is so quickened as that it causeth the spirituall body to consume al corruption and not to feare any separation To be short albeit I graunt vnto them all thinges concerning a liuing soule vpon which title as I haue before sayd I stand not yet that seat of the Image of God remayneth whole and sound be it that they terme it by the name of soule or spirit or by some other title Neither is it a harder matter to refell that saying which they bring out of the 37. Chapiter of Ezechiell where the Prophet describing the order of the resurrection calleth the spirite from the foure windes that it might blowe life into the dry boanes Whereupō they verily think it a very good consequent that the soule of man is none other thing but a mouing power without substaunce which power vanisheth away in death but is receiued agayne in the generall resurrection As if it were not likewise lawfull for me to inferre after the same manner to witt that the spirite of God is a winde or vanishing motion seing that Ezechiell in the first visiō nameth winde or breath in stead of the eternall spirite of God But it shall be an easye matter for any man without he be too too blockish to resolue this doubt which these Gallauntes can neither marke nor perceiue as learned and sharpewitted as they are For in both these places hath bene set downe the very same thing which the prophets very often haue set down who figure out spirituall thinges that are beyond mans reach and reason by corporall and visible signes And therefore Ezechiell entended liuely to set before our eyes as by a vision liuely pictured aswell the spirit of God as also the spirites of men and because the same was contrary to the spirituall nature he hath borrowed a similitude from corporall thinges which was as it were an Image or paterne thereof The second obiection whiche they make is this for although say they the soule was endued with immortallity yet notwithstanding because it sinned it hath through that sinne lost her immortality And this punishment was ordayned for sinne and denounced to our first Parents Gen. 2. where it is sayd You shall dye the death And S. Paule sayth Rom. 6. That death is the reward of sinne The prophet also cryeth out and sayth Eze. 18. That the Soule which sinneth shall dye And these and such other like places these drowsy sleapers alleadge for that purpose But in the first place I aske them was not the Deuill also payd with the same reward for sinne And yet for all that he is not so dead but that he waketh cōtinually compassing here and there seeking whom he may deuour still busiyng himselfe emongest the children of vnbelief Moreouer I aske them whether this death shall haue an end or not If there be no end thereof as in deede they must needes so confesse these then howsoeuer they are dead shall feele notwithstanding euerlasting hell fire and the worme whiche neuer dyeth These thinges therefore playnely shew vs that although the soule be dead yet it is immortall whiche wee graunt them and say that it feeleth both good and euil and that this death is an other manner of thing then that whiche they would haue to witt that it should turne to nothing Neither haue the scriptures forgotten this and that they should haue found if they had bestowed their minde and applied their wit vnto them rather then arogātly and after a proud maner to stand to that whiche their drunken sleapy brayn hath told them For when God pronounceth this sentence agaynst a sinneful man and sayth thou art dust and into dust shalt returne to wit sayth he any other thing but that that which is taken framed out of the earth shall returne vnto the earth And what becommeth then I beseech you of the soule Goeth it into the graue to become rotten stincking But we will handle these thinges hereafter a little more playnely Why doe they then goe thus about the bushe we haue already heard that that which is of the earth must goe agayne to the earth Nowe is there any reason that we should plunge the soule of mā vnder the earth It is not sayd that man shal returne vnto the earth But the thing which is dust shall return into dust And the thing that was made of the slime of the earth is thys dust It is that forsooth that shall returne into dust and not the soule which God gaue vnto man as a thing taken from els where thē from the earth After this sort we read in the booke of Iob Iob. 10.9.12 Remember O Lord that thou hast made me as the clay and wilt thou turne me into dust agayne He speaketh there of the Body and a litle after he speaketh of the soule and sayth thou hast geuē me life and grace and thy visytation hath preserued my spirit And therfore this life shall not turne into dust For the death of the soule is farre otherwise to wit Gods dreadfull iudgement the burden whereof the poore soule is no way able to beare but must be vtterly confounded and destroyed as by the scriptures we are taught as they whom God hath liuely touched haue by experience most fearefully felt And to the end we might beginne at Adam who first obtayned this gentle reward let vs somewhat consider what hart he had or to speake more properly what was in him at all whenas he heard this terrible voyce Adam where art thou This is a thing easelier thought of thē spoken Although in very deed a mā can not think of it except he eftsoonnes feeleth the same And like as the mightynesse and excellēcy of the Maiesty of God can not in wordes be expressed so also can not the terriblenes of his wrath be declared how greuous it is to those vpon whome it lighteth For they very wel see the anger of God and because they would auoyde it they are ready euen to plounge thēselues ouer head and eares in a thousand bottomlesse depthes and yet are no way able to escape it And who is he that will not graunt this to be a death in deede Agayne I say that a few wordes will serue them who haue bene seared with the hoate yron of conscience And therfore let them which haue not had experience thereof heare what the scriptures say whenas it is sayd Deut. 4. Our God is a consuming fier who whē he speaketh in iudgement killeth And such one knew they him to bee which sayde Exod. 20. Let not the Lorde speake vnto vs for feare we dye Wilt thou then knowe what the death of the soule is It is euen this whenas it is without God and that he forsaketh it leaueth it vnto her self For since God is the light thereof she loseth her life whenas she loseth his presence And to the end we might shewe that by particularityes whiche haue bene sayd in generall since it
