Fathers al both gréek and Latin teach this doctrine to be true If we estéeme the iudgements of the Ministers of the reformed Churches if the aduersaries of this doctrine haue one to stand in their side we haue fiue on ours if we reuerence the authority of the Synode or conuocation of England they allow this ascertion If we honour reuerend antiquity this doctrine is most auntient for it hath béen deliuered not onlye of late by Nowell Beecon Fox Hutchinson Lamier Peter Martir Hipperius Pomeranus Lucas Lossius Aepnius and Luther But in times past by Augustine Ambrose Hierome Cyprian Fulgentius Vigilius Oecumenius Atha nasius Epiphanius Cyrill Ignatius Yea it is deliuered by Peter and Paul themselues and this antiquity ioyned with verity is very strong as Cyprian saith All these before named with infinite others which for breuities sake I omit were the deuout faithfull learned and zealous defenders of Gods faith and for this cause were hated reuiled persecuted or murdered And besides all these not only Zacharye Dauid and Esau foretolde of this descending into hell but as you haue heard before Sybilla being a Prophitesse of the Heathen And as S Augustine truely noteth not only the creatures in heauen in earth and in the graues but also the very diuels haue confessed it which those that are possessed with diuels as the Iewes Seruetus and Carleil doo denye stubbornlye without relenting and desperately without repenting and obstinately without ceasing notwithstanding all those honourable witnesses of Prophets Apostles Martyrs and Fathers before by me alleadged Ioshua saide to the Israelites Ios. 24. 15. And if it seeme euill to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serue but I and my housholde wil serue the Lord. So let others beléeue as they list I and all those that beléeue my doctrine will beléeue this article litterally as it lyeth and as we beléeue the rest For if hell héere should be taken metaphorically as some wil haue it so may you allegorise the whole créed as doo the Heretiques and so ouerthrow the whole substance of our faith Besides no hell being in our Créed men will not beléeue there is any hell at all as doo the greatest parte of the worlde as their blasphemous mouthes and abhominable liues declare the same euery where Wherfore I exhort all men with S. Augustine in this sorte epist. 99. ad Euodium therefore let vs holde most firmelye which our faith hath being confirmed with most grounded authoritye that Christ dyed and was buried and rose againe the 3. daye and all other things which are written of him amongst which also this one is that he was in hell And againe who but an infidel will deny Christ to haue béen in hell but because I know the Papists dooth reioyce to sée this schisme in the Church of England therefore let them well vnderstond that it hath alwaies béene so and so will be vnto the worlds end Theophilus called Epiphanius an archheretique Hierom thus writeth to S. Augustine in his 9. Epistle in thy Epistle I haue iudged somethings to be heriticall And Augustine to Hierome writeth thus take vpon you the seuerity of a Christian to correct and amend your woorke and to recant Bonifacius saide that Augustine and other Bishops of Africa were inspired with the diuel Clemens Alexandrinus stromatum li. 7. saith that the Gentiles did thus vpbraid the Christians ye Christians disagrée among your selues and you haue sects and albeit all doo challenge vnto themselues the title of christianity yet one of you doth curse and condemne the other Wherefore your religion is not good nor came from God as the Gentiles did vpbraide the Christians so now the Papists the Protestants saying as the heathen did say in Chrisostoms time in Act. homil 3. the Gentile commeth and saith I would gladly be a Christian but I know not to whom I may cleaue what opinion I may chuse or what I may preferre all say I say the truth But as that was no lawfull excuse for the heathen in those dayes no more is it for our Papists now in these daies but rather because we haue enemies on euery side they ought to beléeue that we are the tossed ship of Christs Church and we are the souldiours of our Captaine Iesus which must fight against all Heretiques and schismatiques we are the
Yorke and being requested to deliuer my iudgement in the matter not by M. Chalfoult but by one Richard Woodlands to set vnity betwixt my brethren and not to warre against M. Wisedome in the feare of God and not to please you or your friend or any other man I layd downe my iudgement and gaue vp my Sermon in writing to M. Wisedome crauing an answere to the whole and not to some part of it Now you haue made an answere to some how truly it shall appeare and other things you haue left vnanswered for what cause let the reader iudge In the end you charge me with wit which is small with eloquence which is none and with my promise which I will kéepe most willinglie hoping that you will kéepe yours Humes Sectio 2. Wherefore to grow to the matter I see no cause why you should thinke better of Augustine and Ierome then of Beza and Caluine for they were all but men and they which now are old were sometimes new They had no better warrant of Gods spirit than these and errors in those dayes were so thicke sowen that there grew darnell in the best fieldes euen