Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	body_n	earth_n	soul_n	16,341	5	5.1635	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15418	Limbo-mastix: that is, A canuise of Limbus Patrum shewing by euident places of Scripture, inuincible reasons, and pregnant testimonies of some ancient writers, that Christ descended not in soule to Hell, to deliuer the Fathers from thence. Containing also a briefe replie to so much of a pamphlet lately published, intituled, An answere to certaine obiections against the descension &c. as lookes that way, and is personally directed against some writers of our Church.	Willet, Andrew, 1562-1621.	1604 (1604)	STC 25692; ESTC S120030	49,797	70

Apostle speaketh of that descension which was next before his ascension but that was not his descending into the world being so many yeeres before Ergo he meaneth not that descensiō Ans. p. 54. Ans. 1. Doth it follow he meaneth not Christs first descending to the earth Ergo he speaketh of his descension to hell what loose conclusions are these 2. Why may not the Apostle ioyne that first descension and his ascension together as our Sauiour doth Ioh. 3. 13. No man ascended vp to heauen but he that descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen 3. But there came another descension betweene which went immediatly before his descending to death and the graue Obiect Then yee will make many descensions as some of you expound his descension of his base and meane estate in a earth as to bee borne in a stable c. liuing in poore estate c. Some b of his humiliation to the last and lowest point that is to say to death and the graue some of his descending into the wombe of the Virgin but as his ascending was but one exaltation so his descending was but one humiliation Ans. p. 55. Contra. 1. Concerning the descending of Christ into the Virgins wombe I know none that doth now much vrge it Reuerent Beza doth demurre vpon it saying I leaue it to the Reader to consider 2. The other two expositions may well agree and stand together and he that affirmeth the one denieth not the other Further in making but one degree of Christs humiliation you crosse S. Paul who maketh two degrees as wee doe his taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and obedience to the death of the crosse Phil. 2. 7. 8. Bernard also maketh the same degrees of Christs descension which we doe as he is cited a little before his descending to the flesh to the crosse to the graue 3. As erroneous is your other assertion to make but one degree of Christs exaltation for he was exalted first by his resurrection out of the graue then exalted by his ascension into heauen 4. You and your cosine germanes doe make many descents of Christ first into the graue secondly into Limbus in the brimme of hell thirdly then into hell in the lower parts of the earth Obiect Christ was not interred properly in any part of the earth but in a tombe of stone and the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added here to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth particularize and distinguish the parts of the earth in generall from those notorious infernall parts Ans. p. 55. Ans. 1. It is an absurd and preposterous speech to vse his owne words and a ridiculous cauill to say that Christ was not properly buried in the earth but in a rock as though rocks are not to bee counted part of the earth Our Sauiour saith he should be three daies and three nights in the hart of the earth Matth. 12. 40. then surely he was properly in the earth for it was his bodie not his soule that was so long in the earth his soule I hope they will not shut vp in hell three daies and three nights seeing the Scripture saith in their sense his soule should not be left there and to say that Christs soule did not enioy his fathers presence in heauen all the while it was absent from the bodie is contrarie to the Scripture Thou wilt shew mee the waies of life and shalt make me full of ioy with thy countenance Act. 2. 28. Origen maketh Christs soule but one day in hell vpon these words Hee shall raise vs after two daies prima dies c. the first day to vs is the passion of our Sauiour secunda qua descendit c. the second wherein he descended to hell the third of the resurrection Hom. 5. in Exod. 2. Further the graue that Christ was laid in was wide and deepe for at once three women went down into it and two Angels were seene at once in it with what sense then can yee exclude it from being part of the earth 3. Your article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will not helpe you a rush for both Psal. 63. 9 and Psal. 139. 15 the article is added and yet neither of these places are vnderstood of hell as is shewed before Ans. to obiect 1. The parts then of the earth are not compared with it selfe but considered as parts of the world in respect whereof they may be called lower or lowest parts Obiect 6. Bellarmine to prooue this place to be vnderstood of the descension of Christs soule into hell vrgeth these words that follow that hee might fill all things vers 10. and so visite all parts of his kingdome in earth hell and heauen Contra. 