makynge of man be entreth into consultation sayinge Let vs make mā to our Image and lykenes Nowe where shall we fynde thys Image of God excepte there be a spirituall essence in man in whyche it is imprynted For the bodye is not that thynge wherein the Image of God is residente It is true that Moyses by and by addeth that manne was made a lyuynge soule whyche thing he doeth saye also of Beastes But to declare a speciall excellencye he saith That God hath inspired the vertue of lyfe in the bodye whyche he made of the earth Therefore thoughe the soule of man haue certayne qualities cōmune wyth those of beastes yet for as much as she beareth the Image lykenes of God she is of condition differente from the other And for as much also as she hath hyr beginnyng apart she is of an other preheminence and thys is it that Solomon meaneth where he sayeth that in deathe the bodye returneth vnto the earth whence it was taken and the soule returneth to God whych gaue it And therfore it is sayd in the boke of Sapience That man is immortall in that he is created to the Image of God It is no autētyke boke of the scripture but yet is there no inconuenience that wee vse the testimonye thereof as we maye do of an aunciente doctoure how be it thys onely reason oughte to suffice vs that the same image of God whiche was set in man can not be but in a spirit immortall if we marke well what it doeth containe after saint Paules exposition that is that we do resemble God in ryghtuousenes and true holines Thys muche is sayed touchynge the creation ☞ Nowe are there manye places in holye scripture whyche are muche more euidente as where Sainte Peter sayeth that the rewarde of oure fayth is the saluation of our soules Also where he sayeth that the fayethfull do purifie theyr soules Agayne that the desyres of the fleshe do fyghte agaynste the soule Also where he calleth Christe the Byshop of oure soules For these sentences can not consiste excepte there be soules whyche be saued and whych be assaulted by euil cōcupiscences whyche be purified from their spottes and gouerned by Iesus Christ their byshop Accordynge to thys it is sayed in the hystorye of Iob that men do dwel in earthē housses whych maner of speakyng S. Peter vseth where he sayeth that he wyll admonyshe the fayethfull as longe as he shall dwell in hys earthlye tabernacle If it were not that the pryncipall parte of manne dyd dwell in the bodye as in a tabernacle thys shoulde be spoken wythout reason The Apostle also in his Epistle to the Hebrues declareth as muche or more expreslye the same thynge where he sayeth that oure fathers whych begat vs in thys worlde are fathers of oure fleshe but God onelye is father of our spirites I praye you how shal we vnderstande these wordes if the soule be not an essensiall thynge and a lyttle after speakynge of the citezyns of heauen he sayeth that they be the Aungels and spirites of Iuste men Woulde we haue a more cleare proste then this Also I se not howe we shal expounde the exhortation whyche S. Paule maketh vnto vs that we shold purge vs frō all fylthynes of the fleshe and the spirite except we take this word spirit for an essential soule For as the bodye is a subiecte whych receyueth pollutiō so muste it needes be that the soule on hyr behalfe be a creature which may be polluted sanctified ☞ There is a lyke reason in that where he sayth in an other place that the spirite of god beareth wytnes to our spirites that we be the chyldren of God Howbeit if we dyd hold that principle whiche oughte to be certain amongest vs christen mē we should not nede to enter into disputatiō of this matter that is to say whether the soule be an essensiall substaunce or no seynge that thys was the errour of the Saduces whyche expreslye is reproued in the scripture For in the .xxiii. of the Actes it is saied that saint Paule goynge about to excuse hym selfe doeth protest that he was persecuted bicause he did not approue the sect of the Saduces And Saynte Luke declaryng what this secte was sayeth that the Saduces do not beleue the resurrection nor that there be any Aungels or anye spirites or soules What wyl we haue more then thys S Paule confesseth that he is a Pharisee in hys Articles Now is it playne that the Phariseis do confesse as sayeth Saynte Luke that the soules be verye essensiall creatures ☞ Therefore lette the Anabaptistes take the quarell of the Saduces theyr predecessours and defende it agaynst saynte Paule And when they haue wonne theyr cause agaynste hym then shall we se what we canne saye vnto them In the meane whyle we folowynge the whole doctryne of God wyll holde for certayne that manne is composed and conlifteth of two partes that is to say of bodye and soule It is now tyme to come vnto the .ii. point that is what is the estate of the soules after the separatiō frō their bodies The Anabaptistes do thinke that they be a slepe like dead We saye they haue lyfe and felynge and that it so is we haue the testimony of Iesus Christe