Anonymous on Article III: Of the going down of Christ into Hell

kate State is represented to be the same which is here call’d Hell. Because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell. His Body was to rest in Hope, because his Soul was not to be left in Hell, in that separate State, in which the Souls of other Men are placed. : 7

I shall explain the Third Article of our Church, which saith, As

ce Christ died for us, and was buried; fo allo it is to be believ’d, that

© he went down into Hell. EE. Upon which we may consider that our Church declares, 1. That Christ in some Sense went down into Hell. II. That so much Stress is to be laid upon this, that it is to be be- lieved, as well as that he died for us, and was buried.

I shall therefore examine in what Sense this is to be taken pro- duce the Scriptures it is establi{h*d upon, and shew how the same is distin& from any other Part of the Creed. |

1st, The Intent or Sense of this Article is to be enquired after,

that we may understand what is meant by his Descent into Hell: And if we will attend to Reason, we must think it belongs to his Spirit,

as he was a Man. It could not be true of his Divinity, for that was always present every where; nor of his Body, for that was confin’d in the Tomb, and according to the Nature of it, could be but there,

and no where else. It remains then that he descended into Hell, with

his Rational Spirit, as he was a Man. And amongst the various Ac-

counts that are given of it, this seems to be most likely and agreea- ble, that the Reasonable Soul of Christ, that better, noble, and im-

it from his Body, that which the Jews could not kill, and which surviv’d their Cruelty, was really and truly carried into those Parts, or Regions below, where Spiritsiseparated from their Bodies reside (or the Souls of Men departed are detain’ d), and underwent the Con- dition of such as die, and leave their Bodies to the Earth. For as he

took upon him the Place of a Sinner, and died for our Sins upon […] Crols,

mortal Part of his Humanity, after a true and proper Separation of

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6 As EXPOSITION of the

Artic. III. Cross, his Soul went to the Place where the Souls of Men are kept, . who die for their Sins; and so ry did undergo the Law of Death, which is, that-the Soul and Body should be separated ; and as the Body is lodged in the Earth, the Spirit should go to the Region of Spirits, and stay a while with them. And as according to the geha- viour of Men on Earth, their Souls are allotted different Habitations; the bad go into a Place of Torment, the bottomless Pit, that Dange- on of Woe and Misery : The Vertuous and Good into a Place of Joy and Peace, which 1s called Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom, and Hea- ven: The Sense of this Article is diversified. For some say that his separated Spirit went to both Places, to he in the same Condition with both: Others, that it went without doubt to the Place of the Righteous, but that it went not to the Region of Woe, to endure any Thing there ; which in Reason appears to be most consonant to Scripture. For there can be no doubt made concerning his going to that Place, where the Spirits of just Men wait for a glorious Resur- rection, or are treasur’d up and lodg’d against the great Day. For he told the penitent Thief who petition’d him to remember him when = came into his Kingdom, This day shalt thou be with me in Para- ise, | an the Difficulty then is, whether he went to the Place where guilty Spirits are tormented for their Sins, to partake with them of their Misery. Some will acknowledge, that his Spirit went thither, not to endure Torment, but to triumph over Satan, and all his Le- gions in his own Territories (which appears agreeable enough, were we sure that he did descend thither) to display his Majesty, and shew his Power in their Torments. But this being only probable in it {elf, a pious Guess, or a devout Fancy, cannot be positively declar’d to be the Sense of the Article. But it is no less than hey to assert, that he went down into Hell, to bear the Torments of the damned. For there is a Worm in them which never dies, which could not lodge in his innocent Spirit. There is a Fire that feeds upon them, which is never extinguish’d, which could not seize upon his righteous Soul. The Damned are under a constant Apprehensi- on of God’s everlasting Displeasure, which he could not entertain; under an utter Impossibility of ever obtaining Favour, which could not affect him; for he constantly look’d upon the Reward that was before him, knew the Beginning and End of his Sufferings, according to the Covenant made with his Father, and finished all upon the Cross, when he said, I is finisped. So that he could not poslibly be said to have been in the same Condition with the damned, or strictly or perfectly to have endured the Pains of Hell. So that the true Sense of the Article in all likelihood must be this, That when his Spirit parted from his Body, it went into the Place of separated good Spirits, that as his Body was made conformable to theirs, being laid in the Earth; so his Spirit was conveyed to the same Receptacles, or Places of abode, where theirs remain, where the Spirit of the Peni- tent Thief was dispos’d, and satisfied the Laws of Death in his Spi- rit, as he did in his Body, To clear this further, I shall,

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2. Produce those Scriptures this Exposition is established upon.

