then as the mariner is in the shipp or the inhabitant in his dwelling house Of this opinion Porphirie seemed to bee who as Austen writes Austen 12. de Civit. of him affirmed that the Soule if she would bee happie was of necessity to bee separated and freed from the body And likewise of this opinion al those Heritickes of necessity must bee who make and teach a duality of God a good one and a bad one the good God author of Spirits and Soules the bad God author of the bodies and all such habituall corruptions as are in them needes I say must theese latter so teach for if Soules bee not naturall formes of bodies to quicken them give life unto them and with them as comparts to make compleat composed substances of the Persons of men and women then assuredly no naturall inclination or propension can bee in them being separated from the bodies to bee reunited to them agayne no more inclination certeynly then there can be in him who having once tasted of the tyrannie of the Popish Inquisition can desire to returne into it agayne Thirdly I observe the just disposition of God who hath ordeyned a generall resuscitation of bodies at the last day that man accordingly as hee may have done eyther good or evill may receave eyther a glorious reward or an ignominiouse punishment in the bodye Cleare it is that not only the Soule or only the body but men and women composed both of body and soules are those who worke and doe for actions and deedes are of the Persons themselves are those I say who doe eyther good or evill and consequently whole man and woman perfect and compleat Persons must appeare to receave according as they have done in their bodie eyther good or evill Wee must all appeare before the judgement seate of Christ sayth the Apostle that every one may 2. Cor. 5. 10. ceceave according as hee maye have done in his body eyther good or evill Not onely bodies then nor Soules alone but men and women Persons compleate and consummate must appeare I say consummate for such is the Phrase of the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrewes where speaking of Heb. 11. 13. the Fathers and Ancients of the old testament who by the testimonie of Fayth were approved sayth thus They receaved not the repromission and promise God providing better for us that without us they should not be consummated so hee speaketh And this cōsummation which is when the bodie being raysed up and shall be joyned to the Soule agayne is that whereof holy Iob speaketh thus Iob. 14. 15. making it the verie worke of the right hand of God himselfe Thou shalt reach out thy right hand to the worke of thy handes or as the Chaldaicke paraphrase hath it Thou shalt be gracious to the worke of thy hands How this but by a powerfull and gracious resuscitation and raysing up of her body from her bed of dust and corruption and reuniting the same agayne unto the Soule whereby it being reunited becomes quickened Iob. 9. 25. 26. with the Spirit of life The hope of this was so deare and preciouse to holy and most venerable Iob that on the dunghill of his miseries with a triumphant kind of joy hee layed up in his bosome the joy full expectation hereof I know sayth he that my redeemer liveth and that at the last day I shall be compassed about with my skinne and that in my flesh I shall see God my Saviour and that myne owne eyes shall behould him and not any other for mee And in this expectation hee dayly dwelt according as he professes in another place All the dayes of this my warfarre I expect and looke untill my chaunge and immutation be come Which Iob. 14. 14. chaunge and immutation is that verie thing which now wee have in consideration to weet the glorious state and condition of the bodies of those who in this their pilgrimage may have walked in true fayth towards their God It is not doubted of amongst Christians but that the same individuall Person is to appeare is or shall bee glorified both in body and soule who in this mortall life hath kept his fayth faythfullie and obediently seruing God not taking or receaving his Soule in vayne and consequently Psal 24. 4. as the Soule is the same individuallye for it never perished so likewise the verie body must bee the same individuallye yea and the substantiall union and conjunction whereby the Soule and body are joyned together must be the same individuallye and in unity of number which though reason conceaves not yet fayth assecures and warrantes And so consequently cleare it is that the immutation and chaunge whereof the Apostle and holy Iob speake is not because there is another Soule or another body or another union of body and Soule for all these three are the same individuallye and numerically but the whole chaunge and immutation is in respect of some glorious properties and qualities which the bodies resuscitated to glorie shall have which they never had whilst they were yet mortall fro as the Soules and Spirits have their speciall glories so likewise shall the bodies have theirs These Foure glorious qualities of the glorified bodies qualities and