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A17654	An excellent treatise of the immortalytie of the soule By which is proued, that the soules, after their departure out of the bodies, are avvake and doe lyue, contrary to that erronious opinion of certen ignorant persons, who thinke them to lye asleape vntill the day of iudgement. Set fourth by M. Iohn Caluin, and englished from the French by T. Stocker.; Psychopannychia. English.	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Stocker, Thomas, fl. 1569-1592.	1581 (1581)	STC 4409; ESTC S118888	80,056	216

frame this Argument That the spirite returneth no more into the body seing it is sayd that it shall not know the place thereof any more But they will say That they make hereon a false collection because the places of the resurrection are very manifest agaynst this manner of reasoning Yea and they themselues make an ill collection whose Argumēt is commō with the rest And that saying in the booke called Ecclesiasticus is almost lyke for there it is sayd The number of a mans dayes for the more part is an hundreth yeares and no man hath certaine knowledge of his death As droppes of rayne are vnto the sea and as a grauell stone is in comparison of the sand so are a thousand yeares to the day euerlasting Therefore is the Lord louing and patient with men powreth out his mercy vpon them And therefore they must needs confesse that the Proyhet had another meaning then that which they dreame of That God of his goodnes hath compassion of those whome he hath allowed to be his and that onely through his mercy and that if he pull back his hand neuer so little from them they returne into dust from whence they were taken And a little after he maketh a short discription of the lyfe of man comparing it vnto a flower which springing to day is no better then grasse the next morning So that if it were to be sayd that the spirite of man pearisheth and commeth to nought yet were not their error any whit strengthned thereby For when we say that the spirite of man is immortall we doe not affirme that it is able to stand and abide agaynst the hand of God or to continue fast and sure without his power Now God lyketh not nor is not pleased that we should thus blaspheme But we say that the spirite is vpholden by the hand and blessing of God And so defendeth Ireneus also the Immortalitie of the soule with vs Ireneus in his 3. boke agaynst Marcian and yet would he haue vs vnderstand That by nature we are mortall and that God alone is Immortall And he speaketh it after this fort To the end we might not be puffed vp with vayne glory as if we had lyfe as it were of our selues neither yet proudly lift vp our selues agaynst God But that we might learne by experience That it proceedeth from his almightines and not from our nature that we haue a firme and euerlasting perseueraunce And thus ye see what the controuersie is which we haue agaynst Dauid whome they make so mighty an Aduersary agaynst vs. Now he sayth that if the Lord take his mercy away from man that then he commeth to nought and pearisheth And we for our part doe teach that he is firme and sure and vpholden by the louing kindnes and power of God and the reason is this That God is alone Immortall 1. Tim. 3. and whatsoeuer hath lyfe it commeth from him The fourth place is this My soule is filled with euills Psal 88.3 and my lyfe draweth neare to the graue I am counted emong them that goe downe to the pit and am as a man without strength free emong the dead lyke the slayne lying in the graue whom thou remembrest no more and they are cut of from thy hand What say they If they haue bene cut of by the power of God and fallen away from his prouidence and from out of his remembraunce doe they not then cease to be As if I could not returne them this Argument into their owne lappes and bosomes What and if they be cut of by the power of God and that there is more remembraunce of them how is it possible for them to be againe and besides what shall become of the resurrectiō On the other side how shall we reconcile these two places The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God Wised 3.1 or to the end we may set before them other sure Oracles of God The righteous shall be had in euerlasting remēbraunce Psal 112.6 By this we see that they are not fallen away from the hand of God neither hath he forgottē them But let vs rather by this manner of speach conceiue the griefe sorrowfull feeling of an affected troubled man that maketh his cōplaynt vnto God declaring that it wēt very narrowly that he had not bene left in destruction with the wicked of whome it is sayd that the Lord hath no knowledge and hath forgotten them because there