after hee was dead It is true therefore that as Lactantius speaketh Mors non funditus perimit ac delet sed aeternis afficit cruciatibus Death doth not vtterly kill and extinguish but euerlastingly torment and punish Now if the soules of the wicked dye not but continue though indeede afflicted so as that their life is worthy to bee called and accounted death an euer-dying life or an euer-liuing death it were very absurd to thinke that the soules of the godly should perish with their bodies Doth not our Sauiour say vpon the death of Lazarus that had lien dead foure daies whom hee raised vp to life Whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer die Did hee not say to the Thiefe that was crucified with him To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Doth hee not professe that his Martyrs are blessed that they rest from their labors and that their workes doe follow them What blessednes haue they now what is their honour if their soules doe dye with their bodies And to what end should that his Proto Martyr Saint Steuen commend his soule vnto him saying Lord Iesus receiue my Spirit but that hee knew his soule did liue when his bodie was dissolued Or why should Saint Paul if he did not verily beleeue the immortalitie of the soule desire to bee loosed and to bee with Christ and vse this boldnes of speech vnto the Corinthes We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee destroyed wee haue a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens And finally if Christ Iesus be like vnto his Brethren in All things as the Apostle teacheth Sinne excepted then it appeares that his Brethen are like vnto him but Christ hath a soule which is immortall and did not dye though his body lay dead a time their soules therfore liue euer and dye not with their bodies And that vvee may not seeme to forget that memorable speech of our Sauiour to the Sadduces God is not the God of the dead but of the liuing but hee is the God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob therefore these three are liuing in their soules though dead as touching the life of their bodies And thus our faith concerning the not dying of the soule is founded fed and fortified by the testimonie of the Scriptures which beeing of infallible veritie are simply to bee beleeued for God the Authour and Inspirer of them Neither is Philosophy here of no vse therefore Iulius Caesar Scaliger by three reasons prooueth it taken as himselfe professeth from Aristotle and created Nature First no simple is resolued into the grounds therof for it is composed of no grounds but the soule of man is a thing simple and not compounded for it is an Act and no Act is a Power therefore it is not compounded and a Ground Principium effendi agendi which it cannot bee if it be compounded It followes therefore that the soule beeing vncomposed is irresoluble and so immortall Secondly the soule is a celestiall Nature namely a Fift Essence differing from the Nature of the foure elements vnsubiect therefore to corruption whereunto all bodies elementarie are obnoxious Thirdly if the soule doe die being a simple nature it must needes be brought to nothing for it cannot be resolued into the grounds of it because it hath none for grounds are the acts of those things whereof they bee grounds and no such ground as the soule hath a ground of it selfe besides God into whom nothing can bee resolued now if the soule should be brought to nothing then of something nothing shall be made It is true indeede that the soule and all created natures may be corrupted destroyed how simple they be so euer For there is but one absolute and prime Beginning or Ground of all things which is God all other things are dependant they are all from and by him Now whatsoeuer dependeth on God at his will the same thing may bee changed of God and altered at his pleasure But the soules of men depend on God and therefore at his becke they may bee deposed from that essence in which hee made them Now they are not corrupted because hee will not haue them so to be These Arguments are of some soliditie and worthy to be receiued but as for that which some doe bring to demonstrate the immortalitie of the soule to wit because they say it is not onely A Deo but also De Deo of the very essence of God which is immortal it is altogether vnreasonable wicked For so it wold follow that the nature of God should be captiuated deceiued altered defiled damned tormented For though indeede wee be the Progenie of God and partakers of the diuine Nature as the Apostles speake yet are we not parts of his nature neither doth he communicate by generation his nature to vs as a Father to his Children For God hath but one naturall sonne which is Christ Iesus who is begotten from all eternitie and hath the whole Nature of the Father in his person neither is the Nature of God capable of alteration or diuision and for the speeches of these two Apostles