fouÌ„taine of our saluatioÌ„ Ioh. 3.16 So God loued the world that he gaue his only begotten Son In the causes of our redeÌ„ptioÌ„ we must not begin at our selues or at our own merits nay we may not begin at the death and passion of Christ Iesus but wee must begin at the eternall loue of God who sent his onely begotten Sonne and therefore blesse that good God Ephe. 1.4 which hath chosen vs to bee saued before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid The goodnesse of God in our redemption appeared to be greater towardes mankind then it was to the very Angels When the Angels fel froÌ„ God they were neuer restored but as S. Iude sayth they are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse to the iudgement of the great day but when man was fallen Iude. v. 6. the Lord of his goodnes gaue a comfortable promise of the seede of the woman Gen. 3 15 which should bruse the power of Satan The Angels which continued stedfast do continually prayse God are ready to execute his will Psal 103.21 but of Gods goodnes they are yet ministring spirits to serue for their vse that shall bee heires of saluation Heb. 1.14 And therefore Dauid Psal 34.7 when hee hath said that the Angels of the Lord doe pitch round about theÌ„ that feare him he addeth in the next verse O tast see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that putteth his trust in him A blessing it is to bee guarded by meÌ„ a greater blessing to bee guarded by Princes but what exceeding fauour is this when God doth vouchsafe to guard vs with his holy and blessed Angels Though in some respects Dauid doth acknowledge man to bee somewhat inferior to the Angels yet in this he saith Psal â— 5 that God hath crowned man with glory and worship in that he hath made him an Emperour ouer all his works put all things in subiection vnder his feet not only the beastes of the field the foules of the aire whatsoeuer walketh through the pathes of the seas but as he saith before in the same Psalme euen the heauenly Creatures when I consider the heauens v. 3. the worke of thy fingers the moon the stars which thou hast ordained theÌ„ say I O Lord what is man that thou art so mindfull of him or the son of man that thou so regardest him This vse we must make of all Gods Creatures so to behold in theÌ„ the goodnes of God towards maÌ„kind that we be thereby stirred vp to prayse Gods holy name The horse mule can behold the heauens to bee high bright and lightsome The hog seeth the earth to be a place to walke vpon the so to feede vpon The Peacocke conceiueth a glorious shew in his variable coloured fethers many dumbe Creatures doe exceed man in the sharpenes of smelling when wee behold eyther the glistering azured skye or the beautifull flowers and fruites of the earth if we goe no further then seeing smelling and tasting theÌ„ are we no better then the brute vnreasonable creatures but we must in all those things go further we must behold therein the mighty power of God that wee may bee stirred vp to feare him and the infinite goodnes of God that we may learne to loue him and then are we endued with true spirituall wisedom as Dauid concludeth in the end of this psalme Psal 107.43 Who so is wise will consider and ponder these thinges he shall vnderstand the louing kindnes of the Lord. The goodnes of God doth many wayes shine out in the creation of man Hee made him as Zorastes said Pulcherrimum naturae spectaculum the most beautifull spectacle of nature not going groue-long towards the earth but with his face lifted vp to heauen to signifie that his mind should alwayes bee on heauenly things Hee gaue vnto him a soule endued with vnderstanding made after his own image He framed him to be as it were a little world and an abridgement of all his creatures whereupon some haue giuen him the name of Microcosmus some of Omnigena Creatura because he taketh part of al and containeth the principal parts of all Hee hath substance as haue stones life as haue plants sense as haue beastes and vnderstanding as haue angels When the Romane Pollio would haue drowned one of his slaues in a fury because hee had broken a fayre Christall glasse Augustus did well forbid him and said Homo cuiusuis conditionis si nulla alia ratione nisi quia est homo totius mundi vitris preciosior A man of any poor estate whatsoeuer if it be for no other cause but onely because he is a man is farre more pretious then all the glasses of the whole world but especially the goodnesse of God did appeare in the renewing of our hearts by his grace and holy word 1. Pet. 1.3 That doth S. Peter call the aboundant mercy of God Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abouÌ„dant mercy hath begotten vs againe to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Christ Iesus That doth S. Bernard call a greater worke then the Creation of vs Bernard in Cantic or of the whole world When God made the world onely he spake the word and it was done Let there be a light Gen. 1.3.9 and there was light let the waters be gathered into one heape and they were gathered whereby was made the sea and the dry land was called earth Let there be two great lights in the firmament and there was straightway a Sunne to rule the night Bern. But quam multa dixit quà m multa fecit quà m multa perpâ—ssus est How many things hath God spoken how many things hath God done how many things hath he suffered to renew the heart of man If we should receiue the creatures ordained for the sustenance of our bodies and not be renewed and fed inwardly in our soules our estate were infinite thousand times worse then the estate of brute beasts For they are fed to perish temporally but we should be fed to perish eternally The seed of our new birth 1. Pet. 1.23 to wit the word of God is by an earnest acclamatioÌ„ pronounced by the Psalmist to be one of the greatest tokens of Gods fauour and goodnesse towards his elect For when he hath declared that God gaue his word vnto Iacob Psal 147.20 his statutes and ordinances vnto Israel he crieth out He hath not dealt so with euery nation neither haue other people the knowledge of his lawes There are two especiall properties which do greatly extoll and magnifie the goodnesse of God First that it is free not in respect of our deserts but in respect of Gods aboundant mercy Secondly that it is endlesse and perpetuall Esay 43.25 The freenesse thereof is set out by the Prophet I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne
doth neuer apply it to any purging fire taking place betwixt the departure of the soule out of this life and that finall day of iudgement Similitudes as you see are easily drawne into sundrie expositions But it was well said of Aquinas Aquin. opusculo septuagesimo siue super Roetiū de trinitate though in words somewhat barbarous symbolica theologica non est argumentatiua when for pointes in Diuinitie there are no other proofes but similitudes and metaphors they rest vpon slender arguments Another such figuratiue speech they alleage out of the Apostle that at the name of Iesus euery knee must bowe Phil. 2.10 both of things in heauen and of things in earth and of thinges vnder the earth there by the thinges vnder the earth they vnderstand the soules in purgatorie But the Apostle there setteth downe a generall doctrine that all creatures whatsouer are subiect vnto Christ the good to bee gouerned by his spirit and the bad to be bridled by his power The bowing of the knee in Esay Esay 45.23 signifieth the worshipping of God and the bowing of the knee in the Epistle to the Romās Rom. 14.10 is taken for the appearing of all before the tribunall seate of Christ where shall also bee iudged euen the diuels Iude. V. 6. who as Saint Iude saith are reserued in euerlasting chaines vnder darkenesse vnto the iudgement of the great day The like maner of speech wee haue in the Reuelation where it is said that euery creature in heauē and in earth Apoc. 5.13 and vnder the earth and in the sea did ascribe honour and glorie and power to him that sate vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe that is so submit themselues to God that either his mercy or iustice might bee glorified in them So to the Philippians the Apostle speaketh of the soueraigne power of Christ ouer both elect and reprobate as it was foreshadowed in the kingdome of Salomon whereof the Prophet saith Psal 72.9 his enemies shall licke the dust CHAP. XII The Conclusion concerning the twofold estate of soules once loosed from their bodies WHen the soule is by death separated from the body it is either receiued into eternall happinesse as was the soule of Lazarus Luk. 16.22 or else it entreth into eternall torments as did the soul of the vnmercifull rich glutton Saint Augustine although in some places he call the bosome of Abraham onely secretum quietis eius Aug. de genes ad liter lib 12 cap 23 the secret of his rest into which the Fathers were gathered for as in the newe Testament Saintes departing are said to bee gathered to their head Christ so in the former times they were said to be gathered to Abraham the Father of the faithfull yet elsewhere doth Augustine at large define what this bosome is Aug quest Euang lib. 2. cap 38 tom 4 sinus Abrahae est requies beatorum pauperum quorum est regnum caelorum in quo post hanc vitam recipiuntur The bosom of Abraham is the rest of those blessed poore in spirit Mar. 5.3 to whom is promised the kingdome of heauen into which kingdome they are receiued when this life is ended but the hel which was possessed by the rich glutton he saith is that Paenarum profunditas quae superbos immisericordes post hanc vitam vorat That very depth of all punishments which doth swallow vp the proud and vnmercifull after this life Gregory affirmeth the very same Gregor in Euangel homil 40. Quid Abrahae sinus nisi secretam requiem significat patrum de qua veritas dixit multi venient ab oriente occidente c. What doth the bosome of Abraham signifie but that secret rest of the fathers of which our Sauiour speaketh Mat. 8.11 Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit downe with Abrahā Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen They doe both interprete the bosome to bee the kingdome of heauen and both also consent in this that there are but two wayes for the soule after this life Augustine sayeth Aug. de verbi Apost serm 18 Duae quippe habitationes sunt vna in igne aeterno altera in regno aeterno There are but two habitations