where he exhorteth his disciples not to feare them whyche do kyll the bodye and haue no power to kyll the soule but to feare hym whyche after he hathe kylled the bodye can caste the soule into hell fyre if the soule were nothynge or that shee were as kylled when she is separate frome the bodye then were it not true that tyrauntes and persecutours haue no power ouer hyr Thus hath God shewed greate mercy vnto vs in that he hathe not made oure soules subiecte vnto these hangmen whyche wolde do worsse and more cruellye then all the persecutours of the worlde whyche is woulde murther oure soules wyth oure bodies But let vs heare theyr propre cauelation It is true saye they that the Soule dyeth for the tyme but she doeth not vtterly perish for as muche as shee shall ryse agayne ☞ I aske them what doeth the body For if the soule doeth not dye alonely bycause of the hope whyche she hathe bycause of the resurrection the same reason may be made for the bodye that he doeth not peryshe nother Nowe the Lorde Iesus doeth notably decerne betwene the one and the other sayinge that the body is staine and not the soule In thys maner spake Iesus Christe when he sayed vnto the Iewes destroye thys temple and I wyll reedifye it in thre dayes Saynte Iohn added that he spake of the temple of hys body thus he reserued the soule a parte signifiynge that he coulde not be distroyed and in dede when he dyed he commended hir vnto God hys father And saynte Stephan after hys ensample Lorde Iesus sayed he receyue my spirite Thys oughte we therefore to thynke that God is protectour of our soules to preserue them from
syng wyth Dauid My soule blesse thou the Lorde whych fylleth thy mouthe wyth good thynges and maketh the yonge agayne lyke the Egle. And to this we haue the prayer whyche the Lorde Iesus made to hys father for the same purpose sayinge Father I desyre that those whyche thou haste geuen me may be with me to se my glory Nowe as we haue suffitiently proued the true doctrine touchynge the immortalitie of the soules so on the other syde is it necessary to answere to those places whych the Anabaptistes do brynge forthe to grounde theyr errours on Fyrst they aledge that the description whiche the scripture maketh of maÌ„s soule agreeth wyth the same of Beastes as where it is sayd that God hath created the greate whales and euery lyuing soule Also that the beastes entered by couples into the Arke al that had spirit of lyfe And to confyrme this they helpe them selues wyth that whyche saynte Paule sayeth that in thys lyfe man is corruptible mortall and animall But he shal ryse agayne incorruptible immortall and spiritual as it is wrytten that the fyrste man was made in a lyuynge soule I graunt that thys tytle of lyuynge soule is oftentimes attribute to beastes bycause they also do lyue in theyr kynde But there is greate diuersitie betwene them and meÌ„ For in man the soule by whyche he knoweth Iudgeth and hathe discretion is called lyuynge The Soule of beastes hath none other facultie but to gyue mouynge vnto theyr bodyes Therefore it is no maruayle if the soule of man whyche hath reason vnderstanding wil and other powers distinct from the bodye do subsiste beinge separate from the bodye wher as the soules of beastes do perishe for as muche as they haue onelye but corporall sence ☞ For thys cause Sayncte Paule alledgeth the testimonye of Aratus an Heathen Poete whyche sayth that we are the lynage of God to declare the excellencye of our soules Touchyng that saynt Paule putteth difference betwene a liuyng soule and a liuyng spirite is not done to declare that the soule whych we now haue doeth peryshe but onelye to declare howe muche more power ther shal be after the resurrectioÌ„ that is fowete that we shall be lyke vnto the Aungelles of God liuynge wythout meate and dryncke not beynge subiecte to anye mutation or fragilitie ☞ They do yet further alledge the vâ—sion of Ezechyell where the Prophete wrytynge of the resurrection doeth say that God calleth the spirite from the foure wyndes to inspyre lyfe into the deade bones But the solution is easye that Ezechyell after the maner accustomed of the Prophetes vseth an exterioure fygure to signify the foule of manne as in hys fyrste vision speakynge of the spirite of God he calleth hym also wynde Who so woulde vpon that reason that the spirite of God were not an essence were farrre wyde Therfore it is greate folye of these madde menne that they do not obserue thys maner of speache whyche is so commune thorowe out all the whole scripture ☞ Theyr thyrde Argumente is that thoughe the soule were created immortal yet thorowe synne she hathe laste hyr immortalitye as Sayncte Paule doeth saye that the rewarde of synne is death But fyrste I aske whether the deuil haue not receyued the same rewarde And yet is he not so dead but that he alwaies watcheth and buselye seketh whome he maye deuoure Secondely I aske whether thys death take ende or no For if it haue no endeÌ„ wyll they nyl they