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 [Page] disputation, without keeping a­ny sure and certayne course: yet notwithstanding, this, in all cō ­trouersies, 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 cō ­mon 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 [Page 2] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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. [Page 3] 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 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 [Page] 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 thē ­selues, 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 [Page 4] beleued were of one hart and of one soule. Moreouer, who seeth not y ^t 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. y ^e scripture [Page] vseth this maner of speaking, that y ^e 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 cō ­trary 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 y ^e 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 [Page 5] whē these two words y ^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page 6] 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, when as he erred by ouer great [Page] vehemency in cōfuting the opi­nion of the Anthropomorphites. But the Scripture can in no wise abide to be thus dallyed withall. Wherefore because that no man might ordayne any such Image to be in the fleshe of man, Moyses sayth that the body was first made of y ^e slime of the earth, and yet for all that in such sort as that it no wayes represented the Image of God. For it is af­ter sayd, that lyfe was breathed into the body which was fashi­oned of the dust of the earth, be­cause that euen then the Image of God beganne to shine first in man, when as he was fully fur­nished in all partes. But it may be obiected and sayd, what? doe you thinke that this breath of lyfe is the Image of God? No surely, although I might very well say so, aswell as a great many of others: and it may be y ^t I should not speake greatly amisse. This obser­uation v­seth S. Hila­ry vpō the 63. psalme. and S. Au­gustine in his boke of the spirite and the let­ter. cap. 39 Basi. Hex. conges. 8. For, what hurt were it if I sayd, that there is a diffe­rence set downe in the word of God, whereby this breath of lyfe might be distinguished from the soules of beastes? for from [Page 7] whence haue the soules of the rest of the liuing creatures their beginning? Let the earth (sayth God) bring forth a liuing soule. &c. And lykewise, let that which is of the earth returne agayne vnto earth. But the soule of man is not of the earth, but frō the mouth of the Lord, and that by a secrett and hidd power. Howbeit I will not, I say, stād vpon this, because I would not haue them to stryue with me a­bout it: but this onely would I obtayne at their handes, that the Image of God is without the fleshe: For els it were no great commendation to man to be made after the Image of God: which notwithstanding is so greatly commended, and so often repeated vnto vs by the holy scriptures. For what nee­ded it I besech you, to bring in God deliberating with himselfe, and as it were sitting in coun­sell, if he had gone about to haue made a common and ordinary thing? For as concerning all o­ther thinges, he onely sayd, let them be, & by and by they were made, but when he came to this [Page] Image, as if he had meant to shewe a singuler profe of his workemanshipp, he called to counsayle his wisedome and power, and was fully resolued in himselfe, before he once set hand to the same. Hath Moyses then so curiously to no purpose, affec­ted this maner of speach, which being borrowed from the com­mon vse of men according to their slender capacityes, who are as it were very young chil­dren, to set before vs the Lord God, whose greatnes and wise­dome no creature is able to cō ­prehend? But hath he not ra­ther in so speaking, most glori­ously commended the Image of God, which shyneth in man? And he is not satisfied with once speaking thereof, but repeateth it oftentymes. Now let the phi­losophers or els these tryfelers, bring with them what doltish mockeries soeuer they will, we are sure of this, that nothing may beare the Image of God, but that which is a spirite: For in very deede God is a spirite. We must not proceede here, by coniectures and ghesses, to en­quier [Page 8] wherein this Image re­sembleth his soueraigne crea­tor: Colos. 3.10 seing we may very easely learne that, frō y ^e Apostle: who commaunding vs to put on the new man, which is renued in knowledge, according to his I­mage that hath created him, ma­nifestly declareth what the same Image is, Ephe. 4.14. or wherein it consi­steth. And he sayth also in ano­ther place, put you on the new mā, who is created according to the Image of God, in righte­ousnes and holynes of trueth. All which thinges, when as we will speake in one word, we say, that man according to the spi­rite, was made pertaker of the goodnes, wisedome, Ecclesiasti­cus. 17.1. Wisd. 2 2 [...] and righte­ousnes of God. The Aucthor of the booke of Ecclesiasticus, and the Aucthor of the booke of Wis­dome, haue also followed the same course. The first, deuiding man into two partes, to witt the body made of the earth, and the Soule which he lykeneth vnto the Image of God, briefe­ly comprehendeth, that which Moyses hath made a long dis­course of God, sayth, he made [Page] man according to his owne I­mage. The second, meaning to shew by declaration, whereun­to the Image of God was lyke, sayth that man was made incor­ruptible, as being created after the Image and lykenes of God. I would neuer haue pressed our aduersaryes with these Auctho­ryties, had they not charged vs with them before. Which not­withstāding we ought to thinke reuerently of, although not as Canonicall, yet at the least, as autentique and holy, and receiued by the cōsents of many. But let vs there leaue them: and hold this Image of God in man, which can haue no abiding place but in the soule.

1. Pet. 2.11.25.Howbeit, let vs now heare, what the scripture more many­festly sayth of the Soule. When S. Peter speaketh of the salua­tion of soules, and sayth that the lustes of the fleshe doe fight a­gaynst the soule, and commaun­deth vs to cleanse our soules, calling Iesus Christ the By­shopp of our soules: what should he meane by it, if there were not soules to be saued, which should [Page 9] be assailed with wicked, and vngodly desiers, and should be clensed and gouerned by Christ their Byshopp? Iob. 4.19. And we reade also in Iob. How much more thē [...]n them which dwell in houses of claye, and whose foundation is nothing but dust, which thing if we consider more narrowly, must needes be vnderstoode to be spoken of the soule, which dwelleth in this earthly body. For he calleth not man an earthly vessell, but sayth that he dwelleth in an earthly ves­sell: as one that meant to say, that the best part of man (which is the soule) was contayned within this earthly mansion. 2. Pet. 1.13.14. Thus also sayth S. Peter, I suppose this to be meete and iust that so long as I am in this ta­bernacle, I styrre you vp by putting you in remembraunce: knowing that shortly I must put of this my tabernacle.

