DOCTOR Bilſon, inventing a new opinion that our Lord deſcended from Paradiſe to Gehenna, to triumph over the devils, troubled all Religion and learned writers. In religion thus he miſſed. Wee beleeve that Devils are yet inReligion troubled. this world; and the ſcriptures aſſure vs of that, Wherefore it where moſt ridiculous to feigne a iourney to Devils thether, where they were not. If ſome were, as carriers of ſoules, yet not as tormented, and dwellers there before the time.

Againe, Gehenna were an holy place, if the altar which ſanctifieth all that it toucheth went thither. But none may ſo thinke. And Devils in this world knew Chriſt to be the holy one of God, and tremble. And no neede know we why he ſhould goe to Gehenna for them, and God telleth all that we may know. Beſides, ſoules in Hades holie and contrarie know all the others caſe, as men here that haue but a great ditch betwixt them: and they are much deceaved who thinke Hell to be in this world, lowe in the earth. Before Gods throne the wicked are tormented for euer and euer. So both ſides knowe one the others caſe: that without comming to them, they ſee what is done. And our Lord would not haue taught vs, (Luc. 16.) that none can paſſe from one ſort to the other, if he had bene to take that iourney. The Bible taught no ſuch dream. Therefore it is but a dreame. And thus religion is diſturbed. Scriptures D. Bilſon brings three, as hauing no more;Scriptures marred, Pſa. • 6. in the right meaning by all Ievves. the 16. Pſal. Which is thus: Thou wilt not leaue my vitall ſoule to death, and, by a conſequent, neyther my body in ayer, or graue: nor my ſoule among ſoules till the bodie ſee corruption.

So the generall conſent of Ebrews sake the wordes. Yet hee would thus tranſlate all: Thou wilt not forſake my ſoule in Hell.4. Faultes moſt groſſe in D. Bilſon in 4. vvords The nipper of others, as arrogant in Ebrewe ſtudies, ſhalbee told that hee hath miſſed foure times in foure wordes. Hebrews ſhall iudge; and for the 70. all Greekes, the rare Fathers.

The ſecond ſcripture that he durſt adventure vpon, is this: Him God rayſed vp loſing the ſores of death. Saint Peter ſpake to Sadduces,Act. a perverted to blaſphemie. that would not heare of ſoule, ſpirit, and Hell. And that the ſores that made the ſoule leaue the body were by Gods power diſannulled, and it receaued the ſoule and life: And therin Chriſt brake for vs the bandes of death. D. Bilſon would haue death the ſecond death, and that our Lordes ſoule had the ſecond death. You know full well that his ſoule ſhall haue the ſecond death for ever and ever, vnleſſe he reuoke this blaſphemie. It is great pitie that D. Bilſon conſulted not with others before ſuch wordes fled through the hedge of his teeth. Higher blaſphemies neuer were vttered. The third and laſt text of all that he durſt truſt, is cleaneThe third & laſt texte moſt bright. contrarie to his purpoſe, ſhewing the plain effect of the Ghoſpell. Say not in thy harte who can go vp to heauen, to bring Chriſt down? Or who can go to the Deepe to bring Chriſt from the dead? But if thou beleeue that Jeſus is Lord, and that God rayſed him from death, thou ſalt be ſaved.

The incarnation and reſurrection, both made plaine, are by. St. Paul the heads of doubt among Iewës. But D. Bilſon dreameth ofA mōſtrous dreame. a Hell here. Chryſoſtome and Oecumenius would haue taught him better. And theſe moſt Holy ſcriptures, the ioy of our ſoules, hath he moſt grievouſly corrupted.

Endles be the faultes in this marring of ſcripture, and no timeMoſes made vnperfect. would ſerue to write them. Moſes now by him, hath not all Religion. For he could not father vpon him this doctrine of going from Paradiſe to Hell. So neither all the Prophets volumes.

And David once only (and in a ſence neuer known, till DoctorDanger feigned by D. Bilſon after triumph. Bilſons daies) teacheth that our Lorde going a victour, and triumpher ouer the powers of darknes from Paradiſe, as vnto greater danger by millions of degrees then before, doeth praiſe God that he did not forſake his ſoule in Hell, but loſed the ſores of the ſecond death before him: and to that deepe our mindes muſt deſcend, by D. Bilſon, if we will be ſaved.

