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
but he did not ascend immediatlye from the graue therefore your reason is against Scripture where you make a distinction betwéen the resurrection and the ascention you may vnderstand if it please you y t Eph. 4. 9. The woord ascend containeth in it all the degrées of Christs exaltation and therfore the resurrection also as the woord descend doth comprehend all the degrées of Christs humilitye Humes Sectio 11. Your next argument is taken from the wordes of our Sauiour to Mary Magdalen Ioh. 20. 17. Touch me not for I haue not yet ascended to my Father Wherupon you ga ther that seing the whole man is said to be there where the soule is that Christs soule was not yet with his Father seeing he doth say that he was not there himselfe Here truely it is strange that a man of your learning and iudgement seeth not so apparant a fallacy an argumēt you know negatiue a toto ad partes deuisas was neuer good among the learned as for example the whole race of Mankinde is not in England ergo there is no man in England Or Edmund Campions whole body is not ouer Newgate therfore no parte thereof hangeth there That these words are ment of the whole it is manifest by the text for that which had not beene with the Father was the same that Mary was forbidden to touch That I trowe you will not say was his soule but his soule and his body ioyned together that is to say the whole man Christ wherefore it was the whole man that he saith here was not with his Father and not his soule alone Hill My next place was not this but a text out of Syrac 17. 21. At the last shall he arise and reward them and shall repay their reward vpon their heads and shall turne them into the lower parts of the earth In the margin is noted Math. 25. 35. So that this place sheweth that after iudgement the wicked shalbe turned into the lower partes of the earth that is hell This place because you nor your Sinod can answere you haue passed it ouer and said nothing to it but are now come to your scholepoints the which whē I vse you call sophistry and so it were indéede if I did vse them as you doo You say an argument drawen negatiuely from the whole to the parts doth not hold True it is if by parts you meane integrall parts but not essentiall parts My instance was this Math. 8 11. Many shall come from the East and the West and shall rest with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Out of this place I proue that where the soule of man is after death there is the man sayd to be as we vsually say that these Patriarkes and all the saints are in heauen though their bodies be in the earth and are dust and ashes If then the soule of Christ were in heauen vntill his resurrection then could not these words of Christ be true Iohn 20. 17. Touch me not for I haue not yet ascended vnto my father for it is the preterperfectense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore as this is vntrue to say that Abraham is not in heauen because his body is not in heauen so this is false to say Christ was not in heauen because his body was not in heauen Our body is gouerned by the soule and man taketh his appellation of a reasonable creature not of y e body but of y e soule and therfore if Christs soule went vp into heauen as you say this can not be true I haue not yet ascended to my father Besides if Christs soule went first to heauen afterward his soule body together then were there 2. ascensions proue this and I will geue you the goale You dally also with my argument in this manner The whole race of mankinde is not in England ergo there are no men in England Do you thinke there is no more vnion betwixt Christ and his soule then betwéene all the men of the world then by this reason the body and soule of Christ were neuer vnited together Your next resemblance is this Edmund Campions whole body is not ouer Newgate Ergo no part of him Héere is a foule error to thinke Christs soule to be an integrall or diuisible part which is an essentiall or indiuisible for by your reason Christs soule is mortall and may perish as the integrall partes of Campion doth You vtter also in an other error in these words the whole man Christ for the whole man doth not make Christ but God and man as you may sée in Athanasius Créede As the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ. I will ende therefore with this saying of Irynaeus who liued vnder Marcus Antonius in the yeare of our Lord God 125. which thus proueth the descending of Christ into hell For he writing against Heretiques that sayd hell was in this world as many doo now adayes thus reproueth them in his fift booke and last Chapter As Ionas taried in the whales belly thrée dayes and thrée nights so shall the Sonne of man be in the hart of the earth