they muste nedes graunte me that the soules thorow death do not cease to fele the eternal fyre and the wormes that gnaweth theym It appeareth therefore that the soule doeth not so dye but that shee hathe fealynge of hyr euyll Touchyng the body it is sayed that it shal returne to the earth whence it is come there to rote But the deathe of the Soule is to be put from God and to be coÌ„fouÌ„ded wyth the felynge of hys yre as the Apostle declareth sayinge Awake thou that sleapest ryse from deathe and Christe shall illumine the. It is euidente that he speaketh not to the insensible bodye but vnto those whiche beynge buried in synne do beare Death and Hel wyth them Moreouer we haue alreadye shewed that that thynge whyche we haue loste in Adam is restored in Iesus Christe For that thyng whych was shewed before by the prophetes that he shoulde destroy death for euer and that he shoulde swallowe it vp the Apostles haue declared that it is fulfylled He hath destroyed death sayth saint Paule and hath geuen lyfe thorowe the Gospell Agayne if death haue reygned thorowe one mans faulte they whyche haue receyued abundaunce of grace shall raygne in lyfe thorowe Iesus Christe Thys one sentence is sufficieÌ„t to stoppe theyr mouthes For seyng that the deathe whyche is come thorowe Adam is abolished by Christe the whole question lieth in the comparison whych Saynte Paul maketh there Which is that the vertue of Iesus Christe is of greater strengthe to restore theÌ„ was Adams to destroy Whiche thynge in that place he doeth wel declare And folowynge that whych he spake he addeth further after that there is no dampnation to theym whyche are in Christe Iesus whych walke not after the flesh And in dede if deathe shoulde haue dominion ouer the Soules of the fayethfull the grace of God should not haue his raigne which importeth lyfe as he sayth but rather the lawe of god shoulde exercyse hyr power ouer them whyche is contrarye to the whole doctrine of the scripture ¶ They do also abuse theim selues with thys that oftentymes thys worde sleepe is token for death as where it is sayed of saynt Stephan that he fel a slepe in the Lord. Againe Lazarus our frend slepeth Againe sorowe you not for them that sleepe And in dede this manner of speach is more frequeÌ„t in the Hystories of the Byble then anye other I answere that thys slepe appertayneth nothynge vnto the Soule but oughte wholie to be vnderstanded of the body For ther are two speaches whyche do vnderstande in one selfe sence to sleepe wyth hys fathers and to be wyth hys fathers Nowe when it is sayed that a man is put vnto hys fathers it is playne that it is ment of hys Sepulchre I woulde haue no manne beleue thys excepte I can proue my sayinge by good wytnes of the scripturs WheÌ„ Iob sayed Beholde I slepe in duste he ment not that hys soule should slepe ther. So when he sayth in an other place that al men shal slepe in the duste togyther and that the wormes shall couer them it maye not be vnderstande out of the bodyes A lyke meanynge is in these wordes of Dauid wher he sayeth that he was lyke vnto the dead sleapinge in then Sepulchres And Esayas speakyng to Nabuchodonosor sayeth All other kynges haue slepte in theyr glorye and were putte into theyr places but thou arte caste oute of thy Sepulchre ☞ Therefore in a some we se that thys worde sleepe is by similitude applied vnto
beginning If it be graunted touchinge swearyng Iesus Christ hath simplye interpreted the commaunddement of God his father and hath added nothinge thereunto as we muste neades confesse then haue we won that whych we requyre For the lawe forbiddeth not to take the name of God in no cōditiō but forbiddeth to take hys name in vayne signifiynge that ther is a lawful way to take vse his name the whyche he hathe also permitted Notwythstandynge it is necessarye that we expounde the wordes of our sauiour Iesus bycause that at the fyrste syght it appeareth that he woulde forbydde all othes Nowe to haue good and perfecte vnderstandyng it behoueth to knowe the occation whych moued hym thus to speake The Scribes and Phariseis as it appeareth thorowe oute the fyfte chapter of saycnte Mathewe hadde by theyr faulse gloses so corrupted the people that menne made no conscience to do manye thynges agaynste the commaundementes of God so that they coulde make any excuse or coloure to couer them selues So comunelye they thought it not euyll done to sweare in vayne and folyshly by heauē and by the earthe so that they dyd not directlye sweare by the name of God Nowe the Lorde Iesus sheweth that it is a folyshe cauillation and sophistry to thinke so to purge them selues before God seynge that vnder heauen and earth his name is indirectly comprysed So when he forbyddeth to swere at all thys worde at all is referred vnto the maner of speache or to the wordes whyche men vse whyche maye be proued by that he addeth cōsequently nother by heauē for it is the throne of God nor by the earth for it is hys fote stole Nowe the