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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

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soule Wil they they say that there is nothing meant by these words we know then that this word Soule is oftentimes taken for lyfe as in these places Psal 119 Nun. My soule is in my handes Also Wherefore teare I my fleshe with my teeth and carry my Soule in my handes Iob. 13.14 Likewise Math. 6.25 Is not the soule farre more precious then meate Also Thou foole Luke 12.20 this night shall thy Soule be taken from thee and such other like which these Soule murderers haue euer in their mouthes And yet for all that they haue nothing wheron greatly to brag For they must consider that this word Soule is taken there by the figure Metanomia for the lyfe for somuch as the Soule is the cause of the lyfe and that the lyfe is vpholden by the Soule and this figure euen yoūg boyes doe learne emongest their rudimentes in the Schoole But who would not maruell to see the foolish arrogancye of these roysters who are fully perswaded of some great matter in thēselues and would haue others make great accompt of them yet they must be taught their figures and formes of speaking We also know by an other lyke reason as it were that the soule is taken for the will and desier because it keepeth the seate of the will desier 1 Sam. 18.1 And in this sence it is sayd That the Soule of Ionathan was fast knit to the Soule of Dauid Gene. 34.6 and that Sichem his Soule longed sore for Dina Iacob his daughter Acts. 4.32 Saint Luke also sayth And the multitude which beleued were of one hart and of one soule Moreouer who seeth not that there is great strength in these Hebrew phrases Psal 115. 104. Luk. 1. My soule blesse thou the Lord my soule doth magnify the Lord say vnto my soule I am thy sauing health For by these is somewhat more expressed thē if it had bene simply spoken without addition As blesse the Lord I magnify the Lord say vnto me I am thy health Sometymes it is simply taken for a man that hath a Soule Gene. 19. As When it is sayd that threescore and sixtene Soules went downe with Iacob into Egipt Ezech. 18.4 Leuit. 20.6 2.6 Lykewise The soule which hath sinned shall dye Also The Soule which shall goe after Coniurers and Southsayers shall dye the death c. Many tymes it is taken for the breath which geueth breath vnto man wherein resteth the liuely motion of the body As I take these places 2. Sam. 2. Heauines and sorrow haue taken hold on me Acts. 20. although my whole soule remayneth in me Also his Soule is in him And agayne That the soule of the Childe returned into his body Moreouer 1. King 17.22 the scripture vseth this maner of speaking that the soule doth depart whereas we commonly say he yeldeth vp the ghost As when it is sayd of Rachell Gene. 35.18 And at the departing of the soule for Rachell dyed she called the name of the child Benom We know also that this word spirite emongest the Latines is called breath winde which we may likewise see by the word that the Grecians vse We know that it is taken in the prophesie of Isaiah for a vayne and tryfling thing Isaiah 26.18 We haue bene with childe sayth he and suffered payne as if we had brought forth winde And many tymes it is taken for that which the spirite of God regenerateth in vs. For when Saint Paule sayth Galat. 5.17 That the spirite lusteth cōtrary to the fleshe he meaneth not that the Soule sighteth agaynst the fleshe or reasō against Lust but that the Soule it selfe in somuch as it is gouerned by the spirite of God fighteth agaynst it selfe because as yet she is voyd of the spirite of God and geuen ouer to her owne lustes Moreouer we know that whē these two words the Soule and the Spirite are ioyned together that by the Soule is ment the will and by the Spirite the vnderstāding Isaiah 26.9 For thus sayth Isaiah My soule hath longed for thee all the night and I will seeke thee early in the morning with my Spirite which is within me 1. Thes 3.13 And thus doth Saint Paule vnderstand it When he beseecheth the Thessalonians to haue their whole Spirite Soule and body kept blamelesse in the cōming of our Lord Iesus Christ For he meaneth to haue all their thoughts and willes sound and not to geue ouer their members as instrumentes of iniquitye to sinne Heb. 4.12 And that which the Apostle wryteth to the Hebrewes must be taken in the same sence That the word of God is quick and mighty in operation and sharper then any two edged sword which entreth through euen vnto the deuiding asonder of the Soule and spirite of the ioynts and the marow discerneth the thoughtes and intentes of the hart Neuerthelesse some there are which in this last place had rather vnderstand by the spirite this being wherein doe consist reason and will and which we are now disputing of and by the Soule the vitall motion and the senses which the Philosophers call Superiors and Inferiors But seing that both the one and the other doe signify in many places an Immortall essence which causeth the lyfe of man let them not take any occasiō to striue about the words but let them take the thing as it is by what name soeuer it be called and meant And presently we will shew how true the same is Now we will beginne at the first creation of man wherein we shall right well perceiue what maner of one he was made from the beginning The holy history telleth vs what the determinatiō and councell of God was before he created man in making him after his owne Image and lykenes These words cā no way be meant of the body wherein although a wonderfull worke of the Lord God appeareth aboue all the rest of the bodyes which he created yet we se not any Image of God to shine in him Gene. 1.26 For what is he which thus sayth Let vs make man after our owne Image and lykenes It is euen God himselfe who is a spirite who cannot be represented by any bodyly shape For lyke as a bodyly image which representeth vnto vs the face of a man ought liuely to set before vs all his lyneaments and proportions that by the coūterfaiting or engrauing we might conceiue whatsoeuer might be sene in him which the same representeth Euen so this Image of God must through the same lykenes set before our senses a certaine vnderstanding of the knowledge of God And I right well know what a number of them prattle saying that the Image of God is lykened vnto the rule and gouernemēt which is geuen vnto man ouer the lyuing creatures because that therein man is somewhat lyke vnto God who hath dominion ouer all things Into the which error Chrisostome him selfe fell
heere any thing whereat to iangle that Iesus Christ commēded his soule vnto his Father S. Stephen his vnto Iesus Christ to be preserued vntill the day of the resurrectiō Iohn 19.30 but these wordes haue a nother meaning with them and specially the wordes of S. Stephen S. Iohn also sayeth moreouer of Iesus Christ that whē he bowed downe his head he yelded vp the ghost Which wordes must not be referred to the breath 1. Pet. 3 1● or to the mouing of the Lunges S. Peter lykewise manifestly declareth no lesse the soules to be and to lyue after death when he sayth That Christ preached to the spirites that were in prison and not onely vnto the spirites of the faithfull remission vnto saluation but also vnto the spirites of the wicked vtter destruction For thus doe I enterprete this place which hath so greatly troubled many mens witts and I hope so to perswade all good and godly men For when he had spoken of the humilitie of the crosse of of Christ and he had shewed that all the faythfull ought to fashion themselues to be lyke vnto him that they might not despayre he forthwith speaketh of the resurrectiō that they might vnderstand know the very end of all tribulations For he sayth that Iesus Christ was not ouercome of death but hauing ouercome it shewed himselfe triumphant Which thing he declareth by these wordes whē he sayth that Iesus Christ was in very deed dead in the fleshe but yet quickened in the spirite And so also meaneth S. Paule when he wryteth that he suffred in the humilitye of the fleshe but was raysed vp agayne by the power of the spirite Now to the end the faythfull might vnderstand that the selfe same power belongeth vnto them he goeth on