A supplement to Knowledge and practice wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to salvation are more fully explained, and several new directions given for the promoting of real holiness both of heart and life : to which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and customary sins of the times, viz. swearing, lying, pride, gluttony, drunkenness, uncleanness, discontent, covetousness and earthly-mindedness, anger and malice, idleness / by Samuel Cradock ... useful for the instruction of private families.

SECT. VI. Of that Article in the Creed. He descended into Hell.

AFter Christs Crucifixion, Death, and Burial, the Creed sub∣joyns He descended into Hell. In treating of which I must in the first place suggest this, that this Article of Christs descent into Hell was not in the antient Creeds. 'Tis not found in the Rules of Faith delivered by Irenaeus. lib. 1. c. 2. by Origen. lib. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or Tertullian, Adversus Prax. cap. 2. 'Tis not in those Creeds that were made by the Councils as explications of this Creed; particularly not in the Nicene, where the words are these, He was Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures. It was not in the Roman, or any of the Oriental Creeds. This being premised we come to consider this Article, which cannot with any shew of reason be understood of Christs Divine nature, which is every where present, and cannot be said either to ascend or descend. It must therefore be understood of his humane nature. And here it will be needful to enquire whether it be to be understood of his Soul or of his Body. If it be to be understood of his Soul, it must be meant either Metaphorically

or really. Some understand it Metaphorically, and so by Christs descent into Hell they understand those inexpressible sufferings of his Soul,a (which of all his sufferings, were the most grievous) by which he felt the wrath of God in his Soul for our sins. But these sufferings were all antecedent to his death, he having suffered part of them in the Garden, and part on the Cross, and all be∣fore he commended his Spirit into the hands of his Father, and said it is finished and gave up the ghost. But the descent into Hell (as it now standeth in the Creed) seems to signifie some∣thing done after his death. Besides, the torments of the damned are surely such as these, 1. Remorse of Conscience or the never∣dying worm. 2. A bitter sence of an utter rejection from the fa¦vour of God. 3. Despair of ever being eased of that unsupportable misery; Now certainly none of these could befall our Saviour. He did not endure so much as for a moment any of the Hellish torments. Therefore surely in this sense Christs Soul did not de∣scend into Hell. Others hold that Christs Soul did really and by a local motion descend into Hell. This they pretend. 1. To prove and that from three places of Scripture. And 2. To assign the ends for which he did thus descend. We shall examine both. First They say, that though these words are not formally expres∣sed in the Scriptures, that Christ descended into Hell, yet they are contained virtually in them, which they will prove. 1. From Eph. 4.9. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also de∣scended, first into the lower parts of the earth? by which they under∣stand Hell. For answer, by the lower parts of the earth, I hum∣bly conceive is meant, the earth it self, which is the lowest part of the World, as Heaven is the highest. For before Christ could ascend unto Heaven, it was necessary he should descend to the Earth by his incarnation, but there was no necessity of his de∣scending into Hell. And further, the Grave may be called one of the lower parts of the earth in opposition to the surface or upper part of it, on which we live. And this is all that seems to be meant in this place. 2. They pretend to prove it from 1 Pet. 3.19. where 'tis said, that Christ being put to death in his humane nature, was quickned or raised up again by the power of his Spirit or God-head, by which he preached to the Spirits in Prison, whence they infer that he descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits there in torments. Answer, From these words it

appeareth. 1. That Christ preached in the dayes of Noah by the same Spirit, by the vertue and power of which, he was raised from the dead. But that Spirit was not his Soul but something of a greater power. 2. those to whom he preached were disobe∣dient all that time, the long-suffering of God waited for their re∣pentance and return, while the Ark was preparing. And 3. Their Souls or Spirits, for their disobedience, are now in Hell, and for refusing of that mercy that was offered to them by the preaching of Christ. 'Tis true indeed, this was not performed by an immediate act of the Son of God, as if he had personally appeared on earth and actually preached to the old world, but it was performed by the Ministry of Noah (who was guided and inspired by his Spirit) and accordingly is called a preacher of Righteousness, 2 Pet. 2.5. The third place they alledge for the maintenance of their opinion is, Acts 2.25, 26, 27, (a place that relates to Psal. 16.10.) Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, &c. Therefore (say they) surely Christs Soul did locally descend into Hell. I Answer, Soul is sometimes taken properly only for the Soul or Spirit of a man, sometimes improperly, for the whole person as Acts 27.37. We were in the Ship two hundred three∣score and sixteen Souls. Sometimes the Hebrew word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Nephesh, which signifies a Soul, doth also signifie a dead body, as Levit. 19.28. Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, Levit. 21. v. 1. There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people, Numb. 6.6. All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body. In all which places the word rendred here the dead or dead body is Nephesh. And Anima is used pro cadavere, in Virgils Aeneiad. 3. animamque Sepul∣chro condimus. And as the word Nephesh sometimes signifies a dead body and might have been so rendred in Psal. 16.8. so the word Sheol there rendred Hell does also sometimes signifie the grave. As Psal. 55. v. 15 Let death seise upon them, and let them go down quick into Hell: Psal. 141.7. Our bones are scattered at the graves mouth, where the word Sheol signifies the grave and not a place or receptacle of Souls under the earth. And let this be further considered that these words are to be un∣derstood only of Christs Resurrection (as appears plainly by the Apostles drift, v. 31.) and prove not at all the deliverance of his Soul out of Hell, but of his body from the Grave. And if the

