¶ DOCTOR SMITH WRITING AGAINST Iohn Caluine, and Christopher Carlil, entituleth his Booke: as followeth,
Refutatio luculenta crassae, & exitiosae Doctor S. heresis Iohannis Caluini, & Christophori Carlili Angli, qua astruunt Christum non descendisse ad infero▪ alios, quàm ad infernum infimum, qui locus est damnatorū perpetuus, aut ad sepulchrum.
A manifest refutation, saith Smith,we both denye that Christ went to any hell: neither call we the graue hell, therefore your title is vntrue. of a grosse and pestilent heresie of Iohn Caluine and Christopher Carlil, an Englishe man: wherein they affirme that Christ descēded into none other Hels, than to the lowest hell, which is a perpetual place of the damned, or into his graue.
Thus farre the Title of Smith his Booke.
I Maruell, M. Smith, what cause you had to write againste me, whom you neuer saw, who [...]euer offended you, who neuer reasoned with you, who neither had put in print any booke, either in Englishe or Latine: neither you euer knew me.
I heard say, that you did defende in the yeare of Christ 1552. at the Commencemente in Cambridge, that Christ neuer descended into Hell, and that Sir Iohn Cheeke Syr Iohn Cheeke. Knight, one of King Edwards Coū sell did dispute with you, and certaine others.
It is so.
I haue againste you long custome: olde Authoures: generall councels: and diuers Creedes.
Custome without Scripture is cause of errour: AuthoursCustomes. without the worde are to bee reie [...] Authors. [...] without Christ areCouncells [Page 2] worthie of reproofe. And where you alledge diuerse Credes, to them I will answere, when you aduouche them, I require Scripture: for withoute it, I will beléeue nothing to be necessary to saluation, though you bring Carteloades of Doctors and deuises.
Saint Gregory alleagethGregory in his 12. booke vpon Iob. cap 7. Gen. 3. 24. no man (sayth he) mighte enter into that place which was defended by the Aungels called Cherubins,The. 1. obiec tion▪ and with flaming burning Sworde: but Paradise was so defended: ergo no man might enterParadise defē ded with the Cherubins. in, till Christe came, and remoued them awaye by his ascention into heauen.
If you vnderstand by ParadiseParadise y [...] heauen. heauen & felicitie, as Christe [...]oth, Luk. 23. 42. We must nedes confesse, that the Cherubins were neither so vnmerciful, neither the [...]aked sword so terrible to ye iuste, neither of suche force, as to kéep [...]ut the faithful, vnto whose faith [Page] the Cherubins gaue place, y• sword remoued, and the way was open, & the faithful of all ages let into the celestial Paradise: for to the faithfull, Paradise, is neuer shut: to the vnfaithfull it is neuer open. Faith is the keye, that openeth the locke vnto euerlasting life. Faith is not onely a sure and infallible expectationHeb. 11. 1. of heauenly ioyes, but also an apprehensiō of the same. For where Faith ceaseth, there beginneth immortality: Where hope maketh an end, there is the ful perfection, fullHope. fruitien, full contemplation of the maiestie of Iehoua. Let vs expound the text according to the letter. Adam saw this vision sensibly in the aer, as Dauid, an Angel with a nakedAdam sawe this vision in the aer. sweard, 1. Chro. 21. 2. Sam. 24. 16. Iosua 5. 13. and Balam Num. 22. 31. to declare that no man shoulde eate of the tree of liues, that is, to haue felicitie till he departe oute of this life, and to shewe that no man by his own merites should ascende into heauen, wher the tree of liues [Page] is kept with the sworde, from all them whiche passe not through tribulations by faith, whereby entrie is made into heauen. Epiphanius iudgeth this vision to haue appearedEpiphanius. to Adam, that he might thereby admonishe his children, that by his example they might be reduced frō sinne. Augustine is of the former opinion,August. lib. 2. contra Manicheos cap. 23. Tom. 3. Lib. 2. contra Manichaeos. cap. 23. Tom. 3. And of the later de gen. ad lite. lib. 11. cap. 40. This UisionAugust. de Gen. ad lit. 11. cap. 40. which Adam sawe was in the aer, heauē is aboue the aer many thousand miles: This was before the gates or entrie into the terrestriall paradise▪ you feigne it to bee at the gates of heauen. This was for a terrour to Adam, and to his posteritie for his transgression. This is remoued by faith, this giueth place to the iust. Christe entred not into the terrestriall Paradise, but into the heauenly. Luk. 23. 42▪ 43. 2. Cor. 12. 2. It was the terrestriall Pararadise where this vision was seen.Paradise.
I perceaue that you make two paradises, the one celestiall, the other terrestriall, which you willRead more of paradise in my note vpon the 2. of. Gen. haue to be the whole earth.
That is my meaninge, notwithstanding paradise by a Metaphor ys taken for prosperitie and pleasant places. To the which Tirus, and Assiria, and the lande of Israell are compared Ezech 27. 28. 31. 36. Ioel. 2. Gen. 13. By the lyke metaphor in the newe Testament it is taken for felicitie, forparadise is he auen. the bosome of Abraham, and the kingdome of heauen. Luk. 23. 2 Cor 12. Reuelat. 2 By this discourse their dreames are easely confuted who place paradise withoute theS. Beda. tropiks, or vnder y• equator, or in a highe montayn [...], or in the circle of the mone, or in the middle region of y• aire or in Fortunatis insulis orDurandus Cortesius 2. sent. dist. 5. Ioach. Vad in Epitom. [...]i. terr. in campis Elisiis. Amongst the latins so many doctoures, so many opinions. Could there grow any trees in ye aire, or any beasts be fed about ye [Page 4] mone, ether flouds run, & such other thinges whiche were all in Paradise? Wherefore certayne of the gre kes, as Chrisostome, Theodoret, & Epiphanius accuse such dreamers, and specially they reproue Origene with certaine Heriticks, who either expounded paradise allegorically or anagogically. The Iewes are more monstrous and phantasticall, who saye that god prepared paradise before the creation to receue the iust as thei departed: which is not so, but it may be a figure of heauenly felicitie, which was prepared to that effecte before the foundation of the worlde, Ephesi. 1. And thereforeGenesis 2. 7 some translate Michedem from the beginning, & other some from theThe second obiection. Easte.
Iacob lamenting the death of his sonne Ioseph, whom he thoughtGen. 37 35 had beene deuoured of wilde beasts, saide: I will descende downe vnto my sonne lamenting into hell. Nowe if Iaacob were in Hell and also hisIacob. [Page] sonne Ioseph, who were both ful of faith and good workes: then muste needs the Fathers before Christ descende into hell, and came not oute till Christ fetched them out.
Why doe you saye that Iacob went to Hell, when as al our English Bibles, say that he wente into his graue? Is the graue hell? Resteth not the bodye there withoutSheol, the graue. life, without senses, withoute payne or tormentes? There is paine intollerable in hell without release, tormentes without intermission, and damnation withoute ende. The text sayth not after your translation that the soule of Iacob descended into Hell, but it saythe that Iacob went into Sheol, meaning his body without life and senses.
I meane that Iacobs soule went to hell.
But the text saith, that itGen. 4 [...]. 28. was Iacob, and the gray heads ofGen. 44. 31. Iacob. Are there any graye heades [Page] in hell? Are you not ashamed so to Dreame, so to affirme, and so to write? When wee saye that Iacob, or any other man is dead, we meane not that his soule is dead, whiche can not dye, for it is immortall. A deade man is called a man, but a soule is neuer called a man after that it is departed, but a soule. Wherefore by your owne fantasie it was the bodye of Iacob that went to hell. Iacob sayde that they would bring his gray heares to the graue: hee doeth not call his gray heares his soule, neither are there any graye heares in heauen nor yet in hell: for they consume in the graue. It is oure Englishe phrase that when wee are offended with our vnthriftie children, wee say that they will bring our graye heares to the graue with sorrowe.
I followe S. Hieromes translation, which hath in Infernum, into hell. I knowe that all your Englishe Bibles putte the graue [Page] for hell. Shall we giue more credit to your Englishe translations, then to S. Hierome, then to all the Greke and Latin Doctors, which haue hel and not the graue, in their writings and expositions?
If the text be not faithfullyReade August ad Hieron. & de trinitate▪ translated, nor truly imprinted, y• faithfull interpretation is to be had from the Hebrue, and in like mannerThe truthe must be had out of the hebrue and greke. the truth of the new Testament out of the Greke text. Thus muche the councel kept at Vienna in France a littel way from Lyons in the yeare of Christ 1309. Lib. 5. Clement. Tit. 3. S. Hierome did not translate the Bible out of the Greke, but out of the Hebrue, and therby did correct the Greke and Latin translations, and the same councel geueth Augustine, who willeth all men to consider the propertye of euery tounge, and especially the Hebrue, and Greke. August. lib. 1. de sermone Domini in mont. in lib. retract. 1. cap. 7. ad Volusian. epist. 1. contra [Page 6] Faust. Manich. lib. 11. de doctrina christiana. lib. 1. ca. 5. li. 2. cap. 15. Now seeing that the propertie of euerie thinge, the truth of the Text, the righte sense of the Scripture is to bee had out of the Hebrue toung and phrase, we must runne to it, as to the fountayne.
I vnderstand not Hebrue, no more did S. Augustine, nor Chrisostome, but in obscure places they asked the Iewes what was the propertie of this worde or that, and of this phrase or that phrase.
Sheol in this place is the Graue, as it is in the 44. Chap. vers. 31. where the Sonnes of Iacob said, they should bring the gray heade of their father to the Graue. In all these places Sheol, is takenSheol. Gen. 37. 35. Gen. 44. 31. gen. 42. 38, for the graue. This Sheol S. Hierome translateth Infernum, which is a place belowe where the bodies are buried, meaning therby a graue So wryte also Photius, and Theodoret.
[Page]The same worde Sheol is in the 1. of the kinges the 2. chap. ver. 9. where in the same phrase, Dauid chargeth Salomon to cause y• hoare heade of Semei to go down into the graue with bloud. And Chrisostome interpreting the 9. ver. of the 4. ch. of Paule to the Ephesians, calleth the inferior partes of the earth, whether Christe descended, Death.Sheol is death and alleageth this place of Ge. 44. 31. to prooue the same. Lyra thoughLyra vpon the 1. of the kings 2. 6. rab. Salomon. in other places he taketh Sheol for hel, yet is he compelled here to take it for the graue of Ioab, for sayeth he, Dauid did not meane that Ioab▪ shoulde goe to hell, but that hee shoulde bee punished temporally. And the Psal. 143. ver 8. I shall beePsal. 143. 8. there is Bor put for Sheol. Psal. 86 13. like to them that go downe to the pit, that is, saith Chrisostome, I shall be like to them that die. Thus to go downe into the pit, and to go to Sheol, is al one phrase, one sense, one meaning, which you translate hell.
Though I am but a small grecian, I knowe that the grekes called the 72 interpreters, 6 of euery tribe appointed by Ptolome kinge72 Interpretors. of Egipt to translate the Bible, haue: [...], eis hadou: to hell.
You must consider Maister Smith, that [...] doeth not signifie hell where in are Deuils and damnedHell. soules tormented for euer, vnlesseHades. that tormentes bee ioyned [...] quasi [...] ab α non, et [...], videre. August. Tom. 3. de Gen. ad lit. lib. 12. cap. 34. withal as in Luk. 16. The Greekes say that hades hath his name of not seing, as who saye a place of darkenesse, and Pluto the king of the earth is so called, and to this effect writeth Ambrose and Augustine. The olde Greekes, as Homer and Euripides take hades for the graue, as [...], and Latine Poets also: as Virg.
Iuuenes tot miserat Orco.
And Ouid:
Saturno tenebrosa in tartara misso.
Notwithstanding the first Grecians, [Page] as Sibylla Erythrea, deryue Ades of Adam, who is the earthe, and thereof hath his name, Gen. 2. vers. 7. Hee made man of the dusteHomo likevvise in latine hath his name of [...]umus, the earthe. of the earthe, & therfore God sayeth in Ge. 3. vers. 19. that, thou art dust or earth, and to dust or earth thou shalt returne. Wherfore this earth this place, that graue vnto the whicheAdam for Adams graue. Adam should returne, is called of his name Adam, and the grekes altred it a little & framed it to their tongue, and called it Aden, chaunging a. into e. and m. into n. Thus writeth Sibyll, Sybil. 1. [...]
You reason muche of theThe third obiection. Graue and place where Adam was buried. I doe not reason of the Bodie, but of the soule of Adam, whiche I am sure descended into Hell, and laye there almoste fower thousandAdam in hell 4000▪ yeare. yeres, tyll Christe fetched him out.
He was not in Hell, and therefore Christe coulde not fetche him out.
Where was hee then?
In heauen.
How prooue you that?
Hee ascendeth immediatlyAdams soul in heauen. [...]nto heauē that asketh pardon, that [...]raueth mercye wyth a stedfaste [Page] faith: but this did Adam: ergo Adam ascended into heauen immediately after his death: for the death of the faithfull is the high way to felicitye, and faith is the saluation of our soules 1. Pet. 1. 9. The assumptiō is prooued by Iosephus, .1. pet. 1. 9. who faith, that Adam confessed his fault, and craued pardon for his offence▪ Moreouer Adam did not onlyIosephus 1. cap. 4 confesse his fault, but also repented and beleeued in the seede promised. And as he and Caua were theCaua is the mother of all mankinde ge ne. 3. 20. first that offended, so were they the first that receiued grace and ascended into heauen, excepte Abell and Enoch. Which is prooued by Salomon wysdom. 10. . 4. Rede the. . 3▪ cap. of wisdome. or rather by Philo in these wordes: Wisdome, (saythe hée) whiche is the sonne of god, preserued the first father of all mankind from his offense. Is not be saued that is deliuered from his offence, from sin, from errour? but in hell there is no saluation, then was h [...] in heauen by the same faythe tha [...] [Page 9] we haue. His faith made ChristesFaythe. death as present to him, as though it had béen done in déede: for faithe apprehendeth thinges absent, and thinges, whiche are not subiect to our senses, consider Heb. 11. 1. And therfore Christ is killed to the faith of the elect euen from the beginningeReuel. 13. 8. of the world. And although Castalio and Beza resolueth the latter parte of this 8. vers. on this sort: whose names are not written from the creation of the world in the booke of life of ye lambe which is killed. Nonwithstanding they must nedes conclude that the names of the faithfull are and were written in the booke of life, in theThe booke of life is heauen. [...]iuely booke of the lambe, which is heauen: for so Christ define the it, [...]aynge vnto his disciples: Do not glory because that yow haue subdu [...]d spirits: but because that your [...]ames are written in heauen. Is it [...]ny absurdity to place the soules, where their names are written? [Page] Are their names holier then their soules? wher good mens names are writtē, thither ascend their soules, but in heauen are good mens names written: then there must nedes be their soules. To what vse were it to haue my name written in heauen, if my soule shall haue no fruition of heauenly ioyes, no contemplation, no solace, no felicity? The disciples were predestinated to this felicity, and therfore receiued presently, when their tabernacle was dissolued, when their soules departed out of the body. For they must nedes reape one fruite, enioye one felicity, whose fayth is all one, whose sacraments in effect are all one, for bothe haue eaten one spiritual bread & dronke1. Cor 10. ver. 3. 4. one spiritual drink: for they dronk of the spirituall rocke whiche isTheodoret. on. 1. Cor. 10. Christ. The red sea expresseth our baptisme: The cloude the grace ofAn argument infallible Rom. 8. 28▪ 29. 30. the holy ghost: Moses the highe priest, Christ: the Israelites the [Page 10] Christians: the rocke Christ. Can he come in hel, who is forknowne of god, predestinated from euerlastinge, called of purpose, iustified by faithe, and consequently glorifyed? Ys the forknowledge of god doubtfull? Is his predestination mutable? Is his calling of purpose vncertain? Or our iustificatiō variable? Or our glorificatiō ī doubt? Adam was gloryfied in y• presenceAdam glori fied. of god alwayes, alwayes elected, alwayes in sure hope, and in an infallible expectatiō of heauenly felicity. To glorify, is as y• papistes terme it, to canonise, to make saintes,To glorify to geue felicity, to introduce a man into ye incōprehensible ioyes of heauen. And to signify a certaintye & an infallible truth, in electīng calling, iustifying, & glorifyinge, he vseth the preterperfect tense, as though it were done already, and so it is in déed with god. shal we measure ye author of time with time? or [Page] the geeuer of felicity by mans phā tasie, or the certentie of saluation, by the doubtfull iustisiynge of the Papist? If Adam were foreknowen, fore elected, fore appoynted, and consequently called, & glorified how could he come in hel? Is there any iustification in Hell? any fayth any hope of better lyfe. any saluation, any remission of sinnes, any inuocation of the name of God, anye glorificacion, anye felicitie? Hell is withoute Hope, Geenna withoute grace, Satan withoute Saluation, Tophet without ioye, the worme of conscience without solace, gnashingHell. of teeth without gladnes. Let vs speake of Habel. It is saideHabel. that Habel beinge dead, did speake.Gen. 4. 10. So is it saide of the Soules of theReuel. 6. 9. 10. 11. faithefull in the Reuelacion: he is saide to speake whiche lyueth, then Habel and all the faithfull do liuethe dead speake. because they speake, & also becauseHeb. 11. 4. that God is the God of the lyuingeWisd. 10. 3. and not of the dead. Moreouer by [...] Iohn. 3. 12. [Page 11] this worde speakinge, is painted forth his felicitie which hee hath en ioyed from his martirdome hitherto, for Christe saith that who so euer shall lose his lyfe in this world for Gods cause and religion as hee did, shal fynde it agayn in the next: but if he should goe to Hel after his death, as our romishe Catholickes doo teache and affirme, it were an euill exchaunge, and the death wil: lingly receiued for his cause (or religion) very slenderly recompensed but Habel was found iuste, and is so called both of Christe and of S. Paul. There is none iuste, but heeMath. 10. 28. 39. that beleeueth: for as S. Paul saith whatsoeuer is not done of faith, isMath. 23. 35. synne, the iust man lyueth by faith,Heb 11. 4. Habel was iust, therfore he lyued by his fayth.
There is in this sentence of Habel thrée thinges to be noted: faithe,The iuste liueth by faith. [...]ustice, and immortall life. Iustice is the frée gift, mercy, and goodnes of god, geuen vnto man byIustice. [Page] fayth, fayth bringeth immortalityFaith. or euer lasting felicity, for the perfection of faythe is felicity, & faythe endeth where immortality beginneth:1. Cor. 13. 13. then hath faith done his part, when yt hathe obtayned ye whiche it trusted vpon: and then ceaseth hope, when yt enioyeth that which yt hoped for: then remayneth charity, we S. Paul sayth is the gretest ofCharitie Hope. the thre, because it contineweth & florisheth for euer among ye saītes. Herin doth Ireneus erre, affirmīgIreneus error lib. 5. that faythe and hope remaine after this lyfe. For he supposeth that all mens soules from the beginning of the world are kept in a secret place abiding or wayting for ye last day, and therefore to beleue and hopeAnd Salomon was long before Christ. stil. But Salomō or rather Philo saythe in the 4. chapter of the booke of wisdome: The iuste thoughe they dye before their tyme, or beinge younge, yet they are in reste. Augustine calleth Habel a virgin,Habell. a priest, a iust man, and a marti [...] [Page 12] hee hath deserued (sayeth hee) theAcrowne. crown of martyrdome, this crown is felicitie, vnto the whiche wee are bounde to haste vnto.
If there bee a churche in heauen, as wee must needes confesse there is, where Christe is being the head then is it an iniquity to denye Habel, to be there being the first martyr. Bernarde placeth him in heauen,Habell in he auen because hee receyued deathe pacientlye by his brother Cayne. who persecuted hym for hys vertues1. Iohn. 3. ver 15. 12. sake: for Abraham Esra an auncient Hebrue Doctor affirmeth that Cayne kylled Habell because hea sayde that vyce shoulde bee punished, and Uertue rewarded in an other lyfe, whiche when Cayne hearde, hee slewe him forthwyth. Ambrose also doth affirme that GOD hearethe the deade because they lyue wyth hym, and doe reste in hys Pallaice, hee callethe Abell the Prince, Capitaine, and way leader of Christian men.
[Page]And shall we saye then that theAugust. de mirab. sacr. Cap. 3 captaine is in worser state then ye soldiour, the prince in worser case then the subiect, so dothe Ambrose call him. And to ye same effect doth it tende which is written in the 6. chapiter of the Reuelat. wheras the soules lying vnder the aulter apparayled in white garments saye: Olorde holy and iuste, how longe wilte thon tarry to auenge our bloud. Amonge whom was Habel desiring the resurrection. And so was Enoch, as affirmethEnoch. Salomon in the booke of wisdome, the 4. chapter saying these wordes:Heb [...]. 11. Enoch because he pleased godEccles. 44.was caried into paradise an examplePoi [...]e is he uen.of good life vnto the worldes to come. When he pleased god, heFaber vpon Math 8.was beloued, and for that he liued amonge the wicked, he was rapt vp least he shuld by their peruersity haue bene seduced. Ther are in ye same place many goodly sentences which declare y• faithful after their death [Page 13] furth with to receyue felicitye, andHeb. 11. the wicked or vnfaithfull, misery. Paule also proueth ye same, Enoch saithe he, was translated or taken vp from deathe to life, or dyed not at all: for before his translation it is written of him that he pleased god, whiche for to do without faithe is impossible. Thus you must nedes beleue, you that will go vnto god, that thee is a god, that doth recō pense the faithfull, and suche as loue him. Wherfore it is euident that Enoch ascended into heauen.Iosephus lib. 1. cap. 3. Iosephus affirmeth the same. Yet I know that there are some of the hebrue Doctors as Esra, who taketh his translation from deathe,Lacac. for his deathe onely, and not forSo it is taken Psal. 73 24. speakin [...]e of the deathe of the iust, whole soules god re ceiueth. any assumption: howbeit the hebrue worde signifiethe not onely to take away by deathe, but also to receiue vnto himselfe, as god did Enoch. Pselly a gréeke author affirmeth that he did flye vp into a heauenly place. So is there a [Page] great nomber which affirme, thatEnoch he went into Abrahams bosome, and into the same place whether Christ his body went. Isodorus saythe, that he was the 7. from Adam, because that all men in the beginninge of the 7. thowsande yeare should enioye the same felicity which he did then. And all the Latins in a manner saye that he went into heauen, least it should haue bene thought that the fathers soules should haue bene in hell, or detayned in lasye limbus. Chrisostome, Ephrem, with other of the gréekes affirme, that he is in a fortunate place. Thus far of Enoch. And the same I do iudge of Enos, Seth, Lamech, Noac, Sem, and all the rest of the faythfull fathers, whose faythe conuayed thē vp into immortallity. Nowe let vs heare and mark what god saythAbraham, Gen. 15. 15. and 25. 8. vnto Abraham: Thou shalt (sayth god) go vnto thine elders and people quietly, and be buried in a florishing [...] [Page 14] age, which is as muche toTo go to our elders. say: when thou art dead thy soule shall spedily ascende into heauen among thine elders, where it shall lyue in the abundance of ioyes. Wherefore they who contend and affirme that there is no place in ye bookes of Moyses whereby the immortalitye, of the soule can be proued, are greatly to be blamed. for it is euident of this place that the soul went vnto ioy, for he said whē thou shalt dye and go vnto thin [...] elders. First y• soules go vnto their elders, whiche are all the faithfull Fathers: and then is the bodye buryed If you should vnderstand yt of his sepulcher, which is at Hebrō where he was buried, in the double caue y• ys false for ther was none of his elders buryed, nor none of his familiars, his wyfe Sara onely excepted, & thē he should haue sayd, y• shalt go vnto thy wife Sara & not to thy elders: if you vnderstād it of his [...]arnal fathers Thara & Nachor theyIos. 24. 15. [Page] moste abhominable Idolatoures,Faythe. wherfore he ment not vnto them, then must he meane those faithful men before recited, who exercised the same fayth y• hee did, & beleued in the same Christ. For by faythe he possessed Cananye, subdued tyrantes, offred Isaac, and obteyned euerlasting felicitie: for faith bringeth saluation, as Prodromus saith in these verses which I translated out of the greeke tounge:
O holye faith, sound, perfect, and pure: Which of saluation doest man assure.
Or thus.
O constant faith. pure and not fained: Whereby euerlasting life is ob tayned.
God made first a Couenaunt with Adam promisinge the Seede that should tread downe the Serpentes head, v [...]to Noat he promised quietnes with the Rainbowe, vnto AbrahamA Couenant. hee promised the Lande ofAbraham. Canaan and immortalitye: none [Page 15] of these did doubt of any thing, but did beleeue the promiser. Paul by their example perswded men to beleeue, and thereby to obteine euerlasting lyfe. And if we that are their Children doe hope by fayth to haue the fruition of God his presence, how vnkynde are wee to depriue our fathers therof, including them in the darke dungeon of Hell or Limbus, spoylinge theym of allRom. 4 II▪ Abraham wēt to heauen. Ioye and Glorie? Abraham is called in the Scriptures the father of all the faithful, and was he then in woorse state then his children? When hee had lyued. 175. yeres, hee departed vnto his Elders and people, that is (as Caietanus affir [...]eth) into the sweete and pleasantGathered to the fathers. [...]asie of felicitye, which God hath [...]repared for his elect from the beginninge,Caietanus. hee is gathered vnto his [...]athers. This Metaphor is thus [...]o bee applied, that as the husband: [...]an doth gather his corne into his Barne, so God gathreth his faithfull [Page] seruantes into his heauenlyMath. 3. 12. habitation, as Christ doth witnes saing, that the chaffe, which is the wickedshalbe, burned: but the corn, which are his faithfull, he will layeHeb. 12 vers. 23. 23. 24. or gether it into his barne which is heauen. He died, saith the scripture,Abraham. in a pleasante age, such an age such a reward soloweth, such a death such a life, such labor such ioyes. The interlyned glose with the ordinary, Strabus and also Angustine place Abraham sometime amonge the angels in ye mount Sion, in the citty of the liuing God, in the celestiall▪ Ierusalem, amonge the cōpany of th [...] innumerable augels, in the congregationTo be gathered to the fathers is onely applied to the soules whiche liue with god. Dauid, Cim [...]i and Rabbi, Abraham saye [...]o. Read Pagnin. in Cab. and Cadab. of ye first born sonnes which are written in heauen, sometime [...] God the Iudge of all men, among the spirites of perfect men, and [...] Iesus Christ the mediator of th [...] newe testament. Ambrose sayth [...] Caietanus that this phrase of th [...] gethering to his elderes can in n [...] wise be referred vnto the body [Page 16] but vnto the soule. The like is verified of Moses and Aron in Deut. 32. He that beleued as Abraham did, and like wyse liued as he liued can inhabyte none other place then very heauen: this city, this countrye,Two places. this kingdome, and this inheritance, is promised, and ys proper and common vnto all the faythfull: euen so is hell, the kingdome, countrey, and inheritaunce of the wycked, or vnfaithfull, and other places of ioye or payne, of rewarde, recompence, or inheritance besydes these twayne, ye scripture knoweth not, whatsoeuer ha [...]h beene, is, or shalbe dreamed, de [...]ised or affyrmed to ye contrary, as [...]ost plainly appeareth by ye historyLuke. 16. ver. 19. Lazarus & Diues. [...]f Lazarus and Diues, where is [...]ewed the descending of ye wicked [...]ch man into hell, & how the poore Lazarus was caried vp into the bo [...]me of Abraham, as for any thirde [...]ace as our purgatory Catholikes [...]o protest and defende, it is vtterly [...]knowen not onelye vnto that [Page] place of Scripture aboue expressed but also vnto al the rest of y• whole holy Scriptures. And as ChristeTwo places. speaketh but of two places or rewardes: so speaketh hee of two masters which were God and Mā mon, which two maisters rewarded their seruantes in the two forsaid places, whereby I gather that there were but two places, one of Ioye, the other of Payne. Two maysters, the one good, the other euyll, two kinde of people, the one faythfull, the other vnfaythfull.
And, as for a thyrde place, a thirde mayster, and a thirde people, the Scripture proueth none, neither doe I beleeue that there is anye. And I nothing doubte but if oure Romishe Catholikes should be enforced gratis, euen as charity doth binde, to doe their workes of redemption, and to receiue nothing for their paines for releeuing the pore soules, they would right shortly be perswaded and contented to let the [Page 17] place goe after the profite and lucre, which now enforceth them so feruently to defend the same with sworde and fyre. But as Chryst mentioneth but two maysters and two places after this life, one for the elect and an other for the reprobate: so S. Augustine vtterly denyethAugustine. the third place. For if there had bene any suche in those dayes, the rich would haue bene redemed for money: if ther had bene any popes in tohse dayes, mony and pardons had deliuered him. The foresaydeThe bistcrye of Diues & La, is not fei ned. storye is affirmed to bee true, and bothe thee men well knowne, and their names, the one called Nineusis the ryche, the other Lazarus theNineusis. poore, and to haue dyed bothe whē Christ preached before his passion.Munster vp on Math. 4. Thus the Hebrues affirme & some of the greekes as Epiphanius, and Enthinius, and Faber. Whiche history if it be true, as Ireneus, Orygen,Enthin, vpon Luke 16.Cyprian, Cyrill, Hierome, Hillary, Ambrose, Gregory, Gorrham, [Page] Chrisostome and all the hebrues affirme: and if they dyed before Christs passiō as it is euident by al these autors, and if Abraham his bosome, be heauen and euerlasting felicitte, which no good man can denye: Then was Adam, Habell, Abraham, Lazarus and all the faithfull fathers in heauen. Tertullian beleueth ye story to be so true, ye he concludeth that the riche man was Herode, and ye poore mā Iohn Baptyste Thus farre of this historyA brahams bo some. now let vs note what is ye bosom [...] of Abraham. it is ye place of ioy & [...] licitie, which all they had ye liued [...] beleeued as Abraham did & dyed i [...] ye same faith. For as ye mothers be [...] some is ye solace of ye childe, ye hauen ye safegarde of ye ships, after storme [...] & tempests: so is Abrahams bosom ye r [...]st, quietnes, solare & securyty [...] ye faithfull. S August also affirme [...] Abrahams bosome to be heauen [...] thesewordes, saing what soeuer i [...] is in Abrahās bosome y• same ha [...] [Page 18] my familiar Nebrideus obteyned if Lazarus who dyed before ChristNebridius. was in Abrahams boosme, & Nebri deus who died after Christ had the same bosome: then must nedes al be one thing, & who dare, saith S. Augustine, cal this bosome of. Abrahā any part of hell? how be it hee is in this matter, as in diuers other incō stāt & variable. Eustacius saith y• IaIacobs ladder Iacob. gen. [...]8 15. cob sawe Christes corporal figure, whē as he saw y• ladder erected frō [...]arth vnto heauē & that it was a figure of christs crosse, by whose deathe al haue & shal ascēd into heauē ▪ It is also ye figure of a christiā mās faith, wt reacheth vp into heauē, and signifieth the ladder: & y• staues ther of was Iacobs iourney frō Canany to Mesopotamia. The angels cōductedCazo [...]. him to Labā, & home again. Ie houa vpō the top of ye ladder guided his iourney by his angels. It is no more incōuenient to cal this a visiō thē to term ye prephecies visiōs whi the were prophecied, & seene of the [Page] 16. prophetes, & so are they called in Hebrue: neither was the wrastling of Iacob wt the aungel really done but in a vision, as in like maner the prophet which was not wounded. Ezechiel went bare footed: Esaias mouth touched with a burning cole
Hose as maryed to an harlot, theHose. 1, 1. lyke you haue as the sleepe of Adam Gen. 2. 21. 22. which was not really done but in a Uy [...]yon, for shee was made,Gen. 1 26 27 when Adam was made and called by the same name h [...] Adam, in this respecte for that she was made of the earth, and should return to y• earth▪ Thys vysyō doth not declare a newe creatyon of the woman but an vnion and asimylytude, to figure ye indyuisyble vnyty betwene man and wyfe: betwene Christ and his congregatyon for the woman is deryued of mā as of Christ christian [...] which are the congregatiō, neither can it be vnderstode of her creatio [...] for she & Adā wer perfitly made i [...] y• sixt day, ye cōsequēce therfore is [Page 19] shee could not be made of the rybbe for if shee were made, of the rybbe of Adam, then had he a spare ribbe, if he had no more ribbes then were needeful, how could shee bee made of that rybbe which was not to bee had. If Caua were created of the ribbe, then must it either be hir body, or hir soule, or bothe: if hir body, then was it as insensible as the rib whiche had no sense nor life: if hir soule had bene made of the rib▪ Ge. 2. 26. 27. then shoulde it haue putrifyed as ye Gen. 3. ribbe did. Was the rib hir father,Caua. or Adam, or bothe? If bothe, thenGen. 3. 20. hadde shee two fathers: if neither,Mat. 16, 18. then who was hir father? the scripture dothe not say that god made ye woman of thee ribbe, but that hee [...]uilded the woman of the Ribbe to declare that shee was as it were a building, and by hir houses and families were planted, and the▪ fore she is called the mother of all mankynde: and Christ alluding to this buildinge saithe: that he will build [Page] his congregation vpon the rocke, whiche is himselfe. If Adam was created immortall, how could hee slepe. Do imortal creatures slepe [...] that is contrary to immortallitye▪ that Adam was created imortall, both ye boke of wisdome & also these wordes doe testifye. Whensoeuer thou shal eat of this fruit thou shal [...]Wisd. 2. 26.dye the deathe. Therfore hee slep [...] Gen. 2. 17. not before he had offended. Wher [...] Gen. 2, 21 & 2 27. Adam sayth y• Caua is flesh of hi [...] flesh and bone of his bones, signifying in a mistery Christ & his cōgregation: for sayth Paule, we are [...] bers of his bodye, of his fleshe, an [...]Ephes. 5. 31.of his bones. For this cause shall [...]Cor. 6. 19.man leaue father and mother, an [...] shall be ioyned vnto his wyfe, an [...] they two shall be made one fleshe this ys a great secreate, but I speak [...] of Christ and his churche.
For as Isha whiche is the woman is deriued of Ish which is the man declaringe a mutuall societye, th [...] ys betwene man and wyfe, whi [...] [Page 20] in a misterye figurethe Christ and his congregation, of whome Christians are deriued, as the woman from man, euen so, and in lyke manner, the churche which are theTob. 4. ver. 7. 10. true Christians indeed are deriued of Christ the heade thereof. Tobias saith: we are the progeny of God, & loke for the life which god giueth to ye iuste by liberalitye & almes, wee shall see god face to face, for it deliuereth frō death, purgeth sin, & giuethpsal. 31. 5. life euerlastinge. Also Dauid being in daūger of his enemies, or in daūger of deathe by sicknes, cō mēdeth his spirit vnto god y• had redemed him, whē as Christ had not thē wt his patible body redemed hī, & yet he said, he had redemed him, whē as it was 500 yeare before his passiō. Neither would he haue cō mēded his soule vnto god, if he had knowne y• god would haue sent ytPsal. 73. [...]4. Thou shalte receue me▪ meaning hi [...] oule. into Hell. CHRIST approued this Sentence beinge vppon the crosse, sainge: father into thy handes I cōmit my spirit. But yf some [Page] shuld here obiect as I doubt not but they wil, & saye ye for al ye Christes soule went not straighte vnto heauen before he had made his voiage vnto hell, there to visite and fetche out his old frindes al the space that the soule was absent from the body which was three dayes: yet I dout not but they shall be compelled to confesse & thinke the contrary euenStephen, Actes 7. ver. 19 by the words of S Steuen. who suffe red after Christ a yeare or there aboute, & vsed ye very same wordes which Dauid and Christ did, commendinge his spirite vnto God as they did. And if they graunt that he ascended streyght way, than must they graunt the same vnto the other who vsed all one scripture, the scrip ture is no Shipmans hose neither is it partiall, but like effectuall to all beleuers. Dauid committed his soule into the handes of god▪ godsWisdome 3 The hands of God. handes is euerlasting ioy and felicitie, as it appereth by Salomon, who saythe: that the soules of the iust are in the hands of god which [Page 21] is proued in the boke of wisdome.preach 1 [...]. 7. Also in the boke called the preacher he constantly affirmeth the body to goe to the grounde, and the spirite or soule to returne vnto god that gaue it, who soeuer shall reade the seconde boke of Machabeus, shal apThe 7. bretheren. Machab. 7. parantly perceue by the wordes of the seuenth and last brother, spoken vnto Antiochus, y• their soules had rest and ioy after their martirdome saing: Doe not reioyce o most cursed Autiochus, nether imagine that thou canst escape the iust iudgment of God: I assure thee my brethrene here haue suffered a little payne, but now they are come into the heauenlyEsdr. 2. ver. 38. couenaunte of euerlastinge life. Esdras, seing an innumerable multitude praysing God, asked the aungell what they were. who answered, that they were such as had put of their mortal coates and put on their immortall. and the yonge mā who did set crownes vpon their heads & gaue thē palms in their hā des was ye sonne of god, christe thē [Page] not being incarnate nor borne. godEsa. 26. ver 19 20. speaking in Esa. to the people miserably opprest, sayth vnto thē: enter into my Houses and Chambers, & shut the dores to you for a while, vntil this tirany be past: which chā bers & houses the Latins do vnderstād,Dau. 1 [...]. 13.to be pleasaūt & ioyfull places prepared for the electe. So doe the grekes also. The like is spokē vnto Daniel in these words: go thou thy way & departe vnto the ende of the world, rest thou in thy lot (that ys among the sayntes) vntil thou shaltZach. 3. 7. Iosua.rise againe at the last day. Also the Angel spake vnto Iosua. 400. yeres before Christs cōing in ye flesh on this wise: If yu shalt ob serue my Lawes and Commaundementes,math. 17. 3 I shal place the among those AngelsMoses. whō yu seest stāde here, who as it is like were nether in hell nor inElias. Limbus. Moses & Helias were wt Christ in y• moūt, it is not licke y• Simeon. they did ascēd frō h [...]l or Limbus toEsa. 7. 14. 15 [...]1. 12. come & accōpāy Christ, but rather to descēd frō heauē. Simeō reding y• Prophete Esaie y• Christ should be [Page 22] borne of a virgine, and maruelinge how it should cōe to passe, an angel said vnto him yu shalt se thy sauiou [...] ere yu dost depart. And whē Christ was presēted in the tēple, Simeon toke him in his armes & saide, now sufferest yu thy seruant to depart inNice phorus 1 cap. 13 peace according to thy worde &c. to departe in peace, is to enioy euerlastingLuk. 2. 26. 29 30. life▪ S Paule so doth erpoūd it, & calleth ioy & peace y• effects ofrom. 8. 6. Ephe. 4. 3. Colos. 3. 19. faith, & this must be in the cōsciēce of man & h [...]w could they departe in a quiet cōsciēc [...] yt should go hēce in2 Cor. 3. 18 to hel or Limbus. He vseth this order to proue mās saluatiō by whō he knoweth before, thē he doth predestinateRom. 14. 17 galath. 22. rom. 8. 28 29 to be like vnto his sonne whō he pred estinareth thē he calleth whō he calleth thē he iustifieth: & whō he iustifieth, he glorifieth, by ye which it must n [...]des followe, y• the fathers were predestinated, called iustified & glorified by christ. Peter Acte [...] 15. 11 the seconde parte saith: we beleue to to be sa [...]ed by ye grace of Iesus christ as wel as y• fathers. Hetherto the scriptures.
[Page]The Hebrue Doctors affirmeThe Hebrue doctors. with one assente that there are but two places after this lyfe: the one of ioy which they call Gan Eden full of ioy, quietnes, and consolation,To Phet. the other place Hell, where the wicked are continually tormented without redemption. The Chalde Paraphraste placethe all the soules of the iust in an heauenly tabernacle,Chalde Paraphrast vpon preca. 6. where they enioye pleasure perpetually: this felicity (saith he) Dauid callethe y• land of euerlastīg life. And of this opinion is Chimi, psalme. 27. 13. Chim & rab Abraham rea de pag in ▪cha bad. and Esra interpreting the 1. the 30. and 91 psalmes. The greke doctors sende them to heauen▪ Origen writinge vpon the firste of Iob, to theOrigen. not withstanding it is their commune [...]rrore to place none in heauen before y• last day. tabernacies of the iust, where are the ioyes of sayntes, the rest of the faythfull, the consolatiō of the godly, the inheritaunce of the humble, the reioysinge of the innocentes. I shall go into lighte and life, where is mirth & ioy, no sorow, no lamitatio, no calamity, or sicknes, but [Page 23] where I shall put away all paynes wher vertues are rewarded, wher is the bosome of Abraham, ye state & patrimonye of Isaac Israels familiarity, wher be all aungels & blessed soules, ye voyces of archangels, y• brightnes of y• holy ghost, Christ his kingdome, & the glorious maiesty of ye father. Gregory Nazianzen Nazian. placeth thē amonge y• aungels, Philo in a celestiall place free fromPhilo. all corruptiō. Eusebius called themEusebius. christians & therfore to receue ye reward of christianity. Iosephus beeingeIosephus lib. Iudai. 3. cap. 14. one of them ye fled into ye caue at the siege at Iotopata, & whē they woulde haue slaine themselues rather thē to haue endured the famine and to come out to the Romaines, he exhorteth them not to slay them selues vntill God should call theyr Soules vp vnto himselfe.
Sybill Erythrea, whome some sayeErythrea. was Noac his Daughter in lawe, termeth all the faythful to be christians in these verses.
