Of the redemption of mankind three bookes wherein the controuersie of the vniuersalitie of redemption and grace by Christ, and of his death for all men, is largely handled. Hereunto is annexed a treatise of Gods predestination in one booke. Written in Latin by Iacob Kimedoncius D. and professor of Diuinitie at Heidelberge, and translated into English by Hugh Ince preacher of the word of God.

CHAP. VIII. The question of the redemption of the old fathers is handled, and a double opinion about the same is confuted.

BVt hereupon another question ariseth concerning the fa∣thers, who dyed before the birth of Christ, whether re∣demption appertained also to them?* 1.1 The Marcionites and their like, to wit, the Manichees of old time denied it, who held, that no man was saued before the 15. yeare of Tiberius, as Epiphanius reporteth.* 1.2 Whom that most filthie Seruetus followed, and many other of the sect of the Anabaptists, who

foolishly say,* 1.3 that the Israelites no otherwise thē as a heard of swine, were satted of the Lord in the land of Canaan, with∣out any hope of heauenly immortalitie. But this monstrous error is easily refuted by many places of the Scripture, from which wee will onely choose a few. Certainly the author to the Hebrewes tieth together a long rew of the olde fathers,* 1.4 who pleased God before Christ was exhibited to the world, and were made heires of that righteousnes which is of faith.* 1.5 What meaneth that forme of the couenant: I will be thy God, and the God of thy seede?* 1.6 and that which was said: I am the God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob? do they not shew that they were partakers of grace, whereof Christ is the onely foundation? Whereto also tendeth that notable saying of the Lord, Ioh. 8. Abraham desired to see my daie, and he saw it, and reioyced. Neither is any kingdome promi∣sed vnto vs in the Gospell, then that wherein wee should sit with Abraham,* 1.7 Isaac and Iacob, and all the elect of God that come from East and West. But those fathers dyed before the comming of Christ in the flesh. What then? They had in the meane while the promise of Christ to come, the ground of their hope and confidence. Neither doth the force of the death of Christ extend it selfe vnto our times only, but to the fathers also, euen from the beginning of the world. For Iesus Christ yesterday,* 1.8 to day, and for euer is the same, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 13.8. Hee meaneth that Christ was not onely in times past; as touching his diuinitie, as it is said of him else∣where: Before Abraham was, I am: but such as he is now, such was he of olde, and now is, and shall remaine for euer, mercifully to saue and defend his owne. In which sense also the place, Apoc. 13.8. is truly read, of the lambe slaine before the foundations of the world were laid, to wit, as touching the counsell of God and the perpetuall vertue of this sacri∣fice:* 1.9 as also among the old writers Ambrose taketh that say∣ing vpon the 5. to the Romanes. Yet I denie not but the Greeke text in that place may thus also be construed: Whose names are not writtē from before the foundations of the world, &c. because of the very like place, Apoc. 17.8. We conclude

therefore with Augustine,* 1.10 that the same faith healed the righ∣teous of olde time, which healeth vs, euen the faith of Iesu Christ the Mediatour of God and men, the faith of his blood, the faith of his crosse. And in another place he saith:* 1.11 The on∣ly grace of the Sauiour destroyeth the kingdome of death in e∣uery one, which grace wrought also in the old Saints, whosoe∣uer, before Christs comming in the flesh, leaned vpon his hel∣ping grace, and not vpon the letter of the law, which comman∣deth onely, and helpeth nothing.

Yet here is not to be omitted,* 1.12 that many doe so extend the benefit of redemption vnto the old righteous men, that they notwithstanding denie that any one entered into the king∣dome of heauen before the death of Christ, whereby they vnderstand, that the gate of heauen was at the length ope∣ned. And if a man aske; whither then were the soules of the godly in old time receiued? they answere: into Hell, that is forsooth Limbus patrum. Hereupon the booke de Ecclesia∣sticis dogmat. which is fathered vpon Augustine, chap. 78. and 79. defineth thus: Before the passion of the Lord all the soules of the Saints were kept in hell vnder the debt of Adams transgression, vntill through the vndeserued death of the Lord they were deliuered from that seruile condition: but after his ascension into heauen, all the soules of the Saints departing out of the bodie, goe vnto Christ, as the soules of sinners vnto hell. And Hierome vpon Ecclesiast. chap. 3. writeth: that before the comming of Christ all went to hell to bee held in darknes: and heauenly things were shut vp, vntil Christ with the theefe vnlocked the dores of Paradise. Basill also mentioneth this opinion vpon the 48. Psalme, and many other of the old wri∣ters. And this is almost the common opinion of the Schoole∣men, who adde this declaration, that the holy fathers suffered in hell no punishment of sense, but only punishment of losse, to wit, exclusion from the life of glorie. And the cause of this detaining of the fathers in hell, they make to bee the guil∣tines of all mans nature through originall sinne, which none of the Saints faith or righteousnesse was able to re∣moue, but it should bee remoued at length by the price of

the blood of Christ. Thomas part. 3. quaest. 42. artic. 5.

But this deuise of Limbus patrum, though it hath manie founders, yet it is nothing but a fained thing. For there is but one way to loose vs from the guiltines of euery sinne, as well actuall as originall:* 1.13 because the blood of Christ doth wash vs from all sin, saith S. Iohn. Not then from originall only: as Paul also generally speaketh to Titus:* 1.14 He gaue himselfe to redeeme vs from all sinne or iniquitie. Neither doth Thomas denie it in the place before cited,* 1.15 which is to be noted against the horrible blasphemie of Catharinus, and such like Papists, who affirme that the passion of Christ doth purge onely ori∣ginall sinne, and those actuall sinnes which are committed of a man before Baptisme: but all other sinnes which follow, are not now to be purged by that sacrifice, but by the Masse. Certainly Thomas writeth flatly: that by the passion of Christ we are deliuered, not onely from the common sinne of all mans nature, both as touching the offence, and also the guiltines of the offence, he paying a price for vs: but also from the proper sinnes of euery one of vs, who communicate with his passion through faith, charitie and the sacrament of faith.