names are not written in the booke of lyfe and pluckt away his hand from them because he guideth not nor gouerneth not them by his spirite The first place is taken out of the same psalme Psal 88.10.11.12 where it is sayd Wilt thou shew a miracle to the dead or shall the dead rise and prayse thee shall thy louing kindenes be declared in the graue or thy righteousnes in the land of forgetfulnes It is lykewise sayd in another place Psal 115.17.18 The dead prayse thee not O Lord neither any that goe down into the place of silēce But we which liue will prayse the Lord from henceforth and for euer It is also sayd Psal 30.9 What profite is in my bloud when I goe downe into the pit shall the dust geue thankes vnto thee or shall it declare thy trueth They bring in also the song of Ezechias which is of the same effect Isaiah 38.18.29 where it is sayd The graue cannot confesse thee death cannot prayse thee they that goe downe into the pit can not prayse thy trueth But the liuing the liuing he shall confesse thee as I doe this day and the Father to the childrē shall declare thy trueth And that saying also which is written in Ecclesiasticus Thankefulnes pearisheth from the dead Ecclesi 17.28 as though he were not But the liuing and he that is sound of hart prayseth the Lord. Here we make aunswere that in all these places which are recited that the dead who are departed out of this world according to the common law of nature are not in this place simply spoken of It is not simply sayd that God is no longer praysed when we are once dead but it is partely meant that none sing prayses vnto God sauing such as haue felt his mercy and goodnes It is also partely meant That his name is not gloryfied after we are dead For then he sheweth not his benefites vnto men as he sheweth them whiles they are vpon the earth And now let vs consider of these thinges one after another and handle them in order that we may thereby shew the meaning of euery one of them And heere in the first place we are to learne this to witt that though it be so that by death is very often and as it were alwayes meant the seperation of this lyfe and by this word hell the graue yet shall we many tymes finde in the scripture that these wordes are taken for the wrath and

you will also perfite the same vntill the comming of the day of Iesus Christ Now these men doe not onely intermeddle with the worke of God for a tyme but also dash it cleane out And they whiche before went from faith to fayth from vertue to vertue and enioyed the taste of blessednes whē as they bestowed themselues in the remembring of God these do robbe them of fayth vertue and of all remembraunce of God and place them in their beddes as sleapheddes and altogether drenched in drowsines For how enterpret they this their going on Doe they thinke the soules go forward in perfection whenas they grow fat with sleepe that they might be offered fayre and fat before the face of God whenas he shall sit in iudgement Surely if they had but one grayne of wisedome they would not thus grossely Iumble of the soule But looke how farre the heauen is distant frō the earth so farre seperate they the heauēly soule from the earthly body Phil. 23. When S. Paule then desireth to be losed from the body to be with Christ do they thinke it to be likely that he meant to sleape and for none other cause desired to be with Christ But this was namely his desire because he was fully assured that he had another mansiō a house not made with mans hande whenas the earthly house and Tabernacle of his habitation should be destroyed Is not this to a very good purpose Is not this then to bee with Christ Mat. 22.32 Mar. 12.27 whenas we geue ouer our own life Do they not tremble at the voyce of the Lord who calling himselfe the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob aunswereth forthwith that he is the God of the liuing and not of the dead And therefore he is none of their god neither yet are they his people But they say that these thinges shall then onely come in very deede to passe whenas the dead shall at the last day be raysed agayne to life considering that these are the wordes haue you not read that which hath bene written of the resurrection of the dead But yet haue they not wound themselues out by thys meane For when Christ had to do with the Saduces who denyed not onely the resurrection but also the immortality of the soules he confuteth these two errors with this onely saying For if God be the God of the liuing and not of the dead and Abraham Isaac and Iacob were out of the worlde when God spake vnto Moyses saying that he was their God it must needes follow that they liued another life For they must needes be ouer whom God