But before | mention them, I must premise, that the Word, which we interpret Hell, does signify the State of Separation, or the State

of the Dead, not only in Scripture, but also in prophane Authors: And for this Reason our Interpretation seems to be defective, in fix- ing here the Notion upon Hell, which in our Language usually de-

Artic, III. ned

notes the Place of Torment. For it founds very oddly and incon-

gruous to call Paradise Hell, or the separated State the Place of Tor-

ment; for no Propriety of our Language will admit of such an harsh Expression ; and yet the Word might with better Success have

been expounded in that manner, as in this Place, where it is said, Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, It gives an Occasion for People

to think, that God would not leave his Son’s Soul in the Place of Torment; whereas if it had been interpreted, thou wilt not leave

my Soul in the separate State, amongst the Spirits of dead Men, (as

the Word Ace will bear), it had been easy for every one to un- derstand it; for then the Meaning had been obvious, thut God would not leave the Spirit of his Son, to remain amongst the Spirits of other dead Men, that were good in their Generations; but would restore

it to his Body, before his Body saw Corruption: As you may find

it express d at large; My flesb also shall rest in hope, because thou wilt

corruption. His Flesh did not see Corruption, tho? it was in the Grave, the Place of. Corruption : Because the Promise was, that it should be raised up before it was corrupted. And his Spirit was not to be left in Hell, or the Place of separated Spirits, but in a short time was to return to his Body, and to be re. united with it, accord-

ing to the same Promise.

So that the Scripture cannot well be understood, if such an Inter- pretation is not admitted, which explains his being really and trul

not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see

in the State of the Dead, as the Spirits of good Men departed are,

and as ours in a {hort time shall be; the Body being lodged in the Earth, and the Spirit in a State of Separation. This is plainly set forth in another Place of Scripture, in which he is said to ascend, who first descended into the lowermost parts of the earth, or into that

| separate State. For Criticks do agree in this, that the Word which

we call Hell, signifies the same with the lowermost Parts of the Earth, and that the lowermost Parts of the Earth is a good and proper Ex-

ene of * AJ»: (Hades), or that which we interpret Hell, or the t

ate of Separation. And the descending thither jg not only the De- scent of the Body into the Tomb, but the Descent of the Spirit in-

to that Region of Spirits (whereever it is), where the Souls of just

Men wait for the Summons of the great Day, when they shall be remanded to their Bodies, and be for ever with the Lord. Now that he ascended, what is it, but that be descended first into the low- ermost parts of the earth.

Ephes. 4. 5:

3. This Exposition of the Descent of Christ’s Spirit into Hell,

makes the Sense quite distin& from any other Part of the Creed ; and there is no Tautology or Repetition of the {ame Sense in ano- ther Article contain’d or ag For if by descending into Hell

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18 An EXPOSITION of th

Artic. III. be meant no more, than his being dead and laid in the Grave (as not WA a few expound the Article), it then can signify no more than what was mention’d before, dead and buried. But if by descending into Hell, we intend his Spirit’s going into the separate State of Souls, it stands an Article by it self, and signffies more than being dead and * buried; for it then denotes his being and remaining in the separate “8 State of Spirits, that he might fulfil all the Law of Death, and re- | turn from it to be reunited to his Body, and to rife again from the dead. 8 f | N