* 1.16But the holy fathers (as the same Thomas confesseth) in old time while they liued, were freed from the guiltines of the pu∣nishment of actuall sinnes through faith in Christ. Therefore by the same faith they were also freed from the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne of necessitie: or els if they [ 1] were detained in hell, being excluded from glorie, and suffe∣red the punishment of losse (as they speake) for originall sin, it must be alike confessed also that they were punished with the paine of sense for their actuall sinnes.

[ 2] Further: Who reueiled vnto them that originall sinne in hell is punished only with the paine of losse, and not of sense, that is to say, with the exclusion onely from the life of glorie without feeling of any sorrow?

[ 3] Beside this, we reade Luk. 16. that poore Lazarus was ca∣ried by Angels into Abrahās bosome, where he had ioy, and that the rich man in hell lifting vp his eyes saw Lazarus a farre off: and also that Abraham said: Betweene vs and you there

is a great gulfe firmely set. It is absurd, as Augustine noteth, ad Euod. Epist. 99. that only two, Abraham and Lazarus were then in that memorable bosome of rest. If (saith he) there were more then two there, who dare say, that the Patriarches and Prophets were not there? From hence thus I reason: The Patriarches and Prophets and the rest that were righte∣ous in old time, were receiued into Abrahams bosome: ther∣fore not into hell. The consequence is proued, because hell in the Scripture is no where taken in good part. But that bo∣some of Abraham is vsed in good part, as the habitation of a memorable and certaine secret rest. Therefore we must not beleeue that that bosome was some part of hell. This reason is wholly Augustines vnto Euodius. And the same he pro∣ueth by the words of our highest teacher saying, that Abra∣ham said: Between vs and you there is set a great gulfe: wher∣of sufficiently appeareth (saith Augustine) that the bosome of so great felicitie, is not any part or member as it were of hell.

He addeth also this proofe: If the Scripture (saith he) had [ 4] said, that Christ being dead came into that bosome of Abra∣ham, not naming hell and the sorowes thereof, no man durst haue affirmed that therefore he descended into hell.

Now let the reader consider,* 1.17 whether these reasons drawne by Augustine out of the Scripture, deserue more credite then the trifling words of the Schoolmen, who haue deuised foure hels, that is, the hell of the damned, Purgatorie, and the two Limboes, one for Infants, the other where the holie fathers were before Christ: which last they make a part of hell con∣trary to the reasons brought out of Augustine.

Hereunto may bee added, that a man may see the deuisers [ 5] of Limbus patrum to be much troubled in assigning the deli∣uerance of the godly soules out of that prison. For sometime they attribute it to the passion of Christ, whereby he loosed the guiltines of the punishment of originall sinne, wherein the fathers (as they thinke) were detained in hell, and opened the gate of the kingdome of heauen. Sometime they teach that it was needful for the soule of Christ to descend into the

hell of the fathers, that it might absolue there all the Saints, who were bound with originall sinne, where they almost make Christs descension penall vnto him, as Aquinas part. 3. quaest. 52. art. 1. teacheth, that it was meete for Christ to des∣cend into hell, because he came to beare our punishment, and that was (saith he) not onely the death of the bodie,* 1.18 but also descension in hell. Sometime againe they decree ma∣sterlike, that, albeit those soules were made blessed in Christs descension, and so heauen was straightway set open vnto thē, as touching the reward of blisse: yet it was not open as tou∣ching the place, till Christ ascending into heauen, took them together with him.

But why dissent they from the old writers, whose opinion they would seeme to follow? for Hierome (as wee cited) would haue heauen onely shut vp,* 1.19 till Christ with the theefe vnlocked the gates of paradise. Further, if they would seeme very skilfull in heauenly secrets, let them shew vs, where then did the soules of the Saints abide all that space of 40. daies betweene the resurrection and ascension of the Lord? For being loosed from the band of original sinne, wherewith they were tied in hell, they could not bee detained there any lon∣ger, but with their iniurie, and the iniurie of Christs blood, through whom libertie to enter into the Sanctuarie was ob∣tained, and yet (as they wil haue it) they were not in heauen. Where then wandred they? The same may bee obiected of the soules of the godly, as many as slept in the said space of 40. dayes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The error of the Marcionits and Manichees
• * 1.2

  Epiph. de hae∣res. Manich.
• * 1.3

  Tertul. lib 4. contra. Marci. vltra medium.
• * 1.4

  Heb. 11.
• * 1.5

  Gen. 17.
• * 1.6

  Exod. 3. Matth. 22.
• * 1.7

  Matth. 8.
• * 1.8

  Heb. 13.
• * 1.9

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.10

  August. de na••. & gra. cap. 44.
• * 1.11

  Lib. 1. de pecca. merit. & re∣miss. cap. 11.
• * 1.12

  Of the fathers Limbus.
• * 1.13

  1. Ioh. 1.
• * 1.14

  Tit. 2.
• * 1.15

  part. 3. q. 49. art. 5. Cath. archiepis. lib. Romae edit•• cum priuil. pap. 1552.
• * 1.16

  part. 3. q. 52. art. 5. Reasons a∣gainst the old fathers being in Limbo, or Hell.
• * 1.17

  The Schoole∣mens fained deuises of foure hels.
• * 1.18

  Bonau. dist. 22. quaest. 6. lib. 3. Gabr. ead. q. artic. 3. Thom. part. 3. q. 52. & 57.
• * 1.19

  A doubt pro∣pounded to the schoolmen to be resolued.