maketh himself God Luke 20. Whereupon S. Luke addeth For al things liue vnto him not meaning that all thinges liue by the presence of God but by his power This thē remaineth That Abraham Isaac and Iacob do liue Rom. 14.8 Hereunto agreeth that saying of S. Paule whether we liue or dye we dye vnto the Lord we are the Lordes whether we liue or dye For therfore died Christ and rose agayne that he might be Lord ouer the quicke and the dead Can we set vpp any thing more fyrmelye whereon to settle and establishe our fayth then to heare that the sonne of God is Lord ouer the dead For he cānot be Lord but ouer some that are seying that there must be some subiectes where there is a gouernement We see also the soules of the Martirs whiche are in heauen yelde a testimony herof before God and his Angels Apoc. 6.10 who cry with a loud voyce vnder the Aultar howe long Lord will it be before thou take vengeance vpon the inhabitants of the earth for our bloud vnto whom were geuen white garmentes and was sayd vnto them that they should rest yet a little while longer vntill suche time as their fellowe seruauntes and their brethren which should be slaine as they were were accomplished The soules of the dead do crye and white garmentes are geuen vnto them Now I besech you you sleapie drounkē spirites how expound you these white garments be they cushions or pillowes forsooth for thē to sleape vpon You here see right well that white garments are vnfitt to sleape in Then must you needes graunt that the soules which are so apparrelled doe wake If then this be true it is out of all doubt that the white garmentes doe signify the beginning of glory which God of bountifull liberalitie geueth vnto Martyrs vntill the comming of the great day of Iudgement Daniel 7.9 Math. 17.2 Math. 18.3 Mar. 16.5 Actes 1.10 Actes 10.30 Luke 15.22 For this is no new nor straunge thing in the scriptures that a white garment signifieth glory pleasure and ioy For the Lord appeared in a white garmēt to Daniell The Lord Iesus appeared in this apparell vpon the moūt Thebor The Angell appeared in a white garment vnto the women at the sepulcher of Iesus Christ In this maner appeared the Angells vnto the disciples looking vp into heauen after the ascention of our Lord. In such forme appeared the Angell vnto Cornelius And the rich robe that was brought vnto the sonne after that he had consumed all his substaunce when he returned vnto his Father was a token of gladnes Moreouer if the soules of the dead cry out with a loude voyce thē sleape they not Whē beginne they then to be saped with this sleape Neither will this obiection serue them that the bloud of Abell cryed for reuenge I confesse in deede that this is a common manner of speach to witt that the deede it selfe speaketh that the shedding of bloud cryeth for reuenge And it is without all doubt that in this place the affection of the Martyrs is represented by the cry because their desier herein is expressed without any figure and their request also is herein set forth when as they say How long O Lord will it be Apo. 20.6 before thou be auenged c. Wherefore S. Iohn in his booke maketh mētiō of two resurrectiōs as also of two deaths The first is of the soule before Iudgement The second by which the body shall be raysed vp agayne to glory For thus he sayth Blessed are they which haue parte in the first resurrection in them the second death hath no place And therefore this is a terrible thing vnto you to you I say which will not acknowledge this first resurrection which is the onely opē way to enter into the blessed glory This also is a mightye strong weapon agaynst them euen the aunswere which was made vnto the theefe calling for mercy For thus he prayed Remember me O Lord when thou commest into thy kingdome Luke 23.42.43 And this aunswere he had This day shalt thou be with me in paradise He which is euery where promiseth to be good to the theefe and promiseth him heauen For he hath delight and pleasure sufficient who taketh pleasure in the Lord. Neither putteth he him of to many yeares but euen the very same