words instead of, [Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell,] had been rendred thus (as the Hebrew words, as we have shewn, will well bear) thou wilt not leave my dead body in the Grave, nor suffer thine holy one to see Corruption, there had been no pretence to alledge this place to prove Christs descent into Hell. Having thus examined their Scripture-grounds for this Doctrine, I come now to consider the ends assigned by them, why our Saviour should thus descend. And those are two,

1. Some hold that he descended into Hell to deliver the Souls of the Patriarchs detained till then (as they sup∣pose) in limbo Patrum, that is, in an out-skirt, or outward region of Hell, where they suffered no pain indeed, yet wanted the joys of heaven. I Answer, There is no ground to believe that the Souls of the Patriarchs or other Righte∣ous Persons, that died before the coming of Christ, were kept in any place below, which can be called hell or limbus Patrum. Abraham's bosom surely was in the Heavens above, far from any region where the Devil, and his Angels were. Elias was carried up in a Chariot to Heaven; and our Saviour sayes, Many shall come from the East and West, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Ja∣cob in the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 8.11. And surely the Kingdom of Heaven is no region of Hell. This also must be remembred, that Christs death was efficaci∣cous for the Salvation of Believers before his coming as well as since, he being a Lamb slain (in the decree of God) from the beginning. And there∣fore no necessity to place the Patriarchs in limbo, our Saviour ha∣ving by his Allsufficient merits, and intercession provided a better place for them.

2. Others say that the end of our Saviours descent into Hell was to triumph over Satan, and all the powers below, within their own dominions. And the places of Scripture they bring to prove it are Col. 2.14 15 He blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of

the way, nailing it to his Cross: And having spoiled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. And Ephes. 4.8. Wherefore he saith, when he ascended up on High, he led Captivity Captive and gave gifts unto men. I Answer. From these two places of Scripture no more can be proved than this, that Christ triumphed over Principalities and Powers at his death upon the Cross, and led Captivity Captive at his ascen∣sion into Heaven. And if the places be well weighed, I believe they will be so far from proving that Christ descended into Hell to triumph there, that they will appear more proper to perswade the contrary. For why shoud he go to Hell to triumph over them, over whom he had triumphed on the Cross? And why should he go to Captive that Captivity then, which he was to lead Captive when he ascended into Heaven? And further, in vain shall we pretend that Christ descended into Hell to lead Captivity Captive if we withal maintain, that when he descended thither, he brought none away that were Captive there. And for his triumphing over his enemies in Hell, surely the Prophet David intended no such thing when he said, Acts 2.26, 27. Therefore did my heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell. He speaks of it as a matter of joy and gladness, as a matter of great benefit not to be left there. But can it be accounted a benefit or matter of joy to any one not to be left or permitted to stay in that place to which he came pur∣posely that he might triumph over his adversaries, whom he had conquered? surely no. So that there seems not to be any suf∣ficient ground to assign either of these for the ends of his suppo∣sed descent. But to come closer to the matter, none need trou∣ble themselves to find out ends why our Saviour should descend thither, seeing there is no express place in the Scripture where the Holy Ghost sayes, that Christ did descend into Hell, the place of the damned. The four Evangelists that wrote the History of our Saviour make no mention of his going to any such place. The Apostle Paul. 1 Cor. 15.1, 2. mentions Christs Death, Bu∣rial, and Resurrection, but not a word of his descent into Hell. This was no part of the Gospel which Paul Preached. And for the further clearing of this matter, let us consider these things. 1. His God-head could not descend, being every where present as we said before. 2. His Body was laid in the Grave.