And the Apostle saith what is it that he ascended but that he first descended into the lowest partes of the earth and Dauid prophecying of this sayd Thou hast deliuered my soule from the nethermost hell and rising againe the third day he sayd to Mary which he sawe first and worshipped him Touch me not for I haue not yet ascended to my Father but go to my Desciples and tell them I will go to my Father and to your Father If then the Lord kept the law of the dead that he might be the first begotten of the dead how are they ashamed that saye hell is in this world Thus you sée it is no strange thing to sée this scripture alleaged to prooue that Christs soule was not in heauen vntill his visible and glorious ascention Irinaeus a man of more learning and iudgement then I am of alleaged it to the same ende aboue 1300. yeares agoe and then it was accompted a currant argument among the learned Humes Sectio 12. Now let vs come to the great bulwarke of your defence you choose to be your foundation and text Peter sayth that Christ was put to death in the flesh and quickned in the spirit by the which he went and preached to the spirits that are in prison which were in times past disobedient c. Here following the Geneua translatiō I leaue some vantage that the Greeke doth offer me but I hope to finde heere matter enough to defende the truth Beza heere whome we also follow because he groweth neerest to the meaning of the Apostle by this word spirit doth giue vs to vnderstand the deity of Christ following Iohn that calleth God a spirit Iohn 4. 24. and by this word flesh his manhood conteining both his body and soule as he findeth the word vsed both of Paule 1. Tim. 3. 16. God
was manifested in the flesh and also of Peter himselfe 1. Pet. 4. 1. Christ suffred for vs in the flesh Which antithesis of the deuine and humane nature Paule doth also expresse in the same tearmes speaking of Christ which was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh and declared mightely to be the Sonne of God according to the spirit Rom. 1. 3. 4. where you see he vseth the words no otherwise then he findeth them vsed in the scriptures Now that this can not be the sence of them you reason thus First you say that this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is going doth signifye motion from some place which can not stand with the deuine Essence which can not possibly leaue any place being at all times in all places To this I aunswere that it is spoken of the same spirit or deuine essence in Gen. 18. 21. I will go downe and see whether the Sodomites do altogether according to the cry that is come vnto me And in Exod. 3. 8. I am come downe to deliuer them that is the Israelites out of the hand of the Aegiptians You can not be ignorant M. Hill that the holie ghost speaketh oftentimes of the deuine Essence by a figure called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whē God declareth his presence in one place more then in another by some notable effect which in this place was most necessary to expresse the continuall presence of Christ in his Church in those dayes of Noah and so in all ages either past or to come departing as it were from all other places which indeed he can not and sitting as it were a perpetuall moderator and ruler thereof Next you alleage the other participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is quickned that because it is passiue it can not stand with the deuine essence which can not suffer This we deny not for we attribute not this participle to the deuine essence but to the whole Christ God man for we say not Christ the spirit was quickned but Christ was quickned in spirit Thirdly you tell vs that mortified and quickned were both participles and both attributed to Christ at one time We confesse they were attributed to one Christ but we see no matter to leade vs to refer them both to one time But by the contrary me thinks that the order of the wordes haue sufficient matter in them to proue that he was first mortified and then quickned As for the distinction of time the distance was not to great as to require it To this you adde how he was dead and how he was aliue by putting to killed flesh and to quickned spirit The very text as I take it will deny you this for it saith not that the flesh was killed and the spirit quickned but that Christ was killed in the flesh and quickned in the spirit which is all one as if he had said that Christ dyed as he was man and ouercame death as he was God Which thing also Paule doth expresse in other words 2. Cor. 13 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmitie yet liueth he through the power of God Fourthly you say that the scriptures do ioyn together this going preaching close to his passion as if he had said assone as