And by cause certaine of the latins, as Lactantius, Tertullian, Bernard, and one Iohn a by [...]shop of Rome who was after christ. 1315 yeres wt certaine of the grekes as Ireneus, Chrisostome, [...]uthinius, Iustinus Mart [...]e, Oecumenius, and Aretha do deny that any man is rewarded vntill the last day therfore can not their autorities preuayle in this case againste the truthe. S. Augustine was like an Academicall waueringeAugustine. to and froe, yet in this poynte in his 99 Epistle, hath these wordes: I affirme (sayeth he) that Christ coulde bringe no goodnes to those that were in Abrahams bosome, who had his diuinitye continually present with them. And of [...] truthe Lazarus was in Abraham [...] bosome before Christes deathe. H [...] also calleth ye riche mans graue he [...] [Page 24] and Abrahams bosome, the blessed mans rest: the kingdome of heauē, & ye paradise of the these: and vpon ye 11. of Iohn hee is verye plaine in this matter. Hierome condemnethHierome. Vigilantius, partelye because hee would not place ye soules of yt faithful in heauē wt Christ, but in an honest prisō, in Abrahās bosom, a place solace, vnder ye aulter of god, in the fortunate yles, or in the fieldes ofCyprian. pleasure. S. Cyprian saythe, who would not feare death if ther should be no pleasure after this life. He citethe many scriptures to proue the soules of ye faithfull to be in heaueu imediately after they depart out ofAmbrose. this life. S. Ambrose bringeth the Christians from Ha bell: & proueth by marueilous many scriptures in his booke entituled De bono mortis y• all y• soules of the faythfull ascēded by & by after their death. Now shal I alleadge the opinions of the philosophers,Philosopher [...] wherby it shall appeare vnto the, good reader, y• although y• [Page] they knewe not God as they ought to haue done, yet cōceued they a better opiniō of ye immortallyty of the soules of the iust then do our Romishe catholiques, & not knowing God as they ought, had a better iudgment of his equity, as Plato in Phedon, Phedro, Gorgias, Timeus,Platowith all his sect who apoynt a place in heauen for all the iust: so doth Demosthenes. Calamus a phiolospherCalanusof Iudea saith: oh what a worthy death is this, that when the body is buried the soule shall go into light▪ also Cirus (as Zenophon and Cicero reporte) calleth it a blessed daye,Cirus. when he shoulde go vp into the company of the godly, And Tully saithCicero in som Scip. that who so haue saued their coūtrySeneca. and encreased the same, haue a placeRomulus soule ascended in to heauen. Cice. in som Scip apoynted for thē in heauen. Seneca also saith do not enuy thy brother, he shall rest, he is safe and immortall, he enioyeth the free and open heauen, he hath escaped out of this vile place in to an high & excellent [Page 25] place, which receiue the the soules into a blessed bosome, where he is nowe at liberty, and hath receiued all goodnes withe greate pleasure, thy brother hathe not lost the light, but hathe obtayned a more perfecte [...]yght, why do we lament his destiny, he hathe not forsaken vs, but is gone before vs: and in another place he sayth: deathe which we so feare, chaungeth life, but doth not destroye it vtterly, for the day will come which shall restore yt agayn.Apollo answe red polites de maundinge whether the Soule was immortall o [...] no.
The Chalde Oracle affirmethe the [...]oules of the good to goe vnto god [...]n these verses,Lact. 7. cap. [...].
Euripides hathe these verses also tendinge to the same effecte,
CHRIST DESCENDED NOT INTO HEL NETHER in body, nor in soule.
IF CHRISTE The first argument. descended into Hel, either he must descende in Body or in Soule, or in his Godheade,Christes body went not to hell. or in all: but in Bo [...]ye hee did not: for it laye in the graue three dayes, as these placesMath. 26▪ 61. in the margent do testifye: More [...]uer a body that is deade, withoutIohn 2. 19. [...]enses, without life, without soule,Ionas 2. 1. [...]an neither descende, nor ascende,Mat. 12 4▪ [...]oue, stirre, or ryse,: but all theGloss. vpon Act. 2. [...]ime that it lay in the graue it was [...]estitute and depryued of all these, wherfore y• body could not descend [...]houghe some affirme the contrary: neither coulde his soule descende. Could that descende, whiche did as [...]end? or that descend into hell, that was in paradise, in felicity, in theThe soule of Christ descen ded not. [...]ingdme of God? But Christe his [...]oule was in heauen, euen so soone [Page] as yt departed out of the bodye.
As for his godhead, it can neither ascend, nor descende. Can that ascend, or descend, y• is euery where,Luke. 23. 42. The godhead of Christe euerie where. that filleth all places, that is i [...] heauen, earth, and hell, all at once▪ Ergo his godhead was not in hell,Esay. 66▪ 1. more at one tyme then at another.Act. 7. 49. They hold that it was his soul tha [...] Christes soule was not in hel The thief not inhell. went to hell: howe coulde yt be i [...] hell, when as yt was in paradise, withe the thefe? Was the thefe i [...] Paradise. hell? That denied Christ, who sa [...] hee should be withe him that very [...] day in paradise. Was paradise he [...] ▪ That denyeth the thefe, who calleth paradise ye kingdome of ChristLuke. 23. 42. And Paul in the 2. verse of the▪ epistle to the Corinth. the 12. cha [...] callethe paradise the third heauen of the whiche, I haue discours [...] there at large, and vpon the 1. an [...] 2. chapt. of Gen. Now to conclu [...] this first argument, yt is euide [...] of the premisses, yt nether Christ [...] body, nor soul descended into hel [...] [Page 28] If Christ descended into hell, hee either deliuered the faythful, or theThe 2. Argument. vnfaithful, or both, or neyther: but the faythfull he could not▪ for they were in heauen, by the same fayth that we haue, and withe God, as is specifyed in the 12. Chap. of thePreach▪ [...]1. 9. Preacher. and in the 16. of Luke. Luke. 16. 22. 25. 26. The vnfaythfull he would not, for that they were already condēned. Neither is there any redemptionIn hel no redemption. Iohn. 3. 18. in hell, no confession of the faulte, no remission, no satisfaction, no remedye, no consolation, no hope of grace, no expectation of any better lyfe: wherfore to conclude this argument, if he had descended, hee had deliuered none, and therefore his iourney had beene in vayne, his labour frustrate, and they that defend y• same either to be wilfully ignorāt, or so blinded wt erroneus custome, that they will not see.
Neither Mathew, neither Marke, The 3. Argument neither Luke, nether Iohn, neither Peter, nor Paul, who wrote exactly [Page] of Christes death, resurrection, and ascention, made anye mention of Christes descending into hel, & ther fore we cānot beleue that sentence without error, neither affirme it we out a lye, nor approue it in our beliefe without offence, and daunger of drawing others to credit fables.The 4. obiec-Iob. 14. 13.
I brought a place of Iob, after the exposition of Gregory theGreg. lib. 12 vpon Iob. 7. first Pope of that name, wherby he proueth, that Iob desired of GOD that he would not place him in the loweste hell, but in some superioure roome, which I interpret to be LimbusLimbus patrum. patrum.
Iob desirethe that God would hide him in his graue, or inSheol the graue, earthe or deathe. the earth, til his anger were past, & determine a time when he woulde remember him. And Esra interpre teth this verse of his deathe and resurrection, for Iob knewe that his bodie should sleepe til the last daye,Iob in heauen but hee was assured that his soule should ascend into heauen immedyatlye [Page 29] Hee that was blessed cannotA Sillogism: come in hel: but Iob was blessed: ergo, Iob coulde not come in hell.
I denie the maior.
I proue it. He that is blessed, is glorified: he that is glorified is in Heauen by Faythe, and is caried from death, to lyfe, ergo hee that is blessed cannot come in hell.
VVere not all the fathers that Christe fetched oute of Hell, blessed.
He fetched none out for they were in Heauen by the same faithe that we haue, for they beleued that Christe should come, and we beleue that he is come. Differentia est in tempore, in re nulla. There is difference in tyme, in effect none at all.Iob. 1. 1. Moreouer Iob was such a one whō no man could reproue. Tam [...] he is called Iashar, true, faithful, vpright, and hee is iust, and one that feared God. And all these effectes folowe of fayth, and the ende ofPeter. 1. 9. [...] [Page] buriall, and resurrection, and thisEsay. 35. 3. hee proueth by Esaye, and in the Psalmes, whych sayth thus: Thou art my sonne this day haue I begottenPsal. 2. 3.thee. This daye hee calleth ye tyme and moment, when God theHaiom, to beget. father did begett Christe: agayne, what is to beget in this place? It is to rayse Christ out of his graue, frō the deade, not to returne anye more to the graue: for so doth Paule declare,Act. 13. 34. and so do Chrisostome, Theodorus, Antiochus & Hillarius, interprete thys place. A begetting frō the dead, is like to a man begotten and broughte oute of his Mothers wombe, as out of a graue, where he was as it were buried. And therefore the Resurrection, is called of Christ, as it is here of Dauid a regeneration,Mat. 19. 28. a bearinge of newe, a newe byrth, a newe commyng intoRom. 8. 23. this worlde, a renouation, a rysing from the dead, a restitution from aboue,Theod [...]ret in [...]pit. quasi [...] [...], for the bodye is restored from aboue, by [Page 31] the power of GOD, as Chryste is here by the father.
I knowe that this latter end of the Verse is vnderstanded of the resurrection of Christ, but how say you to the former.Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell.
I saye that the latter is an explanation of the former, notwith standīg I wil translate it so plainlye, that it shall neede none interpretaciō: thus I translate it. Thou shalte not leaue my Bodye in the Graue: And that Nephes, should beNephes the body. translated the bodie, I prooue by a doossen places of scripture, and manye moe if neede require, where INephes and Sheol prope [...] to the bodye. declare the signification of Nephes. And that Sheol signifieth ye Graue, and proper alwayes to the body, as Nephes is. I haue proued a litle after where I haue declared aboue 2. hundreth places of Nephes, and almoste halfe as manye of Sheol. The words proue my purpose, the phrases declare my meaninge, the propertie of ye Hebrue tongue openeth [Page] the truthe, Chryste himselfe speakethpsal. 16. 9. Ac. 2. 27. of his bodie whiche should not bee left in the graue. Peter alleagethPet. calleth Nephes fleshe Act. 2. 26. 30. this halfe verse to proue the resurrection of Christ. Dauid calleth that his Fleshe in the verse before fayinge: that his flesh should rest i [...] hope, which hee calleth the bodie i [...] this tenth verse: and that which [...] Dauid in the presence of Chryst [...]. Act. 2. 30. 31. 32 calleth the Holye one, Peter inter preteth his fleshe, and the text say [...] that he came oute of the Loynes [...] Dauyd, and should syt in Dauid [...] throne, this same Iesus, sayth Ptter, God hath raysed vp, and we a [...] witnesses. Were they witnesses [...] his soule wt did not rise, or of his bodye which did ryse? Could his soul [...] ryse againe, there is no resurrectio [...] of the soule, for it dyeth not.
How could his soule be in the Loynes of Dauid? then should Dauid [...] Christ was in the loynes of Dauid. soule haue begotten Christes: a si [...] full soule, a soule without synne [...] is contrary to nature? was ye sou [...] [Page 32] fleshe? so to saye is an absurditie. But Dauid and Peter calleth thatThe soule of Christe, was not in the loy nes of Dauid but in his bodye. which you saye went to Hel, fleshe, could a dead carcas goe? coulde hys dead flesh preache, coulde his soule without a bodie preache, which you saye only went to hell? you saye y• it spake and reproued the Deuills, you are not ashamed to saye that it burst asonder the brasen gates, the yron barres, and entred violently in the despite of Satan, and saluted the Fathers, shaked Adam by the hande, & brought them al out sauīg Cayne and Iudas, who refused hisBe Z. in. 2. Act. [...] Aepinus in psal. 16. offer, Fabularum (M. Smyth) plena sunt omnia. Aepinus a new writer a Lutherane will haue his soule to haue suffered in the hel of the damned soules. Lossius, and Wellerus, Caieta [...]us. other two Lutheranes, that Christ wente to Hell, both in Bodye and Soule. What a detestable opinion hath Caietanus, who defendeth that the soule of Christ suffred a double punishment, one for y• it was agreued [Page] to bee out of the bodie, the other for that it was sore tormented in hell▪ I praye you let Caietanus tel me by scrypture or by some reason, what that punishment was, or wherfore he shoulde bee punished? For his owne Offence hee coulde not, for he had not offended: for others he [...] The death of Christ ransomed all. did not: for that hee dyed vpon the crosse, sayng: All things are dispatched,Iohn. 19. [...]0man is redemed, man is saue [...] Sathan is subdued, hell is spoyled▪ the force of the deuell is broken, his dominion deminished, and ther are required no more sacrifices, no m [...] deathes, no more torments, no perigrination to hell, nor to S. Iames▪ no more conflictes with Sathan, no moe tooles to burst the gates of hel [...]
Eusebius Emisenus de resurrectione what tyme Christ wēt to hel. domini sayth, that Christ his soule descended into hell when he [...] gaue vp the ghost at 9. of the clock▪ with vs it is then three of the clock▪ at afternoone, to spoyle hell.
But that denied Christe [Page 33] who sayd, that the thiefe should beeLuke. 23. 43. wyth him that daye in Paradise.Athanasius.
Athanasius de Virginitate, affirmeth that the Lorde descended into hell, at twelue of the clocke at after noone, and rose agayn at midnight.
Where was his Soule betweene three of the clocke, and sixe at night▪ Nicephorus sayth that heNicephorus. August. tom. 4. quest. 65. & 26. was not there aboue a moment. Augustinus writeth y• Christe was in Hel, st [...]ē and thirtie houres. Reinerus. sayth, that Christ was in LimReinerus in pan theologia Lyra vpon the 16. psal.bo one daye and two nightes. Lyra saieth that Christ was in Hel, whiche he calleth Limbus patrum nyne and thirty houres. Dissentiō in doctrine is a signe of no Truth: note how some saye that Christe descended into hell at three of the clocke, some saye at sixe, some saye hee taried there sixe and thirtie houres, other some nyne and thirtie houres other fourtie, other denie any local descending, neither nede theromish [Page] Catholickes to bee offended, seein [...] Augustine steuchus. vpon the. 16. psal. that Augustinus Steuchus one of Popes Librarie, & bishop of Kis [...] translateth this as I do, expounde [...] it as I do, and proueth his translationNephes. by many other places of th [...] Remigius in the yeare of Christ. 856. scripture, where the soule is take [...] for the bodie and lyfe, and concludethMath 10. 39. fully with me. Remigius al [...] Iohn 15. 13. Bishop of Antisiodor expoundet [...] this place as I do, as ye may rea [...] in my notes vppon the 16. psa. A [...] likewise Martin Borrhai vpō y• 1. k [...] 2. Feline & Vatablus vpon the 16. p [...] Fagius vpō Gen. 37. Bucer vpō ma [...] Chrisostome aduersus gent. [...]om. 5. pa. 91. quod christus sit deus. 27. Munster vpon math. 27. Pet [...] in the 2. of the Actes, and Paul in 13. of the Act. Beza vpon Act. 2. Chrisostome is compelled to vnderstād this place of the 16. psa. as I do.
Notwithstanding that Chrisostom interpreteth that place as yo [...] The 6. obiecti on. psal. 24 9. expounded. do, yet doth he by other scripture proue that Christ went to hel as D [...] uid sayth. Lift vp your heades ye gate [...] lyfte vp ye euerlastinge gates, and th [...] [Page 34] king of glory shall come in▪
Dauid in this psalme declareth that God is the ruler of all the whole world, and that he especi [...]lly fauored the Iewes, whom hee wished to lyue, an incorrupte life, [...]nd they shoulde dwell in Syon, [...]hey shoulde dwell at Hierusalem, [...]hey should dwell in the tabernacle [...]f GOD which hee had chosen for [...]uer, as the Psalme. 132. declarethpsal. 14. 15. 1. & ce. [...]t large, to be a temple for GOD1. Chro. 23. 6. 7. c 15. 29. c. 16. 1. [...]ho sate on the toppe of the Arke, [...]nd there gaue oracles, and there [...]ore2. Sam. 6. 15. 16 Dauid seing in spirite that theLyra interpre teth this place as I doe. [...]mple promised was perfourmed [...] his fayth, (for fayth seeth thingsFayth. [...]bsent and long after to come) re [...]yceth with himselfe, and sayth: O [...]e gates of Ierusalem lift vp youre [...]eades, O ye eternall gates be lyf [...]d vp, that the eternall God sit [...]ng betweene the Cherubins may [...]me in, eternally there to dwell.
[...]e calleth y• gates eternal for that [Page] arcke had no certaine place befo [...] but there▪ it should alwayes be t [...] tayne and eternall. I haue no [...] Allegories. of this, muche more in my NotDionys. in Hie 10. 27. of the 24▪ psalme, howe that the a [...] gels reioyced, and commaundedFlam. in ps. 24 gates of heauen in Christes asce [...] tion to open, & let in Christ, but [...] literall sense is alwayes the safe▪ For they that departe from the le [...] ter propounde many absurditye [...] forge many lyes, marre many [...] intentions, inuente a 1000 glo [...] Chrisostome is not ashamed wi [...] Chrisostome reproued. out all reason and sense to cal th [...] gates, the gates of hell that shou [...] let Christ in. Hugo the Cardina [...] calleth these gates, vices, and theHugo Cardin. princes, whiche should be translated heades, hipocrites, and principall heritiques, who should tal [...] away their vyces and errours, o [...] of their myndes.
M. Iames of Theranio a doc [...] or of the decrees, in his booke call [...] Iacobus de theranio. Belial (for those are his own words [Page 35] [...]n the yeere of Christe. 1382. the lastA mery fabl [...] [...]ay of Oct. saue one, dated at Auer [...] besides Naples, the 5. yere of Po [...]e Vrbane the sixt of that name wri [...]eth, that God, the father of Christ [...]earing the lamentable crying of [...]e soules in Limbus, biddeth his [...]onne to girde his sworde to hisSoules in Lim bus. [...]igh, and like a mightie man of [...]arre he went to hel, & cōmanded [...]e princes of hel to open their gats, [...] else hee woulde burst them vp. [...]he princes of hell were so amased, [...]at they consulted to barre the [...]tes surely, to fortifie the walles, [...]wers, castles and fortresses, and to [...]atch and warde against his asulte. Christ burst the brasen gates, [...]ake the yron barres, gaue a daun [...]erous assault, entered with a white [...]nner, displayed his redde crosseChrist entred hell. [...]on the walles, and towers, cast [...]wne the hell howndes, hunted [...]em from post to pillar, bounde [...]tan or Pluto him selfe, with yron [...]ters and chaynes, and threw him [Page] into a deepe dungeon, saluted t [...] patriarckes, and prophets, shak [...] them by their righte handes: th [...] was ioye without heauines, ligh [...] without darknes, there they weep for ioye, daunced like damose there were sweete odours, ther w [...] perfumes, musicke, simphony melodye, harpes, lutes, shalm [...] drums, tabrets, fyfes, whistl [...] bagpypes, psalters, songes, Kirie [...] Osanna in excelsis, or rather in [...]fundis, there was De Profundis [...] maui, there was Confitemini do [...] quoniam bonus, dicant nunc rede [...] there was captiuam duxit eaptiuit [...] there he taried three dayes, [...] three nightes, there the deuels ro [...] bled, and roared like lyons.Astaroth.
Then sayd Astaroth, we wil m [...] and ordeine for our chiefe aduo [...] proctor, and patron, our welb [...] ued Belial, a moste skilfull, [...] experte lawyer, he may be a Iu [...] for his experience in wayghty [...], and an vmpier for his [...] [Page 36] dome, an orator in pleadinge, and [...]n arbiter in difficulte cases, hee [...]anne wreste the texte, he canne [...]nstrue and expound the canons, [...]e canne depraue the truthe of the Gospell, hee canne alleadge the Canon Lawe, hee passethe all [...]he Ciuilians, and canonistes, hee [...]nne make▪ of whyte blacke, and [...] blacke whyte, hee ys an odde [...]ellowe indeede, and one that ysChrist spoyled Hel. Salomon iudg [...]oste fit for our purpose. Then [...]ame they into the consistorye, Sa [...]mon is Iudge, Beliall was present [...]ythe hys Notarye and wytnes a [...]ainste Christe, who had done an [...]aynous robbery in hell: DaniellDaniel. [...]he notary and Secretary to kinge Salomon, maketh for Belial a pub [...]que instrumente: Salomon was [...]udge betwene Beliall proctor of [...]ell of the one partye, and AzaellAZael post. Iesus a [...]raigned. swyft poste or messinger of the o [...]her party: Iesus was brought in, he [...]ppointed for his proctor and lawyerMoses Moses. [Page] Moses petit▪ terminū ad respondēdu [...] There Belial alleadged the canō la [...] the decrees, decretals, extrauag [...] Bartholus, Baldus, Accursius, Li [...] Christ is accu sed for spoy sing hell. wood, Cantiuncule, gloses, an [...] suche like. Belial commencethe [...] libell against Iesus, Moses excepte [...] Belial. againste the libell dilatorye, Mose putteth in 12 positions to proue tha [...] Iesus did very well in spoyling hell [...] Moses bringeth 9 wytnesses, Ada [...] Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, Dauid, Ioh [...] Baptist, Aristotle, Virgil, and Y p [...] nine witnesses cras, so he tearmeth Hippocrates. Belial replyethe salua reuerentia what auaylethe the testimonye o [...] Adam, who was a rebell, as is manifeste to the whole worlde, sayth [...] Belial, or of Abraham, that kep [...] openly cōcubines, or of Isaac a lia [...] and periured man, of deceiptfu [...] Iacob, a thefe, & robber of his brother, Vt ff. de Ani. L. non potes. o [...] Dauid the murtherer and adulterer2. Kin. cap. 11. of Uirgill, that was deceyued with [...] womē, & hāged in a basket ouer th [...] [Page 37] walles for a Spectacle▪ of Ipocras that killed his nephew: of Aristotle who frandulētly burst vp the armary of Salomon, and deceiptfully appropriated to him, his wisdome and philosophy. I haue no exception against Iohn Baptist who was so holy: mary one wytnes is no wytnes, vt de test. li. 1. 13. I cease to tell howe many parliaments the deuels kept, and what prodigious pagents, as ye may reade an infinite number of such sigular good stuffe in the scholasticall writers of these last fiue hudrethe yeares.
Iames de Theranio affirmethe that they of Limbus were in trouble, in necessity, in darkenes, in the shadowe of deathe, and in chaynes and giues, whiche Christ burst: you denye that they were in any trouble: but this fable requireth no aunswere.
Chrisostome saythe thatThe 7. Obiection. [...]e brake the brasen gates and barrs of yron
Esaye meaned that thereOeco lāpadius▪ should nothinge withstand Cyrus, his power should be so greate, his fortune so good, his successe so happy, and his iorney so prosperous, no not thoughe the gates of the citties, whiche hee should besiege, were of brasse, and their barres of yron. Hee inuaded, hee fetched out their treasure, he wan Babilon, he toke ryche Cresus prisoner. Esay did ueuer imagine suche a fable.
I haue a place in Dauid wher Dauid saythe that GOD had deliuered him oute of the nethermoste hell.
Was Dauid when hee wrote this, deade, or aliue? I [...] Nethermoste hel is largely [...] expounded af terward in Sheol. deade, he could not wryte, neither come there anye writinges oute of hell, for they lacke ynke and paper: ynke for that there ys no moisture, but burninge bathes, and boylinge bryinstone, neyther ys there anye paper, for yt would be consumedChrist in the nethermoste hell. withe fyre.
[Page 38]If he lyued, as he did indeed, howe could he be in hell? Is earthe hell? Axe there bodyes in hell? Did hee make this psalme in hell? Did hee call out of hel, or out of Palestina? Do not you make 4. hels? and now ye make but two? Moreouer you M. Smithe affyrme, that Christe wente to the vppermoste hell, and yet here you saye that hee wente to the nethermoste hell? What constancyReade afterward in Sheol psal. 86. 30. is in your exposition, what coherence in your religion, what certainty in your faction, and secte, what agremente in your doctrine?Reinerus in pantheologia You say that he went to purgatory Reinerus denieth that he went thither at all.The 7. Obie▪
Wee all agree that Christe went to hell, that hee haried hell, that he fetched out the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, the patriarkes and prophets, that he bound Sathan, and terrified the reste, and put them to flighte.
Did not the holye fathers then crye
[Page]De profundis clamaui? who wereDe profundis. spal. 130. 11. they that cryed? was it not the chur che? not the lyuinge churche vppon earthe, but the Churche that was in Limbus.
You folow the poore Scholers of the Uniuersitye, who were wonte in the olde tyme to begge with De profundis for all christian soules.Chryst descen ded to purgatorie.
We vnderstande this of Purgatorie.Arnobius. lib. 2. contra gent reproueth the gentiles for a mitting ani purgatory after this life.
What was there any Purgatorie in Dauids dayes? It was but founde out of late, and concluded vpon in the councell of Ferrara in the yere of Christe 1439. or there about, notwithstanding so slenderlye, that the Grekes, when they camePolidor. 6. c. 9 home, denied it.Volat. 12.
Polidore writethe that Odilo, theAethna which is now called Ca [...]bo brenneth no lōger as Oliuerius writeth vpon Mela. ergo, purgatory is no longer for it is brenr vp. Moncke found it out in the mounte Aethna in Sicilia, in the yeare of Christ 1200. Ye haue no Scr [...]re to proue it, neither is your place of the Machabes, whiche you alledge [Page 39] for that purpose in the Hebrue, but put in, by some purgatory patrone. Now if there bee no purgatory, as wee are able to proue, no third placeMach. 12. 4▪ out of this lyfe, no dungeon of expiation, neither after death any cō fessyonPomponius Mela. of a mans offences, any remission, neither hope, nor fayth, for they end with death, neither any repenting or expectatiō of felicity: thē where is your hellish Church, your Limbian Sinagogue, and your pur gatorie Prelates. Doe they saye Masses satisfactory in Purgatorye? haue they any Trentalles, Obites, Sacrifice, or anye other satisfactiō?De profundis, oute of the diep [...]. psa. 130. This psalme was made when Dauid was in greate daunger of Saul and of his ennemies, or rather, asThe argumēt of the 130. psa Lyra sayth in the person of the Israelytes, who were in their captiui tye at Babilō, drowned as it were in a diepe dungeon. Or when hee was in an anguishe of Conscience, after the death of Vrias, Psalm. 51. Augustine vnderstandeth this psalme [Page] of euery man that is in this mortall lyfe who is encombred we anye vyce or misfortune, and therfore muste ca [...] and cry for helpe and mercie.
I could bring many mo placesThe 10. obiect out of the Psalmes.
Eyther the Argumente and meaninge of the Psalme shall confute you, or els those places whiche I haue alleaged after for the true vnderstandinge of Sheol & Nephes.
Wise men and the best learnedThe 11. obiect Hose. 6. 2. alledge the 6. of Hoseas for th [...] going of Christe to hell: After tw [...] dayes sayeth he, wil hee reuiue vs, & th [...] thirde day hee wil raise vs vp, and wee shal lyue in his sight. Thus far Hoseas wordes. Here you see that Christ [...] was two dayes in hell, doing his busines there, preaching to them, comforting them, spying out al the Corners in Hell, where they laye, pullinge them out, and bringing the [...] out of the captiuitie.
Is it wisedome, for so you saye, to vnderstande this place of Christes beeing in hell, where the Prophete meaneth the ten Tribes, which fell away by the suggestion, and Idolatrye of Hieroboam? are they learned, for so you saye that they are, that take CHRIST for tenne Tribes, or Hell for Palestina? for in Palestina prophecied Hoseas, and not in hell. Moreouer were not they the Israelites that had of [...]ended? were they not the Is [...]aelites that repented? Is there any repentaunce in Limbo? If the Inhabitauntes or Soiourners, or Exiles of Hell shoulde speake these Woordes, then did they speake we [...]heir Tongues, but ye reade not [...]hat there are any Tongues in hel [...]nlesse by a Figure, therefore they [...]ould not speake. Doe not the sou [...]s in Hel lyue? But he sayth that [...]fter two days they should reuiue, [...]nd after the third daye they should [...]yse againe and lyue.
[Page]There is nothinge that reuiueth [...] Soules die not but that whiche once liued, and nowe dead: but these say that th [...] shall be reuiued, that they shall raysed, and liue againe o [...]e. I can it not bee vnderstanded of [...] August. lib 4. ad cathe. ca. 6. soules▪ whiche are immortall, a [...] liue alwayes ether in ioy or pa [...] Nowe by a metaphor, they th [...] Thei are dead that [...]all from▪ God. fall away from God, are account [...] as deade and buried, and notwi [...] stand thoe ryse vp againe by rep [...] taun [...], [...] [...]essing of their faul [...] as the [...]e [...]. Let vs declare ye [...] truly according to [...]he historye [...] repeate other menn̄es̄ phantasi [...] and gloses afterwarde.
These are the wordes of the I [...] elites [...] After 2 dayes he shall q [...] ken vs &c▪ He will punishe vs [...] Two dayes. dayes withe captiui [...]ye that is longe tyme, but the third day, [...] is at the length, he will deliuer [...] Although Teglathphala [...]er in the yeare of Phaca king of Israell [...] the creation 3129. after the Flo [...] [Page 40] 1522. and before Christ 783. shoulde destroye Iurye: And Salmanasar in the 9. yeare of Hoseas from the creation, 3203. frō the floude, 1546. yet God restored them.
But this place of Hose is to be vnderstanded of Synacherib, whiche continued 3. yeares from the tyme that he did threaten Ezechias to his cleare deliueraunce.Esay. 37.
Esaias toulde Ezechias, that hee4. King. 19. should liue one yeare, in the tyme of Synacheribs inuasion, of the abundaunce whiche was vpon the grounde, the next yeare of fruites, and suche as God sente oute of the earthe, and in the thirde he shouldeIoseph. lib. 10 cap. 1. 2. 2. para. 32. [...]e deliuered, & Synacheribs armye [...]ppugned and destroyed. Whiche [...]as from the creation, 3221▪ before Christe. 741. This prophete by the [...]rst 2. dayes vnderstandeth y• first [...]. yeares, in ye which they were re [...]iued by Esaias prophecy, who pro [...]hecied y• they shoulde be deliuered [...] ye 3. yeare, as they were in dede.
[Page]And this is the verye hystorye and Hoseas intente. I knowe that the Iewes apply the 2 laste dayes, the one to Christes regall kingdome & their captiuitye, nowe vnder the Christians: ye other to ye last day of iudgmēt, y• first they can make nothinge of. Our allegoricall doctors referre the firste daye to Christes comminge in the fleshe, the second when hee rose, the thirde when heeAugust. de ciuit. 8. cap. 28. shal come to be Iudge: or the firste day ye time before Christ, the secondLact. 4 cap. 19. after, the third after the resurrection: Or the firste of thē is our Baptisme, the second oure reste in heauen, and the thirde the laste daye. Of these allegories, & anagogie [...],The 12. obiect ion. read further in the ordinary glose.
What is meaned by this s [...] tenceHose. 13. 14. of Hose, From the hands of hell▪ I will deliuer them. Is not this a gold [...] sentēce? can there be any text mor [...] manifest [...]e? Or anye scripture mor [...] euidente, either to confute your opinion whiche is erroneous, or [...] confirme myne?
God spake not heere of hell, but this hee saythe: If you Israelites wyll amende your liues refourme your corrupte manners, returne vnto mee, and followe the truthe, forsake your abhominable Idolatrye, deteste, and abhorre your customes, and superstition, I wyll deliuer you from the inuasion of the Assirians, from their cruell tirannye, from their violent inuasions and assaultes, and from deathe, and the graue, whiche two do folowe of inuasion and subuersion of the common weale.
Why do you M. Smythe, saye y• yt is from the hande of hell, when y• yt is in your olde translation, whiche yowe onelye allowe, De manu mortis, from the handes of deathe.
What was that which Hose thretned to ye disobediēt Israelites? was it not their subuersion? was it not ye spoile of their coūtry? was it not desolatiō, captiuity, deathe, and y• [Page] graue? where were those y• shoulde be deliuered? If in hell, there are no armies of soldiours y• do inuade, no landes to bee layde waste, no towines or villages to be besieged, no prisoners to bee led awaye captiue. If they were in Palestina, and aliue, as they were in deede, howe can you proue Palestina to be hell, or the deade to liue?
Paule semethe so to saye. [...] ver. 55. 56.
Paul speakethe there of theResurrection. resurrection. For after that hee had proued by manye argumentes and similitudes, that the dead shall rise agayne, he addethe the aucthority of Hosee, traducinge by a Metaphor the deathe of the Assirians to deathe it selfe, sayinge, that neyther the deathe nor graue should be able to detayne the bodies, but y• they shoulde be bothe vanquished & subdued, and restore the corpes, & deade bodies, which they had captiued so longe.
[Page 42]If Paul, and Hosee, speake of the bodies onelye, why do you applye it to the soules? If these were in hell, surely it muste nedes be that they were their soules: for the bodies go no further then the graue. But there is no resurrection of the soule, therefore Paul & Hose speake of the bodies which shal ryse again,The soules neither slepe [...] and not of the soules, which nether dye, neither slepe.
They canne not dye that are immortal, neyther slepe whiche wake alwayes. Of this I haue noted vpon the 13. chapiter of Hose and vpon the 1. Cor. 15. And after in Sheol.Sheol.
The place of Zacharye canZachar. 9. 11. not be denyed: Thou (saythe GodThe 13. obiection. the father to his sonne IESVS CHRIST) throughe the bloude of thy couenaūt shalt let the prisoners out of the Pitte, wherin is no water.
Where, or in what place were these Prysoners? Were they not in Limbo, for there we holde that there is [Page] noe water? Limbus is the pitt [...] Christe ys hee that wente downe to yt, and loosed and lette oute all th [...] prisoners.
Do you call Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, withe all the fayth▪ full of the olde Testamente, prysoners? Were they bounde in a [...] cheynes? Who was theyr Iayle [...] ▪ Are you not ashamed to call fre [...] men bonde, patriarkes prisoners▪ Sayntes slaues to Sathan, Cytesins of heauen captiues, and to [...] briefe, to be spoyled of the rewa [...] of faythe, to bee destitute of hope and to be depriued of their expecta [...] tion, and defrauded of the conte [...] plation of the trinitye?
If a manne shoulde goe to Hell▪ what dothe Faythe profite at all▪ or what auaylethe Hope? wher [...] is the rewarde of Uertue? It i [...] against reason to depriue the fayth [...] full of felicitye, against the word to thrust them into hell, against cō science to punishe vertue, hell i [...] [Page 43] appoynted for vice, and heauen for vertue, hell for the desperate, and heauen for the faythfull. wher wer these prisoners, and who were they and what was this pitte? The text sayth that the prisoners were Iuda, Ephraim, Hierusalem, and Sion, and all the Iewes.
This pitte was their vicious lyfe, their Idolatry, their superstition, and myserye out of the whiche hee deliuered them as out of a daungerous dongeon, and pitifull pitte of misery, wherin there was no water, no consolation, no grace, noe remedy, no deliuerance, no recreation but profounde miserye withoute hope, extreame desperation without faythe, and vtter confusion and desolation.
Thou also throughe the bloude ofThe couenant was Christ.thy couenaunt: That is: Thou O faythful generation saythe God the father, & vertuous family shalt bee saued by ye bloud of Christ which is thy couenaunt, he was promised to [Page] shed his bloud for the Thus expoi [...] dethe Vatablus, Munster, and Pe [...] licane. The 70. Interpretours, [...] Castalio, applye this Sentence [...] Christ, And translate it thus, a [...] thoughe his father shoulde saye, [...] wyll deliuer thy prisoners oute [...] the pitte wherein is no water, b [...] the bloude of thy couenaunt, whic [...] is the paschall Lambe, euen Iesu [...] Christ that was promised. After Pagnine: Reioyce, saythe God, [...] Hierusalem, & you Machabees, i [...] the bloud of Antiochus, which y [...] shedde for the defence of your▪ co [...] uenant, & the law. After y• ▪ ordinar [...] Glose. O Christ (saye the Iew [...] thou hast deliuered vs▪ by the blou [...] figured in the olde sacirfices, out [...] y• lake & dongeon of captiuity, out [...] of ye seruitu [...]e of Babilon.
Wherefore ye Israelites sayth Go [...], returne to the strong holde, to the Faythe of CHRIST▪ the sun Rocke, forsake Idolatrye, obserue religion, dispyse superstition, em [...] [Page 44] brace Christianity, leaue your inuencions, clea [...]e, to Gods worde, & ye shall obtaine a double reward, remission of your synnes, which remission bringeth felicity, and a deliuery from the lawe, whereby the consience was troubled, wherefore the opiniōs & coniectures of Sophisters are to be condempned? which peruerting this place, dreame here vpon the Fathers whome they say should haue bene tormēted in ye prison of Limbus or hel, vnto Christes cōmyng Heare you see that none aucthor vnlesse it be the barbarous schole men▪ and ignorant aduersaries both in the tongues and in all other good learning, did at anye time fansye any other expositionBede vpon the 2. of the actes vnlesse BEDAE, then the Texte requirethe. Whiche is, that the Prophete foreshewethe that when [...]. Christe shoulde come, the Gentyles shoulde be cōuerred to y• faith, ye Iewes cōforted y• true Israelites [Page] deliuered out of the pitt of disperation: and out of all misery, and so is [...] itt. Bor. the pitt vsed in the 40. psalme 2 verse. wherefore the church whichChurch is meaned by Sion and Hierusalē, should reioyce at the comming of Christ, & so is this place expounde [...] Mathe. 21. 5. August. deciin. lib 18. c. 35. in Mathew. And Augustine sayth y• this pit is the barre, and diepe misery of mākind, deliuered by Christ out of captiuitye into libertye, oute of sorow into ioy, out of calamitye into felicity, out of disperation int [...] security of conscience, and out of [...] doubte of d [...]mnation in to the assured hope, and comfortable exp [...] ctation of all heauenly ioyes.
Did not Christ louse theThe. 14. obiec [...]ion. sorowes of hell? was not he in great gryefe when he was in hell, andChrist loused the sorows of death. sawe the Fathers there detayned againste theire willes? What sorowes did he there susteyne? [...] there anye greater sorowes the [...] to be in hell. ys not sorowe som [...] [...]. 2. 24. sorowe dolor extreame punishement, that vexethe [Page 45] ether the soule or the body: if Christ had not suffered in his soule, when he was in hell as great paynes as his body did vpon the crosse, he had not satisfied for the soules but onely for the bodyes,Aepinus in psa▪ 16. which he did vpon the crosse. For the soules, he suffered in hell, or els our soules since Christ shoulde haue gone to hell, as wel as they before Christ, and haue beeneThe fathers were tormented in hell. there afflicted. For there they suffered punishment, or else he did louse no sorowes of Hell, but sorowes of hel he did louse saith saynt Peter, ergo the fathers were in sorowes.
A false principle bryngethA false principle. forth many absurdityes: an vntrue translation deceueth the reader: Not to searche the fountaine and Greeke text causeth erroure. The blinde eateth many a flye. YtGod the father loused the sorowes of death in raysing his sonne from death is not in Greke, that Christ loused the sorowes of hell but that the father euen God himselfe loused the sorrowes of deathe. [...] [Page] [...]
You allege Policarpus because thatPolycarpus he alleageth the olde Latine Text, which hathe, Solutis doloribus inferni, when as hee meaneth the same that I doe. I marueyll that▪ ye do no better cōsider and expon̄d [...] the Text, for you saye that Chryste losed the sorowes of hell (as Si [...] Iohn Cheke reasoned once with me in open disputatiō in Cābridge till he called for a Greke Testamente. The texte, the sorowes o [...] deathe: you say that it was Christes soule that losed the sorwes of hell▪ Peter saith ye it was God ye raysed him, & losed ye sorowes of death, because that it was not possible ye he [...] should be holden of it. Peter sayth ye God did raise Christe oute of hisActes. 2. 24. Hebre. 2. 14. graue, & as Paul sayth, deathe hal [...] no more power ouer him. Who did louse ye sorowes of death? do you no [...] say that it was Christe? but Peter sayth ye it was God his father.