farther and sayth that Iesus Christ hath bestowed this power vpon others and not onely on the quicke but also vpon the dead and besides not onely vpon his seruauntes but also vpon the faythles and despisers of his grace Moreouer let vs vnderstand that this is a maymed kinde of speach and wanteth one of his two braunches of which sort are many examples in the scriptures and chiefely when many sentences are gathered together vnder one conclusion as here is done Neither yet let any man thinke it straunge that the holy Fathers are shut vp in pryson who looked for the redēption that should be obtained by the sonne of God For because they beheld a farre of the light as it were vnder a cloude or shadowe as they doe which behold some shimmering of the day euen in the twy light and perceiue the comming of the day before the dawning nor as yet had not the blessing of God reuealed vnto them wherein they might repose themselues he calleth their hope a pryson or dungeon The meaning then of the Apostle is this That Iesus Christ preached in spirit vnto the spirites which were in pryson to witt that the power of the redemption obteyned by Iesus Christ appeared and was manifested vnto the soules of the dead Here wanteth the other braunch which belongeth vnto the faythfull who haue knowen tasted of this fruite and setteth out the other braūch of the faythles who haue receiued vnto themselues this message vnto their destruction For they did see that there was but one redemption from the which they were shut out and therefore what thing could they els looke for but vtter desperation I see already how these men murmur grudge that I haue deuised this glose of mine owne hedd and that they are not boūd vnto any such lawes Well I will not tye them to my lawes but I will onely aske them this questiō are not the soules which are shut vp in pryson 1. Pet. 4.6 soules It is most manyfest which hath bin set downe by the same Apostle For this cause also was the Gospell preached vnto the dead to the end they might be iudged as other men in the fleshe but yet that they should lyue with God in the spirite We see that the fleshe is deliuered to death and the spirite to be kept in life For seing there is a relation betwene death and lyfe it is euydent that the one dyeth Eccle. 12.7 and the other lyueth We learne this same also of Salomō who describing the death of man Eccle. 1.27 maketh a diuision of the soule farre from the body when as he sayth vntill the dust returneth into the earth frō whence it came and the spirite returneth vnto God who gaue it I know very well that this Argument troubleth them not much because they say that lyfe returneth vnto God who is the fountayne of lyfe and so by that meanes it is no more any thing But the words themselues crye mainely out that there is great wrong offred them so that it shall not be needefull to confute this iolly subtilty which is neither worthy the reading nor yet the hearing This then is their meaning that the soules returne vnto their fountayne of lyfe in a dreame And there is a saying in Esdrars aunswerable vnto this I would not bring in this Author before them but that I know they make it their Buckler Let them now harken what their Esdras sayth 4. Esd 7.32 The earth shall restore those which sleape in her those also which dwell with her in silence and their secret places shall deliuer those soules which are committed vnto thē By the secret places they meane the prouidence of God and by the soules the thoughtes This is their iolly glose that the booke of this present lyfe might offer vp the thoughtes before the face of God And thus a man may very well see that no other reason maketh them thus to say but that they haue no better to say for themselues as if so be it were a shame for them to be silent Now if it were lawfull for a man to wrest and tosse the Scriptures after this maner it were an easy matter to turne all thinges vpsyde downe Although I haue many other things to bring in agaynst them yet will I bring forth nothing here of mine owne considering that the Author himselfe may defend himselfe from slaunder 4 Esd 43. For it was sayd a litle before haue not the soules of the righteous called for these things in their secret places how long lyue we thus in hope whē shall the fruite of the Ayer of our reward come what soules are they which thus call and hope They must digg here another mine if they entend to escape Luke 16.22.23 Let vs now come to the story of the Rich man and of Lazarus The one of which after he had passed many griefes and calamities of this mortall lyfe was in the end caryed into the bosome of Abraham and the other fell into euerlasting tormēt and payne The one is tormented and the other comforted There is a great bottomlesse deapth betwene the ioyes of the one and the greuous torments of the
withall I would haue them to answere me simply and playnely what hope they haue of the resurrection Colo. 1.18 Apoc. 1.5 1. Cor. 13.20.21 without it be that Christ rose agayne For he is the first borne of the deade and the fyrst fruites of those that rise agayne For as he dyed and rose agayne so also must we dye and rise agayne in him For since it hath so fallen out that by death he hath ouercome death wherunto we were ordayned it is very certayne that he dyed of the same death as we dye and hath suffered in the same death whiche we doe suffer The trueth of the scripture maketh this manifest vnto vs whenas it calleth him the first borne of the dead and the first fruites of those which ryse agayne And it hath so taught vs that the faythfull might acknowledge him for their guide euen in the middest of death when they behold their death sāctified by his death they need not to feare the cursse thereof which is the thing that Saynt Paule meaneth when he sayth Phil. 3.10.11 that he is made like vnto his death vntil such time as he might come vnto the resurrection of the dead For this cōformity he prosecuted whiche he beganne in this world by the crosse vntill the time that he had by his death fulfilled it And now you my maisters the sleapers examine your harts awhile and consider with your selues how Christ Iesus dyed Do you in your cōscience think that he slept when as he waked for your saluation He speaketh not thus of himselfe Iohn 5.26 As the Father sayth he hath life in himselfe so also hath he geuen to hys sonne to haue life in himselfe And he that hath the power of life in himselfe how it is possible for him to lose it And I trust they wil not say that this belongeth to the deity For if it be geuen to him that hath it not it is then geuen to his humanity to haue life in it selfe and not to his deity For seing that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and man that which is by nature as God the same is by grace as man to the end we might al receiue of his fulnesse grace for grace when men do heare that life is in God what hope may they conceiue thereof whenas they may also very well know that their sinnes do set a cloude betwixt God and them But here is the onely true great comfort that the Father hath annointed his Christ with the oyle of gladnes aboue all the rest of his fellowes That Iesus Christ as man hath receiued of his Father gyftes in mē to the end we might finde life in our nature And for this cause we read that the multitude glorifyed God after that the childe was raysed vp agayne forsomuch as he had geuē such power vnto men And this knew Cyrill right well who agreeth with vs in the explaning of this place Now whē we say that Iesus Christ hath life in himselfe in that he is man we doe not say that he is the cause of life to himselfe but onely this that the heauenly Father hath poured all fulnes of life in the manhood of his sonne Iesus Christ whiche thing might be geuen vs to vnderstād by a familiar similitude The fountayne from which all men do draw water and from which the small Creekes and Armes doe runne and flow is sayd to haue water of it selfe yet commeth not as of it selfe but from the spring which dayly feedeth it and from the flowing streames and is sufficient for all men to draw out of Euē so then Iesus Christ hath life in himselfe to wit the fulnes of life wherewith he lyueth and quickeneth his and yet hath he it not as of himselfe as he