he had suffered he went preached This as if concludeth no necessary matter We expect demonstrations cannot be caried with as and if Fiftly you adde out of Gen. 6. that the preching of Noah is attributed to the 3. person and not to the second which putting on mans flesh redeemed vs. We confesse that ability to preach was giuen Noah by the holy ghoste but he was stirred vp and sent by the whole Trinity The actions whereof seeing they are common to all three he erreth not that attributeth them to any of the three Where you saye that Christ was raised from the dead by the first person and not by the second I see not how that can stand with the truth of the Scriptures which telleth me that the second person did put on man and did neuer forsake him in all his distresses Afterwards you tel me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient and sometime doo seperate the time of their disobedience and Christs going to thē But I can not take it at your woord for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not as you seeme to take it a Verbe but a Participle greeing with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits in the verse before and the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes belongeth to the principall Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached so that the sence must needs be he preached sometimes to the spirites that are in prison and were disobedient in the dayes of Noah Whereas you argue this can not be spoken of the preaching of Noah because he preached to men and to spirites it is strange to me how he can preach to men and not to spirits seeing that whosoeuer doth instruct men dooth also instruct their soules Lastlye you charge this construction to doo violence to the text taking the woord spirite for the diuinity in one place and for the power thereof in another where you doo vs great wrong for Beza himselfe refuseth it and proueth it is not taken for the power of the deitye in this place at all Hitherto haue I answered all that you can saye against vs now will I proue that your sence which you make of this place can not stand with the truth of the text You take this woord flesh only for the bodye of Christ which dyed and was buried and the woord spirite for his soule which you beare vs in hand descended into hell preached to the soules which had beene rebellious in the dayes of Noah if this your construction shall goe for currant then the apostle speaketh nothing heere of Christ which may not be verified of any man For though our bodyes dye yet our soules liue aswell as his The spirite here as it appeereth by the text doth signifie that which gaue life to that which was dead that I trust was not his soule but his deity thirdly this participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed doth signifie not onelye the death of the bodye but also whatsoeuer Christ did suffer either in body or soule for the redemption of our bodies and soules and doth comprise his whole passion which the Spriptures doth many times terme death which if it be so as it is so indeed then the woord flesh noteth vnto vs the whole subiect of his passion that is the whole man Christ for it was expedient that he did aswell suffer in soule for our soules as in body for our bodies or else he had been but halfe a redemer Fourthly seeing his body was quickned that is restored from the graue aswell as his soule from the sorrowes of hell if you take spirite there for the humane soule then you confound those thinges which the Apostle doth distinguish attributing that to
the soule alone which is also common to the body Fiftly seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to giue life and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to receiue life this cannot be vnderstood of the soule which neuer lost life after that it had once liued with the body and therefore could neuer receiue it againe Here you tell vs that to be quickened is to be deliuered from miseries how the English word may be taken I leaue it to the wise but in the Greeke woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latin word viâ—ificari I am sure it were strange and seldome seene to finde that sence Furthermore I am sure that if this deuise may stand that then you will ouerthrowe the antithesis betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dead and quickned for if quickned doth not signifie a restitution to life what antithesis can it haue with death or dead Lastlye adde to those if it please you that infallible reason of Beza taken from the scope and drifte of the Apostle to whose greater notes I referre you being not able to handle his reason so effectually as he dooth himselfe Hill Héere you play the Captaine and will beate downe bulwarkes and therefore