TORMENTS OF HELL.

CHAPTER 1.

SECTION I. Of Christ's descending into Hell.

SOME of the learned say, Christ descended into hell, and for proof allege Psalm xxi. 10, Acts ii. 27. Dr. Willet says, that those words of Christ (descended into hell) are not found in the most ancient creeds. Dr. William Whitaker says, I could produce fifty of the most ancient creeds that have not these words, (descended into hell,) in his answer to Campion, p. 215. Mr. William Perkins on the creed saith, It seems likely that these words (he descended into hell) were not placed in the creed at first, and that they crept in by negligence; for above threescore creeds of the most ancient Councils and Fathers want this clause, (he descended into hell) among the rest it is not found in the Nicene creed, nor found in the Romish Church, nor used in the church of the East.

Also some of the learned say, Christ descended not into hell, yet it is an article of their faith but if you say he did not descend into hell, they will

say you deny the faith, and are a heretic and a blasphemer; and you may be glad you can escape so. They themselves interpret hell otherwise than for a place of torments never to end. Mr. Bucer saith, Christ descending into hell, is to be understood of his burial. Mr. Calvin saith, Hell is the sorrow of mind Christ was in before his death. Why hast thou forsaken me? is God's hiding his face, when Christ was on the cross, saith Dr. Whitaker against Campion, p. 211. For upon the cross he said, It is finished, John xix. 30; therefore his suffering was at an end. Some of the Papists confess Christ suffered not after his death: Luke xxii. 42, 44. Ursinus Catechis, p. 350. Mr. Perkins saith, hell is the inward sufferings of Christ on the cross. Bernard makes the grief of Christ's soul his hell.

Dr. Ames, in his Marrow of Divinity, p. 65, saith, that of the place of hell, and manner of torture there, the scripture hath not pronounced anything distinctly. If so, then the word of God saith not anything at all of them: for that which the Scripture speaks, it speaks distinctly, else it could not have been read distinctly, Nehem. viii. 8. That which is spoken expressly is spoken distinctly: the spirit speaks expressly. 1 Tim. iv. 1, 3. The word of the Lord came expressly, Ezek. i. 3. That which is not spoken distinctly, cannot be understood, as appears, Cor. xiv. 2, 17.

Dr. Fulke saith plainly, that neither in the Hebrew, Greek, nor Latin, is there a word proper for hell, (as we take hell for the place of punishment of the ungodly.) Fulke's Defence Translation, pp. 13,

87, 89. Is not this a full testimony against their opinion of the torments of hell? For if it be not to be read in the word of God, what have we to do with it? We are not to believe anything in religion, unless it be written. How readest thou? saith Christ. Revealed things belong to us, Deut. xxix. 29. As it is written, I believed. 2 Cor. iv. 13. They confess it is not written: then sure I am it is not to be by any affirmed nor believed. Meddle not with things not revealed; they are but groundless conceits, fables, and traditions of men.

The word hell is not in the Hebrew and Greek Bible; for the word in the Hebrew, for which the English word hell is put, is sheol; the proper signification of sheol is the grave, as all that be learned in the Hebrew do know. Sheol hath its signification of shaal, to crave or require therefore it is one of the four that is never satisfied. Prov. xxx. 15. We learn the propriety of the Hebrew word from the learned Rabbies, saith Dr. Fulke. Def. Trans. Bib. p. 90. The Hebrew Doctors and Jewish Rabbies are for signification of words faithful interpreters; they say, sheol is the grave. Rabbi Levi, according to the opinion of the learned, expounds sheol to be the lowest region of the world, opposite to heaven If I descend into sheol, thou art present. So R. Abraham on Jonah ii. And David Chimchi, and R. Solomon, read Psalm ix. 16, 17. Let the wicked be turned into sheol: that is, death's estate or deadly bed. Jonah calls the belly of the whale sheol, Jon. ii. 2, 3. Rabbi Solomon Jarchi, on Gen. xxxvii. 35, saith, that the true and proper interpretation of

sheol is keber, which is the grave. The hoar head is said to go down to sheol, Gen. xlii. 38. In Numb. xvi. 33, it is said, they, their substance, and cattle, went alive to sheolah; that is, the pit, or grave. Our bones are scattered at the very brink or mouth of sheol, Psal. cxli. 7. Jacob said, I will go down to my son Joseph to sheol, Gen. xxxvii. 35.— The Protestant writers say sheol properly signifies the grave; Dr. Fulke's Answer to the Preface Rhemist, p. 22. So also in his Defence, p. 91. Mr. Beza saith, that sheol properly signifies nothing but the grave, or pit. Fulke saith, the best of the Hebrews that either interpreted Scripture, or made dictionaries, Jews or Christians, say sheol properly signifies the grave, p. 89; and that deliverance from the lowest hell, is deliverance from the greatest danger of death; so Fulke's Answ. Rhemist, pp. 13, 39, 135; and so the late Annotation of the Bible interprets it. And Augustine on Psalm xxxvi. 13, for lowest hell reads lowest grave; and so Dr. Willet, Synop. p. 1049.

The Chaldee Paraphrast retaineth the word sheol, and translates it, the house of the grave, pp. 11, 15. They interpret sheol, keburata, the grave: Job xxi. 13. Beith keburata, the house of the grave, pp. 17, 12. Rabbi Abraham Peristsol joins sheol and keber together, both signifying the grave; and so doth Dr. Fulke in his Defence, p. 91. And so Mr. Cartwright on Acts ii. 27. Mr. Cradock saith, hell is not mentioned in the Old Testament, except as it is taken for the grave; in his Good News, p. 43.

Sheol enforces not any place of punishment, because it signifies not any place of punishment; so

says Dr. Willet, Synop. p. 1055. Also he saith the word sheol cannot be translated, except for the grave. There are four words in the Psalms expressing the same thing in effect that sheol doth, yet none of them applicable to signify any place of torment; the first is shacath, fovea, the pit, Psalm xxx. 9; the second is bhor, the lake: the third is keber, the grave; both these words used for the same thing, Psalm lxxxviii. 3. The word is sheol, ver. 45, the other word used as expressing the former: and all these three do contain a description of death and the grave. The fourth is tehemoth, abyssus terræ: Thou wilt take me from the depths of the earth, Psalm lxxi. 20. In all which there is no mention of a place of torment. Willet Synop. p. 1050.

The Greek translates sheol into haden or hades of Adam, because Adam tasted death, and went to the grave, Gen. iii. 19. The gates of sheol is death; sheol and hades are said to have gates, Isaiah xxxviii. 10. Psalm ix. 13. Mat. xvi. 18.

The Septuagint express a place generally to receive the dead; the word used in the Greek instead of the Hebrew word sheol, signifies a dark place, such as the grave or pit in which the dead are laid. Dr. Fulke saith, some take the Greek word for hell, but it signifies the grave; hell it cannot signify when used by those that believe no hell. The Greeks say plainly, that their souls shall vanish like light smoke, or light air; Fulke's Def. p. 92. Also he saith, if the Greek and Latin interpreters had before us translated amiss, which gave occasion to divers errors, must we (knowing the true signification of the word) follow them?