What were these sorowes? if deathe [Page 46] be a seperation of the soule from the bodie, & a dissolucion of ye whole mā: thē are these sorowes such kind of maladies & agonies, as are either annexed to death, or such griefes as folowe death, or rather both. Was not Christ extreamely afflicted whē for feare of death he swett drops in quantitie as big as drops of bloud? what a pain was it to haue his side thruste throughe withe a Speare, his heade crowned wyth Thornes, [...]ys Armes and Legges, nayled to the Tree? his Bodie scourged? hys Thryste quenched wyth Uyneger? his Freendes to forsake hym: hys Familiar to betraye hym? hys Enemies to deryde hym? What sorowe were hys Disciples in, when they sawe him in suche extreame Paynes, whiche CHRISTE tooke away, by hys reiurrection. If it be pleasure to mā, to haue soule & body togethere: what a greyfe is it to haue them dissolued? Did not Christ speake to this effecte, when [Page] he sayde that he was assured th [...] psal. 16. God his father would not leaue [...] Borhaus vppon▪ 1. of the kinges. 1. body in the graue so longe as vnt [...] it should be corrupted, as oth [...] Actes. 2. 27. mens are? now hath he conque [...] death, nowe is he rysem again [...] nowe hath his father loused the [...] rowes of death, what is it to [...] the sorowes of death it is to ou [...] come death, to subdue yt, to ryse [...] gaine in the despite of it, to abol [...] all paine that was in death, to [...] when he raysed christ frō death. umphe ouer death, as one that [...] kylled his enemy, of whom he w [...] sore wounded. Did not Christ [...] Rom. 6. 9. vpon the crosse Lord, Lorde w [...] hast thou forsakene me: was r [...] deathe a greate terror to him [...] To louse the sorrowes of deathe. not it greeue him to breake f [...] dominyon of deathe? and so [...] fieth Soluere sometimes. suche [...] rowes of deathe are specified in [...] Soluere to breake. 28. and 116. psalmes. Hee th [...] can dye no more hathe loused t [...] sorowes of deathe and abolishe [...] her power by the power of [...] who raysed him. But christ [...] [Page 47] [...]ye no more? Ergo his father hatheDeathe. [...]oused the sorowes of death, cured her stinge, and subdued her power. Death in this place is applyed to the body, which suffered paine, and sorowes. How did Christ louse the sorowes of death, when as deathe [...]ether apperteyneth to the quick, [...]or deade? so long as the life is in man there is no Deathe: when the [...]reathe is gone out of man, what sorowes doth it bring? the body only hath no sense, or feelinge. What [...]owe are these sorowes of deathe? The soule is in heauen without sorowe: the body felethe none. thoughThe sorowes of deathe. the bodye feleth none, yet yt is said to sorowe, to lament, to groane, to desire his resurrection▪ as all other thinges desire their renouation, as [...]aul discourseth in the eight to the Romains. Moreouer the soule desireth to be ioyned to the bodye asRom. 8. 19. 20 21. 22. 23. the Soules vnder the Aulter, in the 6. of the Reuelacion. The scripture descending to one simple capacity, [Page] speaketh diueres times by figures▪ as here, where the Bodye is said t [...] sorowe, loking and sighing for th [...] resurrection. Was not Abraham [...] Lazarus in solace, and ioye? HowEuod. Epist. 99. then saith Augustine, coulde he lo [...] their sorowes wherein they we [...] not? nether can the bosome of such felicity be any parte or member [...] hell. Wherevpon it foloweth th [...] the soules though they be in ioy [...] haue an earnest affection to be wi [...] the bodyes, which though it fele [...] The soules de sire their bodies. paine, yet it desireth the resurrection. Wherefore Christ loused an [...] abolished those sorowes, and fulfilled that his affection and desire, which he had towarde his body, when he reuiue [...], when he rose againe, and had a body impatible,When the sorovves of death are losed. immortall, and glorified. Then ar [...] the sorowes of deathe loused an [...] dispatched, when this mortall body puttethe on immortalitye, then [...] death subdued, and her dominion ouerthrowne. And this is in the [...] [Page 49] surrection. Did not Christ triumph ouer death victoriously, and subduedThey that role with Christ ascended with [...] him. August. in sermone do Resurrect. her valiauntlye, and abated her power euerlastingly, and spoyled her triumphantly, when he did not only rayse himselfe, but also a great nomber of suche, as were tyed in their graues we the bands & coardesRemigius vpō Math. of Deathe, whiche dyed no more? For Death is appoynted for eueryHierom. man once, ergo not twyse. NeytherIustinus quest. 85. is it like ye the bodies once glorifiedRom. 6. 23. can dye again. Nether can they sin, ergo not dye: for Deathe is appointed for sinne, y• glorified bodies sin not, ergo they cānot dye. Moreouer as they were infallible argumēts, &Origenes vpō the 6. to the Rom. vndoubted signes of his resurrectiō: [...]o were they witnesses of his ascension.
If he had not ascended Bodely, sayethe Remigius, and Hiero, they had not beene sufficient wyt [...]esses of his Resurrection. And these sorrowes of Deathe tou [...]hed Christes Disciples, as I sayd [Page] before, and Christe compareth [...] Iohn. 16. 20. [...]1. 22. them to the panges of a woman that labourethe withe childe, and when they are ouercomed by th [...] Resurrection, they are abolished, and put away, euen as the woman puttethe awaye all sorrowe for th [...] Ioye of the Childe that is borne These are Christes woordes: Y [...] shall Weepe and lamente, but th [...] worlde shall reioyce: you shall b [...]When you shall see me [...]yse againe.sorowfull, but your sorrow shall b [...] turned into ioye.
A woman, when her tyme or hou [...] commeth, hath sorrowe, but wh [...] she hathe brought foorth her chil [...] she remembreth no lōger her affli [...] tion, because that shee reioyce [...] that the Childe or man is borne in the world.
So shall you reioyce, sayth Chris [...] to his Disciples, when you sh [...] see me rise againe into this wor [...]
And thus expounde Chrisosto [...] Theodorus, Antiochenus, [...] Hillarius vpon the 2 psalme.
[Page 48] Augustine sayth that they werein Epist. ad Euod. epist. 99. Tom. [...]. in paynes, and so he termeth these Sorrowes, out of the whiche hee deliuered the olde fathers.
Youe saye that they were withoutAugustine and Smith d [...]sient and both in an errour. sorrowe. Augustine saythe that CHRIST loosed these sorrowes in hell, for he maketh but one hell, and you saye that hee wente but to the two highest hells.
Augustine denyeth that any goodmanAugust. contrary to himselfe in epist. 99. was in hell, you say that they were there: Augustine saythe that it is not possible that the bosome of Abraham, whiche is an habitationAbraham [...] bosome. or a secret quietnes, should be any parte of hell: you saye that Abraham was in hell, and fetched oute by CHRIST: Augustine saith that Christ profited them nothing that were in Abrahams bosome, when hee descended into hell, and loused thē that were in tormentes. You saye y• Christ ransomed them. Augustine sayth that Christ was wt them in Abrahams bosom alwayes [Page] with his deuine nature, and blessed presence: you plainly affirme that they wanted his presence, and were depriued of his Blessed Contemplation.
Augustine maketh the bosome ofAugust. Tom. 3. de Gen. ad lit. 12. cap. 22. pag. 702. Abraham and Paradise to be bothe one, you denye it. Augustine sayth that he cannot finde that Inferos, Hell, should be that place where the Iust mens soules rested, you call it the highest Hell, and by another name vnknowen to S. Augustine, or any auncient Father, Limbus patrum. Augustine doubteth of al this matter, and darethe conclude nothing: you are wtout doubt, and call them Herytiques that will not beleue your Fables, and vnwritten verities
Whose sorrowes did he louse? his owne, for the Texte saythe, that it was impossible that hee should b [...] The sorrowes of Deathe. holden of them. So readeth Augustine that place. But it is in Grek [...] August. Euod. 99. Epist. that he coulde not bee holden of it▪ [Page 51] meaning death. How can this place make for the loosinge of the Fathers, which were in Hell, when as it is onely applied to the Sorowes of his owne death? Moreouer was Christes death in hell? was hee buried there? wherfore you maye see how they vnderstand scripture, who applye that to the soules of the Fathers, which they say, were in Hell, when as the Texte appliethe it to Christ onlye.
To be loosed from the Sorrowes ofTo be loosed from the sorrowes of deathe. Deathe, is to bee delyuered from death, to ryse agayn, not to corrupt in the Graue, and lyke vnto thys Phrase accordinge to the old translation. Nowe are wee loosed fromRom. 7. 6.the Lawe of Deathe, wherewith we were detayned, meaninge that wee are delyuered from Deathe. So GOD the Father loosed the sorowes of Deathe, meaninge his Resurrection, and deliuerye from Deathe. GOD the Father loosed the Sorowes of the Deathe of hys [Page] sonne in raysinge him oute of hi [...] graue, in making him to triumphe ouer [...]cathe, as yee maye reade inRom. 6. ver. 4. 6. Act. 13. ver. 30. 32. 33. 34. 35. these plaine woordes.
And we declare vnto you how that the promise whiche was made vnto the fathers, God hathe fulfylled to their children (euen vnto vs) in that he raysed vp Iesus againe. Euen as it is written in the 2 psalme. Thou ar [...] my sonne: this day haue I begorten the.
As concerning that he raysed him vp from death, nowe no more to returne to death or graue, said on this wise: The holy promises made vnto Dauid will I geue faithfully to you▪ Wherefore he saythe also in another place. Thou shalt not suffer thy holy one to see corruption. The sorrowes of deathe ar [...] nothinge else but deathe it [...]elfe▪
The sorrowes of deathe are like vnto the dominion of deathe, and feare of Deathe, from the whiche God deliuered Christ in raisīg himHeb. 2. v. 14. 15. againe. As deathe is here called the sorrowes of deathe, soo is it called [Page 50] the stinge of deathe, and the stinge of the Sepulcher. 1. Cor. 15. ver. 55. 56. the torment of death. Wisd. 3. ver. 2. the gates of deathe. wis. [...]6. ver. 4. the dust of deathe. Psal. 22. ver. 15. the snares of deathe. Pro. [...]3. ver. 14. the shadowe of deathe. Hier. 13. ver. 15. Psal. 23. ver. 4. Luk. [...]. ver. 79. the gates of deathe. Psal. [...]07. verse. 15. the same is called the the gates of the graue. Math. 16. ver. 18. [...].
The same woordes are in the Ps. [...]8. and verse 5. Chebele [...] m [...]uetb. InThe terrour [...] of deathe. the 72. [...]. Whereunto Peter respected and in the 6. verse. Chebeli she oll, the sorrowes of the graue.
Whiche place the olde translatour of the newe Testament semed toPsal. 55. 4. haue folowed in the seconde of the Actes. verse. 24. [...].The iudgmē [...] of deathe.
And in the 18. psalm verse 7. the snares of deathe in the same sense withe the sorrowes of deathe. Mocheshie [...] Rom. 1. 9. mai [...] eh [...]
[Page]To rayse Christe from death a [...] to loose the sorowes of Deathe ar [...] both one: For the Greekes vse t [...] The Grekes pu [...] a Verbe & a Participle of on significatiō putte a [...]erbe and Participle, bo [...] of one Signification, to expresse a [...] Emphasis, to amplify the Oration & to make the sence more manifest▪ And so is it here [...], and [...] What else is it to raise Chri [...] from Deathe then to loose the Sorowes of Death, or to loose the sorowes of Death, then to rayse hy [...] oute of hys Graue? One exampleHades, whiche they translate Hell, put for Death, and consequēt ly for the Graue because that one foloweth of the other. amongst a thousande I alledge o [...] of Nonnus, vppon the Eleuenth [...] Iohn. [...]
Whereas also [...], is put for th [...] Graue or Death. That it was G [...] the father that raysed Christ, and [...] loused the sorowes of Death, thes [...] places in the margent among other do testify, & most manifest in y• Galathians. Act. 4. 10. Ro [...] 4. 14. 1. Cor. 6. 14. 2. Cor. 4. 14. Col. 2. 12. 1. Thess. 1. 10. Galat. 1. 1. These places with manie other declare his death & resurrection, but not one word of his descending into hell.
I haue bene y• longer in this point, [Page 53] because that I do sée others bothe olde writers and newe to apply these sorowes to Christ whiche hée loused, and not to God his father, who in dede loused these sorowes in raisinge of Christ from deathe. Peruse ye Greke text, perpend y• authorities alleaged, kepe in memory ye analogy of scripture, consider the phrase & cōposition of the wordes. And you shall finde y• aduersaries in an intolerable error, & the truth [...]iuersly oppressed to preuaile, like the date trée. Caluine saith that itCaluine vpon psal 22. ver. 2, Act [...]8. 2. 24. was not possible that Christ should be holden of the sorowes of deathe, where Peter saith that it was not [...]ossible that Christ shoulde bee holden of death.
Marcion the heretique affirmed as you do, that all went to hell beforeAll went to hell before Christ▪ Christ You do say that he deliue [...]ed, Abell, Enock, Abraham, andMarcion in the yeare of Christ. 277. [...]he other faithful: he saith that them [...]e deliuered not, because that [...]hey woulde not come to him, forIreneus. 5. c. 29 [Page] they feared that he woulde tempte them and punishe them, as he did whiles they liued: But that themTheodoret in [...] fab. there he left, and deliuered Caine, the Sodomite, Egyptians, and suche other gentiles. You say that Christ went to Hell and deliuered the Fathers. But after what sorte ye do not declare. Clemens Alexandrinus in the .6. Stromate wouldeClemens Alexandrinus error. strom. 5. 6. proue by Hermes, that all the godly before Christ were in hell, and not saued till the deathe of Christ, and then they were conuerted there by the preaching of Christ, and of his Apostles.A fable.
And thoughe that Ireneus saith that Martion sayde that the faythfullMarcion before Christ went to hell, notwithClemens in 2. strom. standing, the saide Clemens saithe that Martion said that the faithfull before Christ were saued, whiche you denie. Marke your inconstancy, and Consider that one of yourPaulus cortesius vpon sen distio. 6. owne faction hath noted the same partly before me, euen Paulus Cortesius [Page 52] some saithe he deny that the soule of Christ coulde go to hell,Variety of opinions. and ransacke all the places of it, because that [...]t hath no body, and there fore could not go, nor moue locally: other saye y• the soule didnot go, nor moue as a body do [...]h, but as the angellsDurandus do. Durandus, and Picus denyMirandul [...] ▪ that his soule went to hell, but that onely the effecte of his Passion, [...]assed ouer all. Thomas Aquine [...]roueth that Christ effectuallyeThomas Aquine. [...]aked all the kenells, ransacked all [...]he puddles, and dongeons of hell, [...]ut that his soule descended onely to that parte of hell, where the blessed soules were. Wherefore, saith [...]e, his soule went onely thether where the Faithfull soules were, But the effect therof went through [...]l y• other there, you say y• it went also to purgatory.Hugo Victor Purgatory.
Notwithstandinge Hugo Victor [...]enyethe that hee went througheCo [...]lius. in. 4. s [...]nt dist. 3. Purgatorye, for, saythe hee, here is no place of purgation in [Page] hel, or out of this life: but y• euer [...] synfull soule must be tormente [...] [...]zenburg prynted at Colone in the yeare of Christ 1537. 14. ma ii. Iohānes detere cremata. and punished there, where the o [...] fence was committed.
Richard Villa stryuethe against [...] Hugo, and woulde plant a purgatory in the highest hell saue one, & Lutzenburge in the highest place.Iacobus de Vo [...]agine in his boke printed at Venice in the yeare of Christ. 1478. in [...]is sermon d [...] [...]esur Beholde your discorde. You deny [...] that the Soules of Limbus we [...] punished Iohan. de turre cremata, a Famous writer saith that thes [...] soules were diuerse times of ye da [...] terrified with the hell hownds molested with their terrible count [...] tenaunce, feared with their frowning▪ and beaten with whippes▪ and with intolerable tormentes▪ Reynerus in pantheologia. pag. 297. And so gathereth out of Thomas. The false Gospell ascribed to Nicodemus, testyfieth as many a [...] surdityesNichodemus Gospell. as you do. How tha [...] Iacob de voragine in his sermone of the resnrrection. Orcus and Pluto reason, how the [...] myght kepe CHRIST ou [...] of their kingdome, they be such [...] Prodigious fables as are in th [...] [Page 55] [...]reames of Brigitta, and in many of y• schole men. Which are tedious to repeat, folishe to bée committed to wryting, ridiculous to the wise, impossible to be credited, hurtfull [...]o the symple, mynystryng occasion of errours, and engendringe a thowsande-absurdityes. But to our purpose.
To louse the sorowes of deatheTo lose the sorowes of deathe. saythe Theodoret, ys to be the first borne from the deade, and by his Resurrection to bée an assuredTheodore [...] dial. 3. Impat. hope to all men that they shall ryse. If Deathe bée a dissolution of the Bodye and Soule, ERGO the ioyning of them is lyfe, and so by CHRISTES resurrection the Sorowes of Deathe were dissolued.
Maister Smith you and all suche as you are, and as you alledge are deceued, because that you do not examine the text, expend euery worde, consider ye phrase, & reade the greke. All you say y• Peter speaketh here of [Page] Christes going to hell, where he [...] Actes, 2. 24. 25 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. onely proueth that he is rysen againe. Peter proueth that he is rysen by the wordes of Dauid: youpsal. 16. 79. 10. peruert Dauid, and would falsely Peters interpretation & allegation and vnderstand it of Christes going to hell. Peter of his body, you of his soule. Peter saith y• it was god y• losed these sorowes of deathe, andGod losed the sorowes of death. act. 2. 24. restored Christe to lyfe: you saye, not pondering the Greke, that it was Christe that loused the sorowes of the faithfull fathers that were in Limbus and purgatory, folowing a great clark, Iohn Herolt [...] Iohn herolt sermone. 146. in the yeare of Christ. 1494. prynted at Norimberg saith that their soules ascended withe Christ. a Fryer Dominique, who sayth [...] that Christ delyuered the Father [...] out of Limbus, and them oute [...] purgatory, when they were sufficientlye purged▪
But Peter saith that it was God that losed these sorowes, that abolished death, and restored Christ [...] life. For thus it is in Greeke. [...] So saith Ignatius [Page 56] [...]. Whom god hath raised, which God loused the sorowes of death▪ [...] is referred to [...] and to none other thinge by your owne iudgmēt. Now that I haue opened the texte vnto you: whether shall I accuse you of ignorance that vnderstandeth not the text: or of negligence that woulde not consider it? of ignorance I will not, for that you knowe that [...] canAugust. expoundeth thi [...] place vntruly haue none other substantiue but [...]: it foloweth then that ye are negligent in reading the text, and so you are in all your authors. ForAugustine tom. de gen [...] ad lit lib. 12. c. 33. 34. pa. 702. Augustine saith that Christ coulde not go to hell, and louse sorowes, but that he must nedes louse the sorowes of them that were there, you saye that they were not in sorowe.
And where you saye that thys sorowe was not in Limbo, where the fathers rested, but in purgatory, the saide Augustine denyethe bothe: for hee makethe not foure [Page] Helles as you doe, but one as th [...] Augustine de verbis Scripture doth. Two (sayth hee)Apostolornm sir. 18 Habitacions are out of this life, the one in euerlasting fyre, the other i [...]Tom. 10. 149. A third place after this life is not founde in scripturean eternall kingdome.
Likewise, two places hee assigneth in his fyfthe Booke Hypognostichon, the one Heauen, the otherAugust. Tom. 7. 1405 Hell. And he sayth in Enchiri [...]ion, cap. 67. that they are deceiued that assigne a purging fire after this life. In the nexte Worlde, sayeth Saynt Augustine, Tom. 4. pag▪ 784. in quest. ex vtro (que) mixto, the [...] remaineth nothing but ether rem [...] neratiō, or condēnation: if August One hell. doth appoint but one hell, then i [...] your opinion odious, your assertio [...] vncertaine, & your phantasy pha [...] tasticall, y• fathereth purgatory vpon saint Augustine, so that you are burdened wt negligence & ignorā [...] y• doth not discern chalke frō chese.
I saye that S. Aug. affirmethEnchit. c. 111. that the soules of the dead, are rele [...] uedTom. 3. 190 by the deuotiō of thē that liue.
The other places of Augustine denye it, and these in theAugust. variable. margent, and in the same BookeAd Macedon. epist. 54. ser. 66 lib. 2. quest. cap. 38. cap. 67. pa. 175. eodem Tomo. Ye must either make Augustine M. Smithe, Inconstaunt, that affirmeth two contrary Sentences in one Booke within foure leaues, or else that he had forgotten what hée had written before. If you consider the place, ye shall see that it was put in by some Purgatory patrone at what tyme the Romishe Catholiques did alter, chaunge, peruert, Glose, detorte, Postill, comment, dispense, deuise, depraue and corrupt all good workes.
Let vs departe from Augustine, and come to the other, whiche you alleadge, and you shall not finde [...]ne worde in all their workes that make for Purgatory, but many that [...]eny it.
Although Damascene out of a placeDamascene in the yeare of Christ. 490. of Esaye 61. wt other Grecians doe affirme that Christ went to. Hell, [Page] notwithstandig he doth not as y [...] do, make foure hells, neither do [...] Damascene vnderstand Esaye trul [...]
Whether shall one giue more cr [...] dit to Damascene, or to Christ? Christe interpreteth it of himselfe in the 4. of Luke verses. 17. 18. 1 [...] Confer the place.
Esaye speaketh of them that we [...] in earth, Damascene of them in h [...] Esaye to the liuing [...], and notwithstanding captiued in sinne, Dam [...]Esay. 61. v. 1. 2.cene to the dead: Esay to them th [...] might receiue grace, Damascene the graceles. Is there any grace [...] hell, any saluation, any peace, a [...] remission, any pardon, any fayt [...] hope, or repentaunce? Why do y [...] falsefy Damascene, saynge that h [...] meaned Purgatory, when as n [...] Purgatory. ther he, neither anye Grecians, [...] beleue it fourtene hundreth thi [...] and nyne yeares after Christ, [...] the Councell holden at Ferrar▪ N [...] withstanding the Grecians y• w [...] at Ferrar in this generall Counce [...] [Page 58] reuoked their opinion by the per [...]wasion of Marcus Bishop of Ephe [...]us when they returned home.Damascene condemned Bul. in conci. Transubstantiation inuented by Damal. Damescene in the yeare of Christ. 490. after Lebbeus 453. after Pataleon.
Do not M. Smithe defend Damascene: for hee was condemned for an [...]dolater in the 7. Synode at Constantinople. Lib. de Orthodoxa fide. 4. cap 14. Moreouer hee first made [...] the Transmutation, [...]ransfaction, or transubstantiation of the bread into Christes naturall [...]ody, and the wyne into his blood. Neither saythe he maye any question be asked howe it commeth to [...]asse, but aunswere Hoc est CorpusTrithemius in scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis. [...]eum, This is my body.
This Damescene was a Iewe, and conuerted, became a Monke.
The most of the Gréekes neuer beleued any Purgatorye, for they [...]enye it in all their generall Coū [...]ells,The Greekes neuer beleued any Purgatory▪ till the councell of Ferrar. Wherefore ye cannot alleadge thē to proue that CHRIST wente to Purgatorye, neyther make they [...]ētiō of Limbus in all their works, [Page] neyther of any such place. For th [...] make all but one Hell.
Where is nowe your Purgatorye or Limbus? I haue proued sufficiently that ye Gréekes do not mean [...] Limbus is in Vtopia mori as you doe, nor you as they.
If Ignatius had meaned th [...] Ignatius ad Trallianos pag. 119. 200. CHRISTE had gone to Hell▪ surely hee had not meaned that h [...] had gone to Limbus or Purgatory whither you meane he went: F [...] he maketh out of this lyfe but t [...] places, Heauen, and Hell.
Ignatius saythe, that thither di [...] cēded CHRIST, from whe [...] That is to the Graue. a multitude rose withe him. A [...] this he proueth by Mathewe whe [...] Math. 27. 53. a great nomber of bodyes of the [...] that sleeped, did ryse oute of the [...] Graues.
Are there anye Graues in Hell▪ Were there any Bodyes in Hell▪ for of Bodies speake both S. Math▪ & also Ignatius: who saith yt they ro [...] wt Christ, ergo it was their bodyes▪ for there is no resurrectiō of y• soule▪
[Page 59] Ignatius vnderstandethe the going downe of Christ into his Graue, & saythe that he rose againe wt a great nomber of bodyes, and you vnderstand his going downe to Hell, of his Soule.
Consider what you write, expende what you speake, bee well aduised how you alleadge the old Aucthors, do not betraye them, do not falsefy them, do not deceiue the simple wt your vnwritten verities, who vnrerstand not, who canne not haue those Bookes whiche you doe alleadge.
Did not he lead CaptiuityeThe 15. obiect ion. Ephes. 4. 8. Psal. 68. 19. captiue, and gaue gyftes to men? Were not these Captiues the fathersHe led captiuity captiue. that were in Limbo? or such as were in Purgatory?They that rose with Christ as cended with him.
If this place be vnderstanded of CHRIST his ascension, then must we nedes interprete thisMath. 27. 35. captiuity of suche as rose with him,Chrisost. vpon Ephes. 4. who also ascended withe him.
Chrisostome expoundethe yt asGen. 44. [Page] I do: Haymo hath diuers expositions tending to this purpose. Christ triumphed ouer deathe, SathanChrist was not in Purgatorye and synne, and ouercame thē by his deathe, resurrection, and ascension, and gaue gyftes to men, euen the giftes of the Holy Ghoste, whiche gyftes he receiued of them, for he crownethe his gyftes in vs, and his gyftes are called ours by participation, for hee communicatethe his gyftes withe vs, and our gyftes are his, for of him theyReceiued gifts come.
Christ, saythe Theoderet, deliuered vs captiued with synne, ty [...]d withe the chaynes of iniquitye,To lead cap [...]iuity captiue. he hathe set vs at liberty, giuen vs the grace of the Holy Ghost, hathe heaped his mercy, and liberal kindnes vpon vs. Of this place I haue noted vpon the threscore and eighte psalme and Ephesians. 4. wherfore I shall not néede to repeate anye more in this place.The 16. obiection.
Did not he [...] discend into [Page 60] lowest partes of the earthe? WhatEphes. 4. 9▪ other thinge can you call the lowest partes of the earthe then hell?
I will not dispute withe you where hell is at this time, neither whether it bee in the earthe or not. Of the whiche I haue discoursed a litle after. Notwithstanding Pauls meaning is that Christ. who ascended, is euen he that descended héere into the earthe. And although that his manhoode came not from Heauen, yet his Godhead did,The inferiou [...] partes of the earthe. and entered into the Uirgin Mary and tooke fleshe vpon him, so thatFlam. in ps. 139 Fagius vpon Gen, 37. here he calleth the Uirgins wombe the lowest partes of the earthe. SoPsal. 139. 15. doth Dauid cal his mothers wombeTactiioth Harets. wherein hee was fashioned and enclosed as in a place vnder the earth.Psal. 63. 10▪
Chrisostome saythe that Paule callethe the inferiour partes of the earthe, his Deathe, whiche hee suffered in earthe, and after the whiche he did offende: for sayth he after a manner of speaking, Iacob [Page] sayde, ye shall bring myne olde age to deathe, so hee tearmethe Inferos▪ And Theodoret also callethe them his deathe. Was his death in Hell? Did not he dye in Egipt? was Egipt The inferiour partes of the earthe is the Graue. Ezech. 3 [...]. 14. & 18. Ezech. 32. 24. The 17. obiect. 1. Pet. 3. 19 20. 21. Hell? Photius and Aecumenius call these inferiour partes CHRIST his graue.
Did not Christ preache in Hell to the disobedient spirits.
Were these disobdient spirits in ye lowest hell, or in ye highest called Purgatory we you, or in the highest but one called Limbus patrū wt you. In ye lowest you say Christ preached not: for as you holde, he was not there: in Limbo patrum hee was not, for they were in Heauen by the same Faythe that wee haue:The godly fathers of the old Testamēt were not disobedient. neither were they disobedient.
In Purgatorye these disobedient were not, whiche woulde bee brought to no Repentaunce by any preachinge or exhortation, for in Purgatorye you say that they may, & do repent: but these did not repēt, [Page 61] wherefore the Lord sent suche abundanceThese disobedient were the desperate Giant [...]s before the floude. . 1. pe. 3. 17. 18. . 19. 20. 21. of water that they were al drowned saue Noac, Sem, Cham, Iaphet, and their wyues. Let vs trāslate ye text according to ye greke. It is good surely. Because it is the It is the hebrue phrase that Mem in comparisons is a mere negatiue or exclu siue will of God, to suffer for well doinge, and not for euell doing.
For Christ likewise hath once suffered for sinnes: the iust for the Iniust, that he might bring vs to God: hee suffered death as concerning his psal 52. 4. 5. flesh: but was reuiued by the spirite. Psal. 118. 8. In the which also he went and prea Raised to life by the holy Ghost. ched to those spirites that were in prison. [...] confer. 2. cor. 13. 3 4. 5. [...]. di [...] loke for their amendement. 120. yeares gen. 6. 3. throughe the helpe of the A [...]ke. water
Whiche were Desperate at that tyme, at what tyme the longe Sufferinge of GOD, did tarry once in the dayes of NOAC, what tyme the, Arke was in preparinge, in the whiche a fewe, that is to say, eighte personnes were Saued by the water. Vnto the which, baptisme, whereby we are saued, is compared: which is not the putting away of the fylth of the [...]. [Page] flesh, but the testimony of a good conscience towarde God by the resurrectionBaptisme is like to that water the like figure or signe or Sacrament.of Iesu Christ.
Thus farr the text after my translation.
Peter exhorteth all men to suffer for well doing by the example o [...] Christ, who suffered deathe a [...] concerning his flesh, his body dyed and was buried, notwithstanding [...] The deuine nature of Christ. it rose againe by the power of his owne Spirite, whiche is the Holy Ghost. In the whiche Spirite h [...] went in the dayes of Noe, an [...] being within Noe, forced Noe t [...] preache, and therefore hée is sayd [...] Noae is called and prached Peter. 5. to preache to those euill Spirites▪ to the desperate Spirites and rebells, whiche were in the pryson [...] of their bodyes, for the body wa [...] as a prysone wherein theire Spirites and soules were contained. And these, saythe Peter, were thoseDisobedient or desperate. euill men, whiche were desperate and rebells to God euen at that tyme, what time the long suffer [...] [Page 62] of God, the clemency of the Lorde, the Spirite of Iehoua, Christes deuine nature did geue them tymegen. 6. 3▪ [...]o repente. 120. Yeares, & loked for their amendement. And this, saith Peter, was in the dayes of Noe all the tyme that the arke was a preparinge, in the whiche Noe wythe his thrée sonnes, Sem, Cham, and [...]aphet, with their foure Wiues were saued by the force of the wa [...]er that bare vp the arke.
[...]nto the whiche water, Baptisme [...]s compared, or a Figure, signe, orBaptisme▪ Sacrament correspondent to this [...]ater, for as they were saued by [...]heir fayth and by the helpe of the [...]ater from drownyng, so are wée [...]y Baptysme, and that throughe [...]is resurrection. For as Christe [...]ose againe beinge dead a gloryous [...]odye: so ryse wée beinge as it were [...]uryed in Baptisme to walke in aRead a note vpon. 1. cor. 15 29. rom. 6. 4. 5. 6. [...]ew lyfe. Whiche Baptisme is a Testimony of a good conscience towarde God as I haue translated [Page] the place. And this is a perfect definition of Baptisme. Reade more of this matter in my notes vppon the. 1. of Peter. 3. Here you may s [...] that this place declareth the death and resurrection of Christ, and th [...] Diuine nature of Christ, which [...] Prisone is here called his Spirite: For h [...] had power to geue vp his life, & t [...] take it a gaine. Hethereto I ha [...] repeated the text, and after it, th [...] whole and true sense paraphrastycally.
Now I will proue that this SpiriteThe Spirite Spi [...]ites is the diuine nature of Christ Secondlye that these Spirites t [...] whome the Spirite of Christ preached, were the euell men, that liu [...] in the tyme of NOAC vnto whi [...] Iohn. 10. 17. NOAC preached beinge endue [...] and enflamed by this Spirite o [...] Christ.
Thirdly that the prison was th [...] Bodyes of them, within the which were enclosed these Bloudy, cruell, and malicious spirites. If he [...]ée a [...] [Page 63] euell wicked man, we vse to callThe spirite of Christ whō peter in this. 3. him a wicked Spirite.
This is the spirite of CHRIST, and his diuine nature, and almightyChapter calleth the spirite in his firste cha. he. calleth God. Power. whiche I proue out of this place by this syllogisme.
That thinge, whiche raysed Christ was GOD: this Spirite did raise1 pet. 1. 21. CHRIST: Ergo this Spirite2. Thess. 1. 10. The spirite of Christ is God Reade. [...]om. 8. was God, euen the holy Ghost, the Thirde Person in Trinitye. That onely God raysethe the Deade,11. Rom 4. 24. whiche is the first proposition, it is2. Cor. 6. 14.. euident, and proued also in manyeGal. 1. 1 places.Rom. 4. 17. Iohn. 5. 16. 17. 18 19. 20. 21. Acts. 26. 8.
The seconde Proposition called the assumption, or minor, is proued by thys place, and by Rom. 1.This spirite Ambrose callethe the holy Ghoste. de voc. gen. 2. c▪ 3.verse. 4. where it is written that the Spirite of Sanctification raysed Christ.
For saythe Paule. As it were interpreting this place. CHRIST2. cor. 13 4 Theodoret vpon this place Iohn 2. 19. was Crucified throughe infirmytye of his Humaine Nature, notwithstandinge, hée raygnethe and [Page] liueth in his deuine nature. For hi [...] Iohn. 2. 1 [...]. bad them dissolue the temple, meaning his bodye, and within thr [...] dayes hee woulde raise it againe▪ The properties of the trinity a [...] geuen to them all in places, as th [...] Act 20. 28. wt Christ did, I meane to redemeIohn. 6. 21. man is giuen to God, as though h [...] should redeme man with his bloud▪ so here the spirite of Christ is said [...] to raise him. Where ye haue i [...] Scripture the flesh and spirite applied to the persone of Christ, th [...] fleshe is his humanity, and spirit [...] his diuinity. Of the whiche I ha [...] noted vpon this place of Peter. AndChristes humanite and diuinity. vpon Hebrues. 9. And that this i [...] the spirite of Christ it is manyfe [...] of the whole hystory, which is set [...] Augustine for the at large in Moses. gen. 6. Di [...] Enop. not this same Christ in like man [...] EPist. 99. preach to Adam, and Gain, and reproued them? he came in spirite t [...] The spirite of Iehoua. gen. 6. 3▪ them, as he did to these. This spirite in moses is called the spirite of Iehoua, here it is called the Spirite o [...] [Page 64] Christ: there it is said to haue [...]triuenAn analogi [...] betwene Moses and Peter. withe man, here it is sayde to haue gone and preached to the despe rate rebells in the dayes of Noe. There God saith that he will not suffer it alwayes to contend with man: here Peter prescribeth a certaine tyme euen all the tyme y• the arke was in preparing: There are geuen them to repent. 120. Yeares: here the long suffering of God did loke for their amēdement. So long there were. 8. persones saued, there was the arke in preparing. 120. Yeares: here in like maner is theBash [...] same thinge mencioned. There this spirite preached to fleshly men and carnall, here to the desperate and disobedient: There God is said to hane warned them by the spirite of holynes, here by the spirite of Christ. There they be called giants which were so terible in countenaunceHanepholi [...] ▪ that they y• looked vpon thē fell downe for Feare, here they are called so obstinate that nether [Page] erhortation coulde preuaile, neith [...] threatning reduce thē from iniquity, to honesty. This spirite withi [...] Noac and others, did preach to thes [...] impenitent Gyantes, exhorted th [...] malitious, and woulde haue corre [...] ted them. Of this, reade my note [...] vpon Gen. 6▪ and 1. Peter. 3. Nethe [...] is this spirite in Moses the soule [...] man, as Chimi dreameth, neither in Peter, as Castalio translated, no [...] the worde as Athanasius reporte [...] in his Epistle to Epictitus, vnl [...] that he take the worde for the hol [...] ghost, or for Christes diuine nature▪ for the soule of man is a creature▪ This spirite is not the soule of man and this Spirite is the Spirite o [...] Iehoua, and the spirite of Christ i [...] Peter. Moreouer it was not mer [...] mā that preached to those obstina [...] offenders: but it was the spirite [...] Iehoua in Moses, and in Peter, th [...] 2. pet. 2. 5. Beza. spirite of Christ. This spirite wa [...] in Noac who is called the eight [...] preacher of righteousnes. For th [...] other seuen (I meane Noacs sonnes [Page 65] withe their wiues preached aswell [...]s he. Noac was the eighte person [...]at was in the Arke, a preacher [...]f Righteousnes.
[...]nd Erithrea Sibilla, who writeth er selfe to be one of Noacs daughtersSibilla in her O. acles in lawe, specifieth howe that [...]od commaunded Noac to preache [...] the Gyauntes.
[...]osephus writeth the like lib. 1. c. 5. To what spirites preached this [...]irite of Christ, the Text aunsweeth, to them that were desperate [...]ebells in the dayes of Noac. Spirits were the desperate Giauntes of Noacs
The tyme declare the that this spirite of Christ beinge within Noac, [...]reached to them of Noacs dayes [...]piritually, for some Bookes haue [...].
They to whome this Spirite of [Page] Christ preached, were in earthGen. 6. and not in Hell. They were in time of Noac to whom Christ p [...] ched: These were in Hell. T [...] Spirite preached in the dayes Noac: the Papists say that he p [...] ched in Hell, two thousand ye [...] after this tyme and aboue. [...] did Christ, saythe the Text, wh [...] the desperate were, where the [...] antes were, where the disobedi [...] were: when the longe suffering [...] God looked for their amendem [...] when Noac liued: Noac then [...] not dead, therefore not in Hell, [...] the Arke was in preparing, w [...] there were 8. persons saued.
Was the Arke made in H [...] who were the Artificers? w [...] had they Timber? where had [...] pytche? Were there any Bea [...] in Hell? If the Deluge had b [...] in Hell, then should all the De [...] haue béene drowned: for the T [...] sayth, that there were but ei [...] saued.
[Page 66]Dothe Baptisme aunswere to yt?Baptisme. Baptisme is in earthe, Ergo the [...]eluge was in earthe. And conse [...]ently these spirits were in earth▪ Spirites are euill men. the Scripture calleth wicked mē [...]pirites, as Paule tearmeth erro [...]ous1. Tim. 4. 1. [...]. [...] in Paul seducing: spirites. men, the Spirites of errour, [...]en false [...]rophets, as these are [...]o were called erroneous Spirits are they in Peter called disobedi [...]t Spirites in the like Phrase.
Were not these desperate spirits [...] disobedient Rebells, infected [...]ith sensuality, seduced with plea [...]e, vpon whome was powred [...] Spirit of wyckednes, as of the [...]inces Zoan, and Noph. Esay. 19. 14.
[...]f this double Spirit, I meaneZach. 13. 2. [...] Spirit of God, and the SpiritA duble spirit. Hozee. 9. 11. the worlde, as Paule writeth, of1. Cor. 2. 12. [...]ith reade my notes vpon the 1.1. Iohn. 4. 1. 2. [...]t. 3. And Cicero a prophane wrivsethCicero. the same Phrase, callinge so an impure Spirite.
Thoughe Lyra was drowned in [...]aming Limbus, notwithstandīg [Page] he saythe that ye Doctors, & Glo [...] do not vnderstand this of Chris [...] To whome Christ preached a true ex position. descending into Hell: for these his and their woordes.
He (saye they) that came in s [...] in our tyme, and preached the [...] of lyfe to the world: the very s [...] comming in spirit, preached bef [...] the Deluge, to them that were [...] perate, and liued carnally.
For he was by the holy Ghost Noac, & other good men, by w [...] conuersation he preached to [...] euell men, that they mighte bee [...] ned vnto God.
Thus farre the Ordinary [...] withe muche more matter to effecte. This preaching, saith L [...] of Noac before the Deluge, w [...] Lyra. figure of the preachiuge of Ch [...] and of his Disciples, vnto the of the worlde: callinge sinne [...] Repentaunce, least y• they sh [...] perishe in the finall iudgment.
And here is an Argument [...] lesser, a Minore, ad Mains. I [...] [Page 67] called them to Repentaunce, muchPrison is the custome of sinninge. [...]ore will he call others. He prea [...]ed to them that were in pryson, [...] meane, to them that were tyed [...]ith the custome of synning, which [...]as in the tyme of Noac, when as [...]ll fleshe had corrupted his waye. Gen. 6. hee came in Spirite, and [...]reached by Noac, whome hee had [...]nspyred to make the Arke, and [...]reach Repentaunce: and although [...]hat y• Humanity of CHRIST was not as yet, notwithstanding [...]is Substaunce, his Deity, and Godhead was euer: Iesus Christe yesterday, to daye, and he foreuer. Thus muche Lyra, and more to y• [...]me purpose.
What pryson was this that they were in? Were they inclosed in stone walles? Were they in some [...]ongeon? Lyra callethe this prison the custome of synninge: for they, saythe hee, were tyed as it were withe the gyues, or manicles, or theynes of iniquity. Notwtstandīg [Page] a Prison is taken in all Tongue by a Metaphor for the Body, whe [...] in were inclosed these disobedie [...] Spirites, obstinate to bee refo [...] med, desperate to be reduced, a [...] so malitious, and stubborne, th [...] Noac coulde neyther by his lenity reclayme them, neither by seuerit correct them, nether did they estem [...] what hee preached, but [...] him, and called him an old [...]oting foole, sayng what had he to do with them, what cared they for his pre [...] chinge. So is Babilon, meaningReuel. 18. 2. Rome, called a Pryson of impu [...] Spirites.
This Pryson maye bee taken [...] Synne, as the Shadowe of Death is for darke and wilfull ignorance▪ So Esaye in the twenty foure chapter and seauenth verse, prophecieth that CHRIST shoulde delyu [...] ▪ Prisoners out of Prison, where is also the same woorde in Hebrue, Chele, and in the Greeke [...], and in Peter also, ye may call these [Page 68] [...]ngracious gyants such as were in [...]e prisō of sinne, or in the pryson [...] their Bodyes. And Dauid dothe [...] vse it in these words, as the great [...]ible translateth. Bringe my soule [...]ute of Prison. Psal. 142. 7.
Augustine among other expositi [...]ns,August. vpon Psal. 142. 7. Mimmasgar. saythe that Dauid desyred god [...] take his soule out of his Bodye.Prison for the body. 72. Inter pretouts haue, [...]. [...]otwithstanding Augustine being [...]noraunt in the Hebrue Tongue, [...]auerethe lyke an Academicall, [...]claring ye text vncertainly by conA true exposion of the 7. v. of the 142. Ps. Munster and Flam. vpō Ps. 142. 7. and the argument of the Ps, in Hebrue befor [...] the psal. [...]ctures.
For Dauid flyinge from Saule, [...]d lyinge in the Caue Odolla, de [...]reth God to deliuer him saufe out [...] that Caue, wherin he was inclo [...]ed as in a Prison.