you should haue these 4. properties in you vertue knowledge authority and felicity for the first two they are in you God graunt you vse them to his glory but what authoritye you haue to interprete the woord I know not therfore in this case I hope you shall haue no felicitie Where you say that this woord spirite doth signifie the deity and this woord flesh the humanity of Christ and that there is an antithesis betwéene the diuine and humane nature I confesse that spirite sometime dooth signifie the Godhead and flesh the humanity of Christ. But they doo not so signifie in this place as I proue by the circumstances of the text and the woords themselues For where you say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 killed or put to death dooth signifie the whole passion of Christ and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the resurrection of Christ that cannot be for of the passion of Christ is mention made before in the same 18. verse Christ suffered for vs the iust for the vniust to bring vs to God Now after his sufferings ended as Peter saith he was both killed and made aliue Now of his resurrection is mention made in the 21. verse as of his ascention in the 22. verse Therfore séeing the suffrings of Christ are mentioned before and his resurrection is namelye set downe after whereof can these woords be vnderstoode but of the seperation of the bodye and the soule and of the state of them during their seperation for an antithesis as you know is of contrary or diuers things as in this place you sée in killed and quickned Now how both these were true at one time S. Peter doth shew for at the same time he was dead as concerning his body he was aliue in spirite that is in soule for the soule seperate from y e body is aptly called in spirite Eccle. 12. 7. And dust return to earth as it was and the spirite returne to God that gaue it So is it taken Heb. 12. 23. Act. 7. 59. and so dooth this woord signifie in this place for Christ was not killed both in body and soule but only in body and in flesh for if the soule of Christ had béene killed then had it béene mortall Therfeore Athanasius Epiphanius and all the Fathers which did confute the Heretiques called Damoerite Appolinaris which denyed Christ to haue a soule doo confute them by this place prouing that his spitite was among the spirits that his soule seperate from his body was among the soules seperate from their bodies This interpretation you sée is gathered out of Gods woord and is made more manifest by the woords following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate In which spirite he went preached to the spirites in prison First you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which But in the 1. Pet. 16. you doo not so translate it nor in the 2. Chap. and 12. ver the same woords 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Eph. 1. 13. 2. 22. 5. 18. and so could I cite at the least an hundreth texts in the new testament where if you translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the which or by whom you shal ouerthrow the meaning of the holy ghoste The next woord in construing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as I haue saide before so I auouche still is spoken not of the deity neuer in all the Scriptures and therefore must néedes be spoken of the soule of Christ. To confute this you alleadge Gen. 18. 21. Exod. 3. 8. First I must tell you these bookes were written in the Hebrewe toong and not in the Gréeke I craued an instance out of the new testament Secondly in those places that you haue named the interpreters do translate Iarad by the gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this I proue Ioh. 16 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if I shal not depart the coÌ„forter wil not come vnto you but if I shall depart I will send him vnto you Here you sée when he speaketh of the descending of the deity he vseth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when he speaketh of the humanitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the same Chap. verse the 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I came out froÌ„ the Father came into the world againe I leaue the world go to my father And this proprietie of speach which y e holy ghost vseth ought to be obserued I confesse the scripture vseth the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but when God is said to come downe there is vsed the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or some one of the forenamed and when mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is alwayes spoken of the humanitie as it is to be séene Luk. 4. 30. 9. 51. 52. 56. 57. Luk. 13. 22. Ioh. 8. 