obedient to the death euen to the death of the crosse By his humilitie obedience and charity hee purged the pride rebellion and selfe-loue which our first father shewed when he fell and we all expresse in our sinnes and therefore as wee all died in Adams transgression so we are all iustified that is absolued from our sinnes and receaued into fauour by the obedience of Christ. Yea the obedience of Christ did in farre higher degrée please God the Father then the rebellion of Adam did displease him For there the vassall rebelled here the equall obeied there earth presumed to be like vnto God here God vouchsafed to bee the lowest amongst men there the creature neglected his maker here the creator so loued his enemies euen his persecutors that hee tooke the burthen from their shoulders and laid it on his owne contentedly giuing his life for them who cruellie tooke his life from him to conclude those were the sinnes of men these are the vertues of God which doe infinitelie counteruaile the other and for that cause the iustice of God is farre better satisfied with the obedience of Christ then with the vengeance it might iustlie haue executed on the sinnes of men For God hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked neither doth hee delight in mans destruction but with the obedience of his sonne he is well pleased and therein euen his soule delighteth This is my beloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Loe my chosen my soule taketh pleasure in him In which words God doth not onlie note the naturall loue betwixt his sonne and himselfe but he giueth full approbation of his obedience as being thereby throughlie satisfied for the sinne of man By Christs obedience I doe not meane the holinesse of his life or performance of the lawe but the obedience of the person vnto death euen the death of the Crosse which was voluntarilie offered by him not necessarily imposed on him aboue and besides the lawe and no way required in the lawe For it could be no dutie to God or man but onelie mercie and pitie towardes vs that caused the sonne of God to take our mortall and weake flesh vnto him and therein and therby to pay the ransome of our sinnes and to purchase eternall life for vs. He must be a Sauiour no debter a redéemer no prisoner Lord of all euen when hee humbled himselfe to be the seruant of all his diuine glorie power and maiestie make his sufferings to be of infinite force and value And from this dignitie and vnitie of his person which is the maine pillar of our redemption if we cast our eies on any other cause or deuise any new help to strengthen the merits of Christ wee dishonour and disable his diuinitie as if the sonne of God were not a full and sufficient price to ransome the bodies and soules of all mankind On this foundation doe the scriptures build the whole frame of mans redemption GOD purchased his church saith Paule WITH HIS OVVNE BLOVD GOD noting the dignitie HIS OVVNE the vnitie of his person and both importing a price far worthier then the thing purchased God spared not his owne sonne but gaue him for vs all In that he was the sonne of God al nations are counted vnto him or in ballance with him lesse thē nothing and vanitie in that he was giuen for vs the ransome excelleth the prisoner as much as God doth man We are reconciled to God by the death of his sonne Maruell we to sée Christs death of that power price with God that it appeased his wrath when he was angrie with vs as with his enemies when as his owne son being equall with him in the forme of God humbled himselfe to the death of the crosse for our sakes Fairer or fuller causes of our redemption we neede not aske the holie Ghost doth not expresse God cannot haue If the son of God be not able with his bloud to redeeme vs wee must giue ouer all hope and despaire For heauen cannot yéeld vs a greater value and the earth hath none like Wherfore if any man be disposed to seale his own condemnation with his own heart let him distrust the merits of Christs death but all that will be saued must acknowledge the infinite price of his death and bloud aboue our worth and we must learne being sinfull and wretched creatures not to amend the wordes of God in the mysterie of our redemption but suffer him that is trueth to be the guider of our faith and not by figures to frustrate all that is written in the word of God touching our saluation purchased by the death and bloud of Christ Iesus I am not the first that obserued or vrged this doctrine it is auncient and Catholike Cum super omnes esset Dei verbum merito suum ipsius templum corporale instrumentum pro omniū ammis pretium offerens id quod morti debebatur persoluit Where as the word or sonne of God saith Athanasius was aboue al worthily then by offering his owne temple bodily instrument as a price for the soules of all men did he pay that was due vnto death Cyril Si non esset deus quomodo ipse solus sufficeret ad hoc vt sit pretiū Sed sufficit solus pro omnibus mortuus quia super omnes est deus igitur est morte suae carnis à mundo mortē depellens If Christ were not God how could he alone suffice to be the ransome for al but he alone dead sufficeth for all because he is aboue all he is therefore God by the death of his flesh driuing away death from the worlde And againe Redempti sumus Christo proprium corpus dante pro nobis Sed si vt communis homo intelligeretur Christus quomodo corpus eius ad rependendum omnium vitam sufficeret At si deus fuit in carne qui dignissimus sufficiens ad redemptionem totius mundi per suum sanguinē merito fuit We are redeemed Christ giuing his own body for vs. But if Christ be taken to be no more then a man how should his body be sufficient to restore life to al men but if he were God in our flesh worthily thē did he suffice to redeem the whole world with his bloud Austen Si propter hominē mortuus est deus nō est victurus homo cum deo quomodo mortuus est deus accepit ex te vnde moreretur pro te nōposset mori nisi caro nōposset mori nisi mortale corpus If god died for mā shall not mā liue with god but how died god he took of thine wherin to die for thee There could nothing die but flesh there could die nothing but a mortal body And elsewhere an anciēt writer vnder his name if not himselfe Indubitanter credamus quod totum mundum redemit qui plus dedit quā totus mundus valeret