body soule For this generall death wherof as by the common necessitie of nature we all dye is a naturall way for the elect to come to the souereigne degree of Immortalitie Augustine in his 43. Chap. of the difference betwene the lyfe of mā the lyfe of brute beastes rather then to any euill or punishment And as S. Augustine sayth It is nothing els but a finishing of the fleshe which consumeth not the thinges that are fast ioyned and knit together but maketh a partition of them when as it bringeth both the one and the other to their first originall The third thing which they alleadge Acts. 7. is that which they so often speake of those which are dead Iohn 11.11 2. Thes 4.3 Kings 11 21.43 to witt That they sleape As it is sayd of S. Stephen That he sleapt in the Lord. Lykewise Lazarus our friend sleapeth Also sorrow not for them that sleape And this saying is so often repeated in the bookes of the kinges as that a man shall scarcely finde any phrase of the scripture more familyar and common But chiefely aboue all Iob. 14.7.11 they vrge and make a great reckoning of the saying in the booke of Iob where it is sayd There is hope of a tree if it be cut downe that it will yet sproute and the braunches thereof spring but when a man is dead what is become of him As the waters passe frō the sea and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp euen so a man after he be a sleape ryseth not agayne neither shall he wake out of his sleape vntill such tyme as the heauen be not Now if we beleue that the soules sleape because that death is called a sleape In the first place the soule of Iesus Christ was possessed with the very same sleape Psal 3.5 For Dauid so speaketh of him selfe I layd me down and sleapt and rose vp agayne for the Lord susteyned me His enemies also vsed this wicked speach towardes him Psal 41.8 Shall he that sleapeth rise any more agayne Wherefore if it bee not lawfull to thinke so basely and vily of the soule of christ as heretofore hath largely bene handeled we ought not to stand in doubt that the scripture had onely regard vnto the outward shape of the bodye neither yet hath deryued and fetcht this sleape from the consideration of men For these two manner of speaches he sleapt with his fathers and he was layd or buried with his Fathers we take indifferently And yet by the way the soule is not layde or buryed by the soules of the Fathers But the body is caryed to be layd in the graue of the Fathers Samuell lykewise in the story of the Kinges attributeth this sleape vnto the Faythlesse kinges as may be seene in the two last bookes of the kings as also in the bookes of the Cronicles And therefore when thou hearest it sayd that a wicked man sleapeth thinke thou not once of the sleape of the soule which can not haue a worse hangman to torment and vexe it then an ill and guilty conscience what becommeth then of this dreamer or sleaper who is thus vexed and distressed Isyiah 57. ver 20.21 For the wicked are lyke vnto the raging sea which can not calme it selfe when it lusteth whose flowing surges cast vp filth and stinking badgage There is no peace sayth the Lord vnto the wicked Neuerthelesse Dauid meaning to set forth the sharpe pricking sting of the cōscience Psal 13. ver 3. sayth O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleape not in death Thus we see that the bottomles depth of hell holdeth wretched man besieged and the strēgth of sinne tormēteth him and yet he sleapeth yea he doth more then sleape because he abideth all these thinges And therefore these simple and ignoraunt fondlinges must be set agayne to their A. B. C. seing they haue not as yet learned that part is sometymys taken for the whole and sometimes the whole for parte which figure is so oftentimes vsed in the scriptures Neither would I haue any man beleue me except I strst bring forth certaine places which playnely shew that so often as this saying sleaping is taken for death Iob. 7.21 it is spoken by a figure called Synecdoche For when Iob sayth Behold I sleape now in the dust and if thou seekest me in the morning I shall haue no more being Is it to be thought that his soul should be ouercome with sleape Now therefore the soule is not to be turned into dust Iob. 21. v. 2.6 nei is it to sleape in the dust As also it is sayd in another place They shall sleape both in the dust and the wormes shall couer thē Psal 88. ver 5. And when Dauid sayth Lyke the slayne lying in the graue Art thou of the opinion that Iob and Dauid by these sayings haue put out the soules to be eaten of wormes Isaiah 14. ver 7.8 The prophet likewise teacheth vs euē the very selfe same thing who meaning to describe the destruction of Nebuchadnezer saith after this maner Isaiah 14. Verses 18.19 The whole world is at rest and is quiet The firre trees also reioyced of thee and the Cedars of Lybanon saying Since thou sleapst none hath rysen vp to come agaynst vs. And anon after it is sayd All the kings of the nations euen they all sleape in glory euery one in his owne house but thou art cast out of thy graue All which thinges are spoken of a dead body so that to sleape is to be layd down as they are which sleape Horace in his ●des who are layd vpon the earth The very pagane Poets were able to geue instructions of this manner of speaking And therefore haue in the olde tyme called the