of them whome wee most admire I speake not this to discredit the Fathers but to proue that they were no Gods They were no doubt the good instruments of our louing God to maintaine his truth against his enemies but they were but men you can not deny but the best of them had his steynes and must confesse that God is infinitely wise who did before hand ordaine it least we might honor them for Gods and set their writings in the place of his eternall word whereof one iot shall not passe though heauen and earth perish Hill Two arguments you make against Augustine and Ierome The one is they had errors and therefore their interpretation not to be admitted The other is the time wherein they liued was corrupt and for that cause they are not to be alledged in a controuersy of Diuinitie The same argument I make against all new writers All new writers haue errors and they liue in a most corrupt time wherein as Christ saith shall be many false Prophets and many false Christs to deceiue the very elect if it were possible Math. 24. 24. Therefore because men are vaine and the time corrupt we must beléeue no man You argue ab accidente ad subiectum For Augustine and Ierome to erre it is an accident but the substance of all Fathers is to beget men in the word of truth 1. Cor. 4. 15. And for this cause Augustine himselfe willeth vs not to beléeue him vnlesse he bring the word of God Truly sayth Augustine I do desire not only a godly reader but a frée corrector in all my writings especially in those things where there is great doubt but as I will not haue him to be geuen vnto me so I will not haue him to be giuen to himselfe let him not loue me more then the Catholike faith As I say to him beléeue not my sayings as Canonicall Scriptures but beléeue stedfastly when thou hast found that which thou beléeuedst not but beléeue not firmely that which thou hast not séene out of Gods word So I say to him do not correct my writings by thine owne opinion or of contention but by the word of God by the reason thereof vncontrouleable And against Cresconius the Grammarian he thus writeth lib. 2. cap. 32. I am not moued with the authoritie of this epistle but I cousider them out of the Canonicall bookes and if they agrée with the word of God I receiue them with praise if they disagrée I refuse them with peace The like he hath Epist. 3. and Epist. 112. And Ierome ad Theoph. is of the same iudgement I knowe that I estéeme otherwise the Apostles and otherwise other interpreters these men speake truth alwayes these men in some things do erre sometime These Fathers themselues confesse themselues to be but men and will vs to beléeue them no farther then they agrée with Gods word Therefore they building vpon Christ aswell as your new ought to be beléeued rather in this point than they for what they wrote in this controuersy the same did all other godly Interpreters both Gréek and Latin hauing a good warrant from Gods word But those of your side write contrary to Gods word to the auncient Fathers yea and contrary to the new Fathers namely Luther Selueccer Chytraeus Pomeran Aepinus Lucas Lossius Alesius Aretius Peter Martyr M. Fox and M. Nowell Therefore because Augustine and Ierome agrée both with the old and new writers and especially with the word of God I like better of them teaching the affirmatiue then of any other labouring to prooue the negatiue To end therefore you must note this that all sayings of the Fathers either they are demonstratiue out of the Scriptures and then they are the voyce of God or else probable and these are the voice of man or else false and then they are the voyce of the Serpent Humes Sectio tertia Their weakenes is no where more apparant then in this matter that we haue now in hand for Ierome ioyneth his opinion herein with a palpable error that Christ descended to deliuer the Fathers which to that day had bin in prison Augustine is not far behinde him who though he confesseth that the Fathers were in ioy with Abraham and Lazarus yet after some long disputatiō whether he did deliuer all or some and why these more then those at length he concludeth that he did deliuer whom he himselfe thought good For after that they had once conceaued that he descended into Hell there followed which could not choose many inconueniences There was not one of them dreamed that which you auouch that he descended into hell there to triumph or bind the diuels or to augmēt their sorrows by shewing them from what grace they had fallen Hill You write that Ierome Augustine did hold a palpable error that is that Christ descended to deliuer the Fathers I hope you will not deny but the Fathers haue their deliuerance by Christ from hell therefore by the merits and works of Christ who I am sure conquered both death and hell Therefore where you proue that Augustine Ierome do erre I will leaue them as I said before but wherein they speake the truth I will praise God for them But let vs see how many wayes the scripture may be corrupted that is by adding altring and diminishing Eue in the third Chap. of Genesis taught all her childrē so to do for in the 3. verse thus she saith But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the gardē God hath said ye shal not eate of it neither shall ye touch it least ye dye First she changeth the word of God for God sayth Gen. 2. 17. of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt not eate Those words of the trée of knowledge of good and euill she changeth