The whole curse of the law containeth infatuation of minde obduration of heart desperation damnation and what not did Paul meane that Christ was made these thinges for vs or could hee haue redéemed vs if in these things he had beene yoked with vs But that I thinke Sir Refuter you sinne of ignorance not meaning to maintaine these blasphemies and yet including them within the largenesse of your words through the weaknesse of your wit I must by the duty which I owe to God and his truth haue giuen you other termes then now I do but I had rather fatherly warne you to take heede of these â—â—ies in time least they bring the whole curse of God vpon your owne souâ—e which you would so â—ame fasten on Christs Notwithstanding your follie thus to presume without all proofe vpon the Apostles meaning besides his wordes you haue a good conceit of your self like a proper man you say I vrge then let it be noted Christ is said to be made a curse for vs and before I shewed this curse was Gods curse And againe The Scripture it selfe affirmeth hee did all that for vs therefore who dareth denie it Who either man or Angel shall presume to say nay You haue vrged it I haue noted it and so haue manie wise and good men more and will you heare what I conceiue Trulie this you haue more néede of Phisicke to cure your braines then of labour to rebate your arguments So many and those speciall reasons so proudlie proposed so weaklie performed so â—alselie concluded did I neuer reade as long as I haue liued Thou wilt thinke perchance christian Reader I speake this to disgrace the encounterer and so to preiudice his cause with thee mine heart God knoweth but if thou bee not of the same minde with mee before I ende with his speciall reasons as hee calleth them I much deceiue my selfe speciallie if thou thy selfe bee intelligent and indifferent I hope though I vaunt not as he doth there can bee no doubt but the curse of God for sinne containeth these partes which I propose to wit the externall corporall spirituall eternall plagues and punishments wherewith God pursueth the wicked that rebell against him I count it as cleare that neither the eternall nor the true spirituall curse of God couâ—d take hold on the soule of our Sauiour For as the greatest blessings that God giueth vs in this life after he hath by mercie pardoned our sinnes are the faith of his truth to direct vs the strength of his grace to assist vs the earnest of his spirite to perswade our hearts of his fatherlie clemencie to vs and to inflame vs againe with the loue of his name hope of his promises and desire of his kingdome so the greatest curse for sinne that in this life maie befall men is to haue his holie spirite taken from them with all his graces and gifts that anie waie tende to saluation and to bee giuen ouer into a reprobate sense that with blindnesse and hardnesse of heart they may runne headlong to their owne destruction With these impieties and blasphemies I trust no Christian will burthen the soule of our Sauiour and yet these are the true spirituall curses of God against sinne If then the soule of Christ were alwayes full of grace and truth and the abundance of his spirite such that wee all receiue of his fulnesse If in the perfection of his holinesse innocencie and obedience there coulde bee no defect nor anie feare or doubt in that stedfast assurance of faith hope and loue which our Sauiour alwayes retained howe could hee beeing so fullie and perpetuallie blessed of God bâ—e also trulie accursed of him The curse of God is not in wordes but in déedes Then euidentlie saint Paules meaning is and must be that Christ voluntarilie vndertaking some part of the curse due to our sinnes for the whole hee could not vndertake without reprobation and damnation not onlie discharged vs of the whole but gaue vs the blessing of God promised to Abraham And to this ende I brought the testimonies of saint Austen Chrysostome and others fullie confirming that I said to which you replie as your custome is It is vaine and senselesse to thinke that the Apostle here speaketh of two seuerall kinds of curses Indeede it is vaine and fruitlesse to reason with him that preferreth his ignorant imagination before the iudgements of all the learned and auncient fathers in Christs church but Sir your follies will sticke fast by you when their expositions shall passe with all wise men for currant and good You quarrell as your manner is with those parts of the curse which I say Christ indured For where I proposed a SHAMEFVL VVRONGFVL PAINFVL death to be that part of the curse which Christ suffered for vs you skirre at euerie one of these And of the first you say Will any man of common reason affirme that to be openly hanged on a tree was all the curse that Christ bore for vs Nothing but the shame of the world because it was an ignominious death Whether you account saint Austen and saint Chrysostome men of common reason I know not The Church this 1200. yeeres hath taken them for reuerend and learned fathers You