is so that there is no light without God which lighteneth our night it is most certayne that the soule being buried in her darckenesses must needes be blinde And then is she domb seing she cannot confesse that vnto saluation which she beleued to righteousnesse Deafe also she is because she heareth not this liuely voyce Lame likewise she is and that which is worsse she is not able to stand vpright when as shee hath not to whome shee may say thou hast held me by the right hand and guided me according to thy will and finallye she doth nothing wherein is life For heare what the Prophet sayth Baruc. 3.14 whenas he will shew that the spring and fountayne of lyfe wholy resteth in God Learne where is wisedome where is strength where is vnderstanding that thou mayst also knowe from whence commeth long continuaunce life and where the light of the eyes and peace is What wouldest thou els more desire to come vnto death And to the end we shoulde not here stay in this godly way let vs consider with our selues what life it is that Iesus Christ hath brought vs and it will put vs in minde with what kinde of death he hath redeemed vs. Ephe. 5. S. Paule teacheth vs both the one and the other For thus he sayth Awake thou which sleapest and arise frō death Christ will enlighten thee He speaketh in this place vnto dust but yet vnto such as being wrapped vp in their sinnes cary with them both hell and death And in an other place he sayth Colo. 2. And you when you were deade through sinne he hath quickened you together with Christ forgeuing you all your sinnes And like as according to the saying of S. Paule Rom. we dye vnto sinne whenas lust is quenched in vs Euen so dye we vnto God whēas we subiect our selues vnto our lust which liueth in vs. But to speake all in a word in liuing we dye which thing S. Paul speaketh of the widdow which liueth in pleasures to wit 2. Tim. 5. we are immortal vnto death For although the soule keepeth her vnderstanding yet is a gilty conscience as it were a verye blockish and vnfeeling vnderstanding Nowe therefore whatsoeuer this death of the soule was yet for all that it is farre of that the death which Christ dyed for vs is such one For he hath accomplished by his death whatsoeuer the prophets haue promised of his victory agaynst death For thus haue the prophets sayd Isaiah 25. he will destroy death for euer It is likewise sayd I wil be thy death O death hel Oseah 13. I will be thy sting Also Hebr. 2. Death shal go before his face The Apostles likewise declare the things already done for thus it is sayde he hath ouercome death 2. Tim. 1. Rom. 5. But hath enlightened life by the Gospell For if by the offēce of one death raigned through one much more shall they which receiue the aboundance of grace and of the gifte of righteousnesse raigne in life through one that is Iesus Christ Let them now abide and withstand these lightenigs if they can For since they say that death came by Adam which we also confesse but not in such sort as they imagine but as we haue before said whereinto the soule fell we on the contrary part say that lyfe came by Christ which they are neuer able to denye so that the poynt of the whole controuersy cōsisteth betwene the comparison of Adam and of Iesus Christ And therefore they must first of all reconcile this with that saying of S. Paule that whatsoeuer was onely lost by Adam hath bene also restored by Iesus Christ But looke howe farre the power of grace hath surpassed sinne euen so of a more farre passing greater power hath Ie-Christ bene in making restitution thē Adam was in the losse For he playnely teacheth that the gift is farre greater then the sinne although not vpon many men yet most plentifully vpon those vpon whom it aboundeth And nowe let them aunswere if they will that it aboundeth not because it hath geuen life more aboundantly but because it hath blotted out many sinnes seing the onely sinne of Adam is it which hath brought vs to destruction And this is the thing which I demaund Moreouer seing he teacheth in another place that sinne is the sting of death what death is it that can sting vs since his sting is rebated yea altogether consumed And so he handleth none other thing in many Chapiters of the Epistle to the Rom. But playnely declareth that sinne is wholy abolished because it hath no longer dominiō ouer the faithfull Rom. 8.1 Wherefore if the lawe hath power ouer sinne what other thing then do our sleapers who kill those that liue in Iesus Christ but draw them into the cursse of the law which is cleane dead And therefore the Apostle boldly sayth that there is no condemnation with them that are in Iesus Christ who walke not after the flesh but after the spirite Surely they pronounce a fearefull sentence agaynst those whom S. Paule freely acquiteth of condemnation whenas they say ye shall dye the death What is then become of grace whenas death raigneth as yet amongest Gods chosen Nowe according to the saying of S. Paule sinne raigneth in deed to death but grace Rom. 6.7 vnto euerlasting life and therefore if grace surmounteth sinne there remaineth no place for death Wherefore as by Adam death entred raigned euen so doth life also now raigne by Iesus Christ Now then we know that Iesus Christ being raysed agayne from the dead dyeth no more neither hath death any more power ouer him For in that he dyed vnto sinne he dyed onely once for all But in that he lyueth he lyueth vnto God And hereby we may see that they themselues refute their error with their owne weapons For when as they say that death is the punishment of sinne they forthwith graunt that if man had not sinned he had bene Immortall For that which began to be was not sometymes and that cōmeth through punishmēt and not by nature Contrarywise S. Paul that sinne is swallowed vp of Grace so that it hath nothing to doe with the children of God And so we haue gotten this poynt of thē that Gods chosen are now such as Adam was before he sinned And as he was created incorruptible Euen so are they now who are by Iesus Christ framed a newe into a better nature And that saying of the Apostle is not agaynst this 1. Cor. 15.54 That the written word shall be accomplished death is swallowed vp into victory For if they say it is so that the word shall be made then can it not be denyed but that to be made must also be taken to be accomplished For whatsoeuer is now begonne in the soule shall be accomplished in the body or rather whatsoeuer is onely begone in the soule shal be accōplished together both in
