Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	abide_v	able_a	stand_v	42	3	4.9784	4	false

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

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

admonished or at the least yet in the end become wise And let vs wholy depend vpon the mouth of God and still looke vnto his word neither let vs add or entermeddle any thing of our owne to or with his wisedome to the end our Leauen marre not the whole lumpe and make the salt that is in vs vnsauery But let vs shew our selues to be such obedient subiects to our God as he would haue vs be to witt humble simple and playne not cleauing to our owne wisdome very zealous to learn yet let vs know nothing or be willing to learne any thing saue onely that which he shall teach vs And besides let vs flee whatsoeuer is straunge and not conteined in his law as a deadly poyson I will meete also with those kinde of men who would faine finde fault with my meaning and say that I rayse vp terrible styrres and controuersies about a matter of nothing decyding these quarrels with cruell dissentions For I am sure there are great store of these people who will not stick thus to deale with me And therefore I aunswere them thus That seing the word of God is of set purpose obstinately assayled that the least iotte thereof is by no meanes to be abidden to be dryuen to the wall and this is not a matter of nothing or of so light regard to see the light of God thus furiously put out through Satans obscuritie and darkenes Moreouer this cause is of farre greater waight then many take it to be But by the way he that cannot away to see the errors and foolishe opinions of others is not therefor as they enterpret it by and by to be sayd that he opinatiuely disagreeth euen to the effusion of bloud For I reproue nothing els but the foolish curiositie of such as striue about these questions which are nothing els in very deede but a tormenting and vexing of the minde Neuertheles after they had reuiued this dounghill opinion it was meete their rashnes should be reproued to the end they should not preuaile agaynst the trueth Now I knew not whether I was able to doe it or no yet my will was very good whatsoeuer goodnes is in it I haue also with good will deliuered it Wherefore if there are any others that can better deale in it Let them in Gods name bestow their trauell to the common benefite of their poore Brethren Basile 1536. OF THE IMMORTALITIE OF THE SOVLE ❀ What the state and lyfe of soules is after this present lyfe AS I will bestow no great paine and coste finely and curiously to handle this disputation Euen so lykewise wil I take such a good order as that the readers may simply and playnely vnderstand what my entent and purpose is And surely whatsoeuer he do that will take vpon him to dispute vpon any matter although in very deede it greatly a●●●…eth that the thing which is to be dealt withall be very substantially vnderstode of him that shall write thereof and so many festly and easely deliuered vnto the Render to the end that the first man passe not his boundes and made farre from the matter or that the other straye and erre not in the selfe same fielde of the disputation without keeping any sure and certayne course yet notwithstanding this in all cōtrouersies ought most chiefely and diligently to be obserued considering that the care which here I haue is not onely to instruct but I haue also to deale with such an aduersary who out of all doubt as it is the cōmon dispositiō of most men will in no wise but agaynst his will yelde himselfe vanquished neyther yet will he graunt himselfe ouercome so lōg as he may haue any thing wherwith wranglingly quarrellingly and shiftingly pleasantly to make sport and feede his owne humor And therfore the best way to shut him cleane vp that he be not able to escape is this to haue the principall poynt of the controuersie so clearely manifested and opened as that he may be brought hand to hand to the Combate as it were euen at the first chop The controuersy then which now we haue in hand is of the soule of man which some in deed doe graūt to be somewhat But yet they thinke that after a man is dead that the soule sleapeth vntill the day of Iudgement at which tyme it shall awake out of sleape without either memory vnderstanding and feeling whatsoeuer Others there are which graunt nothing lesse then that it is a substaunce but say that it is onely a power of lyfe which is ledd by the mouing of the pulses or of Lunges lytes and because it cānot be without a body therefore they faine that it dyeth and pearisheth together with the body vntill such tyme as the whole man be raysed vp agayne Howbeit we say and maintayne the soule to be a substaunce and that it liueth in very deede after the body is dead hauing sence and vnderstāding both which we are very able to proue by euident testimonies of the scriptures Let vs leaue all mans wisedome which imagineth very many thinges of the soule and yet vnderstādeth neyther rightly nor yet truely thereof Let vs also leaue the Philosophers who as they are wonted almost to disagree in all thinges hauing neither measure nor end in their controuersies so lykewise stryue they one agaynst another herein in somuch that we shall hardly finde two of thē to agree together of whatsoeuer opiniō a man would be satisfied and resolued And as touching the powers of the soule Plato in very many places hath notably treated but aboue all the rest Aristotle hath most cunnigly disputed thereon Howbeit if a man would know of thē and of the whole companye of those wise men what the soule is and whence it hath her beginning he shall but lose his labor albeit in very deede they haue a more pure and sound opinion hereof then these Roysters which boast them selues to be the disciples of Iesus Christ But before we goe any further they must cutt of all occasion of stryuing about these wordes which we indifferētly call the spirite the soule and whereupon at this tyme standeth our question at which they may if they will snatch and catch for we do oftentymes speake of them distinctly as of sondry thinges And it is an vsuall thing in the scripture to take these wordes diuersly wherein many are deceiued For they regarding not the diuersitie of the significatiōs snatch at that which first commeth in their braine and defend it obstinately Oftentymes they haue read this word soule for the lyfe and this opinion they haue that it ought to be alwayes so taken and doe bitterly vpholde it But if a man obiect this saying of Dauid vnto them Psal 49.19 Their soule shall be blessed in lyfe Will they interpret it That lyfe is blessed in lyfe Also if a man alleadge vnto thē that place of Samuell By thy lyfe 2. Sam. 11.11 and by the lyfe of thy