adde It is more then absurd so to say Iudge thou Christian reader whether this Prater be well in his wits that in his â—renzie thus reprocheth not onelie the fathers of Christes church but euen the Prophets and Apostles themselues as men more then absurd and not of common reason Moses from Gods mouth threatneth such as transgresse the lawe that God will send them trouble and shame and will make them a wonder a prouerbe and a common talke among all people Esay foreshewing Christs sufferings reckoneth this not for one of the least He was despised reiected numbred among sinners we did iudge him plagued and smitten of God and turned our faces from him Dauid in the person of Christ complaining of the wrongs receiued at the time of his passion putteth this as the first and the chiefest I am as a worme and not a man a shame of men and the contempt of the people All they that see mee haue mee in derision they make a mowe and nod the heade saying he trusted in God let him deliuer him let him saue him They gape vpon mee with their mouthes Saint Paule himselfe vrgeth as much the shame as the paine of the crosse Looke to Iesus the authour and finisher of your faith who for the ioy set before him endured the crosse and despised the SHAME He endured such contradiction of sinners least you should faint in your mindes How often doth God threaten shame and confusion of face to those that fall from him How earnestly doth Dauid euery where pray against it Howe truly doth Daniel make this confession to god O Lord to vs belongeth OPEN SHAME because we haue sinned against thee the
on his owne shoulders yea the Lorde Laid vpon him the iniquity of vs all but when it came to light vpon him the verie iustice of God found great difference betwixt his person and ours and so great that what should haue condemned vs bodie and soule for euer that could take no hold on him but so far forth as he did voluntarilie yeeld himselfe to bee obedient vnto the death of the crosse and in our flesh to quench the curse of the lawe pronounced againsâ— our sinnes insomuch that neither sinne nor death were able to sease on his bodie till he did of his owne accord resigne it into their handes If we thinke it strange to sée so much difference betwixt him and vs we must remember wee were sinnefull he was innocent we were defiled hee was holie we were hatefull he was beloued we were the seruants of sinne and enemies vnto God he was the Lord of life and of glorie we were seuered and estranged from God both in bodie and soule his verie flesh was personallie vnited and inseparablie ioined vnto God besides that himselfe was the true and euerliuing sonne of God What maruell then if sinne which should haue wrought in vs an eternall destruction both of body and soule could not farther preuaile in him but to the wounding of his flesh and shedding of his bloud for the iust and full satisfaction of all our sinnes euen in the righteous and sincere iudgement of God Though therefore THE SAME PART might and did suffer in Christ which sinned in man I meane the soule yet by no meanes could it receaue THE SAME WAGES which we should haue receiued And since hell is the greatest vengeance that God inflicteth for sinne if Christes soule were frée from anie it must néedes be cléered and acquited from that which is greatest and most repugnant to the fulnesse of grace truth and spirit that dwell in the humane soule of Christ but hereof I shall haue occasion to speake afterward againe The signes that Christ suffered the paines of hell are left and those are his agonie in the garden and his complaint on the crosse that he was forsaken Of Christs agonie since the scriptures haue nor reuealed the right cause it is cut losâ—tie to examen presumption to determine impossibilitie to conclude certainelie what was the true cause thereof Howbeit if we will néedes coniecture at causes wee must take héede that with our obscure and priuate guesses we do not contradict such plaine and euident places as testifie the perfection and coniunction of Christs humane nature with this diuine and so wrong the person of our Sauiour This rule remembred though I bee most willing to refraine the searching of that which is concealed from vs yet since they make this the most aduantage of their cause that there caÌ„not be anie other reason assigned of Christes sorrow besides his suffering the paines of hell I will let you vnderstand how manie there might be besides that which they bringâ— and that theirs of all others is least probable if not altogether intolerable I will offer you sixe causes that might be of Christs agonie euerie one of them more likelie and more godlie then this deuise of hell paines others at their leasures maie thinke on moe which I shall be content to heare Those sixe are these Christs SVBMISSION to the maiestie of God sitting in iudgement The REIECTION of the Iewes The DISPERSION of his Church The LAMENTATION of mans sinne The DEPRECATION of Gods wrath The VOLVNTARY DEDICATION of his bloud to be shed for the sinnes of the world and sanctificatioÌ„ of his person to offer his true eternal sacrifice So great is the MAIESTY OF GOD euerie where and at all times but speciallie sitting in iudgment and so farre excelling the capacitie of all his creatures that no flesh lining is able to appeare before him without feare and trembling The day of the Lord whensoeuer hee riseth to iudge is great and fearefull and who shall indure it When God gaue his lawe which was but the rule of his iudgement so terrible was the sight that Moses said I feare and tremble My flesh saith Dauid to God trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraide of thy iudgements Since