is now meant by this that Isaack was not put to death but because that the sonne of God hath made the soule which is proper to man Immortall And the Ramme which is a beast without reason and that was layd in his roome is the body And in that Isaack was bound the same representeth the soule which maketh an open shewe of one dying in the death of Iesus Christ and sheweth it also dayly in the common death of men wherein all thinges in the opinion of men doe pearishe and yet for all that the soule of Christ was losed out of bonds and so shall ours also be losed before they come to pearishe Come off now some of you my maisters the sleapers which are voyd of all shame and bragge that the death of the our Lord Iesus Christ was but a dreame or els let him take part with that deuilishe heretique Appollinaris Surely this good Lord Iesus waketh so long as he so willingly bestoweth himselfe about your saluation But you sleape your sleape and being o-ouerwhelmed with the cloude of blindenes can not heare those which keepe watch Moreouer this doth not onely comfort vs that the sonne of God our head is not perished in the shadow of death but his resurrection also doth assure vs that he is apointed to be Lord ouer death Colos 3.3 and hath raysed vp so many of vs from death as haue any part or portion in him Gala. 2.20 in somuch that S. Paul hath not sticked to say that our lyfe is hid with Christ in God And in another place he sayth I lyue yet not I now but Christ in me What can be sayd more of them except they cry with open mouth that Christ sleapeth in these soules that sleape For if Christ hath liued in theÌ„ he is the selfe and same which dyeth in them If the lyfe of Iesus Christ be ours he then which would haue our lyfe to end by death violently plucketh the sonne of God from the glorious right hand of his father putteth him to a second death But if it be possible for him to dye then vndoubtedly must we dye But if his lyfe hath no end surely our soules which are ingraffed into him caÌ„dy no death But what needeth vs to take all this payne Are his wordes straunge when he sayth Iohn 14.19 because that I lyue you also shall lyue If we lyue because he lyueth then if we dye Iohn 6.56 he shall no longer lyue Is his promise straunge when he sayth that he which shall be knit vnto him by fayth shall dwell in him he in him Let vs then clearely dismember the Lord Christ if we will take away their lyues froÌ„ them 1. Cor. 15 22. This is our confession which we haue well fenced with his weapoÌ„s to witt that we are all truely dead in Adam but yet we lyue â—n Iesus Christ S. Paule handâ—eth these thinges with an honorable style in the Epistle to the Romaines to witt Rom. 8.10 that if the spirite of Iesus Christ dwelâ—eth in vs that the body is surely dead by reason of sinne but the spirite liueth because it is iustified Rom. 7.23.24 He calleth the body a Lumpe of sinne which from the natiuitie of the fleshe remaineth in man And the spirite that part of maÌ„ which is spiritually regenerate Wherefore as a litle before he lamented his misery by reason of the dregs of sinne which remained in him he desiereth not simply to be taken out of this world and to be nothing so that he might escape this great misery but also desiereth to be deliuered from the body of death to witt that the Masse of sinne might be abolished in him to this end that the spirite being cleansed might be at peace with God openly declaring hereby that the best parte of him was kept captiue through the bondes of his body and that it should be deliuered out of it by death I would to God we were able to vnderstand with a true fayth what the kingdome of God is Which is emongest the faythfull euen whiles they liue here in this world and to taste thereof in good earnest for it should be very easy withall to vnderstand lyfe euerlasting already begonne He which can not deceiue vs hath made vs this promise for thus he sayth Iohn 5.24 He that heareth my wordes hath euerlasting lyfe and commeth not to condemnation but passeth froÌ„ death to lyfe If a way be made to euerlasting lyfe why hinder they it by death And in another place Iohn 6.49 46. This is the will of my Father that whosoeuer beleueth in the sonne shall not pearish but hath euerlasting lyfe and I will raise him vp againe at the last day He sayth furthermore in the same place Iohn 5 5â— 57. Whosoeuer eateth my fleshe and drinketh my bloud hath euerlasting lyfe and I will rayse him vp agayne in the last day Not as your Fathers eate Manna and dyed but he that eateth this bread shall lyue for euer Brag not heere of your goodly gloses coÌ„cerning the last day He promiseth vs two things lyfe euerlasting and this blessed resurrectioÌ„ Although you heare two thinges yet onely embrace you but one of them There is also another saying of Iesus Christ which is yet more agaynst you when he sayth I am the resurrection and the lyfe Iohn 11.2 he that beleueth in me yea although he were dead yet shall he lyue And whosoeuer lyueth and beleueth in me shall neuer taste of death For the sonne of God meant not onely to shew this but also that it might neuer come to passe that they should dye He sayth in another place he that keepeth my word shall neuer see death This is an inuincible Argument agaynst them that whosoeuer keepeth the word of God shall neuer see death And this alone might be sufficient for Christians throughly to arme their fayth agaynst the peruersenes of these sleapers We beleue this and we looke for it But as for these men this is it that they must looke for euen to sleape a sound sleape vntill such time as they be wakened by the sound of the trumpet which shall sodainly come vpon these sleapers as a theefe in the night And if God be the lyfe of euery faythfull soule as the soule is the lyfe of the body what is the meaning that the soule all the while it is in the body causeth it to moue and is neuer so idle nor her streÌ„gth so weakened but that she doth her duety some maner of way and shall God leaue his busines vndone as if he were wery of working If there be so great power in the soule as to support moue and dryue on this masse of earth how great in respect shall the power of God be in the soule which by nature is liuely and very apt and ready to styrre and moue it And yet there are some which dare say that the soule vanisheth away and others that
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