Surely if we be not too too blockish, we may vnderstand by this maner of speach, that the tabernacle is one thing, and that which is taken out of the tabernacle, to be another thing. [Page] The Aucthor of the Epistle to the Hebrewes setteth downe the lyke manifest distinction be­twene the fleshe and the spirite, Heb. 12.9. when as he nameth those our fleshly Fathers of whome we were begotten: and calleth God, the onely father of spirites. And a little after, calling God, the father of the heauenly Ierusa­lem, Heb. 12.23 he maketh the Angells, and soules of the righteous, the Citizens. Neither doe I see how we can otherwise take this saying of S. Paul. 2. Cor. 7.1. Since we haue these promises, let vs clense our selues from all filthynes of the fleshe and of the spirite. For it very well appeareth, that he maketh no difference there be­twene the fleshe and the spirite, as he is wont to doe els where: when as he attributeth filthy­nes to the spirite, by which ti­tle he meaneth in other places, meere purity. I wil yet bring in another place, although I see that they which meane to wrest, will forthwith fall to their glo­ses. 1. Cor. 2.11 For when it is sayd, what man knoweth the thinges that are in man, but the spirite of [Page 10] man which is in him? Agayne, no man knoweth the thinges of God, but the spirite of God.

It may well be sayd, that man knoweth the thinges which are in himselfe, but he meaneth in one word, that part, wherein the power of the thought and vnderstanding consisteth. And also, Rom. 8.16 when he sayeth that the spirite of God beareth witnes to our spirite, that we are the children of God, vseth he not the very same proper kinde of speach? But what? I coulde conuince them euen in a word? For we know how many tymes Christ him selfe by his owne voyce condemneth the error of the Saduces, Math. 22.23. a part of which error was, that there was no spirite: as S. Luke wry­teth in the Actes. The wor­des are these: The Saduces say y ^t there is neither resurrec­tion, Angell, nor spirite: Acts. 23.8. but the Pharysies cōfesse all these thin­ges. I feare me that they will goe about to cauill and say that these thinges are to be vnder­stood of the holy ghost, or els of the Angels: Which obiection is [Page] easely aunswered. For he hath placed the Angells aparte by themselues: and it is certayne that the Pharysies had skarcely any knowledge of the holy ghost. And they which vnderstand the Greeke tonge know this best: For S. Luke sayd spirite, with­out putting to any Article: which thing without doubt he would haue added, if he had spo­ken of the holy ghost. Now if this stop not their mouthes, I know not by what meanes they may be drawne or ledd, with­out it so fall out, and say: that the opinion of the Saducies is not condemned, in that they de­ny a spirite, nor the opinion of the Pharysies allowed, which say the cōtrary. Howbeit y ^e very words of S Luke do mete w ^c this Cauill. For after he hath set downe the confessiō of S Paul, that he was a Pharisy, he ad­deth this opinion of the Phari­sies. We must then say, either that S. Paul vsed a subtill and wicked dissimulation (which ought not to be receiued in the confession of fayth) or els that he was of the same opiniō with [Page 11] the Pharysies touching the spi­rite, Now if we must beleue histories, this was as certaine and sure emongest the Apostles, Ecclesiast. History. 10. 4. c. 13. as the resurrection of the dead, or any other Article of our faith. I will not be ashamed to bring in here the words of Polycarpe, a man who both in his words and doings in very deede looked for Martyrdome: In the same c. 19. being also a disciple of the Apostles, and so sincerely taught others that, which he learned of them, as that he would neuer suffer any Leauen to be mingled emongest it. This holy man then amon­gest many excellent wordes which he spake in the middest of the fier, sayd, that the same day, he should be present in spi­rite before the face of God. In those dayes also Melito. Byshop of Sardis, a man of lyke sinceri­tye, In the same c. 24. wrote a booke of the Body and of the Soule, which if we had had at this day, I needed not now to haue taken payne in this matter. This opinion was so notably receiued in this bles­sed tyme, In the same of the re­surrection of the flesh that Tertullian put it euen emongest the common and [Page] chiefest conceites of the minde, which nature commonly taketh hold of. And although we haue already brought in many rea­sōs, which are able (as I think) to conuince y ^t which they straue about, to witt, that the Soule or spirite of man is a substance distinguished from the body, yet that which we will add forth­with, shall make the same a great deale more certayne. For I come to that which I did set downe in the second place, to witt, that the soule lyueth after that the body is dead, hauing both sence and vnderstanding. Now whosoeuer thinketh that I doe heere affirme any other thing then the Immortalytie of the soule, is greatly deceiued. For they which confesse that the soule liueth, and therewithall take from her all her senses, doe imagine a soule, which hath no parte at all of a soule, or els deuise a soule of their owne heds: considering that her na­ture (without which she can no way stand) is to moue her selfe, to feele, In the same of the flesh of Christ. to haue strēgth & to vn­derstādt & (as Tertullian sayth) [Page 12] that the sence, is the soule of the soule. Let vs therefore learne this Immortalytie of the soule out of the holy scriptures.

When our Sauior Christ exhorteth his disciples not to feare them which kill the body, Math. 10.18. Luke. 12.5. & haue no power ouer the soule: but to feare him, who after he hath slayne the body, is able al­so to send the soule into hell fier: doth he not meane that the soule lyueth, after y ^t the dody is dead? And truely God hath very lo­uingly dealt with vs herein, that he hath not suffred our soules to be at the disposition of those which would so soone kill them, or at the least though they can­not, yet doe their best. The Ty­rantes torment, cut in peeces, burne, and hang, but it is the body onely, for God onely hath power ouer the soule to cast it into hell fier. So then eyther the soule abideth after death, or els this must needes be an vn­trueth: That Tyrantes haue no power ouer the soule. Vnto this they aūswere (as I heare) that the soule truely is slaine for the tyme, when as the body is [Page] dead, but that it pear [...]heth not, because that in tyme to come i [...] shall ryse againe. Now if they thinke to goe away with this, they must and graunt that the body pearisheth not, for somuch as it shall rise agayne. And be­cause that they are both reser­ued vntill the day of Iudgemēt, therefore neither of [...]oth pe [...] ­risheth. And yet our Saui­our Christ confesseth that the body is slayne, and testifieth that the soule abideth whole and sound. Iohn. 2.19 This maner of speach he vseth of his owne death, when he sayth, destroy ye this Tēple, and in three dayes I will rayse it vp agayne. But this he spake of the Temple of his body: by which reason he tooke the soule out of their power, which also, as S. Luke wryteth, and as Dauid foretold, Luke. 13.46. Psal. 30.6. when he drewe neare vnto his death, he com­mended, into the handes of his Father. S. Stephen lykewise after the same maner saith: Actes. 7.59. Lord Iesus Christ receiue my spirite. Haue they heere any thing, whereat to iangle, that Iesus Christ commēded his soule vn­to [Page 13] his Father, & S. Stephen his, vnto Iesus Christ, to be preserued vntill y ^e day of y ^e 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 [Page] vnto him, that they might not despayre, he forthwith speaketh of y ^e 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: [Page 14] 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 [Page] 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 [Page 15] other lyueth.