[...]nd there is Nephes whiche they [...]anslate the Soule, taken for theNephes. Bodye, and the Caue for the Pry [...]on.
Bede therefore readeth this TexteBede. in this sorte. That he preached to the spirits that were in their fleshe, [Page] as thoughe it were written, [...] and not [...], of this diuersity Hugo Cardinal, Thomas Aquine, and Gagne, withe Dionisius Carthusianus make mention, who expound this place as I do [...], thoughe they were Schoolemen, and in the Barbarous tyme. So dothe Augustine in his 99. Ep. to Euodius.
Accolampadius alleadgethe [...] place of Fsay, as though that ChristEsay. 42. 7. wente to Hell, to deliuer vs from Hell.
Did not he all that vpō thē Crosse? was not his passion sufficient? was his deathe an vnperfect deathe? [...] not he reconcile vs to his father, [...] asswaged his Wrathe? ouerca [...] Sathan and Hell?
BEZA (who fiue yeares afterBeza. that I had expounded this place in a booke entituled that CHRIST neuer came in Hell, written▪ in L [...] ten vpon the first of Peter 3. Chap. and 19. verse takethe this PrysonPrison. [Page 69] for hell. As Sathan is said to be put in prison, whiche sense doth not impugne mine assertion, notwestandig it is not so probable: For Peter speaketh of them that liued, Beza of them that were dead: Peter of them of NOACS dayes to whome hée preached, Beza of them that were in hell, to whome NOAC did not preache: Peter and Moses meane of them, to whō of his infinite mercy hée gaue 120. Yeares to repente.
BEZA of them that were in hell? is there any repentance in hell, any confession of a mans faulte, but here were gyuen an 120. yeares to repent.
If BEZA his opinyon please1. Peter. 3. any man better then mine, lett him folowe it, who Conspirethe withe me agaynste them that alleadge this place for Christes preachinge in hell.
You saye that Christ fetched out [Page] onely the obedyent, and faithfull,Christ fetched out of hell nether the obedient nor disobedient. these were disobedyent, & vnfaithfull, ergo by your owne iudgement he went not thether for their cause, if not for their cause, then may youAugust. Euod. be ashamed to aliedge this place forEpist. 99. these disobedient were be fore the floud. that purpose. How coulde he preach or fetch out Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, with the rest, when as they were long after the floud, and these before the floud: They were Godly men, the other desperate: they were not in hell, the othere were there without redemtion. Peter saith that it was the spirite of Christ ye preached to the obstinate, and that in the time of Noac, before hée toke mans nature vpon him.
The papistes say that it was soule of CHRIST.
Howe coulde his Soule preachē before it was? Before hée was man? before hée was created, and ioyned to the body.
That whiche was not in the tyme of NOAC coulde not [Page 70] preache in the time of NOAC. An fallible argument. The Soule of CHRIST was not in the tyme of NOAC: wherefore it coulde not preache in theThis s [...]irite is not Chistes. sou [...]e. tyme of Noac, you say that it was the Soule of Christe that preached in hell: Peter doth not meane of the Soule of CHRIST: but of his Spirite: of his diuine nature which is GOD, equall with the Father and the Sonne.
Is not their ignorance intollerable that doo not sée that Peter speakethe not one worde of ye soule of Christ: but of his God head.An other argu ment.
Is it credible that Christ did onely preache in hell to them that were desperate in the dayes of NOAC, and not to others aswell? were there none desperate but they of NOACS dayes? was not Cain before them desperate? and Esau after the floud? Peter saith that this Spirite of CHRIST preached,To whom pr [...] ched Christ to th [...] disobedient of Noacs tyme, The papistes say that hee preached [Page] to all in generall: Peter to the disobedient and Desperate: they to the obediente and faithfull.
Peter to the Oyantes: they to the Patriarches: Peter to them of NOACS dayes, they to all the iust before Christ.
Peter when the Arke was in Preparinge, they when Christes bodye laye in the graue: Peter where there were Eyght persones saued, and the rest drowned, they where there were an innumerable companye and that in Hell: Peter where there was amendement looked for, they where there was none amendement: for in Hell is no redemption: Peter in earth, they in Hell, Purgatorye, and Lymbus. A syllogisme.
Where the Arke was made ther [...] preached this Spirite of Christ.Annius vpon Berosus. pa.
The Arke was not made in Hell:The arke was 7 or 8. forlonges in lengthe. but in Syrya about Libanus.
Wherefore this Spirite of Christ preached not in hell. [Page 71] You say that CHRIST delyueredEuodius. Epist. 99. August. them that were in the state of Saluation, either such faithefull Fathers, as were in Limbus Patrum: or suche as were neither so good, as to bée in Limbus, nor so despreate as to be in hell, but to be as Newters, and in a meane, and therefore in purgatory.
But Peter saythe that this Spirite of CHRIST perached to the Obstynate and Desperate Gyantes, and that in the dayes of NOAC.
If hée had preached in Hell, should not hee as well haue Preached to CAIN, and suche other as were before the floude, as to ESAV, and IVDAS, and suche like, whiche were after the floude.
If hée Preached to the Faithfull, as you saye, why dothe hée name the vnfaithfull.
Wherefore PETERS meanynge ys easelye to bée perceiued [Page] of the wise, well knowen of the learned, and fully awnswered to them that will not cal white black,Euodius Epist. 99. and blacke white. If we should say, saith Augustine, that they that are in hell can beleue in Christ, what absurdities should folowe contrary to our faith? And howe coulde they haue bene deliuered out of hell, if they had not beleued in him? is there any deliuery, any saluation, any redemtion without him. This place of Peter, saith Augustine, doth not pertaine to hell, but to those dayes rather of Noac: the forme whereof he applieth to these dayes. Thus much Augustine, with a manifest explanatiō of this place, after the same order and maners that I do.
The Spirite of Christe preached where there was amendemente of Lyfe, and there where the floud ouerflowed, where the arke was made, were 120. Yeares of repentance was giuen, where eight [Page 72] persones were saued, where Noe preached, but none of these were in hell, ergo this place is not vnderstand of Christ beinge in hell.
I haue a place out of PeterThe. 18. obiection. that shall proue mine intent substan1. Peter. 4 cially, fortifie it strongly, conclude with me effectually, to the abolishment of all your argumentes and ex positions.
Doth not Peter say that the Gospell was preached to the dead, and who are they that were dead? were they not they that were in hell, or rathere in purgatorye, and in Limbus.
If you say that the GospellThe Gospell preched to th [...] dead. was preached vnto the dead: you either meane them that were a liue then, when Peter liued, and dead in synne, which are, all they that will not beleue, as Lira expoūdeth this place, or els ye meane thē that are dead and departed out of this life.
I meane that the Gospell was preached to the dead.
The dead are not called the [Page] Soules that liue, but the bodyes▪ which are dead. You holde that the Fathers that were in Hell did liue.
So I holde.
Ergo they were not deade, but you saye in this obiection that the Gospell was preached too th [...] dead.
Are not the dead bodyes, without Senses? can they sée? can the [...] heare, whose eares are in the earth [...] Dead Te [...]tullian ad uersns ma [...]cio lib 5. consumed by tyme, a [...]d eaten with wormes.
Neither is this worde dead take [...] at any tyme for them that liue [...] the other life: but is onelye appro [...] Dead is onely proper to the body. pried to the body euen by the exposition of Tertullian.
A dead body is without lyfe, soule, and Senses, Ergo it was the bodie [...] that were dead, and ye gospell therefore was not preached to them. Wherefore we must saye that when Christ shall come to iudg [...] the quicke and the Deade, tha [...] [Page 73] [...] the quicke, we meane them y• [...]all bee alyue when Christe shall [...]me to Iudgement. 1. Cor▪ 15. by he deade, suche Bodyes as sleepeThe deade. [...] their Graues till the last daye, [...]d their foules either in payne or [...]easure, in sorrowe or [...]olace, [...] felicity or misery, in Torments [...] in Ioye, in Hell or Heauen.
[...]hyche beinge ioyned to their bo [...]yes, shall Receyue Sentence ei [...]her to their Saluation, or Con [...]mnation.
The Gospell was preached toGospell preached to Adam Adam, nowe deade, but then aliue, [...]hen Christe Iehoua preached to [...]im the Seede of the woman: to Noac nowe deade, but then alyue, [...]hen God tolde him that his Spi [...]ite shoulde no longe [...] [...]tryue with [...]an.
To all other both that were either [...]aithful, as the Prophets and Pa [...]riarches were, and the other faithfull: or to ye vnfaythfull, as to Caine [...]owe dead, and then aliue: to the [Page] Gyauntes before the floude no [...] deade, and then aliue. Wheref [...] did hee preache to them? that th [...] shoulde be iudged like other men [...] fleshe: that is, that they might [...] to synne, and be mortifyed: a [...] shoulde lyue to God warde in [...] Spirit.
Nowe the Gospell mortifieth s [...] Of this reade my note vpon 1. P [...]r 4. as beleue, and raysethe them [...] that they mighte lyue godlye a [...] Spiritually.This is the truthe.
The Gospell was preached to [...] deade, that is to men that are d [...] in synne: so is dead vsed.
Howe aunswere you Mi [...] The 19 obiect Mich. 2. 13. cheas, who sayethe that CHRIS [...] ascended before them openinge t [...] waye.
It wa [...] not Christ but t [...] Enemye, some vnderstande it [...] Nabucodonosor his Armye, w [...] assaulted and inuaded Hierusalem
Nowe I wyll alleadge other mi [...] myndes, of the whiche not one [...] them dothe alleadge yt as you [...] [Page 74] you falsify the Texte, and sorge [...]ther sense then euer Micheas [...]aned.
[...]is breaker was Sedechias, who [...] through the ruynous walles wt [...]ny others, for hast to escape Af [...] our English translation all this [...]ap. is applied to y• vtter destruc [...]n of Hierusalem. After Pagnine [...]s breaker of the wall was the [...]ngell, whiche kylled the Assiri [...]s, and the King that went before [...] Ezechias. Others as Pellicane, [...]unster, and Castalio, apply from [...]is place: But I will gather the in [...]ede O Iacob, vnto the ende, all [...] Christ, who shall gather a great [...]ultitude at Hierusalem, lyke [...]ckes of sheepe, of suche a nomber [...]at they shal one opppesse another: [...]e breaker of the gappe shall bee [...]essias, who shall subdue your e [...]emyes, releue your miseryes, and [...]ing you to felicity. This Kynge [...]all goe before you, & Iehoua shall [...]e his name, he shalbe your head & [Page] guide. But according to the let [...] by this breaker vp, is meaned [...] Kinge of the Assirians, and Bab [...] nians, withe their soldyours.The 20 obiec tion.
I go saith Christ to prep [...] Iohn. 14. 3. you a place, Ergo there were n [...] in heauen, before that Christ a [...] ded to prepare a place.
Is this a good Argument [...] you, and I, and halfe a score [...] shoulde goe to London, and [...] what neded Christ to goe prepare aplace when as heauē was empty, for as yet there were none in heauen, as the Papistes hold. should saye I am afearde that [...] Innes should be taken vp, t [...] are so many that goe: I wyll [...] and prepare a place for vs.
Doth yt nowe folowe, that [...] went to London before vs? [...] London emptye before? Is th [...] Ther is roume ynough where there are none inhabitantes. Citty where no Body dwellet [...] Is that a Realme where there [...] no Cytizens or Subiectes, or t [...] Heauē, wher ther is no Saynct [...] none inhabitauntes.
Let vs expounde the Text [...] dinge to the Englishe Bible re [...] in the Churches.
[Page 75]Christ seing his Disciples much [...]ered, and troubled withe his sa [...]ges,Iohn. 13. 21. as, where he sayd that oneIohn. 13. 23. [...]ould betraye him: that whitherMath. 26. 31. [...]ée went, they could not come: thatIohn. 13. 28. [...]ey should be dispersed, that Peter [...]oulde denye him, he comfortethe [...]em thus afflicted, willing them [...]at theyr hartes shoulde not bée [...]oubled: for yf they belueed in him [...] they did in his father, that then [...]hey shoulde ascende thither, whi [...]her hée shoulde Ascende, because [...]hat in his fathers house there were [...]any Mansions, Roome ynoughe, [...]laces at large: for yf it were not [...] saythe hée, I woulde haue tolde [...]ou.
This place appearethe to proue [...]hat Heauen was well inhabyted, [...]r else, what needed hee to prepare [...] place
As my father had prepared theseMath. 25. 34. Mansions, meaninge his Kingdom [...]rom the creation: euen so nowe I goe to prepare a place for you.
[Page]For his acte and myue is all [...] we prepared this place from th [...] ginning.
If I goe to prepare a place for [...] I will come agayn, & I wyl rec [...] you vnto my selfe. This wyll [...] at the last Resurrection, that [...] I am, (I mean in heauen) ye [...] be, and whither I goe ye knowe your Faythe, and you knowe [...] waye▪ whiche is already made my [...] and Resurrection. [...] I am the waye, truthe▪ and lyfe▪ This is the true sense. Reade [...] [...], Enthy. Bul [...]n Lyra, Non [...] Beza, [...]aber, Erasmus, Chris [...] Hillarius, de trinit. 9. Cyrill, Pell [...] cane, B [...]er. Your allegations [...] bothe absurd, and mordinate: [...] Thrist vnderstandeth all this of [...] Apostles, you of the in Hell: Chr [...] of the liuing you of the dead: Chr [...] of y• house of his father, you of [...] [...]hans den: Christ of the large ma [...] [...]ions of his fathers house & a amph [...] roume, you of Limbus pa [...]rū: Chri [...] [Page 76] [...] the heauenly kingdom prepared [...]f him and his Father from the cre [...]tion, you of the Popes kingdome [...]urgatorie, prepared of late and in [...]ented by the Abbot Odilo in Sci [...]cilye, and of Sayncte Patrycke in Irelande, and forged by others so doubtfullye and variablye, that no man canne credite it.
Christe prepared them a waye to Heauen, and wente before theym, you woulde sende him to Hell: Christe sayeth that where hee was they should bee, meaning Heauen, you saye that hee meaned Hell.
Went the Apostles to Hel? al this place prouethe Christes Ascention, Ergo no Descension: for, to Ascend and Descend are contrary.The [...]1. obi [...] tion.
I haue alledged those places of Scripture that seme to proueThe common Crede. CHRISTE hys goinge to Hell, whereby the Fathers were perswaded, and shal not that perswade you that perswaded them?
They wyll haue manne to grounde or alleadge [...] manner of Doctryne oute of [...] Doctoure: But they all, are of [...] Opinion and Consente, and [...] whollye conclude and agree to [...] ther, that there is nothinge ne [...] sarye for the Saluation of [...] Soules, whiche is not contay [...] or mentioned in the Eannonni [...] Scryptures, and therefore th [...] wyll haue Scripture, to bee [...] onelye waye and Guyde: Reas [...] to Rule▪ Argumentes to Proo [...] Conferente of place wyth place [...] conclude, the Tongues to D [...] cerne, and the Litterall Tru [...] and Sense to iudge▪
If nothinge ca [...] The 22. obiec tion. preuayle with you, that I haue se [...] downe or alleadged, notwithstanding, it is ynough that it is in [...] Crede.
I denye that it is in [...] Crede. If it bee in oure Cr [...] then I praye you▪ who did putte [...] [Page 77] in? when, and where was it▪ thrust in. If when the Apostels liued, where make they mention of it? Mathewe, Marke, Luke, Iohn,Rom. 4. 2 [...].Paul, and Peter, diligently set out the healthfull artycle of Christes Death, whereby wée are saued, of his resurrection for our iustification, and of his ascention for [...]ur glorification, and assured expectation of all Heauenlye Felicitie.
Of this Fable they make no mention, it is excluded as, impertinent, omitted as not expediente, neglegted as an inconuenience, and contempned as an absurditie.August. de temp. serm. Tom. 10.
Doeth not Augustine saye that Thomas the Apostle, added this Sentēce Descendit ad Inferna, he descended into Hell.
That Sermon that is intruded into his woorkes, is none of his Sermons, for many yeares after, eyther by Bonauenture, or by some suche Artificer, these twelue were assigned seuerallye, euerye [Page] one to one patche. Saint AugustineTom. 3. This patche was not in S. August. dayes August. de Symb. ad Cathe. lib. 1. c. 3. 5. lib 3. c. 6. lib. 4. cap. 6.ad petrum diaconum pag. 231. and de fide et simbola pag. 144. repeteth the twelue articles of of our saith, and expoundeth them, and this patche he omitteth, which is an euident argument that it was not inuented, nor beleued in his dayes a [...] an ariicle. The same patch he leauethTom. 9. out in all places where he in treateth of the Crede. de temp. ser [...] 123. serm. 125. Tom. 6. Chrisostome expounded. [...] Hades [...] Graue.
Chrisostome in his former exposition excludeth this patch in h [...] latter [...] he maketh mention, of [...] Descendit ad inferna. He went int [...] Hades, in to his Graue, that h [...] might there also do miracles, wh [...] Many bodyes [...] with Christ. was to rayse vp many bodyes. F [...] many bodyes of Saintes rose wi [...] [...]im.
Thus much Chrisostome▪ where [...] it is manifest, that Chrisostom [...] meaneth by Hades y• Graue▪ wh [...] manye haue translated hell. Wh [...] translation hath feigned many [...] [Page 78] surdities, how that Christ went toTom. 4. in. ep▪ ad Cor. 15. ho▪ 40. hell, and fetched out the faithfull patriarkes. That Chrisostome meaneth by Discendit ad inferna, héeDiscendit ad inferna expoū ded. went to his graue, he was buryed, nothinge els but his buriall, it is euident, for thus he saith. Discensus ad inferos, The discendinge of Christ into his graue is a signe, to to be dipped into the water and to ryse vp againe, and this is Sepulchrum [...]om [...]. 3. 4. the graue, that Paul callethBaptisme. baptisme, ye are buried (saith hée) by Baptisme vnto death.
Thus much Chrisostome: I knowe that Chrisostome is variable in this matter for hee alledgeth ye place of the. 19. psalme for the resurrection of CHRIST, as Peter, and all other do, and as I haue proued before, notwithstandinge hée de [...]orteth the place of the 24. psalme verse 7. and Esay. 25. verse 23. that Christ willed hell gates toEsays meaning is tha [...] Cyru [...], should breake the barrs of Baby lon, and deliuer the Israelites pa. 32▪ psal. 32. be cast open, & that he brake y• brasen gates, & yron barres, he vnder, [Page] standeth of Christes entering into hell, and bringing out of precious vessells, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. You Maister Smith. saye that [...]hrist▪ went into the two vppermost hells, Purgatory, and Limbus patrum, Chrisostome knowethe neither of them, you appoynte foureChrisostome hom 75. vpon Math. hells, Chrisostome but one.
As the phisition, saith hée, can profite a dead man nothinge at all, nor the maister of the shipp after the shipp is lost, so after this lifeAfter this life no helpe there is no thinge that can profite.
Ruffinus Aquiliensis wrytethRuffinns who made this crede and when. that the twelue Apostles immediatlye after the receypte of the holy Ghost, made this crede, before that they were dispersed, that one of them shoulde not discente one from an other in anye principale poynte of religion.
you saye that Ruffine saythe that the Apostles made it for thisRuffine crede is in Hierom▪ cause, least that any of them should [Page 79] disscent one from an other: not withTom. 2. and in the proemy apol. pamph. pro origene. standinge Ruffine hath not this patche.
Is it credible that they shoulde dissent in any poynt of Religion, that were inspired with the holye Ghost, that were onely guided by the Spirite, whiche ledde them into all truthe: If it ledde them into all truthe, what neded they of any other rule? was not he suffitient? had they not receyued the Spirite abundantly? coulde they erre, It is an absurdyty to prescribeThe Apostels were authors and rule of all [...]ounde doctrine. an order to them, that were the authors of order, or to assigne them a rule, that ruled all: or that laide the foundation of Doctrine, to wauer in Doctrine, or that were the teachers of faithe, to be ignorant of the will of God.
Coulde the Spirite of God erre, whiche taughte them all and ledde them into all truthe.
Wherefore you sée what holde you haue, and what your authority is.
Iohn herolte a frier. DominiqueIohn herolte whē the crede was made. valla can not tell who made it. in the yeare of Christ. 1494. writeth in his 146. sermone that the apostels made this erede in the councell at Hierusalem Act. 15.
H [...]w do these two doctors agrée the one olde, the other new, the one saith, that it was made immediatly after Christes ascension, the other 17. or. 18. yeares after or aboue.
This is a good argument. How could the twelue Apostels make it so many yeares after the assension of Christ, when as there were some of them that had suffered death, for Iames brother to Iohn the sonne of Zebede, was beheaded by Herode Agrippa. And this was done 7. or 8. yeares or more before the councell holden in the Art. 15. Moreouer theAct. 122. other apostels were dispersed some into one place, some into others, asT [...] apostels dispersed. Phillipp in Scythia Bartholomewe in Lycaonia, India, and Armenia, Mathew in Aethyopia, Thomas [Page 80] in Parthya, Media, Persia, Germanya, Hyrcania, and Bactria.
Now if there were none of the Apostels at the councell holden at Hierusalē, act. 15. saue Iames, Iohn, [...] Peter, then were not all the Apostels there to put to euery man his sentence, if it had bene made there, then woulde either. Peter, Iohn, Iames, or Luke, who wrote the rest [...]o exactly haue made mention of [...]t.
They made the twelue articles,Simbolum th [...] ▪ 12. article [...] ▪ as a Som of our faith, and cal [...]ed it Symbolum, for that euery apostell added one peice. Peter I beleue [...]n God the father almighty.
Iohn Herolte sai [...]h that PeterThe. 1. articl [...] Augustine and Herolt disagre Pseudo Augustine de temp. se [...]. 115▪ [...]ade I beleue in God the father al [...]ighty, the maker of heauen and [...]arth.
Pseudo Augustine deniethe that, [...]nd saith that Peter made but the [...]ne halfe of that sentence. For the [...]tter parte, sayth he, made Iohn. Augustine make th two articles of [Page] it, Herolte but one. Augustine saithe that Peter & Iohn made these two: Herolte that Peter made both▪ Herolte saithe that Iohn made this▪ Howe coulde this laines bee at the▪ onncell at Hierusalem, Act 15 when as he was kylled by Herode Act. 12. And in Iesus Christe his only sonne our Lord. Pseudo Augustine sait [...] that Iames the greater made that. This Herolte deniethe, and sayth [...] that Iohn the Euangeliste made it. Augustine maketh this the third [...] Article: Herolte the seconde. Andrewe. Who was couceaued by he holye Ghost, borne of the Vi [...] gine Mary.
Pseudo Augustine makethe thi [...] the fourth article, Herolt the third▪ Pseudo Augustine saith, that Andrewe made it, Herolte that Iam [...] the greater, brother to Iohn the Euangeliste Herolte makethe Iames that was dead to make an Ar ticle▪ made it, who was the [...] dead as it is manyfest in the Act [...] 12. Iohn Herolte here forgetteth [...] himselfe, for he said in the begi [...] ning of his Sermon y• this Cr [...] was made in the councell at Hierusalem. And this Iames was behea [...] [Page 81] ded by Herode longe before, as is mauifest in Act. 12. Mendacem me [...]orem esse oportet. Phillip: Suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, Crucified, dead, and Buryed. Herolte saythe, that Andrewe made this: Pseudo Augustine maketh this the fist Article: Herolte the fourth.
Thomas say [...]he: Hee descended into Hell, the thirde daye hee rose from [...]he deade. Herolte saythe that Phi [...]ip made this former parte: PseudoPseud August.Augustine saith that Thomas made it all: Herolte maketh, He descended into Hell, a whole Article: Pseudo Augustine makethe it but [...]alfe, and addeth: The thirde daye [...]e rose from the dead.
I maruell that they wyll father [...]his vpon Phillip, whose Creede, [...]s it is writen in Pirianius leaueth out this patche.
Herolte sayth that Thomas made The third daye he rose agayne frō the deade. Pseudo Augustine ioyneth this wt Christes going to Hel, [Page] and ascribethe it to Thomas on [...] Bartholmewe. He ascended into he [...] uen, sittethe on the righte hande God the father Almightye: in [...] they bothe agree. Mathewe. Fr [...] thence hee shall come to Iudge [...] quicke and the dead. Iames the le [...] I beleue in the holy Ghost▪ the h [...] Catholique Churche. Pseudo A [...] gustine makethe this one Articl [...] Herolte maketh it twayne. P [...] Augustine maketh it the 9. Arti [...] Herolte makethe y• latter parte [...] 10. Simon Zelotes: The Commun [...] of Sayntes, Remission of sinnes. [...] rolte maketh the 10. Article o [...] The holy Catholique Church▪ [...] Augustine makethe this Articl [...] parte of the 9.: Herolte maketh [...] the 10. Indas Thaddeus. The Re [...] rection of the flesh. Herolt & He [...] Vrinaria, make the 11. Article, T [...] Communion of Sayntes, & remis [...] on of sinnes. Pseudo Augustine [...] keth it the 10. Herolte the 11. P [...] August. ascribeth it to Simon [...] [Page 82] [...], Herolte to Iudas Thaddeus. Mathias added Euerlasting lyfe. Herolt saythe that he made The Resurrection of the flesh, & euerlasting lyfe. Here you see y• disagremēt betweneDiscorde: [...], whom they say was S. August. Herolte. & Henry Vrinaria.
There is no lesse variety and inconstauncy, in the rest of the schoolmenAugust. Tom. 3. de fide et Symbolo. whiche he addeth in a boke de Symb. ad Cath.
In S. Augustines time they were not digested in that order as they [...]ée nowe. For hee leauethe out the goinge of Christ into Hell, & lyfe euerlastinge. Chrisostome leauetheChrisost. Tom 5. de Symb. [...] ad in feros expounded. [...]ut The Comunion of Sayntes: and in his former exposition, he omit [...]eth Descendit ad Inferos: and in the [...]atter he sayth, Descendit ad Inferos, was, y• Christ was dead & buryed, and wt him raysed a great nomberRead the 13. obiection. of bodyes: for he was y• first fruites of them that sleeped, and the firste borne frō y• dead: wherby you may easely vnderstand, that the Gréeke Doctors vnderstande by Hades theHade▪ [Page] graue, we hath bene translated he Hiero. August. and Ambr. say th [...] Neither haue they all, nor orderly▪ this Crede came from the Apostle whiche can not be perswaded to [...] Valla a Gentl. of Italye, and a singuler Iudgment.Many Credes. The first. wher in Christes descendinge is lefte out
- 1. Marcellus in Epiph. sayth that [...] receyued this sayth of y• Scriptu [...] & Elders: not wtstanding he leaue [...] out this article of his going to h [...]
- 2. Ignatius hathe a perfect CredeIgnatius in epist. ad Mag.many of the Articles of oure co [...] Creede, but neuer one woorde Christes going to Hell.
- 3. Neither in his epistle to y• Ephe [...] where hee confesseth his Béelye [...] twyse.
- 4. Neither in his epistle to y• Ro [...]Theoderet.Theoderet Dial. 1. immut.
- 5. Neither in his Epist. to y• Tra [...] lians. Theod. Dial. 1. Immut.
- 6. Polycarpus in an epistle to th [...] Poly [...]ardns in [...] Past. ad Phil.Phillipians, vtterethe the mistery of Christes Natiuity, Deathe, an [...] Resurrection, but this addition h [...] leaueth out.
- [Page 83]7. Iustinus Martyr doth most manifestly,Iustinus in Apo [...]oget. 2.and exactly declare Christes Passion, Deathe, and Resurrectiō: of this neuer a worde.
- 8. Ireneus hath set out an absolute [...]orme of our faythe, in like mannerIreneus li. 1. c▪ 2as the other haue done, and this either hee forgotte for lacke of memory, or neclected it as an absur [...]ity, or dispy [...]ed it as a fable; or ab [...]orred it as a thing contrary to our Faythe, whiche neuer placed anye faithfull mans Soule in hell,Tertull. de pr [...] scrip. pag. 92. 769.
- 9. Neither is this patch in Tertulian, where there is a perfect Rule of our Faythe published
- 10. Neither in another larg Crede in y• said Tertul. against Praxea
- 11. Neither in Origene, who hatheOrigen▪ in proemi. lib. de princ [...]pus Gregory Neo [...]a long discourse of the belyef.
- 12. Neither in Greg [...] Neocesariēsi, which Ruffinus dothe interprete in [...]ib. 7. cap. 25
13. Neither in Ciprian, though ther [...] a Creede ascribed to him, & in S. Hieromes workes ye same assigned [Page] to Rufine, whiche hathe this addition, notwithstanding hée saythe y• [...] descended interpreted. it signifiothe no more, but that he [...] was deade, & buryed. For it is a Phrase amonge the Gréekes, an [...] sometymes among the Latins, [...] in Cic. off. 1. Dilapsa arma ceciderū [...] y• a Participle is ioyned wt aver [...] Burved & des cended bothe one. of the same signification, as in thi [...] place, [...]: Buried, [...] descended. whiche two wordes a [...] all one, and signify onely his B [...] ryall.
And so is descended vsed in Ge [...] 44. where Iacob is sayd to desce [...] into Sheol, meaning, that hee w [...] Gen. 37. 2. layd in his Graue.
- 14. Neither in yt Councel of Ni [...]The Councel of N [...]ceSocrat. lib. 1. c. 8
- 15, Neither in Eusebius Cesariēs [...] Theodoret. 1. cap. 12.
- 16. Neither in the 3. Crede repe [...] ted in y• Councell of Nice: for th [...] 3. were there recited.
- 17. Neither in y• long Créede re [...] ted of Athanasius in an Epistle [Page 84] Epictitus Byshop of Corinth.
- 18. Neither in the Créede y• Atha [...]asius hath in his Epistle of the Si [...]odes holdē at Arimini, & Selencia.
- 19. Neither in Athanasius in lib. d [...] [...]aiore fide.
- 20. Neither in yt longe Créede, set out by the Byshops of the East. Socrat. 52. c. 19. Athanasius in epist. A [...]imini ad Selencia.
- 21. Neither y• Crede y• was madeThe Councell of [...].againste the Arrians in y• Ctttye of Illiria, called Sardic [...] Hillariu [...] in his Booke of Sinodes
- 22. Neither in ye exposition of Hil.
- 23. Neither in any of those Créedes which are in Socrat. 2. c. 30. and in Athanasius of the Sinodes of Ari. & Seleuc. Hillarius againste the Arrians.
- 24. Neither in a Créede of them of Selenc. and Isauria. Socra. 2. cap. 40. Sezo. 4. cap. 22. Epiph. lib. 3. Tom. 1. Ser. 73
- 25. Neither in another Créede, in ye Syn. [...]olden at Arimini.
- [Page]26. Neither in the Synode of Illi [...] about the yeare of Christ 370. The odor. 4. cap. 8.
- 27. Neither in the excellent Cre [...] of Damasus Byshop of Rome. The [...] odor. 5. cap. 8.
- 28. Neither in the Crede set out [...] Euseb. Socrat. 1. c. 8.
- 29. Neither in the Crede of Hilla [...] set out in his Booke de Symb.
- 30. Neither in his booke De Fide.
- 31. Neither in that worthy Creede of Basill in Asteticis.
- 32. Neither in y• singuler Créede of Greg. Nazianzene.
- 33. Neither in the exquisite Créede of Marcus Victorinus in his 1. booke against Arrius.
- 34. Neither in that Substaneiall Crede of Epiph. in Anchorato.
- 35. Neither in Eustatius Byshoppe of Antioche writing vpon Ps. 16.
- 36. Nether in his booke De Anima.
- 37. Neither in Remigius Byshopp [...] of Antissid or writing vpon Ps. 16.
- 38. Nether in Hypolitus ex lib. d [...] [Page 85] ib [...]tione [...]alentorum.
- [...]. And ex epistol [...] ad Regin. qu [...]nd.
- 40. Nether in his oration in Mag [...]um canticum. Theodoret.
- 41. Nether vpon the second psalme.
- 42. Nether Ambrose in expos. [...]idei [...]heodoret d [...]al. 2. niconfusus.
- 43. Nether in Theodoret in his di [...]og [...]mpatibus. Where the Crede o [...] Nice is expounded.
- 44. Nether is it in ye coūcell holden [...]t Alexandria, Niceph. 14. c. 28.
- 45. Nether is it in the Crede of the [...]st councell holden at Toledo in [...]he yeare of Christ 420.
- 46. Nether in the Crede of the former councell holden at Ephesus in [...]he yeare of Christ. 532.
- 47. Nether in the Crede of the coū [...]ell of [...]. So [...]ra. 2. c. 34.
- 48. Nether is it in the councell of Constantmople against Eutiches about the yeare of Christ. 449.
- 49. Nether in the beleyfe of Fla [...]imus set out in the said councell.
- 50. Nether in the Crede of y• Synode [Page] of Chalcedon repeated in Zona [...] Simbolum patrum▪
- 51. Nether in the crede of the [...] thers in Ciril lib. 1. ad Regi.
- 52. Nether in the Crede of Tho [...] dorus in the. 5. Councell, holden [...] Constantinople. After Christ. [...]
- 53. Nether in the confession of th [...] faith, whiche was aduouched in [...] Councell at Toledo the thirde, [...] the yeare of Christ. 545.
- 54. Nether in that landable Cred [...] published by Gregory, the first [...] of that name.
- 55. Nether is it in that Epistle th [...] Liberius Bishopp of Rome wro [...] to Athanasius, confessing his fayth and beleyfe.
- 56. Nether in his absolute confessi [...] of his faith, whiche is published [...] Stirdion in [...] [...]re of [...] 32.the boke of Councells.
- 57. Nether is it in the Crede of Spi [...] ridion Niceph. 8. c. 15.
- 58. Nether in that famous confessi [...] on of the faith, which the Bishopp of the East gaue vp to [...] [...] Emperoure. Niceph. 9. [...] [...]ib. 9. c. [...] 5 6. [Page 86] Nether in the Crede of Acatius In the yeare of Christ. 35▪ [...]ye time of Constantius seera. 2. c. 40
- [...]. 61. Nether in the duble confessiō Marcus Arethusus before the [...]mperoure Constantius at S [...]rmy. [...] the yeare of Christ. 354. Socra. 2. c. [...]0. 37.
- 62. 63. Nether in the two or three Credes in the. 4. councell holden at Tolledo.
- [...]4. Nether in the Crede in the first councell at Toledo.
- 65. Nether in Carolus Magnus his Crede in his boke de Imag. c. 1.
- 66. Nether in the Crede of Ephesus in the yeare of Christ. 435. I coulde repeate a greate nomber of moe Credes, and will hereafter if these be not sufficient.
I say as I said before it is ynoughe that it is in the Crede made by the Apostells.
I haue proued ye it was not made by ye Apostels: If it had bene made by them, it foloweth not that this addition was made by thē, for [Page] it was certaine hundreth year [...] Decended into [...]. after added as I shall declar [...] her [...] after. The Crede saith, that he de [...] cended into hell, who suffered vn [...] der Pontius Pilate, who was cruci [...] fied, dead and buried: but that wa [...] the body of Christ: ergo th [...] [...] sendeth Christes body to hell. Bu [...] the body descended no further the [...] to the Graue, and rose againe th [...] third daye. That whiche went to hel, saith the Crede rose again: but the body rose againe: Ergo the body went into hell. which is an absurdity to affirme. That which was buried descended iuto hell, saith the Crede, the soule was not buried, therefore it descended not into hell. That that went to hell, saithe the Crede, rose the thirde day from the dead▪ were there any dead in hell▪ if they were dead, what did Christ among them? but you say that they were a liue, & the Crede saith y• the were dead to who he descended, and from whence he rose. The Soul [...] [Page 87] dye not, then it folowethe ye hée rose from the bodyes that were dead, and not from them that liued. If his Soule went to hell, whether went it before the body was buried or after. If before, why saithe the Crede that it went after. But if it went at all, it must nedes go immediatly so sone, as it departed out of the body which was vpon the crosse and at three of the clocke, at after noone, for the body was buried two or thrée houres after about six of the clocke or a litell before.
Where was the Soule all that while? if it had gone to hell▪ why did not the Crede place it before his buryall? for euery mans Soule is placed either in heauen, or hell before the body be buried.
Wherefore sayth ERASMVS, Erasmns. [...] hée was no artificer, but some cobler, or patcher, that placed it soo preposterously, that patched it soo vndecently, that set it so disorderly, & iu [Page] suche a place as it nether a gree [...] with the sentence before nor aft [...] Augnstinus Euod 99. Augustinus affirmeth that Ch [...] did them no pleasure that wereAbrahams bosome. Abrahams bosome, whiche had [...] wayes the Diuinity and the ho [...] Ghost present with them: and th [...] Lazarus rested in that bosome [...] fore Christes death: which he [...] leth the rest of the poore man, [...] kingdome of God, and the Par [...] dise of ye thefe, which he dareth [...] call any parte of hell: nether to [...] taken in the good parte, notwi [...] standing he maketh difference b [...] twene that eternall life, which [...] Vpon the. 11. chap. of Iohn. Angells enioy, and that rest, Wh [...] the fathers before Christ had.
Aug. saith that ye solues are in [...] No soule in heauen till the the resurrection. Sed non in ea actione qua corpore [...] cepta vegetantur. Tom. 2. pag. 570 epist. lib. cap. 12. They are in pleas [...] seates till the resurrection. Tom. 3▪Tom. 8. pag. [...]81.pag. 472. de Trinita. 15. cap. 25. [...] saith vpon the 36. psalm, that w [...] shall not be there where the saintes [Page 88] shalbe, to whō it shalbe said. Come you blessed, and possesse the kinge [...]ome prepared from the beginningAugustine placethe th [...] soules in no better place after Christ then he doth before. Rede epist. 99. to Euodius. of the worlde: there thou shalt not [...]e, saith he, who doth not knowe? [...]ut thou maiste be there where the proude barren riche man in middest of tormentes did sée the poore man resting on highe.
Thou beinge placed in that rest, thou doest safely loke for the day [...] of iudgement, when thou shalt receiue thy body, when thou shalt be changed on suche sorte, that thou maist be equall with Angells. In such like state as thou departest out of this life, in such like thou shalt bee restored againe to life.
The soule, saith Augustine, all theTom. 4. p. 66▪ ad Dulcy. 8. quest 2. In Euch. c. 109. Tom. 3. tyme betwene their departure and the resurrection are reserued in hid places, according as they deserued whiles they liued, nether to rest or misery.Tom. 9. in Iohn 5 tract. 19. pa. 172.
The Soules of the iust are in Abrahams bosome, the wicked are tormented [Page] in hell.
The iust are in rest, the wickedDe eiuit lib. 13. c. 10. Tow. 5. pa. 715. A [...]itel before [...] said that the sonles were in Abrahames bosom Discorde. tormentes.
All mens Soules, saith Augusti [...] Tom. 3. de Eclesi. Dog. c. 77. c. 7 [...] before Christ were in hell, af [...] they are with Christ.
How a greeth this with the wor [...] before where, [...]e saith, that all [...] iust werein rest, in AbrahamTom. 4. pa. 353. quest. bos [...]me, in solace and ioye.
If the bosome of Abraham be a [...] Euod lib. 2. c. 3s. crete place of the father, as August saith, whither Christ ascended afte [...] his passion, why was it not [...] same before? was it remoued, [...] suche an Immortall place [...] remoued? can it bee altered or em [...] tyed.
Christ, saith Ignatius, in [...] The 32. obiec tion. second Epistle, Descendit ad [...] Iguatius falsi fied. num solus. He descended to hell alone: but he ascended with a multitude.
In these fewe worde [...] there are two manyfeste Erro [...] [Page 89] [...]irst you saye, that these woordes [...]re in his seconde epistle, when as [...]hey are in his firste epistle to the Trallians.Trallis is a [...] ty of Asia [...]
Notwithstanding I thinke it is [...]o greate offence to alleadge one e [...]istle for an other: but it is an in [...]ollerable errour to falsefy an holye [...]nans writing, as you do: for Igna [...]ius meaned that Christ was buri [...]d, and with him manye bodies did [...]yle: he saith not that many soules [...]id rise with him, neither is there [...]ny resurrection of the soul.Ignatius wordes.
Ignatius wordes are these. Accor [...]ing to his owne will hee was trulye [...]rucified, and truly dead: heauenly [...]hinges, earthy, and thinges vnder [...]he earth beholding it: the heauen [...]ye, as incorporall creatures: the ear [...]y as the Iewes, and Romanes, and [...]ther men who were then present [...]hē Christ was crucified:he meaneth the dead bo dies that rose with Christ to whome he gi ueth l [...]fe.they vn [...]er the earth, being a greate multi [...]ude did rise with the lord: for many [Page] saith Mathew, bodyes of sainte which were a sleepe, rose with [...] out of their graues, which were [...] open 27. chapt. He descended [...] Haden, into his graue alone, but [...]Prosopopoia.cended with a multitude, and [...] the wall, which was of olde, & [...] midde wall hee dissolued, and [...] the thirde daye, his father rai [...] him: and after certaine dayes, wh [...]Actes 2. 24. [...] 1. 1.in he was conuersaunt with the Apostles, hee was taken vpp to his father, and sitteth at his right hande, there remaining, till his ennemie be putte vnder his feete as a foote stoole.
Wherfore on Friday at with vs 9. of the clocke. three of the clocke hee receiued sentence of Pilate, his father permitting it.
The 12 of the clock▪sixt houre he was crucified. The3. of clock at afternoone.ninth he expyred.
Before the sunne was sette, hee was taken downe from the crosse, and was buryed in a newe Sepulchre.
[Page 90] The The sabaothSaturdaye hee was in the [...]aue vnder the earth, where Ioseph [...] Arimathia had laid him.