1. And in this place of Peter the last verse is vsed the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He went vp into heauen Therefore if you can quote but one text in the new Testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is figuratiuely applied to the deitie your interpretation may séeme tolerable but if you can not as I knowe it is impossible then can you neuer proue your interpretation to be agréeable to faith because it is not agréeable to the word Out of the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this I note he that was killed and quickned did preach but Christ was killed and quickned ergo Christ and not the deitie preached He preached not vocally for he was killed ergo he preached really in soule for here is noted First who preached Christ. To whome to the spirits Where in hell When after his death and before his
resurrection This is the order of Peter and of our Créede which can not be by man ouerthrowen The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirits also is not as you take it for you say it signifieth the men in Noahs time but you can not bring one scripture to proue it Therefore I say as I sayd before it signifieth soules separated from the body That my exposition is true I haue proued by thrée scriptures Eccle. 12 7. Heb. 12 23. Act. 7 59. Now as mine is true so will I proue yours to be false and impossible by Christs owne words Luk. 24 59. where our Sauiour to prooue himselfe to be no ghoste but to haue a true body after his resurrection thus reasoneth behold my hands and my feet that I am the same handle me for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see me haue This was Christs argument I haue a body therefore I am not a spirit and so I reason against you and your teachers The men in Noahs time had bodies ergo they could not be called spirits Euery boy can tell you in Oxford that Substantia is deuided into corpus and spiritum and that one of these opposit species can not be affirmed of an other And therefore to be short when you can proue out of the new testament that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is mournying is spoken figuratiuely of the deity or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirit signifieth a man that hath a boy I will geue you the goale but if you will runne on this course vntill you haue prooued these two points which you must doo if you will haue me to recant then take héed least you run your selfe out of breath Lastly the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is prison doth signifye hell as it is to be séene Apoc. 20. 7. When a thousand yeeres shall be fulfilled Satan shall be loosed out of his prison Thus thou séest good reader how I haue proued my interpretation out of the word of God for euery word which our aduersaries can not do for their interpretation therfore thou maist safely assure thy self ours to be good and theirs to be false And that this word prison doth signify hell you may sée Epiphanius Athanasius Fulgentius centuria 1. lib. 2. cap. 14. Peter Martyr on the Créede Nowell in his Catechisine Beacon in the sick mans salue and Crowley in his answere to the reasons of Pound the Papist All these olde and new writers haue alleadged this Scripture as I haue doone with good warrant conscience Now that I haue proued this my owne interpretation I will by Gods grace proue your answere to be friuilous First you confesse that killed and quickned are Participles of one tense and yet you say they are not referred to Christ at one time this is méerlye false as I thus proue Christ was after his passion dead and aliue or neuer if he were neuer dead and aliue at one time then Peter saith not truely if he were dead and aliue at one time then you speak falsely Now you your self cōfessed that he was dead and aliue at one time a little before and proued it out of the 2. Cor. 13. 4. He was crucified concerning his infirmity yet liueth he by the power of God Héere by your owne woordes Christ was aliue when he was crucified so may I say with Peter he was aliue when he was dead and at one time Then you say the flesh signifieth the manhoode and spirite the deitye this also is vntrue for the body may be killed but the soule cannot Againe shew me any Scripture where one and the same woord in one sentence and period is taken for diuers things for in this sentence In which spirite he went and preached to the spirites that are in prison Héere y e woord spirit in the beginning of the sentence signifieth the deity in the latter ende the same woord signifieth the men that liued in Noahs time by your interpretation but by my interpretation it signifieth the soule seperat from the body in both places For as Cirill saith as Christ was with the liuing in body and soule so to shew himselfe a true man his bodye was among the dead bodies and his soule