properties are commonly distinguished to bee fowre to weet Impassibilitie Subtillity Agility Clarity Impassibilitie whereby the body is made uncapable of any contrary passion or violent impression Subtillity whereby the body is made not a Spirit but like unto a Spirit to bee able to penetrate or passe where it could not before Agility whereby it is indewed with such a velocity and Swifenes that the beatified may followe the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Clarity whereby al deformitie or naturall obscurenesse being taken away the body becomes bright shining and resplendent but wee must explicate these things more particularlye and yet with all brevitie possible I beginne with the first Impassibilitye Impassibilitye must needes be graunted as a partiall dowrie to glorified bodies for if they should be passible as before then consequently they should bee corruptible which as it is agaynst the nature of felicity that essentially includes a participated aternity so is it expressely agaynst the Apostles doctrine where he professes that our bodies which are sowne in corruption shall rise up in incorruption But though it be most apparant that glorified bodies shall bee impassible yet is it not so easily to explicate and open from whence this impassibility doth immediately arise or what is the immediate cause thereof The Apostle tells us that what is sowed in weakenesse and infirmity riseth up in power and vertue which vertus or power I take to be the immediate cause of impassibility or else to be impassibility it selfe But what is this vertue and power Is it 1. a supernaturall vertue making the elementary parts and qualities to be of another nature then now they are Not so for nature must not be chaunged or
or left hand of the passenger that goeth by it Accordingly if this formall happinesse should not be inhaerently intrinsecally in the beatified soules then should they not formally but onâ—ly extrinsecally be denominated happy thereby how 〈◊〉 shall they be found to be happy really and in verity Surely they should be onely as really happy by such a manner of happinesse as a poore man may be really releeved by such a manner of releefe as St. Iames describeth 〈◊〉 2. 25. 16. in his Epistle I conclude then this point as most cleare adding this reason further and above to weet this formall happinesse beeing a union iâ— is meerely impossible it should bee such unlesse it be found to be at last inhaerent iâ— on of the extreames or parts which are united which manner of inhaerency cannot be in God it must theâ—efore of necessity be in the glorified creature No 〈◊〉 substantiall reall union possible betwixt Gâ—d and his creatuâ—â— then personaâ—â— Secondly I suppose that betwixt God and any of his creatures there is no other substantiall reall and intrinsecall union possible then that which is personall which manner of union was truely sound in Christ whereby the Word Ioh 1. 14. was made flesh that is subsistentially and personally dwelt amongst us full of grace and truth as the 〈◊〉 1. 12. onely begotten Sonne of the Father I say no other substantiall reall union possible then that which is personall and substantiall for by the very principles of Philosophy it is most manifest that God cannot neither as a substantiall part be informed as matter is nor substantially informe as the forme doth foreither of them to informe or to bee informed includeth imperfection Of which kind in God who is a most pure and perfect essentiall act there can be no sort nor degree at all I am not ignorant that some excellent witts have affirmed that Gods act of intellection and understanding wherewith Apud Captolum in 3. dist 14. 9. 1. et Greg. Arimin in 1 dist 7. 9. art 2. conclu 3. he beholdeth himselfe may bee yea and is really united unto the understandings and intellective parts of the beatified Soules and that they by the very same act of intellection wherewith God beholdes himselfe do see and behold God as he is in himselfe So that God and the Beatified with one and the same iutellection do behold God as he is in himselfe God beholding himselfe and comprehending himselfe with an infinite action but the beatified with the same infinite action beholding and seeing him finitely and by participation onely These men though they seeme to have many great reasons whereby they endeavour to shew such an union to be as possible as the union personall in Christ or the union that is face to face in the beatified and blessed is yet doubtlesse they are greatly mistaken as by sundry reasons may appeare As first thus that if the very vision and intellection of God were so united as they dreame to the soules of the beatified yet they should not therewith be able intuitively to see God for it implyeth that the power intellective The beatified cannot see god by the same act of intellection and knowledge wherewith God seeth and beholdeth himselfe of the soule or the power volitive of the will of the Soule should know or understand will or desire by any other actions then such as are