wytnesseth in an other place that he liueth because of hys Father And whenas he had life in in himselfe as God yet when he tooke vpon him the nature of man he receiued this gift of his Father that he might also haue life in that behalfe in hymselfe These thinges do most certainly assure vs that Christ could not be destroyed by death no not as he was man And although he was truely and naturally put to death whereof we must all dye yet held he alwayes this gift of his Father This was a true death and a true seperation of the Body and Soule yet the Soule neuer lost her life which being commended vnto his Father could not choose but be saued And this is the meaning of the wordes of S. Peter his sermon by which he affirmeth that it was impossible for Iesus Christ to bee holden downe with the panges of death Acte 2.24.27 that the scripture might be fulfilled saying Psal 16.10 Thou shalt not leaue my soule in graue nor yet suffer thine holy one to see corruption In which prophecie although we graunt that the soule is taken for lyfe Christ asketh and looketh for two thinges at his Fathers hand that he would not leaue his lyfe to destruction nor yet suffer him to come to corruption which was fulfilled For his soule was sustayned by an heauenly power that it should not be destroyed and his body was kept whole and sound vntill he rose agayne S. Peter hath knit vp all these thinges in a worde when he sayth that Christ could not be held downe by death to witt that he could not be subiect to the gouernement of death neither come vnder the power of death either yet be ouercome of death When as S. Peter in this sermon let the disputation of the soule alone and followed onely the incorruption of the body He did it because he would make the Iewes to see that they were vanquished euen by their owne testimony that this prophesie appertayned nothing at all to Dauid whose sepulcher was emongest them and they very well knew that his body was rotted neither could they deny the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ Ionas 2.12 We haue also another Argument of the Immortalitye of his soule when as he ordayned Ionas to be a figure of his death in that he was three daies within the Whales belly For so must he likewise be three dayes three nightes in the bowells of the earth Now Ionas cryed vnto the Lord out of the belly of the Fishe and was heard This belly is death his soule thē was saued in the middest of death Gene. 22.10 so that he might cry vnto the Lord. Isaack also who was a figure of the Lord and being saued from death Hebr. 12.17 19. was deliuered vnto his father openeth vnto vs as the Apostle witnesseth the trueth in a figure by the manner of the rising agayne For after he was layd vpō the Aultar as an oblation and sacrifice prepared for the purpose and bound vpon it he was soone after vnboūd by the commaundemēt of the Lord and the Ramme that was tyed by the hornes in the bushe was layd in Isaack his place What
thou hast geuen me Let vs then hold this fayth which is grounded vpon all the prophecies vpon the trueth of the Gospell and vpon Iesus Christ himselfe to witt that the spirite is the Image of God vnto whose lykenes it hath strength and vnderstanding and is euerlasting and so long as it is in the body it sheweth the powers and when it is deliuered out of this prison it goeth from thence vnto God the feeling of whome in the meane while it enioyeth whiles it resteth in the hope of the blessed resurrection and this reast is to it a paradise But as for the spirite of the reprobate whiles it looketh for the terrible iudgement vpon it selfe it is tormented with this looking for which the Apostle therefore hath called fearefull And to make any father search is to plunge it selfe ouer head eares in the bottomles depth of the secrets of God considering that it is ynough to learne that which the holy ghost who as a a very good Schoolemaister is contented to teach it who sayth thus harken vnto me and thy soule shall lyue How wisely is this spokē in respect of the vayne arrogancy of these men The soules of the iust are in the handes of God and the torment of death shall not touch them They seeme to the eyes of the foolishe to be dead but they are in peace c. This is the end of our wisedome which as it is sober and subiect vnto God euen so also knoweth it very well that they which labor to goe beyond it doe fall full lowe Let vs now pull of those cloutes and ragges wherein they haue swadled vp these drowsy and sleapy soules and mingle and lickour the Poppy which they haue made them to soupe to lull them a sleepe They carry about with them certein places of scripture which as they thinke doe fauoure this sleape and soone after as if this sleapines were clearely proued they thunder them agaynst those which forthwith will not yelde vnto their error First of all they sett downe that God hath placed none other soule in man but such as is common to all other beastes For the scripture attributeth to al equaly a liuing soule as when it is sayd Gene. 1. God created the great whales euery liuing soule also there wet Gene. 7. of all flesh which had any lyfe in it by couples into the Arke of Noah And such other lyke places And although the holy scriptures had neuer made mention hereof yet are we clearely admonished by S. Paule that this liuing soule differeth nothing frō this present lyfe whereby the body receiueth strength and force Se what he sayth That which is sowē in corruptiō 1. Cor. 15.42.43.44.45 shall ryse agayne in incorruption that which is sowen in weakenes shall ryse agayne in strength That which is sowne in a fleshely body shall rise againe a spiritual body for as it is written The first man Adā was made a lyuing soule and the last Adam a quickening spirite Now I confesse in deede that the liuing soule is not onely attributed vnto beasts alone be cause they also liue For their lyfe is another manner of lyfe thē the lyfe of men The soule that liueth in man maketh him to haue sence wisedome reason and vnderstanding and the soule that liueth in beastes geueth them onely mouing and feeling Seing then it is so that there is reason vnderstanding and will in the soule of man which vertues are not tyed to the body it is no maruell if it subsist without a body and pearisheth not lyke the soule of the beastes whose soules haue nothing but a bodely feeling For which cause Paule was not ashamed with the heathen Poet to call vs the generation of God Wherefore then let them now as they list communicate vnto a lyuing soule with man Actes 17.28.29 seing that as touching the body beastes lyfe is all one to men and beastes yet can they not hereupon make vnto thēselues a degree to confound the soule of man with the beasts neither yet must they thrust that saying of S. Paule vpon vs which is rather with vs then against vs. The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam a quickening spirite For this aunswere was obiected to them which could not be perswaded of the resurrection For looke vpon the obiection which they made how shall the dead ryse agayne In what body shall they come The holy Apostle to meete with this obiection frameth his Argument thus If we learne by experience that the seede which lyueth groweth and bringeth fruite was first dead why thē may not the body which was dead ryse agayne as well as the seede And if the bare and dry corne bring forth greater plenty of fruite after it is dead and that by a wonderfull power which God hath put into it Why then may not the body by the selfe same heauenly power be raysed vp agayne in a farre better maner then wherein it dyed And to the end thou mightest not still maruell how is it possible that mā should lyue without he were fashioned into a liuing soule Notwithstāding although this soule moueth and vpholdeth the waite of the body for a tyme yet maketh it not Immortall or inccorruptible And whiles also that it putteth forth her strength yet is she not able as of her selfe to doe it without the helpe of drinke meate and sleape which are tokens of corruption neither maketh it the body to abide in a firme constant condition but that it is enclyned assoone to one thing as to another But when the sonne of God shall take vs with himselfe into glory Tertullian so sayth and S. August also in his 3. Epist to Fortunatus it shall not be onely a body with a soule or quickened with a soule but a spirituall body such a one as our minde cānot conceiue nor our toung expresse We see then that we shall be none other thing in the generall resurrection but yet much otherwise if by your leaue I may so say And these thinges are spoken of the body wherunto the soule administreth life vnder the elements of this world But when the figure of this world shall passe away the participation of the glory of God shall lift it vp aboue nature Hereby we see what the true and naturall sence of the Apostle is And S. Augustine seeing himselfe deceiued euen as these men now are in the exposition of this text acknowledged afterward his fault corrected it amōgest his retractatiōs a great deale more manifestly in other places Chap. And here I thinke it good to set downe some part of his wordes It is very true sayth he that the soule liueth either in a carnal or spirituall body and yet notwithstanding it liueth not nor is not quickened vntil such time as it hath cast off the corruption But in the spirituall body when it is made a quickening spirite perfectly cleauing vnto the Lord it