We learne this same also of Salomō, who describing y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 16] 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 other. Are these dreames or fables?

But because they would haue some way to escape, they make a parable of this story, and say, y ^t whatsoeuer the trueth speaketh of Abraham, the rich glutton, and of Lazarus, is but a fained thing. This is all the reuerence they beare vnto God and to his word. But I aske this of them, let thē bring forth but one one­ly example out of the holy scrip­ture, where, in a parable, any [Page] man is called by his name. I pray you tell me what is meant by these wordes. There was a poore man named Lazarus &c. Either must the word of God be a false lye, or els this must needes be a very true story. The auncient Doctors also had great regard to this: For S. Ambrose sayth, that it is rather a story then a parable, because there is a name put in. S. Gregory is of the same opinion. Tertulyan, Ireneus, Origen, S. Cyprian, and S. Ierome, doe take it for a histo­ry. Emongest whom, Tertuly­an thinketh that by the Rich man is meant Herode, and by Lazarus, Iohn Baptist. And see what Ireneus sayth: The thinge which is recyted vnto vs by the Lord of the Rich mā, & of Lazarus, is no fable. And Cyrill aunswering the Arriās, who out of this place made it their buckler for the refuting of the diuinitie of Christ, refelleth not this as a parable, but ex­poundeth it as an history. But this is a greater mockery, that for y ^e strēgthning of their error, the more they pretende the [Page 17] name of S. Augustine, and be­cause they might the better wrangle, say, that he yelded to the same opinion. I thinke they doe it for this cause, for that he hath sayd in an certein place, that we must vnderstād by La­zarus, Iesus Christ, and by the Rich man the Pharysies: and yet his meaning is none o­therwise, but that this story is to be transferred into a parable, if the person of Lazarus be at­tributed to Iesus Christ, and the persō of the Rich man vnto the Pharysies. This is also the custome and manner of all such men as haue once concei­ued an opinion of any thing, to suffer themselues afterward, violētly to be caryed away with the same. For, whē they see they haue no sure ground to stay on, there shall not be so small a tittle of a letter which they will not laye fast hold on, to wrythe and wrest it to serue their owne turnes. Notwithstanding, to y ^e end they might not still groyne and grunt, S. Augustine him­selfe sayth in another place, that he receiueth it for an History. [Page] Let thē now go & sell their coū ­terfett wares at noone day. And yet shall they not be able to flye any whither, but that they shall alwayes mashe themselues in these very snares. For, admit we did graunt it them to be a parable (which they shall neuer be able to obtaine at our hands) What other thing can they ga­ther hereupon, but that there is some shewe of trueth in this cō ­paryson? Now if these great Diuines know not this, let thē goe learne at the first principles of the Gramarians, and they shall finde that a parable is a similitude taken from the truth. For when we heare that a man had two sonnes vnto whome he diuided and lotted out their por­tions, there must needes be a man, sonnes, an enheritaunce, and a diuision of portiōs. More­ouer this is alwayes the nature of a parable, first we must con­ceiue of the bare matter as it is propounded, afterward we are ledd to the end of the parable, to witt, to the thing it selfe whereunto the parable is ap­plyed. And herein let them fol­low [Page 18] Chrisostome as their Pa­tron. He alwayes thought this to be a parable, and yet he oftē ­times drewe out of it the truth. As when he proueth out of it, that the soules of the dead are in certayne places, he sheweth how horrible hell fier is, and the destruction that commeth of pleasures. And least I should here lose much speach, let com­mon reason teach them, if they haue any, and they shall soone vnderstand what the strength and reason of a parable is.

And bycause we would gladly satisfy all men as much as in vs lyeth, we will heere speake somewhat of the rest of Soules which are departed from the bodyes in an assured fayth of the promises of God, and surely the holy scripture meaneth nothing els by the bosome of Abraham, but this rest. In the first place we call that, rest, which these waste diuines, call sleape. Nei­ther would we refuse this ty­tle of sleape, were it not, that by their lying, they haue won­derfully corrupted, and almost vtterly defaced it. Moreouer, [Page] we vnderstand not by reast, slouthfulnes, or slumber, or any such other lyke dronken thing, as they attribute vnto y ^e soules, but tranquility and a good as­suraunce of conscience, which although it be alwayes ioyned with fayth, yet is it neuer soūd, or altogether perfect, but after death. The Church no doubt, heareth from the mouth of God, Isaiah. 32.17. the blessinges of the faythfull, being yet but as a straunger here on earth, to witt: My peo­ple shall walke in the beauty of rest, and dwell in a peaceable habitation, Isaiah. 26.12. in the tentes of surety, and in a plentifull peace. And a­gayne geuing thankes, she sin­geth blessings vnto the Lord: Geue vnto vs O Lord peace: For thou also workest all our workes in vs. When the fayth­full haue receiued the Gospell they haue this peace, when they see God to become their louing Father, whom before they tho­ught him to be their Iudge: and in stead of children of wrath, they see them selues to be the children of Grace: that the bow­els of God his mercy is poured [Page 19] vpon them: so that they now looke for none other thing at the handes of God, but all goodnes, Iob. 7. and mercie. But because that the lyfe of man is a warfare vpon earth, they which feele the stings of sinne, and the dregges of the fleshe, must haue trouble in this world, and be cōforted in God: & in this sorte they shall neuer be without an vnquiet, & trou­bled minde. But when as they shall haue put of the fleshe and the lustes thereof (who as home enemies doe trouble their peace and reast) they shall in the end be at quiet and rest in the Lord For thus sayth the prophet: Isaiah. 57.1. The righteous pearisheth, and there is no man that once thinketh of him in his hart: good and godly people are takē away, and no man consi­dereth thereof: for the righteous is conueyed away frō the wicked. let peace come vnto him, and let him rest in his bed which wal­keth in his wayes, doth he not call them vnto peace? But be­cause they were at peace with God, Ezechiel. 1.27.28. whose peace was domesti­call, and at defiaunce with the world, he bringeth them vnto [Page] the highest degree of peace. And therefore Ezechiell, and S. Iohn, when as they would describe the throne of the glory of God, Apoc. 4.3. they compassed it with the Raynebow, which we know to be the signe of a league that the Lord made with men. Gene, 9.12 13. Apoc. 14.13. Which thing the same S. Iohn hath more manyfestly taught in ano­ther place saying: Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord. Surely the spirite sayth, that they doe rest from their labors. This is then the bosome of A­braham. For he it is, who with so ready a minde embrased the promised blessing in his seed, so that he nothing doubted, but that the word of God was both strong and true. And as if God had now fulfilled in deed y ^e thing which he had promised, that blessed seede, he looked for it, with as an assured fayth, as if he had handled it with his handes, & had felt it with all the powers of his minde and body. Iohn. 8.36 And so our Lord Iesus Christ witnes­seth: that he saw the day and was glad of it. Thus we see what the peace, rest, and sleape of Abra­ham [Page 20] is, so that this honest name be not defaced with the foule mouth of these sleapers. For what sweeter thing can a con­science haue, wherein it may rest it selfe safely, then in this peace: which openeth vnto it the treasures of the heauenly grace, and maketh it dronken with the maruelous sweetenes of the Lordes cupp? But what, O you my maisters the slepers, when you heare this word to be dronken, doe you not thinke of your blockishnes, of your heauy hedds, and of your grosse and carnall sleape? For these griefes and discomodityes wayte vpon drounkennes. And you accor­ding to your grossenes doe euen thus vnderstand it. But they which are instructed of God, know that by this maner of speach sleape is called peace of conscience, which the Lord ge­ueth vnto his, in the house of peace: after the which maner also dronkennesse is called plē ­ty, wherewith the Lord filleth his in the house of abundaunce. If Abraham enioyed this peace being yet in the middest of the [Page] thronges, trauelles, and daun­gers of his enemies: yea cary­ing with him his owne fleshe, which is an home enemy, then the which nothing is more hurt­full: how much greater must we thinke his peace to be in re­spect, when he shall be quite out of daūger of the blowes, and dartes of his enemies. Will any man now maruell, why it is sayd that the elect of God doe rest in y ^e bosome of Abrahā, who are passed out of this lyfe vnto their God: namely because they are receiued into the seate of peace with Abraham the Father of the faythfull, August. de ciuita. Dei. lib. 19. where they haue the full fruition of God, with­out werysomenes?