body soule For this generall death wherof as by the common necessitie of nature we all dye is a naturall way for the elect to come to the souereigne degree of Immortalitie Augustine in his 43. Chap. of the difference betwene the lyfe of maÌ„ the lyfe of brute beastes rather then to any euill or punishment And as S. Augustine sayth It is nothing els but a finishing of the fleshe which consumeth not the thinges that are fast ioyned and knit together but maketh a partition of them when as it bringeth both the one and the other to their first originall The third thing which they alleadge Acts. 7. is that which they so often speake of those which are dead Iohn 11.11 2. Thes 4.3 Kings 11 21.43 to witt That they sleape As it is sayd of S. Stephen That he sleapt in the Lord. Lykewise Lazarus our friend sleapeth Also sorrow not for them that sleape And this saying is so often repeated in the bookes of the kinges as that a man shall scarcely finde any phrase of the scripture more familyar and common But chiefely aboue all Iob. 14.7.11 they vrge and make a great reckoning of the saying in the booke of Iob where it is sayd There is hope of a tree if it be cut downe that it will yet sproute and the braunches thereof spring but when a man is dead what is become of him As the waters passe froÌ„ the sea and as the flood decayeth and dryeth vp euen so a man after he be a sleape ryseth not agayne neither shall he wake out of his sleape vntill such tyme as the heauen be not Now if we beleue that the soules sleape because that death is called a sleape In the first place the soule of Iesus Christ was possessed with the very same sleape Psal 3.5 For Dauid so speaketh of him selfe I layd me down and sleapt and rose vp agayne for the Lord susteyned me His enemies also vsed this wicked speach towardes him Psal 41.8 Shall he that sleapeth rise any more agayne Wherefore if it bee not lawfull to thinke so basely and vily of the soule of christ as heretofore hath largely bene handeled we ought not to stand in doubt that the scripture had onely regard vnto the outward shape of the bodye neither yet hath deryued and fetcht this sleape from the consideration of men For these two manner of speaches he sleapt with his fathers and he was layd or buried with his Fathers we take indifferently And yet by the way the soule is not layde or buryed by the soules of the Fathers But the body is caryed to be layd in the graue of the Fathers Samuell lykewise in the story of the Kinges attributeth this sleape vnto the Faythlesse kinges as may be seene in the two last bookes of the kings as also in the bookes of the Cronicles And therefore when thou hearest it sayd that a wicked man sleapeth thinke thou not once of the sleape of the soule which can not haue a worse hangman to torment and vexe it then an ill and guilty conscience what becommeth then of this dreamer or sleaper who is thus vexed and distressed Isyiah 57. ver 20.21 For the wicked are lyke vnto the raging sea which can not calme it selfe when it lusteth whose flowing surges cast vp filth and stinking badgage There is no peace sayth the Lord vnto the wicked Neuerthelesse Dauid meaning to set forth the sharpe pricking sting of the coÌ„science Psal 13. ver 3. sayth O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleape not in death Thus we see that the bottomles depth of hell holdeth wretched man besieged and the streÌ„gth of sinne tormeÌ„teth him and yet he sleapeth yea he doth more then sleape because he abideth all these thinges And therefore these simple and ignoraunt fondlinges must be set agayne to their A. B. C. seing they haue not as yet learned that part is sometymys taken for the whole and sometimes the whole for parte which figure is so oftentimes vsed in the scriptures Neither would I haue any man beleue me except I strst bring forth certaine places which playnely shew that so often as this saying sleaping is taken for death Iob. 7.21 it is spoken by a figure called Synecdoche For when Iob sayth Behold I sleape now in the dust and if thou seekest me in the morning I shall haue no more being Is it to be thought that his soul should be ouercome with sleape Now therefore the soule is not to be turned into dust Iob. 21. v. 2.6 nei is it to sleape in the dust As also it is sayd in another place They shall sleape both in the dust and the wormes shall couer theÌ„ Psal 88. ver 5. And when Dauid sayth Lyke the slayne lying in the graue Art thou of the opinion that Iob and Dauid by these sayings haue put out the soules to be eaten of wormes Isaiah 14. ver 7.8 The prophet likewise teacheth vs eueÌ„ the very selfe same thing who meaning to describe the destruction of Nebuchadnezer saith after this maner Isaiah 14. Verses 18.19 The whole world is at rest and is quiet The firre trees also reioyced of thee and the Cedars of Lybanon saying Since thou sleapst none hath rysen vp to come agaynst vs. And anon after it is sayd All the kings of the nations euen they all sleape in glory euery one in his owne house but thou art cast out of thy graue All which thinges are spoken of a dead body so that to sleape is to be layd down as they are which sleape Horace in his â—des who are layd vpon the earth The very pagane Poets were able to geue instructions of this manner of speaking And therefore haue in the olde tyme called the place which was appoynted to burye the dead a Churchyard which signifieth asmuch as a dorture or a place of sleape and rest Not meaning thereby that the soules were there layd to reast them selues but the dead bodies I trust now by this tyme that the smokes of these our Gallants are already well vanished wherein they haue wrapped the sleapy soules since it hath ben proued that in the whole volume of the scripture there cannot be found that this word Sleape so often as it is set downe for death is attributed vnto the soules and spirites And besides we haue els where more at large handled the reast of the soules For their fourth obiection they take great hold of the saying of Salamon as if thereby they had some great matter to thunder out agaynst vs Where it is sayd in the booke of Ecclesiastes or of the Preacher Ecclesi 3. ver 18. I considered in mine hart vpon the state of the children of men that God had purged them yet to see to they are in themselues lyke vnto beastes For the condition of the children of men and the condition of beastes are euen as one condition vnto them For as the