among the soules Then you auouch the preching of Noah is attributed to the whole Trinity be it so but can you proue that Christ after he was killed did preach in Noah for this preaching was after Christs death which is mentioned in the 18. verse and before his resurrection which is spoken of in the 21. verse You goe forward and tell me that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dooth not determin the Participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is disobedient but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is preached I must tell you plaine you speake neither like a Deuine nor a Gramarian For an Aduerd is sometime put to a Participle as Mathew 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then Herod calling priuilye the wise men Sometime to a Noune as Homo egregiè impudens Sometime to an Aduerb as Parum honestè se gerit Therfore the Aduerb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 next and immediatly and being distinguished from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a Comma cannot by any example in diuinitye or by any rule of Grammer be coupled with the Uerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now to answere your infallible reasons First you reason against me that if my construction be true then nothing did happen to Christ which might not be verified of any man And did you not blush when you wrote these things Can any mans soule goe to hell and returne againe For his going downe to hell I proue in the 19. verse and his returne from hell in the 21. verse Seconly you say the woord spirite doth signifie that which gaue life what then as God giueth life to the body effectually so the soule giueth life to the body formally Your Geneua translation which you follow saith he was quickned in the spirite not of the spirite And this I note against your side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 18. verse you translate In But in the next verse as though you had not doone well in the former you translate it by Now you know the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth by and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appéereth in the 21. verse and in many places mo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by the resurrection Moreouer if you had said quickned of the spirite then had you made a probable answere but no diuine is able to proue this exposition that Christ was quickned in the spirit that is in the deity for the deity is life it selfe Your third pregnant reason is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not only the death of the body but also the whole passion of Christ. This cannot be for the suffrings of Christ are set downe before in the same verse then in this woord 〈◊〉
I referre it to the indifferent Reader Then I proued that Erets tacthioth that is the nethermost partes of the earth did signifie hell out of 63. Psalme and 9. verse In answering of this you dissent from Dauid and M. Caluin Now whether it be more safe to foliow Dauid or you let my enemies iudge I alleadged Ezechiel to proue that point also 31. Chapter 5. 16 17 18 19. In answering to that place you haue gainsaide Ezechiel Esay in his 14. chapter Lauaterus Munster and Pellicane Now whether it be more fit for me to beléeue you or Esay or Ezechiel let your owne fauourites iudge Then I alleadged the knowne place of Peter you trauailed much about this place yet in your interpretation of this woord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is spirites which you interprete the soules of the men that liued in Noahs time you contradict the woords of our Sauiour Luk. 24. 39. For Christ saith a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue And yet you and your Masters say that this word spirit may signifie a man liuing Now whether it be more expedient for me to beléeue you or Christ I referre it to your owne iudgement You said my Sermon at Chippenham did confirme you and your fréends but I hope your owne answeres will not confute me but your selfe and cause your selfe and them both to recant You say you séeke to know the truth so do I as knoweth the knower of al harts wherfore whether you or I haue taught the truth let not Humes nor Hill iudge but the learned of the vniuersities For as Paule saith 1. Cor 14. 32. Yhe spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets That is the labours of learned men are to be iudged of the learned The God of patience and consolation giue vs grace that we may be like minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus that we may with one minde with one mouth glorifie God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Rom. 15. 5. 