admonished or at the least yet in the end become wise And let vs wholy depend vpon the mouth of God and still looke vnto his word neither let vs add or entermeddle any thing of our owne to or with his wisedome to the end our Leauen marre not the whole lumpe and make the salt that is in vs vnsauery But let vs shew our selues to be such obedient subiects to our God as he would haue vs be to witt humble simple and playne not cleauing to our owne wisdome very zealous to learn yet let vs know nothing or be willing to learne any thing saue onely that which he shall teach vs And besides let vs flee whatsoeuer is straunge and not conteined in his law as a deadly poyson I will meete also with those kinde of men who would faine finde fault with my meaning and say that I rayse vp terrible styrres and controuersies about a matter of nothing decyding these quarrels with cruell dissentions For I am sure there are great store of these people who will not stick thus to deale with me And therefore I aunswere them thus That seing the word of God is of set purpose obstinately assayled that the least iotte thereof is by no meanes to be abidden to be dryuen to the wall and this is not a matter of nothing or of so light regard to see the light of God thus furiously put out through Satans obscuritie and darkenes Moreouer this cause is of farre greater waight then many take it to be But by the way he that cannot away to see the errors and foolishe opinions of others is not therefor as they enterpret it by and by to be sayd that he opinatiuely disagreeth euen to the effusion of bloud For I reproue nothing els but the foolish curiositie of such as striue about these questions which are nothing els in very deede but a tormenting and vexing of the minde Neuertheles after they had reuiued this dounghill opinion it was meete their rashnes should be reproued to the end they should not preuaile agaynst the trueth Now I knew not whether I was able to doe it or no yet my will was very good whatsoeuer goodnes is in it I haue also with good will deliuered it Wherefore if there are any others that can better deale in it Let them in Gods name bestow their trauell to the common benefite of their poore Brethren Basile 1536. OF THE IMMORTALITIE OF THE SOVLE ❀ What the state and lyfe of soules is after this present lyfe AS I will bestow no great paine and coste finely and curiously to handle this disputation Euen so lykewise wil I take such a good order as that the readers may simply and playnely vnderstand what my entent and purpose is And surely whatsoeuer he do that will take vpon him to dispute vpon any matter although in very deede it greatly a●●●…eth that the thing which is to be dealt withall be very substantially vnderstode of him that shall write thereof and so many festly and easely deliuered vnto the Render to the end that the first man passe not his boundes and made farre from the matter or that the other straye and erre not in the selfe same fielde of the disputation without keeping any sure and certayne course yet notwithstanding this in all cōtrouersies ought most chiefely and diligently to be obserued considering that the care which here I haue is not onely to instruct but I haue also to deale with such an aduersary who out of all doubt as it is the cōmon dispositiō of most men will in no wise but agaynst his will yelde himselfe vanquished neyther yet will he graunt himselfe ouercome so lōg as he may haue any thing wherwith wranglingly quarrellingly and shiftingly pleasantly to make sport and feede his owne humor And therfore the best way to shut him cleane vp that he be not able to escape is this to haue the principall poynt of the controuersie so clearely manifested and opened as that he may be brought hand to hand to the Combate as it were euen at the first chop The controuersy then which now we haue in hand is of the soule of man which some in deed doe graūt to be somewhat But yet they thinke that after a man is dead that the soule sleapeth vntill the day of Iudgement at which tyme it shall awake out of sleape without either memory vnderstanding and feeling whatsoeuer Others there are which graunt nothing lesse then that it is a substaunce but say that it is onely a power of lyfe which is ledd by the mouing of the pulses or of Lunges lytes and because it cānot be without a body therefore they faine that it dyeth and pearisheth together with the body vntill such tyme as the whole man be raysed vp agayne Howbeit we say and maintayne the soule to be a substaunce and that it liueth in very deede after the body is dead hauing sence and vnderstāding both which we are very able to proue by euident testimonies of the scriptures Let vs leaue all mans wisedome which imagineth very many thinges of the soule and yet vnderstādeth neyther rightly nor yet truely thereof Let vs also leaue the Philosophers who as they are wonted almost to disagree in all thinges hauing neither measure nor end in their controuersies so lykewise stryue they one agaynst another herein in somuch that we shall hardly finde two of thē to agree together of whatsoeuer opiniō a man would be satisfied and resolued And as touching the powers of the soule Plato in very many places hath notably treated but aboue all the rest Aristotle hath most cunnigly disputed thereon Howbeit if a man would know of thē and of the whole companye of those wise men what the soule is and whence it hath her beginning he shall but lose his labor albeit in very deede they haue a more pure and sound opinion hereof then these Roysters which boast them selues to be the disciples of Iesus Christ But before we goe any further they must cutt of all occasion of stryuing about these wordes which we indifferētly call the spirite the soule and whereupon at this tyme standeth our question at which they may if they will snatch and catch for we do oftentymes speake of them distinctly as of sondry thinges And it is an vsuall thing in the scripture to take these wordes diuersly wherein many are deceiued For they regarding not the diuersitie of the significatiōs snatch at that which first commeth in their braine and defend it obstinately Oftentymes they haue read this word soule for the lyfe and this opinion they haue that it ought to be alwayes so taken and doe bitterly vpholde it But if a man obiect this saying of Dauid vnto them Psal 49.19 Their soule shall be blessed in lyfe Will they interpret it That lyfe is blessed in lyfe Also if a man alleadge vnto thē that place of Samuell By thy lyfe 2. Sam. 11.11 and by the lyfe of thy