one in an euerlasting fire Aug. lib. 5. Hypognost and the other in an eternall kingdome and againe Primum fides catholica diuina authoritate regnum esse credit coelorum secundum gehennam tertium ignoramus imo nec esse in scripturis sanctis inuenimus First the catholike faith by the authority of Gods word beleeueth that there is a kingdome of heauen and secondly a hell Greg. in 7 cap. Iob. lib. 8. cap. 8. a third place wee know not neither doe wee finde in the holy scriptures that there is any Hereto agreeth Gregory Cum humani casus tempore siue sanctus siue malignus spiritus egredientem animam claustro carnis acceperit in aeternum se cum sine vlla permutatione retinebit vt nec exaltata ad supplicium proruat nec mersa aeternis suppliciis vltra ad remedium ereptionis ascendat when in the time of mans fall or death eyther a good Angel or an euill Angell shall receiue his soule going out of the prison of his body it doth hold it for euer as it is holden it selfe without any change so that if it bee exalted it cannot fall into punishment neither can it ascend vnto any remedy of deliuerance if it bee once drowned in eternall punishmentes Mat 12.32 The scripture maketh mention of two worlds this world the world to come Damascene sheweth what is that worlde to come Aeterna vita Damascene de fide Orthodoxa lib. 2. cap. 1 aeternū supplicium seculum futurum The world to come is either euerlasting life or euerlasting punishment Bernard likewise acknowledgeth but two places Bernard in sentent cap. 9 when the soule hath left the earth Tria sunt loca coelum terra infernus coelū habet solos bonos terra mixtos infernus solos malos There are three places heauen earth and hell heauen conteineth onely the good the earth hath good and bad mingled together and hell hath onely the bad Aug. de vera religione cap 38. Augustine saith Omnia temporalia transeuntia mundus iste concludit This worlde is the place that containeth all temporall transitory things the things of the life to come 2 Cor. 4.18 whether ioyes or paines are not temporall but eternall But some may say how commeth it then to passe that Augustine praied for his mother Monica being departed and Ambrose prayed for Theodosius and diuers others of the auncient Fathers made rehearsall of the deade in their praiers and supplications if eyther the departed bee in torments vnrecouerable or in blisse immutable what neede there any prayers to bee made to God for them Those auncient fathers did pray for the departed not as hauing any
A DISCOVRSE CONCERNING THE Soule and Spirit of Man Wherein is described the essence and dignity thereof the gifts and graces wherewith God hath endued it and the estate thereof aswell present as future And thereunto is annexed in the end a bipartite instruction or exhortation concerning the duties of our thankefulnesse towards God Written by SIMON HARVVARD LONDON Imprinted by IOHN WINDET 1604. ILLVSTRISSIMO omnique virtute ornatissimo Domino Georgio Moore Equiti aurato bonarum literarum Mecanati benignissimo prospera omnia foelicia precatur QVemadmodum apud priscos Philosophos vir amplissime quamplurimae de anima humana disputationes sunt literis mandatae à nonnullis quidem in dialogis vt a Platone ab aliis in tractatu continuato vtab Aristotele A quibusdam sermone soluto ab aliis oratione numeris constricta ab his fusiùs ab illis magis succinctè ab his ornatiùs ab illis stilo magis humili magisque crassa quòd aiunt Minerua Sic hodierno tempore non vti spero videbitur à ratione alienum si pro ingeniorum varietate eodem pergatur cursu vt quà m multiplices sunt animae dotes tam variae etiam sint illorum librorum formae quibus natura viâ—es animae describantur Sicut enim non omnes pisces vna capiuntur esca nec vno vultu omnes prori ita nec omnium hominum corda eodem scribendi genere alliciuntur necomnium aures eadem loquendi phrasi delectantur Si qui sint qui politiora scripta expetant ea velim perlegant quae de cognitione dei in libro non ita pridem praelo commisso acutè admodum et copiosè Ampl. tua demonstrauerit Est enim Dei agnitio tà m essentiae quà m virium animae planè certissimum argumen tum Quòd si qui peomata magis euoluere percupiaÌ„t Dauyesum Orphea Anglum audiant de noticia animae suauiter modulantem Hoc sum ego tantummodo in codicillo meo conatus vt quae ab antiquis optimis taÌ„ theologis quà m Philo sophis in aliis linguis pertractata viderim ea vt possem in exiguum reducerem compendium vt bonuÌ„ esset quo communius eo melìus in idioma nostrum vernaculum illa traducerem Visum autem est mihi vir clarissime hoc meum qualecunque scriptum tuae potissimùm Ampl. consecrare quia apud omnes satis constat eiusmodi esse tuum in his arduis quaestiunculis iudicium vt si tractatus hic meus licèt im politus sub nominis tui patrocinio in lucem prodeat non est quòd verear alicuius Momilinguam viruleÌ„tam nec est quòd de bonorum omnium approbatione quicquam omninò dubitem Conciones duas à menuper Camerwellae praedicatas in operis exitu adieci partim quia à disputatione de diuinis animae dotibus non multum viderentur dissentire Nullo enim modo se satis nouit anima nisi se suo creatori summè deuinctam gratissimè agnoscat partim quia erant coram illo habitae quem omnibus palà m innotescit te non vulgari amplecti amore cui non possum non acceptum referre quòd mihi tui fauoris spes certissima affulgeat quódque patronum adeò praestantem hoc exiguum sit nactum opusculum Deus Opt. Max. te multis verbi diuini ministris solatium atheis obstaculum Suriaeque non mediocre decus sanum laetum honoratum quà m diutissimè viuum conseruet vitáque defuncto caelestes tibi sedes largiatur iustoruÌ„ animis in aeternum repositas Tanridgiae vltimo Decembris Anno 1603. Ampl. tuae deuotissimus SIMON HARWARD The Contents of the BOOKE The Arguments or briefe Summe of the twelue Chapters following 1 THe first Chapter sheweth that the words soule and spirit are so generally synonima that in all principall vses concerning man the one is promiscuè taken for the other 2 The second what the soule of man is and how the soule of man doth differ from that anima which is in other liuing creatures 3 The third whether anima vegetatiua sensitiua rationalis the vegetatiue sensitiue and rationall soules be three seueral formes or substances of soules or but diuers faculties of one soule 4 The fourth whether anima the soule be a medium a meane or middle substance betwixt the spirit and the bodie 5 The fift in what part of the bodie the soule doth possesse her seate 6 The sixt whether the soule doe come ex traduce by propagation from the parents or us 7 The seuenth that the soule is an immortall essence and that according to the opinion of heathenish Philosophers 8 The eight how in the soule the image of God may and ought to be renewed 9 The ninth what wee may conceiue of the soule of man by the conscience of man and how the conscience is either a heauen or hell to the soule in this life 10 The tenth of the estate and condition of the soule after this life against the heresie of the Catabaptists 11 The eleuenth of the future estate of the soul being seperated from the bodie against the Romanists 12 The twelfth the conclusion concerning the twofolde estate of soules once loosed from their bodies Errata Folio 8. b for feat sent twise fol. 20. a who by wholy fol. 21. a one our fol. 21. a geneally generally fol. 30. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 32 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 58. a often giuen fol. 74 a and did not possesse fol. 99 b if we cast of if we taste of Fol. 48. Decius A DISCOVRSE concerning the Soule and Spirit of MAN CHAP. I. How many wayes the words Soule and Spirit are synonima and the one promiscuè taken for the other THe words anima and animus in their originall etymologie are thought of many to bee deriued of the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ignifying a blast or Spirit Arist de mundo according to that of Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Anemos is nothing but much aire flowing hard together which is also called a Spirit The hebrew word nephesh for the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ruach for the spirit are accounted in their originall sense to signifie also one thing to wit a breath or blast The Greeke word for the soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refrigero because breath is let in to coole things naturally hote and is therefore the same in meaning with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritus of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiro The like is in the Latine tongue wherein as the word spiritus is taken often for winde and breath Virg. Aenead as in the Poet Boreae cum spiritus alto insonat Aegeo And of the Queen of the South when she came to Salomon and sodainly sawe his exceeding glorie and Maiestie it is said of her being amazed 1. Reg. 10.5 non erat ampliùs in