then it is a point not onelie confessed but vrged by the defenders of this new deuise that Christ appeared here before the tribunall of God to submit himselfe to his fathers pleasure and the wordes of Christ in that twelfth of Iohn tend to that effect where he saith Nowe euen at hand is the iudgement of the world Now euen shortlie shall the prince of this world be cast out and if I were lift vp from the earth I will draw all vnto me whie might not the humane nature of Christ tremble before the maiestie of that iudge whose glorie the Seraphins in heauen doe not behold without yealing their faces whereby Christ teacheth vs not to presse into Gods presence whiles wee are loden with sin but in much feare and trembling since he would not appeare before God to take our sinnes on him but in this agonie The REIECTION OF THE IEWES might be another cause of his agonie He wept ouer their cittie when he beheld it and remembred the subuersion of it how woulde he then be grieued when he foresawe the finall reiection of y e whole nation and his bloud to be laid on them and their children for euer for their sakes Moses desired To bee wiped out of Gods booke and Paule could haue wished himselfe to be separated from Christ for his brethren the Israelites If the seruants of Christ had so great heauinesse and sorrow in their hearts for their kinsmen according to the flesh what agonie must it néedes bréede in their king and Messias in whome were the bowels of mercie and pittie to sée the wicked rage of the people kindling Gods fearefull vengeance against themselues and their ofspring by putting him to a most cruell and shamefull death that came to redéeme them from sin and death This cause is obserued by Ambrose Hierom Augustine and Bede Nec illud distat à vero si tristis erat pro persecutoribus neither is that dissonant from truth saith Ambrose if he were heauy in soule for his persecutors whom hee knewe should dearelie pay for their sacrilegious putting him to death Hee was not then afraide to die but hee was loath to haue them though they were euill to perish least his passion should bee their destruction which hee meant for the saluation of all Christs soule was not heauie saith Ierom and Bede for any feare of his passioÌ„ but for that most vnhappy Iudas for the scandall of all his Apostles for the reiection of the Iewes and subuersion of wretched Ierusalem And Austen If wee saie the Lorde was sorrowfull for the Iewes when his passion drewe neere where they would commit so haynous a sinne non incongruè
euerie man according to his works our sauior for warneth vs not in vaine that hel fâ—er is VNQVENCHABLE EVERLASTING Since then neither the remorse reiection malediction nor desperation of the damned nor the darkenes destruction death fire of hel can without euident impiety be attributed to the soule of Christ I am farre from admitting into anie part of the Créed this ambiguous if not dangerous assertion that Christ in his soule on the crosse felt the verie paines and torments of the damned but I preferre the simple and plaine doctrine of the holie Ghost which teacheth vs that Christ died for our sinnes according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that hee rose againe the thirde daie according to the scriptures and by Christs so doing death was swallowed vp into victory and we may ioifully saie O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory thanking God which hath giuen this victorie through our Lorde Iesus Christ as it was forespoken by the prophet Esay The Lorde will destroy death for euer and by Osee O death I will bee thy death O hell I will bee thy destruction The manner of Christes offering is the second effect of Christs crosse which must be bloudie before it can be propitiatorie In this part I will deliuer you thrée thinges worthie to be obserued with what Sacrifice God was pleased for our sinnes with what price the Diuell was concluded for our ransome with what Seale the newe couenant of grace and mercie was confirmed vnto vs for our safetie These three depend eache on other God as the Iudge offended was to haue a sacrifice for our sinne that might content him the Diuell as the Iailour was to haue a ransome for vs that were by Gods Iustice deliuered into his handes Our selues as prisoners were to bee restored by GODS pardon and to be assured of his protection that the like miserie might not the second time preuaile against vs which is performed by the newe Testament of mercie forgiuing and grace repressing sinne that wee relapse not into the pit of perdition whence wee were deliuered What was the true propitiatorie sacrifice which God accepted for the sinnes of the world if the new testament did not plainelie declare the olde testament would sufficientlie witnesse vnto vs. For as well Patriarks as Prophets yea all the godlie from Abel to Christ did by their sacrifices and seruice of God professe and confirme their faith to be this that they looked for the Seede of the woman who by his death and bloud should purge their sinnes and make peace betwéene God and them This was the promise of grace which God made in Paradise to our first parents threatning the serpent with the séede of the woman in these words He shall crush thine heade and thou shalt bruise his heele As the heele of man is the basest part of his bodie and nearest the earth so the Serpent shoulde bruise the weakest and earthliest part of Christ but euen that bruized heele should bee of force enough to crush the Serpentes head For by the flesh of Christ wounded and bloud shed the power pride of satan should be conquered and confounded This sence of Gods promise made to his parents Abell the