one dyeth so dyeth the other For they haue all one breath and there is no excellency of man aboue the beast For all is vanity All goe vnto one place and all was of the dust all shall returne to the dust Who knoweth whether the spirite of a man ascendeth vpward and the spirite of the beast descendeth downeward and to the earth What and if Salamon aunswered them here in a word Vanity of Vanities saith the preacher and all is but vanitie For what meaneth he hereby but to shew that the minde of man is vayne and vncertayne of all things Man seeth that he dyeth as the beastes doe that lyfe and death is with him as with the beastes and therefore he thus concludeth that his state and condition is lyke vnto the state conditiō of beastes And lyke as beastes haue nothing remayning after death no more doth man reserue any thing vnto him selfe after he is dead And thus we see what the spirite the reason and vnderstāding of man is For the carnall man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite For they are to him foolishnes and can neither vnderstand nor know them For a man beholdeth with his carnall eyes looketh at present death and ascendeth no higher but considereth this after maner that the earth bringeth forth all things and shall lykewise returne to the earth and in the meane while neuer looketh to the soule And for this cause he addeth this saying who knoweth whether the spirite of man ascēdeth vpward So that when we come to the soule mans reason is dryuen to such a straight in it selfe as that it wil not vnderstād any thing that is sure or manifest be it that it stādeth meditateth or reasoneth Seing then it is so that Salamon sheweth the vanitye of mans minde because that in respect of the spirite it is changeable and wauering he no way fauoreth their error but strongly and soundely vpholdeth our fayth For the wisedome of God layeth wide opē telleth vs of that which surpasseth the capacitie and measure of mans vnderstanding to witt Gene. 9. That the spirite or minde of the children of men looketh vpward I will also propound another lyke thing out of the selfe same Author to the end I might somewhat bend plucke downe their stiffe neckes For thus it is sayd Ecclesi 9. ver 1.2.3.4.5 There is no man that knoweth by any outward thing the loue or hatred of God towardes men but all thinges are in an vncertayntie because that all thinges fall out a lyke vnto all The selfe and same estate is aswell to the Iuste as to the wicked to the good as to the euill to the pure as to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth as to him that sacrificeth not And therefore if all thinges be in an vncertaintie for that which is to come shall then a faythfull man vnto whome all thinges worke for the best enterpret that affliction is a signe of the hatred of God no not so For thus it is sayd vnto the faythfull you shall be oppressed in the world but in me you shall haue consolation And they trusting vpon this saying doe not onely reast themselues in a constant minde vpon whatsoeuer shall come vnto them but doe also glory in their troubles confessing with Iob That although he would slay vs yet will we put our trust in him How then are the things that are to come vncertayne Forsooth so farre forth as man can iudge they are so And yet for all that euery man that liueth is nothing els but vanity For he goeth on further and sayth this is an euill thing amongest all the rest that is done vnder the sunne that there is one condition vnto all and also the hartes of the sonnes of men are full of wickednes and madnes is in theyr life and after that they goe to the deade There is no man which liueth euer and hopeth therof For a liuing dogg is better then a dead Lyon For the liuing know that they shall dye but the dead know nothing at all neither haue they any more a reward For the remembraunce of them is cleane forgotten And speaketh he not all these thinges by reasō of the beastlynes of those which looke onely downe at theyr feete hauing no hope of the blessed life nor yet of the resurrection For although this were in deed true that we are nothing after we be dead yet notwithstanding there is a resurrection vpon hope whereof if they did cast theyr eyes they would neither be seasoned with the cōtempt of God nor yet filled with wickednes to the end I might ouerslippe all the rest And therefore let vs conclude with Salamon that mans reason is not able to comprehend all these thinges So that if we would haue any certaynty thereof Let vs runne vnto the lawe and testimony wherein is contayned the truth and wayes of the Lord. For see what is sayd in that place Eccle 12.7 vntill such time as the dust returneth to the earth whereof it was and the spirite returneth vnto God who gaue it And therefore whosoeuer hath heard the word of the Lord needeth not to doubt that the spirit of the children of men ascendeth vpward I do here simply take to ascend vpward is to consist and be immortall as to descend downeward is to tumble fall downe and perish As for their first argument they vomit it out with open mouth and strayne forth theyr wide wesauntes to the end to awake the sleapers out of theyr deepe and sound sleape For in it they think standeth the greatest part of theyr victorye And at what tyme they meane to deceiue and bleare their young schollers eies this is it that they chiefly lay holde on whereby to corrupt theyr fayth and sounde vnderstanding For say they there is but one iudgement by which euery one shall receiue his reward The good ones glory and the wicked ones hell fier And before this day come there is neither blessednesse nor yet misery apoynted For the scripture euery where beareth thereof witnes for thus it is said Mat. 24.31 And he shall send his Angels with the great sound of a Trompet and they shall gather together his elect from the fower wyndes and from the one end of the heauens vnto the other It is likewise sayd Math. 13. The sonne of man shall send forth his Angels which shall gather all offences out of his kingdome and they whiche haue wrought iniquity shall bee cast into the fiery furnace where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth And then shall the iust men shine as the sunne in the kingdom of their Father Math. 25.34.41.46 Also it is sayd Then shall the king say to them that are on hys right hand come ye blessed of my Father inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world And shall say vnto them on the left hand Depart from me ye curssed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for the
displeasure of God so that it is sayd of them from whome God estrangeth himselfe and whome he throweth downe by his Iudgemētes and bruseth by his hand that they goe downe into hell or dwell in hell For to speake properly hell signifieth not the pit or graue Isaiah 5.14 but destruction or confusion as in this place Hell hath enlarged it selfe and swallowed vp many It is also sayd in another place Math. 11.25 And thou Capernaum which art lifted vp into heauen I tell thee truely thou shalt be brought downe into hell And although this figuratiue speach be found throughout all the holy scriptures yet is it most chiefly vsed in the psalmes as in this psalme Psal 55.15 Let death seze vpon them let them goe downe quicke into hell or into the graue Lykewise Psal 28.1 O my God be not deafe toward me least if thou aunswere me not I be lyke vnto them that goe downe into the pit Psal 30.3 And agayne O Lord thou hast brought vp my soule out of hell or out of the graue thou hast reuiued me from them that goe downe into the pit Psal 9.17 Also the wicked shall turne into hell and all nations that forget God Lykewise If the Lord had not holpen me I had almost dwelt