In the Sonday.Lordes day he rose from [...] deade, according to that which [...]as prophecied of him. As Ionas [...] in the▪ be llye of the whale three [...]s, and three nightes▪ so shall the [...] of man be in thein the graue.hart of the [...]arthe [...] dayes, and three nights.
The Friday.day of preparation contay [...]th his passiō: theSaturday.sabaoth his bu [...]al, and rest: the Lordes day his re [...]urrection. If he had gone to hell, what rest should he haue had.
Thus far faithfully translated out [...] Ignatius.
Nowe M. Smith, consider your [...]ause, expende better your allegati [...]s, let not your wilful negligence [...]ue men occasion to speake euill of [...]de authours: ignorance is to bee [...]edressed with knowledge, & negligence by diligence.
Clemens AlexandrinusThe 24▪ obiec [...]mmediatelye after the Apostles, [Page] writeth that Christ descended [...] hell.Clemens Alex andrinus 215. Strom. 5. 6.
Clemens Alexandri [...] hath this errour amonge manye [...] thers, that y• fathers before [...] that liued vertuously, were [...] fied either by the lawe, or by P [...] losophy: but to haue beene witho [...] Fathers without faith. faithe in Christe, and therefore [...] Hell to haue taried, and looked [...] the descending of Christe, and [...] Apostles: by whose preaching [...] Christ & the Apostles p [...]ea ched in [...]ell. there, they were conuerted, and [...] leued in Christ, & so saued. Stro [...] 5. 6.
These errours are so prodigi [...] Glements errors confuted. that he is madd that would affi [...] them.Law co [...]dem▪ neth.
Howe coulde they bee iustifi [...] by the lawe, which accuseth, [...] Rom. 3. [...]0 & 4. 15. Gal. 2. 18. 21. condemneth? Doth it not wor [...] anger? Can it iustify? Could philosophyPhilosophy doth not iustify. iustify? Is it not mans in [...] tion? Doth it not deceiue & suppli [...] he saith y• they were without fai [...] Coloss. 2. 8. [Page 91] [...] he without faith, that is cal [...]edRom▪ 4. v. 9. 11. 12▪ 13. 14. the father of the faithful? I meanAbrahā father of the faithful. Abraham.
[...] Abraham was iustified by faith, [...]aued, and therby ascended into hea [...]en, Ergo all the other saithfull as well as he.
Coulde they looke for the descen [...]ing of Christ into Hell that were [...]ot there, but in heauen by faithe, [...]hich leadeth not to Hell? Coulde [...]hey beleue that were in Hell? their [...]ith was frustrate, their hope void,Faith. ▪ [...]heir expectation deceiued. Did the Apostles preach in Hel, for so saith Clement? What did they preache? [...]ot the Gospell which is preached to the liuing? to whome? to Deuils they woulde not, for they were cō demned without redemption: to the [...]ste they coulde not, for they were in Heauen.
When did the Apostles preache in hell? before their deathe or after, [...]r al, or but some of them? If before [Page] their deathe, whiche waye wen [...] Dilemma. they thither? How came they [...] againe? Is Hell a visible place, [...] an inuisible? If visible, why ma [...] not other goe thither with their [...] dyes, aswell as the Apostles? [...] inuisible, and without bodye [...] then wente they thither with th [...] soules? But their souls could not [...] thither by your owne doctrine: [...] ye saye that no good men went [...] [...] Hell after Christs resurrection: [...] Apostles were good men, and li [...] after the resurrectiō: Ergo they [...] not into hell, neither could prea [...] there.
He hath manye suche horrible [...] rours.
As Christ needed neither to ea [...] nor drinke: but vsed them, least [...] Strom. 3. shoulde be thought to haue a pha [...] tasticall body.
As, that Christe taughte but one yeare.Strom. 1.
As, the serpente that [...] Caua to be pleasure.
[Page 93]As, Aungells to haue layen withIn protrept. Strom, 3. 5▪ women.
As, he giueth all, or the most part [...]o free will.
Certaine called Gnostiques to be [...]o perfect, that they nede not to aske [...]ny forgiuenes of sinnes.
[...]econd marriages not to be with [...]ut sinne.
Men to be turned into Angels, & then into Ar changels.
The soules to be in the matrice, & expectare [...].
Why shall not I alledgThe 25. ob [...] [...]. the authoritye of the church, whichThe dirige alleadged. gathered the Dirige out of lob, who was in Purgatorye, when hee desired his freendes to praye for him, who contended with GOD for his sore rodde, and grieuous chasticement.
Iob was neuer in Hell,Iob was neue [...] in hell. as I haue proued before. His booke saythe, that all those places that you, or your Dirige, or your [Page] Romish churche, do alleadge [...] spoken in the lande of Hus, in [...] mea, in the earth, and while Iob [...] ued. Is it not a double and dete [...] ble errour for you to alleadge th [...] of the deade, which was spoken the lininge, or to verifye that [...] Purgatorye, that was done [...] the earthe, or to detorte the scriptures, to peruerte Iobs minde, [...] to make blacke white, and whi [...] blacke?
Are not indulgences an [...] The [...]. obiection. pardons the treasures of the church to what vse were they, as Lutz. prouethPardons. Lutz. [...]in tract. de purgator. very clerkly, if that they shoul [...] not helpe them that are in purgatory?
I aunswere that they were inuented onelye to adua [...] the Pope, to enriche the Pope, i [...] glorifye him like a God, to giue [...] him the honour and power, onely [...] proper to God.
Why? Is not hee the iudge [Page 93] of the quicke and dead? Const [...] [...]ope the iudg of the quick & dead extra qui fil [...]i sunt leg. c. per veun. [...] a deo [...]udex viuorum & more [...]orum, as Lutz. writeth.
Is there any iudge of the [...]uicke and dead saue Christ? whoDecretalls 4. lib. cap. 13. Tit. 17. [...]hall come according to our crede [...]o iudge the quicke and deade, your [...]ssertion is either of ignorance, or [...]f obstinacie. Ignorance without [...]rtinacy is pardonable: wilfull ob [...]inacye grounded of ignorance [...]incurreth eternall damnation, is it not blasphemy to ascribe that to the pope, which is proper to God onely?Apinus also vpon the 16 Ps.
To returne to our purpose, here I sett your absurdityes naked before you, as ye shall finde them in Herolt in sermone 146. and in Cor tesius vpon Peter Lombart Dist. 4.
They make Limbus patrum the highest, you purgatory, the higheste, and Limbus patrum next vnder it.
[Page]Some place hell, and his cellIn sermon de resurr. and diuers s [...]ates vnder the no [...] pole, some vnder the South po [...] Pythagoras in torida zona, Corte si [...] the same place.
All your assertions of foure hel [...] are contrary to Nicodemus gospe [...] to Iacobus de voragine, who affi [...] that Christ went to the lowest [...] and they make no mo. The [...] Christ brake, put sathan to flig [...] tooke Adam by the hande and brought him vp into Paradise, the [...] folowed, there was Enoch, Elias and the thiefe with Christes cro [...] vpon his backe.
In the 479▪ sermon prin [...]edThe 27. obiection. Christ descended into hell to visite his frendes. at Venice in the yeare of Christ▪ 1473. it is written that▪ Christ descended into hell for mere loue, and for naturall amity, to visite his frendes in aduersity, to comforte the afflicted, and to deliuer them out of captiuity, as Aristotle wr [...]teth [...] Ethicorum.
If Christ were of like force alwayes, if hee were good alwaies, if hée was mercifull alwayes, if his [...]ffirs was to be killed to the faithfull from the creation of the world, [...]hy did hée suffer his frendes to [...]ye in misery? is it the parte of a [...]rende, to suffer his frends to bée [...]ornieuted, if he can helpe him. Is [...]ot he, as Cicero writeth, as much to [...]ee blamed that doth not helpe his [...]rende, and deliuer him from in [...]ury, as hee that doth wrong?The 28. obiection.
Secondly Christ descended [...]cording to a general iustice, for it isChrist descended for generall iustice. requisite that whē the price is paid, & the debt answered, that the party shoulde bee deliuered out of prison. The fathers were in prison pro pec [...] [...]to humanae naturae, therefore it was requisite that he shoulde bringe [...]hem out of darkenes, out of the shadowe of death, and burst their bandes, where with they were tyed.
If the price was paide on the crosse, was it not superfluous to [Page] be paide againe in hell? Coulde [...] paye it without sheading of h [...] bloude, which you confesse in y [...] obiection, and woulde you haue h [...] to shed it againe in hell?Heb. 7. [...]7. [...]eb 9. 28. 1. Pet. 3. 1 [...].
Is this your mercy to forme [...] Christ twyse? did he [...] suffer twise Paule and Peter denye that.
He descended for to ha [...] a tryumphant victory, for hee [...] The 28. obiection. not onely ouercome him in fight [...] He descended for to haue Victory. but also hee tooke his kingdom [...] from him, he bounde him, he cari [...] awaye a great praye, he brake th [...] brasen gates, and yron barrs, an [...] toke out the fathers from the way [...] of their iniquity.
If bee bounde [...]he deuell▪ why is hee nowe loose? or wh [...] loused him? if he toke his kingdom [...] from him, where did he bestowe [...] hath the deuell now no kingdome▪ is it not iniquity to affirme that the holy fathers were in the way [...] of iniquity?T [...]e 30. obiection▪
He descended for example [Page 95] [...]ike, that as he descended, so shouldCh [...]ist descended for an example. [...] likewise descend, and consider [...]he paines eternall: for worldly men [...]eing the punishment of others, will [...]eware to offende.
It had bene a better example to haue ascended, giuing vs an [...]xample to ascende into heauen, & not to descende into hell, neither is [...]ee worthy of thankes, that giueth [...]n example of descending into hel: it is not possible y• I can loue him that woulde make me to fol [...] [...]im to extreme punishemente, or thinke you that he or I would wil [...]ingly do it?
Christ descended to the lowestThe 31 obiection. hell, to reproue them of theirDamascene vp on 3. Sent. iniquity and infidility.
This M. Smith do you deny.Christ descended to reproue the deuells. [...]
Christ deliuered none out of Limbus patrū, because that childrē The 32. obiection. dying without Baptisme are not the members of Christ.Inf [...]tes with out Baptisme dampned▪
If they be y• [...]de of Abraham they are blessed, if blessed, ergo not in [...]el, [Page] for in his seede all nations shal bee blessed▪ If the children, that dye w [...] out Baptisme, be the seede of Abraham, Hell proued by poets. then are they comprehendedHe might as well haue proued ir by Hom [...]r. Sillius, & Claudian if he had red so far. within the promise.
This said sermon proueth hell, and christes descending by Seneca in Hercule & Theseo, by Vir gill in the 6. of Aeneas, by [...]uide in the 4. and 10. of Metamorphosis, & by Luc [...]n.
Hee alleadgeth the scriptures falsely, he interpreteth the [...] allegorically, he depraueth the meaning of the holye Ghost: he detorteth, peruerteth, defaceth, & at laste concludeth with snakes, serpentes, dragons, torturs, furyes, fe [...]ndes, and such other inhabitantes of his hell. &c.
Barnardinus de Bustis in hi [...] [...]sarius▪ Rosary 17. sermon printed at Hagenaw in the yeare of Christ 1580. the 8. daye of december, saith, that the soule of Christ so soone as heeChrist descen in [...]o hell. died, descended into hell with a [Page 97] great company of angells, when the [...]elhoundes and deuells, harde of it [...]y certaine euell spirites that hanged in the aer and saw it, they shut [...]he gates of hell, the angells commaunded them to open them.
Christ entred, the diuell fell down [...] [...]o the grounde, the gates were bro [...]en, and this is figured by Sampson [...]hat caried the gates of Gaza vpon [...]is backe. Iud. 16. And by Valerius Maximus, who writeth that there [...]apened at Rome that the earth didSamsons gate [...] Valerius Maximus. [...]ape and open, and that there ascē [...]ed a deadly stinche, and a pestilent [...]mell, in as muche as many died of [...]t.The gulfe that Curtius▪ leaped into.
Sibylla awnswered them by ora [...]le, that Curtius must leape into it [...]n horse backe, and that plagueLimbus patrum. should cease. This terrible hole, & gaping gulfe is morally Limbus pa [...]rum: which deuoured the holy fa [...]hers (for those are his wordes) Christ was Curtius in armoure, theCurtius was Christ. [...]orse was his crosse, that he rode [Page] vpon which skipped downe in [...] the puddle or dongeon of Limbu [...] Alex de Ale [...]. part. 3 sum. 9. 9 Art. 4. tom, in 3. dist. 23. A [...]. 1, 9, 1, 2, and thus Christ shut vp Limbus [...] trayled the holy fathers out of it, & deliuered them. In dede, saith hee Christ descended into hell, as thes [...] Bonau. in 3. dist. 22. Art▪ 1 9. 4. in the margine testifie.
The hole wherein the cross [...] Bloud dropped in at the, holle where the crosse stood▪ stoode went downe into Limbus, where the holy fathers were, and the bloude of Christ descended thereby, which when they feled, they reioyced, and with that appeared to [...] the soule of Christ, and that Limbus and darke dongeon was full [...] light.
Then saide Iohn Baptiste wh [...] Iohn ▪Baptiste [...]alked in hell. had bene there but a shorte space, This is the light of the lambe of God, whom I shewed with my finger. Then stode vp Esay, this is that lighte, of the which I prophecied,Esay [...]. Then rose vp Zachary, this is theZachary. bloud of the testament, of the which I made mētiō in the 9. chap. of my prophecy. And as they were thus [Page 98] comoning together, in came IesusBoua [...]. 3. dist. 22. art. 1. 9. 3. Chist himselfe, and ill [...]minated the whole place, he saluted them, heThom. in the same dist. art. 1. 9. 6. shaked them by the hande, he blessed them, hee drew them out, and brought them into the paridise terrestriall, out of an horrible prison, wher they were nere to horibled [...]uils vn [...]er the earthe: the fathers began to singe lustely with a loud voic [...] & a swete melody. Con [...]esseye vnto [...] Lord for he is good. &c.
And the soule of the thiefe was there. For where the Pope is, there [...]s Roome. In c. 1. Ego enim de Iure The Pope. Iurand. et in c. quod [...]umque 24. 4. 1. Archi. in c. present. de pr [...]bend. & dig. et in scire. 7. 9. 1.
They salfelye ascribe to He [...]mes, who was a Disciple ofHe [...]mes Ro [...]. 16. 14. Paul, that as [...]missenus, and Gregory, and as his friu [...]us booke of visions, and similitudes testifye, y• he should absurdly all [...], these woordes of Iohn, sente by two of his Disciples to Christ. Arte thou Math. 11. [...]. [Page] he that shall come.
Art thou he, saith Hermes, th [...] shall come, and goe to Hell, & set [...] out the olde fathers.
This counterfeyte and suborne [...] Hermes, [...]ither of negligence, or [...] wilfull ignorance, depraueth thi [...] place.Many places in hell, Sillius lib. 13.
If you had alleadged 10. seuera [...] places in Hell, out of, Sillius Italicu [...] Bucchingerus. the poete, and seauen seuerall [...] of Rabby Ioseph in [...]orto mi [...]is, [...] nyne out of the 6. of Aene as of [...], yee shoulde haue semed to ha [...] moued y• readers as much as you [...] now, to haue faught as sounde do [...] trine, to haue made your cause a [...] probable, your opinion no mo [...] suspected, your fables no lesse [...] di [...]ed, your disputations no mo [...] de [...]ided, your inuectiues no lesse [...] proued, your grosse and insulse [...]utations no more odious, nor yo [...] ignorance lesse reproued, nor yo [...] iudgement lesse friuelous, nor yo [...] [Page 99] rashnes in inueighing against thē, whom you neuer saw, more detected and manifest.
As much diuersity ther is in placingParadise. of their Paradise▪ where they say, that Enoch, and Elias are reserued vntil the comming of Antithrist whome saynt Iohn said, was come in his time: and into the which Michael first brought out all y• fathers. deliuered to him by Christ, when he was in hell, purgatory, and Lim bus.
If paradise be in hel, as they sayParadise papistical. that make Abrahams bosome also to be paradise, and notwithstādingOlimpio in 3. c. Eccles. a part of hell, how then did Michael bring them out of hell into paradise, as Nicodemus Gospel fabuleth, when as paradise is in hell▪
Then brought he them out of one place of hel into an other. Plato placeth it aboue the cloudes.
Damascene a phantasticall doctorViues vpon Augustine de ciuita. 13. c. 21. describeth paradise like to ye fielde called Elysius campus, as thoughe it [Page] should florish with fruites, flow [...] and odours, and that alwayes should continewe in such abandā [...] and fertility.
Damascene maketh paradise [...] Cortesius vpō Lombardus lib. 2. dist. 5. petuall, and to continue but till [...] dam fell. Damascene can not t [...] where it is: God planted it in [...] Gen▪ 2. Ioseph. 1. c. 3. East.
Bede an englishe Doctor, and many other thinges tollerable: pl [...] ceth Paradise in the East, inu [...] ned with the Ocean sea, and mountaines on that side where men [...] dwell, and that is so highe, that toucheth the circle and globe of [...] moone. This dreame of Bede sait [...] Cortesius, is approued of fewe.
Howe can any be there, whe [...] there is terrrble colde? for ye [...] is not onelye colde: but also is [...] cause of colde. Lyra and others, [...] Lyra vpon Ge▪ 2. Scotus Bonet▪ Albertus Auicena, Poly bius. Eratost hen [...]s. lowing Aristotle, place Para [...] vnder the tropiques.
Burgensis betwene the tropiq [...] vnder y• Equinoctial. Iohn Pec [...] [Page 100] placeth it aboue the sunne, and al [...]dgeth friuolous reasons for thatLyra vpo [...] Gen. 2. [...]rpose. Some place it in a highe [...]ountaine, where there is no cold, [...]r any other griefe: other place it the middell aer: other in the for [...]nate Iles. The Iewes saye, that was made before the world to re [...]iue the iust as they dyed. Orige [...]s and certaine heritiques, called [...]ieracites make an allegoricall [...]aradise, whome Chrisostome & EpiEpiphaniu [...]. Paradise [...] restriall. [...]anius confute.
Paradise was before the fall, the wholle earth, and sea, out of it issuedGeropius Bo canus will haue it to be iu Iude who is to be read▪ [...]ure riuers. Notwithstanding in Moses, it was in the East, and con [...]yned Mesopotamea, Armenia, [...]amascus, Assyria, Idumea, Madi [...]naea, Sabaea, Aethyopia, sub Aegip [...]o, Susiania, and this maye appeare [...]y the discriptiō of Hanila in Gen. [...]5. ver. 18. Ezech. 27. ver 23. where [...] haue noted more.
Paradise for the fertilyty thereof,Paradise. and for those insatiable pleasures [Page] which were there, is called eu [...] plentifull and pleasant place, as feilde of Sodome, likewise the [...] Gen. 13. 10. charde of Salomons spouse is a pa [...] Ca [...]t 4. 15. dise odiriferous and pleasant.
Wisdome is compared to this p [...] Eccles. 24. 34. &c. 10. verse [...]7. radise, and Iehoua compareth t [...] king of Tyre to paradise. Now p [...] Ezech, 28. 13. radise is what soeuer is moste fr [...] Paradise. [...]ull for sustenance, most decent beholde, moste odiriferous smell, most pleasant to taste, [...] ioyfull to remember, most [...] for immortality, full of nectar a [...] Heb. 12. 22. 23. 14. Reuel. 21. 22. ambros [...]a, full of cinamum, full wisdome, & water of life, of ball [...] mū, of precious stones, topaze, [...] Paradise. ragdus, v [...]ions, adamants, turke [...] Eccles▪ 44. 15. Heb. 11. 5. diamōdes, saphtres, carbūcles, [...] 2. kinges 2. 1. & very hierusalem, & felicity, [...] Eccles. 28. 13. bed in hebrues. Now what soen1, Math. 2. 58. is perfect & most absolute ye is par [...] dise,Par [...]dise is hea uen August. 1. by a metaphor traduced frō Tom 1. de earthly paradise vnto ye heauenlyGen▪ ad Lit. con [...]ra manich whether Enoch was caried, [...] ther as [...]ēded Elias, [...]uē into heaue [Page 101] [...] so it is called the kingdome ofLib. 2. c. 8. [...], [...]hrist, & so termed by the good theif,Tom 3. de [...]hich place Christ answering theGen. ad lit. lib, 8. c. 1. [...]eife, calleth paradise. Paule called [...]aradise the third heauen whetherLuk. 23. 42. [...]e was raptc, & harde suche things,The third heauen which place Origen calleth paradise Viues vpō Augustine de ciuit. 13, c. 21. [...]deuine, so many, such order, such [...]ectacles, such personages, such in [...]tiable ioyes, ye can be expressed, by [...]o tongue or language. Of all this [...]iscourse I haue noted largly vpon2. Cor. 11. 2. second of Gen. It is mere vanity [...]odescende thither: where there is neither confession of a mans faults neither amendment of life, neitherIn hell no redemption. [...]emission of payne, neither forgiuenes of sinne, neither redemption: in [...]ell there is none of all these: Ergo [...]t had bene in vaine for Christ to haue descended thether.
I may alleadge profane authors as Paul doth. Tit. I. Did not Aeneas make a voyage to hel to see his father, where he saw such like places, as Virgile noteth▪ as I describe?Virgil aenea. [...] for Aeneas descended into hel [Page] [...]n at the puddle Auernus in [...] and came to hell gates, where [...] three headed Cerbrus, the cruell ma [...] tiue keping the gates, and enti [...] further to Tartarus, and Achero [...] Cocytus, & Phlegeton, where [...] [...]on the fery man was carying [...] dies ouer the lothsome lakes, at stincking styx. Then came he toSmiths discription of hell. place where infantes were, behol [...] Limb us infantium is in Virgil: [...] came also wher were magnanimi [...] Limbus infantium in Virgil. es na [...]i melioribus annis, behold Li [...] bus patrum. Thē came he to a plan of purgatiō, sub gurgite vasto [...] Limbus pa [...]rum. eluitur, scelus aut exuritur igni. B [...] holde purgatory. And from thenc [...] faith Virgile, they went to the ples [...] Purgatory. sant feildes called Campi Elisii. B [...] holde paradise, whether Christ broughtParadise. them that were in Limbo pa [...] trum & in purgatory.
Virgiles doctrine founded [...] Plato in Phedon, and in the Odisse [...] Homeri is of the same sense tha [...] pours is. And s [...]me what mor [...] [Page 102] [...]: for his is of [...] longe time [...]efore Christ, & before Rome was [...]: yours longe after that the [...] began, about Aquinas daies [...]hen y• schoolemē obscured ye truth, [...]eruerted the scripture, detorted ye [...]octors, made the pope a God, & hisChaue [...]r in the rom. of the rose [...] mus de san [...] to amo [...]e. [...] to passe Christs so far as ye [...]ernel the shell: sunne, the moone: [...] light, darknes. The like discourse [...] in Sillius Italicus, where he makethSillius lib. 13. yong Scipio to seke his father in hell. Virgil maketh the pleasantCampi [...] od [...]s 8. Strab. 1. lib. pa 3. & lib 3. pa. 105. feildes which you interprete para [...], to be in hell: you as yet can not tell where it is. Read Vadianus in Epitome. Sillius calleth y• FortunatasFortunate iles strab. 1▪ pa 2. o [...] lib, 3. pa. 105.i [...]sulas beyond the Ocean, as the Essees do. This hell, or at least the way to hel, is in Italy, which if a mā should affirme wt you, perhaps we should make the pope, Pluto, ye CardinallesThe pope Pluto▪ his Iudges RodomanthusThe way to hell is in Italy as Smith me [...] neth.Aeacus, Minos, and Triptolomus, and his Curtesanes, Tisiphone, Me gera, Ale [...]to, Erynies, and Furies, his [Page] fery man Charon, and his port [...] Cerbrus. Why forgat you Hercules▪ who brought Cerberus out of hel [...] why did you not cal Hercules Christ▪ [...]uid meta. 10. and Cerbrus to figure the hellish [...] ▪ thers? why forgot you Orpheus whoOrpheus made the deuells to dance. descended to fetch his wife Euridi [...] out of hell? he made all ye deuills toTanarus. daunce, & stilled their roring withChristes blode distilled & dropped into hell. his musike. Orpheus did not descen [...] in Italy, for he was neuer there, but by Tenarus a promōtory of Laconia.
I alleadge Peter before, whoThe 32. obiection Act. 2. 27. Ps 16. 7. is a manifest interpreter of Dauid: for Peter translateth Sheol by Hades which is hell.
I haue proued a litle after y• Sheol doth neuer signifie hell, & Hades but seldome: & I proued yt Dauid and Peter do both vnderstand yt verse of the resurrection of the body and neuer of the soul. Can the soule dye, or rise againe? was it buried? was it crucified? but Peter saith y• Act. 2. 23 24 he that was betrayed, he that was crucified, he whom the Iewes killed [Page 103] [...] he whom God raised againe, & [...]hose deadly sorowes God abolish [...] in restoring him to life, destroying vtterly the dominion of death, & power of satan, was it that Dauid spake, & prophecied of, but all these are meaned of the body as Peter specifieth in y• ver. folowing, prophe [...]ing y• Christ his fleshe should [...]est in hope, hoping to rise againe y• third day: he calleth ye fleshe in ye 26. ver. which he termeth his body, & holye annointed sonne of God, in ye 27. ver. Peter in euery ver in maner maketh mentiō of ye body raised frō Act. 2. 26. 28▪ death to life, frō darknes to light: & how y• God had shewed to Christ y• way of life, & should fill him wt the beauty of his coūtenance, whiche must nedes be vnderstanded▪ of the body, for in somuch as he was God his coūtenance, & maiestie was equall wt his fathers. Peter doth plaī ly enterprete Sheol ye graue or monument, or tombe of Dauid, he saithAct. 2. 29. peter, y• came of y• loynes of Dauid [Page] was raysed by God, but y• was the body, for the soule is not begottē i [...] generation with y• body, but is ge [...] uen by God, to whōe it returne the ergo Peter speaketh here of y• body of Christ, and not of his soule, & thisAct. 2 30. sense Peter proueth & cōfirmeth byPreach. 12. 9. Dauid in y• ver. folowing. paul lik [...] Act. 2. 31▪ wise saith, y• they put him in a gre [...] or monumēt, whō God raised frō [...] dead, you thrust him into hell: God raised him out of his graue, you out of hell: God from them that were dead, and buryed: you from the lyuing, for you saye that they th [...] wers in purgatorye and Limbus do liue.Paul expoū deth Dauid Act. 13. 29, 30.
Paul speaketh of his body, you [...] his soule: paul vnderstandeth the place of y• second psal. of Christes resurrection, and begetting frō the dead, you of his eternall gener [...] tion, you call that graue, hell into the which paul denieth that he shall returne.Act. 13. 34▪ 35,
If descende, [...]ee to come from [...] [Page 105] higher place to a lower. Why dooBull. vpon the [...]16. of Luke. [...] say and write, that Christ des [...]ded into hell ad inferos? Is to goTo descend signifieth I [...] red [...] note psal▪ 49▪ 18. [...]nd ascend into Abrahams bosome [...] descend? and to cary the souls y• Christ found there vp with him intoIorad sheol. to descend in to a pitt o [...] graue. heauenas you say, to fetch out y• [...]thers? wherein are diuerse errors [...] ▪ that you can not make descendIob. 7. 9. [...] be, to ascend, nor to go downe, to [...] to go vp. Secondly that hell is neuer taken for Abrahams bosome [...]or in hell is perpetuall damnat ion, in heauen eternall saluation: neitherLuk▪ 16. [...]6. can they in hell ascend, nor they in Abrahams bosome decende, neyther are they bothe in one place, for the distance, as Christ saythe, was so greate, the places so farr asunder, their rewardes so contrary▪ Abrahams bosōe so high, hell so low, the ioyes of the one so innumerable, the Tormentes of the other so terrible, the felicitye of Lazarus so Infinite, and the miserye of the [...]ther so intol grable, that they must [Page] be so farre distant as Heauen fro [...] Hell, so far centrary as light from darkenes.
Thirdly that Christ did not [...] them that were in Abrahams [...] some into any higher place, or gr [...] [...]er ioy, because that Abrahams [...] some is and was the restinge [...] Abrahams bosome and fruition of the iust, the sola [...] [...] the electe, the hauen of them [...] [...]thy vpon the eight of math. are departed, the Patrimonye [...] Isaac, the inheritaunce of Iacob, [...] Paradise of the blessed Théefe, [...] heauenly Hierusalem, the socie [...] Hebru▪ 1 [...]. of the holy soules, and kingdom [...] heauen. Notwithstanding Lutzenburge is not as [...]amed with other [...] to say that Abrahams bosome [...] Lutz. in purga [...]ory Limbus patrum.
In what place hell is no man [...] tell, notwithstanding as I haue [...] [...]ell▪ before your eies other mens opinions thereof: of the which the [...] parte same to place it in the earth euen so may we by better coni [...] res then an [...]e that they alleadge [Page 106] place it in the Aer about the earth.where Hell▪ [...] ▪ [...].
For firste the Deuills are calledEphesians [...] ▪ 12▪ [...]he Rulers of the worlde: where they rule, there they muste nedes [...] well, and haue their place: but in [...] Worldē they rule: Ergo, the Worlde is their Place. So is the Deuell called the Prince of thisIohn 12▪ [...]. worlde.Iohn. 14. 30. Iohn▪ 16. 10▪
And that the place of Sathan is in the aer, & in the mindes of wicked men, Paule declareth in the second chapter to the Ephesians, the second verse, where he speaketh of Sathan and of the spirite of Sathan, working in suche as resist the Gospell, and disobey the truthe, folow sensuality, and are giuen to their own [...]stes. Sathan in Iob sayth that he [...]ame thither to aflict Iob, and hadIob, 1, 5. 6▪ gone round about the earth. but ye [...]r compasseth the earthe aboute, wherefore the aer appeareth to beeHell in the a [...]r▪ his habitation.
These deuils are y• rulers of darknes, by darknes he meaneth y• dark [...] [Page] circumfused about the earth, and [...] Steuchu [...] Pet. philo [...]. [...] 27. that large space, and compase, [...] twene the moone, and the earth [...] which is called Tartarus in Peter▪ Suid [...] [...]rab. 3 wheither the peruerse angels wer [...] thrust bounde with the cheynes [...] [...]. pet. 2▪ 4. [...]. 8. c. darknes. Eusebius as Steuchus [...] porteth, affirmeth that therefor [...] deuells are called aeriall, beca [...] that the aer is theire place.
Lactantius an eloquent Chrysti [...] wryter witnessethe that the deuel [...]ell in the a [...] himselfe, did confesse that he him selfe with his angells were [...] ted in the aer, Ergo then the [...] [...]ay be their place. Thus saith sa [...]
Deuells do flye by sea and lande.Lactantius. 107. with whippes tormented tied in [...]
Now if the aer be the place for [...] deuell and his angells prescribed [...] scripture, then shoulde the [...] Christ ascen [...] into hell haue said: he ascended into hell, [...] not that hee decended. For that [...] aer is [...]. [...] [...] ▪ [...] about vs, [...] [Page 107] compasseth the earth rownde about [...]ther is it any greater absurditye [...] saye that the aire hath his inha [...]itours, then to saye that heauen whiche is aboue the planetts and [...]ed starrs, hath his. And y• places [...]re alleadged out of the scriptureBucer vpon Math. 27. [...]roue the same. That Christ saythe Martyne Bucer a man of a deepe iudgement and profounde knowledgeDremes of Christs decending into [...] did carrye y• saintes that were in inferno, that is, they that sleped [...] the dust of the earth, as all the [...]lect did, from deathe to lyfe, the scripture prophecied nothing, ne [...]er that the Lorde shoulde do any thinge ells, but to dy [...] for them.
They are therefore dremes, whatsoeuerSo writethe Steuchus vpon geo. 37. the deuines in tyme paste haue disputed of Limbo patrum▪ [...]nd of that reall descendinge of Christ to the damned soules, and [...]gatory. Nether is that certayne and sure, whiche some of late haue imagined, forged, & inuented thatHell desperation. Infernus Hell, is Desperation, and [Page] [...]urgatory in a manner desperati [...] The Scripture after this lyfe pro nounceth to the saintes, quietne [...] in the bosome of Abraham, euen t [...] liue with Christ, and to [...]aigne [...] the father: to the wicked he prom [...] seth Geenna & euerlasting fire prepared for y• deuill, but he promiset [...] not Infernum The aunciente Fathers report, that Christ descende [...] into infernū, meaning thither whither euery thing descendeth that is begotten. They make no mention of Limbus, none of purgatory, no [...] Oinne quod genitum est. of Christes spirite descending into certayne darke dongcons. Lette v [...] let these passe, as y• inuentions o [...] men: and let vs rather giue thanks vnto the Lord, who thrust his ow [...] sonne for vs, and for all the electe, into Infernum: that is [...]o wyt, that he willed him to dye trulye, that byInfernus death and the graue Sheol. his deathe, we might be deliuered & that by his resurrection from the dead, we should not doubt, but tha [...] wee shoulde ryse agayne also vnto [Page] blessed immortality. Thus muche [...]ut of Bucer faithfully translated word for word.Lactantius 4▪ [...] 19.
Lactantius tearmeth Inferos, that place, out of the which Christe did ryse: his soule did not ryse, for yt neuer fell, it neuer dyed, Ergo it was his bodie which rose out of the graue, which he calleth Inferos: & he alloadgeth the 16. psalme, for the same purpose, and the 13. of Hosee, in the which places is Sheol, whichSheol▪ he translateth Inferos, and vnderstandeth all these places of y• resurrection of Christ, neither can Lactantius, neither dothe hee in anye place approue the descendinge into hell. Can he say that Christ descended into hell y• saith y• there are butLactantius. [...], [...] [...]. 4. 2. places out of this life: heauen and hell: which shall be fylled with theLactantius, 7. [...] [...]1. iust and vniust at the last daye. in the mean tyme, no soule is iudged, for they are all both good and euill,Souls in one safe custod [...] ▪ kepte in one safe custodye, till our [...]iuiour CHRIST shall come [Page] and iudge them. If from the crea [...] on they are all in one place, & no [...] thence deliuered till the laste da [...]. Then if Christ had gone thither, [...] could not haue deliuered them, w [...] by Lactantius, shall not come ou [...] till the last day.
Neither did Lactantius dreame [...] any time of the descēding of Christ into Hell.
Galatinus saith that ther is no man holy vntill he be dead. If he be hol [...] and a saint when he is deade, the [...] were all the Faithfull of the [...] Testament saintes, and saued by [...] same Fayth that we haue, for the [...] [...]. Cor. 10. and we haue all eate [...] one foode, [...] [...]ronken of one kinde of drinke, an [...] [...]epende vppon one Rocke, euen Christe. Galatinus semeth to be repugnantGalatinus Lib. [...]. c. 7. to himselfe, for he saieth [...] al went to hel before Christs death He alledgeth out of a rotten Rabin [...] called Iehosua, that hell hath seue [...] names, and truthe it i [...] that nous of those Seauen y [...] the Hell where [Page 109] the damned soules are.
Neither accordinge to their Phan [...]sticall dreames Limbus and Hell where infants are damned, neither [...]here y• fathers of the old testamēt [...], nether purgatory as Iproue in this discourse. The first is Sheol [...] that signifieth hell, he citeth [...] 16.Sheol the same worde i [...] in Psal. 55. 16. Psal. 16. 10. pa. Psalme, which I translate: Thou shalt not forsake or leaue my bodye in the graue, which I haue expounded before.
Abadon is the second name, and inAbadon. no place signifieth hell, or any part of Hell, but eyther the Graue [...]or Center or places in the earthe, or anye thing [...] that is loste, and ioynedSheol. with Deathe, for after deathe [...]oloweth the graue, as in Iob. 26. 6. Iob. 28. 32. 31. 12. it is taken for ye graue and for that thinge that corrupteth in the Earthe, as in Psal. 88. 12. the same thinge, and Graue, and is so called Psalme. 88. verse 4. and in the 5. verse, the Sepulcher, andBor. Psal. 4. 3. the Graue: in the Sixte verse it isCheber. [...] [Page] in solace: the one in Abrahams besome full of Felicitye: the other in Hell ful of misery, and intollerable tormentes.Sheol the graue. gen [...]7. [...]5. g. 44. 29. 31. [...] of the kings [...]. 9.
I haue a little before declared that Sheoll signifieth in the death of Iacob and Semoi, onely the graue, a [...] the best Interpretors do translate▪ Pagnine, Munster, Vatablus: an [...] as Chrisostome, Photius, and Theodoret Ephes. 4. 9. expounde it, writing vpon Paul. [...].
Auenesra an Hebrue Doctor reproueth Onchelus for translating SheolSteuchusGeenna. And Steuchus Library keper to Paule the Thirde Pope of that name, inueyghethe againste Lyra, saying that all those thingesLira vpon the [...]7. of geue. are Dreames to deceyue, and olde Wiues Fables to Blinde the simple People, whiche hee wrytethe vpon liying Limbu [...], or in sending Iacob to Hell, whereas the Hebrue worde Sheol properly signifieth the Graue.
Augustine saithe that these are the [Page 111] woordes of Iacob, to expresse his griefe, notwithstanding he is variable.
Let vs repeate euerye place where Sheoll is founde in the Hebrewe Texte, and proue by the Nature of the Worde, propertye of the Phrase, course of the Texte, a [...]alogye of the Scripture, and Conference of the places, where the Hebrue worde is founde, what it is, and how it oughte to be translated.Dathan. Cor [...] and Abiro [...]
Where Dathan, Core, and Abiron withe their Confederates, whiche were two Hundrethe and Fiftye, murmured againste Moses and Aaron, Nomb▪ [...]33. are sayd to descende into hell,Psal. 106. 17▪ as the Latine Tranlation hathe, it is not so to be translated.
It is an absurdity to call the earthe Hell, or hell the earth.Sheol the earth. Ioseph. Lib 4. a [...]iqui [...]at c 3. hathe not hell bu [...] earth
Wherefore Sheol is here the earth which serued the sedetious Rebells for their graue. And so is this place plainlier vttered in Ps. 106. [...]e. 17.
[Page]And after this sense Caietanus, Fō [...]Augustine is full with me.seca. Steuchus, and Lyra, though [...] [...] Catholique [...], are compel [...] Tom 4. quest super Nume [...]os. c. 29. Pag. [...]42. led to expounde this place as I do [...] ▪
Is it [...]ble that their bodyes, their Namelies, their goodes, their substaunce, tentes, horses, shéepe, [...] or [...]n, descended into hell.
Dothe not the texte saye, that they went all one waye? hathe Sata [...] Nombers. 16 [...]2. anye néede of tentes? can corporallD [...]ut. 11. 6. nomb. 26. 9. 10 thinges be in a spirituall place? are there any bodyes in hell before the last day [...] ▪
The hellhoundes néede no shepe, n [...] Psal. 106. 18. mutton to eate, nor horses to ryd [...], no apparell to put on, for they are spirites, and therefore néede none. Wherefore Sheol is y•earth in thisSheoll. place, which swalowed them vp, [...] closed them within it.
Neither dothe Augustine saye that they descended into hell: but that y• August. Tom. [...] Epist 164. earth opened and deuoured them▪ August. Tom. [...]. quest super [...]. Lib. [...]. c. [...].
Here is [...]o be noted, sayth the same Augustine, y• hell is here taken for [Page 112] the earth, whither they did s [...]nke.
For [...]nfernus is vsed as the sense re [...]uirethe, and here it signifiethe the inferiour pattes of the earth, & pro [...]erlye spoken of the dead. se muche Augustine with more.
[...]here God is so sore offended wt the Israelites for their Idolatry, he saythe that his Anger is kindeled, that hee will burne the bottome of hell, [...]o dothe the Bible at Geneua Deut. 32. 2 [...]. translate Sheol. The bottome of hell burned beware of such tran [...]lations.
If the bottome of Hell be burned, and consumed with fyre, then there is no hell. It is in Hebrue vnto the earth beneath.
This Phrase signifieth the inferior partes of the earth.
Moses addeth y• Epitheton, bottom,g [...]ad Sheoll [...]. Into the earth be. [...]oth. or inferiour, to declare y• vehemency of the wrath of God in punishīg the offendors: as who saye, that he woulde soo plague them, that notbet [...] [...] [...]. as ps. 63 10. Ps. 104 30. psal. 146▪ 6 An hyp [...] ▪ [...]nclye the Superiour pa [...]te of the Earthe shoulde bée Burned, but also the inferior and inward parts [Page] where the springs are which shou [...] be dryed vp, the veynes of the [...] Caietan & F [...]n seca two Ro mishe Catholiques do so ex pounde this place. so consumed, that they shoulde neither yeelde Siluer. Gold, Tin [...] Copper, Yr [...]n, Leade, or any [...] ther Mineralles,
It is not like that a materiall F [...] which is here n [...]med, should [...] Spirituall thinges. Neither can [...] Hell bee consumed, which place [...] Hell bath non ende. appointed for euer to burne [...] tuallye the Deuill, his Aungell [...] Ministers.
This Fire continued for a seaso [...] ▪ the other for euer: This Fyre [...] ned the earth, the other the dan [...] ned Soule [...]: This burned the [...] dations of the Mountaynes, [...] ther the Hellhoundes: This [...] Deut. 32, 24, women, and children with hung [...] the other Sathans children,
Can a visible thinge burne an in [...] uisible? a worldly Fyre a Spiri [...] all? a fire sensible such as are [...] to no senses? wherefore this plac [...] Deuteronomye is vnderstanded [...] [Page 113] [...] fyre, of such affliction, of such tormentes, and plagues as the Israe [...]tes did suffer. For God plagued [...]hem then liuing, and not the dead.