place which was appoynted to burye the dead a Churchyard which signifieth asmuch as a dorture or a place of sleape and rest Not meaning thereby that the soules were there layd to reast them selues but the dead bodies I trust now by this tyme that the smokes of these our Gallants are already well vanished wherein they haue wrapped the sleapy soules since it hath ben proued that in the whole volume of the scripture there cannot be found that this word Sleape so often as it is set downe for death is attributed vnto the soules and spirites And besides we haue els where more at large handled the reast of the soules For their fourth obiection they take great hold of the saying of Salamon as if thereby they had some great matter to thunder out agaynst vs Where it is sayd in the booke of Ecclesiastes or of the Preacher Ecclesi 3. ver 18. I considered in mine hart vpon the state of the children of men that God had purged them yet to see to they are in themselues lyke vnto beastes For the condition of the children of men and the condition of beastes are euen as one condition vnto them For as the

Deuill and his Aungels And these shall goe into euerlasting payne and the righteous into life eternall The like saying is also in Daniell Danie 2.1 And at that time the people shal be saued euery one that shall be found written in the Booke And therefore they say If all these thinges are written of the day of iudgement how can it be that the elect should be called to the inheritaunce of the heauenly kingdome if they already possesse it How shall it be sayd vnto them come hither whenas they are already there how shal the people be saued whēas they are presently saued Wherefore the faythfull which nowe walke faythfully looke for none other day of their saluation according to that saying of S. Paule knowing that he who hath raysed vp Iesus frō the dead 2. Cor. 4.14 shall rayse vs vp also with Iesus Christ And in an other place it is sayd looking for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ who will make you strong euen vnto the end in the day of his comming c. And admitte we graunted thē all this yet thē by the way why do they of their owne brayn put to the thing that is not to wit sleape For they cannot shew vs one sillable of sleape amongest all the places which they alleadge And although they be awake yet it may be that they are with out glory Wherfore seing it is not onely a rash but also a madde mans part boldely to conclude vpon thinges which man his reason is not able to comprehend of which sort are these straunge obstinate opynatiuers dare they defend sleape which they haue not receiued from the mouth of the Lord. And therfore this may suffise discreete and sound iudgement to the end they might know this sleape to be a shameles forgery or fayned inuention as in very deede it is because it cānot be proued by the manifest word of God Howbeit let vs handle these places as briefly as we can to the end the simpler sort might not be troubled therwith whēas they heare it sayd that the saluation of the soules is prolōged and put of vnto the generall day of iudgement First of all we must vnderstand this to be a most resolute and sure thing that our blessednes is still on the way going vnto this great day which shal end our iourney In like case the glory of the elect and the end of theyr last hope doth tend and hath an eye vnto the same day because their blessednes and glory shall then be accomplished For it is agreed hereupon emōgest all men that there is none other perfect blessednes or glory but the onely perfect coniunctiō with God And vnto this end we all bend runne and shew our selues forward and all the scriptures and promises of God send vs thereto For that which God once sayd vnto Abraham by mouth belongeth also vnto vs where he sayth Gene. 12. I am thy verye great reward Seing then this reward is appointed for all those that haue part with Abraham to witte the enioying of God and the blessed possessing of him besides which reward it is not lawfull to wish any other for whē there is any question of our hope wee must cast our eyes vpon it And thus farre if I be not deceiued doe our aduersaries agree with vs. Moreouer I likewise trust that they will agree with vs in this that this kingdome wherunto the chosen and faythfull are called which in other places is called saluatiō reward and glory is none other thing but this most blessed coniunction and vnion with God to wit for that they are fully in God and that God maketh them perfect that on theyr behalfe they cleaue vnto God enioy him fully wholly and to speake it in one worde God and they are one For after this sort whēas they are in the fountayne of all fulnes they come