ea spiritus there was no more breach in her So vsually in the best approued Latine Authors the word anima is also taken for winde Cicero de V. muersit and breath Tully saith inter igneÌ„ et terram Deus aquam animamque posuit Betwixt the element of fire and the earth God hath placed the water and the ayre Geta in Terence telleth Antopho how by hearkening and listening Terent. in Phorm he had found out the parents of Phanium accessi astiti animam compressi aurem admoui I came neere stood close held in my breath and listened And in Plautus the fault of the breath is called faetor animae Plautus in Asinaria Philenium said to Demaenetus dic amabò anfaetet anima vxoris tuae As in the three chiefest languages the etymologie of the wordes vsed for soule and spirit do import one force and nature so in the three principall significations and purposes whereunto they are most commonly applied in the description of the parts and faculties of man they haue as large a priuiledge the one as the other For first they are taken generally for the spirit of life in euery liuing creature As in Genesis it is said Gen. 7.15 Venerunt ad Noachum bina ex omni carne in qua erat spiritus vitae There came 2. 2. of al to Noah Tulli. de senec tute in whoÌ„ was the spirit of life Tul. extolleth those olde men quorum ad extremum spiritum prouecta est prudentia whose wisdome encreaseth euen vnto the ende of their life Aenaeas promiseth to bee mindful of Dido Vir. Aeneid 4 dum spiritus hos regit artus while life doth last This bodily life is called often in the Scripture by the worde of anima Reuben said to his brethren concerning Ioseph Gen. 37.21 Non percutiamus eum in anima Let vs not strike him in soule that is Exod. 21.23 let vs not kill him The law of retribution is eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand animam pro anima life for life Psal 59.4 Dauid praieth to be deliuered from those bloud-thirstie men which laid waite for his soule Our Sauiour commaundeth vs not to be solliciti pro anima Math. 6.25 carefull for the life what we shal eate or drinke nor for the body what raiment we shall put on The Angell bad Ioseph to take the babe and his mother and to returne out of Aegypt into Iury because they were dead qui petebant animam pueruli Math. 2.20 which sought the childes life Qui vult animam suam seruare saith our Sauiour hee which will saue his life Luk. 9 2â— shall loose it and hee which will loose his life for my sake shall finde it Ioh. 10.11 A good sheapherd layeth downe his soule for his sheepe that is his life Ioh. 3.16 as hee laid downe his soule for vs so should wee lay downe our soules for our brethreÌ„ that is our liues The Poet Iuuenal reprouing the greedy couetousnes of marchaÌ„ts saith I nunc et ventis animam committe dolate Confisus lÃgno digitis à morte remotus Quatuor aut Septem Secondly the word spirit and soule are in an equall degree taken vsually for the affections of man either good or euill Gal. 6.1 1. Cor. 4. v. vlt. The Apostle doth exhort vs to instruct one another with the spirite of mildnesse Psal 51.10 The Psalmist prayeth God to renew a right spirit within him that is holy motions of the mind Esay 29.10 The Prophet Esay telleth the stiffe-necked people that God had cast vpon them a spirit of slumber Greg. in mor. spiritus carnalis mollia spiritus mundi vana spiritus malitiae seÌ„per amara loquitur Psal 27.12 So may proud couetous affections be called the spirit of pride and the spirit of couetousnesse So is the word soule often vsed for the affections of the heart The Prophet Dauid sath ne tradas me animae hostium meorum deliuer me not to the soule that is the wicked desire of my enemies for false witnesses are risen vp against me Anima Sichem ad haesit Dinae filie Iacobi Gen. 34.8 the soule of Sichem that is the affection of his hart did cleaue vnto Dina the daughter of Iacob The Lord saith by Ezekiel that he had giuen vp the Israelites animae odio habentium eos Ezech. 16.27 to the soule that is the will and affections of them that hated them So of good and louing affections it is said in the Actes of those first conuerts in the primitiue Church Act. 4.32 there was amongst them cor vnum et anima vna one heart and one soule that is their counsels did all agree and their willes and affections were faithfully ioyned Eph. 4.3 The like doth the Apostle Paul exhort vs to when he biddeth vs hold the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace When the affections of our Sauiour Christ are expressed they are set out sometimes by the word spirit and sometimes by the word soule Ioh. 13.21 Saint Iohn saith turbatus est spiritus his spirit was troubled when he said one of you shall betray me Luk. 10 21. and as it is in Saint Luke exhitauit Iesus spiritu Iesus reioyced in spirit when hee said I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these thinges from the wise and prudent and reuealed them to babes euen so was thy good pleasure In Saint Marke he said Mark 14.34 tristis est anima vsque ad mortem my soule is sorrowful vnto death tary here watch And in Saint Iohn anima mea turbata est Ioh. 12.27 my soule is troubled and what shall I say Father saue me from this houre Aug. in Ioh S. Augustine doth expound these places to signifie his infinite loue towardes mankind and saith caput nostrum suscepit membrorum suorum affectum Our head vouchsafed to take vpon himselfe the affections of his mystical bodie Thirdly the word soule and spirit do in as full maner the one as the other point out vnto vs the principall part of man that rationall soule and vnderstanding spirit which beeing part of mans substance here doth remaine still immortall when the bodie is extinguished Of that is meant that speech of the wise man Eccles 12.7 when earth goeth to earth the spirit goeth to God which gaue it That did the first Martyr Saint Stephen yeeld vp into the hands of Christ Act. 7.59 when he said Lord Iesu receiue my spirit Of that speaketh the Apostle to the Hebrewes Hebr. 12 9 if wee haue reuerenced the Fathers of our flesh when they haue corrected vs much more shall wee bee subiect to the Father of our spirites and liue Of that doth our Sauiour speake in the yeelding vp of his soule Luk. 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my spirit For as he tooke
quickning spirit of Christ To call a body spirituall and to say that the spirit is a body are speeches very much different Col. 2. v. â— S. Paule sayeth that the fulnes of the Godhead doth dwell in Christ bodily but wee can not thereupon inferre that the Godheade is a body Rom. 7.14 The law is called spirituall the law sayth the Apostle is spirituall and I am solde vnder sin who will thereupon inferre that the law is a spirit Rom. 8.7 It is sayd the wisedom of the flesh is enmity against God is the flesh therefore a thing rationall Paule will haue the body of sinne destroyed Rom. 6. v. 6 is therefore sin a thing corporeall 2 Cor. 4.16 He sayeth though the outward man doe perish the inward man is renewed daily is therfore the soule of it selfe a person Aquinas writing vpon that place Aquinas in 2. Cor. 4. condeÌ„neth an heresie of Tertullian Hic Tertulliani error daÌ„natur etiam ab Augustino Epist 157 who taught that because S. Paule doth call the Soule an inward man therefore the Soule no doubte had a bodily shape but hee frameth him this answere Vnumquodque dicitur illud esse quod est in eo principalius Any thing may beare the name of that which is most principall in him secundum veritatem iudicium principalius in homine est mens sed secundum apparentiam principalius est corpus exterius cum sensibus suis According to true iudgement the principall part of man is the minde but according to the outward appearaÌ„ce the principal part is the body the seÌ„ses thereof therfore it is that the one is called the outward maÌ„ the other the inward S. Hierom sheweth that some in his time to proue that the spirite and soule are seuerall substaÌ„ces Hierom. epist 150. ad 12. quaest Hedibiae In adiectione ad Dan. v. 86. did alledge that in the song of the three children O yee Spirites Soules of iust men praise the Lord. But hee putteth it downe as an vsual answere that that chapter is of the Apocrypha and he addeth Non vtique sunt tot substantiae quot nomina We must still imagine so many substances as we finde names The Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 4. v. 12. calleth the worde of God such a two edged sworde as doth enter to the deuiding of the soule and spirite we may not conclude thereby two seuerall substances but by the soule is meant as most do expounde it the affections and by the spirit the reason an vnderstanding Aquinas in Heb. 4. Aquinas saith spiritus est illud per quod communicamus cum essentiis spiritualibus anima est illud per quod communicamus cum brutis anima operatur cum corpore sciritus sine corpore That part of the soule which doth communicate with spirituall substances is called a spirit but that faculty which is common to brute beastes is called anima the one worketh with the body and the other without the body Others make that to the soule do appertaine those thinges which are agreeable to nature and to the spirit those thinges that are aboue nature but still meaning the faculties of one soule and not seuerall substances It is no abasing of the soule of man to haue some thinges common with brute beastes as it is no disgrace to the mightiest prince in the world to haue some things common with the vilest and basest subiect of his kingdome to witte eating drinking sleeping such other naturall functions All Creatures haue their seuerall degrees of this anima some haue onely the natural degree as haue trees and herbs some haue further a vitall degree as haue wormes some besides the vital haue also a sensuall degree with some feeling of feare and ioy as haue brute heastes and some besides the naturall vitall and sensuall haue also an intellectuall as hath man to discourse ponder and iudge and stil the higher includeth his inferior and the highest and most soueraign compreheÌ„deth all in one Some to derogate from the word anima doe alledge that speech of Athan. Athanasius tom 4. in tractatu de definitionibus ecclesiasticis Nemo existimet quod ille spiritus queÌ„ in homineÌ„ inflauit factus sit anima absit Let no maÌ„ think that the spirit which God did breath into man was made a soule God forbid wee should think so wherupoÌ„ they conclude that in Athan. his iudgemeÌ„t the spirit the soule are two distinct substaÌ„ces most certaine it is that Athanasius in that place doth not speake of spirite as of any essentiall part of man but of that Spirite wherewith God created all thinges of which it is sayde in Genesis Spiritus Dei incubabat superficiei aqua rum The spirite of God did hatch vpon the waters and in the Psalms by the word of the Lord the heaueÌ„s were made all the army of them Gen 1 2 Psal 33.6 Spiritu oris eius by the breath of his mouth This working creating spirite did God breath into maÌ„ â—en 2.7 by it man was made a liuing soule without any elementary matter now that efficient al-creating spirite which God did breath into maÌ„ let no maÌ„ think saith Athana that it self was made a soule God forbid for then anima esset nimiruÌ„ de Dei essentia Our soule should be of the very essence of God Sed spiritus ille perficit animaÌ„ But that spirite which is of Gods essence doth make the soule of man and all the powers therof by which wordes following Athanasius doth so plainely expounde his owne meaning that no doubt can be left thereof I conclude therfore that the soundest course is when we take vpon vs to determine what anima is to giue it the same properties and the same signification as hath been euer giuen to it by the holy Scriptures by the auncient Fathers by the wisest of the Philosophers and by all the best approued authors that euer haue written and if in any place either in the booke of God or in the writinges of learned Diuines if be ioined together with the word spirit theÌ„ to giue it no other sence theÌ„ is the scope and drift of the places In all the places which are alledged the purpose of the originall text is not to shew how the soule should bee vnited to the body but how al the powers of the soule should be ioyned vnto God CHAP. V. In what place of the body the Soule doth possesse his seat THe vulgar and common axiome that anima rationalis est tota in toto tota in qualibet parte The rationall soule of man is whole in whole and whole in euerie part which some do attribute to Augustine and some to other late schoolemen but in Melancthon his iudgement it is no speech of Plato Melancth de anima pag 34 Aristotle or of any ancient Philosopher may best bee expounded of the power and efficacy of the