There did God plague, where the Israelites liued, but they were not [...]n Hell, Ergo, neither this fyre nor [...]lague, was in Hell: for it touched [...]he liuing, and not the dead.Anna 1▪ of t [...] kinges [...]. 6.
Anna the mother of Samuel, in her song sayth, that it is the Lord,The Bordkile leth and quickne [...]. that killeth and maketh aliue: that bringeth downe to the graue, andSheol the graue orodeath The [...]6. of wis. calleth i [...] the g [...]es o [...]death. or graue. ps. 9. 15. [...]ayseth vp▪ I maruell why they y• translated the Bible at Geneua, doo translate Sheol the graue in this place, & a little before, Hell. It is God that killeth and reuiueth: that bringeth to deathe, [...]r to the graue,Borrhai [...]pon. this place. [...]r to deaths doore, & restoreth healthSheol misery againe. If hée should bringe downe into Hel, hee coulde not rayse them vp againe, because y• in Hell there is no redemption.
This place is vnderstanded of that place, or of that miserye, out [Page] of the which GOD canne ray [...] manne vp, but out of Hell he ray [...] seth none: therefore wee muste vn [...] derstand it of the Graue, Deathe▪ & misery, out of the which he hath [...] and doth deliuer many.
The same sense is in other woord [...] Deut▪ 32 39. in Deuteronomy 32. cap. verse 39.Tob. 13 2. wis. 16. 13.I kill, and giue life. I wounde, an [...] make hole. And in Toby, and in [...] booke of Wisdome. For thou haste [...] the power of life, and deathe: an [...] leadest downe into the gates of hell▪ and bringest vp againe
The old translation doth translat [...] Vnto the gates of deathe, and [...] they take Hades for death, & not fo [...] Hade [...] hel, as ye english doth. As the cloud [...] saith Iob, vanisheth away: so he tha [...]Iob 7▪ 9. L [...]ra saith [...]o. Sheol. Iob. 11. 7.goeth downe to the graue commeth vp no more Thus much Iob. wherby we vnderstand that a man being layd in the graue, shall not rise ti [...] Iob. 19. 26. 2 [...]. if that be [...]he sense. y• last day. Then shall he rise again▪ Iob was in like perplexitye, and [...] the like misery, in the 14. chapter▪ [Page 114] [...] therefore desireth to be layd inIob 14. 13. [...] graue, or in some place vnder [...] earth, that therby he might es [...]eSheol. all miseries.
[...]ope (saith Iob) for no ease, no re [...]seIob. 17. 13. 1 [...].of my payne, no remedye, all [...]y hope is gone, I hope for no [...]nge but the graue: my breathe is [...]rrupted, my bowells consumed, [...]y bones ake, my dayes are spente, [...]ely the graue tarieth for me.
[...]ere is in this first verse of the 17. [...]apter Chebar put for Sheol: thereCheber is a graue. Iob. 17. 11. to 17. [...] Sheol defined.
Iob complaineth that the wickedIob. 21. 13. [...]e without paine & griefe, & go to [...]eathe and graue, as it weere in aSheol death or graue. [...]eete slomber.
Thus dothe Munster, Vatablus, [...]o, Iude, Pellicane, and Oecolampadius, translate this word Sheol, [...]nd the Gréeke Interpretors haue [...]he same sense, and the 32. verse. [...]athe Lecabaroth. [...]. 72.Lec [...]boroth. Read the 72. vpon Iob.. 2 [...] [...]nterpretors the graues, neither is [...]here any rest in hell.
[Page] Iob declaring the power of [...] Iob 26. 6. Iob 11. 8. in creating the world, his pr [...] ence in foreseing, his spirit in [...] shing, his wisdome in ordering, [...] hid goodnes in preseruing, say [...] neither the graue, neither ye [...] ter of the grounde is hidde from eyes. And here haue they transl [...] Sheol Hell, against reason, aga [...] Sheol the earth. ps. 63. 10. ps. 86. 13. ps. 88. 7. called g [...]aphar maueth, for that man returneth to the earth, frō whence he came, as I no [...]ed ps. 22. 16. Abadon. Ps. 22. 16. Betactioth haarets. ps. 63. 10. ps. 10 [...] 30. ps. 146. 6. Ps. 65 Sheol. The argument of the 6. psalm the nature of the word, against propertie of the tongue, and aga [...] the meaning of the holy Ghost.
By the worde Abadon, the [...] brues vnderstande whatsoeuer conteyned in the earthe, which open to the eyes of the Lord.
I woulde rather vnderstande of Gods power, wherby he is [...] to rayse our bodyes putrified the Graues, and cleane consu [...] to dust.
Dauid being either [...]ore vexed conscience, because of his acte & [...] fence in causing Vrias to be sla [...] and taking his wife Bersaba: or [...] ing sicke in bodie: or afflicted [Page] [...] enemies▪ desireth God that he [...]ight liue, and continewe a tyme healthe, that he mighte be wayle [...] acte, repente with teares, con [...]e his faulte, entreat for mercy, [...]e God with humilitie, obtayne [...]geuenes, because, (saith he) I No saluation after this l [...] Sheol death. [...] perswaded that no man in the [...]aue canne praise thee, none after [...]eathe canne aske forgiuenes, paci [...] Preacher. 11. 3▪ thine indignation, nor to haue [...]y hope of saluation. Whersoeuer [...]e tree falleth, there it lyeth. Esay 38. 18.
The graue (saith Ezechias kinge [...] Iuda) cannot confesse thee, The sonne of Sirach. 17. 26. [...]eath cannot praise thee, they that [...]e downe into the pitte canne not [...]ope, nor be able to shew thy truth.Sheol [...] graue [...]mbros. de bono mortis c. 2. Cyprianus [...]tra Demetri. tractat. [...]. Hysichius. lib. [...]. in Leu. cap. 19.
The same woordes in a manner, the same sense is in Psal. 115. 17. [...]reacher. 9 10. Steuchus and [...] Romish Catholiques expounde [...]his place as I do in all poyntes.
[Page] Dauid triumphing that he had [...] Psal 9. 17. led Golias, and giuing god tha [...] therefore, wisheth or rather is [...] perswaded that god would turne [...] the wicked into their graues suc [...] Sheol the graue▪ were gods enemies, & his, as ye P [...] listin es, Ammonites, & Moabi [...] Dauid did wishe his enemies to [...] Ps. 9 17. graue, death. taken away, but not their soules [...] hell, he wished deathe, but not [...] nation.
It had bene against charity to h [...] wished their soules in hell Neith [...] Sheol Proper to the body & [...]euer applied to the soule. is Sheol ioyned in anye place w [...] the immortall soule, whiche ne [...] dieth, but alwayes with the body which dieth, and is buried in Sheo [...] in the earth, and graue.
Sheol is alwayes spoken of the [...] dy, as we see in the swalowing [...] of Dathan, Core, & Abiron, [...] Nom. 16. 30. went downe quicke into ye earthe euen into Sheol, which is though [...] to be hell of the ignorant, describ [...] of the obstinate, beloued of ye simple & commonly receiued of ye papistes [Page 108] [...]hy dothe the greatest Bible, andEnglish Bible▪ [...]he Bible printed at Geneua, translate Sheol the graue in the 6. Psal. [...]nd here hell? Why did they not [...]nsider that the woordes were all [...]ne, the sense all one, the phrase all [...]ne? Why doe they in some place [...]iue the right signification, and in [...]ther detort it from the right sense? Why doe wee loue darkenes moreSheol shoulde be translated in all places alike. then lighte, falshoode moore then [...]ruth? Why do we prefer dreames, [...]ables, tales, and old custome, before the right vnderstanding of the scripture?
If Sheol be onely proper to ye body, which soroweth, dieth, and is buried, and applied to no other thing, why doe they not translate it in all places alike.
Dauid being deliuered from the tirannyPsal. 18. [...] 4. 2. Kings. 22. [...]. of Saul, and out of the hands of all his ennemies, read 2. of the Kinges 22. verse [...]. firste thankethe god, and secondly telleth howe▪ that he had escaped them.
[Page] The sorrowes of deathe compassedLyra doth so expounde this Place as I do 2. of the kinges 22. 4.me. He meaned Saul and his men, who compassed Dauid and his men round about to take them.
Must not he be sorrowfull, that was in daunger of his ennemies, that had muche to doe to escape deathe, and the tyranny of Saule? And the floudes of wickednes made me afraid. By floudes is meaned y• Sauls army▪ nacaly. Saul belial. Lyra vpon the 2. of the kinges 4. Cahld [...]m paraphrast. rab sa [...]o. ps. 18 5 Sheo armie of Saul, which Saul is called here Belial, a wicked and cursed man, without the feare God, without mercy or grace, fierce, cruell, furious, the very childe of perdition, & therefore called Belial.
The nexte verse folowing is all one with this. The sorrowes of theSheol,graue haue compassed me about.
The sorrowes of the graue, and the snares of death, as foloweth in y• same 5. verse are al one, and also y• gates of death. Ps. 107. 18. which is no more but death it selfe, the feare of death: who doth not feare ye graue abhorre death, and deteste miserie? [Page 117] The sense is this: Dauid thoughte himselfe to be at deathes doore, to be nere his graue, when he sawe Saul & his adherents so narrowly persecute him. And therfore the ChaldeeChebel.paraphrast translateth the HebrueIt as also called the hand of the graue. ps. 89. 49 The mouth of the graue. word, The company of the wicked compassed me, and the armed men, and so dothe the same paraphraste turne the same Hebrue word in Ps. 119. 63. Hierome translateth it in ye Iad Sheol, p [...] ▪ Sheol. 2. of the Kinges 22. chapter verse 5.Psalm. 141. 7the coardes. Is it credible that Dauid Me Iad Sheol Ps. 49. 16. would say, that the coardes of Hell should compasse him? are therThe way of Sheol of death and graue, the hous of the graue or death▪ the b [...]d of death▪ prou. 7. 27 the sorowe [...] of the graue and [...] of death ps. 18. 6. coardes in Hell? Is Hell a materiall place, and corporall, or a place spirituall? could the soule be bound with coardes? rather the body is so laid in the graue, & bound coards? Was Dauid in Hell when he thus [...]omplayned? Would Dauid make mention of Hell, where hee neuer entended to dwell? Coulde hee goe to Hell, whome GOD had elected, and also predestinated to [Page] heauen? Whom God had chosen accordinge to his hartes desire?Psal. 31 5. Was Dauid so vnfaithfull that h [...] Luke 3 [...]. 49. coulde dreame of hell, when as heeAct. 7. 59▪ with an vnfained faith committedThe hande of God. his Soule to the handes of God toPsal, 30, 3. bee caried into felicity, to his custody, to bee defended from sathan and Hell? As CHRIST did and after him saint Stephan. Nether is the hande of God anye thinge els but a sure protection agaynste the enemye, a defence from the wicked, and in this place, that Felicitye,Min Sheol naphshi, here are they bothe ioyned toge ther Sheol is rather death in this place. called the dust of death Psal. 22 16▪ 30▪ and Thesma [...]eth the shadowe of death Psal. 23, 4. which God prepared from euerlasting for his electe.
Dauid being Deliuered from his enemies as it is in the firste verse of the 30. Psalme. giuethe GOD thankes, and also for his healthe whiche hee had recouered. And therefore saith O Lorde I thanke thee that thou hast deliuered me frō the graue, & from them that descēde into the pit [...], meaning the graue, & this place also haue they hetherto [Page 118] corrupted, depraued the sence, obscured the truthe, deceyued the ignorant,Iob. 10. 21. 22. Iob. 12. 22. Iob. [...]6. 16. Iob. 38. [...]7. and supplanted the Simple, for it is Sheol, which they translate hell. The geneua bible hathe this. Thow haste brought vp my souleMath. 4 16.out of the graue. And the greatesteLuke 1. 79. byble. Thou haste raysed my soule vp from the graue. What a translationAn absurdity The soule is not buried. is this to say that the Soule is enclosed in the graue, and buried with the bodye, whiche is an impietye to Imagine? For the soule dyethe not, it liu [...]the alwaye nether is it buried, for that is the body: nether rysethe it oute of the graue as they say, but out of the bodye it ascendeth into heauen, and at the lastThey shoulde haue said thou hast preserued me meaning his body from death or from the graue▪ Nephe [...] day shall returne to the body.
Wherefore [...]f necessity they should haue translated Nephes the bodye, which dyeth, and is buried, of the whiche worde I will Discourse▪ after that I haue made an ende of Sheol.
Which two words appertaine only [Page] to the body, & therefore comonly [...] ioyned together, & to mortalitye, &Sheol and nephes proper to the body. neither of them to immortallity in any Canonicall booke of the old T [...]stament, as I suppose. Sheol may beSheol. taken for ye disease and sicknes, out of the which he was deliuered: because oftentimes death & graue, folow after sicknes.
Dauid being molested with hisPsal. 31. 17. enemies, as with Saul, with Sauls soldiours, with the Philistines, and others: wisheth that his enemies might be conquered, dispersed, and brought to confusion, to death, to y• Sheol Mu [...]sterus. graue. Neither was Dauid so vnmercifull in his praier, so cruell in his petition, so vncharitable in his affection, & so enuious in his anger, that he would wish their damnatiō: but rather that they might repent, returne to mercy, and be saued.
Where Dauid inueigheth againstPsal. 49 14 15. and in the 9. verse it is cal led Shacath the graue. them that truste to their treasure, glory in their goodes, triumphe in their territories, affecting honor & [Page 119] dignity, saith, that they shall not continue, but dye, and be put in a pit like shéepe, and be laied in theSheol. grounde, in a ditche, graue, or pit:So doth Felix Pratensis tran [...] late Sheol whom Martyn Bucer did so much cōmend at Cambridge when he reade the. 119. ps [...]n the yeare of Christ, 1550. and this is Sheol.
Are ther any shepe buried in hell. Notwithstanding sayth y• 14. verse that both the godly & vngodly, shall dye as concerning their bodies, & be layed in a pit, or hole, or graue: yet when the righteous shall rise to felicity, and the vnrighteous to miserie. wt their bodies they shall rise
Therefore, saith Dauid: I am perswaded that God will redeeme mee from the hand of the graue: & will receiue me to himselfe, though my body consume in the graue, as the bodies of the wicked do, but by and by after deathe, hee will receiue my soule, and at the resurrection botheRead Pagnine in Sheol.bodie and soule. And so doth Lacac signify sometime, as I haue noted before.
The godly in the laste daye shall [Page] triumphe ouer the wicked, who per secuted them in this life. And that is meaned by the Morning in the. 14 verse
Iob declareth these verses plainlyePsal. 49. 14. in these words, when the ryche manIob, 27 19, 20, 21, 22. slepeth, that is to say, dyeth, he shall not be gathered to his fathers, that is to those his Fathers, who were Faithfull, whiche were and are in heauen, but shalbe tossed, and afflicted miserably.
Of the gathering to the fathers ITo gather to the fathers haue spoken before, and likewise noted largely vpon genesis 49. In ye 49. Psal. verses. 14. 15. Sheol is thrise for y• graue or pitas Felix also transSheol. lateth.
Nether is it probable that there are any shepe in hell, but the text sayth that they are there where the shepe are, the shepe [...]aye not in hell, but in some pit or ditche as Felix translateth, or in the graue. as it is in ye bible printed at Geneua.
The chalde paraphrast turneth and [Page 120] beforteth all to another sense, saying that the wicked killed and murthered the iust like shepe. Omitting the morning: wherby is vnderstandthe resurrection in the Fourtenthe verse.
Dauid inueiheth against his familyarAchitophel. Psal. 55. 15. frende, who was a reuolte and a traitore whose name was Achitophel. 2. of the kinges 15. verse. 12. cap 19. verse. 21. and cap. 17. verse. [...] Lyra vnderstandeth it of the inha [...]ytors of Ceile. 1. of the kinges. 23. Dauid wisheth th [...]t Achitophel & his complices might go quicke intoSheol. Iob. 1 [...] ▪ 1. chibarim their graues, be swallowed vp, [...]s Chore▪ [...]athan, and Abiron were, [...]ombers 19. In Hell there are no bodyes, wherefore Sheol. muste nedes be vnderstanded the graue,Sheol. and earthe, as the 23. verse of the same Psalme declarethe manyfestl [...]e.
Sheol signifieth the graue alwayes and Dauid spake, as we do in englishe, when we set our Children [Page] vnapte, or vnthriftes, or any oth [...] What S [...]cos is properly [...]ro 23. 30 where Be [...]r & S [...]ow ca a [...]e the graue▪ vngratious person, we will wist▪ that he were in his graue, that h [...] were dead, that he were layd in th [...] grounde, that he were as farre v [...] the earthe, as he is aboue, [...] that the soule were saued.
And Dauid was as charitable a [...] we are.
When Dauid was in extream [...] Psal. 86. 30▪ [...] of the kinges 19. 2. 10. 11. 15▪ The same in the ps. 88. 6▪ [...]s called the lowest pit, meaning the graue▪ t [...]ough there me [...]apho ryc [...]lly [...] [...]gnifieth misery. danger, in so muche that Saul ha [...] thought to haue thrust him in with a speare, he giueth God thankes▪ who had deliuered him from pres [...] death, and from the graue. So do [...] Flamminius expounde this Texte, who dwelled at Rome when I di [...] write this booke, being of singula [...] acquaintanc [...] with Cardinal Poole▪ Lyra saith, that GOD deliuere [...] Dauid a fossa [...], from the pitte, where he shoulde haue bene buri [...]d. The Geneua Bible translateth it thus: Thou haste deliuered [...].my soul frō the lowest graue: wherin they offende, that they translate [Page 121] Nephes the soule, which Lyra in [...]erpretethNephes the life. the life, which God deli [...]ered from the graue. Neither can [...]he immortall soule of man be enclosed in a graue, neither a spiritu [...]ll thinge in a corporall place.
From the lowest graue. Lyra The lowest graue. Ps. 86. 1 [...]. the same is Shacath. p [...]. 103 5. [...]yeth, from the pitte where a man [...] buried, whiche is vnder the [...]arth.
The same phrase word for word, is in Deuteronomy. 32. verse 22. which place I haue expoūded beforeThe greatest bible.
The greatest Bible translateth [...] thus: Thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest parte of hell. Wheron they groun [...]e a detestable errour, that they should thinke that Dauid a man of perfe [...] faith, of singular vertues, and suche a one, as was written in the booke of lyfe▪ should imagine y• either he should, or could go to hell.
They put in this worde (parte) whiche is not in the Hebruetexte, [...]nd why they should do so, they ar [...] [Page] able to giue no reason. As though [...] Dauid should haue descended to the lowest part, where damned soul [...] are.
Moreouer their translation deuidethHell deuided. hell into parts, as though so [...] parte were highe, some lowe, so [...] in a meane: wherein they folo [...] ye damnable errour of the Papist [...] ▪ the Superstitious deuision of th [...] Schoolemen, the ignoraunt pha [...] tasye of the simple People, who [...] a longe tyme haue beene seduc [...] by false Doctours, ledde into err [...] by lewde Fryers, induced by bli [...] Uisions and Reuelations, bewitched by longe Custome, and [...] swaded to belieue besides that, he [...] Foure H [...]lls whiche the Scripture speaketh of▪ and wherein are appoynted for [...] wicked, euerlastinge and int [...]llerable Torm entes, euen Limbus Infantium, where Childr [...] Limbus infantium. dyinge without Baptisme are pe [...] petuallie condempned without [...] [...]ission, without consolation, wit [...] [Page 122] [...] hope of deliuery, without grace, without any expectation of solace,Limbus patr [...] after Herolte is aboue purgatory & the highest hell▪ [...] Cortesius vpō the 4▪ of the senten▪ dist. 3▪ without redemption.
The Second, where the Faith [...]ull Fathers, and they that dyed be [...]ore CHRIST, did lye in drou [...]y Dennes, miserable mystes, pal [...]ble Darkenes, and as some saye [...]courged certayne tymes of the day with Whyppes, feared withe th [...] [...]rowning and foming Hellhounds, [...]mased withe the noyesome specta [...]es and tormented with spitefull [...]pirites: And these saye they, Christ [...]tched out.
The thirde they cal purgatory,Purgatory. [...]f the which I haue spoken before [...] large.
Augustine writinge vpon thisAugust. vpo [...] Psal. 86. 13. [...]lace, gesseth, as the Blinde man [...]asteth his Staffe, disputeth by [...]oniectures, inuenteth many glo [...]s, and none of them true, and [...]aueth the Te [...]te in doubte, ney [...]er dare hee conclude anye thinge, [...] complaineth of his owne ignoraunce. [Page] Thus it is to interpret [...] Augustine cō plaineth of his owne igno [...]nce. the scriptures without foundation without the gifte of the Tongues, without the proper vse, and grounded knowledge of the Hebrew [...] Tongue.Psal. 88. 3. Bor [...]actia▪ to the graue beneth▪ as Sheol tac [...]ia. ps. 86. 13▪ as in Ezech. 31. 14. el ereth tac tith into the earth below▪ the earth where a man is buried is▪ Sheol.
Dauid being miserably affli [...] ted, either with sickenes, or els [...] with his enemies, and persecutor [...], craueth ayde, desireth to be comfor [...] ted, calleth for grace, and mercye, complayning that he is full of miserie, and that his life draweth ner [...] to the graue: which graue he tear [...] meth a pitte in the fourth verse, [...] in the fifth verse a graue, in the 6▪ verse a lowe pitt [...] or hole, and [...] Cheber. the same sixt verse, darkenes, an [...] the deapth, in the eleuenth a grau [...] Bor [...] [...] and the earth.
The Chaldee Paraphraste ha [...] the house of perdition, or rathe [...] consumption, where mens bodie [...] Abadon consumption. consume to earthe: in the. 1 [...]. verse darkenes, and the la [...]d of [...] or forgetfulnesse.
[Page 123]What bodie lying in the graue doth not forget all? How, or what [...]anne it remember that is withoutSheol death▪ the earth soule, life▪ and senses? Sheol is the earth where graues are made, andThe greatest bible called the earth.
The greatest Bible translateth Sheol in this Psalme, the graue.P [...] 63 10▪ Ps. 146. 4. Ezech. 31. 14▪ gen. 3. 19. Prea. 3 20 Prea. 12. 6. Wherby it is manifeste that they were not agreed howe to translate it: for oftentimes they translate it, Hell.
Hugo Cardinalis▪ against his wil i [...] compelled to cal Infernum in thisThe mouth o [...] the graue. Psal, 141, 8. Ps. 89. 48. Ps. 49, 16.▪ Hose. 13. 13. from the hand of the graue. Mo yad ps. 89. 49. Duma hades▪ 72. so interprete. which▪ signifieth silence place, Death.
What man is he, (saith Dauid) that shal not dye, or that can deliuer himselfe from the hand of the graue? So dothe the Geneua Bible translate this place, so the Chaldee paraphrast, [...]o Campensis.
The same is Duma in Psalme. 94. verse 17. For the graue is a place of silence. So sayth Lyra.
Duma is so vsed Ps. 115. 19. Duma is [Page] a place of silence, as the Graue i [...] where euery thinge is quiet, [...] Duma hades. 72. [...]o interprete which [...]ihnifieth si [...]ence. at rest. Psal. 94. 17. called a dit [...] in the 13. verse. before. Psal. 115. 17▪ Esay. 38. 10. 18. And Virgil. 6. [...] meth to describe the Graue after same sort.
D [...]i, quibus imperiū animorū, vmbraeque silent [...] Et Chaos, & phlegeton, loca nocte silentia late.
The pit beneath Ps. 88. 3. the gra [...] beneth. Ps. 86. 13. Deut. 32. 22. a [...] y• earth beneath. Ezech. 31. 14. are al [...] one.
And as it is in Ezechiel, so [...] it in Psal. 63. 10. the graue is calle [...] Erets the earth: & in Salomon. Eccl▪ 17. the nethermoste partes of th [...] earth.
And Iob saith that he came nake [...] out of his mothers wombe, & thither he should returne naked: meaning y• he should go to the earth o [...] graue. The 72. Interpretours als [...] Psal. 115. 17. Duma. haue Hades for Duma: wherby w [...] may learne yt they in all places b [...] Hades [...]eaned ye graue. And y• sam [...] [Page 124] [...]orde is in Psal. 116. 3. Dauid shew [...]th the power of God to be so pre [...]ent in euery place, that he sayth: IfPsal. 139. 8.I shall ascende into heauen, there he [...]is: or if I shall make my bedde in theSheol Ca [...] pensi [...].graue, in Sheol, there he is.
I suppose there is no man so insensible, that will thinke that there is [...]nye Bedde in Hell. As for the Graue, it serueth the Deade for [...] Bed.
If I shal go, saith Hugo Cardinalis, into the bottomlesse pitte of sinne, thou séeste me. But here is no place for allegories.
Dauid béeing reuyled of Doeg, andPs. 1 [...]1. 7. doeg of other of Sauls flatterers, & called rebell, & traytor, complaineth that his bones were so scattered, as a man that diggeth grauell, & sprea [...]eth it abroad, or as one that heweth wood, and therefore saieth, that his bones are spread as it were at the mouthe of the graue. So translateSheol Munster, Felix, Campensis, & the Chaldee paraphrast.
[Page] Our bones lye scattered vponIt is called also Duma▪ because that in the graue they are silent & dom. ps. 94. 16. ps. 115. 1 [...]. & Shacath. ps. 94. 13the graues mouthe. The greate Bible translateth it so. And t [...] Geneua bible: At the graues mouth
If we should translate Sheol Hell: as the olde translation hath [...] what shall wee doe with Dauid bones? Were they scattered at th [...] mouth of Hell? He was not as ye [...] deade, therefore coulde not his bones be either in Hell, or at Hells mouth.Prou, 1. 11,
Salomon writeth that the wicked say: Let vs swallow vp the innocentSheol.like a graue, euē whole, as those that goe downe into the pit. Dauid and Salomon interprete them selues.
The latter parte of this verse declareth what the first is. And it is the manner of Dauid and Salomon, to amplifye euery verse in manner on such sorte, that either the formerProu. 5. 5▪ Munst [...] 1 [...] part declareth the latter, or the latter the former. This considered, ye shall easely vnderstande one by theProu 7. 27. Sheol. other. An harlottes feete leade to death, and her steppes to the graue. [Page 125] A whoores house (saieth Salomon) is the way to the graue, which goeth downe to the chambers of de [...]the.
That which he calleth the chambers of death in the latter parte, in the former he calleth the graue.
Now by Salomon the graue is theA graue the chambers of death. Prou. 2. 18. Prou. 15. 11. prou. 27. [...]9. A [...] whoore. chambers of death. The same is in other woordes in the second chapter. Her house (saith Salomon) tendeth to death, and her pathes vn [...]o the deade. A whore consumeth nature, wasteth the bodie, drieth the bones, driueth to consumption, quencheth naturall heate, infecteth man with pockes, leprosye, and other diseases, and by that meanes bringeth him to deathes doore, to the earth, & to his graue.
Sheol and Abadon, are taken for the graue. Prou. 27. verse 21. so they are Psal. 88. verse. 11. as I haue noted before. Ye shall finde Sheol in Prou. 9. 18. Prou [...]. 11. and Pro.Sheol r [...]ad my notes vpon the 15. chapt.23. verse 14. Smite the child [...], saythe Salomon, and thou shalt deliuer [Page] him from Sheol from destruction [...] Sheol. Proue, 9. 18. from hanging, and as the 72. Interpretors saye, from death, so they translate Sheol. [...] a morte, from death, miserye, and misfortune.Sheol Prou. 30 16.
The graue, saith Salomon, is neuer satisfied, and therefore the graue Sheol hath his name of Shaal to desire,Shaal. because that the graue saith nener ho: make a graue and it refuseth not, it consumeth the body.
And here the greatest Bible is constrayned to translate Sheol the graue. Rabby Immanuel, Pagnine, Sheol is some sodayne death which leadeth to the graue.Preacher. 9. 10 Sheol.
The Precher saith that there is nether wysdome, worke, inuention, or knowledge in the graue.
And before in the third verse, where he saith, that they go to the deade, y• Sheol proper to the body. olde translation hath ad inferos, & the 72. [...] whereof it is euident that Sheol is alwayes applied to ye bodye which is here [Page 126] here in misery, or after this life laidHamethim▪ Graue. in the graue, and apertayneth only to the body.Balad. 8. 5. Death and graue.
It is in Salomon that loue is as stronge as deathe, and gelousie as cruell as the graue. The Geneua Bible translateth it so. LikewiseEsaye 5 14. Munster & diuerse others. Here is death put in the former parte of the verse, and the graue in the latter, signifiyng all one thinge in effecte▪ Here are ioyned nephes & Sheol▪ and signyfy the bodyes onely. Esaye prophecieth that there shall so manye people dye of hunger, and by other kindes of death, as sweate and plague, that the graue muste make her wider to receiue them: nether doth it appeare by the text that these whiche wente to Sheol into their graue, were dampned: Ergo they went not to hell, neither speaketh hee here of their soules, but of their bodyes, so that Sheol is not hell, but the graue. Pagnine in Racab.
Esaye inueighing against Nabucodonoser Esaie 14. 9. kinge of Babylon maketh [Page] by a figure called prosopopaeia, & by an hyperbole, the deade to speake,Nabucodono [...]er. The dead [...]pake. Sheol the graue. Esay. 14. 9. 10. Munster. Sheol ver▪ 11. the deade to bid him welcome, the dead to triumphe ouer him, and to reioyce at his deathe and comming. For (saith the texte) the graue yeldeth vp her dead, euen kinges, and princes to salute him, and to save that hee was come downe vnto the ground and graue, as they were, and that the wormes are with him, and about him.
This verse doth plainly declare, as Munster translateth, and Geneua Bible: thoughe the said Geneua Bible translateth Sheol Hell, in the 9. verse, without cause.
That Nabucodonoser was not inNabucodono [...]er. hell, nor they that saluted him: but in the graue, whiche the prophet maketh to speake with her dead.
Where there were wormes, there were these, and there was Nabucodonoser, but in Hell there are no materiall wormes, but in the graue, Ergo neither they nor Nabucodonoser [Page 127] were in Hell.15 verse. 15. verse▪ Sheol the graue.
And they say in the 15. verse, that he shall, or rather is broughte downe to the graue, to the sides of the pitte: which words declare, thatSheol the graue. 19 which is the house of death. Iob. 17. 12. ps. 49. 15. Iob. 30. 23. Sheol is the graue, and nothing els but a pit or ditche.
The translators of y• greatest Bible, though wresting Sheol before, and in other places are compelled, and as it appeareth, perswaded, to translate it the graue in the 19. ver. or els they must say that his deade [...]arkasse was caste out of Hell, wheras I think, ther are no bodies nor shal be till the last day. Besides all this, was it like y• Nabucodonoser Nabucodono ser was not in hell. Daniel. 4, 31. 32. 33. 34. was in hell, who was elected, who gaue thanks to god wt pure affection, praysed him with earnest mind, magnified him with voice, honored him y• liueth for euer, whose power is incomprehensible, whose kingdome eternall, whose workes are all truth, whose waies are iudgement, & who pulleth downe the [Page] pompe and pride of the presumptu [...] ous? I haue noted more vpon Esay 14. In the same sense Sheol is pu [...] Sheol the graue. Abacuk 2. 5. Esay 38. 10 17 18. A graue. Sheol ioyned with nephes, which is there the body▪ Sheol Esay. 28. 15. 18. Esay 57. 9, Iob [...]4 19. in Abacuk 2. verse 5. Ioyned with deathe, as it is diuers times, wher [...] I haue noted more.
Rabby Dauid and Pagnine in Rachab, and Munster calleth it death [...] and sepulcher. Ezechias said that he shoulde go to the gates of the gra [...] which he called in the 17. & 18. verses the pit of corruption: for saythe he, in the graue and deathe ne man can praise the Lord.
The graue and deathe are ioyne [...] likewise in 28. of Esay verse 15. and Munster expoundeth them so vpon Esay 38. Porta inferorum inquit Zuinglius, est periphrasis morie [...]di. The gates of death are alone with the gates of hell. Read my nots vpon Math. 16 P [...]. 107. 16. Wis. 16. 13. Ezech, 31. 15. 17.
The gates of the graue, which they translate the gates of hell, is a circumlocution of dying, and death. And in like maner Oecolampadius handleth this place of the 38. of Esaye verse 10.
By an allegory of beautifull trees. [Page 128] Ezechiel prophecied against Pharao [...]inge of Egypte, sayinge that if the [...]inge of Assiria, was not able to [...]esiste the Babylonians, how much [...]sse he.
The like sentence is in Esaye 14. Esay▪ 14. 6, 10, 11, 15. 19. The graue Sheol is defined in Ezech. 31. 15, 16, 17, what the graue is. Sheol Psal. 141 8▪ wher Nabucodonoser was brought [...]o his graue, as here Pharao, and y• [...]inge of Assur, and the graue is defined in Ezechiel. 31. 14. 15. 16, and 18. to be a pit and place in the earthe, where the bodyes do slepe.
And in Ezechiel. 32. 18. 19. 21. and in y• saide 21. verse and in the 27. verse is Sheol, and in the 22. verse 23. 24. 25.Sheol the graue These places of Ezechiel proue plainly Sheol to be the graue. Hierem 41. 7. 8. Psal 28, bo [...] for Sheol the graue The land of the liuing▪ and 26. is Chebarim graues, and in the 29. and 30. verses is Bor a pit, so that Sheol Cheber and Bor are all one.
And in the 2 [...]. and 26. verses of the said 32. chapter of Ezechiel, he calleth the lande of the liuing, this life: and the graue the Lande, and the earthe whether they wente with theyr weapons, where the deade slepe, where the bodyes rest without [Page] senses. And therefore the church [...] yard is called [...] Caemete [...] rium a [...] to sleepe, because, [...] there do our bodies sleepe: if the [...] slepe, Ergo they must ryse.
Galienus the Emperour, permittedEuseb. 7. c. 13. Niceph. 6, c. 12 christians to haue churcheyardes or burying places, in y• yea [...] of Christ, 260.
The graue is called guphar maueth. psal. 22. 16. 30. because that all y• come of the earth, shall to the earth returne. Gen, 27. Gen. 3. 17. Preache [...] 3. 20. a place vnder the earthe. Aba [...] don, darknes, and land of obliuion. Psa. 88. 12. 13. Iob. 10. 21. confer a not [...] Pro. 9. 18.
I will repeate the wordes outtoHose. 131 4. Hosee as the Geneua Bible hath translated them, and Pagnine, and Sebastian Munster, a manne wh [...] hathe translated the Bible o [...] of the Hebrue into Laten, mos [...] Sheol. the, graue. The greatest Bible in this one verse trans lateth Sheol. first the grau [...] and then hell. read a note ps. 49. 41. truly, moste plainly, and moste effectually, as Martine Bucer did reporte. I will redeme them from th [...] [Page 129] power of the graue: I will deliuer them from death: O death, I wil be thy death: O graue, I wil be thy destruction. Here are ioyned deathe & the graue, which Christe did ouercome, and destroyed by his resurrection, firste in himselfe, and secondly in all mankind, whose bodies he shal rayse in the last day out of their graues. I woulde (saith GodHosee 13. 14. in Hosee) haue deliuered you from the violence of the Assirians, from death, from the graue, if ye had repented. Paul applieth it to the resurrection, when this corruptibility shall put on incorruptibility, this mortalitye immortalitye. then shal the Lord Iesus call vp y• dead, empty the graues, scoure y• churchyards, conquere death, raise vp our bodies & awake the corpses that do sléepe, & raise them to immortalitie. Pauls [...]. Cor. 15. 55. wordes are these: O death, where is [...]hy sting? o graue, wher is thy victory? The old translation hath for the graue, death: & him folow y• ordinaryRead Pagni [...] in Cata [...]. [Page] Lyra, Haymo, Augustinus, Iustinus. Augustinus Tom. 7. lib. 3. de pecca me [...]. c. 11. [...]odem Tom. de perfect. Iustinus. [...]lpon. 14. Sheol death. Ps. 141. 8. 1. cor. 15. Hell. And Ambrose vpon this place, and the. 72. Interpretors haue for Sheol [...] as Paul hath.
Neither can this place be vnderstanded of hell: for there are soules, and no bodies: there are torments intollerable, in the graues the bodies slepe without paine: neither is there any resurrection of the soule, it neuer dieth, it neuer sleepeth, it is not consumed to dust, it waxeth not olde, it liueth either in paine with Sathan, or in ioy with God. There is in this 13. of Hose, verse 13.M [...] Iad sheol.From the hand of the graue I would redeme them.
And in Amos God threateneth to punishe Idolaters, that if theyAmos. 9. 2. The graue Sheol hide themselues in dennes, dongeons, caues, and the graue, he will finde them out, or vp a lofte in heauen, or as one that climmeth into ye highe Towers. In y• text of Geneua it is, If they shall digge into theHell the graue or earth.hell. Can a man digge in hell? Are [Page 130] there anye mattockes there, anye [...]pades, any shouelles, any tooles?Sheol. [...]s it not a spiritual place prepared [...]or Soules, and for no diggers? Wherfore heere yee maye see what Sheol is. Read Pagnine in Catar, Ionas. 2. 2. Sheol a belly by a meta phor. the same is shacath. Ionas 2. and my note vpon the 9. of Amos. Ionas being in the belly of the fish, praieth: he calleth this belly agraue a deepe darke dongeon, an obscure denne, and full of desolation, neyther was it hell: for Hell is not in the fishes belly, but it is a place inuisibleHell is not the fishes belly. to vs, but to the dampned sensible, terrible, and full of paine; the paine wherof no tongue can expresse, of the which I haue written largely vpon Esay 30. Math. 12. 40. Luk. 11 24. Hades.
Christ interpreteth this Sheol to be the hart of ye earth, to be Christs graue, and therfore not Hell, neyther was Christ buried in hell?
Thus muche of Sheol out of the Canonicall bookes of the olde testament.
Now let vs sée what the Apocripha [Page] say of Hades, of whose natur [...] Hades. and propertye I haue noted somewhat before.Toby 13. 2. Hades Sheol.
In the 13. of Toby it is put fo [...] Sheol the graue, which phrase is declared before in the place of Deu [...] ▪ 32. 39. 1. of the Kinges 2. verse. 6. in Wisdome 16. v. 11. This woorde Hades is put for Sheol the grant▪ and can be taken for no other thin [...] in the booke of Wisdome, where theWisd 2. 1. wicked say that none returneth fr [...] the graue.
And that it must nedes be so vnderstanded, their imaginations declare, where they hold that there is no life to come, no heauen, no he [...], no reward for the iust, nor punishment for the vniust: where the old [...] translation hath in the 10. of Wisd▪Wisd. 10. 19. Exod. 15. 1 [...]How that God drowned the Egyptians, and brought the Israelites [...] altitudine inferorum, from the deapth and bottom of hell, where they neuer were: y• greke is [...], from the bottome of the déepe, tha [...] [Page 131] is: out of miserye, out of Egypte, and the red Sea: and so expoundeth Pellicane.
The sonne of Siracke giuethEccles. 14. v. 12. 16. c. 2 [...] v, 21 c▪ 51. 5. 6. counsell, exhorteth all men, prouoketh the niggard, and also perswadeth we the liver all to do good while he liueth, for after death, after a mā be buried, brought to his long home and to his graue, there is no hope of amendment, no rewardes canneNo saluation out of this life profit, no Popes pardons, no Peter hence, no indulgeces a paena & culpa No trentalles. no masses, no diriges, no obites▪ no Lady psalters, no praiers for them ye are dead. They that are in ye graue, they that are buried can not prayse God, saith Baruck, and that it isBaruck. 2. 17. meaned of the graue, these wordes declare, which followe in the same seauententh verse: VVhose soules are out of their bodyes. Of this I haue noted more vpon the text of ye [...] Psalme. Baruc. 3. 11. 19▪
The graue in Baruck is Sheol, as appeareth there.
[Page]Thus haue I noted all the pla [...] of the bookes called Apocripha, [...] came to my memorye, and in [...] place Hades, no more then Sheol inHades. the Canonicall bookes, doth signify Hell, where are the dampn [...] soules.
In the first chapter of Wisdome, where it is said that God createdWis. 1. 14. all thinges without faulte, neither was there any poyson, nor hell vppon the earth: he meaneth if Adam had not fallen, there shoulde haue bene no death, nor graue, which he meaneth by Hades. It is for theHades. graue. Wisdome 2. verse 7. when Hades is taken for Hell in the newHades hell ioined with extreme punishment Luk. 16. 23. Testament, it is alwayes ioyne [...] with extreame punishment: without payne it is ye graue, with pain [...] or tormentes it is hell.
As for Sheol, wherin consisteth halfe of our controuersye, and the ignorance wherof hathe forged mo Hells then euer God created, doth neuer signify ye place of euer lasting [Page 132] punishement, of the which I will speake anon, leaste that the poysonfull tongue should falsly accuse me. Let vs come to the new testament:Math. 11. 23. Capernaum. Hades reade my note a litle before vpon the place of the 9. of Amos. And thou Capernaum, which arte lifted vp vnto heauē, shalt be brought downe to Hades, to the ground. If ye vnderstand by Capernaum the citty with houses, temples, and walles which shoulde be ouerthrowne & cast down for the sinnes of ye people, as Sodome and Gomorrha were, then coulde it not sinke intoEsay 14 14. 15. Luk 10. 15. Capernaum. Hell, for there are neither townes, citties, nor villages: if yee vnderstande by Capernaum, the people, neither did they all, as I supose, go to hell: neither had they all vowed to Baal, neither did their bodies goe to hell. Wherfore the phrase meaneth, and enforceth an vtter destructionEuthy. vpon this place▪ Bulling. vpon this text. and desolation of Capernaum. To be lifted vp or exalted vp to heauen, signifieth to be glorious and puffed vp with pride and presumption, and to be brought downe [Page] to be brought downe to Hades is [...] be inglorious.