first martyr by faith accepted by sacrifice adored and in that respect his bodilie and bloudie offering was preferred before his brothers This faith did all the Patriarkes testifie by their bloudie sacrifices that they expected the bodie of the Messias to be bruized and his bloud to be shed for the remission of their sinnes And as they receiued it from their fathers so they deliuered it to their children for the shoot anchor of all their hope This God did ratifie by his lawe written suffering his people to haue no sacrifices for sinne but such as represented the bloudie offering of Christ on the crosse So that all the sacrifices and sacraments of Moses lawe were nothing else but figures and examples of better thinges as the Apostle calleth them namelie of Christes bodie once to bee offered and his bloud once to bee shed for the abolishing of sinne The FIGVRES of Christ before and vnder the lawe what else doe they point but to the death bloud and crosse of Christ to be the redemption and saluation of all mankinde Abrahams readinesse to offer vp Isaac for which the blessing was annexed to him with an othe what doth it import but the loue of God Not sparing his owne sonne but giuing him for vs all The blâ—â—d of the passeouer sprinkled on the postes of the Israelites fâ—â—uert the destroier doth it not represent the bloud of that immaculate lambe which saueth vs from the fiercenesse of Gods wrath The lifting vp the brasen serpent to cure the people that were stung with fierie Serpents doth it not foreshewe Christ hanging on the crosse to cure our soules from the poison of sinne which is the sting of that deadlie serpent The strength of Sampson pulling the house on his owne and his enemies heades doth it not declare the voluntarie death of Christ to be the destruction of death and hell which insulted at him on the crosse When the truth came expressed by all these sacrifices and resembled in all these figures what offering made he on the altar of the crosse Did he yeelde his soule to the paines of hell or his bodie to be crucified of the Iewes both they will saie for so they must saie except they will haue their supposall of hell paines cleane excluded from the sacrifice for sin But which of these two was beleeued of the Patriarks witnessed by the sacrifices shadowed in the figures of the law expected of the faithfull from the foundation of the worlde The bloudie sacrifice of Christes bodie is so plainelie proclaimed by them all that there can bee no question of their faith and expectation And were they deceiued in the obiect of their faith and hope Did they all mistake the true sacrifice for their sinnes and did God by his lawe confirme them in that errour And doeth the Apostle falselie conclude from the sacrifices of the lawe that Christes offering before it coulde take awaie sinne must of force bee bloudie These were verie strange positions in Christian religion and yet I sée not howe wee shall auoide them if we strictlie maintaine the suffering of hell paines to bee the chiefer and principaller part of our redemption without which the rest is nothing If their faith fastened on the death and bloud of Christ for the remission of their sinnes did saue them then was the death of Christ of force enough without the paines of Hell to release them from their sinnes and bring them vnto God And if it wrought that effect in them it is still of the same power and strength to worke the like in vs. If it were insufficient to release them from the rigour of GODS wrath then are the
but relieued supported inwardly by the power of gods spirit in which he reioiced whiles his flesh indured bitter and sharpe torments And this rule When I am weake then am I strong was true in Christ and after his example shall be in all his members For Gods power is perfited in infirmitie Very gladly therefore must all the godlie reioice and take pleasure in their infirmities that the power of Christ may dwell in them How can this be called Christs power if he wanted it in his infirmities and afflictions And if we haue it from him why presume we to take it from him in the time of his sufferinges Shall the scholler be aboue his maister or the seruant more perfect then his Lord Yea then God manifested in the flesh But I hope men learned will take good héede howe they diminish the comfort of Christs crosse we must looke to Iesus the authour and finisher of our faith If he were amazed perplexed and forsaken in his afflictions who shal raise and comfort vs in our extremities Hee that himselfe was astonished and ouerwhelmed with his sufferings on the crosse It may then be said vnto him Phisition heale thy selfe Shall hee comfort vs that could NOT COMFORT himselfe Can wee REIOICE AND TAKE PLEASVRE in following his steppes when hee sanke vnder the burthen and suffered both his fayth and hope for the time to faile But farre be from vs these vnsauorie thoughts and vnséemelie spéeches It was fit that hee from whom and by whom are all things should CONSVMMATE BY AFFLICTIONS THE PRINCE OF OVR SALVATION that shoulde bring many sons vnto glorie the selfe same way that he went before them Which cannot be by doubting distrusting the fauor and help of god much lesse by suffering induring the paines of the damned but by desiring through loue and reioicing vnder hope to take vp Christs crosse and follow him delighting in reproches necessities persecutions and anguish for Christs sake that when his glorie shal appeare we may be glad and reioice with fulnesse of euerlasting ioy Do we then exempt the Lord Christ from all sense of his fathers wrath against our sins whiles we defend in him peace and ioy of the holie ghost as he hung on