The error condemned in this Article is that of Socinianism or Unitarianism, which denies the Godhead of Christ, and the propitiatory benefits of His death.

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.

Note. The word Hell has unfortunately two meanings in English, being used as a translation of the Greek word for the Place of Torment (" Gehenna"), and used also as a translation of another Greek word which means the Unseen World (“ Hades"). In this Article, as in the Creed, it means of course "Hades," the unseen world.

That Christ's human Soul went into that unseen resting-place to which the souls of all men pass when separated from the body, is plain from His words to the thief upon the Cross, and seems to be implied also from St. Peter's application to His Resurrection of David's words, "Thou wilt not leave My Soul in Hell” (Ps. xvi. 8, and Acts ii. 27).

In Cranmer's first draft of the Articles, this Article went on to assert that in the interval between Christ's Death and Resurrection His Spirit went and preached to the spirits in prison, on the authority of St. Peter (1 Pet. iii. 20). But this quotation was wisely expunged by Convocation in 1562; probably because of the doubtfulness whether such was the real meaning of the very difficult passage in St. Peter. Pearson (on the Creed), and many other of our ablest divines, under

stand St. Peter to mean that the Spirit of Christ (compare 1 Pet. i. 11) preached by the mouth of Noah to the men of that generation, whose spirits were at the time when St. Peter was writing "in prison," because they listened not to that preaching.1

That Christ's soul during this interval did not return to His Father in Heaven seems to be implied by our Lord's own words to the Magdalen, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father" (John xx. 17). And that there is some such intermediate resting-place as is implied in the word "Hades," or rather restingstate, for the word place cannot properly be applied to the disembodied spirit,-seems to be clear from the Parable of Dives and Lazarus, and also from comparing together the scriptures which affirm that the soul continues to live after separation from the body (Rev. vi. 9; Luke xxiii. 43; Acts vii. 59; Matt. x. 28; Heb. xii. 23), with other scriptures which declare no less plainly that we are not to receive our reward or admission into Heaven until the Day of Judgment (Luke xiv. 14; 2 Cor. iv. 14, v. 10; 2 Tim. iv. 8; I Pet. v. 4).

That in this intermediate state the souls of the blessed are "with Christ" is (thanks be to God for the revelation !) clear from St. Paul's words, "to depart and be with Christ" (Phil. i. 23); and again, "While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord,” “willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor. v. 6-8); as well as from our Lord's words to the thief, and St. Stephen's dying

'See Leighton on St. Peter, and Hammond, both of whom take Pearson's view. St. Augustine also inclines to it. For the opposite view see Bp. Horsley's famous sermon on the text.

prayer, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Into this intermediate resting-place, whatever it be, Christ's Soul passed at the moment of its separation from the Body. It is of deep comfort to know that He thus shared completely the lot of man, and sanctified by His gracious presence the whole of that dark valley.

ARTICLE IV.

Of the Resurrection of Christ.

Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again His Body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith He ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until He return to judge all Men at the last day.

Notes. From death: meaning His Body from the grave, and His soul from that intermediate restingplace called Paradise, or "Hell," that is, Hades. His Divine Nature had never quitted either soul or body; therefore it was that the Body had " seen no corruption."

With flesh, bones, etc. That the selfsame Body that was buried was raised is clear, for Scripture is most careful to assure us that the grave was seen to be empty. Moreover, when the disciples thought Him a Spirit, Christ replied, "Behold My hands and feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have” (Luke xxiv. 39). And in the very moment of His Ascension we read that He was lifting up His hands in attitude of blessing (ver. 50). But that our Lord's Body, though identically the same as that in which He had

suffered-retaining the very nail-prints and spearwound (John xx. 25)-was in some measure spiritualized, seems clear from the mysterious way in which He appeared in the midst of them in the upper chamber when all the doors. were shut (John xx. 19-26); and that after the Ascension it was glorified is plain from very many Scriptures. St. Paul, when speaking of our resurrection body as a 'spiritual body," evidently intends us to understand that such also was Christ's resurrection body, for he speaks of our "bearing the image of the heavenly" body of our Lord (1 Cor. xv. 49). And so again, he speaks of Christ changing “our vile body, that it may be made like unto His glorious Body" (Phil. iii. 21).

ARTICLE V.

Of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

Notes. Three truths are here asserted, the Divinity, Personality and Procession of the Holy Ghost.

Very and eternal God. This is a distinct assertion of His Divinity. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. iii. 16). St. Paul here declares that the fact of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us makes us the temple of God: and so St. Peter speaks of “lying to the Holy Ghost" and "lying unto God," as convertible terms (Acts v. 3, 4). Our Lord's fearful denunciation

of the sin of blaspheming the Holy Ghost (Matt. xii. 32) necessarily implies His Divinity. But some, admitting His Divinity, denied His Personality; thinking that by the word Spirit was meant an energy, power or influence of God acting on the heart of man. Against this heresy the early Fathers showed that, in the baptismal formula given by Christ to His Apostles, the Holy Spirit is ranged co-ordinately with the First and Second Persons of the Trinity in a way that clearly implies that He is a Third Person. Moreover, our Lord (in John xiv. 26) calls Him a Paraclete (or Advocate or Comforter), Who should take His place, and be to His disciples what He had been, speaking of Him as 66 another Comforter" (ver. 16), and applying to Him the personal pronoun "He,"-"when He is come," "He shall teach you," "He shall testify," "He shall lead you." So St. Paul speaks of Him as interceding with the Father (Rom. viii. 26), and being grieved (Eph. iv. 30).

The Council of Constantinople (381), in order to define His nature, asserted that He was of the same substance or essence as the Father and the Son, to be worshipped no less than they; and, in order to distinguish Him as an individual Person, the Fathers of that Council selected, from among His attributes mentioned in Scripture, the attribute of procession (John xv. 26) as specially characteristic of the Spirit. The Creed of Nicea had ended with the words "I believe in the Holy Ghost." The Council of Constantinople added, "The Lord and the Lifegiver, Who proceedeth from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, Who spake by the Prophets." The words "Who proceedeth