In the 16. of Mathew Christ saith that the gates of Hades shall not ouercomeMath 16. 18. Hades. The gates of hell they are called y• gates of death in Wisd. 16 13. & in P [...]. 107. 16. Ps. 9. 14. Esay 38. 10. the Churche, shall not vtterly destroy the faithfull, nor af [...] length preuaile: for though they ki [...] the bodyes, they can not touch the soules.
They do presse, but shall not oppresse: inuade, but not preuaile: assault, but not enter: consume ye flesh and bones, but not the soules.
By gates is meaned the tyrauntes,Gates. Metonymia. and cruell magistrates that sit in iudgement, and condemne the Christians and innocentes, who will not deny Christ.
Suche like 2. false Iudges were those two elders, who accused, and condemned Susanna. Susanna. Hades. The gates of Hades are wicked ludges
The gates of Hades are the gates of deathe, the false iudgementes of wicked Iudges, their malitious charges, their threatning enforcementes, and moste false sentences, [Page 134] for they condeme the innocent, andPs. 9. 14. ps. 69., 13. prou. 22. 22. iustifye the malefactors, throughe [...]ribes they shed the innocent blood through rewardes, their eies are blinded, their mindes corrupted, and true iudgement peruerted: they pronounce death for life, the [...]ope for righte, the halter for helpe, the galous for deliuery, and the graue for grace.
So are they become the authors of death, murther and of all iniquitye
Such false Iudges, and terrible tyrantes were they that sate in thePs. 69. 1 [...]. gates, which rayled vpon Dauid. Suche they were that condemned y• martyres in quéene Maries daies. The Iewes did geue iudgementGen. 34. 20. ps. 9. 3. ps. 69. 3 [...]. Hose, 13. 14. and sate in the gates of the cityes And Dauid calleth y• gates of death presente death, And Ezechias in Esaye 38. verse. 10. calleth these gatesEsay. 38 10. Sheol Hades. the gates of the graue. Thus ye see that the gates of death, and the gates of the graue are all one.
[Page]I knowe that Origene, and A [...] brose, with others, call these ga [...] These gates are vices. of death, and of ye graue, vices. [...] Christ speaketh here of the persec [...] tion.
Of these gates read my discour [...] at large vpon Math. 16. In the R [...]uelatiō, after Iohn had sene a stra [...] Reuelat. 1. 18. vision, he fell downe at his feete, this personage was Christe, wh [...] willed him to be of good ch [...]are, an [...] not to feare: For (saith he) I am th [...] first and the last, and therfore GodHades Hades the graue.And I haue the keyes of Hades, and of death, & raysed my selfe, and [...] my selfe out of my graue, wherfor [...] I was God in so doing, and man, in that I was raysed from the dead, and out of my graue.
And in like manner in the 6. of the Reuelation, death goeth before,Reuelat. 6. 8. and Hades the graue foloweth afte [...] Hades. immediately.
The place of the Reuelation 20. Reuelat, 20, 13 14. maketh death, and the graue Hades to deliuer their dead bodies: Wherfore [Page 134] Hades necessarily is here taken [...] Sheol the graue.Hell.
Hetherto I haue declared out of the new Testament, where Hades [...]s put for death & the graue. Nowe [...] will describe vnto you how that Hades in the 16. of Luke, is placed [...]or Hell, and what Hell is.
Hades is in no place for hell, butHell defined▪ by the [...]or [...] tures. Luk, 16. [...] the 16. of Luke, & there it is ioy [...]ed with flames and tormentes, & [...]herfore Geenna, a place prepared [...]or the damned: ioyned withe tormentes, it is Hell: without them, y• [...]aue. Bucer vpon Luke. 16. Hell is place full of tormentes, full of fire, [...]nd extreame punishment without [...]lace: neither canne they that bee there ascend, or come out. That hel [...]s full of torments, Christ declareth [...]n Luke 16. ver. 23. full of fyer, ver. 24. [...] of extreme punishment without [...]lace, verse 25. y• they can not come out, it is euident of the 26. verse.
Hell is called Geenna, of Gy, aGeenna. Hinnom. [...]lley, and Hinnom a valley of the [Page] children of Hinnom. This Hinn [...] possessed this valley whiche [...] before the gate of Hierusalem [...] Tophet, led Carfit & it was called also [...] phet of blowing of trumpetts, a [...] striking of drummes, lest the F [...] thers should haue had compassi [...] of their sonnes, hearing them [...] so pittifully, lament so horribl [...] c [...]ing so terribly, & die so miserabl [...] Priestes of Baal. For the priestes of Baal like blac [...] monkes did this sacrifice, drawi [...] the children to and fro through t [...] [...]er, and thinking to do highe [...] uice,Moloch. Munster and Lyra vpon 18. Leuit. To this Idol did kinge Ach [...]r and Manasse [...] offer their children. 2. Chrō, 28. 3. c. 33, 6, and an acceptable sacrifice [...] Moloch which was an Idol of th [...] Ammonites.
This Idol had in him seauen ch [...] bers, or places. In one to recei [...] meale, an other turtels, the thirde [...] shéepe, the four the a Ram, the [...] a cal [...]e, the sixt an oxe, the seauē the a childe.
Of this Idol read. Leuit. 18. verse▪ 21. c. 20. 2. Deu. 12. 31. Deu. 18. 10. 3. of Kinges. 11. verse▪ 5. 7.
[Page 135] [...]hey builded highe places to MoIosias. [...]och in Tophet. Hier. 7. verse. 31 Hier. 32. verse. 35. Act. 7. verse. 43. [...]sias destroied Moloch, and made [...]he place Tophet a dunge hill, and [...] cast car [...]on there, and thereforeTophet. Tophet for the filthynes thereof is taken for hell, where there is extreme punishement appoynted for the desperate. It is called GeennaGeenna. hell. [...]gnis the hell of fyer, or fiery hell, Math. 5. verse. 22. it is called in Math 18. verse. 8. 9 an euerlasting fier, in Math. 23. verse. 33, the iudgment of hell.
Hell is a place of extreme darkenes,Hell. where there is be waylyng, and [...]ashing of téeth, and euerlastinge [...]er, which is prepared for the diuell, and his angells. Math. 25. verseHell,30. 41.
Hell is an vnquencheable fi [...]r,Mar. 9. 43. 44. 45. 46. Esay▪ 66 [...]4, L [...], 12. 5. Hell. Esay, 30, 33. where the worme of Conscience doth not onely accuse, but also bi [...]th, & where ye fier shall neuer cease
Hell or Tophet is a place prepared [Page] from the beginning for th [...] King Synacherib, and suche othe [...] wicked persons, and desperate abiectes, [...], and large, the burning therof is [...]yre and much woode: th [...] breathe of Iehoua, like a Kyuer [...] brimstone doth kindle it.
This definition doth declare tha [...] it was created from the beginning and for the wicked, and the matte [...] wher with they are tormented i [...] fyre, and wood, the place déep [...] and large, of capacity to receiue a [...] infinite nomber, and that it shall continue for euer, the breath of Ie houa declareth, which hathe non [...] ende.
Of this place I haue discours [...] at large vpon the 30. of Esay, whe [...] Hell. this matter is fully declared of hell which is y• second death, a lake th [...] burneth with fyre, & boyleth with brimstone. Read Reuel. 21. 8.
Thus much out of the scripture directly, with much more, but I s [...] dy to be briefe, and to see what th [...] [Page 136] [...]ors say.Augustine. Tom 3, de spiritu & anim [...] c. 56,
The tormentes of hell are perpe [...]all terrible terrors, feare without [...]yth, paine without remission, the [...]angman strangling, the helhounds [...]ourging, the worme gnawing, the [...]onscience accusing, and the fyre [...]onsuming, or rather continewing without mercye, ende, relaxation, [...] ease.
Hell (saith Augustiuus) is called August. Tom. 3. de gen. ad lit lib. 12. c. 24. [...] Retract. 2. c▪ 24. [...]the Latine tongue Inferi beneth: & [...]ery inferior thinge and low thing [...]heauie, and therefore greuous, & [...]ainefull, and therefore the Greke [...]orde signifieth vnpleasant I seme [...]ith he, rather to teache that hell is [...]nder the earth, then to shewe any [...]ason, why it shoulde be beleued, [...]saide to be vnder the earth.
[...]ertullian saithe that hell is in theTertul. lib. de a [...] Hierom in com▪ in Ionā. [...]arth.
[...]ierome saith that hell is in the [...]iddest of the earth.
[...]rnobius saith that the GentilesArnob. contra gen [...]es. lib. 7. [...] beleue that Pluto his kingdome [Page] Arnob. lib. 2. Plato in Phedon ad ax [...] [...]. Ambrose de bono mo [...] tis c. 8. Lactan tius 7. c. 7. was vnder the earth: and the s [...] Ar [...]bius [...] that Plato [...] keth mention of Acheron, Styx, [...] [...]ytus, and Periphlegeton, which [...] flo [...]ds i [...] hell, wher the Soules [...] plunged, and buried, and vexed. [...] Laetantius saith that Zeno the [...] Two Places. que appoynteth two places, the [...] ioyfull, where the godly are, the [...] Ephrem lib. ther miserable, where the wick [...] are, the one quiet, the other [...] de extremo Iudi [...]o c. 4. quiet, the one pleasant, the oth [...] greuous: the one light, the oth [...] darkenes: in hell there is no [...] fession of the faulte to be receiue [...] No redempti on in h [...]ll. the iudges be inexorable, no [...] [...]able complaint, or feigned exc [...] will serue: there is no repentan [...] no returne, no saluation, no con [...] lation, no redemption, neither an [...] hope of better state, or any re m [...] sion of sinne or paine.Gregory di [...] log. 4. c. 24. Chrysostome 16. ad Rom. de prae [...]s san [...] [...]orum.
Gregory saithe that some saye th [...] Hell is in some parte of the ear [...] Chrysostome saith that other ho [...] that it is in the valley of Iosap [...] [Page 137] [...]hose errour he reproueth.
Paulus Cortesius affirmeth, thatCortesius 4. [...]ent. dist. 11. [...]ome Diuines place Hell in centro [...], in the middest of the earth, or [...] to it Pythagoras in y• firy zone. What maner of fire that is wher [...]ith the damned soules are tormē [...], whether it be materiall or spi [...]ituall, or kindled of it selfe, and so [...] from the creation, or con [...]inued and forced by some super na [...]rall power, as by some Aungell, [...] after what sorte, and whether it [...] alwayes or not, or shall ende as Origen sayde, Cortesi [...]s discourseth [...]t of the dunses and Schoolemen, [...]ubtfully, darkly, & curiously, out of Lombarde, Durand, Auicenna, Thomas, Richard Middleton, Peter [...]alud, & such others. But we are as [...]redMath. 3. 12. Esay 30 33, Math. 22. 13. & 8. 12. & 13. 43. & 25. 30. Math. 5. 22. & 18. 9. & 23. 15. Mark. 9. 42. 44. Luk. 12. 5▪ Iames 3. 6. yt it is inextinguible, & [...]dled [...]y y• blast of Iehoua: ther as is darkenes wtout light, gnashing of teeth [...]thout release, weping wtout comforte, a burning furnace wtout cea [...]ng, ye flame of Geenna inquēchable. [Page] Of this Hell I haue discoursed vpon Esay 30. verse 33. & in my definitions of scripture.
Hetherto I haue manifestl yproued by repeating euery place, vnles my memory faile me, where Sheol Sheol how oft in the scrip [...]ure. is found in scripture, & I find that it neuer signifieth hell, but alwaies the graue, or deathe, or the earthe which are all one in effect, neythe [...] doth it signify death in any other respect, but, that the graue cōmonlyThe graue followeth death. foloweth.
And that it is that place onely where the bodies rest, and slepe til [...] the last day, and onely proper to y• bodies, and neuer to the soule, I haue proued by those places of scripSheol applied [...]o the body. ture where it is reade, by olde Interpretours & newe, by the nature and propertye of the worde, by th [...] order of the text, by the accustome [...] phrase of speaking, & by the naturall and germane sense.Sheol in the bible aboue [...], times.
And I finde it in the Canonicall scripturs, about or aboue 84. times [Page 138] [...]nd in the bookes called ApocryphaSheol is no [...] the state of th [...] dead be they good or euill14. times.
Neither doth Sheol signify yt state [...]f them that dye, whether they [...]ée [...]ithfull, and go to Heauen: or vnfaithfull, and goe to Hell, as Bucer [...]riteth vpon the 16. of Luke, Fla [...]inius vpon the 6. Psalme, Zuing [...]s vpon the 5. of Esay, and Calius [...]pon the Creede: vnlesse they mean of the state of yt bodye. For i [...] Sheol signify onely the graue, as I haue [...]roued, then can it not signifye the [...]ate of the blessed, who are in hea [...]en: [...] for Sheol is neuer taken for [...]eauen: neither for the state of the [...]icked, for they are in hel, neither [...]re any buried in hell.
I would rather that they should [...]ue called Sheol the state bothe ofSheol applied to the body Preacher. 9. Ps, 82, 7 c 3 [...] ▪ [...]e iuste, and vniust, as conterning [...]heir buriall: and to haue meaned [...]hat they both dye as concerning y• [...]ody, both buried, both should ryse [...]aine though turned to dust, and [...]t signifieth Sheol.
[Page] Castalio in his defence of his trā slationCastalio. of his newe Testamente against Beza, either of ignoraunce, [...]. wherwith I am leth to burden such a learned man, or rather of wilfulnes, and perti [...]acye, which should not be in so modest, corrigible, and reformable a wryter, a denieth that Sheol is in any place taken for the graue, which Beza sayth, is taken as truly for the graue, as Iehoua for God▪ which is as much to saye▪ as that Sheol doth alwayes signify the graue: for Iehoua is onely proper to the Trinity, and to no otherIehoua. thing.
And as Beza affirmeth tha [...] Sheol is as properly the graue, a [...] Iehoua is God: so say I, that Nephes is as proper to the body, and thos [...] Nephes. partes of man that are mortall, a [...] Nishama or Ruac is for the immortallNishama. Ruac. Esay. 14. 19. Sheol. Soule, as I proue a litle hereafter.
If that Sheol in this 14. of Esay [...] [Page 139] be taken as wel for y• state of them, as Castalio noteth, that are vnburied, as for them that are buried, notwithstanding he must nedes con [...]es that Sheol is the state of the bodye, which is deade, whether it bee buried, or vnburied: but the body descendeth not into Hell, Ergo by Castalio his owne Argument, Sheol is not taken for hell.
Neyther doth the King of Babylon Beza in his an swere to Castalio. in t [...]e 14. chapter of Esaye and the 19. verse lacke all maner of buriall, or to be cast out without any graue, as Castalio meaneth, but y• he was not buried with the Kings: for the text [...]aith in ye 13. verse, that he was throwen into his graue, intoNabucodono sers buriall.Sheol & in the 17. verse, that he was caste out of his graue. Whereby it may be vnderstanded of Nabucodonoser.
For as Oecolampadius no [...]eth, all the tyme, whiche some [...]ye was seuen yeares, his sonne [Page] Euilmerodach was Kinge, andRead my note vpon D [...]n 4 led.
When Nabucodonoser was t [...] stored, he layde his sonne in prison and when the father was dead, [...] sonne durst not for feare take vp [...] him to be King, till that he might [...] be assured that his father was dead, and for that cause made his fathe [...] body to be digged vp.
And that I suppose is the meaning of the Prophet: vnlesse that ye will vnderstande it of Balthasar, o [...] whome I haue noted somewhat vpon Daniel 5.
If Sheol were taken for Hell, then was his body in hell, which is an absurdity to say, for there are [...] bodies, and the text saythe, that hee was digged out of Sheol. But who can digge into hell? if you willThen was it [...] graue. wilfully affirme that Christ did descend into hell, and father that fable vpon the Créede, though it was not intruded at the first, neyther is it expedient: for there are twelue [Page 140] Articles besides, and it is against y• 12▪ article [...] [...]alogy of our faith, it ingendreth many inconueniences, manye absurd opinions, friuolous fables, and phantasticall visions, notwithstanding, the phrase of the Hebrue and Greke, and also of the Latyne shall easelye refell your erronious opinions, and long custome, the author of errour.Hades how this erro rose.
The septuaginta interpretors did for the most parte translate Sheol, by Hades, which they were assured [...]id signifie the graue, and the circumstances thereof.
Afterward certaine doctors ignorāt in the Hebrue tongue, and phā [...]sying the fables of Plato & of Latyne poets turned Hades, infernum or inferos or orcum, and the Englishe, hell.
Whereof arose this pernicious [...]eresy of Christes descending into hell.
Notwithstanding I am able to [Page] proue out of Homer, Sophocles, [...] ripid. Virg. Ouid, & others, y• Had [...] signifieth in them, as wel the gra [...] as it doth hel. And the same is commonlyeSheol. vsed of Ecclesiasticall writers for the graue, and deathe. For where Helias prayed to God, that [...] widowes sonne of Sarophtha might be restored to life, it is in Prodromus Cyrus Theorus Prodro mus wrote in greke verses the summe of euery chapter which I tran slated into La tin. Act. 9. 40. [...]: there he calleth Hades deathe: which others would translate hell, against the mind [...] Prodromus, againste the praier o [...] Helias, & against the wordes of th [...] scripture.
The same Prodromus vttereth in plainer wordes, calling it the gates of deathe, [...] for Tabitha was dead, which ChristMath. 16. 18. calleth [...].
And the same Prodromus so tearmeth the deathe of Christe, from whence hee rose, writing vpon the1. of the kinges 17. 21 last of Mathewe, and a litle before he calleth it [...] a tombe which he termeth here the gates of Hadou, [Page 141] [...] gates of death. Nonnus in his [...]raphrase vpō Iohn: where ChristNonnus, Iohn 2 19. Dissolue the temple [...] y• he would dissolue the temple, meaning his body, & raise it vp the third day: he vseth Borethron & Hades, where Christ spake onely ofHades. Sybil callethit [...]. As Lossius doth vpon Act. 2. his resurrection. For he saith y• hee would rayse his owne body out of Hades, out of his graue, which place manifestly declareth y• he raysed his body out of the graue, & not out of [...]ell. For no man y• is well in his wites, will say that his body was in hell. Wherefore Hades signifieth the graue; and not hell, as it may do in the Crede, where as it is in the [...]. of Iohn, that Lazarus was like toIaho. 11▪ 4. Lazarus [...]ye, or at the poynt to dye, Nonnus hath [...] where Hades is taken fo [...] death, or for his graue. & byHides an other name ye same Nonnus calleth it Lazarus tombe [...] but there are no tombes in hell. Hee calleth i [...] Borethron and [...] all whiche Nonnus flatly cal ▪ [Page] calleth death, and the graue fr [...] the which Christ deliuered [...] raysed. Lazarus. read Nonnus diligently.
Where Sybil writeth that Adam [...] Sybyl. Lib. 1. [...]. Hades the earth so is She ol. Esay 57. 9. Pluto his house. Act. 2. Sybil. [...]. his children dyed, she saith y• the [...] descended into Hades, calling it th [...] earth where they were buried. [...] that place where Christ was buryed, she calleth the house of Pluto. [...] And therefore i [...] the 2. of the Actes, Christ is said t [...] haue bene [...] where is vnderstande [...], y• he was in ye house [...] Pluto, meaning his graue.
If ye would folow your own phantasy, ye can not fay that Christ was in hell, but in y• house of Vnto whom was giuen the dominion of the earth as the Poets fable, Sybil. lib. 2. Pluto, for [...] is alwayes with an accusatiue case either expressed or vnderstanded.
Neither signifieth Hades among [...] the Grekes any thing els properly then Pluto for whē y• diuision was made amonge ye three children of [Page 1442] Saturne, Iupiter was kinge in the East, Neptune ouer the Iles, & Pluto in the west. The poets and Grecians who filled the world full of fables, (O Graecia mendax) assigned heauen to Iupiter, the sea to Neptune, the earth to Pluto, where [...]ore he is said to be the kinge of the [...]arth Homer Iliades, reade Cic. 2. de natura deor. Lact. 1. c, 11. pluto hathe his name of riches for that out of the earth procedeth golde, siluer, corne [...]nd all other riches.
[...]nd as all thinges come out of the [...]arth, so all thinges fall to the earthPluto. Plato in craty [...]o cic. 2. de nat. Phurnutus. Hades the earth. so is Sheol. Esay. 57. 9. Homer. Ilia, Hades is Pluto. men our bodyes also, as I haue no [...]ed before.
Now it is euident that Hades is [...]he house of Pluto, which is y• earth [...]d graues. The which Pluto is [...]yde to haue dominion ouer the [...]ad.
[...] Hades which [...] translate hell hath dominion [...] the dead. [Page] where are the dead euen by Hom [...] are they not in their graues? Erg [...] Hades the the graues haue dominion ouer t [...] bodies till the last daye. At the la [...] Sybil. lib. [...]. Auernus Strab. 5. daye the fier is said to burne Hades.
Shall hell be burned, or not rath [...] the earth? which the same Sybil sa [...] shall yealde the dead bodyes, an [...] calleth the earth Hades.
Auernus is a lake in Campania, [...] highe trées growinge about it [...] thicke, that as the inhabitants r [...] porte the filthy sauour killed th [...] birdes flynig ouer: and therefore [...] is taken for hell amonge the poet [...] Cim [...]merii in Italy Strab. 5▪ Ho [...]er. odi [...] and dedicated to Pluto.
There are Cimerii, that dwell i [...] such darke dongeons, that they ca [...] neither see the sunne rise nor set, [...] by them the Poets imagine tha [...] Stix. there is away to hell. Styx is a pestilent puddle in Arcadia, and poysoneth all liuing creatures that [...] of it, and therfore t [...]en amonge the poets for a lake of hell. [Page 143] Phlegeton is also a burning lake,Strab. 5. Phle geton. [...]id taken for a lake in hell. All [...]hese as Strabo saith, are fables. andAcheron. Acheron and Aechrusia▪ are riuers [...]n Campania, and taken for hell.Tartarus Strab. 3.
Tartarus is the lowest parte of the [...]arth, and of the fabulus poets taken for hel, a tarassein, [...] a turbando, [...] frigore [...]: reade Beza vpon 2. Petr. Sheol defined [...]. verse 4.
Let vs omit profane writers, andSheol the graue Iob. 30. 23. returne to the scripture what Sheol [...]s. It is euident in the 30. of Iob, where the graue is defined and des [...]ribedSheol defined Lecolcai, To euery mor tall creature. Munster vpon Iob. 30. 33. in other wordes. I know, saith Iob, that thou wilt turne me to death, an house of witnes to euery lyuing creature. Iob, calleth death an house of witnes, so saith Ouid.
And the Chalde paraphraste calle [...] it the house of the graue, because the graue is as [...]n house to euery mortall man: and therefore the. 7 [...] Interpretors cal [...] the earth an hous [...] to euery mortall thinge. [...] In the [...]8. verse [...] the 33. chapter of Iob, Elihu saith, [...] God vseth many meanes to with drawe men from sinne and from death, and the graue. where Nephes Nephes. is ioyned with Shacath, as the same Nephes is with Sheol in the. 16, Ps. and in the latter ende of the vers [...] where Sheol is in ye fore end is shacath Shacath pro per to the body Shacath. put, which is the graue, because that the bodies do corrupte in the graue, so is Nephes ioyned with Shacath in Ps. 107. verse 20. to declare that they are both properSheol & Ne phes proper to the body. to the body, and neither to the soule I meane neither Nephes▪ neither Sheol, neither shacath, which is the [Page 144] same that Sheol is. And to this ef [...]ct, that shacath is the graue, the [...]2. Interpretours haue [...] [...]eath. And a little after in the 20.Iob. 33. 22. [...]rse, where Elihu saith, that man [...]aweth nere to the graue, and hisThe englishe bibles. [...] to the dead. The English By [...]les haue, The soule draweth to [...]e graue, and life to the buriers. [...]hat a translation is this to saye, [...]at a mans soule draweth to the [...]aue? do our Soules goe to the [...]aue? can a Soule corrupt? do not [...] that go to the graue putrify? why [...]ould they translate the text thus: The man draweth to the graue [...]ard? so we saye in English, so doth [...]e Hebrue worde Nephes signifie, [...] as the 72. interpretors haue to [...]ath [...]. neither do I as [...]nt to the Englysh translations [...]ho translate me m [...]t him to be bu [...]ers,To the dead mortuis. reade a note Iob. 33▪ 22▪ nor to Munster, who hath to [...]yers, or murtherers interfectori [...]us, but to the dead, for the whiche [...]ebrue worde the Gréeke translation [Page] hath, but his life [...]: whereby ye may vnderstand that the Grekes meaned the graue byHades. Hades. In the 28, and 30, verses ofIob. 33. 28. 30. Shacath. the same 33. chapter of Iob, Shacath Ezech. 31. 32 33. Ezech. 31. verse 14. 15, 16, 17, 18. Ezech. 32. verse 18. 21, 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28, 29. is read which y• Grekes translate both corruption, [...] [...] also death [...] [...]. I decla [...] a little after exactly, how that Sheol is called by other names death, and the nether partes of the earth; and [...] pit.
Now I will proue by the sameNephes is ne [...]er the im mortall soule order out of the scriptures, that the other worde called Nephes is neuer applied to the immortall soule in the Hebrue Byble. Which if I can proue, it muste nedes folow y• the Soule of Christ did neuer go [...] to hell▪ for y• parte of Christ which they say descended into hell, is Nephes Christ descen ded not into hell. in the 16▪ psal. of Dauid, which is the bodye of Christe, as I shall proue piainlye in their obiection. And it is a mere absurditye to affirme that the dead body did de [...] [Page 145] scend into hell, or any where els, sauing onely into the graue.
Nephes which the Greekes haueNephes. E [...]ymology. translated [...], and the La [...] nestes animam, and the English, the soul: hath his name in Hebrue, Chal [...]ée Gréeke, and Latine, of breathing, because that it cooleth, and refresheth with respiring, and breathing Nephes signifieth as much as [...]nima, & tam late patet.
Nephes is that breathing substāce,The definiti [...] of Nephes. sensitiue, and liuely power, and naturall motion, whereby euery liuing [...]reature is norished, and moued▪ And this is of three sortes.
The first is vegetatiue, and common1. Vegetatiue▪ to herbs; and & the earth is the cause of thē. Esa. 10. 18. trees: notwithstanding other l [...]uing creatures do grow, and are nourished.
The second is sensitiue, which2. Sensitiue. is common with beastes, and men:3. Concupis [...] ble. [...]or they féele, see, heare, smel, touch, tast: & also they both haue affections motions, and other per [...]rbatiōs: [...] they [...]; and phantasy [...] ▪ [Page] as men do, they dreame, they slepe, they wake, they sorrow, ioy, for see,Aristotles in [...] [...] [...]e animo. prouide, desire, wil, receiue profitable things, and refuse the contrary▪ they loue, hate, remember, they want only the immortall soule. Where Aristotle semeth to say, thatPsyche. Corruptible. Psyche, and the partes thereof, are corruptible and mortall, and dy [...] wt the body, it is so: but ye soul he affirmethAristot. to come from God, and to be immortall.
Aristotle will not haue the immortal soule to be any of ye three before. Nephes may s [...]me to some to be taken for the immortall soule in the 17. of Leui. in the 10. verse. against him that eateth bloud, saith God, I will turne my face. Nephes I trāslate Him, or that man, as Imanuel doth. Leu. 17. 11. the life of y• flesh is in ye bloud. Life in hebrue is Nephes, for the life is sustained by bloud, [...] not the immortall soule.
I haue appoynted the bloud to be an expiation and purgation, for [Page 146] [...], euen for your sinnes: for it is [...]his bloud that purgeth you. Nephes I translate you, for so it signi [...]eth here. Darash nephes to care for [...] mans life. Ps. 142. as in many other places. The whole 16. chap. of [...]eu. declareth this sacrifise of ex [...]iation, and purgation by bloude: [...]ut it coulde not take away sinne, [...]ut in them only, who by faith con [...]eiued, and represented thereby the [...]loud of Christ: their sacrifice, cere [...]onies, figures & shadowes, figured Christ, confer Heb. 8. 9. 10. neither [...]ould the bloud of bulls or gotes, [...]ke away sinne, Heb 10. 4. 11.
This Nephes consisteth in senses,Genesis 1. ver. 20. 21. 24. 30. Nephes a liuing creature▪ [...]ouing, and in affections, and pro [...]er to the body, and dyeth with the [...]odye. Wherfore in the first of Ge [...]esis, it is taken foure times for a [...]ature that hath life, and hathe [...]aia ioyned with it, which signifith the same. Wherfore oftentimesNe Phes ioyned with [...] is any liuing creature. [...] alone, it is a coarse, a deade [Page] body, and the dead, ioined with Caiia, it is a liuing creature.
Nephes is proper to the body, and to th [...]se partes of man, which ryse with the body, and dye with the body: notwithstanding I think, thatNephes no part of the im mortal soul. it is no part of the immortal soule: neither can it be mortall, that is immortal, as I shall proue in Neshama, after that I haue done with Nephes.
Nephes consisteth in bloud, breath,Nephes caiia. Wherin Ne phes cōsisteth. life, vitall spirite, senses, and in the whole mortall substaunce of anye liuelye and corruptible creatures.
And therefore suche liuing creatures haue their names of Nephes, and therfore are called in latin anu mantes, or animalia, [...], of this naturall life giuen to them in their firsteThe life. Nephes is the bloud. creation and generation. Nephes is the bloud, and is so defined Leuit. 17. 11. 4. The life of euery liuinge creature is the bloude. Wherefore this Nephes is mortall.
[Page 147]Man likewise is written to haue this life Nephes. Genes. 2. verse 7.Gen 2. 7.
And it is the life of other liuinge creatures. Gen. 2. verse 19. it is taken for the life, which consisteth in the bloud. Gen. 9. verse 4. Leu. 17. verse 14. My life, saith Abrahā, may bee preserued by thee O Sara, where Nephes is. Genes. 12. verse 13.
The King of Sodome, desired of Abraham to haue ye persons which he had rescued. Gen. 14. verse 21. the men which were taken prisoners.Nephes a ma [...] Gnacus be A dam Nephes he that shed deth a mans bloud. Pro. 28. 17.
And so doth the 72. Interpretors translate Naphshim [...] ▪ Leu. 2. v. 1. & 4. v. 2. & 20. v. 5. 2. Sam. 14. Leu. 23. v. 30. & 26. verse 15. Nom. 9. v. 13. & 19. v. 20. Ezec. 18. v. 20. Pro. 10. v. 3. c. 11. v. 25. c. 12. v. 19. c. 14. v. 25. Nephes for a slouthfull man. pro. 16. v. 26. c. 25. v. 25. c. 27. v. 7. Nom. 31. v. 28. Ezech 18. v. 5. 20. 27.Nephes a bo dy with sens [...] ▪ Psal▪ 35 4. 7▪ [...] 17.Nephes a body, with senses, bloud, and other his properties. Leu. 16. [Page] verse 29. 31. to humble a mans body [...]ay. 53. 10.with fastinge. Leuiticus 23. verse 27. 29. 30. 32. Esay. 58. verse 5. 10. Eze. chiel 18. verse 4. Psalm. 30. verse 3. Psal. 35. verse 13. and 49. verse 16. & 69. verse 13. and 86. verse. 12. and 66. verse 9.
Thou hast deliuered my body frōNephes a man 1. Sam. 22. 23. Lāary nephes beauy or [...]ad. Prou. 31. 6.the graue. Nephes from Sheol. Psal. 30. verse 3. Psalme 88. verse 3. & 94 vers 17. and 105. verse 19. where Iosephs body was pinched with the stockes, and fetters, psal. 106. ver. 16▪ Psal. 107. verse 9. Esay 58. 5▪ & 58. verse 10. Hie [...]. 4. verse 10. 31. & Esay 53. verse 9. 10. Ezechiel. 16. verse 5. Preach. 2. verse 24. Nephes Nephes a man selfe Iob. 10. 1. Prou. 29. 24. Prou. 25 25. Pro 27 7. is in all these places, for a man that liueth, as ye may read in these places alleadged, if you confer them with iudgement, and in Psal. 116. verse 7. where Dauid willeth himselfe to returne to rest, after that heGnatsath nephes a mans owne counsell Piou 27. [...]. prou. 29. 10. had receiued benefites of Iehoua, who had deliuered him from the tyranny of Absolon, or of Saul.
[Page 148]Neyther is Nephes here the immortall soule, which can not dye,Hanephes seruantes cat tell and persones. but the bodye, which is subiecte to death.
Abraham wente out of his countrey, with all his seruauntes and cattell, and such as he had perswaded to his Religion, which he calleth Hanephes, Leuit. 27. verse 2.Nephes a ser u. [...]. Nomb. 15. verse 28. 30 Leu. 20. [...]e. 6. and 22. verse 6. 10. for a seruāt Prou. 28. verse 17. Bagnal Nephes Nephes a man [...]lfe Pro. [...]9. [...] Iob. 7. 15 [...]. 16. 4. Pro. [...]. 4. Pro▪ 19. 2. 8. 1 [...]. 16. pro. [...] 10. 23. pro. 22. 23 2 [...]. Nephes [...] [...]. a cormorant, a gréedy gl [...]tton▪ Pro. 23. verse 2. Nephes a mans▪ sel [...]e Abacuc. 2. verse 4. giue me the mē saith the King of Sodome in greeke [...].
Here you may well perceiue y• Nephes is a worde so large▪ that it signifieth seruauntes and [...], as well▪ as frée men, [...]attell, and of her liuing creatures▪ Fo [...] it is nothing else b [...]t the life, [...]ses, mouing, appetite, and [...].
They are dead [...]th GOD toExo [...] ▪ 4 20. [...] [...] ▪ [...] ▪ [Page] Moses that sought thy life, y• went about to kill thee. Naphsheca. and the said phrase is vttered plainly in [...] other woordes, meaning the same thinge, in the 24. verse of the same chapter, wher God would haue killed Moses.
Neplies the life of a beaste, Prou. 12. ver. 10. Chaneth [...] bat san [...] napshi: [...]I aflicted my body with abstinence. Psal. 35. verse 13. here is Nephes the body. Nephes is the whole man [...] with senses, will, affections, industry, endeuour, reason, memory, intelligēce, hart, mind, brest, breath, bloud, vitall spirite, and other faculties. Psal. 71. ver. 23. Gomel naph [...] sho: he doth good to himself. Pro. 11. vers. 17. His breath kindleth theNephes for a br [...]ath.coales, and causeth them to burne. He meaneth it of the breath of Leuiathan. Iob. 41. 12.
Nephes baraca a liberal person. Pro. 11. 25. A good man regardeth the life of his beast, Iadag nephes [...] [...]. pr. 12. 10. Shamar nephes is to lay [Page 149] in wayte for a mans life to kyllShamar Nephes ashith gna [...]soth benaphshi. I deuise with my selfe, I take counsell of my selfe, I. celebrate an [...] consult. him. Psalme. 71. verse 10. shamar nephes to regarde a mans life. Pro. 22. verse. 5. Iob 30. 16. shaphac ne phes is to [...]oure out a mans affection to vtter his grieffe. Psalme. 24. verse. 4 1. Sam. verse. 15. Lament. 2. verse 11. nasha nephes is to sweare psal. 24. vers. 4. nasha nephes is alsoPsal. 13. 2 [...] to lift vp a mans affection, hart [...], &Nephes an affection loue good will, hart. mynde, Psal. 25. ver. 1. Psal. 86. verse 4. Tsaphan nephes to laye in waite for a mans life. Pro. 1. 18. Sichem loued Dina. va Tibbachi Naphsho. Nephes Psal 63. 8 [...] mine harte, mine affection, my loue was fixed vpon hir. So did Dauid [...]leue vnto God by a feruent lou [...], a constant affection, and with all his harte, 1. of the Kinges. 18. verse 1. Esay 58. verse. 10. Iob. 25. verse 12. Iob. 16. verse. 18. Nephes Calilim. The life, the bloude of them y• are killed, crye for a vengeance as Abels bloude did. Gen. 4. 10. Esaye 26. 21. Habacuc. 2. 11. 12.
But I woulde rather call Nephes [Page] the body and the whole man. For they being wounded, and at the poynt of death by tyrantes, cry out for vengeaunce, and of their iniury.
Cim nephes to take away a m [...] lyfe. ps, 56. ver. 7. Bacash nephes ys the same. Ex. 4. ver. 19. Mat. 2. vers. 20. ps. 70. ver. 3. Hashein nephes bacaia is, to preserue a man a liue. psal. 66. verse. 9. for life. psal. 66. ve. 15. shamar nephes is, to watch and lay wayt for a mans life. psal. 71. ve. 10. Nephes the life Gen 35. 18. Gen 44. 30. twise.
Nephes for the life Gen. 35. verse 18. The lyfe of Iacob dependeth of the childes lyfe. Gene. 44. vers. 30. Exo. 4. ver. 19. Iosu. 2 ver. 13. Iob. 2 [...] vers. 8. Iudg. 12. vers. 3. Esa. 53. vers. 10. 11. 12. hier. 19. ver. 9. cap. 21. vers.Nephes the minde har [...] & inward partes pro. 16. 24. Pro. 19. 18. pro. 23. 6. pro. 25. 12▪9. 7. cap. 22. ver. 25. psa. 35. verse. 3. 12. Prouerbes. 13. verse. 8. 1. Sam. 25 verse 26. 29, chap. 26. verse 21. 2. Samuel. 1. vers. 9. 2. Samuel. 14. vers. 7. for lyfe. 2. Samuel. 19. ver. 5. three tymes. 1. of the kinges. 17. verse. 22. [Page 150] 23. Chap. 19. vers. 2. 3. 4. 2. of the kinges. 1. vers. 13. Leuiticus 2. Eze▪ 16 vers. 5. Ezech. 18. ver. 5. 27. Ester. 7. ver. 3. Iob. 2. ver. 4. 6. Iob. 6. vers. II. Iob. 12. ver. 10. cap. 13. ver. 13. cap. 27. ver. 2. 8. Iob. 33. ver. 18. 20. 28. 30. psal. 7. ver. 2. 5. psal. 22. vers. 21. 33. psal. 31. vers. 8. psa. 40. vers. 20. psal. 59. ver. 3. psal. 69. verse 1. psal. 70. vers. 2. psal. 94. verse 21. psalme 97. verse 11. psalm. 116. verse 5. 8. psalme 131. verse 4. psalme 139. verse. 13. psalm. 142. verse 10. psal. 143. verse 3. 6. 10. 13. pro. 1 ver. 13 cap. 6. ve. 26. cap. 8. ver. 36. cap. 10. vers. 2. 3. Cap. 15. vers. 40. cap. 18. verse 7. Cap. 19. verse 2. 16. Cap. 2 [...] verse. 2. Cap. 22. verse 5. 23. 25. cap. 24. verse 12. cap. 29. verse 10. Esay 43. verse 4. Leuiticus 26. ve. 3. 11.Nephes fo [...] God pro. 6. 16▪God abhorreth the Israelites for thei I idolitry. Esay 1. ve. 14. I hate and abhorre your sacrifices. psal 24. ve. 4. he that hath not taken the name of God in vaine, he that taketh not in vayne, sayth the lorde, [Page] my name. Iere. 51. verse 14. Amo [...] 6. verse. 8. Naphshi, and therefore in the margyne Munster puttethNephes a name. Nephes braca a liberall person. Prou. 11. 25. Nephes an affection or delite. Naphshi, & in the text Naphshi his name. reade pagnine in Nephes, Flamminius and other coniecture vnfainedly. Hierem. 1. verse. 14. It is Christ, sayth God, in whom I take pleasure, in whom is my delight. Esaye 24. verse. 1. Math. 12. verse. 18. There is Naphshi, inNephes an appetite or lust. Iob 38. 59. Ps. 41. 3. Iob 33. 20 Ps. 49. 19. whom I haue pleasure, here is Nephes put for God the father.
Our lust or appetite is not to this Manna, we abhorr it, we haue nothinge els. Nomber. 11. verse. 6. The same is in Nombers. 21. verse. 5. Ezech. 16. verse. 27. psalme. 10. ver. 3. Psalme. 27. verse 12. Psalme. 49. verse. 19. Psalme. 107. verse 9. 18.Prou. 13. 4. twyse for lustprou. 6. verse 30. cap. 13, ver. 4. twise verse. 25. cap. 23. verse. 2. chapter.Nephes for tyrany Ps. 41. 327. verse. 12. 7. preacher 6▪ verse. 3. 7. 9. Deuteronomium. 23. verse. 24. Hier. 31. verse 12. Esa. 29. ver. 8. 16. Esa. 58. verse 11. Hieremias 2. verse [Page 151] 24. Micheas 7. verse 1. And in ExodusNephes bo ged [...]m false dealers. Prou. 13. 2.15. vers. 9. I will, saith pharao, fulfill my lust, my desire, and mine affectiō, in spoyling these runnegats the Hebrues. Iob. 39. verse 1. Habacuc. 2. verse. 5. Iob. 33. verse 22.
Vaticrab Iashacath naphsho, his soule saith the Geneua bible, draweth toNephes shamar, to put to a mans will endeuour. di ligence affec tion. Ps. 34. 3. the graue. The soule can not be buried. Therefore thus translate it, The man draweth towarde corruptiō. Nephes shamar, is to take hede, to beware, to be diligent, Dare operam, to put to a mans good will, Deut. 4. verse. 9. 92. cap. 6. verse. 5. Math. 22. verse. 37. Marke 12. verse 27. Luke. 10. verse 27. psal. 19. verse 9.