the crosse There is a feeling of gods wrath which may stand with the pacification consolation of the inward man and there is a sense of Gods wrath which ouerthroweth both and bréedeth a fearful apprehension of Gods displeasure towards vs in which is neither peace nor comfort All the miseries of mans life whatsoeuer they be came first froÌ„ the force of gods wrath reuenging sin and therfore not only death damnation but al kinds of troubles paines griefs in our states bodies and minds which shorten or sower this present life are degrees of gods wrath chasticements of our transgression and corruption When the plague was kindled amongst the people for murmuring against Moses AaroÌ„ Moses said to Aaron take y e censer put fire incense therein go quickly vnto the congregation and make an atonemeÌ„t for theÌ„ for there IS VVRATH GONE OVT FROM THE LORD the plague is begun When the prophet Iehu reproued Iehosaphat for aiding Achab the king of Israel he said wouldst thou help the wicked and loue them that hate the lord euen for this cause WAS THE VVRATH OF THE LORD VPON THEE The prophet Esay comforting the church saith Awake awake and stand vp ô Ierusalem which hast drunke at the hand of the Lord THE CVP OF HIS VVRATH By the prophet Micheas the Church humbleth her selfe vnder the hande of God in these wordes I will BEARE THE VVRATH of the Lord because I haue sinned against him vntill he plead my cause and execute iudgement for me Euerie where the like is vsed in the scriptures I VVAS VVROTH with my people and gaue them into thine hand saith God to Babylon and thou didst shewe them no mercie but didst lay a verie heauie yoke vpon the auncient So Ieremie complaineth to God Thou hast vtterly reiected vs thou art EXCEEDINGLY ANGRY VVITH VS These and many such places more mention the wrath of God which the saints seruants of god tasted and felt for their sinnes but they do not import that Gods eternall fauour and loue towards his children in heauenlie things was vanished or changed The foundation of God standeth sure yea the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And therefore it is vtterlie impossible that Gods election should alter or that hee should not loue his owne vnto the end but iudgement beginning at the house of God wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not be coÌ„demned with the world And albeit y t bitternes of affliction some time bite so neere that the conscience of our sinnes accusing vs as vnworthie to bee the sonnes of God feare calleth Gods fauour in question for the time yet that temptation riseth from the guiltines of our hearts and weaknesse of our faith which giueth way to the diuel otherwise as we ought to béene god will be merciful to our iniquities remember our sinnes no more for his couenant made with vs in the bloud of his sonne so should we bee fallie perswaded that when we endure chastening bee it neuer so sharpe God offereth himselfe vnto vs as vnto sonnes for what sonne is it whome the father chasteneth not So that if wee bee without correction whereof all are partakers wee are bastards and not sonnes since God chasteneth vs for our profite that wee might be partakers of his holines This correction and chastisement of God because it seemeth greeuous for the present and not ioyous is called in the scriptures the rodde and wrath of God not that Gods loue ceaseth when he correcteth his children for whom the Lord loueth he chasteneth and he scourgeth euery sonne that hee receiueth But as the blessings which he abundantly bestoweth on vs do manifest his gracious and vndeserued mercy so the plagues with which he visiteth our sinnes do witnes his righteous and prouoked iudgement And in that sense must we reckon them to be the signes and effects of Gods wrath For as he is iustly offended with our iniquities because they resist his will dishonour his name and grieue his holie spirit by whoÌ„ we are sealed vnto the day of redemption so when hee chasteneth our transgressions the scourge which we feele is trulie said to be the wrath of God not that God is touched with anie peâ—turbation or alteration in himselfe but his iustice leadeth him to inflict that punishment on vs as well to bring vs to hate that we haue done by godlie sorrow as to make vs more warie how we attempt the like which is religious feare restraining vs from often and easie offending the maiesty and sanctitie of God But this vengeance of our sinnes because
then descended Next that neither paradise nor Abrahams bosome which was the receptacle for y e soules of all the sonnes of Abraham that held the faith and did the works of Abraham was anie part or member of hell So that CHRISTS DESCENDING INTO HELL cannot be expounded of his conuersing with the spirites of the iust and perfect men after his death nor of his enduring the state of the deade since the place where their soules doe rest after death is no where in the scriptures called HELL or SHEOL or as S. Austen speaketh INFERI And this I take to be so cleere that neither Iewish Rabbines with their grammaticall obseruations nor Gréeke poets with their fantasticall imaginations may be suffered to contradict it Howe easie it is to wrangle with the words NEPHESH SHEOL and HADES a meane scholar maie soon perceiue but I hold it no sound course to fetch the explication of the mysteries of christian religion either from such impudent impugners of it as were the Rabbines or from such ignorant deluders of it as were the prophane poets who talke euerie where of heauen and hell according to the false and lewde perswasion of their own hearts And therfore they may spare their paines that promise vs so manie thousand deponentes both