Thus vile for wiſdome he maketh the rocke of ſalvation. By D. Bilſon our Lord hauing paſſed his danger here, where he praied vnto him that could ſaue him from danger, and being made perfect and gone through the veyle of his fleſh into heauen, after all this was in greater danger then before, which needed a miracle of the God head to loſe before him the ſorrows of Hell. Otherwiſe the Humanity had not by it ſelfe gone through all, but had periſhed in the world inviſible, ſaving that God did not forſake his ſoule in Hell.

And of this danger David muſt ſpeake to the prophane world,Moſt ſtrāge miracles told by D. Bilſon o • m • n that refuſed even plaineſt matters before they beleeued the reſurrection and ſcante the creation of viſible things, and of ſpirits had heard little: and of ſoules immortalitie and Paradiſe; and neuer heard where out of this world devils keepe. All theſe things being ſtepped ouer, a danger, after all was performed, muſt be holden from David by words neuer ſo before vnderſtood; to make the Scripture a noſe of waxe and all the old Teſtament vnperfect: But for one place drawen beyond all wit. Alſo the Goſpell muſt be vnperfect, omitting parte of beliefe. And all Saint Pauls fourteene Epiſtles, but for one terme Abyſſus taken in the Devils ſence, not in Heathen or 70. ſenſe.All Ebrews reiected for their owne tongue. The ſtrict proprietie of Pſal. 16. So all fall. The generall conſent of Ebrewes in Baba Bathra was cited that they make this ſence, Pſal. 16. He dyeth not of whom that is ſo ſpoken in ſtrict proprietie, and Peter addeth but this, to die he was, but not to tarrie in death to corruption.

All Ebrewes Doctor Bilſon reiecteth for their grammer ſence of Sheol. None ever rejected all Latins for Latine, or French for the French: yet D. Bilſon dareth reject all Hebrewes for Hebrew: ſuch an Hebrician is he. By the ſame doctrine he might teachBilſons reiection of all Hebrewes would be ruine to all ſtay of Religion. neuer to hope for ſound knowledge in any parte of the lawe: no not for one letter: whether it hath the forme that God wrought in the two tables or a later invented. And for the very forme as Tau in Ezechiel miſtaken, and Rempham, much coyle is kept. And in our daylie Hebrew Bibles, wordes 848. come in the margine by Gods authority, and yet checke not the text: & the French of Late tranſlating the margine, Eſai. 9. troubled ſome greatly, gathering a contradiction betwixt the old, and new tranſlation. For all this no D. without Rabbins helpe can tell what wordes make the Bible.

A certeyn helper of D. Bilſon who can aſſiſte him to marre all learning and Religion, (one whom you leaue though he be your Chapleyne to anſwere for himſelfe) he, as his learning and ſkill, will at once ſhew it ſelfe, maketh the eldeſt Rabbines 300. yeares later then the Apoſtles.Errour of 800. yeares for Rabbins age.

So the Maſſorites, obſervers of the Letters and ſhorte writtings, and little particles innumerable, often in one line, with millions of millions of notes, all they were nothing worth.

For we ſeeke how the Bible ſtood in Ezraes age not how 800. yeres after and all the Iewes hold that the Maſſorites began with Ezra. Neither could we otherwiſe ſay we had the Bible. WithoutWithout Maſſorites no Bible can ever be truely printed. help and knowledge of the Maſſorites, no printer can euer print the right Bible.

Rob. Steph. in Eſter tenth putting the margine in the text, for Xerxes, committed a great faulte: and Plantins heyres will now print after the Maſſoreth, miſſing often hitherto. As in Daniel 8. all miſſe though the Maſſoreth elſ-where warned of that place: Bombergiana the leſſe mention in the margine a right reading: but not yet printed in the text.