other Are these dreames or fables But because they would haue some way to escape they make a parable of this story and say that whatsoeuer the trueth speaketh of Abraham the rich glutton and of Lazarus is but a fained thing This is all the reuerence they beare vnto God and to his word But I aske this of them let thē bring forth but one onely example out of the holy scripture where in a parable any man is called by his name I pray you tell me what is meant by these wordes There was a poore man named Lazarus c. Either must the word of God be a false lye or els this must needes be a very true story The auncient Doctors also had great regard to this For S. Ambrose sayth that it is rather a story then a parable because there is a name put in S. Gregory is of the same opinion Tertulyan Ireneus Origen S. Cyprian and S. Ierome doe take it for a history Emongest whom Tertulyan thinketh that by the Rich man is meant Herode and by Lazarus Iohn Baptist And see what Ireneus sayth The thinge which is recyted vnto vs by the Lord of the Rich mā of Lazarus is no fable And Cyrill aunswering the Arriās who out of this place made it their buckler for the refuting of the diuinitie of Christ refelleth not this as a parable but expoundeth it as an history But this is a greater mockery that for the strēgthning of their error the more they pretende the name of S. Augustine and because they might the better wrangle say that he yelded to the same opinion I thinke they doe it for this cause for that he hath sayd in an certein place that we must vnderstād by Lazarus Iesus Christ and by the Rich man the Pharysies and yet his meaning is none otherwise but that this story is to be transferred into a parable if the person of Lazarus be attributed to Iesus Christ and the persō of the Rich man vnto the Pharysies This is also the custome and manner of all such men as haue once conceiued an opinion of any thing to suffer themselues afterward violētly to be caryed away with the same For whē they see they haue no sure ground to stay on there shall not be so small a tittle of a letter which they will not laye fast hold on to wrythe and wrest it to serue their owne turnes Notwithstanding to the end they might not still groyne and grunt S. Augustine himselfe sayth in another place that he receiueth it for an History Let thē now go sell their coūterfett wares at noone day And yet shall they not be able to flye any whither but that they shall alwayes mashe themselues in these very snares For admit we did graunt it them to be a parable which they shall neuer be able to obtaine at our hands What other thing can they gather hereupon but that there is some shewe of trueth in this cōparyson Now if these great Diuines know not this let thē goe learne at the first principles of the Gramarians and they shall finde that a parable is a similitude taken from the truth For when we heare that a man had two sonnes vnto whome he diuided and lotted out their portions there must needes be a man sonnes an enheritaunce and a diuision of portiōs Moreouer this is alwayes the nature of a parable first we must conceiue of the bare matter as it is propounded afterward we are ledd to the end of the parable to witt to the thing it selfe whereunto the parable is applyed And herein let them follow Chrisostome as their Patron He alwayes thought this to be a parable and yet he oftētimes drewe out of it the truth As when he proueth out of it that the soules of the dead are in certayne places he sheweth how horrible hell fier is and the destruction that commeth of pleasures And least I should here lose much speach let common reason teach them if they haue any and they shall soone vnderstand what the strength and reason of a parable is And bycause we would gladly satisfy all men as much as in vs lyeth we will heere speake somewhat of the rest of Soules which are departed from the bodyes in an assured fayth of the promises of God and surely the holy scripture meaneth nothing els by the bosome of Abraham but this rest In the first place we call that rest which these waste diuines call sleape Neither would we refuse this tytle of sleape were it not that by their lying they haue wonderfully corrupted and almost vtterly defaced it Moreouer we vnderstand not by reast slouthfulnes or slumber or any such other lyke dronken thing as they attribute vnto the soules but tranquility and a good assuraunce of conscience which although it be alwayes ioyned with fayth yet is it neuer soūd or altogether perfect but after death The Church no doubt heareth from the mouth of God Isaiah 32.17 the blessinges of the faythfull being yet but as a straunger here on earth to witt My people shall walke in the beauty of rest and dwell in a peaceable habitation Isaiah 26.12 in the tentes of surety and in a plentifull peace And agayne geuing thankes she singeth blessings vnto the Lord Geue vnto vs O Lord peace For thou also workest all our workes in vs. When the faythfull haue receiued the Gospell they haue this peace when they see God to become their louing Father whom before they thought him to be their Iudge and in stead of children of wrath they see them selues to be the children of Grace that the bowels of God his mercy is poured vpon them so that they now looke for none other thing at the handes of God but all goodnes Iob. 7. and mercie But because that the lyfe of man is a warfare vpon earth they which feele the stings of sinne and the dregges of the fleshe must haue trouble in this world and be cōforted in God in this sorte they shall neuer be without an vnquiet troubled minde But when as they shall haue put of the fleshe and the lustes thereof who as home enemies doe trouble their peace and reast they shall in the end be at quiet and rest in the Lord For thus sayth the prophet Isaiah 57.1 The righteous pearisheth and there is no man that once thinketh of him in his hart good and godly people are takē away and no man considereth thereof for the righteous is conueyed away frō the wicked let peace come vnto him and let him rest in his bed which walketh in his wayes doth he not call them vnto peace But because they were at peace with God Ezechiel 1.27.28 whose peace was domesticall and at defiaunce with the world he bringeth them vnto the highest degree of peace And therefore Ezechiell and S. Iohn when as they would describe the throne of the glory of God Apoc. 4.3 they compassed it with the Raynebow which we know
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
dyed in fayth and receiued not the promises but sawe thē a farre of and beleued them and receiued them thankefully and confessed that they were straungers and Pilgrims on the earth For they that say such thinges declare playnely that they seeke a Countrey And surely if they had bene mindefull of that Countrey frō whence they came they were at leasure to haue returned thither But now they desier another much better which is an heauenly one And now let vs se how these our sleapers frame their iolly Argument For say they If they desier the heauenly Countrey Then doe they not inherite it But we frame it after this maner and say If they desier it then haue they a being for there can be no desier without there be some to desier Now I would draw but this out of them That where there is a desier there must also be a feeling of good and euill which desier must either follow the thing that seemeth good or eschew that which seemeth euill Why say they this desier reasteth wholy in God Now tell me I beseech you is it possible to think or deuise a more ridiculous saying And to say truely you shall see that of these two poynts we shall gaine vnto our selues one of them either that God desiereth some better thing then he hath or els that there is something in God which is not of God And this maketh me thinke that these Gallauntes doe buriest at an earnest and w●●ghtie matter But now let vs leaue to speake of all this geare and see what the tyme or space of returning meaneth let them therefore returne with a good minde and heare a better thing then this fantasticall opinion which hitherto they haue held The Apostle speaketh of Abraham and of his posteritye who dwelt out of their Countrey emongest straungers And they differed not greatly as it were from banished men or els as Seaiournes because they had scarsely any Tents or Cabines to couer them withall following the commaundement which the Lord g ue vnto Abraham which was this That he should leaue his parentes and kinsefolkes and get him out of the land For God had promised them a thing which as yet he had not manifested and performed And so they sawe the promises a farr of and dyed in a sure fayth that it would one day come to passe that God would fulfill his promises By which fayth they confessed that they