Paul and Peter they are to bee vnderstood partly because God is our Architect and Creatour and partly in respect of those excellent giftes and graces which shine in men specially good men more then in all other creatures and partly in regard of that new name state or Nature which is through the grace of God in Christ bestowed on vs. It is true indeede that the Soule in some sense may be said to be Mutable in deterius scilicet desiciendo in melius proficiendo to wit by waxing better or worse in respect of good and euill yea and Mortall by dying either to sinne by Mortification or by being dead in sinne through bondage and submission to it or else by suffering tormentes for sinne which depriue it of the ioyes of life but to say that the substance the essence of the Soule doth dye doth perish is dissolued this is against all sound reason both Theologicall and Philosophicall It may bee then demanded if the soules of men dye not when their bodies loose them whether goe they what becomes of them The Author of the Questions in Iustin saith that the Soules of the iust are carried into Paradise where is the company and sight of Angels and Arke-angels and of our Sauiour Christ but the Soules of the wicked into Hell Death saith Chrysostome doth not seuer vs from Christ but ioines vs to that company which is with Christ And Anselme agreeth saying So great peace is wrought by the death of Christ that the soules of the Righteous doe now when they goe forth of the bodie forthwith enter into Heauen the Angels being glad thereof And this appeares to bee true by that Parable in the Gospell
God vpon those persecuting Tyrants Domitian Hadrian Valerian Dioclesian Maximinus Aurelian Arnolphus Baiazet the Turke and Mamucha a Saracen The former was slaine with Daggers by his owne Seruants in his priuie chamber his Wife consenting The second hauing caused ten thousand Christians at one time to bee crucified and still raging against them God tooke him in hand at last smit him with an issue of bloud then with a consumption of his lungs and lights which he spat out thirdly with a dropsie and being in horrible torment he would haue killed himselfe but being hindred he died in that miserable estate The third being taken prisoner in the Persian warres Sapor the King of Persia vsed him as a blocke or stirrope to get on horsebacke and as Eusebius saith made him to be slayed aliue and powdered with salt The fourth in hatred of Christianitie by publike edict commanded the Christians Churches should be beaten downe and their Bibles burnt and torne and themselues to be put out of their offices in the Common-wealth which had any but God met with him plagued him with strange diseases fired his house with lightning and terrified him with thunder so as that not knowing where to hide himselfe he fell mad and killed himselfe The fift was smitten with a most stinking and vile disease which increased his crueltie and at last killed him his carkasse being rotten and full of wormes St. Chrysostome saith the Apple of his eye fell out before his death The sixt had his throat cut by his owne seruants The seuenth rotted liuing and sending forth lice and wormes continually at length died miserably in the twelfth yeare of his tyrannie Baiazet was taken captiue by Tamerlaine caried about in a Cage and vsed as his stirrope and ended his daies miserably Mamucha returning from the slaughter of many Christians was with his whole Armie swallowed vp of the Sea few or none escaping of an hundred saile of ships What need I say so much The iudgements of God are many and fearefull in all the world Morindus a cruell Tyrant in this Iland was deuoured of a Monster that came out of the Irish Seas Popiel a King of Poland an Vncle-murtherer and a notable curser was with his wife who consented to his Vncles death eaten vp of Rats Cerinthus perished with the fall of an hot-house vpon him Arrius voided his guts The Emperours Constantius and Valence both Arrians were punished by God the former by a sodaine and inexpected Apoplexie whereof he died the latter was burnt in a little house in which he had hid himselfe in his slight from the Gothes But what need I goe so farre for examples All ages are full of them And we see how God suffers Adulterers Drunkards and other sinners which scape often vnpunished to fall into thefts and murthers whereby they come vnto their deaths Which things if men would duly consider it would rouse them vp by the grace of God vnto better care and conscience which God grant vnto vs. But I will hold thee no longer but leaue thee to consider the things I haue prepared for thee Thine in Christ Thomas Tuke A DISCOVRSE OF DEATH CORPORALL SPIRITVALL AND ETERNALL THere is as of Life so of Death three different kindes externall or bodily internall or spirituall eternall or of both body and soule Externall or bodily death is as Plutarke saith the Priuation of all heate or as Scaliger speaketh the