putteth in for them in the midst of the garden Farther God said they should not eate of it she added that they might not touch it God said they should surely dye Eue said least we dye héere she diminished the scriptures If then the Fathers haue added to the scriptures that the Fathers were set out of hell there I leaue them And if you change hell into graue as you doo in the 16. Psal Act. 2. I will leaue you also for I stande not vpon mens sayings but vpon the word of God But where you boldly affirme that not one of the Fathers haue déemed that which I say you shewe your selfe either to be malicious in hiding the truth or else so ignorant that you haue not read the Fathers for diuers both old and new are of my iudgement Ambrose on the fourth Chapter of the Ephesians thus writeth Christ therefore comming downe from heauen into the earth was borne a man afterward he died and descended into hell from whence rising the third day he shewed death vanquished to euery creature Augustine de tempore in his 137. sermon and in his third sermon of the resurrection thus sayth Hell did restore him as a conquerour and the Heauens did receaue him as a triumpher And in his second sermon he saith thus Behold you haue heard what our defender the God of vengeance is said to haue done fréely For after that he was exalted that is was hanged of the Iewes on the crosse that I may touch these things briefely assoone as he had giuen vp the ghost the soule vnited to the deuinitie descended into the bottome of hell and when he had touched the band of darkenesse as a fearefull and glorious spoyler the wicked and hellish Legions were afrayde and trembling began to enquire saying Who is this dreadfull and glorious man Eusebius writing of the resurrection of our Sauiour hath the lyke We must knowe that in the selfe same houre wherein our Sauiour bowing his head gaue vp the ghost his body béeing left in the graue his Soule with the Diuinitie went downe to triumph ouer Hell Fulgentius writing to King Thrasymund in his third booke and eight Chapter not dreaming but well aduised thus writeth The true humanitie of the Sonne of God neyther was wholie in the graue nor wholie in Hell but in the Sepulcher he lay dead according to his true fleshe but in his Soule descended into Hell In his Soule he returned to the flesh which lay in the Sepulcher but in respect of the Deuinitie which neyther is holden in place nor limited by bond he was wholie in the graue with his flesh and wholie with his Soule in Hell And by this meanes was fully euery where Christ because God was not seperated from the humanitie which he had assumpted which was both with his Soule in Hell that from Hell his Soule might returne a Conqueresse and was with his flesh that by reason of his spéedie resurrection it might not be corrupted I haue héere alleaged the olde which disprooue your assertion for all these accord with mée Now to these will I adde also the iudgements of some newe Writers Mollerus a very learned Minister of Germany on the 16. Psalme thus teacheth Christ would shewe his victorie in a certaine sort ouer the Diuells to strike perpetuall terrors into them and to take away from vs the feare of their tyrannie To this agréeth Musculus on the sixtie and eight Psalme This GOD which was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe first descended into the lowest partes of the earth then he led captiuitie captiue and not only wée are deliuered from the captiuitie of Satan sinne and damnation but also triumphing ouer them as Tyrants he hath ascended aboue all heauens to fulfill all things The same learned Father interpreting the second Chapter of the Colossians thus hath There are some that be perswaded it is an absurditie if it be sayd that Christ did triumph ouer the principalities and powers but if all these things be attributed to God the Father that he did them with Christ and in Christ we may truly reade héere triumphing ouer them in his owne person In like sort dooth Hemingius expounde this place in the second Chapter of the Colossians As by his death he conflicted with the Diuell on the Crosse so by his glorious descending into Hell Resurrection and Ascention he triumphed as it is Ephes. 4. leauing his Crosse lift vp as a monument of his victorie So doth M. Fox vnderstand this place in a booke which hée hath written entituled Christus triumphans Therefore in this behalfe you haue tolde a manifest vntruth wherefore I shall thinke you will scarce haue care to set forth the truth of God when you will presumptuously vtter such an vntruth which may be reproued by so many and honourable witnesses Farther héere you leaue out at your pleasure two other endes of Christs descending into Hell which I taught in my Sermon the one is the manifestation of his death the other is our deliuerance from Hell Playne dealing ought to be in this case and therefore I exspect it at your hands Humes Sectio 4. But if you will see how doubtfull Augustine was in this point I pray you reade his 99. Epistle to Euodius where you shall finde many his doubts and almost no other thing affyrmed for certaintie but only that hee doubteth not