And therefore it is not without cause that Augustine sayth in a certaine place: Lyke as, sayth he, we call lyfe euerlasting, the end of the blessed ones, 1. Cor. 14. so also may we call it peace. For he that can geue no better nor greater thing then him selfe, who is the God of peace, can geue no better then it. Therefore, when we shall heareafter speake of the bosome of Abraham, let them not put it [Page 8] ouer to their sleape: For the trueth of the scripture reprehē ­deth and ouerthroweth their vanytie. This rest, say I, Math 5.8, 9. is the heauenly Ierusalem, that is, the vision of peace: wherein the the God of peace geueth him­selfe to be seene to his peacema­kers, according to the promise made by Christ. But so often as the holy ghost speaketh of this peace in the holy scriptures, he so familiarly vseth the figure of sleape and rest, as that a man can finde nothing oftener. Thy faythfull shall reioyce sayth Da­uid, and be glad in their beds: Psal. 149.5. Isaiah. 26.19.20. Al­so thy dead shall lyue, and thy slayne shall rise agayne. Awake, and geue prayse ye inhabitantes of dust: for the deaw of the fielde is thy deaw, and thou shalt bring the land of the mighty ones to destruction. Goe my people, en­ter into thy tentes, and shut the dores vnto thee, and hyde thy selfe for a while, vntill such time as wrath be passed ouer.

But the Hebrue tongue v­surpeth this word to the signi­fication of all surety and trust. Dauid also sayth: I will lay me [Page] downe to sleape and take my qui­et rest. Ose. 2.18. The prophet lykewise sayth: In that day will I make a league with the beastes of the field, with the foules of the ayre, and with all creping thinges: I will destroy vpon the earth, the bowe, the sworde, and warre: and they shall sleape without feare. Leuit. 26.6 Moyses also sayth: I will make peace in your borders, and there shall no man be afeard. Ioel. 11.18 19. But in the booke of Iobe it is sayde: Thou mayest then be of good comfort, because there is hope, and entrench thy selfe, and sleape quietly: thē mayst thou lye down, & none shall make thee a feard, & many shall make sute vnto thee.

The soules of the lyuing doe sleape and are in peace, which repose themselues vpō the word of the Lord, and desier not to passe beyond the will of their God: but being ready to goe whither soeuer he shall call them, they hold them selues vnder his hand and conduct. which thing is commaunded them, Aba. 2.3. though his trueth tary, yet wayte for it: Isaiah. 30.15. lykewise, In hope and quietnes shall your strength [Page 24] be. Now since it is so that they desier something which they see not, and looke for something which they haue not, it appea­reth that their peace is imper­fect, contrariwise, seing they are certayne of that which they look for, & desire in fayth, that which they do desyre, it is most certain that their desyre is peaceable. This peace which leadeth the faythfull to the place of peace, doth death encrease & aduaunce to the vttermost, hauing deliue­red them from the warr of this world, and as it were crusshed it in peeces. And hauing theyr eyes and harts wholy fixed vp­on God, there is nothing better, or more blessed, whereon they may cast theyr eyes, or set theyr desyre. And yet for all this they want something of that which they desyre to see, which is, the most excellent and perfect glory of God, wherunto they alwaies desyre to come. And although theyr desier be not impaciēt, yet is not their rest ful and perfect.

For a man may very well say him to be at rest who is at that place where he desyreth to be, & [Page] his desyre hath neither measure nor end, vntill such tyme as he be at the place whither he en­tended to goe. Now if the eyes of the chosen doe looke vnto the excellent and perfect glory of God, as vnto their marke, their desyre is alwayes a foote & on the way, vntill such time as the glory of God be accomplished, which y ^e great day of iudgement will fully accomplish. Psal. 17.17 Thē shall that saying be verified: I shall be satisfied whenas I shalbe a­wakened with the sight of thy countenaunce.

And now to the end we may passe ouer the reprobate, vnto whome what may befall, we haue not greatly to do 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 [Page 9] 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 y ^e time that he had by his death fulfilled it.

And now you my maisters y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^t 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, [Page 22] 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 y ^t 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page 25] 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 [Page] 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. 2.12We 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; [Page 26] and the Ramme that was tyed by the hornes in the bushe, was layd in Isaack his place.