By the Maſſoreth all words be paſt corruption: who if they had not bene of Ezraes time, Bibles had infinitly diſagreed: now they be ſure, though copiers miſſe now & then. So 800. yeares in Rabbins age are miſſed to diſgrace all certainty of Scripture. But wherasOf oth •• Rabbins age. in the New Teſtament the Apoſtles ſtill tell of Iewes matters, & all their ſpeeches be in the Talmud (as men of one common weale muſt agree in the ſame chiefe heades:) this would neuer be by Iewes 300. yeres toſſed from their own tongue and ſtate, that Ieruſalemy Talmud ſhould be parcelled, by later men then the tongue 300. yeres: and that poore baſe men voide of wealth, leaſure and liberty, ſhould ſearch all the law moſt curiouſly. Who would thinke ſo? They ſay, that from age to age their Fathers left works:Rabbins continued throughout all ages. the chiefe ſayings of all which the Ieruſalemy Talmud and the Babylonian and Midras Rabba and ſuch like record in the ſame words.

And Onkelos by all graunts is neare the Apoſtles time: & Vziel of their time, but a compiler of farre elder: and Targum Ieruſalemy in Cyrillis age famous as auncient, called of him Samariticon, vpon Geneſ. 4. And ſeeing many thouſand Levites had learning in their charge and all Iſraell (ſaving hand-laborers) frequented divinity ſchooles to heare and ſpeak twiſe a weeke; how ſhould they omitt to write obſervations, ſuch as we haue now, full of vnſpeakeable labour and long ſtudy? All that is in the new Teſtament is handled here & there in the Talmud; and much largely: where, in knowen things our Lord would be ſhort. So D. Bilſon miſſed much for Rabbins, to the ruine of all Religion, and to augment Sathans blindnes.

An other matter of ſingular vſe ſuffereth diſgrace by D. Bilſon. The Sadduces noted that Moſes never named lyfe eternall, nor reſurrection,That the Scribes knew no terme in Moſes for Hell. nor place of ioy or tormente: nor any Prophets, but in viſions. The Scribes graunt this; yet bring matter from Moſes for all this, and ſhew that the ſcoffing world was to be taught as beaſtes by the bellie openly, and cloſely to life. But when Prophets ceaſed and open prophecying, and iron-legged Macedones turned Iudah much to be Sadduces, & ſchooles were but of few: then they enacted tearmes of better hope, as world of ſoules, Iudgment day, Paradiſe, Gehenna, Reſurrection, Feaſting in heaven: and ſuch. And this the newe Teſtament alloweth.

By D. Bilſon all this were vaine, or he himſelfe. He can find in the law a proper name for Hell. And how would hee haue vexed the Sadduces if hee had bene in their dayes; All the Scribes had bene nothing to him.

Now after Ebrews let vs ſearch Greek affaires. God advanced Greek with daylie increaſe, firſt when Iudah went to Babell, then Piſiſtratus tyrāt of Athens brought Homer into high vſe & glory.Of Greekes in all ſortes.

And many Poëts for ſentences, comedies, and tragedies, floriſh daylie. So Phyſicians, Philoſophers, Orators and Hiſtoriques for two hundred yeres paines, that the Greek tongue came to an vnſpeakeable perfection of elegancie.

And the Iewes (taught by Daniel that ſoone Grecia ſhould reigne) before hand ſtudied Greeke. And God ſhewed the vſe of their labour. For when the iron legged Macedonians began to reigne, they required, and had the Ebrew holy bookes all turned into Greeke, wherein the tranſlaters ſhewed wit in applying moſt divinely heathen greeke to diuinity. And they ſhewed excellent ſkill in all Greeke kindes.The Sepruagint:

And when the Macedonians by 300 yeres government, had carried Greeke from the Weſt over all, & Iewes with Greek Bible: then our Lord cometh and his Apoſtles to ſhew Greekes in theirThe Apoſtles have al the Iewels of greeke elegancy. owne language and meaning all the myſteries of ſalvation: and gather all brave termes from heathen plainely to divine vſe, 4000. ſeveral wordes into one little booke, that the moſt parte of woords are vſed but once, which is not ſo in the old Teſtament. The 70. did the like, who to one Ebrew word gaue eleven Greeke now &The greeke fathers compared heathen moſt narowly wt Apoſtolique greeks. then, to ſhew Heathen all eloquence in their kinde.