in hell Psal 94.17 or in silēce Also our bones lye scattered at the graues mouth Psal 141.7 Item He hath smitten my lyfe downe to the earth Psal 143.3 he hath layd me in the darknes as they that haue bene dead long agoe It is also written in S. Luke Luke 16.23 speaking of the wicked rich man And lifting vp his eyes when he was in hell in tormentes c. Lykewise in S Mathew Math. 11.25 And thou Capernaum which art lifted vp into heauen thou shalt be brought downe to hell In all these places by this word Hell the place is not so greatly vnderstoode of as the state of those whome God hath condemned and adiudged to banishment And that is the confession which we make in our Creede That Iesus Christ descended into hell that is to say That his Father plunged him into all the sorrowes of death for our sakes that he suffred all the tormentes of death and all the afflictions terrors and feares thereof and was in very deede afflicted although it is sayd before that he was buried Contrarywise they that feele the mercy and louing kindenes of the Lord are sayd Psal 133.3 That they lyue and shall lyue For there the Lord appoynted the lyfe and blessing for euer Psal 33.19 Lykewise To the end he might deliuer their soules from death and to preserue them in famine Psal 52.5 Also God shall plucke thee out of the tabernacle and roote thee out of the lād of the liuing Lykewise Psal 56.13 That I mighr wallke before god in the light of the liuing Psal 116. Also I will geue thankes vnto the Lord in the land of the liuing But now that we may make an end let vs content our selues with one testimony which so naturally describeth both the one and the other as that although we should say neuer a word yet layeth it forth our meaning very notably The wordes are these Psal 49.6 7.9.10.14 Who trust in their Goods and boast themselues in the multitude of their riches Yet a man can by no meanes redeeme his brother he cannot geue his raunsome to God although he take neuer so great paynes and liue neuer so long Shall not he see the pitt whē as he seeth the wise do dy The foolishe and ignoraunt shal both pearish They are layd into the graue lyke sheepe and death deuoureth them And the righteous shall haue dominion ouer them in the morning their Glory also shall consume and the graue shall be their house But God shall deliuer my soule from the power of the graue when he hath receiued me The somme and effect hereof is this That they which put their trust in riches and in the strength of them in the end doe by and descend into the graue For the rich and the poore the foole and the wise doe all pearish But he which trusteth in the Lord shall be deliuered frō the power of hell Now I say and defend it that these wordes death and hell which they haue layd before vs in the verses of the psalmes aforesayd and in the song of Ezechiah can no otherwise be taken And I further say and affirme that this may very well be proued by certaine and sure Argumentes For be it that Iesus Christ the sonne of God who is the head of all the faythfull and be it that the Church which is the body of Iesus Christ speaketh in these verses wilt thou shewe miracles vnto the dead c. And lykewise what profite is in my bloud c. That death is to be abhorred as a detestable feareful thing she fleeth it as much as is possible and prayeth that it might not be layd vpon her Which thing also Ezechiah desiereth in his song Wherefore then feare they to heare onely the name of death if they are thus certayne that God is mercifull and fauorable vnto them Is it because they should be no more any thing But they would eskape out of this world that is full of troubles full of greuous temptations and of all disquietnes to come vnto a soueraigne and blessed reast And because they should be no more any thing they should feele no more any euill which is neither prolonged by their death nor yet set forward by their lyfe Let vs now turne our selues and looke vpon the examples of the rest of the Saintes and see if the lyke matter hath fallen so out vnto them First when Noah dyed he bewayled not his estate Gene. 49. Nei did Abraham once make any sorrow Iacob also reioyced amidst his last sithes in that he looked for the sauing health of the Lord. Iob wept not Moyses hearing his last houre to be at hand was no whit troubled And for any thing that may be seene they all embrased death very couragiously and willingly we also very oftē heare these aunsweres of the faythfull when the Lord called them Loe here I am Lord. And therefore it cannot be chosen but that there was some other thing which enforced Iesus Christ and his faythfull to make such complayntes Neither must me stand in doubt that when Iesus Christ offred himselfe to suffer punishmēt for vs but that he fought agaynst the power of the Deuill agaynst all the tormentes of hell and the sorrowes of death all which thinges should haue bene ouercome in our fleshe that they might haue lost that right which they had in vs. Seing then it is so that in this conflict he satisfied the rigour and seueritie of the Iustice of God and fought agaynst hell death and the Deuill he besought his Father that he would not forsake him in the middest of so great distresses
nor deliuer him into the power of death crauing none other thing at his Fathers hand but that our weakenes which he bare in his body might be deliuered from the power of the Deuill and death And this is the fayth whereupon we must now stay our selues that the punishmeÌ„t of sinne coÌ„mitted in our fleshe which was to be payd in the selfe same fleshe for the satiffying of the righteousnes of God hath bene discharged and payd in the fleshe of Iesus Christ which was ours And therefore Christ neuer fledd the death but this horrible feeling of the seueritie of God which required that he should be chastised with death for the sauing of vs. Wilt thou know from what affection and minde this voyce came I know not which way better to expresse it but euen by another speach comming from himselfe when as he sayd My God my God why hast thou forsaken me He calleth then these dead and buryed and those that were carryed into the land of forgetfulnes the forsaken people of God After this manner the saints who were taught by the spirite of God vsed not these speaches to dryue death away to thrust God back that called them but to the end they might â—schew the Iudgement wrath and seuerity of God by which they felt Gods chastisement with death And because they shall not thinke that I make this of mine owne head I aske this question to witt whether a â—aythfull man calleth a simple and naturall death the wrath and terror of God I thinke our sleapers are not so shameles as to dare to affirme this And yet the