euen vnto the last end of all righteousnes wisedome and glory vpon which blessinges the kingdome of God veryly consisteth For S. Paule sheweth it to be the last point of the kingdome of God 1. Cor. 15.28 whenas he sayth To the end that God might be all in all thinges And therefore seing god in this day shall in very deed be all in all thinges and bring hys chosen and faythfull to a iuste perfectiō it is not without cause that this great day is called the day of our saluatiō before which tyme our saluation is not perfectly accomplished For they whome God filleth are filled with all riches which no toung cā vtter no eare hath heard nor eyes haue seene nor yet vnderstanding hath conceiued Wherfore seing these two thinges are out of all question our sleapers vaynely take in hand to proue that the holy seruauntes of God who are departed this life are not as yet entred into the kingdome of God because it shall be sayd vnto them come ye blessed of my Father inherite c. Now this is easely aunswered to be no good consequence to say that there is now no kingdome because as yet it is not perfect But contrarywise wee say that the kingdome which is already begonne shall then be made perfect Neither would I haue any man beleue me herein if I doe not first of all manifestly shew by sure argumentes of the scripture that this is true 1. Cor. 15. For this day is called the kingdome of God because that at that time hee shall in deed put vnder him all contrary powers subdue Sathan with the breath of his mouth and destroy him through the brightnes of his coming 2. Thes 2. But he himselfe shall fully and wholye dwell and raigne in his chosen For God cannot hereafter otherwise raigne in himselfe thē he hath raigned from the beginning whose Maiestie can no way be either encreased or yet diminished But shall raigne in such sort as that he shall be opēly shewed vnto all the world When then we pray to haue his kingdome come doe we thinke that he hath now no kingdome And besides what say they then to this saying the kingdome of God is within you Wherefore God raigneth at this present in his elect whome he guideth and gouerneth by his holy spirite He reigneth also ouer the Deuill sinne and death when he commaundeth the light to shine in darkenes by which error and lying are confounded and when as he wil not suffer the powers of darkenes to hurt thē who haue the signe of the Lambe in their forehead He reigneth also I say euen at that present when as we pray and say let thy kingdome come And surely he lykewise raigneth when as he worketh power in his faythfull and whē he geueth a law to Satan appoynting him what to doe But then shall his kingdome come when as it shall be accōplished And then shall it be accomplished whenas he shall fully shew the glory of his Maiestie vnto the faythfull saluation and vnto the reprobate shame and confusion Howbeit is there any other

the kingdome as yet And therefore the soules of the faythful are at peace after they are dead seeing they are g●tt●● out of the thraldome of their enemy For they are in the midst of all ritches and as it is sayd They shall goe from plenty to plenty But when as the heauēly Ierusalem shall be lifted vp on hye in her glory and the true Salomon who is the Lord Iesus euen the king of peace shall be honorably placed in his Iudgement seate the true Israelites shall raigne with their true king and prince And therefore if we will borrow and fetch a similitude from worldly thinges we haue warre agaynst an enemy so long as we haue to fight agaynst fleshe and bloud Euen then doe we ouercome our enemy when as we are spoyled of this sinfull fleshe so that we be altogether with God We shall triumph and enioy the fruite of the victory when as out head shall be lifted vp in very deede aboue death to witt when death shall be swallowed vp into victory And this is our limit and end whereof it is written I shall be filled when as I shall be awaked through the sight of thy glory Now all they who haue learned to obey God and heare hts voyce may soone learne these thinges out of the holy scriptures All they also who haue reuerently and discretly handled the misteries of God haue taught vs these thinges and as it were geuen them vs from hand to hand For the auncient Doctors haue bene bolde to say thus much Tertullian in his boke of the resurrection of the flesh that the soules are verely in paradise and in heauen and notwithstanding haue not as yet receiued their glory or rewarde For thus sayth Tertullian Both the reward daunger hang vpō the comming of the resurrection And yet for all this he teacheth that the soules without all doubt are with God and doe lyue in God before this comming And in another place why