may wel be applyed the speech of our sauior Ioh. 5.17 pater operatur et ego operor my Father worketh still I worke The incorporall immortall spirit the soule of mā is of greater dignitie worth thē that it may be said to bee produced out of the facultie or power of any materiall thing It is also inorganicall howsoeuer for a time it do gouerne the Instruments of the body yet doth it oftē reflect into it selfe without all help of bodily instrumēts it doth discourse number gather principles vnderstād things both particular vniuersall therefore it is not likely that an essēce so spiritual inorganical shuld haue her beginning only by an instrumētall maner meanes Further it is euidēt that incorporal spiritual substances are not diuisible If the soule shuld be traducted frō the soule of the parents then must it needs bee that either the whole soule of the parēts is traducted or some part portiō if the whole thē must it needes bring the death destructiō of the parēts if but a part thē must it needs follow that simple spiritual essēces are partible diuisible that it may receiue a compositiō of parts as part frō the soul of the father part frō the mothers which consequēces do seeme absurd contrary to the groūds of reasō Obiection 1 Gen. 2. Some obiect that which is said in Gen. that God in the seuenth day did rest frō the creatiō of al his works therefore God doth not as yet still create newe soules S. Augustine answereth Aug. de Gen. ad literam lib. 4. cap. 10. tom 3. that God did cease à condendis generibus creaturae from making new kindes of creatures but for continuing those kindes which he hath at the first created that doth still take place Aug. Epist 28 Ioh. 5.17 which is saide in the Gospel Pater meus vsque nunc operatur And in another place the same Augustine saith verie well that God doth worke nowe non instituendo quod non erat sed multiplicando quod erat not in creating that which hath neuer beene but in multiplying that which hath beene Some obiect that it is not likely that God wold giue a lesse priuiledge vnto man then he hath giuē vnto bruit beasts If they beget issue wholy like vnto them selues why shuld not the same be performed in man I answere that those argumēts often do not followe which be drawne frō the more vnperfect creatures to thē that are more perfect If I should reason thus because wormes do reare vp without bones they purge melancholy humor without a splean they are moued volūtary without muscles therefore an iniury is done vnto man that he cānot also do the like or because the black flies called Beetles and other vermine do breed of dung without any helpe of male or female therefore an iniury is done to birds beastes that they cannot also do the like who wold account these argumēts to be of any force The more perfect that any creature is in the more noble maner is the forme giuen vnto it If in steede of a poore priuiledge a far greater indeede a very royall priuildge be granted then must it not be accouted an iniury but rather great fauour mercy and bountie as I haue shewed more at large in the third Chapter Some affirme that one soule doth bring forth another as one seede of wheate doth bring forth another because euery seede hath in it quiddam aeternum some thing eternall and perpetuall Saint Augustine doth answeare this argument Aug. epist 157. tales animas non spiritus sed corpora esse contendunt such men do make the soules not to be spirituall but bodily essences quo peruersius quid dici potest then which opinion what can be counted more absurd In corporall thinges the corruption of one is the generation of another That which thou sowest saith S. Paul is not quickned 1. Cor. 15.36 except it dye first but who will imagine such corruption in spirituall essences Corporall thinges doe grow and increase but these incorporall and spirituall essences haue at the first their perfection and do not grow in respect of quantitie or substance onely they haue need of Gods grace to renew their decaied qualities and of fit instrumentes for them that they may put forth their power and strength but say they if the soule be created of God and giuen from heauen not produced from the parents how is it then guilty of originall sinne or how can wee bee accounted by nature to bee the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 This obiection hath bred sundry errors amongst many Some haue affirmed that the soules are indeed created of God pure but that they are polluted at the very first when they come to man by the act of generation These are sufficiently confuted by the Apostle to the Hebrewes pronouncing mariage to bee honourable Hebr. 13.4 and the bed therein to be vnpolluted and vndefiled And againe if originall sinne should come that way then should wee by nature haue onely the sin of lust but we haue naturally all other sorts of sinne Enuy wrath pride and what not others haue taught that God indeede doth create the soule but that he hath therfore created it with these spots that it might bee a fit soule for man as hee hath giuen to other creatures a life fit for them to an Asse a life fit for an Asse and to a dog a life fit for a dog so to man he hath giuen a soule fit for him that is to a damned man a damned soule This is a wicked and damnable opinion to make God the author of euill who is wholy good perfectly good so good that there is no end of his goodnes who is as the Psalmist saith Psal 5.4 Deus non volens iniquitatem A God that willeth no iniquity But for the comming of originall sinne I take their assertion to be best and soundest which as they acknowledge the soule to be created of God pure holy as all his works are good so they do also affirme that it is not created with that strength of persisting in good Gen. 1.32 and resisting euil many such excellent graces which it should haue had if Adam had not transgressed the commandement of God Hauing therefore in it selfe though a purity yet also a weakenesse and imbecility it is no sooner ioyned to the body of man but it is presently infected with the pollution thereof euen as the purest spirite of wine or best quintessence that can be made in the world if it be powred into a filthy poisoned and vnsauory vessel it doth in a moment become partaker of the corruptions thereof yet we must not imagine the soules to haue for some time a being before they bee vnited with the bodies for at one and the selfe same time the soules are both created and also vnited to the bodies
reason Tul. Tusc 5. that corpus est quasi vas anim quoddam receptaculum the bodie is but as it were a vessell for the soule and a receptacle for a time Againe if the soule were not a substāce of it selfe why should the Apostle saint Peter call the end of our faith the saluation of our soules 1. Pet. 1.9 1. Pet. 2.11 or bid vs abstaine from lustes which fight against our soules Or the Apostle to the Hebrewes Heb. 1◠17 call the labour of Ministers a watching euer soules as they which must giue an account of them with sundrie other such exhortations as are set downe here in my first chapter Heb. 10.17 Or how could there be a terrour and trembling of conscience in the wicked when by the guiltinesse of their sinne they finde in themselues a fearefull looking for of iudgement and violent fire to consume the aduersarie It is not a motion but an essence which doth pierce vp to the tribunall seate of God and from thence strike terrour into it selfe This sting of conscience as it is a spirituall punishment and not corporall so it falleth not vpon the body but vpon the soule For the immortalitie of this spirituall essence what is reuealed by the holy scriptures I shall haue occasion to declare more at large in my four last chapters only my chief drift hath beene here to shew what the wise Philosophers of the world haue cōceiued thereof by the light of naturall reasō and to let vs see what a shame it is for vs not to make so much vse of deepe meditations as they did When Socrates did but consider that the minde doth thē discourse best when nothing doth trouble it neither hearing nor seeing nor griefe nor pleasure as wee see when the senses are stopped the vnderstanding doth most deepely meditate he could gather thereby an argument of immortalitie Seneca epist 111. When Seneca sawe that the greater and more heroicall mind was in man the more it did despise these base worldly things and the lesse it feared to depart out of the bodie he would say straight maximum est argumentum animi ab alitiori venientis sede It is the greatest argument that can be of a mind comming from heauen and therefore of a heauenly and eternall nature To conclude euen the Poets when they considered the diuine gifts bestowed on the soul of man Phoeylides could not but confesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Th' immortall soule stil yong lasteth for aye And Pythagoras a Poet but much more a Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pythag. in aureis carmini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If soule and mind as wagoners rule all Then when thou leauing body comest to skies With God thou shalt be euer immortall And taste no more of death nor miseries CHAP. VIII How in the soule the image of God shal be renewed OF those words in Genesis Gen. 1.27 that God made man after his owne image likenes there haue beene amongst many sundry applicatiōs and sundrie opinions some plainely heretical and others more tolerable The heresie of the Anthopomorphitae is dānable which maketh God to be a bodily substance like vnto man for the scriptures doe shew vs abundantly Ioh. 4.24 2. Cor. 3.17 that God is a spirit inuisible and incomprehensible he appeared