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Socinian writers have represented Christ's death merely as a confirmation of his Gospel and an example of patience. But such an interpretation refutes itself, for if it were admitted on so solemn a subject, the Scripture would soon be considered as a "a cunningly devised fable."a

Lastly, This sacrifice extends not only to original but to actual sins. In Rom. v. 12, et seq. St. Paul compares the extent of the advantages to be derived from Christ's death, with that of the corruption arising from the sin of Adam, and asserts that the former exceeds the latter. In c. v. 16., he says, "the judgment was by one to con"demnation, but the free gift is of many offences

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unto justification;" that is, condemnation passed on all men for one sin of Adam, but the pardon through Jesus Christ extends not merely to one, but to many actual offences.

a Those who desire further information on this subject, may consult Outram de Sacrif. 1. 2. Grotius de Satisfac. Christi. Stillingfleet on the Sufferings of Chr. Scott's Christian Life, Part. 2. c. 7. sec. 5. Pearson on the Creed, Art. 4.; and Archb. Magee on the Atonement. In this last work particularly, the reader can never fail of meeting the most entire satisfaction.

b Archbishop Lawrence conjectures that this phrase was added by our Reformers, in consequence of an opinion which prevailed among some of the scholastic doctors, that Christ died only for the original guilt of men. See Bampton Lectures, ser. 3. note, (1.)

ARTICLE III.

OF THE GOING DOWN OF CHRIST INTO

HELL.

AS CHRIST DIED FOR US AND WAS BURIED, SO ALSO IS IT TO BE BELIEVED, THAT HE WENT DOWN INTO Hell.

In order to the satisfactory explanation of this Article, we shall consider,

I. The meaning of the phrase, "Christ descended into Hell," in the creeds into which it was first introduced.

II. The truth of the doctrine as it is held by the Church of England.

I. The meaning of the phrase, "Christ descended into Hell," in the creeds into which it was first introduced.

This Article is omitted in the abstracts of the Christian faith given by the early fathers, Irenæus, Tertullian, Clemens, and Origen, neither is it found in the various creeds formed by the Councils which met in the fourth century. is first mentioned by Ruffinus in the beginning

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2 See Pearson on the Creed, Art. 5. p. 371. note, and King's History of the Creed, c. 4.

of the fifth century: who also tells us, that at this time it was neither in the Roman nor in the Oriental creeds, but that he had found it in the symbol of the Church of Aquileia, of which he was presbyter. It is expressed by the words, descendit in inferna, which most probably meant no more than his burial, since there was no other article in the creed relating to this subject.b It is also inserted in the creed of Arimini, in which the term inferna is rendered by Karax@ovia, signifying perhaps the burial merely. The Athanasian creed, likewise, contains this article, expressed by the word aons, but here too the omis

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a Ruffin. in Expos. Symb. sec. 20. When Bishop Burnet says it was first mentioned by Ruffinus, he means, that then it first appeared in the public and authorized creed of a Church, for it is found in the Arian creed of Arimini before this time.

b Though Ruffinus understood the words in this sense, it is yet certain that he held a descent into hell, distinct from the burial.— See Expos. Symb. sec. 27.

The Council of Arimini, which was composed of the Arian party alone, was held in the year 359. And in the creed composed there, though the burial was omitted, still the descent was expressed in such a way as to exclude the conclusion adopted by Bishop Burnet. The words are these: εις τα καταχθόνια κατελθοντα, και τα εκείσε οικονομησαντα, ον πυλωροι αδου ιδοντες έφριξαν. On which Bishop Pearson truly observes, that, as "the keepers of hell could not be affrighted by any sight of his corpse lying in the grave," the words must refer to a distinct descent.-See Pearson, p. 375. note, King's History of the Creed, p. 261, and Fuller's Eccles. Hist. v. 1. p. 263. Ed. Lond. 1696.

sion of the burial leads us to conclude, that this latter was the doctrine intended to be conveyed in it. Afterwards, however, it was generally received into the western Church, in whose creeds it still continues.a

II. We shall consider the truth of the doctrine, as it is held by the Church of England.

The Church of England has made no decision with respect to the sense in which this doctrine is to be received, further than that it constitutes a distinct point of faith, both from the death and burial of Christ. This was not the case, however, in the articles prepared in King Edward's reign. In these, the following words were added to the Article as it now stands: "That the body of Christ lay in the grave until "his resurrection; but his spirit which he gave

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up, was with the spirits which were detained "in prison or in hell, and preached to them, as the place in St. Peter testifieth.” (1 Pet. iii. 18.) Thus a determined sense was put on the

a

Though it appears when this article was inserted into the creeds, that it meant only the burial, still there was no doctrine more universally acknowledged by the primitive fathers than that of a distinct descent. For, when the Apollinarian heresy first arose, about the year 380, the general admission of that descent was used as an argument against it. And, it is evident, that if it was understood to mean no more than the burial, that argument would have been quite inapplicable.-Athun. de Incarn. Chris. 1. 1. sec. 13, and de Trinitat. Dial. 4. sec. 7.

article, which now, however, admits a greater latitude of opinion.

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That our Saviour's soul was in hell, appears from Acts, ii. 25, 31. where Peter applies David's prophecy to Christ, "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy "holy one to see corruption." The latter part of the promise was fulfilled by Christ's resurrection from the grave before the corruption of his body; the former, therefore, seems to relate to his soul, which not having been left in hell, must have previously descended there. It is true, the words rendered soul and hell, are sometimes translated body and grave. But if this interpretation be admitted, the one part of the period will be merely a repetition of the other; whence it is more natural to consider the words in their ordinary sense.b

a

Thus, in Ps. xxx. 3.: "Thou has brought up my body from the grave;" where the original words are D and

; which are translated soul and hell, in Ps. xvi. 10.-See Pagnini's Thesaur. in verb. and Usher's Answer to the Jesuit's Chall. p. 317.

b The preceding verse seems to strengthen this interpretation : "Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue was glad, moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope." Here, David marks two distinct sources of satisfaction, arising from the prospect of happiness to his soul, and also from the hope of a resurrection of his body. The reason of this satisfaction is the promise in the text, which, if it be not taken in the sense there given to it, can afford no ground for this conclusion.

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