1. If you will haue Christ to fill all places with his locall presence what differeth this opinion from the Vbiquitaries that make an omnipresence of Christs flesh 2. Christ filleth all places with his gifts and benefits as the Apostle sheweth afterward Hee hath giuen some to be Apostles c. 3. Augustine sheweth how Christ not by any locall presence but by his diuine power filleth all things Nec tamen Dei localem fingimus praesentiam non mundum dimittens ad coelos ascendit nec coelum deserens ad terram venit sed vno eodemque tempore totus totum impleuit Act. cum Felic c. 17. Neither doe we imagine a locall presence of God hee left not the world to ascend to heauen neither for sooke heauen and came to the earth but at one and the same time filled all in all And such are their obiections REASONS CONFIRMING THE right exposition of this text ARgum. 1. First our Sauiour saith Ioh. 3. 13. No man ascendeth to heauen but hee that descended from heauen the sonne of man which is in heauen and S. Paul saith in that he ascended what is it but that he had descended first into the lower parts of the earth Ephes. 4. 9 one of these places expoundeth the other to descend then into the lower parts of the earth is to descend from heauen to the earth for our Sauiour and Paul speake of the same descension not of diuers Argum. 2. Where Christ visited thither he descended but he did not visit hell therefore he descended not thither The proposition cannot be doubted of the assumption is thus proued Where Christ visited he visited to redeeme Luke 1. 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and redeemed his people he visited them to the end to redeeme them but hee redeemed none in hell Ergo he visited not hell therefore the Apostle speaketh of no descension thether Argum. 3. The lowest poynt of Christs humiliation was the lowest poynt of his descension this is confessed His ascension being but one exaltation proueth that his descending likewise was but one humiliation Ans. p. 55. So long then as he descended he was in his humiliation if Christ should be exalted in his descension it

to haue those articles augmented explaned and enlarged or els that it be lawfull for none to defend or maintaine those doctrines wherein the professors of the Gospell in England consent with other reformed Churches and dissent from that of Rome and which are both by our domesticall and forren writers among the Protestants maintained against the common aduersarie And further that concerning al such points no inuectiues be vsed of one against another in preaching or writing that as the Apostle saith we proceed all by one rule that we may minde one thing And this shall bee true friendship and concord indeede as he well saith which not worldly profit or bodily presence or cunning flatterie but the feare of God and the loue of the Scriptures doth knit together Pardon my boldnesse Honorable Patrons who out of the simplicitie of my desire to the peace of the Church haue presumed thus to moue I know you can consider that champions many times are stronger than their abettors and the weaker doth stirre him vp to fight that is stronger as Hierom well saith I am but a weake man that haue moued this God shall make your Honours strong to performe this and more for the good of his Church and glory of his name to whom bee praise for euer THE PREFACE TO THE TREATISE FOLLOWING THree speciall places are alledged by Bellarmine to proue the descent of Christ into hell where he imagineth the soules of the godly to haue been before his comming for this is his position That the soules before Christs death were not in heauen but in hell vnder the earth and therefore Christ which descended to the place of soules went down to hell vnder the earth These places are the first Act. 2. 27. Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell the second 1. Pet. 3. 19. 20 In the which spirit hee went and preached to the spirits in prison the third Ephes. 4. 9. He that ascended is hee that descended first into the lower parts of the earth These places by Bellarmine first vrged to prooue the locall descent of Christs soule into hell to deliuer and set at libertie the Patriarks haue been seconded of late in a certaine Pamphlet much of that argument In the which though the author doe pretend onely to reuiue the opinion of Christs souledescent into hell which is the priuate opinion of some learned men of our Church yet in diuers places of the booke he rubbeth vpon Limbus Patrum as may be euident to the reader in these three first pag. 9. S. Peter mentioneth sorrowes which were loosed at Christs resurrection which could not be in the sepulcher where his bodie lay dead and sencelesse Here hee denieth that these sorrowes which Christ loosed are to be referred to the death of his bodie but pag. 12. he directly by his death vnderstandeth hell Hence it followeth that if Christ loosed the sorrowes of hell and I thinke hee is not so absurd to thinke that he loosed them for himselfe who was neuer in the sorrowes of hell after his death then it will follow that he loosed them for others and for whom els but for them which were there detained The second place is pag. 36 where he striueth mightily that the place in S. Peter must not bee read the spirits which are in prison but which were whereupon it followeth that they were in hell but are not to whom Christ preached or els he striueth about words his opinion then seemeth to be this that some soules were in hell at Christs comming thither which now are not The third place which I note is pag. 52 where he hath these words In that Christ personally