that Christ went to Hell building vpon the wordes of the Prophet Dauid and the Apostle Saint Peter Thou wilt not leaue my Soule in Hell nor suffer thy holie one to see corruption Where I can not choose but wonder what should moue so worthy a wit and so learned followers of him seing it is apparant that the word doth signifie aswell the sorrowes of hell as the place of hell in the scripture to passe by that significatiō of the word which the whole church of Christ cōfesseth to be true that our Sauiour did suffer vpon the Crosse whole torments of hell for our redemption and to fall vpon that signification which hath slender proofe and led them iuto such streites as Augustine himselfe cannot escape Whosoeuer doubteth that the name of hell is vsed in the Scripture for those sorrowes let him read that of 1. Samuel 2. 6. The Lord killeth and makaeth aliue he casteth downe to hell and bringeth vp againe Or that of Dauid Psal. 30. 3. Thou hast brought my soule out of Hell Or that of Ionas 2. 2. I haue called to thee out of the bowels of hell And many other places where the woord can not signifie the pit of hell whence there is no redemption but the sorrowes of hell which the Saintes of God did suffer in this life Now seeing this is so I would fain know of you good M. Hill why we may not more safely take the woord Hell in that signification which you cannot deny then you in that signification which the better parte of Christians do take to be false For that
first descended into the lowest parts of the earth He that descended is euen the same that ascended farre aboue all heauens to fulfill all things Now if the same Christ did first descend which did ascend then he descended in soule and body as he ascended in soule and body For both these must be effected in a wonderfull maner for they are reconed by Salomon amongst the most stupendious works of the Sonne of God Prou. 30. 4. Who hath ascended vp to heauen descended who hath gathered the winde together in his fyst who hath established all the ends of the world By this scripture I inferre that to ascend and descend are as miraculous works as to create gouern the world But if the soule of Christ did go to heauen immediatly as you affirme contrary to this text then the descending of Christ had not bin so maruelous as his ascending Besides as you after alleage there is but one ascending but if Christs soule first went to heauen and then his body then were there two ascensions But euen as Christ was but once borne and once dyed and was once buried and once rose from the dead and but once commeth into iudgement so as Cyprian saith in his Sermon of the ascending of Christ Christ did once descend into hell they shall sée God no more on the crosse nor they that are damned in hell Wherefore may it please you to accept the iudgement of Athanasius a Gréeke Father and a man persecuted for the truths sake by the Arrians he in his Créede saith thus who suffred for our saluation and descended into hell And interpreting the third Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians he writeth Satan was enuious against our Sauiour for he killed him not knowing that it would make against himself for Christ after his crosse going downe into hell hath vāquished death because he knew not sinne he could not be holden of death Thus you sée that not only Hill Augustine Ierome doo say that Christ after he had vtterd these words into thy hands I will commend my spirit but Athanasius a gréeke father who better then you vnderstood the meaning of these words Therfore it is a wonder to sée how those of your side labour to extinguish this euerlasting light of Gods truth and set vp a consuming candle of your owne making Where you teach that Christs Soule did no more descend into hell then Dauids did therein you are deceaued for Christ was to deliuer vs from hell and Dauid also wherefore if Christs soule had not gone to hell Dauids must and mine and yours And for this cause as you say they are true in Christ figured but not in Dauid the figure And héerevpon Peter thus reasoneth that they could not be true in Dauid For Christs soule was in hell and yet not tormented and his body in the graue but not corrupted Whereas Dauids body saw corruptiō and if his soule had gone to hell it had found no redemption Therefore to be in graue and returne without corruption and to be in hell and returne with conquest of the diuell were two peculiar things to the Sonne of God and not to any other of the sonnes of men And héere you vtter an other blasphemy that Christs soule had no other prerogatiue then Dauids soule for by y e same reason you may argue that Christs body had no greater prerogatiue then Dauids body for as this is false so is the other For as Athanasius saith in his booke of the incarnation of the word Death could not preuaile on the humane soule of Christ to tye him there neither corruption inuading his body by tiranny could shew her force on him to putrefaction as things not well séene vnto for to thinke so of him so were a wicked thing for euen as Adam had a double punishment inflicted on him for his disobedience the one was on his body earth thou art and to earth thou shalt returne and so by this decrée the body of the Lord departed vnto the earth but to the soule he said Thou shalt dye the