had no certaine and sure abiding or dwelling place on earth but that they had a Coūtrey which was not on the earth and which they wished for to witt heauen And in the latter end of the chapiter he sheweth that all they whome he there spake of receiued not the last promise to the end they might not come to perfection without vs. And so if these our sleapers had obserued the proprietie of this saying they had neuer raysed vp so many troubles Now it is a wonder to see how blinde they are in so great light But yet this is a more strange thing that they geue vs bread in stead of stones to witt whiles they goe about to ouerthrow the cause they mainteine and vphold it Now for the matter which is spoken of Thabita in the Acts of the Apostles Acts. 9.40 they thinke they haue by it a suer piller to leane vnto For she being a scholler of Iesus Christ full of good workes and a good Almes woman was raysed agayne by S. Peter And therefore say they Thabita had great wrong If it be true that we say That the soules which are seperated from the bodies doe lyue in God and with God because she was taken away from the company of God and from that blessed lyfe to returne into this sea of wickednes As though we could not returne the selfe and same thing agayne vpon their owne hedds For be it that she sleapt or that she was nothing yet was she blessed because she dyed in the Lord. And therefore it was not expedient that she should returne in that lyfe which she had finished They them selues haue snarled this knot and therefore let thē first of all loose it agayne if they please For it is good reason that they should be subiect to that law which they make for others Notwithstanding we will easely enough vndoe it For the state and condition which is prepared for vs after death which S. Paule speaketh of himselfe is put ouer to all the faythfull to witt Philip. 1.21 that in death is aduauntage and that the best being is with Christ And yet Saint Paule sayth of Epaphodite who without doubt was one of the number of the faythfull That God hath pitie of him because he had deliuered him from a great sicknes Phil. 2.27 and restored him to his health Now these Gallauntes who deale with the misteries of God so vndiscretely and so vnreuerently might say that this mercy and compassion was cruell dealing But we say and confesse it to be mercy because the mercy of God hath certein degrees For this it is sayd Those whome he hath chosen he hath sanctified Rom. 8. ●0 and whome he hath sanctified them hath he also glorified Doth not the Lord then exercise his mercy when as he more and more sanctifieth vs Let vs then say thus much If it be the good will of God as S. Paule sayth to haue Christ to be magnified in our bodies by lyfe is not this mercy what is it for vs to appoynt God a law to worke miracles And it is sufficient that the glory of the Aucthor shineth in them for what matter were it if we say that God in the doing hereof regarded not the cōmodities of Thabita but the poore who wept and shewed the garments which she had made for them at whose prayers she was raysed vp agayne For S. Paul thinketh this to be a reason good enough for him that he lyued although it had bene better for him in deed to haue gone to the Lord. And after he had sayd that God had had compassion of Epaphrodite he addeth and not onely of him but vpon me also to the end I should not be out of measure sorrowfull Now goe your wayes and quarell with God because he hath agayne deliuered vnto the poore a carefull woman for the relieuing of their necessitie For although we see not the reason of this deede yet hath Iesus Christ very well deserued to be glorified both by our lyfe and by our death Seeing that he dyed and role agayne that he might 〈◊〉 Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14.9 They bring in Dauid also for a mainteiner and defender of their cause who notwithstanding is our very good patrone But they so shamelesly sencelesly alledge him as that I am ashamed and greued to recite many of their Argumēts which they borrow of him Howbeit we will faythfully recite those which we haue heard they doe abuse first they are not ashamed to alledge this place I haue sayd ye are
people that fought where prayers are appoynted for the dead to the end that by them their sinnes might be forgeuen It may be that they haue other Arguments but as yet I know them not For in very deede I haue not altogether seene all their gloses and drowsy dreames And for any thing I know I haue leaft out nothing which may cause the vnlearneder sort to chaunge or wauer But I agayne desier all those which shall reade this to remember that the Anabaptists whome it is enough that I haue so named for the declaration of all kindes of horrible wickednes are the Aucthors of this iolly doctrine For we are of very right to suspect whatsoeuer cōmeth out of such a filthy Iakes beastly Shopp which hath deuised and dayly deuiseth so many monstrous thinges 1. Timo. 1.17 Vnto the king euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onely wise be honor and Glory for euer and euer FINIS ❀ The opinion and absolute conclusion of Maister Iohn Calvine in and about the questions ensuing agreeing with the opinion of Phillip Melancton Peter Martyr and Martin Bucer All godly notable and excellent learned Ministers in the Church of God BEcause sayth he I verely think that the parties abouenamed haue sufficiently sayd that that man doth not the duety of a Christian who in all the dayes of his lyfe maketh not a confession of his fayth Much lesse then he who defileth himselfe with dissimuling of Idolatry therefore will I cease to dispute thereof at large Neuerthelesse This is my opinion and aunswere to the Questions following First Whether a godly and deuoute man may rather forsake his Countrey and leaue his calling then to be present at Masses at the celebration of the burialls of the dead after the popishe manner and vsurpe such ceremonies of Popery as are agaynst the word of God I aunswere that not onely the spirituall Worshipp of God but also the outward profession of him wherein is conteyned the glory of his Maiestie are to be preferred before Countrey and kinsefolkes yea before lyfe it selfe And therefore whosoeuer they be which lyue in such places as that they cannot performe that duety vnto God which is necessarily required of all Christians let them vnderstand thus much that this commaundement stretcheth it selfe aswell vnto them as vnto Abraham where it is sayd in Gene. 12.1 Get the out of thy Countrey from emongest thy kinred except peraduenture they haue this couragious minde with them that they had rather dye whensoeuer they shall be driuen thereto thē forsake their profession for any fauour or gayne whatsoeuer which they may any way obtaine at the handes of men Here is also another obiection that no lawfull vocation or calling appointed by God is for any cause vnaduisedly to be neglected and therefore in no wise to be voluntarily leaft I aunswere that euery Christian is bound vnto his calling euen to the vttermost of his power Wherefore except God would render vp his owne title and interest there is nothing that ought or may hold vs from doing our duety For either God is to be respected in the calling or els we haue some other end and purpose And therefore without we make the chiefest accompt of the glory of God this name or title of calling is but vainely foisted in Howbeit if this obtayne the principall place as it is good reason it should we are to call to minde that we are so farfourth bound to our calling as that it ought by no meane to withdraw vs from the true and sincere worshipp of God To be short lyke as the first table of the law taketh place before the second Euen so lykewise are all the dueties of the second Table to be directed vnto it as to a true and perfect square For this is the somme and effect of the first Table to hold and keepe the pure worshipp adoration inuocation of our God This therefore is my opinion That there is nothing in all the world of so great a price whatsoeuer which ought to cause any Christian to prophane himselfe with any dregges of superstition thereby to dyminishe or violate the worshipp of God For if he doe it is impossible for him to be excused Furthermore