descended into hell it doth more amplifie and set foorth his goodnes toward mankinde than his only comming downe into the world for so much as the more vile and loathsome the dungeon is the greater is the loue of that Prince who to enfranchise and set at libertie his captiues there enthralled disdaineth not to enter into it in his owne person Now who els can bee imagined to bee set at libertie in hell but the Fathers in Limbo Patrum For out of the nethermost hell of the damned of each side it is confessed none can be deliuered Perceiuing then how cunningly the Answerer doth seeke to winde in an old Popish error setting his face one way and going another and as Hierom saith out of Plautus To hold a stone in one hand and reach bread with the other I thought good to vncase this masking Mummer and to pull off his vizard not preiudicing hereby by this speedie replie the more mature and deliberate answere of those learned men that are by him taxed But before I enter into any particular defence foure things I would premonish this secret Censor of first that if he be a professor of the Gospell of Christ what came in his minde to ioyne with the common aduersarie in disgracing the defence of the Gospell by one vndertaken in his Synopsis may I not say vnto him with the Prophet Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord I may very fitly applie against him that saying of Hierom You that professe your selfe a Protestant lay aside the weapons of Papists or vncase your selfe that we may know you to bee an aduersarie that you may receiue the wounds of the Papists Secondly it had bin much more commendable if the Answerer had bent his force against the common aduersarie There are lately diuers Popish bookes come ouer which might haue set him on work what profit can it bee to him the field being pitched against the Papists to pick quarrels with his fellow souldiers He might haue thought of Abrahams reason Let there be no strife betweene thee and mee for wee are brethren But this is no straunge thing for a man euen among his brethren companions often to find an aduersarie as Origen well noteth vpon these words of our Sauiour Mat. 26. 23. He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish shall betray mee This is the vse of many that they lie in waite for those with whom they haue eaten bread and salt yea with whom they haue bin together at the same table of the bodie and blood of Christ. Thirdly it is against the rule of charitie to bring mens priuate acts into publike view and to proclame openly what is written secretly Our blessed Sauiours rule is If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone Matth. 18. 15. In my iudgement then the Replier had small cause to confute in print a priuate letter written to a Gentleman It had bin a better course priuately to haue conferred with him than publikely to haue censured him Ecclesiasticus saith If thou hast heard a word let it die with thee for it will not burst thee Hieroms counsel here had bin good Other matters which you desire to know let vs conferre of

article of Christs descension being expounded according to the Scriptures and analogie of faith yet it is euident that the ancient Church did not hold any such descension of Christs soule to Limbus Patram as an article of the faith And therefore concerning this matter we may say with Leo What reason haue they to bring in new things that our elders neuer knew Argum. 4. That which Christ performed vpon the crosse he needed not afterward to goe downe to hell to performe but hee triumphed ouer death hell and the diuell vpon the crosse and there wrought our deliuerance Ergo he needed not for these causes descend to hell The assumption or second part is prooued by the Scripture Coloss. 2. 14. 15. Hee hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances which was against vs and fastened them to the crosse c. and hauing spoiled principalities and powers hath made a shew of them openly triumphing ouer them in the same So readeth and expoundeth Origen this place of Christs triumph vpon the crosse vpon these words Numb 24. 9. He couched as a young lion He lay downe like a lion when hanging vpon the crosse he put downe principalities and powers and triumphed ouer them in the tree of his crosse Augustine also sheweth that our deliuerance was fully wrought vpon the crosse and the diuell vanquished serm 174. Trophaeo suo diabolus victus est seducendo primum hominem occidit occidendo nouissimum primum de laqueis perdidit exultauit diabolus quando mortuus est Christus ipse morte Christi victus est tanquam in muscipula escam accepit muscipula diaboli crux Domini esca qua caperetur mors Domini The diuell was ouercome by his owne deuice he by seducing slew the first Adam by slaying the last Adam the first escaped out of the snare the diuell reioyced when Christ was dead but by his death he was ouercome he took his baite as in a trap the crosse was the trap the bait that caught the diuell was our Lords death Durand a Popish champion vrgeth this very argument against Christs descension because in the very instant of Christs death the soules of the faithfull were deliuered and made happie and therefore Christ needed not to descend for any such cause Bellarmine is driuen here to this shift to graunt that although the presence of Christs soule were not necessarie in hell yet it was of congruitie it should be there present If the presence of Christs soule in hell be not of necessitie how haue they al this while vrged it as an article of the faith for euery article of the faith is to be held as necessarie Argum. 