What 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 thē, 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, [Page 27] & 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 cādy 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 frō them. 1. Cor. 15 22. This is our confession, which we haue well fenced with his weapōs, to witt, that we are all truely dead in Adam, but yet we lyue [...]n Iesus Christ, S. Paule hand­ [...]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 dwel­ [...]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 [Page] sinne, which from the natiuitie of the fleshe remaineth in man: And the spirite, that part of mā 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 y ^e 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 [Page 28] 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 frō 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 y ^e same place, Iohn. 5.5 [...] 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 cōcerning the last day. He promiseth vs two things: lyfe euerlasting, and this blessed resurrectiō. 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 [Page] 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 y ^t 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 [Page 29] to moue, and is neuer so idle, nor her strēgth 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 after it is seperated from the body, y ^t it vseth not her power and strength. How then, will they aunswere vnto the psalme of Dauid, where he describeth the beginning, middest and end of the life of y ^e blessed. For there he saith, They shal goe frō vertue to vertue, and shall see the God of Gods in Sion: or according to the Hebrew, from aboundaunce to a­boundaunce. And if they conti­nually beleue vntill the tyme they come to see God, and by this beliefe passe to the sight of God, how do these men bury thē [Page] in a slomber of drunkenesse, and deepe idlenesse?

The very selfe same thing doth S. Paule also more mani­festly witnesse, so that if they would euen burst, yet shall they neuer be able to resist the spirite of God. 2. Cor. 5.6 7. Heare what he sayth, Surely we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be de­stroyed, we haue a building with God, an euerlasting habitation in heauen, which is not made with man his hand. And therefore we groane, desiring to be cloathed with our heauenly mansion, that we might be foūd cloathed & not naked. And in very deede, we that are in this tabernacle, do groane being burthened, be­cause we desire not to be vnclad but to be cladde, to the end that this mortality might be swal­lowed vp of life. And a little af­ter, wherefore we are alwayes of good cheare, and in good hope and do know that so long as we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walke by fayth, and not af­ter the outward shewe) neuer­thelesse, we are of good comfort, [Page 30] and had a great deale rather, to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Here they finde a starting hole, and say, that the wordes of the Apostle are to be referred to the day of iudgement, wherein we shalbe cladde, and wherein mortallyty shall be swallowed vp of life. Wherfore the Apostle (say they) concludeth thus, that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of the sonne of God. But wherefore referre they this cloathing rather vnto the body, thē vnto the blessings which are plentifully bestowed vpon vs after death? who for­ceth thē to take this word, life, for resurrectiō seing y ^t the mea­ning of the Apostle is easy and playne: to witte, we desire to be deliuered out of this prison of the body, but not to the end to wander vncertaynely without houseroome.

For there is a farre better house, and a more blessed dwel­ling which the Lord hath made ready for vs, alwayes prouided that he findeth vs clad, and not naked: Ephe. 6.10 For Iesus Christ is our [Page] cloathing, Psal. 45.12.13.14. and that strong armour wherewith S. Paule armeth vs. And it is written that the king shall desire the beautye of his spouse, who is mighty in giftes: & glorious within his closet. More­ouer, the Lord hath set a marke vpon his, whom he will acknow­ledge both in death and in the re­surrection Wherefore looke they not rather to that, which he had before spoken, and whereunto he hath adioyned this saying? Although our outward man, sayth he, be corrupted, yet is the inward man, renued from day to day. But that the Apostle ad­deth this conclusion, to appeare before the iudgement seat of the sonne of God, bindeth thē more straightly: where he had before said: that whether we be present or absent, we earnestly striue both at home and abroad to doe the thing that might best please him. Seing y ^t at home, is meant the body, what is signified by a­broad? To the end then that we put nothing to, the wordes them selues without any expositor say thus much, that we doe our best to please the Lord, both [Page 31] within the body and also with­out the body: and besides, that we shall feele the presence of the Lord, whenas we shalbe sepera­ted from this body. Then shall we no more walke by fayth, but in open sight, because that this masse of earth, wherewith we be oppressed, seperateth vs very farre of from our God.

But these sleapers babble cleane cōtrary, and say, we shall be a great deale farther of from God by death, then whiles we are here in this life. For of whom is this written: Psal. They shall walke, O Lord, in the light of thy countenaunce. Likewise The spirite it selfe witnesseth vn­to our spirite, Rom. 8.16. that we are the children of God. And many o­ther suche like sayinges. They take away from them the light of Goddes countenaunce, and the testimony of the Spirit. So that if this be true, then are we blesseder now, then when we be dead. For although we liue now vnder the Elementes of this world, yet notwithstanding our dwelling and abyding place is in heauen, according to the [Page] saying of Paule. Phil. 3.20. But when that Lethergy and forgetfulnes of all thinges, shall by death take away the soules, they then lose what­soeuer sweetnes they haue of spi­rituall taste. Howbeit the holy Scriptures do teach vs a great deale better. Wise. 9, That the body whi­che is corruptible, maketh the soule worsse, and the earthly ta­bernacle holdeth downe the sēse thinking many thinges.

Now then, if the body be the prisō of the soule, and the earth­ly habitation a manacle to bind it sure: What shal become of the soule when it is deliuered out of this prison and losed from these bands? Is she not then set at li­berty, and (as a man would say) at her owne choyse? In so much that it may well be sayd, that looke how much she decreaseth the body, so much encreaseth she her self. Will they, nill they, this is out of all doubt, that whē we haue cast of this burthen of the body, that y ^e fight, which is be­twixt the spirit, & the flesh, & be­twixt the flesh and the spirite, is at an end. And besides, the mor­tifiyng of the flesh, is the quick­ning [Page 32] of the spirite. Therefore whenas the soule hath voyded these excrementes she is then in deede spirituall: and yeldeth her obedience vnto the will of God, neither feeleth shee the tyranny of the flesh resisting her, but reposeth her selfe in this quietnes, thinking vpon none other thing, but vpon God.

And thus forsooth may a man well say that she sleapeth, when as she is able to rayse vp her self without being pressed down with any wayght? and that she slombreth, whenas she is able to vnderstand many thinges both by feeling, and thinking, with­out any let? This doth not one­ly bewray the error of these fā ­tasticall fellowes, but also theyr malice agaynst the workes and power of God, which the scrip­tures testifye vnto vs that he worketh in his holy and fayth­full ones. We acknowledge god to be as it were borne in his chosen, and still to grow vp frō day to day, Pro. 4.18. which thing Salo­mon teacheth vs when he sayth The way of the righteous shineth as the light, and shineth more [Page] and more vntill the perfect day. Phil. 2.