Iewish and heathen that Sheol and Hades do not signifie hell It wil trouble them more then they thinke to bring vs but one good proofe out of the scripture that the soules of the righteous before Christs comming were in Sheol or Hades and till they doe I rest on Saint Austens collection out of the wordes of Christ that Abrahams bosome is no péece nor part of Hades or Inferi which the hebrew calleth Sheol as being deuided from it with a mightie distance and that the soules of the iust departing this life before Christs death were CARIED VP BY THE ANGELS INTO ABRAHAMS BOSOME So that as yet wee haue not the true meaning of these words of our creed he was CRVCIFIED DEAD BVRIED HE DESCENDED INTO HEL neither doeth anie of the precedent opinions come nére the plaine and true exposition thereof For in my iudgement they must haue a sense both DIFFERENT in matter and CONSEQVENT in order euen as they lie before we can rightlie vnderstand thē First he must be DEAD then BVRIED in body which was laid in y e earth lastlie the soule after it was seuered by death from the bodie DESCENDED INTO HEL this third point he descended into hell must neither be ALLEGORIZED which in matters of faith is verie dangerous so long as the proper sense containeth a truth nor CONFOVNDED VVITH THE FORMER for so the Créed shal not shortly touch mysteries of religion but darckly trouble vs with phrases of variation And therefore for my part I retaine in expounding this Article 3. things DISTINCTION of matter CONSEQVENCE of order PROPRIETY of words and those thrée considered the sense of the Article maie must be that Christ after his BODY was BVRIED in SOVLE DESCENDED VNTO that place which the scripture properly calleth HEL this sense I find to be so far from any falsity or absurdity that it is more honorable to Christ and more comfortable to christians then any of the rest that we haue yet examined Which that you may the better perceiue giue me leaue somewhat farther to repeat the fruit and force of his glorious resurrection Christ is called the first fruits of them that slept not that neuer none before Christ was restored from the deade to liue héere on earth but though many were so reuiued againe yet from the foundation of the worlde not one was euer raised vnto a blessed and immortall life before Christ. Elias raised the widow of Sareptas sonne Elizeus the Sunamites Christ himselfe restored to life the daughter of Iairus the widowes onlie sonne of Naim and Lazarus yet all these after their returne to life were still subiect to sinne and death as they were before but he whom the scripture nameth the first begotten of the dead was indéede the first that euer rose from the deade into an happy and heauenly life For where man here on earth is beset with thrée dangers with SINNE during life with DEATH shortning life with HEL tormenting after life the iust vengeance of sinne deliuering the body to death the soule to hel the resurrection of Christ being the ful conquest of all his our enemies that impugne either his glory or our safety must ouerthrowe sinne death hel not in his own person onlie to whom no such thing was due but in our stéed for our good y t we might bee likewise fréed from the power of those foes and as members be ioyned vnto our head wholy without any hinderance euerlastingly without anie disturbance and ioyfully without any gréeuance Wherfore Christ rising into a SPIRITVAL IMMORTAL CELESTIAL life fréed vs from the dominion of sinne feare of death and fury of Satan and by quickening vs raising vs vp and setting vs together with himselfe in heauenly places hath not only giuen vs the victorie against sinne and death but euen trodden down Satan vnder our féet Of Christs conquest against sinne death I shall not néed to say much things not impugned require lesse paines to be defended his conquest ouerhel as in himself it shewed most power purchased most honor so from vs it deserueth greatest thanks as bringing vs greatest comfort that though sinne remaine death preuaile against our bodies there is yet no cause to feare or doubt the fulnesse and surenesse of our redemption since the strength of hell is altogether conquered abolished from the faithfull which before was the very sting of sinne and death As therfore Christ was deliuered to death for our sinnes and is risen againe for our iustification so by MERCY REMITTING and GRACE REPRESSING he pareth the branches and drieth the roote of sinne till the bodie of sinne and death turning to dust withering in the graue be restored againe after Christs example to perpetuall celestial life and blisse Insomuch that by lamenting sinne past and resisting sinne to come sin daily dieth in vs and the inward man of the heart being lightened and renewed by grace doth daily more and more by desire and delight of heauenly thinges aspire to the imitation and participation of Christes resurrection The force of sinne then being quenched by Christes dying vnto sinne and his rising againe vnto righteousnesse the power of death is abolished by the pardoning and decreasing of our sinnes that being nowe the passage to glorie for all repenters which before was the gate to hell for all transgressors In his owne person Christ shewed his conquest ouer death not by kéeping his flesh from death which he could easilie haue done but by sauing it from rotting in the sepulchre and by raising it againe into an immortall and glorious state that death being swallowed vp