sometime visibly to the Patriarkes Exod. 33.20 Ioh. 6.46 Gen. 16.10 Exod. 2.2 Esay 6.1 and his holy seruants but that was not according to his essence which is infinite but according to certaine representments or as Athanasius speaketh maiesties farre inferior to that which he is of himself applied to the capacity of man And certaine it is that in Genesis that image of God which is said to bee in man was not in respect of the bodie which was made of the slime of the earth but in respect of the spirit which was giuen vnto man Gen. 2.7 whē God did breath into him and hee was made a liuing soule Osiander made the image of God to signifie Christ which in the preordināce of God was for to come and to take mans nature vpon him hee taught that then doth the soule beare the image of God when it hath the very righteousnesse of Christ Iesus as an inherent quality He had it from the Manichees groūded his opiniō especially vpon that place of the Apostle 2. Cor. 3.18 we all with open face beholding the glory of God as in a glasse are trāsformed into the same image frō glory to glorie as by the spirit of God Those wordes are spoken especially of the Apostles and Ministers of whome Saint Paul doth in that place intreat and doe import thus much that they in the glasse of Gods worde beholding the glorie of God are transformed into the same image to bee lights vnto others as our Sauior said Math. 5.14 ye are the lights of the world and to light them not onely in doctrine but in going before them in sanctification of life The righteousnesse of Iesus Christ is imputed to vs as the Apostle doth often declare when wee put on Christ by faith Rom. 4.9.10 Rom. 4.22 Gal. 3.27 1. Cor. 1.30 Phil. 3.9 and are clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ But that perfect righteousnesse it self such as is able to stand before the iudgement of God neither is nor euer was an inherent quality residēt in any but only in the manhood of Christ Iesus It may and ought to suffice vs to receiue of the fruit and to let the tree roote remaine where it should 2. Cor 5.21 The Apostle sheweth that in the same manner as Christ was made sinne for vs so we are made the righteousnes of God in him Now he was made sinne by imputation when all our sinnes were laid vpō him Pet 2 24 and as Saint Peter saith hee bare our sinnes in his bodie on the tree so likewise his righteousnesse as of one that hath vouchsafed to become our head is imputed to all the true members of his mysticall body for as Adā was as no priuate mā but the fountain and welspring of mankind therfore most iustly Rom 5 12 as in him we all sinned so in him we all died So the second Adā our Lord Iesus is not to be considered as a priuate mā but as the head of the church what was wrought by him is wholy benificial to al the faithful If by the husband as being the head a debt be answered how iustly thē is the wife discharged The church is called the spouse of Christ Eph. 5 27. although it be said to be without spot or wrinckle yet must it not be vnderstood that it is void of all sin for why should it then be taught by our Sauiour to pray continually for forgiuenes of trespasses but we are said to bee without spot or wrinckle as we are clothed with the iustice of
the Lordes house doe eate vs vp Deut. 28.58 that wee feare God and dread his glorious fearfull name the Lord our God and that wee loue the Lord with all the powers of heart mind soule and strength The fourth thing required for the image of God to be renewed in vs is truth not onely true deuotion in the seruice of God which the Apostle calleth true holinesse but as he addeth in the verse following Eph. 4.24.25 to speake euery man the truth one to an other for wee are members one of another The nearer man approcheth vnto truth the more doth hee put on the image of him Tit. 1.2 that is truth it selfe and is called a God that cannot lie and the more that man is giuen to falshoode and deceit the more doth hee cast off the image of God and put vpon himselfe the vizard of Satan who is the Father of lies Iohn 8.4 and was a lyer from the beginning The fift necessary part of the repairing Gods image in vs is that all our affections which by nature were corrupted be sanctified and gouerned by the grace atd power of Gods spirite as the Apostle doth in the next verse giue an instance of anger Eph. 3.2 6 Bee angry saith hee and sinne not It is not required that affections should be clean rooted out for affections were euen in our Sauiour Christ It is said in S. Marke Mar. 3.5 that when hee looked vppon the Pharises he did with anger grieue that their hart was so hardened Iohn 11 35 And in S. Iohn that when they wept for Lazarus Iesus wept also The Apostle biddeth vs couet to prophesie 1. Cor. 14.39 and in an other place reioyce with them that reioyce Rom. 12.15 and weepe with them that weepe The prophet Dauid saith Psal 139 2â— Doe not I hate theÌ„ O Lord that hate thee yea I hate them with a perfect hatred There is a very good vse of affections in man anger addeth a spurre to fortitude hatred of sinne addeth a spur to iustice griefe addeth a spurre to mercy If the heart should bee without affections then should the soule bee like to a shippe be calmed in the Sea when shee hath no wind shee can make no way neither can the soule gouerne well the matters of this life without affections onely it is required that they be saÌ„ctified by Gods grace and made more and more coÌ„formable to the will of God If thus the image of God be dayly more and more renewed in vs then doth our estate receiue a most comfortable alteration Rom 5 1 Eph. 2.3 Rom. 6.20 Rom. 7 14 for whereas by nature wee were enemies to God children of wrath slaues of sinne carnall solde vnder sinne Ezech. 16 6 filthy and wallowing in our owne bloud Eph. 2.19 and strangers from the common wealth of Israell we are now by grace made the friendes of God Iohn 3.29 Iohn 15.14 the Spouse of Iesus Christ the children of Abraham sons and heires of God Eph. â— 32 a chosen generation a â—oyall priesthood Rom. 4.16 a holy nation a peculiar people Rom. 8.16 washed in Christ his bloude 1. Pet 2.9 and made kinges and priests to God our father Apoc. 1.6 CHAP. IX What wee may conceiue of the soule by the conscience of man and how the conscience is a heauen or hell to the soule in this life THere are very well made of S. Bernard fower seuerall kinds of consciences wherof onely one doth stand against the immortality of the soule there is Quieta mala and quieta bona Power sundry kindes of consciences turbata mala and turbata bona A quiet ill conscience and a quiet good A troubled il and a troubled good A quiet ill conscience is when man sleepeth securely in sinne Eph. 4 19 Rom. 5 1. and hath no sense nor feeling of sinne A quiet good is Act. 1 18 when being iustified by faith hee is at peace with God a troubled ill when a man is swallowed vppe in the gulfe of dispaire and a troubled good Mat. 11.28 when labouring and groning vnder the burthen of sinne hee desireth to be eased and refreshed by Iesus Christ The first conceiueth little of immortality because indeed man continuing in it is transformed as it were into a brute beast for as a troubled good conscience is sitte for men of infirmities and a troubled ill maketh them like to the diuels so a quiet good doth make them after a sort angels and a quiet ill doth reduce them to the estate of brute beasts depriue them of vnderstanding and reason The Apostle caleth the CretiaÌ„ slow bellies euil beasts Tit. 1 1 Dauid saith of theÌ„ that are drowned in worldly honour psal 49 20 man being in honor hath no vnderstanding but is like to the beasts that perish in an other place biddeth vs not to be like horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding psal 32 9 Of the Philosophers such as onely delighted to wallow in pleasures were called Epicuri de grege porci hogs of the heard of Epicure Horat. lib. 1 Epist 2 Fruges consumere nati only born to deuoure the fruites of the earth The prophet Hosea saith Hos 4.11 Whoredom and drunkennesse doe take away the heart of man that is they make him to haue no sense nor feeling of sins but to reioyce in that which indeede he should lament and to bee though aliue in the bodie yet dead in the soule as saith Bernard Bern. lib. 1. de considerat quis magis mortuus eo qui portat ignem in sinu peccatum in conscientia sentit nec excutit nec expauescit Who is more dead then hee which carieth fire in his bosome sinne in his conscience and doth neither feele it nor shake it out nor tremble at it The cause of this quietnesse is because Satan hath gotten a peaceable possession Our Sauiour saith when a strong man doth possesse all then all is quiet Diabolus eos pulsare negligit Greg. 14. moral 12. quos quieto iure possidere se sentit The diuell is carelesse of assaulting them of whome hee hath iustly gotteÌ„ a quiet possessioÌ„ Of this quietnesse Bernard speaketh writing vpon that place of Ezekiel Ezech. 16.42 my wrath and zeale is departed from thee Bern super Cantica serm 42. Vides quòd tunc magis irascitur Deus cùm non irascitur hanc misericor diam ego nolo supra omnem iram est miseratio ista you may see that God is then most angrie when he is not angrie The quiet ioy that wicked men haue seemeth to come of mercy but I wold wish none of that mercie that mercy is aboue al the wrath that can be Howsoeuer bruitish man hath no hope of immortalitie nor feare of Gods iudgements yet is his case therby no whit the better but rather much more grieuous