6. To whome be all honor and glory world without end Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iamque opus exegi quod nec Iouis ira nec ignis Nec poterit ferrum nec edax abolere vetustas Psal. 16. 9. 10. 11. 1. King 17. 21. 22. Heb. 11. 35 Pro. 23. 14. Athanas. de aduentu Christi Epiphaâ—con contra Damaer haer 77. Fulgent ad Thrasym lib. 3. Cap. 6 Ciril de vera fide ad Theodosium Imper. cap. 13. To descend into hell is a miraculous thing Petrus Mar tir in 1. Cor 15. Mat. 10. 24. Psal. 86. 13. Psal. 9. 17. Theophilact in act â— Draconit in ps 16. Aepinus in psal 16. Felinus in Psal. 16. Fulgent ad Thrasy li. 3. cap. 8. Cal. in 16. Psalme Act. 10. 43. Luk. 1. 35. August in 16. Psalme Christs body is called holy one for 2. causes Iob. 17. 14. Luther in Gen. ca. 21. August in epist. 57. ad Dardan Erasm. in 2 Act. August in 85. Psalme Absurdities following the deniing of the descendiug of Christ into hell Ciril de vera fide ad Theodosin Imperatorem ca. 12. Act. 2. 29. 30. 31. August in Epist 75. ad Dardan August in epist. 99. ad Enodi Rabbi Lebaurish Ciril de vera fide ad Theod. August de essentia diuinitatis Act. 13. 17. Col. 3. 1. Hugo Cardinalis in col 3. Rom. 6. 5. Phil. 2. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 13. 1â— Ob. Sol. Mark 5-7 Mat. 8. 29. Damas. Rob. Samu el Martir Col. 2. 14. 15. Muscul. Euseb. de re sur Christi Mollet in psal 16. Musc. in psal 68. Heming Fulg. ad Thrasim. li. 3. cap. 8. Eph. 4. 9. 10 Psal. 53. 9. Ezek 31. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Orat Manas ver 12. Ambro in epist. ad Ephe cap. 4. August in lib. 5. de trinitate cap. 19. Chrisost. in cap. 4. ad Ephe. Athanasi ibidem Cent. ia li 2. ca. 4. Hiero in ca. 4. ad Ephe. Psal. â—6 13. Pro. iâ— 24. 1. Pet. 3. 18. 19 20. 1. Cor. 5. 3. 1. Ioh. 4. 5. Luk 24. 37. Ioh. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 14. 1â— 2 Cor. 3. 17 2 Thes. 2. â— Miche 2. 11 Psal. 104. 29 Pro. 25. 2â— 1 Thes. 5. 23 Ephe. 2. 22. 1 Tim. 4. 12 2. Cor. 36. Gal. 6. 8. 1. The. 5. 19 Esa 26. 18. Psal. 150. 6. Ephe. 4. 4. Act. 7 59. Ioh 4. 24. Matth. 4. 5. Mark 1. 12. Luke 4. 1. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Act. 8. 29. Aug. epist. 99. Gen. 6. 3. Luk. 24. 39. Act. 2. Heb. 11. 4. Gen. 4. 4. Cent. 1. li. 2 ca 4. Athanasius ad Epictet Episcop corinth Athanas. de incarnat verbi Fulgent ad Thrasim li. 3. ca. 7. Ciril de vera fidead TheodosiuÌ„ Occumenius Viglius li. 2 ca. 3. Alesius in Euang. Ioh. The coÌ„sent of scripture which proue the descending into hell Act. 2. Ephe. 4. Phillip 2. Ob. Sol. Ob. 1. Tim. 19. Sol. Ob. Sol. Ose. 15 14. 1. Cor. 15. 55. Luk. 4. 18. Act. 10. 38 Heb 9. 22. 1. Ioh. 1. 7 Ferus in psal Mat. 1. 22. Ephe. 4. 10. Ioh. 17. 4. Heb. 3. 39. Apoc. 12. 12. Inde 6 Rom. 16. 20 Ephe. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 26 2. Cor. 2 4 1. Pet. 5. 6. Apoc. 12. â— 10. Orig. 1 Cor. 15. 1â— Petrus Mar ibidem Muscuius Apoc. 21. 4. Luc. 22. 43. Mar. 2. 7. Hierome in Luc. 22. 43. Psal. 7. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Aug. in Luc 22. 24. Ambro. Ferus in Mat. 27. Damasc Apoc. 12. 13. Apoc. 10. 6. Psal. 2. 7. Act. 13. 32. 33. Heb. 15. Heb. 5. 6. Aug. Luk. 23. 46. Psal. 144. 7. Psal. 136. 6. Psal. 145. 16 Ezek. 3. 22. Psa. 118. 16 Ezek. 8. 1. Psal. 37. 24. Psal. 31. 15. Nehe. 2. 8. Psal. 74. 12. Iob. 19. 21. Psa. 102. 25 Psal. 95. 4. Ephe. 4. 9. Eras. in 4. ad Ephe. Ioh. 20. 17. Mat. 8. 11. Ignat. epist. ad eccles Trallis Athanas. in Symbolo Ambro. in Gal. 3. Ob. Sol. Cypria de ascensu Chr. This is Car leils argument Pomera in Psal. 16. Areti in probemat parte 2. Hiperi li. 3. de method diuinitat Pet. Mar in artic 〈◊〉 Nowel in catechis Artyc Syn. Lond. tempore Eduardi 6. Aug. de ciuitate dei li. 18. ca. 23. August li. contra Iud. Pap. Arri ca. 16. 17 Phil. 2. 10. 1â— Ios. 24. 15. Aug. ad Euodium Epist. 99. Hierome ad August Epist. 9. Clemens Alexand. stromatum li. 7. Chrisost. in Act hom â— Chrys. in Gal. 3. Cypria Epist 4. Hiler li. ad ConstantiuÌ„ Augustum Hierom ad Paulinum cap. 6. Nazians orat de moderatione in reb diui 1. Cor. 14. 33. 1. Cor 14. 40. Ob. Sol. Athana de in carnat verbi Greg. Rom. 14. 10 Luk. 6. 37. Caluin defide ca. 7. The scripture is corrupted by 3. means M. Hils answere to the place This day shalt thou be with me in paradice M. Humes disagreeth with Saint Peter Humes disa greeth with Dauid and Caluin Humes disagreeth with Esay Ezechiel Munster Lauater and Pellican M. Humes disagreeth with Mathew If this be true then Christ was not dead as Peter saith Humes disagreeth with the words of our Sauior Luk. 24 39 M. Humes disagreeth with Peter Paule and himselfe Fortissimum argumeÌ„tum He ioyneth it himselfe a litle after with triumph A litle before hee saith hee neuer read hell with triumph Humes is contrarye to himself Humes disagreeth with Peter and Paule 1. Pet. 3. 22. Phil. 2. 9. 10 Eph. 1. 20. 21. 22.