And S. Paule also affirmeth the same saying, he that hath be­gonne a good worke in you, will also perfite the same, vntill the comming of the day of Iesus Christ: Now, these men doe not onely intermeddle with y ^e worke of God for a tyme, but also dash it cleane out. And they whiche before went from faith to fayth, from vertue to vertue, and en­ioyed y ^e taste of blessednes, whē as they bestowed themselues in the remembring of God: these do robbe them of fayth, vertue, and of all remembraunce of God, and place them in their beddes as sleapheddes, and al­together drenched in drowsi­nes. For how enterpret they this their going on? Doe they thinke the soules go forward in perfection, whenas they grow fat with sleepe: that they might be offered fayre and fat before the face of God, whenas he shall sit in iudgement?

Surely, if they had but one grayne of wisedome, they would not thus grossely Iumble of the soule: But looke how farre the [Page 33] heauen is distant frō the earth, so farre seperate they the hea­uēly soule from the earthly bo­dy. Phil. 23. When S. Paule then desi­reth to be losed from the body, & to be with Christ, do they thinke it to be likely that he meant to sleape, and for none other cause desired to be with Christ? But this was namely his desire be­cause he was fully assured that he had another mansiō, a house not made with mans hande, whenas the earthly house, and Tabernacle of his habitation should be destroyed? Is not this to a very good purpose? Is not this then to bee with Christ, Mat. 22.32 Mar. 12.27 whenas we geue ouer our own life? Do they not tremble at the voyce of the Lord, who calling himselfe the God of Abraham, I­saac, and Iacob, aunswereth forth­with that he is the God of the li­uing and not of the dead? And therefore he is none of their god neither yet are they his people. But they say, that these thinges shall then onely come in very deede to passe, whenas the dead shall at the last day be raysed a­gayne to life: considering that [Page] these are the wordes, haue you not read that which hath bene written of the resurrection of the dead? But yet haue they not wound themselues out by thys meane. For when Christ had to do with the Saduces, who de­nyed not onely the resurrection, but also the immortality of the soules: he confuteth these two errors, with this onely saying. For if God be the God of the li­uing and not of the dead, and Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, were out of the worlde, when God spake vnto Moyses, say­ing that he was their God: it must needes follow that they li­ued another life.

For they must needes be, o­uer whom God maketh himself God. Luke. 20. Whereupon S. Luke ad­deth, For al things liue vnto him, not meaning that all thinges liue by the presence of God, but by his power. This thē remai­neth. That Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob do liue. Rom. 14.8. Hereunto a­greeth that saying of S. Paule, whether we liue, or dye, we dye vnto the Lord, we are the Lordes whether we liue or dye. For ther­fore [Page 34] died Christ, and rose agayne, that he might be Lord ouer the quicke and the dead. Can we set vpp any thing more fyrmelye whereon to settle and establishe our fayth, then to heare that the sonne of God is Lord ouer the dead? For he cānot be Lord but ouer some that are, seying that there must be some subiectes, where there is a gouernement.

We see also the soules of the Martirs whiche are in hea­uen, yelde a testimony herof be­fore God and his Angels, Apoc. 6.10 who cry with a loud voyce vnder the Aultar, howe long Lord will it be before thou take vengeance vpon the inhabitants of the earth, for our bloud? vnto whom were geuen white garmentes, and was sayd vnto them, that they should rest yet a little while lon­ger, vntill suche time as their fellowe seruauntes, and their brethren (which should be slaine as they were) were accompli­shed. The soules of the dead do crye, and white garmentes are geuen vnto them.

Now (I besech you) you slea­pie & drounkē spirites, how ex­pound [Page] you these white gar­ments? be they cushions, or pil­lowes forsooth, for thē to sleape vpon? You here see right well, that white garments are vnfitt to sleape in. Then must you needes graunt, that the soules which are so apparrelled, doe wake. If then this be true, it is out of all doubt, that y ^e white garmentes doe signify the be­ginning of glory, which God of bountifull liberalitie geueth vn­to Martyrs, vntill the com­ming of the great day of Iudge­ment. Daniel. 7.9 Math. 17.2 Math. 18.3. Mar. 16.5. Actes. 1.10 Actes. 10.30. Luke. 15.22. For this is no new nor straunge thing in the scriptures that a white garment, signifieth glory, pleasure, and ioy. For the Lord appeared in a white garmēt to Daniell. The Lord Iesus ap­peared in this apparell vpon the moūt Thebor. The Angell appea­red in a white garment vnto the women at the sepulcher of Iesus Christ. In this maner appea­red y ^e Angells vnto the disciples looking vp into heauen, after the ascention of our Lord. In such forme appeared the Angell vnto Cornelius. And the rich robe that was brought vnto y ^e sonne, [Page 35] after that he had consumed all his substaunce, when he retur­ned vnto his Father, was a to­ken of gladnes.

Moreouer, if the soules of the dead cry out with a loude voyce, thē sleape they not. Whē beginne they then to be saped with this sleape? Neither will this obiection serue them, that the bloud of Abell cryed for re­uenge. I confesse in deede that this is a common manner of speach, to witt, that the deede it selfe speaketh, that the shed­ding of bloud cryeth for reuenge. And it is without all doubt that in this place, the affection of the Martyrs is represented by the cry, because their desier herein is expressed without any figure, and their request also is herein set forth: when as they say: How long O Lord, will it be, Apo. 20.6 before thou be auenged &c.

Wherefore S. Iohn in his booke maketh mētiō of two re­surrectiōs, as also of two deaths The first is of the soule before Iudgement. The second by which the body shall be raysed vp agayne to glory. For thus he [Page] sayth: Blessed are they which haue parte in the first resurrec­tion: in them the second death hath no place. And therefore this is a terrible thing vnto you to you I say, which will not ac­knowledge this first resurrecti­on, which is the onely opē way, to enter into the blessed glory.

This also is a mightye strong weapon agaynst them, euen the aunswere which was made vn­to the theefe calling for mercy. For thus he prayed, Remember me O Lord when thou commest into thy kingdome. Luke. 23.42.43. And this aunswere he had. This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. He which is euery where, promi­seth to be good to the theefe, and promiseth him heauen: For he hath delight and pleasure suffi­cient, who taketh pleasure in the Lord. Neither putteth he him of to many yeares, but euen the very same day calleth him to y ^e blessed pleasures of his king­dome. The cauill of these drowsy heads, wherewith they sport thēselues with the word of God, they canuasse to & fro. For say they, one day is as it were a [Page 36] thousand yeares in the sight of God. But they neuer call to minde, that God frameth him­selfe to the capacities of men, when as he speaketh vnto them. Neither doe they reade, that one day in the scripture is put for a thousande yeares. who would abide such an expositor, who hearing that God would doe something to day, would thinke of a thousand yeares, or moe? For when Ionas denoūced vnto y ^e Niniuits: Yet fortie dayes and Niniuie shall be destroyed: 2. Pet. 3.8. might they carelesly look for the Iudgement of God, vntill forty thousande yeares were come and gone.