5. As the Saints dying commend their spirits vnto God so did Christ commend his spirit Luk. 23. 46. vsing the Prophet Dauids words Psal. 31. 4. he keepeth also his sense but the soules of the faithfull commended into Gods hands doe presently goe to heauen as Stephen said Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Act. 7. 59. Can this be called a commending of the spirit into the hands of God to goe downe to hell and to remaine among the infernall spirits Again if they that die in the Lord doe after death rest from their labours Reuel 13. 14. much more the Lord himselfe rested from his labours after his death but if hee had hell to conquer and the Patriarks to deliuer after his death a great part of his labour remained what then is become of that consummatum est all was finished vpon the crosse Ioh. 19. 30. that is whatsoeuer appertained to Christs suffrings trauaile and labour was now accomplished his glorie victorie and triumph onely remained Augustine hereunto giueth some light thus applying these words of Christ My soule is heauie vnto death Tristis vsque ad mortem propter affectum susceptae carnis non post mortem cum beatitudinem spondet societas Deitatis non initium maeroris mors ista sed finis Cont. Felician c. 15. Heauie vnto death because of the affection and infirmitie of the flesh not after death when blessednesse is promised by the societie of the Godhead this death is not the beginning of sorrow and trauaile but the end Argum. 6. Christs soule went immediatly vnto heauen after the departure from his bodie Ergo it did not descend to hell The first part is prooued by the words of our Sauiour Luk. 23. 43. vttered to the conuicted theefe This day shalt thou bee with mee in paradise which words must be vnderstood of the presence of Christ in heauen not in respect of his Godhead onely but of his whole person as hee was the Mediatour And that hee directly speaketh of the presence of his soule in paradize it may euidently appeare by these reasons 1. Christ answereth the theefe according to his request but he desireth to be remembred when hee as the Messiah should enter into his kingdome Lord remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome but Christ as God was neuer out of his kingdome 2. The phrase of speech giueth this sense Christ is said to be with vs in respect of his Godhead Mat. 28. 20. I am with you to the end of the world but we are said to be with him as our Messiah as S. Paul saith I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ Philip. 1. 23. Bernard noteth this distinction well Christ us nobiscum est c. Christ is with vs at all times to the end of the world but when shall we be with him When we shall be taken vp and meete Christ in the ayre 3. That kingdome whereof Christ promiseth to make the theefe partaker is not that kingdome which belongeth to him as God for that is not cōmunicable to any creature but which is due to him as the Messiah The theefe raigned the same day with Christ in Paradise as Bernard saith That which was promised was done the same day he suffered together with Christ he also raigned together with him Therefore it is an erroneous speech of the answerer the performance of that promised presence with him in paradise was nothing els but the blisfull fruition of his Godhead pag. 19 contrarie to the Apostle whom neuer man saw neither can see 1. Tim. 6. 16. The Godhead is incomprehensible how then can there be a full fruition whereof there can be no comprehension 4. I vrge Augustines reason who propounding this obiection Deitatis hanc non animae Christi vocem credimus We thinke that Christ spake thus to the theefe of his Godhead not of his soule maketh this answere Anima est cui hoc promisit c. But Christ promised this to the soule of the theefe Then he thus inferreth If the soule of the theefe strait after the death of bodie was called into paradise shall wee thinke any to bee so impious that dare say that the soule of our Sauiour was three daies kept in hell by his bodily death He reasoneth from the lesse to the

greater that if the theeues soule went presentlie to Paradise much more Christs For whereas our Sauiour saith Where I am there shall my seruant be Ioh. 12. 26. it must follow that either the soule of the theefe must be in hell with Christs or that Christs soule was in paradise with the theeues for it were a dishonour for the seruant to preuent the Master The seruant is not greater than his Master Ioh. 13. 16. but now should the seruant haue the preeminence if his soule should goe to paradize and his Masters to hell 5. But we are told that these words Ioh. 17. 24. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me where I am which words with me where I am cannot otherwise be vnderstood than of his Godhead doe fully applicate Christs saying to the theefe Answ. p. 20. Ans. 1. If this venturous expositor had considered what went before and after these words with me where I am he would not haue vented foorth such an vncertaine glosse for first our Sauiour saith I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me were they giuen vnto him as God I thinke not for who can giue vnto God then they were giuen vnto him as the Messiah he therefore prayeth they may be with him as the Messiah 2. It followeth immediatly that they may behold my glorie which thou hast giuen mee doth hee not speake here also of that glorie which was giuen him as the Messiah for the which he prayeth vers 5. and now glorifie me c I trust as he is God he praieth not for glorie to bee giuen him for hee that prayeth is inferiour in that hee prayeth But Christ as hee is God is not inferiour to his Father Doth hee then pray as God that they may bee with him take heede of Arianisme if you be too rash in this point he prayeth then as the Messiah 3. If Christ saying where I am speake of his Godhead his request was euen then fulfilled for his Apostles were with him then present as God for his Godhead filleth heauen and earth But his request was not then but in his kingdome of glorie fulfilled therefore he speaketh not of his Godhead 4. Though our Sauiour speake in the present tence where I am that is so spoken in respect of the assurance and certaintie of his kingdome purchased for his which was as sure as if alreadie he were in it and so doth our Sauiour with like certaintie pronounce of those which beleeue in him that they haue euerlasting life and are passed from death to life Ioh. 5. 24. 5. Thus Origen expoundeth this place of the glorie due vnto our Lord as the Christ and Messiah which he imparteth to his faithfull seruants Like as notable warriers doe not with other ordinarie souldiers diuide the spoile but they haue the best part so Christ to those that haue laboured more abundantly decreeth the chiefest honors and like to his owne such as hee conferred vpon his Disciples Father I will that where I am they be with me These honours like vnto Christs are not the honours due to his Godhead which no creature is capable of but such which hee receiued as Messiah 6. But wee are further certified that Augustine epistol 57. thus expoundeth these words of our Sauiour spoken to the theefe of his Godhead Ans. p. 20. Ans. 1. I will set Augustine against Augustine whose iudgement in his writings against the aduersaries of the faith is to be preferred before his priuate epistles sent to his friends for these were indited vpon the sudden the other vpon more mature deliberation these were directed to friends that would take euerie thing in the better part those intended against enemies that were readie to catch any aduantage But Augustine in his booke written against Felicianus the Arrian cited before expoundeth Christs words vttred to the theefe vpon the crosse of the soule 2. And why may wee not as well expound Christs descending into hell with Ambrose of the presence of his diuine power as with Augustine his ascending vp to heauen Ambrose saith Abyssum opinione si penetres illic quoque videbis Iesum operari If you in thought will search into the deepe you shall see Iesus also worke there But hee hath yet a more euident testimonie writing vpon these words Psal. 139. 15. Substantia mea in inferioribus terrae My substance was in the lower parts of the earth Christ to deliuer the soules of the dead to hell c. and that the diuine substance is here vnderstood the words following declare Thine eyes saw mine vnwrought substance that is the vnmade and vncreated word 3. Ambrose thinketh also that Christ was present with the theefe in soule the same day Abyssus ergo dixit non est in me sed coelum non dixerat non est in me quem receperat resurgentem paradisus non dixit non est in me quem regnare in se absoluto quoque latrone cognouerat sicut ipse Dominus dixit Hodie mecum eris in paradiso The deepe said not hee is in mee but heauen said not he is not in me whom it receiued rising againe Paradise said not he is not in me whom it knew to raigne there the theefe being also deliuered as the Lord said This day shalt thou be with me in paradise As hell said Christ was not there so Paradise said not hee was not there that is in soule and as Paradise knew Christ that day to raigne so Christ was there but it knew him then first to raigne there as the Messiah for as hee was God he was knowne to the heauenly powers alwaies to raigne in heauen Therefore Christ in his soule was the same day with the theefe in Paradise And thus much of the generall reasons PARTICVLAR REASONS TAKEN out of the place of Scripture it selfe Act. 2. 29. ARgum. 1. That which is called hell vers 27. the Apostle expresseth by the name of death ver 24. God hath loosed the sorrowes of death This cannot be the second death for these sorrowes had no hold of Christ and therefore they needed not be loosed for him And the Syrian Interpreter translateth sorrowes of the graue Christ then was onely now being dead vnder the sorrowes of the first death that is in the graue for so vsually death and the graue are put together in the Psalmes Psal. 6. 5. In death there is no remembrance of thee in the graue who shall praise thee Psal. 88. 10. Shal the dead praise thee or shall thy louing kindnes be shewed in the graue Argum. 2. Christ was vnder the sorrowes of that hell whither he descended as the Apostle saith ver 24. Whom God hath raised vp and loosed the sorrowes of death because it was impossible that he should be holden of it But Christ suffered not the sorrowes of the lower hell the place of torment for al his sorrowes and trauaile was ended vpon the crosse when hee cried