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
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
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
the Elementes whereof our bodies are made order hath made the firmament roune hath vnfolded the aire poured out the liquid nature and gathered it into one place and sendeth out the windes but not to the destruction of man hath he sent them order hath bound the waters in the Clowdes but dooth not holde them there but scattereth them comely and equally vpon the face of all the earth A little after he addeth order distinguished vs from brute beastes made lawes giueth honour to vertue punishment to vice inuented artes made marriages and by earnest loue towards our Children begotten brought vs from the rude life to humanity and that which is greater thē this terrene and carnall loue it fasteneth in our minde the loue of God For order is the father and safety of all things Euen so saith this diuine writer order hath appointed in Churches y t some should be Shéep some pastors some shouldrule others should be vnder obey rule one is an head another is a foote another an hand another eyes another some other member of y e body to the concynnitie beauty of the church and to the vtility both of y e subiects rulers And euen as in our bodyes though the members be not abrupt or distracted one from an other but all that heape is one body made of diuers members yet there is not one force or facultye of all although otherwise for the necessitie of beneuolence concorde and for the like reason in their vnlike offices al members are equally made others helpe For neither the eye doth goe but sheweth the way neither the foote dooth sée but goeth and changeth places neither the tung dooth heare for that is the office of the eares neither the eare dooth speake for that is the function of the tung and the nostrell is the organe of those things that are smelled but the throate tasteth meate and the hand is the instruement of giuing and receiuing but the minde ruleth all from whence truely the power of sence doth come and whether all the sences doo goe and are referred In like manner standeth the case with vs that is with the common bodye of Christ we are all one bodye in Christ and euery one of vs are Christs and all of vs members togither Some haue dominion and rule some obeye and are ruled and albeit there is not the same action of both vnlesse a man will saye it is all one to rule and to obeye yet both of them are made and ioyned together in y e same Christ. and againe as among them that are vnder there is found a great difference for they differ one from another in learning and experience exercise and age so there is no small difference also among the rulers and sith the spirites of the prophets are subiect to the Prophets as Paul himselfe dooth affirme 1. Cor. 14. 32. There is no cause why any man should doubt of it For he saith Ephe. 4. 11. He gaue some to be Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly pastors and doctors first for the truth secondly for a shadowe and obscurithy last of all for the measure and action of diuine vtilitye and illumination And the spirite is one truelye but the graces are diuers euen as the conceptacles of the spirite are not alike For. 1. Cor. 12. 8. To one is giuen the spirite of wisedome and speculation to another the woord of knowledge and reuealation to another a sure and vndoubted faith to an other workinges of high miracles to another the giftes of healings opitulations that is defences patrocinices and gouerments that is castigation of the flesh languages interpretations of tungs to some more excellent giftes to others inferiour giftes according to the quality and proportion of their faith This order my bretheren let vs reuerence defend and obserue let one be an eare let another be a tung an other some other thing let one teach another learne an other woork with his owne hands that he may haue to giue to the néedy let one rule and gouerne the people let another by his dutifull ministery obtain the praise of iustice he that teacheth let him teach in modesty for let two or thrée Prophets speak and that by course and let one interprete and if any thing be reuealed to another that sitteth by let the first holde his peace 1. Cor. 1◠29. 30. He that learneth in obedience he that giueth in redines he that ministreth in chéerfulnes Let vs not all vse the function of the tung which is most readye and prompt in all for we be not all Apostles we be not al prophets we be not al interpreters For albeit it is an honourable thing to talke of God yet is it more honourable to kéep our selues pure vnto God It is a great and worthye thing to be a teacher I heare thée but it is with out danger to be a learner Why doost thou being a Shéep take vpon thée the office of a Pastour Why doost thou being a foot take vpon thée to be a head why doost thou being a Souldiour take vpon thée to be a leader of an armye why doost thou séek for those great but doubtful and daungerous gaines of the sea while thou maist kéepe thy self in safety in the land albeit with lesse gaine If thou be a man according vnto Christ and hast thy sences exercised and doest shine in the bright light of knowledge goe to speak the wiseof God I say that wisedome which is preached among the perfect and which is hidden in mistery and that in such sorte at length as if thou shalt get a fit opportunitye and hast it committed to thy faith For what hast thou of thy selfe that thou hast not receiued it but if thou be tender of age or of a base or abiect minde or of weaker strength then that thou art able to wade in higher matters follow the Corinthians be content with milke Why doost thou desire strong meate which thy members for weaknes can not consume and turne into nourishment tell me if thou haue any thing better then silence therefore where it is better to holde thy peace then to speake be silent And a little after he saith if thou doost resemble Moses in vertues enter also into the Cloude it selfe and speake to God and heare his voice and promulgate the Lawe if thou also be Aaron ascend together truely but stand without the Cloude somewhat nigh But if thou be Ithamar or Eleazar or some third from Moses of the order of the Senatours and of their number stand farther off and be content with the third place But if thou be a lay man or of the basest sorte let the hill it selfe kéep thée back which also if any beast touch he shall be stoned tarry beneath and heare the voice onlye and that after thou hast purified thy selfe and that I may more plentifully instruct thée who did consecrate the Préest Moses Who was the first that was consecrated Aaron who did care for the things
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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