Neither hath S. Peter spo­ken it in the same sence, that a thousand yeares are but as a day before God. But when as certein false prophets, did count the houres and dayes, because they went about to reproue God of lying, when as he fulfil­led not his promises at the first, according to their Imaginati­ons: he admonisheth thē y ^t God is euerlasting, w ^t whom a thou­sand yeares is scarsely a momēt. [Page] But because they feele thēselues to be yet entangled, they stif­ly contend and say, that this word, to day, signifieth in the scriptures the tyme of the new Testament: as this word, to morrow, signifieth the tyme of the olde.

Hebr. 13.8.To this purpose wrest they that which is written in y ^e Epi­stle to y ^e Hebrewes: Iesus Christ that was yesterday, and to day, is the same also for euer. Howbe­it, they are greatly deceiued. For if he was onely yesterday, then he that was not before the be­ginning of the olde Testament, had sometyme his beginning: Colos. 1.15 Where shall Iesus then, that eternall God be, the first borne also of all creatures, as touching his humanitie, Apo. 13.48 and the Lambe slayne from the beginning of the worlde? Besides, if by this word to day, is meant the tyme that is betwene the day of Iudge­ment, and the humanitie of Ie­sus Christ, then haue we woone this poynt of them, that the theefe shall be in paradise before that day, wherein the soules, as they teach, shall wake out [Page 37] of their sleape. And so by their owne confession, we shall wring this from them, that the pro­mise made vnto the theefe is ac­complished before the day of Iudgement, which they say is not to be accomplished, vntill after the day of Iudgement.

But if they draw this word vnto the tyme that followeth after Iudgement, why doth the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes, add, for euer? And that they might feele with the hand their darkenes, and ac­knowledge euen by the eyesight their ignoraunce, if in this pro­mise, Iesus Christ looked vn­to the day of Iudgement, it ought not to haue bene sayd to day, but in the world to come. As when Isaiah went about to shew the misery of the resurrec­tion, he calleth Iesus Christ, the father of the world to come. Now seing the Apostle hath sayd, to morrow, and to day, and for euer: Whereas we say, it hath bene, is, and shall be (which three tymes declare vnto vs e­ternitie) what other thing els goe they about by their cunning [Page] subtilties, but euen to corrupt and peruert the sence of the A­postle? Isaiah. 30.33. wee may learne out of the prophet Isaiah, that the nature of this first word, con­teineth an euerlasting tyme: who sayth, that hell fier is pre­pared for the wicked from yester­day: considering that we know by the wordes of Christ, that fier is prepared for y ^e Deuill & his Angels from the beginning.

They then which are of an vpright and sound iugement, do here right well see, that there is nothing left for them to be de­ceiued, by so open a trueth. Ne­uerthelesse, they yet moyle and say, that paradise was for that day so promised to the theefe, as death was denounced vnto our first parentes, the same day that they tasted of the tree of knowledge, both of good and euil. But let it be that we graū ­ted thē this, yet for all that we will draw this from them a­gaynst their willes, that the theefe was y ^t day deliuered out of the misery, whereunto Adam fell, wherin he transgressed the commaūdemēt that was geuen [Page 38] him: and so euerlasting lyfe was restored to the theefe. Moreo­uer, when as I shall hereafter speake of death, I will suffici­ently declare, as I thinke, after what sort our first parents dyed the same day, in which they e­straunged thēselues from God.

And now must I turne my talke to those, who remembring the promises of God, doe rest in them with a quiet conscience. And therefore, my brethren, let not this fayth be shaken of from you, no not although hell gates should lift thēselues vp agaynst you, seing you haue God for your pledge. who can not deny his trueth. For his speach is not darke, which he deliuereth vnto his church, being yet but a straunger here below in this world, when he sayth: Isaiah. 60.19. Thou shalt haue no more sunne to shine by day, neither shall the bright­nes of the Moone shine to thee: For the Lord shall be thine euer­lasting light, and thy God thy glory.

So that (as they are ordina­rily wonted) if they will stretch this vnto the last resurrection, [Page] it shall be an easy matter for vs to refell their vanitye, by euery word of the chapiter: seing that the Lord hath now promised his Christ, and that the Gen­tiles shall be now adopted, and called vnto Fayth. Let vs al­wayes call to minde that say­ing which the spirite of God hath taught vs by the mouth of Dauid: Psal. 92.12 13.14. The lust shall florishe as the Date tree, and shall be multiplyed as the Cedars in Liba­nus. For they that are planted in the house of the Lord, shall flo­rishe in the Courte of our God. And in their age shall bring forth fruite, and be freshe and in good case. Neither maruell you at this, because it seemeth that the powers of nature doe fayle, whē you heare that age shall be green budding and fruitefull.

But cōsidering these thinges with your selfe, sing vnto your soule after the example of Da­uid: Psal. 103.5 My soule blesse thou the Lord, who hath filled thy mouth with goodnes: thy youth shall be renued, Psal. 121.8 as the youth of an Eagle. Remitt all the rest vnto the Lord: Who looketh vnto our [Page 39] comming in, Ioel. 2.23. and our going out from this tyme forth for euer­more. It is he which causeth the morning and euening dewes to rayne vpon his chosen & faith­full: Of whome it is sayd: Psal. 68.21. our God is the God of deliueraunce: and the issue of death is from the Lord God. Iesus Christ hath vnto vs, this goodnes of the Father: when as he hath sayd: O Father, Iohn. 17.24. those whome thou hast geuē me, I will that where I am, that they be also there: to the end they might see the brightnes which 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 [Page] 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 [Page 40] 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. [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e heathen Poet, [Page 41] 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 y ^e body which was dead, ryse a­gayne as well as the seede? And if the bare and dry corne, bring [Page] 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 [Page 42] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page 43] 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 [Page] (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 cō ­tinually, 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 [Page 44] 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, y ^t 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 [Page] 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, [Page 45] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 y ^t the soule being buried in her [Page 46] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 47] 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 y ^e 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 y ^e 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 y ^t 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 y ^e contrary part say that lyfe came by Christ, [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 48] in another place that sinne is y ^e 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 y ^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page 49] 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 body & soule. For, this gene­rall death, wherof as by y ^e 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 mā, & 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 [Page] 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 frō 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 [Page 49] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 cōscience, 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 strē ­gth of sinne tormēteth him: and yet he sleapeth, yea he doth more then sleape, because he abideth all these thinges.