efficiently from themselves which without impiety cannot be affirmed of the intellection of God as though it could be efficiently from them To confirme this An action vitall of life doth essentially depend of a power of life that power vitall which useth it and is and must also bee essentially immanent if as an action in the same power which useth and produceth it Againe it is not possible to declare how the action of God as an action should be united to the understanding power of the beatified Againe how is it possible for them to distinguish and shew how the Beatified themselves do see and behold God in different degrees of vision if they all see and behold him with one and the same intellection and yet most certeine it is that the Saints differ each from other in degrees of glory as the starres in the firmament 1 Cor. 15. 41. 42. do differ from each other in degrees of clarity Againe how is it possible that the Beatified should not comprehend God by seeing asmuch in God as God himselfe doth if they see and behold God with the same vision intellection wherewith God seeth and beholdeth himselfe Againe how should the happinesse of the beatified be onely a partaking and participation of Gods owne happinesse as all the Ancients have affirmed and Councells have determined if one and the same action should be one and the same formall happinesse of God and the creatures May wee not here apply to our purpose those words which the sixth generall Synod used in like case against Eutyches Neither will wee allow in any thing or respect one and the same naturall operation of God and the Crâ—ature that neither we may elevate that which is Created into the devine essence neither depresse downe that which is excellent in God to the state and condition of the creature I conclude this point affirming this opinion of these Schoolemen An erronious opinion of certeine Schoolemen to be so greatly against the glory and majesty of God wherein they affirme that one and the same vision of God is the formall beatitude happinesse both of God and of the creatures that it is rather to be reputed an error or heresy then an opinion to be tolerated Thirdly I suppose that the last felicity and happinesse of man must be so full and compleat that it must beatifie and make happy the very nature of the soule which is estentially life and all the powers of the soule which as powers of life are essentially vital naturally apperteining to life and essentially depending of or emaning from the life of the soule which being so wee must of necessity find out how or by what union The soules beatified must of necessity bee happy by some formall and vitall actions and of her selfe or guift the very soule in her owne nature how and by what union or guift the very powers of the soule are in themselves immediately intimely united to God thereby made happy Touching the second point no doubt can be made for it is confessed by all that the vitall conversant and exercised about God Psa â—6 10. Coâ—â—â— 1. 12. 〈◊〉 â—2 5. 2 Câ—r 13. faculties and powers of the soule to weet the will understanding and memory are not onely united to God by glorious habites to weet the understanding by the light of wisdome the will with and by the light of glorified Charity though it be the same essentially with the charity of this life the memory with a glorious hâ—bitt of fruition for the tention and possession of
there cannot be a deficiency in the last happinesse by reason of the commitment of any sine by the beatified but what can there be any deficiency or defectibility thereof upon any other head or respect Surely no for then unworthily should it be reputed the last end of those Spirits which shall have no end and of those soules which being immortall shall never dye nor cease to bee True happinesse that cannot be of the aeternity and endlesse durance whereof doubt may be made Austen Austen de Civitat lib. â—2 most excellently What other is our end then to come to that kingdome whereof there is no end Divers do here question whether the last happinesse in part to weet of the glorious love of God and joyous delight in God may cease and fade notwithstanding the cleare vision and sight of God do still continue where in to resolve is smal or no difficulty at al for if the questioÌ„ be whether God out of his absolut power can shew himselfe as he is in himselfe infinitely good c. to any of the beatified yet they not love him nor actualy delight in him I answere that it is morally impossible except in such a case onely that God would not concurre with such his beatified to the act of love and affection of delight and then most cleare it is that in such a case though they follow naturally one upon another yet because they are really distinguished that one may be effected and not the other God concurring with the power intellective for the action of vision but not with the power of the will for the act of love and affection of delight But what a vanity of witts to seeke a knot where none is Cleare it is that the state of the last