death Hereof it cōmeth to passe that man is deuided into 2. parts and is condemned to depart to 2. places and therfore it was necessary that the selfesame Iudge which had made this decrée that he by himselfe being vnder the colour of a condemned man should frée from that sentence all beléeuers Héere you sée by this learned Father that Christs soule went to hell to deliuer our soules from hell and his body to the graue to deliuer vs from death and by this meanes both body and soule personally and not potentially as you teach working our deliuerance from death hell haue those prerogatiues which Dauids soule and body had not And for this consideration though the one was in the graue the other in hell yet both were in the hands of the Lord. Héere then we must learne what the hands of the Lord do signifie Sometime the hand of God doth signifie the Sonne of God Psal. 144. 7. Send thy hand from aboue Sometime it signifieth the power of God Psalm 136. 12. With a mighty hand and outstretched arme Thirdly the bountifulnes of God Psal. 145. Thou openest thy hand and fillest euery liuing thing with thy blessing Fourthly it signifieth consolation Ezec. 3. 22. The hand of the Lord was with me comforting me Fiftly grace Psalm 118. 16. The right hand of the Lord hath done valiantly Sixtly it signifieth the gift of prophecie Ezec. 8. 1. The hand of the Lord fell there vpon me Seuenthly mercy Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall he shal not be cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Eightly the protection of the Lord Psal. 31. 15. My times are in thy hand Ninthly the aide of the Lord Psal. 74. 11. Why withdrawest thou thy hand Tenthly the punishment of the Lord Iob. 19. 21. Haue pity on me o yee my friends for the hand of the Lord hath touched me Lastly it signifieth the gouernment of the Lord Psal. 95. 4. In his hand are all the corners of the earth This place therefore must néedes haue this construction into thy consolation mercy protection and gouernment I will commende my soule I hope you your selfe commende your soule into the hands of God euery day but yet you minde not to goe to heauen immediatly So said Dauid Psal. 30. 5. Into thine hands I commende my spirit but he went not to heauen in many yeares after neither did Christ ascend into heauen in many dayes after but went downe to hell where it was in the protection and gouernment of the Godhead which as you confesse descended into hell For as we being in the damned world are in the protection and hand of the highest so Christ being in the place of the damned after a wonderfull manner was also in the Lords aide and protection by meanes whereof he hath wrought our deliuerance from hell Therefore proue you that Christ went straitway to heauen and you
day haue I begotten thee as he also in another place speaketh Thou a preest for euer after the order of Melchisedech Héere Dauid and the Apostle doo take this woord to day to signifie for euer And so dooth S. Augustine and M. Hill against all the gainsaiers of it in the world For the circumstances of the place doo strongly conuince it For what doth the théefe aske forgiuenes of his sinnes who can forgiue sinnes God onely He asketh for grace who is the giuer of all Grace God only he desireth glory who giueth glory and life euerlasting God only That God only forgiueth sinnes it is proued Mar. 2. 7. That he is the giuer of all grace it is manifest 1. Pet. 5. 10. That God only giueth glory and life euerlasting it is euident 2. Tim. 48. Rom. 6. and last verse Secondly where shall he receiue this glorye in Paradice For as much then as the thing that is giuen is eternall the person that giueth it is perpetuall the place where it is giuen is euerlasting it must of necessitie follow that the time also be world without end And that with me signifieth as I doo teach the Godhaad it is constantlye auouched by all the Fathers Ierome on this place noteth Christ brought the théefe from the crosse to Paradice least any man should think conuersion to be too late at any time he made the punishment of homicide Martirdome the truth being counted among the wicked he left the one in the left hand and tooke the other in the right hand as he will doo in the day of iudgement It were an absurd thing to say the soule of Christ only shall giue iudgement in the last day Augustine hath the like on this place The crosse if you mark it was the iudgement seate the Iudge was set in the middle the one théefe which beléeued was deliuered the other which blasphemed was condemned To saue and condemne is the office of the deity and therfore with me signifieth the Godhead as the other théefe no doubt was with y e Diuell Ambrose in his Sermon of the holy théefe writeth thus He saw him hanging on the crosse and praieth to him as though he were sitting in heauen he seeth him condemned and yet he prayeth vnto him as to a king To this accordeth Damascene handling this place In respect of his bodye he was in graue in respect of his soule in hell and as God he was both in Paradice with the theefe and in the throne with the Father and the holy Ghoste Therefore Ferus a writer not to be contemned interpreteth these woordes thus Mecum eris qui sum vbiqê° omnia in omnibus Thou shalt be with me which am euery where all in all In Exodus 34 6. 