Incredulous

INCREDULOUS. They are so called who refuse their assent to truths declared to them, and resist the evidence of such reasons as are produced for them, or do not attend to them. The Jews, to whom our Saviour preached the Gospel, were almost all incredulous. Many bad Christians are so, with respect to the mysteries of our Religion. Incredulity is not so much a defect of the understanding, as of the heart.

The Latin text of Scripture sometimes uses the word Incredibilis instead of Incredulus; for example, speaking of Lot’s wife, who was changed into a pillar of Salt: Incredibilis animæ stans figmentum salis. And the Author of Ecclesiasticus, the Adultress does not believe in the law of the Lord: In lege Altissimi incredibilis fuit. And Baruch, Eramus incredibiles ad Dominum Deum nostrum. It is to be observed, that these three places here cited by me are not of St. Jerom’s translation, but in the old vulgate.

1 Pet. iii. 20.St. Peter in his first Epistle speaks of the unbelieving Spirits, to whom Jesus Christ preached when he descended into Hell. His qui in carcere erant Spiritibus veniens predicavit, qui increduli fuerant aliquando, quando expectabant patientiam Dei in diebus Noe. These Incredulous Spirits are the Souls of men, who lived in Noah’s time, and believed not this holy Patriarch’s preaching. They were informed of Christ’s coming, of his resurrection, and descending into Hell; but this did but increase their misery and despair: because as they dyed in incredulity and impenitency, they were not in a condition to be benefited by the Redemption which Jesus Christ went to publish in Hell, to those just persons who waited for his coming.

Some of the ancient Fathers¹ believed, that as our Saviour descended into Hell, he preached there to Infidels and Heathens, that if they continued incredulous, their damnation should be inexcusable; that some believed at his preaching and were converted; these by his means were admitted with him into Heaven: But this opinion has not many followers: the Church believes, that they who die in sin and impenitency are irrevocably damned. See the Commentators on this passage of St. Peter. We shall touch upon it further in the article Spirits.

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