happinesse of man shal be so perfect and consummate that well may there be some new addition of adventicious and accidentall glory but to thinke that there should be any fading in that happinesse in which as Bernard divinely the Beatified are ever greene and growing in aeternity were an injurious vanity and blasphemous dotage against the glory and honour of the Citty of God SIXTH SECTION Conteines certaine observations touching the glorified bodyes of the beatified and their glorious qualities WHat hath beene said touching the glory of the soules of the beatified comes very short of that which in truth it is For if an admiring soule cannot how shall a speaking tongue be able to expresse the excellent eminencyes of the same But it being so that the beatified Soules want part of their consummation untill their bodies shall be joyntly glorified with them This place requires that wee should adde somewhat touching First observation the glorious conditions and states of their glorified bodies For which purpose I observe first that though at the dissolution of man by death the Soule being separated from the body shee if holy and regenerated be elevated to blisse and glory her body on earth rotting and falling away into dust and corruption yet there remaineth in the Soule a naturall and most intime inclination to have her body by information and naturall conjunction reunited to her againe which inclination St. Austen conceived to be August lib. 12 in Gen. cap. 35. so great that he thought by the meanes thereof the soules beatified to be so letted and hindred that they cannot see and behold God before the resurrection so perfectly as they shall do after the same In which his opinion though with reverence be it written he was mistaken for the cleare vision and fruition of God depends nothing of the body or animall affections thereof yet hereby it is evident that the Soule hath not her full and compleat happinesse untill her yoke-fellow after whom shee so naturally longeth be to her unâ—ted againe I say longeth for the desire after the body is not immoderate nor anxious for shee knoweth that at the time and houre appointed her body shall be reformed in the likenesse Phil. 3. 20. of Christs glorified body and be renuited to her againe which time because God hath so appointed it she dutifully and obediently tarrieth and expecteth knowing assuredly that though it bee long yet that at length coming it will come Secondly I observe that this inclination of the Soule arises from this that the Soules of men are not as the Spirits of Angells are compleate and perfect Substances subsisting by themselves The Soule and body are as naturall parts for the Constituting of the nature of man but they are parts onely of humane nature the Soule one part the body another both concurring to make a perfect subsisting nature of man the Soule and body of both of them parts separable yet herein differing that the Soule whether separated or united is naturallie immortall the body whether separated or united by nature mortall and yet herein agreeing that as being naturall parts if united they make one compleat whole substance so if separated they have an inclination most intime and natural for the making up of the whole to be reunited agayne But to declare this point more clearely The inclination of any thing that is but a part of a whole to be united to that part wherewith it maketh the whole is so naturall that the same inclination cannot be removed unlesse the thing it selfe which is the part bee first destroyed for example the parts of a greene tree being but halfe cleft and pulled asunder doe not with a naturall force more endevour to reunite them selves together then the naturall and essentiall parts of any compleat substance upon any separation doe incline to bee reunited together agayne the reason of which inclination I take to be this that everye thing hath a naturall propension for the conservation of it selfe and his owne being Now cleare it is that the esse and being of a part as a part is for the making of the whole so then a part hath never a more perfect being then when it is in the whole for whose being making constitution naturally it is What marvaile then that every part naturall and essentiall if separated from the whole have an inclination for the making up of the whole to be reunited to her fellowe part agayne and so no merveyle it is that the Soule being an Essentiall and Naturall part together with the body for the making up of the substance of man if she being separated from the body have a naturall inclination to bee reunited to the body agayne that by the meanes of such a union man who by death was dissolved and become no man may by the resuscitation of the body and the reunition of the body to the Soule bee made man agayne Though this point be most cleare both in Divinity and Philosophy yet is it not conceipted by those who make the Soule only to bee the whole man and the body to be no other then the Soules waggon or chariot so that the Soule is no otherwise in the body