Priuatien of Life or as they both say the Disiunction of the soule from the body which two by God were coupled to make one liuing and perfect man Death is a disiunction of the soule not a destruction it is a separation and not an annihilation Etsi morimur corpore nunquam tamen spiritu for though as Martialis saith we die in regard of the bodie yet we neuer die as touching the soule because death as Lactantius speaketh Mors non extinguit hominem sed ad praemium virtutis admit tit doth not make a man to be iust nothing but admits him to the reward of vertue if hee haue beene vertuous or else deliuers him vp to most greeuous punishments if he haue beene vicious Amōgst the heathen some there were that held the death a dissolution of the soule as Democritus Epicurus Dicaearchus others there were which held it was immortall as Pherecydes Plato many moe The Stoicks saith Lactantius held that the soules of men continue and that nec interuentu mortis in nihilum resolui they are not brought by death to nothnig Cyrus instructing his sonnes a little before his death saith that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neuer perswaded that the soule af man died when it left the body but saith that the mind when it is freed from the fellowship of the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is then most wise and vnderstanding and that when a man is dissolued euery thing in the bodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides the soule returnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto the things of the same kinde that is are resolued into the elements out of which they were taken and therefore hee forbids his sonnes to thinke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he shall be Nothing any more after his death In like manner Hermes describing the Nature of man saith that God made man of both natures to wit of an immortall nature and of a mortall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the same man to bee partly immortall and partly mortall which immortalitie is to be vnderstood of the soule experience shewing the body to bee mortall and corruptible without all remedie And finally the Diuell himselfe as he gaue testimonie to the diuinitie of Christ so hath hee by Oracle shewed the immortalitie of the soule for being by Polytes consulted vnder the name of Apollo Milesius Whether the soule remained after death or was dissolued hee answered that the soule when it was departed from the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is alwaies free from the weakenesse of olde-age and continueth altogither vnvanquished To these testimonies of the Creature we may for better satisfaction adde the witnesse of holy Scriptures which are the very Oracles of the great Creatour Salomon saith that when the body returnes to the earth the spirit returnes to God that gaue it Esay saith that the Worme of the transgressors shall not dye that their fire shall not be quenched which argues the mortall immortalitie or immortall mortatalitie of their soules Accordingly our Sauiour sheweth in two parables that the soules of wicked men dye not with their bodies but remaine in torments The one is of him that said Soule thou hast much goods layed vp for many yeeres but God said vnto him Thou foole this night will they fetch away thy soule from thee The other of another rich Epicure who was grieuously tormented in hell
vnius diei a culpâ sit primae praenaricationis alienus indeede an Infant of a day old is not free from the fault of the first transgression But it may bee asked how Infants can become guilty of that they did not giue consent to I answere The fall of Adam and Eue is the fall of all their Children begotten after the common order euen as the righteousnesse of Christ is become the righteousnesse and saluation of all his Children because as Christ so Adam was no priuate person but represented all Mankinde which vvas now within his loynes Because saith Anselme the whole nature of man was in protoplastis in our first formed Parents and nothing thereof was out of them the whole nature was weakened and corrupted As therefore if it had not sinned it should haue been propagated such as it was of God created it a post peccatum qualem se fecit peccando propagatur so since it hath sinned it is propagated such as it hath made it selfe by sinning Fuit Adam in illo fuimus omnes perijt Adam in illo perijmus omnes Adam was saith Saint Ambrose vpon the Gospell of Saint Luke and in him wee all were Adam perished and in him we perish all In him because wee were all in him because we are all of him and he as our Head and Representer receiued and lost for vs all But it vvill bee obiected that Infants baptised haue no sinne it beeing taken away in baptisme how happes it then that Infants baptised die And how is it that the best Beleeuers die seeing that their sinnes are vvashed away in the blood of Christ I answere with the