Anabaptistes do peruerslye applye thys to the motif or to the cause as thoughe it were forbydden to swere for anye cause that myghte be whyche is contrary to the minde of the Lord and contrarye to the sence whyche hym selfe doeth gyue in the processe and deduction of hys wordes In the meane whyle they would make vs beleue that we do glose thys place as thoughe we shoulde haue sayed that it is euyll done to sweare or by the earthe but to sweare by God it is permitted Or at leaste wyse they do lay this vnto our charges before the simple Idiotes whyche haue nothynge hearde or sene of vs to Iudge by And then hauyng caste oute thys faulse reporte of vs they crye out saiynge Oh blynde foles whiche do not perceiue that God is greater thē hys throne To whom do they speake thys but to them selues seynge that they no body else haue forged thys in theyr fantasticall braynes bycause it foloweth in the wordes of our Sauiour Iesus Christ that no man shal sweare by hys heade bycause no man can make one heere whyte or blake Beholde saye they the cause why all othes be forbydden is for that we canne not performe that whiche we promise But I saye contrarye that if Beastes could speake they would speake more wiselye Fyrste there is a manifest contradiction in that whiche they babble For thys reason is speciall for all othes where wee promise to do a thynge to come Therfore it foloweth that that oth by whiche I testifie of a thynge whych is already done is not euyll Doeth it not appeare I praye you that they are altogyther wythoute wit to reason thus we canne not performe that whyche we promise therefore all othes are forbidden The replication to this is easye that there is one kind of othe in whych ther is no question to be bounde to do any thing but onely to wytnes the truth of a dede past Also that it is the most vsed othe Secondly the sence is farre otherwise thē they do imagyn For the Lord Iesus proceadeth forth to shewe euen as he hathe begun that if a manne sweare by hys heade it is as wel to take the name of God indirectly as it is to sweare by heauē or the earth or by Ierusalem ☞ Therefore as he hathe sayed that heauen is Gods throne the earth hys fote stole Hierusalem his holy citye euen so cōsequētly he declareth that a mans heade is a portiō of his seignory for as much as he alone doth dispose it after hys wyll As thoughe he woulde saye who so euer doeth thynke that when he doeth sweare by hys heade he sweareth by a thynge that doeth pertayne vnto hym selfe and that hys othe doeth not touche God is abused For God hathe also there his rule in suche wyse that man can do nothynge Therfore it is all waies to take the name of God We se how the Lorde hathe styl continued hys purpose These braynelesse menne woulde transport it wyth theym for to make it leape quickelye from the cocke to the Asse The conclusion is that our wordes shold be yea yea naye naye and that what so euer is more then that cometh of the euyll These wordes are easye to vnderstand were it not that these hogges do ouerthrow them wyth theyr groynes in suche wyse that they make them all confused For they say that this is as much as if he had sayed that our purposes shoulde be yea and naye that it is euil done to admore thē that Nowe the Lord Iesus putteth eche of these wordes twyse to signifie that we oughte to be fyrme and constaunte in oure purposes As thoughe he woulde saie do not chaunge to retracte euery tyme your wordes and that there be no leasynge or hypocrisye in youre purposes But let your yea be yea and youre nay nay And in dede I Iames beyng in wil to geue the same doctrine speaketh euen so worde for worde Let your yea sayeth he be yea and your naye naye by whiche he signifieth that all fayethfull men ought to haue a certen truth in their wordes Which loyalty and trueth if it were amonge vs all othes shold be superfluous For this simplicitie of wordes shoulde suffice to affirme and denye wtout swearyng It must nedes be therefore that the trueth raigneth not where othes be frequented Therefore it is not wythout a cause that our sauiour sayth that this thing doeth procede of euyl And to saye troth the cause whiche induceth vs to sweare is for that the whole worlde is so full of lying cantels fayninges and falsheades that scant is ther any that dare truste his owne brother Thus one euyll draweth to hym an other But in al thys the Lorde Iesus meaneth nothynge of lawefull othes whyche were permitted by the law but onely doeth reprehend and correcte that vnlawefull libertye of swerynge whyche the people beyng euyll instructed by euyll teachers dyd vse fyrst thincking that it was none othe to take the name of God in directlie and thā after made no matter of periuries esteminge also these vayne and lyghte as nothynge ☞ Nowe that I haue sufficientlye ouerthrowen all the foundations vpon whyche the Anabaptistes goyng about to condemne all othes wythout anye distinction or exception do leane it resteth nowe that by good reasons and testimones of