Corinth 15 e Rom. 5. f Philip. 2. Rom. 3. verse g 25. h 24. i Psal. 51. k Iob. 14. l Ephes. 1. m Ephes 4 n Rom 7. o Rom. 7 p Galat. 5 q Rom. 8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r Rom. 1 s Rom. 7 t Rom. u Rom. 7 x Rom. 8. y 2. Corinth â— z Ephes. 2 z Ephes. 2 why the death of Christs body doth counteruaile all the bodies souleâ— of men The bodilie death of christ doth more coÌ„mend the merits of Christ then if y e paines of hell were ioyned with it In the death of the soule there could neither be obedience nor patience a 2. Corinth 9. It is no loue to renounces God for mans sakeâ— b Iohn 15 c Rom. 5 Christs loue towards vs in dying for vs. d Heb. 7. e Ephes. â— All Christs sufferings were INIVRIOVS in respect of the doers and VOLVNTARIE in respect of him selfe f 1. Peter 2. g 1. Pet. â— g 1. Pet. â— h Luke 23. i Augusti de tempore serm 101. k Idem de trinitate li. 13. ca. 14 l Ibid. cap. 1â— m Greg. 〈◊〉 3. ca. 11. n Iohn 10. o Galat. 2 p Ephes. 5. q August de trinitat li. 4. ca. 13 r August de 〈◊〉 contra Manichaeos cap. 26. The recapitulation of y e maner and merit of Christs death s Gen. 2. t Iohn 3. The coÌ„fort of Christs crosse taken out of the 22. Psalme u Psalm 2â— x Vers. 9. y 10 z 11 a 19 b 12 c â—4 d Vers. 1. e Ambros. in Psal. 118. ser. 1. The same oâ—â— of the 16. Psalme f Psal. 16. The ground of Christs faith g Act. 1. h Bernard de verbâ—â— I saiae serm 5. Rom. 14 Doubting of Gods fauour is sinne in Christ k Matth. 14. l Rom. 4. m Iacob 1. Feare is more intolerable in Christ then doubting n Actes 2. o Iohn 1. p Ephes. 4 q Iohn 3. Christ was not amazed on the Crosse. r Mark 14. s Iohn 18 t Iohn 19 u Luke 23 x Luke 23. y Iohn 19 z Luke 23 a Matth. 2â— b Marke 14 b Marke 14 c Luke 23. d Iohn 19 d Iohn 19 e Matth. 1â— f 1. Peter 2 Christ wauered not in his praiers in y e garden g 1 Galat. 5 h 1. Corinth 7 i Matth. 26. verse 44. k Esay 53â— Christ praied often and earnestly but with full assurance to be heard l Hebre 5. m Mark 14. verse 33. Christ might at the first be abashed with Gods maiesty or mans misery but he recouered himselfe before he entered into his praiers How and why Christ might be rauished n Mat. 20. Christs praier could not be reiected o Heb. 5. p Iohn 11. q Iohn 8. The cup did passe from Christ in that sense in which he prayed it might r Esay 5â— s Hebr. 5. s Hebr. 5. Christ on the crosse must be assured his sacrifice should be accepted t Matt. 1. u Phil. 2. x Colos. 1. y Colos. 1. vers 19. 20 z Phil. 2. ver 8. a Ephe. 5. b Heb. 12. c Acts. 2. Psal. 16. We must suffer as Christ did which I hope is not the paines of hell d 1. Pet. 2. e Rom. 8. f Phil. 3. g 1 Peter 4 h 2. Cor. 1. Christs affliction on y e crossâ— was full of consolation i 2. Cor. 4. k Ibidem l 2. Cor. 12. m Ibidem m Ibidem Heb. 12. o Luke 4. p Heb. 2. q 2. Cor. 12. r 1. Pet. 4. All miseries are the effectâ— of gods wrath s Num. 16. t 2. Chro. 13 u Esay 51 x Mich. 7. y Esay 47. z Lament 5. a 2. Tim. 2. b Rom. 11. c Iohn 13. d â— Peter 4. e 1. Cor. 11. f Heb. 8. g Heb. 12. h Heb. 12. Heb. 13. k Rom. 2. l Ephe 4. Gods wrath towards his â— mixed with mercy and iustice The wrath of God against our sinnes was very great in the crosse of Christ. m Hebre. 5 n Ibidem o 1. Peter 2. p Esay 53. It should somwhat moue vs y t hell paines were neuer added to Christs crosse for 1300 yeeres since the Apostles time The doctrine here deliuered is authorised by the lawes of this realme q Num 3. r Num 13. The fiâ—t effect of Christes crosse which is the glory of his resurrectioÌ„ Foure opinioÌ„ touching the article of the Creede he descended into hell s 1. Samuel 2 The â—eare of hell may fall on vs but not on Christ. How Christ in some sense may be said to haue suffered the paines of hel on y e crosâ—e Papists were the first brochers of this opinion that Christ suffered hell paines on the crosse t Nicholaus de Cusa Excitationum lib 10. ex sermone qui per spiritum sanctum semetipsuÌ„ obtulâ—s u Ibidem x August Iustinianus in scholiis Octapliâ— Psal. 30. y Ferus lib. 4. in Mat. cap. 27. in illa verbaâ— Deus meus deuenitus z Ibidem Charitie supposeth the best Sinful infirmities are more hainous in Christ then in vs. Christs soule â—reer from hel then either saints or angels This opinion is not false but impertinent and idle The third opinion can hardly auoid 〈…〉 Sheol as well hell as the graue a Psal. â— b 〈…〉 c Ibid. ver 24. d Iob. 11 The lowest place and farthest from heauen is hell e Psal. 85. f Deut. 32 The scripture maketh a descent to Sheol g Luke 16 h Genes 37 i Genesâ— 42. k Numb 16 l Psal. 9. The soules of y e wicked were in Sheol before Christs comming but not of the godly â—say 38 n Prouerb 15 o Prouerb 9 p Prouerb 23 q Psal. 89. r Psal. 49 s Psal. 49. Abraham bosome is no part of Sheol or hel t Prouerb 13 u Luke 16. x August epist. 99. y Luke 16. How y e words of the Creed are best expounded z 1. Corinth 15 1. Regum 17. b 2. Regum 4 Marei 5. d Luke 7 Iohn 11 Reuelat. 2. Christ the first that euer rose conqueror of sinne death and hell g Ephes. â—â— The conquest of Christ ouer sinne death h Rom. 4. i Reuel 14 In vaine is all that christ did for vs if hel be noâ— coÌ„quered The methode of handling Christs descent Christs conquest ouer Satan had these three effects The proofe of these three by the scriptures k Mat. 12. Mark 3. l Phil. 2. m Colos. 2. n 1. Cor. 15. o 1. Peter 3. On the crosse Christ obtained his triumph but he executed it at his resurrectioÌ„ p Mat. 28. q Philip. 2 r Reuel 1. s Psal 2. t Heq. 2. n Colos. 2. The fathers read in sâ—metipso in his own person and those y t reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 applie it to Christ not to the crosse saue onelie Occumenius Oâ—cumeniusâ—â— 2. cap. ad 〈◊〉 Christs resurrectioÌ„ was a famore glorious triumph ouer Satan then his passion was x 2. Corâ— y Româ— z 1. Cor. 15. 〈◊〉 â— Heb. 13. â— Heb. 12. Luke 24. Phil. â— The cause