Augustane Confession out of Saint Austen Sinne is remitted in Baptisme non vt non sit sed vt non imputetur not so that it should no longer bee but that it should not bee imputed It is destroyed saith Anselme not as if it were made nothing sed vt non cogamur ei seruire but that wee might not be compeld to serue it But to giue a full answere the reason why the Lord inflicts death on them that are baptised and doe beleeue is not as if their sinnes were vnforgiuen for they are for Christ forgiuen fully neither yet is it to be supposed that they should haue dyed though they had not sinned for death is not the condition of Nature but the Daughter and desert of sinne neither yet doth God take away their liues as intending thereby to punish Them for if sinne be forgiuen them as it is indede then also all the punishments due to sinne which followes sinne as the shadow doth the bodie God therefore inflicts death vpon his Elect not as a Iudge offended with them for hee loues them most dearely and their death is precious in his sight but as a Father a Friend or gracious King who by death doth humble try amend and deliuer them from worldly miseries sinfull diseases and earthly discontentments and brings their soules into heauenly Canaan to the fellowship of Christ and those blessed Spirits of Men and Angels that tend vpon him in the Heauens To returne therefore to the point a fresh Euery child of Adam is subiect vnto death It is appointed vnto men that they shall once dye saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death is a debt that all men owe. I goe the way of all the Earth saith Dauid that is I draw neere to death which is the common course of all men liuing vpon she earth Moriendum est omnibus All men must dye saith Tully Tendimus huc omnes met am properamus ad vnam Omnia sub leges mors vocat atra suas To death saith Ouid wee doe All of vs goe it is the marke wee hast to shee causeth all to bee in thrall her lawes vnto Omnes vna manet nox calcanda semel via lethi Omnes eôdem cogimur Death waites for all the way thereof must needes bee once trod Thither we are driuen All saith Horace There is no writ of priuiledge to exempt vs her eyes are pitilesse her heart is inflexible and her hands will hold no bribes Pietie vertue goodnesse cannot put by her stroke Hector in Homer is reported to haue said vnto his wife that no man could kill him before the time of death destinated vnto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but as for destinie and such a thing is death he tolde her that no man neyther good nor bad could scape it Nec pietas moram Rugis instants senectae Afferet indomitaeque morti Pretie saith the Poet will cause no stay to death Abraham Moses Ioshuah Iob Dauid were godly men but yet the Scripture saith of them all they died Strength is not able to withstand death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hercules was a strong man yet the strength of Hercules yeelded vnto death which ouercame him Milo was renowned for his strength of bodie yet Milo was weaker then death Sampson was stronger then euer any mere man was yet was he ouercome of death Fortitude and valour of spirit cannot out-stand death but the most couragious that euer liued yeelded vnto death Dauid and his Worthies were valiant men yet all of them are dead Abstulit clarum citamors Achillem Achilles famous for his courage was taken away by death Wisedome is a most excellent vertue yet it is vnable to conquer death Salomon the wisest King that euer raigned is of death dispatched Wise men die as well as Fooles and goe whensoeuer death calleth them Eloquence is not able to charme death but the most eloquent men that euer liued haue also died as Tullie Demosthenes and the rest Noblenesse of birth and royaltie are vnable to encounter with death and ouermaster it Alexander Iulius Caesar and the most victorious Princes that haue euer raigned haue stooped vnto death which subdueth all men Pallida mors aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas regumque turres Death can finde way into Princes pallaces into the courts of Kings as well as into the peasants Cottage Magistrates are Gods in office but yet as mortall as their subiects I haue said yee are Gods but ye shall die as a man and ye Princes shall fall like others Agamemnon Cyrus Nebuchadnezzar and Augustus Caesar were mightie Monarches but yet death hath preied vpon them all Old age is venerable youth is stout and lustie swiftnesse and actiuitie are commendable but death reuerenceth not the gray hoires of the aged it respecteth not the greene lockes of the young neyther is there any by swiftnesse of foote or dexteritie of hand able to out-runne and out-match death Mista senum ac iuuenum densantur funera Old and yong die in heapes together Death will not die vnder any Magistrate neither wil she be ouer-awed with the hore-head or graue behauiour of any aged father Both old and young are a