Prophet thus interpreteth this death in these places Psal 88.16 Thine indignations goe ouer me and thy feare hath troubled me He addeth besides many other thinges which apperteyne to the wrath of God Another place also there is which sayth For his anger lasteth but a while Psal 30.5 but in his fauour is lyfe But I exhort the Readers to run vnto the booke To the end they might haue a farre surer beliefe of these two whole psalmes and of the song of Ezechiah For by this meane they shall not be deceaued and I eftsoones shall get credite with those parties who reade them with a good and sound Iudgement And therefore thus I conclude thaâ— death in these places is to feel the wrath and horrible Iudgement of God and to be feareâ— and troubled with the feeling thereof Euen so Ezechiah seing that he must leaue the Realme tâ— be put out for a spoile to the enemies and that he leaft no children of whome might descenâ—… the hope of the Gentiles his soule was troubled with thesâ— thinges which were signes and tokens of Gods anger and punishment and no signes of the feare of death For in deede hâ— afterward dyed without desiering to be deliuered from death To be short I confesse thaâ— death of it selfe is euill because it is the curse and punishment for sinne For on the one side iâ— is of it selfe full of feare and desolation and on the other side it driueth those who feele that God sendeth it them in his anger for their punishment eueâ— to the very last cast of desperation And there is but one seasoning which is able to mittigate or ease this so great sharpnes of death and that is to know in the middest of the anguishes thereof that God is fauorable and a mercifull Father and hath Christ for his guide and companion Now as many as are not thus seasoned death is to them confusion and euerlasting destruction Wherefore it is impossible for them to prayse God in death And as for this verse The dead prayse thee not c. Is a conclusion of the prayses of the people geuing thankes vnto God because he defended them from daunger by his mighty power This is then the meaning If the Lord had suffered vs to be ouercome and that we had fallen vnder the power of ouer enemies They would then haue lifted themselues vp agaynst his Maiestie and gloryed in them selues that they had ouercome the God of Israell But now after the Lord had suppressed and abated their pride and after that he had deliuered vs from the cruelty of our enemies through a mighty hand and an outstretched arme the Gentiles could not say where is now their God who shewed himselfe in very deede to be the liuing God Neither can his mercy come euer in questioÌ„ which he so notably hath manifested And here they whome God hath forsaken and whose power and louing kindenes they haue not felt are called dead As if he had forsaken his people through the crueltie and vnmercifulnes of the wicked This saying is fully confirmed by the prayer that is set downe in the booke of the prophet Baruck There it is sayd O Lord open thine eyes Baruck 2.17.18 and behold for the dead that are in the graues and whose soules are out of their bodies geue vnto the Lord neither prayse nor righteousnes But the soule that is vexed with the greatnes of sinne and he that goeth crookedly and weake and the eyes that fayle and the hongry soule wil geue thee praise and righteousnes O Lord. In this place without doubt a man may very well see that vnder the name of the dead are comprehended all these which are afflicted and throwne downe by the hand of God and fallen into destruction and that a sorrowfull rent and torne soule is such a one as being voyde of her owne power and not staying it selfe vpon her owne confidence runneth vnto the Lord calleth vpon him and looketh for helpe at his handes If any man would take all these thinges as it were by the discribing of a person he may soone haue an easy order to come to the manifest laying of them opeÌ„ because that in persons the deed is taken and when we heare this saying of the dead in this sence is meant death For the Lord winneth no commendatioÌ„ for his mercy goodnes when as he afflicteth punisheth and destroyeth although the punishmentes be iust But euen then createth he a people vnto himselfe to sing and celebrate the prayse of his goodnes when he deliuereth those who are afflicted cast downe and fallen into despayre and lifteth them agayne into hope But because these sleapers might not wrangle and say that we runne into crooked figures I auÌ„swere that these thinges may also be taken without any figure In the second place I haue sayd that there might be a naughty and false conclusion of these places that the sayntes after they are dead are no body and doe no longer prayse the Lord. But I say agayne that they rather prayse him which is they tell fourth and declare the benefites of God vnto others who doe prayse him And these wordes doe not onely beare this sence but doe also requier it For to declare and tell fourth and that the father geueth his children knowledge is not to conceiue the glory of God in spirite and vnderstanding
out of the graues and going before the king of Babilon where he also maketh mention of their talke saying Behold thou art brought lowe euen as we are c. For I haue as good a coulor by that place to reason that the dead haue wit and vnderstanding as they haue to gather by the wordes of Iobe that the dead haue vtterly lost their whole vnderstanding But I leaue vnto them those tryfling and toyish inuentions Now it will be no hard matter to make playne the place which they alledge without we would deuise mazes of our owne mindes For Iob being pressed with maruelous affliction and almost fainting vnder that burden had none other regard but vnto his present miseries and did not onely thinke them to be the greatest that mought be but thought also that there could not well be any moe such He no whit feared death but desiered it because it bringeth with it a common condition vnto all maketh an end of the rule of kinges of the oppression of seruauntes and lastly it is the end of all thinges wherevnto euery man resigneth the estate which he had in this world For by this meane he trusteth to see the end of his misery And yet by the way he looked not what manner of lyfe it was that they there leadd neither yet what he should doe or yet suffer But onely desiered most earnestly the chaunge of the present state as they commonly are wonted to doe that are tormented with the vehement feeling of sorrow For if when we feele the great and extreame heates of Sommer we iudge winter to be temperate and milde and contrarywise when we are nipped and pinched with sharpe and cold weather we altogether wishe for Sommer what shall he doe in respect