should we not vnderstand the bosome of Abraham to be taken for a thing to receiue the soules of the faythfull wherein is pictured out the Image of fayth and the manner of both Iudgementes clearely shewed Ire●eus also sayth after this sort Seing the Lord hath passed through the middest of the shadow of death Ireneus in his ninth booke agaynst heresies where the soules of the dead were and soone after was bodily raysed vp agayne and after his resurrection lifted vp into the heauens it is most certaine that the soules of his disciples for whose loue the Lord hath wrought all these things should go into an inuisible place which the Lord had appointed for thē And that they should there remaine vntill the resurrection looking for their owne resurrection taking agayne their bodies vpon them and perfectly ryse vp agayne to witt bodely and as the Lord rose agayne euen so should they also come before the presence of God For no Scholler is aboue his Maister c. Chrisostome also sayth vnderstand what and how grea● a thing this is that Abraham is placed And the Apostle S Paule also when then shall this be accomplished that they migh● receiue their reward For if w● come not to that the Fathe● hath foretold that we shall no● haue the reward For he dealeth much lyke for as a good father that loueth his children very well sayth vnto the children that are worthy of commendation and doe their dueties well that he will not geue them their meate vntill such tyme as the other brothers be also come But art thou sorrowfull because thou receiuest it not all this while what shall become of Abell thē who hath ouercome this long since is not yet crowned although he be placed What shall Noah doe And what shal the rest doe that were in those dayes For we may see that they all taryed and so must also the rest ●●●●y which shall come after thee And anon after it is sayd They ●●…e preuented vs in the conflictes but they shall not goe before vs in crowning For there is but one setled time for those that shall be crowned And S. Augustine maketh a description in many places of the secret receptacles where the soules of the faythfull continue vntill such tyme as they receiue the crowne and glory But in the meane while the reprobate are punished looking for the iust payne of iudgement And in an Epistle which he wryteth vnto S. Ierome he sayth The soule after the body is dead shall be at reast and in the end shall receiue the body into glory Neuertheles he reacheth in an another place that after the ascention of Iesus Christ the soules which l●ue in Christ 2. Pet. 2.4 ascend into heauen And yet he is not contrary to himselfe Iude. For although it be true that the wicked spirites are euen now tormented as S. Peter affirmeth yet is this fier wherunto the reprobate shall be cast at the day of Iudgement sayd to be prepared for the Deuill S. Peter hath made mention both of the one and of the other when as he sayth They are reserued vnder euerlasting chaynes vnto the great day of Iudgement In which place by this speach of reseruation he meaneth the payne which yet they feele not and by the chaynes is meant the paynes which they presently feele And S. Augustine himselfe so handleth it in another place when he sayth Thy last day cannot be farre of therefore make thy selfe ready for it For as thou passest out of this life such one shalt thou be found in the life to come And thou shalt not be after this life by and by where the sayntes shal be vnto whom shal be sayd come ye blested of my Father inherite the kingdome which is prepared for you from the foundations of the world And who knoweth not that thou shalt not be there as yet But thou mayst very well be there where the rich proud man being in the middest of hys tormēts seeth that poore wretch sometyme still of fores and blaines in rest and peace a great way from him And thou being taken vp into this rest certaynly lookest most assuredly for thys great day of iudgement wherein thou shalt agayne receiue thy body and be chaunged and made like vnto the Angels Neither doe I mislike of that which S. Augustine in another place for Instruction sake dealeth withall so he may meete with a sound and modest Interpretor to wit that there are many degrees of the soule The first is the quickening of life or life it selfe The second vnderstanding The third arte The fourth power The fift quietnes The sixt entraunce And the seuenth contemplation Or if any man had rather say thus The first is from the body The second to the body The third about the body The fourth vnto it selfe The fift in it selfe The sixt vnto God The seuenth in God I haue not thought it a misse to bring in here these wordes to the end to shew the meaning of this