Nephes and Sheol are so proper to the body, that liueth and dieth, that they are very oft ioyned together, to declare the mortality of mankinde. God, saith Dauid, psalme 49. verse 15. shall deliuer my life, or mePs. 49. 15▪ Nephes and Sheol ioyned together.my selfe, from the power of the graue: which other translate my [Page] soule from the power of hell or of ye graue. The same phrase & words are in psa. 86. ver. 13. psa. 16. verse 10. pro. 23. vers. 14. Nephes which they translate ye soule is ioyned wt silence, which signifieth the graue.Nephes. a mās selfe Iob. 32. 2▪ Iob. 33. 18. Iob. 33. 22, 28. Ps▪ 3. 2 Gen. 19. 20▪ psa. 94. vers. 17. and the life ioyned with sheol. psalm 88. vers. 3. Casau nephes, to lacke a mans pleasure preacher 4. ver. 8.
Nephes a mans selfe, a man himself. Deu. 4. verse 15. Nom. 30. ver. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 14. Iob. 6. vers. 7 Iob. 7. verse 15. cap. 9. ver. 21. psal. 3. ver. 2. psa. 6. ver. 3. 4. psa. 11. vers. 1. psa. 18. ver. 12. 14. psa. 33. ve. 18. 19. psa. 34.▪ ver. 22. psa. 35. ver. 3. 10 14. 16. 20. 28. psa. 38. vers. 12. psal. 42. ver. 1. 2. 4. 6. 8. 16. psa. 43. verse 5. psa. 57. ver. 1. 5. 8. psa. 62. vers. 1. psa. 63, ver. 2. psa. 66. ver. 7. psa. 69. ver. 22. psa. 71. ver. 11. 25. psal. 77. vers. 3. psa. 88. ver. 15. psa. 94. vers. 19. psa. 103. ver. 1. 2. 5. psa. 104. ve. 1. psa. 119. vers. 20. 26. 29. 82. 110. 178. psa. 120. vers. 2. 5. psalm 123. [Page 152] ver. 5. psalme 124. verse. 4. 7. psal. 131. vers. 3. Esay 15. ver. 4. Esa. 49. [...]erse 7. Esay 55. verse. 2. 3. Hie. 37. verse. 9. Lament. 1. verse 11. 16. cap. 3. verse 20. 24. 25. 58. Ezechiel 3. verse 21. Ezechiel 4. verse 14. [...]osee. 4. verse. 8. prouerb. 3. verse [...]2. cap. 6. vers. 32. cap. 11. verse. 17. [...]rouerb. 18. verse 7. cap. 17. cap. 19 verse 18. preacher 7. verse 30. Bal. [...]. verse 6. chapter. 3. verse 1. 2. 3. 4Nephes his selfe Esay 5. 14 [...]hapter 6. verse 11. Iosua 23. verse [...]1. There died so many of surfets drunkennes, that the graue sheol [...]as sayde to make her selfe wider. [...]ephes. Esay 5. verse 14. HabacucNephes the minde, harte, or affection Ps. 25. 1. Ps. 86. 4. [...]ve. 5. Pagnine in Nephes, She [...], and Racab. Chimus in psalm. 4. [...]onas 4. verse 8. Eze. 13. verse. 18. 9. 20. Nephes for the vexation of [...]ind. Deutrono. 28. verse 65. The [...]4. verse, and 66 expoundeth it of [...]e greise and paines which they all. sustayne 2, of the Kinges 4.All inward powers Iob▪ 21, 23▪ [...]rse 27. Iob. 7. verse 11. chap. 10 [...]rse 1. psalme 13. verse 2▪ psalme [Page] 24. verse 4. psalme. 25. verse 1. psal [...]All inward poures. Iob. 21. 23.107. verse 26. psalme. 146. verse 1 [...] prou. 14. verse 10. cap. 16. verse 24▪ chapter 21. verse 10. chapter 24. ver▪ 14. chapter 25. verse 10▪ chapter. 2 [...] verse 9. chapter 28. verse 25. Esaye 26. verse 8. 9. Lo Nephes [...]adag [...] to be gilty. Iob. 9. verse 21. Racab▪ Nephes of a broad or shout stoma [...] and corage, or arrogant and proude, prou. 23. verse. 26. Nephes a tablet▪ Nephes a ta blet Esay 3. 20 Esay. 3. verse. 20. because that▪ a tablet is much desired & so is Nephes put for a desire, Chimus saith so, or rather as Rabby Abraham noteth, because there, I meane in the harte is the life, and therefore they vsed to hange their tablets there.
Nephes is a body without life, [...] coars, a dead body without senses,Nephes Ps. 16. 10. a coarse or dead body. and feeling. psalme 16. verse 10. Leu. 19 verse. 28. Leu. 21. verse. 1. 11. Leu. 22. verse 4. Nomb. 5. vers. [...] Nomb. 9. verse. 10. Nomb. 19. ver. i [...] 13. Act. 2. ver. 31. Act. 13. ver. 35. Ezech▪ 16. ver. 5▪ where Esay prophecteth [...] [...]. 53 12 [Page 153] the deathe of Christe, hee saitha, that hee gaue his bodye to deathe, Naphshi, which they translate the Soule. But his Soule coulde not dye.
And Virgil in the buriall of Polidorus Aeniead [...]. Psal. 97▪ 10▪ [...] 72. 13. Hier. [...]. 19. & 28. 6. Ios. 2, 24. Ps. 33. 19. Pro. 22. 23. Nephes for [...] berality. vseth anima for the dead body in these wordes: animam (que) sepulchro condimus: and Lactantius in Phaenix vsed anima for the body.
Nephes for liberality. If thous shew thy selfe liberall to the nedy. Esa. 58. verse 10.
The Bible printed at Geneua trā slateth it thus: If thou pourest out thy soule to the hungry, & refreshe the troubled soul, the shall the light spring out in darknes.
The Bible reade in the churche hath thus: If thou hast compassion vpon the hungry, &c. Here is Nephes taken for liberality, for a liberall mind, and a willing affection▪ and compassion towardes y• poore. They should haue trāslated it thus: If thou pourest out thy liberality▪ [Page] vpon the poore, and refreshest theNephes for a person. Esay 58, 10.troubled person, then shall thy ligh [...] spring out in darknes.
Thus far haue I declared out of the canonicall bookes of the old T [...] stament, what Nephes is, and [...] What nephes is properly. of those places, where it is found [...] and I do not find it for the immo [...] tall soule in any place, but alwaye [...] applied to the body, which dyeth [...] man, who is consumed by age, sicknes, or other meanes: or toy• breat [...] which doth exspire, or bloude, tha [...] is shed, or y• senses that shal pe [...]. [...]he▪ or to certaine motions of the mind or affections, which dye with th [...] body, or seruauntes, persons, or [...] a coarse, and dead body, so beastes, which are al mortal, or to God him▪ selfe, who hath no soule, & therfore doth signify God, for that he is theNephes appli ed to God. giuer of life, breath, and beeing, t [...] all creatures: neither hath God a [...] immortall soule, for that is a partThe immor tall soule, of man, inspired by God, about the 6. moneth after the conception, a [...] [Page 154] I haue declared in my Latin booke [...]e animo.
Neyther is Psyche taken for the immortall soule, in the bookes cal [...]d Apocrypha, sauing, as I remē [...]er, in the 3. of Wisdome, verse 1. Notwithstanding the Grekes take [...] diuers times for the immortall [...]ul: as Plato in Phedone and Axia [...]. Aristotle de ortu animaliū & de animo▪ 3 c. 5▪ But Aristotle taketh it for that [...]rt of man that dieth, & the immor tall soul he calleth [...] ▪ animae, which [...]ey translate soules, are the bodies the 41. verse of Esdras 4.
[...]n the new testament it is for thePsyche the life Math▪ 6. 1 [...] twyse Iob, 36, 14. [...]e: as Math. 2. verse▪ 20. Exod. 4. 20. They are deade that sought [...] life of the child. Math. 6. ver. 15. [...]ke 12. ver. 22. Mat. 10. vers 39. find a mans life, is to saue it. read [...]ath. 16. verse 25. of that phrase. [...]rse 26. Mark. 8. ver. 35. 36. 37. [...]. 9. vers 24. 25. cap. 17. verse 33. [...]n 12. verse 25. in which places [...] phrase aboue mētioned is truly [...]pounded. Math. 20. ver. 28. Mark. [Page] 10. verse 45. Luke 7. verse 20. 22. 23. cap. 14. verse 16. cap 21. verse 19. Iohn 10. verse 11. cap 12. ver. 25. cap 13. verse 38. cap. 15. ver [...] 13. 2. Cor. 1. verse 23. 1. Thess. 5. [...] 23. Actes 20. ve. 10. c. 20. ver. 24▪ cap. 27. ve. 10. Rom. 11. verse 3 [...] & 16. verse 4. philip. 2. verse 30▪ 1. Thess. 2. verse 8. Heb. 4. ve. 1 [...] 1. Iohn 3. 16. Reuelat. 12. ver. 11▪ psyche for God himselfe. Math. 12▪ 18. Esay 42. 1. Heb. 10. 38. An [...] so doth God the father expound th [...] place of Esay 42. in the 17. verse [...] the 3. of Mathew. In whome is m [...] delight. [...], ex animo willing [...] ly. Ephes. 6. 6. Coloss. 3. 23▪ Do [...] thinges willingly like good childr [...] and not vnwillingly as seruaunt [...] do, compelled by their masters. Psyche a mans selfe. Luke. 12. 1 [...]Psyche a mans selfe,Iohn 12. [...]. Actes 25, 24. 2. Co [...] 12. 15. Hebrues 13. 17. 2. Peter [...] verse 8. psalm. 120. ver. 6. Psych [...] a dead body. Act. 2. v. 27. 31. Psych [...] [Page] [...] consent, as they were all of onePsyche a con sent. minde, and consent. Actes 4. verse 31. phil. 1. 27. Nephespsyche en [...]euour▪ stu dy, diligenc [...]. mind a [...]fectiō. Thomas A qui [...]e i [...] E [...]. P [...]. 34. 3 Gen. 27. 31. ps. 71. 23
Thou muste loue thy God, with all thy psyche, with all thy studye, and indeuour, toto tuo sensitiuo appe [...]itu, as Lyra interpreteth: with all thine intelligence, wisdome, cogitation, as Chrisostome: with all thy life, with all thy mind, as Augustine: with all thy will and mind, as Glossa Ordinaria: we al thy life, which thou oughtest to yeelde vp for him, as Origen: Math. 22. 37. Deut. 6. 5. Luke 10. 27. Mark 10. 45. Reuel. 18. 14.
To saue a man. [...] Mar.Psyche a ma [...].3. 4. Luke 6. verse 9. Actes 2, 41. Actes 14. verse 2. Rom. 2. 9. 2. pet. 2. verse 14. 3. Iohn verse 2. Actes 7. verse 14. and 27, verse 37. Rom. 13. verse 1. 1. Cor. 15. ver. 45. 1. pet. 3. 20. & 1. 22. August. Tom. 5. de ciuitat▪ dei. lib. 18. c. 22. calleth psychas men, which were in the Arke ofPsyche mans fearful natu [...]e. Noac. My nature, all ye parts of my [Page] bodye, wherein is anye lyfe, doe fe [...]re death: my will is vnwilling, my minde vexed, mine affections moued, mine hart is wounded, my members shake, my breast panteth,Math. 26. 38. Mark 14. 34. Heb. 12. 3. Iohn 12. 27. Ps. 6. 4. The immortal soule. my legges faynt, mine hands trimble, and all my senses are amased: his fleshe was so troubled, that h [...] desired, that if it were possible that he might escape death.
[...] is for the immortall soul Math. 10. verse 27. 28. Iames 1. ver1 Peter 2. 11. 25 1. Peter 4. 19. Reuel. 18. 13. 21. 1. Peter 1. 9. where Peter interpreteth the rewarde, or rather the end of faithe, to be the saluation of our soules.
[...] in the new Testament signifieth for the most part the same that Nephes doth in the olde Testament: notwithstanding it signifieth in two, or three places, in the newe Testament, the immortall Soule, as I haue noted a little before.
Nowe leaste that anye man [Page 156] [...]houlde conceiue anye sinistrall meaning, for that I do not translate Nephes in any place the immortall soule, neither Psyche, but in fewe places, I will declare what the Soule is by definition, and with what woordes it is trulye, and pro [...]erly expressed.
In this discourse yeshal haue brefly repeated, the errours of them, ye haue wrongfully written of ye soul,Sinistrall opini ons of the immortall soule. their opinions opened, their phan [...]asies detected, their heresies confu [...]ed, their iudgmentes confounded, [...]heir authorities remoued, & their [...]ssertions condemned.
And although I do not do this at [...]arge in woordes, notwithstanding [...]here shall be matter inoughe to re [...]ell them all in the scriptures, which I will alleadge, for the mainte [...]aunce of the immortalitye of the [...]oule, & for the insatiable pleasures which it hath so sone as it departeth [...]ut of this body
I vtterly detest the Sadduces, and [Page] Epicures, who deny y• immortali [...] of the soule.
Neither doe I thinke with the Essees, that the soules come ex aethe [...] Essees Ioseph. [...]. c▪ 7▪ de bello re sub [...]ilissimo into these bodies, a [...] when they departe to goe ouer the Ocean Sea, into a pleasaunt place▪ Souls in fortu [...]ate yles. Pharisies. Souls going from bodies. Ioseph. 2 c. 7, de [...], Irenaeus lib. 2. c. 59. Seleucians▪ Angelscreated soules. Gnostiques in the yeare of Christ 108▪ Soules of the [...]ubstance of God. Anno 135. Clemens 215. in Eglog. in Hip Soules in the [...]trice. in fortunas insulas, or in C [...]mpos El [...] sios.
Neither with the Pharisies, who say y• they go frō bodies to bodies, and into beastes, & from one to another, as Pythagoras prateth, & the Carpocratians.
Neither we the Seleucians, & Herm [...]ans, who said that the Angels did create the soules.
Neither with the Gnostiques, that the soules are of the substaunce of God, or shall rise againe, and not the bodies: of this errour was also Valentinus and Marcus.
Neither with Clemens Alexand [...]nus, that the soul remayneth in y• matrice▪ & there [...]oth for the séede [...] man, wher [...] the bo [...]y is made.
[Page 157]Neither with Origene, Proclus, &Origene. 2 [...]5. [...]. Tom. 1. L [...]b. 2. Souls sinned before the bodies. Maniches 2 [...]5. Souls in the sunne and moone. Purgatot [...]. Epiphanius in Maniche. Hi [...]ro. Tom. 9. Theodor [...] olimpiod. Souls of the substance of God. Tertullian Lib. 4. contra Marcionem. Bosom [...]of Abraham. Aglaophon, who affirme that the soule is in paradise, and there synneth, and therefore to [...]e thrust and inclosed in ye body as in a prison, for his punishment and purgation.
Neither with the Maniches, who holde that the Soules go into the globe of the moone, and from thence into the globe of the sunne, where when they are sufficiently purged, like as our purgatory proctors defende, they are translated in to the region of saintes.
And they say that y• soules which are in beastes, and men are all one, and to be of the substance of God, with Cerdon & Marcion.
Neither with Tertullian who calleth y• bosome of Abraham no heauenly place, but a region higher then hell, where the soules are refreshed vnto the resurrection: andLib. de anima, Souls in hell vntill the last daye. that this bosome of Abraham is a temporall place for the Soules, are that they are seq [...]stred in hell [Page] vntill the day of the Lorde. Yf theySoules in hell vntill the last day be yet in hell, what needed Christ to descend into hell, or what did he there?
Nor with Origen, who appoyntethOrigene. Soules in an earthly place▪ the soules to be in an earthy Paradise, as in a schoole where they are taught of all things, which they had seene in the worlde. Notwithstanding in the 3. Hom. vponInconstancy. Luke, he sayth, That the soul departed, deserueth to see the Angels, the holy ghost, the Lorde our sauiour, and God the father. Beholde his inconstancie.Arabian. 330. Eu [...]eb. 6. c 37. Soules dye with the bodyes. pristicilianistes anno. 380 Soules of the substance of God. Epiphanius in Anchorato. Soules in a certaine custo dy.
Neither with certaine Arabians, who affirmed that the soules died with the bodyes, and shoulde rise with the bodyes.
Neither with the Priscilianistes, that the soules are of the same nature and substance that God is of, and willing to descende out of heauen, to be exercised in these bodies.
Neither with Epiphanius, that the souls are in a certain custody, there [Page 158] reserued vntill the last day.Lactantius Lib▪ 7. c. 21. & 6. c. 4. Lib. 6. c. 3.
Nor with Lactantius, who appointeth one safe custodye for all the soules vnto the day of iudgement.H [...]erom 488, Abrahā inhel. Soule bege [...] teth the soule. Te [...]tul. Apoli [...]arius. August Lib 83 quaest. 80. Herom ad M [...]lli and A [...]psy. Pelagians. Au gust lib. 4. cō traduas ep [...]t. pelagi [...]norum Soules of in fantes not sinnefull, August, ad quod vult d [...] um.
Neither wt Hierom ad Paulinam, who saye, that Abraham, although that he be in a place of refreshing▪ notwithstanding it is written that [...]e is in hell with Lazarus.
Nor with Tertullian, and others of our dayes, and the [...], who say, that one soule [...] an other, os one bodye an other: whiche errour I haue confuted at large in my boke de animo, and vppon the second of Genesis.
Neither with the Pelagians, who [...]tend that the soules of infantes haue no more sin then Christs had.
Neither with them that affirme, that the souls of the wicked be turnedSoules of the wicked turned into deuels. Chrisostome hom. 18. in 8 Actor [...]m hom 4. in Marki in Luke 16. into deuilles when they are [...]ead.
Neither with Chrysostome, who will haue all good mens souls to be in hell, til Christ descended, and deliuered [Page] them. And likewise none toHom. de dini te & lazaro. Souls vnrewar [...]ed. Chryst. vpon the Hebrues 11. Hom. 28. Beholde his in constancy. receiue any rewarde till the resurrection, but Abraham and paule to looke to be rewarded, and Abel to sitt vncrowned, and Noac likewise though they haue preuented vs in labour, and paines, and conflictes, they shal not preuent vs in crownes, if they be yet vnrewarded, how thē, did Christ deliuer them? where did he bestowe them?Eu [...]hy. vpon 2 [...]. Luke. No righteous man hath re ceiued the promise.
Neither with Eut [...]ymius, who saith, that no iust mans soule as yet hath receiued the promise. The like dothe Theophilact vpon Luk. 23. and Theodoret vpon the 11. to the Hebrues. Aretha vpon the 6. ofBarnard in 2. hom. om▪ sanct Souls in the entry. Iohn 23. pope 13 15. Masseus. No soule shall see God be fore the last day. the Reuelat. with Iustinus Martyr.
Neither with Barnard, who appoynteth the soules to stand in the entry, but not yet entred.
Neither with Iohn the 23. pope of that name, who defended & caused it to bee preached in Paris, that no Soule should see God before the last daye.
[Page 159]Neither with thē y• sende all the fathers before Christ to hell, as Damascene, who saith that Christes soule deified, was made very God and descended into hell, for if his humaine Soule had descended it coulde haue done nothinge, for that it was and is a parte of man.
Neither with the papistes, that saye that infantes dying without Baptisme are damned in Limbo Puerorum.
Neither with the papistes, who make three hells besides the lowest, which we onlye acknowledg, the other the scripture denieth. IsInfantes saued Limbus infan tium. it reason to sende infantes, that dye without Baptisme to hell? to Limbus infantium? are they not foreknowne of God? did he not loue them? are they not in the couenant of the blessed seade of Abraham? are they not written in the boke of life? are they not created of god? are they not y• [Page] children of God? are they not predestinated of God?
Neither with the whole rable of the barbarouse schoolemen, and Doctor Smith nowe of late, who within this two or three hundreth yeares, haue inuented a place calledLimbus patrum. Limbus patrum, the third hell, or fourth after som, where the fathers lay tyll Christe came to fetch them out.
And bicause that the old doctors [...]duced by the translation of the 72. interpretors, being Iewes, that translated the Bible, or rather thorough their ignorance in the hebrue tongue, did send Christe to the nether most hell, for the olde authors knew of no more, but of two places out of this worlde, Heauen, & Hell. Two places. The schoolemen, as Thomas, and Bonauentura with the rest, do not agreeCortesius in 4 sent. d [...]st 3. of the p [...]ating of these helles. For some place Purgatory highest, some Limbus patrum. The olde aucthors that knewe no mo helles but [Page 160] one, sende Christ thither. The barborousThe dunses inuented Lim bus. Dunses supposing that to be an absurdity, that Christ should goe to that hell, where there is no redemption: forged an other place, and called it a parte of hell, or the skirtes of hell, oute of the whicheLimbus pa trum. Purgatory a monge the Grekes was not determi ned neither credited of the Greeks vntill the councell of Fe [...]r in the yeare of Christ 1438. which deter mination when they to turned was re fused & repea led. Math. wys Maries Lut [...] ▪ Bona. Christ fetched the fathers, and termed it Limbus patrum, a place as vnknowne to the scriptures and olde writers, as the word is in that signification in all tongues.
Neither with the Papistes, who affirme, that many souls go to purgatory, whiche some saye is on the right hande, as you go to hel, some on the left, some in mount Aetna in Sicily, some in Torrida Zona, some in the Moone, some in Irelande, as ye maye reade in these verses.
Neither with Empedocles, whoEmped oc. Tusc. 1. The soule bloud. tearmeth y• soule to be [...]bloud about the harte, nor with others, to be a parte of the braine, ▪ for they muste nedes dye with the rest of the body, wherof they are a part.
If the life which is in y• senses, orThe soule is the life. Zeno. The soule is harmony. Aristoxenus. Democritu. The soule of Atomes. Dinarchus. y• fyre, as Zeno phantasieth, it must be quenched.
If the harmony of Aristoxenus, or Atomes of Democritus, it must be dissolued.
If an harmony of the foure Elements, as Dinarchus doteth, it must perish with the Elementes, when we shall haue a new heauen, and a new earth.Seuerus. A woman the worke of the deuil. Epi. Ph. Tom. 3. lib. 1. H [...]. 45.
Neither with Seuerus, wh [...] defended that a woman is the wor [...] of the Deuill, and man from th [...] [Page 162] nauell vpward, is the work of God▪ and from the nauell downward y• worke of Sathan, and matrimony likewise.
Neither with Hierarhcas, that denied that children perteyned to theChildren no [...] saued. Hilar. 6. de Trinit. kingdome of heauen, because y• they had no merites.
Nowe let vs, as we promised define the immortall soule, & proue y• same definition by y• scripture.The soule defined.
The soul is an inuisible substance without a body, created immortall, which God gaue with breathing vpon Adam, what time as his body was made perfecte, and is now infused by GOD into the childe about the sixte moneth after the conception.
His outward breath signifieth that he gaue an inward substance, as when he breathed vpon the Apostles,The breath of God was an outward signe his breath was an outwarde signe, but withe that hee gaue the holye Ghost, so with his breath [...]ee gaue the immortal soule. And thus [Page] I translate the 7. verse of the secōd chapter of Gen.
And Iehoua Elohim hath shaped this man of the mold of the earth: & breathed into his nosethrils the spiriteThe immor tall soule.of liues: & this man was made a liuing creature.
In this verse is conteyned y• perfect creation of man, the body of the earth, the soule from God.Preacher. 12.
This place describeth vnto vs y• soule of man from whence it commeth, and who giueth it, and the immortallity thereof: from heauen it commeth: for Neshama hath hisNeshama▪ Shamaim. name of shamaim heauen, for that the immortall soule commeth from heauen, as I discourse a litle after. And God giueth it, in so muche as he breathed it into man.
And that it is immortall y• wordeCaiim. Caiim liues, whiche is the Duall nomber, declareth: for to other liuing creatures God onelye giueth life, Nephes caiia: y• which he giuethNephes caia▪ the spirite of liues. life, Nephes caiia: y• which he giueth also to man, which signifieth all our [Page 163] senses, mouing bloud, vitall spirit, body, affections, and other faculties which rise with the bodye, and dye with it.
But this spirit of lines declareth an immortallity, that wee liue in this life by faith and hope, and shall liue in the next euerlastingly.
And where ye haue this Hebrue worde Caiim in the duall nomber,Caii [...]. it signifieth immortalitye, as the trée of liues, of the which if Adam had tasted, it woulde haue brought immortallity.
It is no good [...]ense to say that man was made a liuing soule. For man was not made, nor is not a liuing soule, but a liuing creature: for theA liuing soule is the body. soule is but a parte of man, & therefore a man cannot be a liuing soule.
Neyther is the Hebrue worde which is here translated in ye greatestNephes▪ Bible the soule, applied to the immortal soule, but to those powersThe sensiti [...] life. only an qualities, which rise with the bodye, and dye with the bodye. [Page] [...] [...]ē. Neither doth it die with the bodye, as the Sadduces seduced men: Neither are the soules of the same eternity with God: neither are they of the substaunce of God: neither do they goe from men in to beastes:Maniches. Theodoretus. neither frō beastes into mē: neyther haue men and beastes all one soule, as the Maniches do dreame, and as the trāslation to this seuenth ver. seemeth to affirme, in saying that Man was made a liuing soule, which should be trāslated a liuing creature.
The Maniches deny the resurrection of the bodies, and affirme that the soules shall rise onely, for saye they, it is in Paul, The body muste be giuen to Sathan, that the spirite may be saued: wheron they falselie gather, that the bodies shoulde not ryse, but onely the soules.Nephes.
Againe 1. Cor. 15. man is called Nephes a liuing creature, because y• he hath life, bloud, senses, mouing, and affections, as other liuing creatures [Page 165] haue. Man is here called the earth, bicause that he should vnderstandHomo ad hu mo. a man. Anoch. that he is earth & returneth to earth▪ And ther [...]re called in laten Homo an [...] c [...]ature: Anosh in h [...]brue, for that he is mortall, and full of corruption, as in greke brotos.
Neshama, as Esra vpon the 7. of Gen. and Rabby Salomon vpon the 150. Psal. say, is alwayes applied to the immortall soul of man: or els to God: whis [...]h both I will proue in this discourse. It is in GenesisGen. 2. 7.2. 7. Iehoua Elohim fourmed this same man dust of this earth, and breathed into his nosthrelles the breath of liues▪ and this man was made a liuing creature. Thus farre the text.
In the creation of all other creatures, Moses vseth only Elohim, and likewise in the creation of man and woman, Gen. 1, 26. 27. 28. to declare that all thinges are the woorkeman shippe of the [Page] whole Trinity. But here, where h [...] more exquisitely describeth the nature and dignitye of man, he addeth also Iehoua: which is the Essentiall name of God: formed) God facioned the body of the earth, that man may know that hée is but dust. Gen. 3. 16. Gen. 18. 27. Psalme. 103. 14. Psalme. 104. 29. and this body hée calleth [...] liuinge creature: because that man hath the vegetatiue and sensitiue life, cōmon with other liuing creatures: and besides, Nephes Caia [...] Nephes caia. which signify all our senses, bloud▪ [...]omplections, phleme, cholor, me [...] lancholy, & all affections. He breatheth into man Neshmath caim▪Neshmath caim.the spirite or breath of liues: which is the immortall Soule inspired [...] God-For with breathing, which [...] was an outwarde signe, he gaue an inwarde thing, and that was the immortal soule: for as Christ breathing vpon the Apostles, gaue them the giftes of the holye Ghoste: so withe breathing vpon Adam, hee [Page 166] gaue him the immortall Soule. IntoThe immortal soule.his nostrils. why did hée breath in to his nostriles? to signifye vnto vs [...]ude mortall men, that he inspired in inwarde immortall Soule.
Neshama.) The immortall SoulePreacr [...]. [...]. read a note Iob. 12. 10. Gen. 7. 22. Ge [...] 2. is inspired by God, and called Nesh ama, for that it commeth from Heauen, and from God, and thither shall returne: and proper to man and to none other creature. Wherfore, after that Moses had declared that all kinde of beastes had died: hée addeth also man, in whose nose [...]rels was the breath of the SpiriteNeshamath ruac ca [...]m. Gen. 7. 21 2 [...] ▪ 23. of liues.
Neshama is for ye immortal soule in this phrase: Deu. 20. 16. suffer noneDeu. 20 16. [...]o liue, in whom is the immortall Soule Neshama.
He willed them to kill all the men of those seauē nations: and no beastes:Iosua 6. 21. Col hanephes▪ is spoken of man and beast. if hée had meaned both men & beastes, he woulde haue saide Col hanephes: as is specified in Iosua. [Page] 10. 28. 39. 32. 33. 35. 37. 39. 40.
Where as Iosua destroyed manIosua. 10. 28. Iosua. 11. 11. Iosua. 11. 14. and beast, it is added: both Col Hanephes, and Neshama. Iosua left nothing vndestroyed in Hasor: But in the other cities he killed onely the men where Col Neshama is applied only to mankynd.
This kind of spech is oftentimes in scripture, to saye that the soule and lyfe is gone out of the bodye, when as it is but sickened, greued and vexed, as Psa. 107. ver. 5. They were so hongry and thirstie, that their lyfe and soule failed them, notwithstanding they were not deade. So Knataph is vsed psal. 61. verse 3.
A certaine magistrate came to Christ, and sayd that his daughter was dead: But Christ said that she was not dead but slept. Mat. 9. 9. 18. 24. 25. 24.
There was one that brought his Sonne, who had a dumbe spirit to [Page 167] Christ, which when Christ had expulsed, the chylde was as good as dead. In somuch, that many sayde that he was dead. Mar. 9. 17. 26.
There is a manifest place, Act. 20. ver. 7. 10 where a yongman one Eutichus fell out of a window, and they toke him vp dead. Notwithstanding Paul saith that the lyfe was in him.
When as Abigael, had tolde her husband Nabal the heauy message, and violente entent of Dauid, his hart was dead within him, and yet he liued ten dayes after. 1. Kinges. 25. 37. 38.
When Iacob knewe that his son Ioseph was a liue, his spirite reuyued, his spirite was not out of him. Gen. 45. 27.
Raab saith▪ when we heard of you O Israelites, our hartes were amased, neither remayned there any breath or lyfe in vs. Iosu [...]. 2. verse 11.
[Page]There was an Egiptian, who ha [...] neither eaten bread, nor droncke anye water by the space of three daies, vnto whom Dauids souldiours gaue meat & drinke, & his spirite returned into him againe. No [...] withstanding he was not dead [...] kinges 30, 31. 1. Sam 30. 12.
The Quéene of Saba was so [...] nied and in such admiration wi [...] Salomon and his pompe, tha [...] there was no breath nor life in he [...] 3. kinges. 10. 5. 2. Croni, 9. 1.
The wydowes sonne of Sarphat was very sicke but not dead thes [...] are the wordes, his sickenesse was [...]3. Kinges. 17. 17.vehement, that no breath appeared or sturred in him.
Thus far the text, other transla [...] it all rwonge, who say y• there [...] mained no breath in him. For th [...] Hebrue worde Natar is not to [...] maine, but to stur, to leape, to mo [...] as in the 37. of Iob. Mineharte sai [...] Iob is moued out of his place.
Liby veieter mimmocomo: neith [...] [Page 168] was his harte put out of his body,Iob. 37. 1. Ps. 146. Ps. 105. or out of his place, but amased, and troubled. Ps. 146. 7. Iehoua maketh prisoners to sckip Ps. 105. kinge Pha [...]ao made Ioseph to sckipp for ioye when he went out of prison. Besids this, if his Soule had bene out of his body, it had bene in heauen: frō whēce Elyas could not haue fecthed it for it was glorified, and should not haue returned to the corruptyble body, nether saith the text, that theNeshama, Da [...], 10, 17. childe was dead, but very sicke: one may be very sicke and not dead, as this childe was, so whē one is astonied he is as one dead, as Daniel, in whom remayned no breath, yet was not he dead. How coulde he be dead, when he mesured him selfe. 3. times vpon the childe, and by the heate of Elias, the childe not cleane dead remained and recouered and3. Kinges. 17. 2 [...] 22. Nephes. this is proued by the 21. and 22. ver. where Elias desireth God that the life of the childe might be refreshed, restored, renued, recouered, let his [Page] liuely spirit come to him, his sense [...] renewed, his mouing restord.
Let his lyfe returne, that is, let the child be comforted, and his lyfe be restored, so is Shub vsed, ioyned with Nephes▪ Sam▪ 1. 16. [...] ps. 116 8. psa. 19. 8. It is manifest of the [...]kinges 17. 18 mothers complaint, that the childe was not dead, when she sayde, Camest thou to me, to make my sonne dye? Ergo as yet he was not dead. And it appeareth in the prayer of Elias in these wordes, that the child was not dead, but lay in a traunce, O Iehoua my God, willest thou so afflict the widow, and kill her son? Ergo he was not killed as yet. Then saith Elias, O Lorde let the childes lyfe come againe, let him liue againe, let him liue and not die, let him recouer this sicknesse, let him come to himselfe. Shub nephes is eloquentlye expressed in Laten, Colligere se, a man to refresh, to comfort, to recreat and to come to himselfe. God heard the prayer of Elias, verse. [...]. [Page 169] and the child reuiued. Behold (saithGen. 45. 27. Elias: thy sonne liueth: yea he is reuiued: so is Caia vsed Gen. 45. 27. For when Iacob saw the chariots ye Ioseph had sente to fetche him into Egypt, his spirite reuiued, and yet was he no more dead thē this child. So is Caia vsed Gen. 19. 19. to cō fort, to reuiue, to make aliue, & yetGen. 19. 19. Loth was not deade. Lehacheioth Naphshi, If I shall walk (saith Da [...]id) in extreame daunger, thou reuiuest me, thou comfortest me, & preseruest me.
I woulde alleadge an hundreth places to this effecte, if the matter were not euident.
As concerning the child, this saith Pagnine.
He was thought to be as one whose pulses and motion ceased, and breathing appeared not. But as neither Dauid nor Loth were dead, though they were reuiued: no more wasNeshama. this child, though lying in a trance. [Page] Neshama is applied to the sonne ofZarephtha i [...] a towne betwene Tyre & Sidon. Ioseph. 8. c. 7. Neshama. Pro 20. 27. the wydowe of Zarephtha: and to Daniel. 10. 17. and to Christ, Esaye 2. 22. and to man, Iob. 26. 4. Iob. 27. 3. Iob. 34. 14. Ps. 105. where I haue noted more.
Neshama, saith Salomon, Pro. 20. 27 is the lanterne of Iehoua giuen toNeshama Ruac. Esay. 42 5. Esay. 57. 16. Iob. 12. 10. man as a most pretious and immortall iewell, and to lighten man. I. Cor. 2. 16. In Esay, Neshama and Ruac are ioyned together, and giuē Neshama ap pli [...]d to God. by Elohim Iehoua.
Neshama applied to man, it is his immortall soule: to God, it is hisMelancthon. The sorma [...] on of man in the mothers [...]ombe. Lact. de opi fic. c. 29 G [...]m. Psal▪ 139. 16. 72. interpre tors. Read my booke de ani [...]o. spirite▪ power, grace, and might. Iob. 4. 9. Iob. 26. 4. Iob. 32. 8. Iob. 33. 4. Iob. 37. 10. Psal. 18. 16. Esay. 30. 33.
Let vs declare y• whole formation of man. The first sixe dayes after generation and conception, yt thing ther begun is a rude piece without fourme, or faciō, an imperfect masse which Dauid calleth Golē. And this imperfecte creature is declared lik [...] [Page 170] wise by Racam, & Iatser, which signifieNow it is called [...] ▪ and faetus, in hebrue go lem. to make a thinge vnperfect, which he made by dayes.
And after 12. [...]aies the liuer, hart and braine are made. This verse woulde bee otherwise translated then it is in the Geneua bible. In the conception of Christ, who was conceiued of the seede of Mary, by an other worde the angell calleth itLuk. 1. 35. Math. 1. 20 [...], and in Mathewe it is [...]. And in dede Christ was [...]ourmed first vnperfectlye of y• seed [...] of Mary in the matrice, as Dauid was, least that we should imagineDimerit. with the Dimerites that the body of Christ was Coessentiall with theMonothelites Eutychians. diuinity and Godhead. In the same errour were the Monothelites and Eutychians: The childe vulcurio.
After the conception, that thinge that is conceiued hath none other life, vntill the. 70. day, or at mosteVegetatiue life. vntill the 100. daye, then the vegetatiue lyfe, which is common with [...]ll other liuinge creatures as [Page] well herbes, plantes, trées, beastes, [...]nsitiue life. fishes, foules, as men: and consisteth in growing, norishing, and encreasing: and from the 70. or 100. day after the conception, vntill the 6. moneth commeth into it the sensitiueHierom. August. de. Ecclesiast. dogma. c. 18. life: and this is onely in beastes, in animantibus, and in men, and not in hearbes and trées: & this consisteth in féeling, descerning, desiring, mouing, willing, séeing,The immor [...]all soule. hearing, breathing, fearing, & sorrowing.
About the sixt moneth the immortal soul is infused. And Paul 1. The [...] ▪ 5. 13. maketh this diuision, where he saith: The God of peace keepe you sound and whole, that your spirite, life, and body, maye be kepte safe, and without blame, vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. The spirit he calleth the immortallPreach. 12. 7. Iob. 26. 4. &c. 27. 3. soule, as Salomon doth: the life the senses, and vitall spirite, with affections: the bodye the receptacle of both: and encreaseth, and groweth [Page 171] as thinges vegetatiue do.
Gregory Nissene is of mine opinion, as concerning the exposition of this place. Neyther Lyra, nor the Ordinary glose differ greatly from me. I expound it of the soul, as doth Didimus who is reproued of Augustine,August. Tom: 3. de Eccles. dogm. c. 19.Chrysostome, and Theodoret who reproue Apollinarius for expoū ding it as I do. Ambrose, Theodoret, Theodoret, dial 2. The spirite. and Augustine, call this spirite the grace of the holy ghost: I call it the soule.
The Gréekes and Latines, folowingAugust. Tom. 4 quaest. ex vet. test. c. 23. Theodoret in Haret Fab. the 72. Interpretours, as Augustine, and Theodoret, proue by the 21. of Exod. that the soule must needes come into the body, when ye body is perfect with all his partes, [...]ineamentes, and proportion: wher Moses giueth this lawe, That if a man beate a woman, and if the childExod. 21. 22.shal not be borne with his ful shape, thē he that caused her to deliuer her [...]hild, shall yeeld life for life: but if [...]t be without shape, hee shall by ar [...] bitrament [Page] paye according to theIob. 10. ver. 8. [...]. 10. 11.request of her husbande. Which place, saith Augustine, Iob in like manner discribeth. First, the whole frame and proportion of the body, and then the immortall soule, in theWhich is go [...]em. in Psal. [...]39. 29. Mola embryo 10. ver. he saithe that God poured him out like milke, and like cruddes of cheese hath put him together. And in the 11. verse he addeth theThe immor [...]all soule Caiim. Ruac Ruac. Luk. 23. 46. Psa. 31. 6. Act. 7. 59. Caiim is the immortall [...]oule. frame of the whole bodye, as skyn, fleshe, bones, and sinewes, and in the 12. verse. The immortall soule, which God gaue him of his aboundant mercy, and the same soule he calleth his spirite, as Christ doth.
Iob putteth the Hebrue word Caiim in the duall nomber, to declare that God gaue him two liues, one here in this world, and an other in the next, immortality.
Let vs now ioyne vnto these the creation of Adam the first man, that we may consider howe all these do agrée.
Who gaue this soule? God did inspire [Page 172] it. What did he inspire? the i [...] Gen. 2. 7. [...] [...] C [...]m. Nesham [...] Caiim. mortall soule. What calleth he that? Nishmath caiim. What is Neshma? and what is Caiim? Neshama is the immortall soule which God dothe giue, and Caiim is ioyned with it in the duall nomber, to declare the immortality of it, both in this life and in the next.
In the 57. of Esay God is saide toEsay. 57. 16. make the soules Nishmath. Of the which there I haue noted, and very largely vpon Iob. 26.
Esra writing vpon the 7. of Gen. saith that Neshama is proper to man onely, & Rabby Abraham y• it is not founde without man. Reade my note vpon the 150. Ps.
Iosephus to answere both to NishmathIosephus lib. [...]Caiim, and to Nephes caia, translateth them [...], meaning as Moses doth by Neshama and Caiim the immortall soule [...] caii [...] the life [...] by Nephes caia the life which is [...]egetatiue and sensitiue.
[Page]This place is expounded by theW [...]dom. 15. [...] 11. 15. chapter of Wisdome, where it saith, that God giueth to man a working life. [...], expressing ye sensitiue life, vttered by Moses in N [...]hes Caia, and Neshmath Caiim, it calleth the vitall spirite,Ruac. immortall soule. Prea. 12. 7. [...], the immortal soul. Read my note vpon Wisdome 15. The immortall soul is called Ruac, which returneth to God that gaue it. If it returne to God, Ergo from God it commeth, and from heauen. For they say, y• Neshama hath hisNeshama. name of Shamaiim, heauen, because that from thence the soul commeth, and thither returneth.
Thither returned the soul of Adā immediatly after his departure outAdam. of ye body: thither Enoch his body & soul [...] as some say: thither Abrahams soul, thither all the faithfull fathers soules, thither Elias with his bodye in the sighte of Elisaeus, thither the poore Lazarus soule in Luke, thither Christ himself in the presence of his [Page] Apostles, thither the soul of Stephā, Luk. 16. Act. 2. Act. 7. thither Elias and Christe ascended, euen vnto the seate and maiestie of Iehoua: as in a figure at the next impression (Godwilling) shall be manifestly, & more at large expressed, together with other matter, & figures to this booke appertaining.