who feeleth the mighty hand of God agaynst him And therefore let vs not maruell although this be not enough to perswade our gallāts For they gather together fragments and curtalled sentences for their defence and neuer consider of the somme and effect of the whole matter But I trust they who with a single eye haue perused the whole story will allow my reason The second is this Iob. 7.7.8.9 Remember that my lyfe is but a winde and that mine eye shall not returne to see pleasure The eye that hath seene me shall see me no more Thine eyes are vpon me and I shall be no longer As the cloude vanisheth and goeth away 〈◊〉 he that goeth downe to the graue shall come vp no more By these words Iob bewayleth his misery before the presence of God and enlargeth it as one who had no hope before his eyes to see the issue of his griefe For his griefes were before him which persued him euen to his graue And therfore it came in his minde that after his miserable lyfe he could looke for none other but for as miserable a death For whosoeuer feeleth the hand of God agaynst him can not otherwise thinke So that in amplyfying his griefe it moueth compassion and maketh him selfe miserable before God Now I see not what other thing is to be demaunded in this place besides this except it be that there is no resurrection to be looked for Which thing at this tyme I minde not to discusse Iob. 16.17 The thyrd is this The graue shall be my house Also All my thinges shall goe downe into the bottome of the pitt All this is true For there remaineth none other thing for him whome God fauoureth not as Iob then thought of himselfe but the graue the deepe pit and death And therefore after he had long discoursed of all his miseries he sayth that the end of them is cōfusion And this is the end and issue of all those whome God scourgeth with his hand For in his wrath is death and in his louing kindenes and mercy Ecclesiast 37.24 is lyfe The booke of Ecclesiasticus hath very wel declared this whenas it is sayd The lyfe of man standeth in the number of dayes but the dayes of Israell are innumerable But because this Aucthor is of no sound aucthoritie we will heare leaue him and heare the prophet teaching this very notably saying Psal 102.23.24.25.26.27.28 He abated my strength in the way and shortned my dayes And I sayd O my God take me not away in the middest of my dayes thy yeares enduer from generation to generation Thou hast a foretyme layd the foundations of the earth and the heauens are the worke of thy handes They shall pearishe but thou shalt enduer euen they all shall waxe olde lyke a garment as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them Hitherto hath he declared how frayle and brittle our state is although in deede nothing vnder heauen is stedfast and suer seing they all corrupt and come to naught And anon after it followeth But thou art the same and thy yeares shall not fayle The children of thy seruauntes shall continue and their seede shall stand fast in thy sight Herein we may very well see how he ioyneth the saluation of the faythfull with the eternitie of God And therefore so often as they set before vs Iob as afflicted by the hand of God and almost fallen into despayre they speake nothing of hell and death and I tell them that when God is angry we can looke for none other issue and that it commeth of his free mercy when we are taken out of deathes chapps Iob. 34.14.15 The fourth is this If he set his hart vpon man and gather vnto him selfe his spirite and his breath all fleshe shall pearish together and man shall returne into dust If they take these words for iudgement as if it were sayd that by the wrath of God mā is cast downe ouerthrowne confounded and vtterly brought to naught I will graunt them more then they demaund Or els if they meane that the spirite to wit the soule returneth to God after death and that the breath to wit the mouing power or liuely motion departeth from man I will not gaynesay it But if their controuersie be that the soule pearisheth I am tooth and nayle agaynst thē Although in the Hebrew it is somewhat otherwise But being contented that I haue put by their wranglings I will heare leaue They cast also other dartes but they are blunt and hurt not therefore are not to be greatly feared For they alledge certayn places which serue to no purpose out of such bookes whose Aucthoritie is vncertaine As out of the fourth booke of Esdras and out of the second booke of the Macabies And yet for all this we will none otherwise aūswere but as we haue heretofore spoken of the resurrection Although that in all these things they openly shew their impudēcy and shamelesnes seing they are so bould as to take Esdras for them selues who maketh altogether on our side Neither are they ashamed to bring fourth the bookes of the Machabies for the defence of their cause Where Ieremy after his death prayed the Lord for the
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 coÌ„meth 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 theÌ„ 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 vpoÌ„ 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 CommoÌ„weales 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 besideâ— it is not for vs to make a reckoning of thaâ— which shall be most profitable But we arâ— 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 alteâ— 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 â—herefore such great magnanimitie will â—ore preuaile to burst their stubborne harts â—hen furiously set them on fier And it will â—e a cause rather to confirme the weake â—hen make them stumble and stagger at it Neuerthelesse be it that all these daungers â—ang euen ouer our hedds yet is it our duâ—y to goe on without all controuersie and â—aynesaying whether soeuer it shall please â—he Lord our God to call vs and commend â—nto his Maiestie the gouernement of the â—uentes Onely let vs make earnest and â—arty prayers that he would turne and diâ—ect them to a good end and purpose Here also ariseth a complaynt of those which are very well able to helpe and reâ—ieue the poore Brethren that are troubled â—or the testimony of Christ For if say they â—hey forsake the place they also leaue them without helpe I aunswere that there can be no better â—ouncell geuen to such then euen to haâ—ard their lyues for the confirmation of the glory of Christ Howbeit if they haue not â—hat courage no duety of the second Table â—xcuseth them from Idolatry and other â—regges of superstition Now then to come to the very state and â—umme of the Question I thinke that this mine aunswere differeth not from the â—udgement of the rest For seing that Maiâ—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.