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II. Our Church puts so much stress upon this Article, that she teaches to believe it, and declares it to be an Article of our Faith, that he went down into Hell, when his Soul, his rational Spirit was separated from his Body. It must go some whither , and remain there, till it was to return to the Body. 1 Where could that be, but to that Place, where departed Spirits go 4 and remain? And his Spirit was the holiest and most innocent, that ever visited or passed through the Regions of Death. To what Com- pany of Spirits could it go, but to the Blessed, who liv’d in Expe- _ Ration of a joyful Resurrection, which he himself was to procure for them? And as soon as he arrived there (if we wy 4 allow our Fancy to represent the Joy of those happy Spirits upon his Arrival) 4 we may without Mistake presume, that the Patriarchs received him EE with astonishing Gladness ; that the Prophets entertained him with 5 exstatick Transports ; that all the wondering Company heard him tell of his Coming, in order to deliver them, with most sensible Joy and Admiration, Had we been amongst them, how should we have congratulated his Presence, fixed our Hopes upon him, and with an Assurance expected from him a joyful Resurrection? Distressed Cap- tives cannot with more Joy receive their Deliverer, than those hap- py Spirits imprison’d by Death, did admire their Saviour’s Spirit, and expect compleat Deliverance from him. And in this Sense St. Pe- 1 Pet. 3.48, er’s Words will bear a probable Interpretation: Being put to death 19 tn the flesh, but quickened by the spirit , by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison. _ From this Exposition of the Article, we may contemplate the Vastness of our Saviour’s Love, the Assurance he has given that Death and Hell shall not have Dominion over us, the Courage we should take when dying, and going into that separate State, from whence we shall be call’d to a glorious Resurrection. 1/t. We cannoti-but contemplate the Vastness of our Saviour’s Love, the Height of his Kindness towards us in this mortal State; for he has put himself into the Condition of a dead Man, and has satisfied all the Laws of Death; and as he condescended to dye for us, and that his Body should be laid in the Earth, as usually other dead Bodies are: So he consented that his Spirit should be convey- ed to those Regions, where the Souls of good Men reside, that wait for Deliverance by him; that in all Respects he might become as one of us, Sin only excepted , and tread in those dark Paths of Death and Separation, which other Spirits of Men had trod before him,

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Thirty Nine ARTICLES. 3

and that by passing to and remaining in those dismal Regions, he Artic. III. might discover his great Compassion towards us, pity us the more

when dying, and upon our Passage into Separation, provide the more for our Safety and Peace. That as in his Days when upon the Earth, he bore’ our Sorrows, and endured our Griefs, was touch- ed with the Feeling of our Infirmities, and the Trouble that attend- ed them; so in the Time of his Separation, when he for our Sakes descended into the lowermost Parts of the Earth, and visited the dark Regions of the dead, and went into the Place of separate Souls, he was sensible of our Condition, knew what it was to be a separate Soul, and can pity us the more, who must remain in that State of Separa- tion till the Day of Judgment. He shew’d what it was to have been there soon after his Return, when he was risen from the dead,

in that he refused to be touched by Mary; because he had not as yet

appeared with his human Spirit before his Father. For as for his Body he was willing it should be touched and handled by Thomas,

and the rest of his Disciples. Handle me, and sez, for a Spirit hath

not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And yet tho’ he was in this

Body, when he spake to Mary, which he was willing soon after

should be touch’d, and handled, and examin’d nicely as a Body; he was not (upon his immediate Return from the Place of separate Souls) willing it should be fo. much as touched, or handled till he

had ascended to his Father ; or till his human Soul, which had been in the separate State, and was but just then united to his Body, had appeared in the Eternal Word before the Father. Thus, as before

his Crucifixion, he had, though on Earth, ascended into Heaven with it (Joh. 3. 13.) So after his Resurrection, he was to ascend with the fame human Spirit by the Eternal Word, before his Body

could be handled. Jef saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not Joh. 20. 17. yer. ascended to my Father. Which must denote; that his Soul had

not ascended to his Father, whilst his Body remained in the Grave, but was disposed of elsewhere for a time , amongst departed Souls ; where he saw and conversed with them, understood their State, and how they waited for his glorious Appearance to-Judgment. But now upon his Resurre&ion he must first ascend to his Father with it, and then he would submit to be touched, and out of Pity to them, give them further Satisfaction concerning his Kindness towards them. It

follows :-Go to my Brethren , and say unto them , I ascend unto my Joh. 20. 17. Father, and your Father, unto my God and your God.