away carrying his money backe againe But when he sawe that it was a dayly sting to his conscience and that hee could neuer be in quiet for it for an euill conscience is like vnto a strait bed where maÌ„ can take no rest he brought the money backe againe to his creditors house and threw it to his Executours speaking these words vnto him selfe tibi viuit aliis mortuus est he is aliue vnto thee although he bee dead vnto others The two other kindes of consciences to wit turbata bona and quieta bona a troubled good conscience and a quiet good conscience I make no other difference of them but the one to be as it were the beginning and entrance into the other for none can truly attaine vnto a heauenly ioy in his conscience vnlesse he haue first beene brought downe to hell by the consideration of his sinnes None can bee truly refreshed in Christ vnlesse hee haue first with griefe and sighing Maâ— felt the burthen of his sinnes Saint Augustine acknowledgeth that a man non potest coronari nisi vicerit Aug. in Psal 60 nec potest vincere nisi certauerit nec potest certare nisi inimicum et tentationes habeat Hee cannot be crowned vnlesse he ouercome neither can he ouercome vnlesse he striue neither can he striue vnlesse he haue an enemy temptations But when these teÌ„ptations are so ouercome that sin shal not raigne in our mortal body Rom. 6.12 then coÌ„meth in the sweetest comfort that euer can come to the soule of maÌ„ in this like theÌ„ as the Apostle speaketh our conuersatioÌ„ is in heauen Phil. 3.20 then do we feele in our heartes that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4.7 then are our soules possessed with vnspeakable ioy according to that of Salomon Prou. 15.14 A good conscience is a coÌ„tinuall feast For as there is no greater worldly ioy to a man that hath trauelled a long iourney abroad then when hee commeth home to find his wife childreÌ„ and whole family in good health and quiet so there cannot bee a more excellent spiritual ioy in this life then when a man doth descend into the home of his owne conscience that he doe finde there all so reconciled vnto God that al be in good peace quietnes Esay 59.2 to perceiue that the thraldome of sin which maketh diuision and seperation betwixt the soule and God is abrogated or subdued This doth the Apostle call his chiefest reioycing Our reioycing is the testimony of our conscience 2. Cor. 1.12 that we haue had our conuersation in simplicity and godly purenes This hath vpholden the hearts of so many thousand blessed Martyrs and made them to reioyce in the middest of al their torments because they had a testimony within themselues 1. Pet. 2.19 that for their coÌ„science towards God they suffered griefe vndeserued This hath made so many Saints of God to depart so cherefully out of this world as Hierom writeth of the death of NepotiaÌ„ Intelligeres eum non mori sed migrare Hierom ad Heliodor 3. you might wel perceiue that his death was no death but a flitting to a better place And this hath brought comfort not onely to the faithful Heb. 10.22 whose harts are by the bloud of Christ sprinkled from an euil conscience purged froÌ„ dead workes to serue the liuing Lord. Heb. 9.14 But euen the heathen men also by following obeying the law of nature did in the testimony of their coÌ„science receiue exceeding ioy as the Oratour said writing of the comforts of olde age conscientia bene actae vitae Tul. in Catone mai et multorum benefactorum recordatio iucundissima A conscience of a life well led and a remembrance of deedes well done are the most pleasant things that can bee Periander being asked what was the best libertie Scob. serm 22. answered a good conscience Greg. epist 9. vnto which I thinke Gregorie doth allude when hee saith liber est quem conscientia non accusat Bias beeing asked what thing in the world is most free from feare answered a good conscience This is taught by the heauenly wisedome Prou. 28.1 The wicked as Salomon saith doth flie no man pursuing him but the iust is confident as a Lion The Oratour accounted this a most principall comfort in all distresses and calamities Tul ad Toâ—q fam lib. 6. Conscientia rectae voluntatis maxima consolatio est rerum incommodarum A conscience of a mans hart well enclined is the chiefest consolation in all aduersities And in another place nullum theatrum virtuti conscientia maius Tul lib 2 Tusc There is no theater that vertue doth more desire then a mans owne conscience Whereby he meant that good and vertuous men did not so much in their actions respect the sight of men or desire the prayse of man as they sought to keep that conscience sound which they were perswaded they had receiued from heauen Cicero pro Cluentio as hee affirmeth elsewhere Conscientiam à diis immortalibus accepimus quae à nobis diuelli non potest Wee haue receiued a conscience from the immortall gods which cannot bee plucked away but doth alwaies attend and waite vpon man Epictetus And another said well that as parents do commit children to bee gouerned and kept in awe by tutors so God doth commit men to be ruled and ordered by their conscience which more vigilant then any tutor doth continually attend on man Isid in syn according to that of Isidore omnia fugere poterit homo praeter cor suum A man may flie from any thing better then hee can flie from his owne heart The heathen men did not know aright that God which is the Iudge of the conscience Psal 7 10. and the searcher of the heartes and reines But neuer was there any Nation so barbarous neuer any Countrey so wilde and sauage Tul de nat Deorum but that it had this fastened and setled in the heartes of the people that there is a God and that he is a protectour of the good and a reuenger of them that doe ill which made honest minded men to come forth boldly and the wicked to feare euen their owne shadowe Sene. epist 98 as Seneca said bona conscientia prodire vult et conspici ipsas nequitia tenebras timet A good conscience appeareth boldly in the sight of men but naughtinesse doth feare the darkenesse it selfe Sene epist 43 etiam in solitudine est anxia et sollicita and euen in solitarinesse being alone it is fearefull and pensiue CHAP. X. Of the estate and condition of the Soule after this life against the Catabaptists THe ioy of the elect of God is called such a ioy Iohn 16 22 as shall neuer be taken from them it is an endlesse and perpetuall ioy It doth not onely vphold their hearts in all the troubles and
miseries of this worlde making light to shine in the middest of darkenesse Psal 112 4 Ioh. 16 20. and turning all their pensiuenesse into gladnesse but it conceiueth an assured hope of a better to wit an euerlasting life in the ioyes of heauen and that so soone as the soule is deliuered from the bodie The Apostle Paul did account his loosing from this prison to bee a present beeing with Christ I desire saith hee to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ Phil. 1.23 hee was assured that his remouing from this tabernacle should bee a present dwelling with the Lorde as hee saide wee had rather remoue out of the bodie 2. Cor. 5.8 and dwell with the Lord. Stephen prayed in faith and assurance that his soule should presently bee receiued into the hands of God Lord Iesus receiue my spirit Act 7.59 In the Reuelation of Saint Iohn Aopc 14.13 such a blessing and such a rest is promised to them that dye in the Lorde August in Psa 102. that their good workes may followe after them that is that God may crowne his giftes in them Our Sauiour saith to the repentant thiefe vpon the Crosse Luk. 23.43 This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The soule of Lazarus beeing departed Luk. 16.22 was carried by Angelles into Abraham his bosome Polycarpus that holy Disciple of the Apostles amongst many excellent speeches at the time of his martyrdome added this Eccl. hist lib. 4 cap. 13. Hodiè representabor coram Deo in spiritu This day I shall be in soule represented before the Lorde The Wise man saith of the death of all the faithfull When earth goeth to earth Eccl 12.7 the spirit goeth to God which gaue it When the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 16 10. that God will not leaue his soule in hell nor suffer his holy one to see corruption No doubt hee prophesieth of the resurrection as it is expounded by Saint Peter Act. 2.29 but hee includeth in that resurrectioÌ„ of Christ the life also of his own soule hee called Christ his soule I liue saith the Apostle yet not I Gal. 2.20 but Christ liueth in me especially in the resurrection of Christ our life is hid with Christ Col. 3 2 therfore Dauid beleeueth that seeing his soule Vido Gen. 42 38. Iob 14.13 de significatione inferni Psal 16.11 and the life of his soule Christ Iesus shall not bee left in the graue he shall vndoubtedly be brought to the preseÌ„ce of God which hee calleth in the next verse a fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for euermore The hope of the Apostle Paul is to be made conformable to the death of Christ Phil. 3.10 vntill he come to the resurrection of the dead now as his death was no extinguishing of the humaine soule Ion. 2.3 Mat 12.39 but like the being â—f Ionas in the Whales belly his soule being stil safe and yeelded vp into the haÌ„ds of God as hee saide Father into thy handes I commend my spirite Luke 23.46 and like the sacrificing of Isaac wherein the soule remained vntouched so also by his quickening power Iohn 4.17 hee giueth to all his elect that well of water that springeth vp to eternall life The Ram which was offered in steed of Isaac may well signifie our body our irrationall part that dieth but the soule though it be a while bouÌ„d to the body as Isaac was bound yet as soone as the bandes are loosed it mounteth vp to the place of al blisse and perpetuall blessednes Our Sauiour saith Quia ego viuo vos viuetis Because I liue Iohn 14.19 Iohn 6.56 you shal liue I liue by the father and hee that feedeth on me shall liue by me Iohn 5.24 Hee that heareth my wordes hath life eternall and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life Eccle. hist lib 6. cap. 26. Aug. lib de heres c. 83 In decret distinct 2. de Iohanne Vide Gerson in sermone paschali Hereby are condemned two grosse heresies the one deuised first by the Arabians and after renewed by Iohn Bishoppe of Rome and of late defended by certain Anabaptistes to wit that the soule doth sleepe or dye with the body and that both are raysed vp againe together in the last day And the other of the Romish Catholikes confessing indeed that the soule liueth after death but yet that the soules of the children of God Their vsuall buls and indulgences goe for thousaÌ„ds of years doe and must remaine so many yeares or so many thousand yeares in Purgatory before they can be admitted to the ioyes of heauen For the former to wit such as defeÌ„d both body and soule to dye together and both at the last day to be raised together they are coÌ„demned as you haue heard by the manifest testimonies of the holy Scriptures you may adde if you please those wordes of our Sauiour Feare not them which kill the body Luke 12.5 and haue no power to kill the soule if the Soule dye as well as the body and together with the body how can it bee said that tyrants doe kill the one and not the other 2. Cor 5.1 4 How can the Apostle Paul desire no longer to be a Pilgrime from the Lord by remaining here in the body but rather to bee absent from the body and to bee present with the Lord vnlesse the soule remaine after death with what is God saide to bee present if both soule and body bee ouercome with death v. 1 or how can the Apostle say in the same place that when this earthly tabernacle is destroyed wee haue a building or house not made with hands but euerlasting in heauen vnlesse the soule do continue to possesse that heauenly habitation Our Sauiour Christ doth promise eternall life resurrection as two distinct things and the one taking place before the other Ioh. 6.39.40 This saith he is the will of the Father that whosoeuer beleeueth in the sonne should not perish but haue euerlasting life and I will rayse him vp in the last day Iohn 6.54 And againe hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath euerlasting life and I will rayse him vp in the last day And afterward Iohn 11.2 I am the resurrection and the life whosoeuer beleeueth in me though hee were dead yet hee shall liue and hee addeth hee that liueth and beleeueth in me shall not dye for euer The Saduces denyed not onely the resurrection but also the immortality of the soule Our Sauiour doth by one argument confute both their heresies Mat. 22 32 Exod. 3.6 God is the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob God is not a God of the dead but of the liuing therefore Abraham Isaack and Iacob doe now liue Rom 14.8.9 and all the Saintes shall liue for euer S. Paul saith whether wee liue wee