3. His Soul went not to Hell, but immediately to Paradise the place of joy and bliss, Luke 23.43. This day (sayes our Savi∣our to the penitent Thief) shalt thou be with me in Paradise. These things being premised I see not that this article of Christs de∣scent can be understood of his Soul either metaphorically or really. Others therfore understood it of his body. And here also is some difference. For some by Christs descending into Hell understand only his burial, because in those Creeds where this Article of Christs descent was expressed, there is no mention of his Burial, but it is wholly omitted. Thus the Athanasian Creed, who suffered for our Salvation, descended into Hell, rose again the third day from the Dead. And Ruffinus tells us, that though the Oriental and Roman Creeds had not these words in them, that Christ descended into Hell, yet they had the sense of them in the word Buried. By which it appears that the first intention of putting these words into the Creed was to express the burial of our Saviour, and the descent of his body 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 into an invisible place, namely, the Grave. The Aquileian Creed is the first that we read of, that mentioned both his burial and descent into Hell: But Ruffinus thinks they intended by both expressions one and the same thing, though others by mistake (as it seems) did from the latter ex∣pression conclude that our Saviours Soul did actually and locally descend into Hell. But we have shewed before what little ground there is for that opinion. But there are some, who by Christs descent into Hell, will not allow, should be meant his burial only; for then (say they) there will be a tautology in the Creed, which that in so short a symbol the composers of it would be guilty of, is hard to imagine. Others therefore to obviate that objection say, by his descent into Hell is not to be understood his burial, but his continuance under the power of death for some time, though it was very short. For death had no long dominion over him, Rom. 6.9. This I acknowledg to be a true and safe sense. But that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth signifie a permansion or continuance for some time in the state of the dead, does not to me appear. However let every pious and judicious person follow his own Judgment here∣in, especially seeing, as the learned Vossius tells us, The Fathers did not hold this descent of Christ into Hell for an Article of Faith. Patres hoc dogma de descensu animae Christi non habuere pro capite, sive (ut nunc loqui solemus) pro articulo fidei. Ʋnde id videas

prope in omnibus symbolis omitti: ut in ipsius synodi Nicenae sym∣bolo: ubi profecto non praeteriissent, si dogma hoc agnovissent. Quippe eo nihil magis valuisset ad refellendum Arrium, siquidem is negabat Christum habuisse animam, ac Divinitatem ei pro anima fuisse, ai∣ebat. Nec hujus meminit confessio fidei synodi Illyricae nec memi∣nere Concilia duo Occumenica Constantinopolitanum, & Chalcedo∣nense. Sic ergo statuimus Orientales per descensum Christi ad in∣feros primitus intellexisse, id quod Occidentales vocarunt Sepul∣turam: Et errore quodam factum esse, ut cum prius qui unum di∣cerent, alterum praeterirent, ambo postea caeperint conjungi. Sa∣ne temporibus Ruffini, id est, circa annum quadringentesimum ipsa ecclesia Romana erat contenta meminisse solius sepulturae. Aqui∣leiensis vero Ecclesia habuit quidem utrumque in symbolo suo, sed si ex Ruffini mente judicandum, unum idemque ambobus signifi∣cari arbitrabatur. Ruffini verba in expositione symboli haec sunt. Sciendum est quod in Ecclesiae Romanae symbolo non habetur additum, descendit ad inferna sed neque Orientis in Ecclesiis habe∣tur hic sermo. Vis tamen verbi eadem videtur esse in eo quod sepultus est. Errore etiam illa duo conjungi judicium est doctissimi Schindleri, sic in Lexico suo scribentis in voce Sheol. Sheol signi∣ficat Sepulchrum. Gen. 44.29. deducetis canos meos (i. e. ca∣nitiem meam, vel me canum ex senectute) in Sheol, id est, in ter∣ram, quatenus est mortuorum receptaculum 1 Reg. 2. v. 6. 9. Ne∣que sinito canitiem ejus descendere cum pace 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ubi Gehennam non possumus intelligere, nec enim hec poena a Judice terreno in∣fligitur sed plane sign atur Sepulchrum, statusque mortuorum.

Notes

• Descend∣ed into Hell
• a

  See Calv. Instit. lib. 2. c. 16.
• The Papists divide Hell into four Regions 1. The Hell of the Damned or place of everlasting torments. 2. Pur∣gatory, where they say the Souls of such as were not sufficiently purged from their sins in this life are de∣tained for the thorow purging of them. And are there in torment, equal for the time, to that of the dam∣ned. 3. Limbus infantium, a place where they suppose such children are disposed of, as die without Baptism, whom they suppose to suffer the loss of H••aven and heavenly happiness, but no pain or torment. 4. Limbus pa∣trum, Where in like manner the Fa∣thers before Christ (as they suppose) were detained, though suffering no pain, yet wanting the joys of H a∣ven. And they say Christs Soul when it was separated from his Body de∣scended thither to deliver them f••om thence, and to carry them to Heaven.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quasi 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, lo∣cus invisi∣••••lis, sic ••eddidit v••tus I••e∣nai inter∣p••••s.