when as I in this sort shall set downe that popishe Masses and dyrges and all solemne prayers wherein the dead Saintes are called vpō are of this kinde he that shall heare me will neuer agree to heare Masse or yet be present at any such filthy trashe neither yet once flatter himselfe as if he might doe it But what if some man by fine and cleanly dissembling for the Commōweales sake and the benefite of many were able to redeeme great riches and commodities I aunswere that none of all these thing are able once to counteruaile the true and necessary profession of the worship of God and the testimony of Religion And beside● it is not for vs to make a reckoning of tha● which shall be most profitable But we ar● to follow that which the Lord prescribeth vnto vs. For it belongeth to God alone to gouerne the euentes Lastly it is not for vs to alte● that which he hath set downe by any cyrcumstaunces but we are to keepe our selues vnspotted and blameles towardes his Maiestie both in soule and body But what if a greuous and hurtefull offence should arise through the departure of some so that the cruelty of the vngodly might be prouoked and occasion of backslyding be geuen to the weake I aunswere that this is a thing vncertayne vnto vs For God may so moderate the matter as that all thinges may turne to the contrary And surely there is not so much hurt to be feared thereof as hope of much good For how furiously soeuer the wicked are blinded it will be a notable hoate yron to wound their consciences to see that they which doe depart had rather forsake their Countrey kinsfolkes and whatsoeuer els that men greatlyest delight in then to defile themselues with Idolatry And ●herefore such great magnanimitie will ●ore preuaile to burst their stubborne harts ●hen furiously set them on fier And it will ●e a cause rather to confirme the weake ●hen make them stumble and stagger at it Neuerthelesse be it that all these daungers ●ang euen ouer our hedds yet is it our du●y to goe on without all controuersie and ●aynesaying whether soeuer it shall please ●he Lord our God to call vs and commend ●nto his Maiestie the gouernement of the ●uentes Onely let vs make earnest and ●arty prayers that he would turne and di●ect them to a good end and purpose Here also ariseth a complaynt of those which are very well able to helpe and re●ieue the poore Brethren that are troubled ●or the testimony of Christ For if say they ●hey forsake the place they also leaue them without helpe I aunswere that there can be no better ●ouncell geuen to such then euen to ha●ard their lyues for the confirmation of the glory of Christ Howbeit if they haue not ●hat courage no duety of the second Table ●xcuseth them from Idolatry and other ●regges of superstition Now then to come to the very state and ●umme of the Question I thinke that this mine aunswere differeth not from the ●udgement of the rest For seing that Mai●ter Phillip with whome the other two agree although he aunswereth not perticulerly and seuerally vnto these obiections yet since in a word he excludeth all pretenses he sufficiently testifieth that in his opinion there is nothing of so great waight nor more pernicious then to geue lybertie to a Christian to vse the very least dissembled profession of Idolatry FINIS AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno. Domi. 1581.
1581. Your Lorships most humble and duetifull to be commaunded in the Lord Iesus Christ Thomas Stocker ❧ The Preface of Iohn Calvin to a very friend of his ALthough in deede it is very true that certen godly honest men were a great while sithence earnestly in hand with me to write somewhat for the confuting and repressing of the foolishe and confused opinion of some who at this day goe about to mainteine the sleape and death of the soules yet could they not hitherto winne me to yelde vnto their petitions and requestes because it is cleane contrary to my nature to thrust my selfe in to deale with matters of controuersie and debate And surely I had at that tyme great reason to excuse me partely because I thought that in short time this fond opinion would finde no companions and therefore be soone forgotten or els that a few Cockbrayned and lightheadded fellowes would onely keepe it in hugger mugger and partely also because I had no lyking to deale agaynst such aduersaries with whose power weapons and Ambushes I was no whit acquainted For as yet I had neuer hard any speach of them saue onely a confused kinde of buzzing of a thing so that if I should haue had to doe with such as were not yet entred into the open playnes I must needes haue played the part of one beating the bush as we say on the blinde side Neuertheles in the end it grewe afterward to another manner of matter then I thought it would haue done For these Ianglers were so busy and carefull to maintayne and encrease their faction as that they had already drawne into their error I know not how many thowsands of people And in deed to say truly so far as I cā se this mischiefe waxeth worse worse For at the first beginning there were but a few that made a confused kinde of prattle of the sleaping of the soules and therewith they would neuer let it be vnderstoode what they meant by this sleape Now sithence that tyme haue stept out these boucherly soule-sleaers who at the first blow cut their throates and yet thankes be to God doe them no hurt at all Notwithstanding I verely thinke that the error of the first sort is not to be borne withall and besides that this second kinde of them is liuely to be repressed For neither of both sortes haue any foundatiō either of reason or yet of Iudgement Howbeit it is no easy matter to perswade others thus except Mauger their beards as we commonly say I openly refute these babling Gallauntes and so discouer their leasings which can no way be perceiued but by their wrytings Now as I heare say they heare and there let flye I know not in what short sceduls and pamfletts their leasings and dolteries vnto which I could neuer as yet once come to the sight of thē Onely I haue receiued frō a friēd of mine certen aduertisements which he by aduenture met withall and set them downe in wryting as they came to his hands or as he could here and there get them And although one of my excuses is as it were halfe taken from me by reason of these aduertisementes yet remaineth the other halfe still to my selfe But forsomuch as they drawe vnto their error great store of people by reason of their troublesome speaches and mighty prattle wherewith they so greatly deale as if they had caused printed bookes to haue bene spread all the world ouer I know not how I can be guiltles of treason agaynst the trueth of God if in so great a necessitie I holde my peace and dissemble the matter And truely because I hope my trauell wil be very profitable euen to the most simple and ignoraunt who may set themselues occupied about this matter and Argument I will not be a feard to render vnto all honest and godly men a reason of my fayth And yet it may be that it is not so well furnished with all kindes of defence able at full to geue the attempt to the enemy neither yet so strongly bulwarked as to keepe them from approching thereto neuertheles I hope not altogether vnarmed and defenceles Howbeit if the importunitie of these dreame sowers would haue geuen me some more leasure I would with all myne hart haue entred into this combate which can no way bring with it so great gayne as payne considering especially because I thinke that the exhortation of the Apostle might if it were at any tyme needefull be sufficient in this behalfe to witt that we should be of discreete Iudgement And although these men will not suffer vs to vse the discretion which we gladly desier yet will I haue as great regard as I can modestly to dispute of the matter Neuerthelesse I would if it had so pleased the Lord our God that some other meane might haue bene found for the soddayne cutting of of this mischiefe which too too much encreaseth least it eate in farther and farther lyke a Cancker Although this be not the first tyme onely of the beginning thereof For we reade that the Arabians were the first Aucthors of this error who sayd that the soule dyed together with the body and that they should both of