A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 50. Of errors contrary to the Identitie of the covenant of grace distinguished into the old and new.

THe Identitie in substance of the covenants of grace distinguished into old and new, doth both discover sundry errors, and also instruct us in sundry principles of religion. Of those instructions, see §. 51.

1. Errors discovered thereby are such as these,* 1.1

• 1. That none but temporall blessings were promised under the Law. This was an error of Servetus, and sundry others. They do not consider that the temporall blessings promised were types of heavenly: hereupon it is said of the Patriarks and other believing Jewes, that they desired a better country, that is an heavenly, Heb. 11. 16. As the covenant made with them, was the same in substance with that which is made with us; so they had the same object of faith and hope that we have. See v. 5. §. 13.
• 2. That there was one way for attaining salvation under the law, and another un∣der* 1.2 the Gospell. This was one of Socinus his errors. By this the cove∣nant of works is revived, and the Church under the Law subjected to that covenant. By this an essentiall difference is made between the old and

• new Testament: whereas in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 stance they are both one and the same, as is shewed, §. 49. By this position, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 which Gods word made dif∣ferent (as the covenant of works, and the old covenant of grace) are made one: and the things which God makes one and the same in substance, are in substance made different: as the old and new covenant.
• 3. That the souls of the faithfull before Christ passed not into heaven, the place* 1.3 of glorious Angels and glorified Saints, but into a supposed place under the earth, which they call Limbus Patrum. This is the error of Papists. They make four places, for the souls of those who depart out of this world, under the earth.
  • 1. Hell, properly so called, which is the lowest: an everlasting place of in∣tolerable* 1.4 torment for such as die in mortall sins.
  • 2. Purgatory, which they place next above Hell: where are intolerable tor∣ments; but only for a time, for such as dye in veniall sins.
  • 3. A place called Limbus Infamum, which they place immediatly above •…•…∣gatory: and make it a place of darknesse, without pain: but also with∣out heavenly blisse: and this for such infants as dye unbaptized, there to abide everlastingly.
  • ...

    4. The foresaid limbus patrum: which they make the uppermost of them all: a place of darknesse: but free from th•…•… paines of hell and purgatory: and withall from the joyes of heaven. Here, they say, the soules of the faith∣full that dyed before Christ, were reserved: but freed from thence by Christs descent into hell.

    All these places except hell are fictions of their own brain, and have no ground in sacred Scripture.

    Concerning limbus patrum, (for the other fictions, I passe by) the con∣ceit thereof is directly against the identity of the two covenants of grace in substance. For if the same covenant in substance were made with the faithfull before Christ, that is made with the faithfull since Christ, surely then they all partake of the same substantiall priviledges. They be∣fore Christ believed on Christ, as we do, Rom. 4. 3. They obtained re∣mission of sins, Rom. 4. 7. They were reconciled unto God, and adopted to be Gods children. Why then should not they partake of the same glory, that we do? Christ implyeth that they do so, Matth. 8. 11. The translati∣on of Enoch, (Gen. 5. 24.) and rapture of Eliiah into heaven (2 King 2. 11.) are evidences hereof. See Chap. 9. v. 15. §. 90.

• ...

  4. That the souls of the faithfull before Christ passed into a place of rest and re∣freshing,* 1.5 but not into that place, whither now the souls of the faithfull 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Christs ascention do passe.

  There is an error of Arminius and his followers. Many of them deny the fore∣said limbus patrum. But yet come too neer unto it; They cannot determine where this place of refreshing is. Even their opinion is refuted by the Iden∣tity of the old and new covenant of grace. Christ was a lamb slain from the be∣ginning of the world (Rev. 13. 8.) that is, his sacrifice was to all purposes 〈◊〉〈◊〉 effectuall, before it was offered up, as after: and thereupon he is said to be the same yesterday, today, and for ever, Heb. 13. 8.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Error. Temporall blessings only under the law.
• * 1.2

  2. Error. Two wayes to heaven.
• * 1.3

  3. Error. Limbus Pa∣trum Bellarm. Tom. 1. de, Christo. lib. 4. cap. 1.
• * 1.4

  Et Tom. 2. de Purgat. Lib. 2. cap. 6.
• * 1.5

  4. Error. An unknown place of bl•…•…sse.