2. By this Love of our Lord we are assured, that Death and

Hell can have no Dominion over us, when we are in our separate

State. Here indeed the Devil roars and rages, knowing that his Time is but short ; and applies his Darts and Temptations to deceive and hurt us: And therefore we are commanded to watch and pray,

to resist the Evil One, to struggle and strive for the Mastery against

him, and must do our best to observe his Snares, to shun his Designs,

and conquer him, But if we hold fast our Integrity to the End,

die in the Faith and Fear of God, we may be contident that he shall have no Part in us, and can 155 us no more, though we pass by his | 2 5, Domi-

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“An EXPOSITION of the

Artic. Ill. Dominions into that separate State. For our Lord has so weaken’d

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Plsful. 23. 4.

thy staff they comfort me.

that

minions by entering the Grave, and visiting the separate State of Spi- rits, that he cou’d not, by all the Force he could rally, confine his Body to the Tomb; or by all the Powers that he could make or raise, detain his Spirit among separated Spirits, or hinder the Union

of it with his Body, or prevent his Resurrection. And as our Lord

thus conquer’d him in his own Territories, and triumphed over him when he had the Power of-Death, we may be sure he cannot hurt

us when we die, or when our Spirits pass into the separate State.

And as he had no Power over our Lord, he can have no Power over us, when we are passing into the Region of Spirits, or when

we shall wait for the Time of Restitution of all Things. Our Lord

worsted him in his own Dominions , made him stoop and yield to him, when he was upon Earth; humbled him when in the lower-

most Parts of the Earth, and in a State of Separation. And as he

who is our Head and Lord was so victorious, we that are his Ser- vants shall conquer, whensoever we pass through those dark Domi- mons, and shall escape all those Terrors, which may beset the Path

to our separate State, and threaten all the Passengers entering it.

The Psalmift could say in Prospe& of this; Tea, tho I walk thro? the valley of the shadow of death, 1 will fear no evil; thy rod and 307, We have Reason to take Courage, when we are going to

eparate State. For though we must die, we shall go to that Place, where our Saviour hath been ; hath secured our Passage, will

guard us from all the Ambushes of the Evil One, and will preserve | us in Safety till his own Coming. We should therefore with Resig-

nation upon a Death-Bed resolve to commit our selves to his Keeping;

for we shall not travel in a Path that is dark and desolate, through which none of our Friends have passed before, but shall go in the same which our Lord and Saviour hath pass’d through, in which his

Disciples have followed, and which all good Men before us have vi-

sited. We shall get to that separate State, which our Lord hath ho-

noured with his Presence, in which the Patriarchs, Prophets, and

Martyrs wait for the Coming of their Lord, and a glorious Resur- re&ion ; and in which the Spirits of just Men, and we with them, shall please our selves with the Memory of a well spent Life, and the approaching Hour, when we shall be remanded to our Bo- dies, to meet the Lord in the Air, and to be for ever with him.

We shall be in the Bosom of Abrabam, a Place of Peace and Joy, of

Happiness and Glory : We shall be in Paradise, which is as like

Heaven as any ‘Thing can be on this Side the Day of Judgment; nay,

it is in some Sense Heaven, where God displays his Favour, and our Lord manifests a gracious Presence : Where the Holy Spirit sheds a- broad Love, Joy, and Peace in the Soul; and where every Spirit

entertains it self with the comfortable ExpeRation of more Glory

and Joy: When we shall be perfected by a glorious Resurrection, or

have our perfect Consummation and Bliss, both in Body and Soul,

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Thirty Nine ARTICLES. 21

in Eternal and Everlasting Glory: We may well submit to Death Artic. III. with Peace, when the next Remove shall be fo happy, and ou Resurrection perfect and glorious. And I {9 unto you, that many dn. g. 1.

ball fit down with b Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Hea-

VEN.

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Artic, IV.

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LuxE XXIV. 34.

The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared

unto Simon.

\ FTER the Spirit of our Lord had remained in the separate

State for a while, it returned to his Body, was re-united to | it ; and he rose again, as the Eleven Apostles declared, saying,