liue vnto the Lord or whether wee dye wee we dye vnto the Lord whether wee liue therfore or dye we are the Lords for Christ therefore dyed and rose againe and reuiued that he might bee the Lord both of the dead and of the quicke How can our sauiour bee said to be the Lord and gouernour of the dead vnlesse some part of them doe remaine aliue to be subiect to his dominion Gouernement rule do of necessity import that there be also some to yeeld obedience and submission The Apostle sheweth Heb. 12.22.23 who bee the subiectes of that heauenly king to wit the angels and the spirites of iust and perfect men and hee sheweth there the great dignity of a Christian who is ioyned as it were to the Angels and spirites of iust men when he embraceth that religion which they doe continually reuerence But say they if the soule doe already enioy eternall blisse in heaueÌ„ what needeth then a day of iudgement If it be iudged already to what purpose should there bee any further sentence The day of iudgement is ordained of God for the vniting together both of body soule that as the elect haue serued God both in body and soule so they may receiue euerlasting ioy blisse both in body and soule and as the wicked haue serued the Diuell both in body soule so they receiue eternall tormentes both in body and soule And for this cause we are taught to belieue as an article of our faith the resurrection of the body wee do not say the resurrection of the soule for the soule doth not dye but the resurrection of the flesh or the resurrection of the body The soules of theÌ„ which haue dyed in the Lord August in Iohn tract 49. doe already enioy perfect and happy rest Nothing is wanting to the perfection of their ioyes but only the company of their bodies and the company of their brethren for this cause as some expounde it the soules of the Martyrs attired with white robes Apoc. 6.10 Anselmus in Apoc. Calu. in psychopanychia doe cry out in the ReuelatioÌ„ How long Lord holy and true as thirsting and longing for the comming of Christ to their full accomplishment If in this world a glorious sight doe delight vs neuer so much yet is our ioy increased when our friend doth behold the same together with vs. And no doubt this is as it were an accomplishing of the ioyes of the soules already receiued into the presence of Christ in the celestiall paradise when they shall receiue the company of their bodies the societie of their fellow-brethren An other argument doe the Anabaptists make Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 Ezec. 18 4 20. drawn from the reward of sinne The stipend of sinne is death therefore say they seeing the soule hath sinned the soule must needes dye but death is in the scripture taken sundry wayes sometimes for the separation of the soule from the body sometimes for the separation of God from the soule 1. Tim 5.6 as when the Apostle calleth the widow liuing in wanton delightes dead though shee liue that is aliue in the body but dead in the soule sometime for the horror of condemnation as the Diuell did receiue the reward of sinne and yet was not so extinguished but that hee doth watch and goe about continually 1. Pet. 5. â— seeking whome to deuoure In respect of the Saintes of God death is saide to haue lost her sting and to become as a drone bee as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 15 56 O death where is thy sting It was prophesied of our Sauiour Christ by the Prophetes Praecipitabit mortem in aeternum Esay 25.8 Hee shall throw death headlong for euer O Death I will be thy death O hell I will bee thy destruction They obiect further that the death of the saintes is called a sleepe Act. 7 60 Ioh. 11.11 2. Thes 4.13 Stephen when he dyed fell a sleepe Lazarus being dead was said to sleep the Apostle biddeth not to mourne for them that sleepe that is be dead If death bee a sleepe theÌ„ can there not be in the soule any conceiuing of ioyes vntill that sleepe bee awakened by the resurrection It is very apparant that in that Phrase by a Synechdoche that is giuen to the whole which agreeth but to one part when Iob saith Ecce nunc in puluere dormio Iob 7.21 Behold I shall sleepe now in the dust and if you seeke mee in the morning I shall haue no being did Iob thinke that when hee dyed his soule should lye in the dust that were too grosse to bee once imagined It is very apparant then that hee meaneth onely that his body shall sleepe in the dust and that figuratiuely hee doth attribute that to the whole which agreeth but to a part That which they alledge out of Salomon that man and beast haue both one end Eccl. 3.21 who knoweth whether the spirite of man shall ascend vpward or the spirite of beast descend downe into the earth is answered by those wordes which Salomon doth so often repeat in that book Eccl. 1.2 Eccl. 2.11 Vanity of vanities and all is but vanity hee sheweth often in that Booke what are the speeches of vaine men Eccl. 9.4 as after when hee sayeth Better is a liuing dog then a dead Lion for the liuing know that they shall dye but the dead know nothing at all wee must not think that Salomon speaketh this as of himselfe but to shew the affections of worldlinges who are led by vanity of vanities and by nothing but vanity Tertul. lib de resurr carnis Irenaeus lib. 9 aduersus haeresi Chrysost hom 28. in â—1 ad Hebr. August lib 12 de Ciuit. Dei cap. 9 When the Fathers doe sometimes affirme that the soules are not crowned vntill the day of resurrection they mean of the perfect triumph they deny not but that the soules of the Saints are in peace and happy rest but the perfect triumph crown of glory they made to be then when the bodies being againe vnited to the soules death should be vtterly swallowed vp in victory The argument which some doe alledge out of the Apostle that because he saith If the dead rise not againe 1. Cor. 15.19 we are of all men most miserable v. 32 therefore before the resurrection there is no ioy nor felicity is of no force at all for hee saith after what will it profite mee to fight with the beastes at Ephesus if the deade bee not raysed vppe the bodies of the Saintes in this life suffer many iniuries reproches and often martyrdomes Now vnlesse these bodies bee hereafter to be aduanced to glory we are of all meÌ„ most miserable and againe although the soule do enioy blessed rest yet a great part of the happinesse doth consist in the assurance of the expected resurrection Caluin in Phychopanychia haec tractat 1 vberrime It is further obiected
bee found call vpon him while he is night that is saith he Dum estis in corpore Hierom. in Esay 55. V. 6. dum datur locus paeniteÌ„tiae et quaerite non loco sed fide while ye be in the bodie while place is granted for repentance and seeke him not in place but in faith The ransome of Christ is so sufficient to all those which with true faith take hold of it that as the Scriptures doe shewe vs plainely Psal 32.2 Rom. 8.33 Rom. 8 â— Esay 4â— 25. Micha there is no imputation of sinne no accusation no condemnation no remembrance and therefore as vpon these foure benefits doth necessarily followe they haue a perfect deliuerance both from fault and punishment The faith of Dauid was Psal 51.7 that when he is washed of the Lord hee is become whiter then snowe And Saint Iohn appointeth this onely purgrtorie for the Church of God 1 Ioh 1 1 the bloud of Iesus Christ to purge vs from all sinne If their purgatorie fire should appertaine to the Church it must needes be either to the Church militant or to the Church triumphant for there are but these two parts of the Church as the Apostle saith Col 1 20 that Christ hath reconciled and set at peace by the bloud of his Crosse both the things in earth and the things in heauen but it appertaineth not to the Church militant for then it should be on earth nor to the Church triumphant for then it should be in heauen therefore indeed it appertaineth to no part of the Church of God There are but two kindes of ioyes and torments the one temporall the other eternall the temperall are al of this life the eternall are those which followe after this life 2. Cor 4 18 as the Apostle saith the things which are seene are temporall the thinges which are not seene are eternall The ordaining of a temperall ioy or a temporall punishment after this life is a thing that the Scriptures doe no where acknowledge Our Sauiour Christ and likewise Iohn the Baptist Luke 24 47 Mark 1 4 did preach repentance for forgiuenesse of sinnes whereby they plainely shewed that where there is no place for repentance there is rhere no place for forgiuenesse of sinnes Math 25 10 1 Cor 9 14 but after this life there is no place of repentance for then the gate is shut and the race of this life is already run Cyp. saith quaÌ„do istinc excessus fuerit nullus paenitentiae totus Cyprian coÌ„tra Demetri c. When man is departed out of this life there is then no place of repentance therefore to them which dye without repentance there is