7. verses be set downe the 13. names of God and Lord is one of the first of them Therfore when the théefe calleth Christ Lord he acknowledgeth him to be God and desireth to dwell with the Godhead in whose presence is the fulnes of ioy Where you afke me how the Godhead can goe to heauen the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euen as God came downe froÌ„ heauen so is he said to goe vp to heauen If you wil read Augustine in his booke of the essence of the Deuinitie he wil teach you Psa. 68. 24. They haue sene o God thy goings the goings of my god king which art in thy sanctuary From heauen he camo into the virgins womb from y e virgins womb after his birth he was laid in the cratch after that he had fulfilled all for the which he was sent of his father he was fastned to the crosse he was taken downe from the Crosse he was buried in respect of his flesh but in soule he descended into hell the third day by the power of the Deuinitie he raysed his flesh out of the graue and after the dayes of his resurrection the fortith day his Apostles séeing it he ascended into heauen and sitteth at the right hand of the Father that is in his glorie The théefe then prayeth to Christ that as he should sit at the right hand of his Father in glory so he might be partaker of that glory and that he might haue his perfect consummation and blisse in heauen as Christ should haue after his ascention and that his vile body which was partaker of the suffrings of Christ might also be partaker of his glory and made like to the glorious body of Christ Iesu. Twise you haue told me that thou shalt be with me is as much as I and thou but you bring neither scripture nor father to confirme it in that sense that you meane it But if you meane thus I and thou shall be together that is thou shalt be pertaker of the glory of the deitie as thou hast bin pertaker of the suffrings with the humanitie it is true For what néede had the théefe to pray for the presence of Christs soule when he had the presence both of body and soule But it is the presence and fellowship of the deuine nature that he prayeth for wherein as Dauid saith is the fulnes of ioy and pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 11. In Luke 13. 26. The Iewes say We haue eaten and drunken in thy presence and thou taught in our streetes Christ thus aunswereth in the 27. and 28. verses I tel you I know you not depart from me all ye workers of iniquitie there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shal see Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of God and your selues cast out of dores Therefore it is cléere they are not all blessed which were present with Christs humanitie but they of whome Saint Peter saith 2. Pet. 1. 4. Whereby most great and precious promises are giuen vnto vs that by them we should be pertakers of the nature of God For therefore did Christ take vpon him our nature that we might be pertakers of the nature of God and be one with Christ as he is one with his Father Christs prayer is to this end Ioh. 17. 21. I pray not for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue in me through their word that they all be one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee euen that they also may be one in vs. Humes Sectio 7. But now to come to your reasons First you make much adoo about the Hebrew names of Hell against almost all the learned of this age It will cost you a great deale of eloquence to perswade the world that Tremellius and Iunius men that haue spent their age in that study did not knowe these words aswell as you For my part neither am I minded to stand with you vpon that point and I see no inconuenience to hurt vs nor vantage giuen you if I graunt you that Sheol is Hell Only I stand vpon this which I haue sayd that this word Hell doth signify the torments of the soule and must needes in these places which you
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is shewed the manner of the death that Christ suffred that is he was killed and suffred a violent death For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must néeds signifie put to death Now I hope you will not say Christ was put to death in soule and body but in body only And where you say that Christ suffered in soule aswell as in body that is true and that is gathered not of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is killed but out of these words antecedent for Christ suffered the iust for the vniust No reasonable man but he will say that the sufferings of Christ are comprised rather in the word suffered then in the word killed To your fourth reason I reply that Christ was raysed from the dead but it is specially signifyed in the word resurrection verse 21. and therefore I doo not confound those things that are distinguished but your selfe for you make suffered and killed all one and quickned and the resurrection all one and so make not only a confusion but a fantology and néedelesse repetition which neuer was read in the word of God To your fift argument where you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to receaue life I confesse it is to be made aliue Then you vrge it can not be spoken of the soule which neuer lost life Then by the same reason more strongly it can not be spoken of the Godhead which hath doth