The defence of the article: Christ descended into Hell VVith arguments obiected against the truth of the same doctrine: of one Alexander Humes. All which reasons are confuted, and the same doctrine cleerely defended. By Adam Hyll, D. of Diuinity.

Hill.

Two vntruthes are in these few words. First you say I make much adoo about Sheol against almost all the learned men of this age. There are on my side Luther, Aepinus, Felinus, Pomeranus, Lucas Lossius, Selueccer, Vrbanus Rhegius, The authors of the Centuries, Erasmus, Chy∣traeus, Mollerus, Peter Martyr, Lauaterus, Prouerb. 27. In England Lambert, Robert Samuel, Latimer, Becon, Hutchinson, Fox, and Nowell. Héere are 20. most lear∣ned men of these latter times, as I can shewe you in my poore Library, besides that most learned and reuerend Fa∣ther M. Allen, and besides the aduised iudgement of the learned Conuocations of England not only in King Ed∣wards raigne, Anno Domini. 1552. but also since the raigne of her Maiestie. 1571. In the which Conuocati∣ons I am perswaded were as learned men as any were either in England or Europe. Therefore the learned reader must either thinke you a man of little reading, and that you neuer sawe these learned mens workes, or else of great malice, that you will disable all these for learning, who left a better testimonie behinde them then euer you will, vnlesse you haue more then you haue shewed in this aun∣swere. The other vntruth is, that Sheol in the 16. Psalme doth signifye the torments of hell, which Christ suffred in his passion on the crosse. That this is vntrue it is manifest* 1.1 not by conceit, but by Peters Sermon, Act 2, 31. Hee knowing this before spake of the resurrection, that his soule was not left in hell, nor his flesh sawe corruption: You say it is spoken of the passion, Peter saith it is spoken of the resurrection: and good cause hath he so to say, for the words going before and comming after doo prooue it. The wordes going before are these, Psalm. 16, 9. Wherefore my hart was glad, my glory reioyseth, my flesh also shall rest in hope: The words following in the 11. verse

are these: Thou shalt shewe me the path of life, in thy presence is the fulnes of ioy, and at thy right hand are pleasures for euermore. Where can you finde your tor∣ments, in the word (glad) or in the word (reioiseth) or in the word (rest) or in these words (fulnesse of ioy) or in these (pleasures for euermore.) Was Christ glad of his tor∣ments? Did he reioise or wéepe in them? Who would deliuer this doctrine but he that wanteth either science or conscience, or both. To lye once is a fault, but to affirme it twice is a greater fault. To speake a lye is hurtfull, but to write a lye aduisedly is more hurtfull. To lye in a matter politicall is dangerous, but to lye in deuine matters with∣out spéedie repentance is damnable. You say no vantage is geuen to me nor inconuenience to you, if you graunt Sheol to be Hell: Let your friends iudge what vantage you haue geuen to the truth, and shame to your selfe by gainsaying Saint Peter, and by affirming, that in the resurrection are torments, where Dauid and Peter say are fulnes of ioy and pleasures for euermore. Therefore it is the saying of Peter, that Christs soule was not left in hell, and not my conceit, and it is deceit in you to affirme the contrary. Further where you say that Tremellius and Iunius are better learned in the Hebrew language then my selfe, I confesse it, so are the Iewes themselues then Tremellius and Iunius, shall I therefore beléeue the Iewes? no more will I beléeue the Translation of any other learned man, if hée disagrée with Dauid and Saint Peter. Final∣ly, to aunswere your curious question, you aske me in what hell was Christs soule before his buriall? To this I answere, in that hell whither all Infidels goe for their vnbeliefe. I reade but of one Hell, if you knowe any more let me sée your proofe, and then will I tell you into what hell Christ descended. But who but you doth thinke it an vnpossible thing for a soule to descend into hell before the body be buried? The soule in an instant passeth to heauen or hell, but the body I am sure must haue time to be buried: for

bodies are in places circumscriptiuely, Angels and soules definitiuely, and God is in all places vniuersally. And the soule came out of hell into the body, before the body could come out of the graue: therefore most aptly it is saide Acts 12. 31. Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell, nor suffer my flesh to see corruptiou. For as Augustine saith in his 57. epistle ad Dardanum,

That was spoken of his soule which came from hell so quickly, this of his body which could not corrupt by reason of his spéedy resurrection: and writing on the 85. Psalme he saith: wherefore this is his voice in the Psalme not by any mans coniecture, but by the expasition of th'apostle, Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell, nor suffer thy holy one to sée corruption.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M. Humes disagreeth with Saint Peter.