them rise agayne at the Iudgement day And within a while after Iohn Byshop of Rome defended the same which the Sorbonistes of Paris made him recant Now when this error had long tyme after that bene repressed the Anabaptistes beganne lately to reuiue the same and blow abroad certein sparkes thereof which sparkling farre and wide in the end fell out into hoat fiery flames which I beseech the Lord God to quench euen at the first day with this gladsome raine which he especially reserueth for his Church Now then by the assistaunce of God his holy spirite I entend to dispute hereof without bitternes of minde without tying my selfe to any man particularly and also without desier to scoffe and slaunder so that no man shall be able in trueth to complayne that I haue hurt him or yet by any meanes possible once offended him Though we may in deede at this day see some men very hoatly geuen to reprehend sting and finde fault whome if a man should touch but with the typp of the finger would by and by cry out and say that we breake the vnitie and quietnes of the Church and vtterly violate charitie and Brotherly loue But to these men this is mine aunswere in the first place That we acknowledge no vnitie but such as is founded in and vpon Christ neither yet allow we of any other charitie then of that whereof he is the bond So that the principall poynt and beginning to preserue charitie is this that our fayth remaine holy and sound emongest vs. And ouer and besides this I say that this disputation may very well be decyded with out any breach of charitie if they bring with them such eares as I determine to bring a tongue And as for you right worthy Syr there are many causes
to induce me to dedicate this my labor vnto you But the chiefest is this Because emongest these troubles of vaine opinions by which a cōpany of fantasticall braynes disturbe the quiet of the Church I se you most wisely and soberly abide stedfast and sound Orleans 1534. ❀ Iohn Caluin to all faythfull Readers greeting AS I perused this disputation I perceiued vpon the very point of the handling of the controuersie certen bitter and sharpe kinde of wordes which possibly may grieue and offend some delicate and fine eares But because I know that many good and godly men haue suffred some part of this sleape of the soules to enter and possesse their harts either by too too much lightnes of beliefe or els for want of knowledge of the scriptures which was in deede the cause why they were not vpon the soddaine throughly armed to withstand the same I would not haue them offended nor yet take so much occasion as they mought to be displeased with me because they fall not obstinately and malitiously herein And therefore I minde here purposely to geue warning vnto all such to the end they should not construe any thing that I haue sayd to be spoken as it were to put them in any heate But let them vnderstand thus much That so often as I boldly and freely speake that I direct my speach to that wicked and obstinate generation of Anabaptistes from whose springhead as I haue already sayd this poysonfull water run●eth and therefore doe I not so roughly deale with them as they deserue For I am determined so to behaue my selfe towardes them as that if they shall heareafter spurne agaynst me they spall finde me a constant defender of the trueth and although I be not all the greatest clearke yet dare I ●houldly by the grace of almighty God promise this that I will be found inuincible Neither haue I but in modest sort vttered my choller agaynst them for to say truely I still cease from outragious and spightfull wordes and haue almost in euery place so tempered my stile or vaine of wryting as that it is rather an apt order of teaching then a forcible drawing yet is it for all that such as may draw those which ●il not wilfully be caryed away For in deed my intent is to bring them back agayne into the right way rather then to moue and prouoke them to anger Wherefore I exhort and beseech all the Readers hereof in the name of God the Father and of his sonne Iesus Christ our Lord to bring with them to the reading of this Treatise a perfect and sound iudgement and also a right and pure hart as a seate ready prepared for the manifest receiuing of the trueth I know well enough what fauour the thing may haue for the pleasing of some mens eares Howbeit we are thus to thinke that there is but one onely voyce of lyfe and that in deede proceedeth from the mouth of the Lord. Wherfore our eares out of all doubt ought to harken vnto that voyce so often as there ariseth any question of the doctrine of saluation and not to listen to any other whatsoeuer Now the word of God is no new or straunge thing but such as hath bin from the beginning is now and shall be for euer And therefore they are very grossely deceiued who finde fault with the newnes of the word of God being now after long oppression or buriall through peruerse vsage and negligence brought to light and on their side in my opinion they offend as greatly who lyke Reedes suffer themselues to be caryed away with euery winde yea and more then that to be shaken and bowed with the least blast that may be Is this to learne Iesus Christ when as we will geue eare vnto all kindes of doctrine how true soeuer they be without the warrant of God his word For if we receiue the doctrine as from a mortall man shall not leasings also as easely preuaile and take place with vs And what bringeth man with himselfe but onely vanitie Now this is not to follow the example of those who after they haue once receiued the word of God deepely sound and search the scriptures to know whether it be so or no. This is then a good example if we would fellow it But we receiue the word I know not how negligently and coldly or rather contemptuously so that if we haue learned but three wordes of it we forthwith swell with an opiniō of wisedome and yet neuer burst thinking our selues by and by to be Princes and great rich men And vpon this imagination we shall finde a mighty number cry mainely out and keepe a great coyle agaynst the ignoraunce of all ages and yet themselues as ignoraunt as they agaynst whome they so proudely cry out But what shall a man say or doe to this geare They would be taken forsooth for Christians and so in deede are called because they haue had a lick at the wikes of the lips of some of the principal poynts or Articles of cōmō places And forsomuch as they thinke it a great shame to be ignoraūt in any thing they will shamelesly aunswere to euery matter as if they were all oracles which come out of their mouthes Wherefore from thence doe spring so many schismes errors and opinions such a number of offences and hardnes of our beliefe so that by this occasion the Infidels prostitute them and blaspheme the name and word of God And in the end which is the very ground worke of all mischiefe whenas they obstinately continue the maintenaunce of any thing which hath lightly passed their mouthes they fourthwith runne to defēd their error by the holy scriptures O good mercyfull God when they are once growen to this poynt what is it that they will not turne vpside downe what is it that they will not depraue or corrupt to make it yeld yea forcibly wring and wrest it to their mindes and purposes And therefore the Poet sayd very well that fury causeth contention and debate Is this I beseech you the way to learne to turne ouer the leaues of the scriptures to serue our fond appetits and be subiect to our mindes Was there euer a foolisher thing then this was there euer greater folly O most pernicious pestilence O dronklieu darnell the most certayne and sure enemy to mankinde which meaneth to ouergrowe and choake the good and true seede But yet let vs be abashed to see that so many sectes should come from those which first professed the Gospell receiued the word out of the dark Truely this threat greatly troubleth me where it is sayd The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and geuen to another nation that shall bring fourth the fruites thereof And here I meane to end my complaynt because my booke would be ouer great if I should make such a declamation as appertayneth to the froward dealing of these dayes Wherfore my brethren let vs after so many examples be