and shall liue for euer for God can not receaue life but the soule is sayd to liue when he is out of the body not because he liued not before but because the body doth hinder the actions of the soule Iohn 11 25. Hee that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall he liue Sap. 9 15. The corruptible body is heauie vnto the soule and the earthie mansion keepeth downe the minde that is full of cares 2. Cor. 4 16. Therefore wee faint not but though our outward man perish yet our inward man is dayly renewed Héere Paule sayth the weaker the body is the stronger is the soule therefore the death of the body is the life of the soule To drawe to an ende your Antithesis of the Deuinitie and humanitie is answered before For your Antithesis must be of things contrary or at the least diuers and separate but as you affirme truly the Godhead was neuer separated from the humanitie therefore this antithesis is of the body and soule which at this time were deuided and not betwéene the deity and humanitie which were alwayes vnited wherefore this bulwarke I can assure you will stand and you haue ouershot both it and your selfe in attempting to ouerthrowe it For the very scope of the Apostle is this All Christians must suffer afflictions for well doing for Christ did not only suffer both in body and soule but also was put to a shamefull death in his body and in his soule went downe to the soules in hell which were vnbeléeuers in the dayes of Noah but Christ did arise againe from hell and the graue and ascended both in body and soule to heauen therefore shall you that suffer for well doing be deliuered from death and hell by his merits and goe vp into heauen and be partakers of his glory as you haue bin partakers of his afflictions Moreouer as you referre me to reade Bezas great notes on this text so I pray you to reade Aretius handling this place whose wordes are these Generally sayth Arctius Peter repeateth thrée effects of Christs death if you marke it well The first pertaineth to the damned The second to the elect The third to the person of Christ. The first was declared in his descending into hell The second in his resurrection The third in his ascention into heauen This is the true and naturall meaning of this place which we will follow leauing the intrications of other interpretations I willinglie confesse this place is very hard for Augustine doubteth of it and Luther doubteth of it how it is to be vnderstoode but this obscuritie ariseth not of the place but of the varietie of Interpretations If thou marke the plainnesse of the place the matter will be easye but that pleaseth not all men therefore that euery one may establish his owne sence they apply the words of the Apostle Peter to their owne conceit But leauing these let vs embrace that which the words do teach vs in the which if we attaine to the truth it is well if not yet they shall be probable because they haue warrant out of the scripture and leaue to the very letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 otherwise it is certaine the knowledge of man to be vnperfect in many questions of holie scripture of the which the Apostle doth warne vs 1. Corin. 15. For now we knowe vnperfectlie I haue sayd héere is declared thrée effects of Christs death which differ in time and are set in order in the Créede The first effect is that Christ being dead denounced eternall paines to the wicked in hell The words of the Apostle are these In which spirit hee went and preached to the spirits detained in prison I take the place simply of the descence into hell for so the words doo plainely sound and I sée all the Fathers so to interprete them sée Augustine Epist. 99. and Cyprian doth manifestly interprete this place of the descending into Hell Neither doth the word prison hinder this Interpretation which in the Apocal. 20. 5. is taken for hell When a thousand yeeres shall be fulfilled Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Therefore the prison that Peter héere speaketh of is the place deputed to the damned Hyther came Christ as we confesse in the Créede he went downe into Hell Where Hell is it is a foolish and curious question to enquire sith no man comming to that place euer returned but only Christ. Furthermore what Christ did there Peter expresseth he preached to the spirits that is he declared that he shewed himselfe manifestly to the world and made that dire and mournefull sermon namely to the wicked that the merit of his death did nothing pertaine vnto them but by his presence were confirmed those punishments of the which Noah and other Prophets had forewarned them And the tyme of this Preaching I referre not to the tymes of Noah but to the tyme of hys descending into Hell Whereunto agréeth the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits for hée preached to the spirits that is to dead and not to liuing men Thus farre Aretius I could héere alleage many other newe Writers whiche are of my iugement but because you yéelde them no credite therefore of purpose I will omit them Humes Sectio 13. These things being thus I pray you good M. Hill seeing you would haue vs vndoubtedly to beleeue that Christ descended into hell Tell vs vndoubtedly to what end he should descend thither I trust you will not teach vs neither Augustine neither