To apply heathen Greeks to the Prophets and Apoſtles, the Greek Fathers laboured another 300. yeres, to ſhew how they had the ſame ſpeeches ſtill, though in matter not well carried. Iuſtine Martyr to heathen is much herein, and Clemens Alexandrinus hath contriued all heathen hither, being a ſtore like Alexandrian Library.

Euſebius alſo is not a little in this ſorte, and infinite others ſpecially for the maine, the eternall ſtate in Hades; for good, as Abraham Luke 16. and Ioſeph Gen. 37. and for wicked as Dives, Luk. 16. And as heathē 3000. yeres made Haden the lodge of all ſoules and the Philoſophers helde it an happie thing to go ſoone thither. So in the Creede heathē would ſay that by to katelthein eis hadou, we meant a moſt happie paſſage from this world to God. And ſo all the Fathers place the happie Fathers in Hades, and meant no worſe lodge. To daſh all foure, thus ariſeth Bilſon.

Bilſon leaueth heathen to their alleagers, and ſaith for Ioſephes Hades, that the Greeke Fathers that placed his ſoule there as in Paradiſe, vnderſtood not the 70. and that St. Luke. 16. teachethD. Bilſon teacheth greeke to all greeks. to vnderſtande Haden for Hell, becauſe the rich man is in it: as though Abraham were not there alſo. And to conclude for heathen greeke, the 70. the Apoſtles, the Fathers, he diſanulleth all common agreement for their Greeke, as though he had made a vowe to roote out all learning, with Religion. Witt alſo cometh in queſtion. Our ſubſcribing to Zuricke ſayeth: Per inferos intelligimus paradiſum, &c. moſt faithfully and learnedlie. Yet Doct. Bilſon being told that Hades to the good is Paradiſe would needs prove that Chriſt went to Hell becauſe he went to Hades. Yet whē all Greeke Doctors place all the Fathers in Hades (and they place Chriſt no lower) he will not haue them in Hell. And thus with ſtrange dealing, he hath by preaching, and great ſale of his errors, ſought the deſtruction of Religion, of Scripture, of Ebrew tongue and learning, of all kindes of Greeke elegancie, and all proceeding in diſputing; by taking that for all his argument, that is truly affirmed to be cleane contrary.

To your G by order complaint was to be made, that you ſhould with all your learning and might bring D. B. into the right way. It is a pitifull thing that Biſhops ſhould be found infinitly fulle • of error for the grounds of faith, and learned ſtudies, then any other in all the Kingdome.

A mind that loved the truth and heard that the Greeke in the Creede for 3000. yeares vſe, in our Lordes ſoules paſſage, is no more then to go hence to God, would make no more ſtirre, but wiſely confeſſe that by Heathen Greeke the Creede penned for Heathen muſt be expounded. And that cleare plainneſſe beſeemeth a publike arbridgmēt of faith, ſuch as to all the ſimple folke ought to be expounded. Your heart and confeſſion by Maister King at Franck furt knoweth who hath cleared the trueth. And how can you ſuffer D. Bilſon to deceaue the people?

And D. Bilſon being in high place ſhould ſeeme flexible vnto the trueth: as his blame for ſtubburnes in hereſie would be notorious. And if he would plainly & abſolutely confeſſe that he hath bene deceaved, and that the Greeke in the Creede teacheth moſt certainly that our Lordes ſoule aſcended vnto Paradiſe from the croſſe, and never deſcended into Hell, this humilitie would be his high commendation, & cut of an infinite companie of his errors.

As you are holy Fathers and partakers of the heavenly callinge, kicke nor againſt the ſpurre. But ſay: let him be Anathema Maran Atha, that loveth not the trueth of Redemption. It is a moſt high iniurie againſt God and the Kinge, that the Church is led amiſſe by Biſhops errors.

God giue all vs vnderſtanding in all thinges, and garde our hearts and mindes in the knowledge and loue of our Lord and Saviour: that in all partes of holy doctrine we may nouriſh peace and trueth.