after this life no hope of forgiuenesse of sinnes Bee faithfull saith Christ vnto death Apoc. 2.10 and I will giue to thee the crowne of life Rom. 10 14 Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word preached where there is no place of hearing there can there not be any place of increase of faith Aug. in Psal 3 It was well aduised by Saint Augustine tuus certè vltimus dies longè abesse non potest ad hunc te praepara qualis enim exieris ex hac vita talis redderis illi vitae thy last day cannot be farre off prepare thy selfe vnto it for in what maner thou shalt depart out of this life in the same estate thou shalt bee restored to the life to come Aug ad Hesy 1 pâ—t 80. Qualis in die isto moritur talis in die illo indicabitur as man dieth in this world so shall he be iudged in the world to come They obiect that which is saide of Saint Peter that Christ going did preach vnto the Spirits which were in prison once disobedient when the mercy of God did waite in the dayes of Noah 1 Pet. 3 12 The purpose of the Apostle is there to shew that Christ did alwayes in all ages shew his diuine power as namely when by Noah he preached to those disobedient spirites which are now in prison that is in hel as likewise in Saint Iohn Apoc. 2 â— 7 the word prison is taken for hell and if they take it for purgatorie they are two wayes condemned by their owne doctrine for first they confesse that not purgatorie but hell is the place for such as are infidels and rebellious and no members of the true Church Nowe Saint Peter sheweth that not the family of Noah which did represent the Church of God but the other disobedient and vnfaithfull people were cast into this prison and therefore by the prison must needes be meant that place which appertaineth not to the Church of God Secondly some of them seeme to teach that the Fathers in the olde Testament were in a Limbo patrum but in no purgatorie and that purgatory only tooke place after the comming of Christ If that be their meaning little reason then haue they to drawe vnto purgatorie those thinges which are spoken of the people in the olde Testament and much lesse to make such contrarie maners of the remitting of sinne The Apostle sheweth euidently 1. Thes 4.17 that in the end of the world at the second comming of Christ they which shall be then found aliue shall bee sodainly catched vp to meete the Lord and remaine euer with the Lord. The tenour of Gods iustice is alwaies one and the same against sinne and therefore it is no wayes likely that in so many seuerall ages of the world there should be such farre differing estates of soules departed They alledge the fact of Iuda 2. Mach. 12.14 who when some of his meÌ„ being slaine in the battell were found to haue vnder their garmeÌ„ts little reliques of Idolatrie did send two thousand groates to Ierusalem to offer for them and this acte is called a holy and godly cogitatioÌ„ because he made an expiation for the dead that they might bee loosed from their sinnes This may be answered with the same answere which Saint Augustine maketh against the Donatists who vrged out of the Machabees that it is lawfull for a man to kill himselfe because when Rhasis killed himselfe Mach. 14.2 42 43. he is there twise commended to dot it generosè or viriliter nobly and manfully Saint Augustine telleth them that that is a Scripture recepta ab ccclesia non inutiliter si sobriè legatur Aug. contra 2. Gaudentii epist cap 23 â— receiued of the Church not vnprofitably if it be soberly read It is then soberly read when no newe doctrine is collected out of it against the lawe and the Prophets The law appointed no such vse of offerings to offer for them which perished in Idolatrie how damnable the sinne was it may well appeare by the grieuous punishment of Achan Iosua 7.24 But wee may answeare rather with the iudgement of that ancient expositio symbols attributed to Cyprian that those bookes of the Machabees are no Canonicall scripture
conceit of Purgatory or temporall punishments endured by the soules departed but as hauing an eye to the resurrection which was yet to ensue and neyther to be hastened nor to be deferred by any prayers and yet they prayed to testifie their hope as S. Paul praied for Onesiphorus 2. Tim. 1.18 that the Lorde would graunt vnto him that hee may find mercy with the Lord in that day meaning as some expound it the day of resurrection hee had a further respect in his praier then eyther to his life or to his death and so had the fathers a further respect then to the present estate of the soules for as for their present estate they did not doubt of their happy rest Augustine when hee prayed for his mother said Credo quodiam feceris quod te rogo Aug. confess lib. 9 cap. 12 sed voluntaria oris mei approbo Domine non respondebit illa se nihil delere sed respondebit demissa debita sua ab eo cui nemo reddet quod pro nobis no debens reddidit I beleeue that thou hast already graunted what I request but good Lord accept the voluntary wordes of my mouth shee shall not say that she oweth nothing but shee will answere that her debtes are forgiuen of him to whome no man can recompence that which hee hath freely done for vs. And so likewise although Ambrose prayed for Theodosius yet hee doubted not but that he was in eternal glory Ambros de obitu Theod. for so he affirmed Absolutus crimine fruitur nunc Theodosius luce perpetua tranquilitate diuturna sanctorumque caetibus gloriatur Theodosius hauing his sinne remitted doth euen now enioy perpetuall light and a lasting rest and doth triumph in the company of the saints by the name of prayers were oftē signified thanksgiuings 2. Tim. 2.22 psal 14.4 as indeed calling vpon the name of God is taken often in the scriptures for the whole seruice of God They had their commemoration of the dead especially at the ministration of the Lords supper which they tooke to bee Eucharistia a sacrament of thanksgiuing and as Chrysostome noteth what was done for the dead was done most in Hymnes doe testifie their ioy and thankfulnesse Quid sibi volunt Hymni nonne glorificamus Deum Chrysost ad popul Antioch hom 70 gratias illi agimus quia iam defunctum coronauit haec omnia sunt gaudentium What meaneth Hymnes or songes doe wee not glorifie God and giue thankes vnto him that hee hath already crowned a soule departed Al these are effectes of hearts reioycing And further in the commemoration of the dead there was especially a rehearsing of the resurrection of our Sauiour by himselfe and all the Saints by him to shew that that was the time which they most respected and if they praied for forgiuenes of the sinnes of the departed the meaning of their petition was that their sinnes should not be imputed vnto them in the resurrection Vide August in Io. tract 49 How lawfully they might make that praier I will not now dispute It sufficeth here to haue shewed that they did not acknowledge any temporall tormentes after this life appertaining to such as haue ended their dayes in the faith of Christ and that the secret rest which they placed in Abrahams bosome did not signifie vnto them a sleepe or idle rest but a place of ioy and happinesse Ioh 8 56 that as it was Abraham his ioy in this world to see the dayes of Christ so it is a farre more infinite felicity to him and his faithfull seede this transitory life being ended to behold and fully to enioy the presence of our Redeemer in the eternall kingdome of heauen S. Augustine sayth that hee doth fully belieue that his sweet friend Nebridius is in Abrahams bosome Aug. confess lib. 9. hee sheweth presently what that is Pomt spirituale os adfontem tuum bibit quantum potest sapientiam pro auiditate sua sine fine foelix He setteth his spirituall mouth to thy fountain O Lord and drinketh wisedome to the full according to his chiefest desire being happy without end This happy estate of the soules of Gods saintes is at large laid open by the manifold testimonies of the holy scriptures in the beginning of my tenth Chapter as likewise in the whole course of that and the chapter following By the word of God as by the touchstone of all truth the ancient fathers doe desire that their writings should bee examined what is agreeable thereto to be receiued and what not to be reiected Augustine sayeth Aug. in psal 57. Auferantur é medio chartae nostrae prodeat in medium codex Dei Let our writings bee laide aside and let place bee giuen to the booke of God Hee also nameth the olde and new Testament Duo vbera Ecclesiae The two breastes of the Church out of which all sound and perfect truth must bee drawne and deriued vnto vs. In them wee finde but onely these two places or habitation for the soules once separated from the bodies to wit for them which dye in carnall security as did the rich glutton hell torments those which are spoken of in Deuteronomie fire is kindled in my wrath Deut. 32.24 and my wrath doth burne to the bottome of hell those which are called by Salomon the Chambers of death by Esay a tophet prepared deepe and large Esay 30.33 the burning whereof is fire and much wood and the breath of the Lord a fire of brimstome to kindle it and by our Sauiour vnquenchable fire where the worme neuer dyeth Mar. 9.44 the flame neuer goeth out And in the Reuelation A lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death of those torments Apoc. 21. ◠Abraham said to the rich man Luke 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is such a gulfe and distance placed betwixt them and the ioyes of the godly that there is no hope of passage from one to an other whereby is signified that the paines are vnrecouerable easelesse endlesse and hopelesse But for them which close vppe their eyes in a true faith vnfained repentāce Iohn 16.22 there are prepared eternall ioyes in the kingdome of heauen where the knowledge will integrity and all the powers of the soule Luke 20.36 shall haue such a correspondencie and conformity to the wil of God that they shall bee equall with the blessed Angels and where wee shall haue the fruition of Gods presence wherein doth consist the fulnesse of ioy For as the Apostle doth make this as greatly to augment the vengeance that is shewed on them which shall bee punished with euerlasting perdition 2. Thes 1.9 because it shall bee from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power so on the other side this is named as a high degree in our heauenly felicity that as here we see in a glasse 1. Cor. 13 12.