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

thou hast geuen me Let vs then hold this fayth which is grounded vpon all the prophecies vpon the trueth of the Gospell and vpon Iesus Christ himselfe to witt that the spirite is the Image of God vnto whose lykenes it hath strength and vnderstanding and is euerlasting and so long as it is in the body it sheweth the powers and when it is deliuered out of this prison it goeth from thence vnto God the feeling of whome in the meane while it enioyeth whiles it resteth in the hope of the blessed resurrection and this reast is to it a paradise But as for the spirite of the reprobate whiles it looketh for the terrible iudgement vpon it selfe it is tormented with this looking for which the Apostle therefore hath called fearefull And to make any father search is to plunge it selfe ouer head eares in the bottomles depth of the secrets of God considering that it is ynough to learne that which the holy ghost who as a a very good Schoolemaister is contented to teach it who sayth thus harken vnto me and thy soule shall lyue How wisely is this spokē in respect of the vayne arrogancy of these men The soules of the iust are in the handes of God and the torment of death shall not touch them They seeme to the eyes of the foolishe to be dead but they are in peace c. This is the end of our wisedome which as it is sober and subiect vnto God euen so also knoweth it very well that they which labor to goe beyond it doe fall full lowe Let vs now pull of those cloutes and ragges wherein they haue swadled vp these drowsy and sleapy soules and mingle and lickour the Poppy which they haue made them to soupe to lull them a sleepe They carry about with them certein places of scripture which as they thinke doe fauoure this sleape and soone after as if this sleapines were clearely proued they thunder them agaynst those which forthwith will not yelde vnto their error First of all they sett downe that God hath placed none other soule in man but such as is common to all other beastes For the scripture attributeth to al equaly a liuing soule as when it is sayd Gene. 1. God created the great whales euery liuing soule also there wet Gene. 7. of all flesh which had any lyfe in it by couples into the Arke of Noah And such other lyke places And although the holy scriptures had neuer made mention hereof yet are we clearely admonished by S. Paule that this liuing soule differeth nothing frō this present lyfe whereby the body receiueth strength and force Se what he sayth That which is sowē in corruptiō 1. Cor. 15.42.43.44.45 shall ryse agayne in incorruption that which is sowen in weakenes shall ryse agayne in strength That which is sowne in a fleshely body shall rise againe a spiritual body for as it is written The first man Adā was made a lyuing soule and the last Adam a quickening spirite Now I confesse in deede that the liuing soule is not onely attributed vnto beasts alone be cause they also liue For their lyfe is another manner of lyfe thē the lyfe of men The soule that liueth in man maketh him to haue sence wisedome reason and vnderstanding and the soule that liueth in beastes geueth them onely mouing and feeling Seing then it is so that there is reason vnderstanding and will in the soule of man which vertues are not tyed to the body it is no maruell if it subsist without a body and pearisheth not lyke the soule of the beastes whose soules haue nothing but a bodely feeling For which cause Paule was not ashamed with the heathen Poet to call vs the generation of God Wherefore then let them now as they list communicate vnto a lyuing soule with man Actes 17.28.29 seing that as touching the body beastes lyfe is all one to men and beastes yet can they not hereupon make vnto thēselues a degree to confound the soule of man with the beasts neither yet must they thrust that saying of S. Paule vpon vs which is rather with vs then against vs. The first man Adam was made a liuing soule and the last Adam a quickening spirite For this aunswere was obiected to them which could not be perswaded of the resurrection For looke vpon the obiection which they made how shall the dead ryse agayne In what body shall they come The holy Apostle to meete with this obiection frameth his Argument thus If we learne by experience that the seede which lyueth groweth and bringeth fruite was first dead why thē may not the body which was dead ryse agayne as well as the seede And if the bare and dry corne bring forth greater plenty of fruite after it is dead and that by a wonderfull power which God hath put into it Why then may not the body by the selfe same heauenly power be raysed vp agayne in a farre better maner then wherein it dyed And to the end thou mightest not still maruell how is it possible that mā should lyue without he were fashioned into a liuing soule Notwithstāding although this soule moueth and vpholdeth the waite of the body for a tyme yet maketh it not Immortall or inccorruptible And whiles also that it putteth forth her strength yet is she not able as of her selfe to doe it without the helpe of drinke meate and sleape which are tokens of corruption neither maketh it the body to abide in a firme constant condition but that it is enclyned assoone to one thing as to another But when the sonne of God shall take vs with himselfe into glory Tertullian so sayth and S. August also in his 3. Epist to Fortunatus it shall not be onely a body with a soule or quickened with a soule but a spirituall body such a one as our minde cānot conceiue nor our toung expresse We see then that we shall be none other thing in the generall resurrection but yet much otherwise if by your leaue I may so say And these thinges are spoken of the body wherunto the soule administreth life vnder the elements of this world But when the figure of this world shall passe away the participation of the glory of God shall lift it vp aboue nature Hereby we see what the true and naturall sence of the Apostle is And S. Augustine seeing himselfe deceiued euen as these men now are in the exposition of this text acknowledged afterward his fault corrected it amōgest his retractatiōs a great deale more manifestly in other places Chap. And here I thinke it good to set downe some part of his wordes It is very true sayth he that the soule liueth either in a carnal or spirituall body and yet notwithstanding it liueth not nor is not quickened vntil such time as it hath cast off the corruption But in the spirituall body when it is made a quickening spirite perfectly cleauing vnto the Lord it

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