And therefore these simple [Page 51] 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 y ^e 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 thē: 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 euē 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 [...]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 [Page 51] 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 53] 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 y ^e 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 y ^t it wil not vnderstād any thing y ^t is sure or manifest, be it that it stā ­deth, 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 [Page] 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 [Page 54] 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, [Page] 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, [Page 55] 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 [Page] 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 Deuill and his Aungels. And these shall goe into euerlasting payne, and the righteous into life eternall. The like saying is also in Daniell, Danie. 2.1 And at that time the people shalbe saued, euery one that shall be found written in the Booke.

And therefore they say, If all these thinges are written of the day of iudgement, how can it be that the elect should be called to the inheritaunce of the heauen­ly kingdome, if they already pos­sesse it. How shall it be sayd vn­to [Page 56] them, come hither, whenas they are already there? how shal the people be saued, whēas they are presently saued?

Wherefore, the faythfull which nowe walke faythfully, looke for none other day of their saluation: according to that say­ing of S. Paule, knowing y ^t he who hath raysed vp Iesus frō the dead, 2. Cor. 4.14 shall rayse vs vp also with Iesus Christ. And in an other place it is sayd, looking for the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ, who will make you strong euen vnto the end in the day of his comming. &c.

And admitte we graunted thē all this: yet thē by the way why do they of their owne brayn put to the thing that is not, to wit, sleape. For they cannot shew vs one sillable of sleape amongest all the places which they alleadge. And although they be awake, yet it may be, that they are with out glory.

Wherfore, seing it is not one­ly a rash but also a madde mans part, boldely to conclude vpon thinges which man his reason is not able to comprehend, of [Page] which sort are these straunge & obstinate opynatiuers, dare they defend sleape, which they haue not receiued from the mouth of the Lord. And therfore this may suffise discreete and sound iudge­ment, to the end they might know this sleape, to be a shame­les forgery or fayned inuention, as in very deede it is, because it cānot be proued by the manifest word of God.

Howbeit let vs handle these places as briefly as we can, to the end the simpler sort might not be troubled therwith, whē ­as they heare it sayd, that the saluation of the soules is prolō ­ged and put of vnto the generall day of iudgement. First of all, we must vnderstand this to be a most resolute and sure thing, that our blessednes is still on the way going vnto this great day, which shal end our iourney: In like case, the glory of the e­lect, and y ^e end of theyr last hope doth tend and hath an eye vnto the same day, because their bles­sednes and glory shall then be accomplished.

For it is agreed hereupon [Page 57] emōgest all men, y ^t there is none other perfect blessednes, or glory, but y ^e onely perfect coniunctiō w ^t God. And vnto this end we all bend, runne, and shew our selues forward, and all the scriptures and promises of God send vs thereto. For that which God once sayd vnto Abraham by mouth, belongeth also vnto vs: where he sayth, Gene. 12. I am thy verye great reward.

Seing then this reward is appointed for all those that haue part with Abraham, to witte, the enioying of God, and the blessed possessing of him, besides which reward, it is not lawfull to wish any other, for whē there is any question of our hope, wee must cast our eyes vpon it. And thus farre, if I be not deceiued, doe our aduersaries agree with vs.

Moreouer, I likewise trust that they will agree with vs in this, that this kingdome, wher­unto the chosen and faythfull are called, which in other places is called saluatiō, reward, and glo­ry, is none other thing but this most blessed coniunction and v­nion [Page] with God: to wit, for that they are fully in God, and that God maketh them perfect: & that on theyr behalfe, they cleaue vn­to God, enioy him fully & wholly and to speake it in one worde, God and they are one. For after this sort, whēas they are in the fountayne of all fulnes, they come euen vnto the last end of all righteousnes, wisedome, and glory, vpon which blessinges the kingdome of God veryly consi­steth.

For S. Paule sheweth it to be the last point of the kingdome of God, 1. Cor. 15.28. whenas he sayth, To the end that God might be all in all thinges. And therefore seing god in this day, shall in very deed be all in all thinges, and bring hys chosen and faythfull to a iuste perfectiō, it is not without cause that this great day is called the day of our saluatiō, before which tyme our saluation is not per­fectly accomplished. For they whome God filleth, are filled with all riches, which no toung cā vtter, no eare hath heard, nor eyes haue seene, nor yet vnder­standing hath conceiued. Wher­fore [Page 58] seing these two thinges are out of all question, our sleapers vaynely take in hand to proue, that the holy seruauntes of God who are departed this life, are not as yet entred into the king­dome of God, because it shall be sayd vnto them, come ye blessed of my Father inherite &c.

Now this is easely aunswe­red, to be no good consequence, to say, that there is now no king­dome, because as yet it is not perfect. But contrarywise, wee say, that the kingdome which is already begonne, shall then be made perfect. Neither would I haue any man beleue me herein, if I doe not first of all manifestly shew by sure argumentes of the scripture that this is true. 1. Cor. 15. For this day, is called the kingdome of God, because that at that time hee shall in deed put vnder him, all contrary powers, subdue Sathan with the breath of his mouth, and destroy him through the bright­nes of his coming. 2. Thes. 2. But he himselfe shall fully and wholye dwell and raigne in his chosen.

For God cannot hereafter o­therwise raigne in himselfe, thē [Page] he hath raigned from the begin­ning: whose Maiestie can no way be either encreased, or yet diminished: But shall raigne in such sort, as that he shall be o­pēly shewed vnto all the world. When then we pray to haue his kingdome come, doe we thinke that he hath now no kingdome? And besides, what say they then to this saying? the kingdome of God is within you.

Wherefore, God raigneth at this present in his elect, whome he guideth and gouerneth by his holy spirite. He reigneth al­so ouer the Deuill, sinne, and death, when he commaundeth the light to shine in darkenes, by which, error, and lying are confounded: and when as he wil not suffer y ^e powers of darkenes to hurt thē, who haue the signe of the Lambe in their forehead. He reigneth also (I say) euen at that present, when as we pray, and say, let thy kingdome come. And surely, he lykewise raigneth, when as he worketh power in his faythfull, and whē he geueth a law to Satan, ap­poynting him what to doe. But [Page 59] then shall his kingdome come, when as it shall be accōplished.

And then shall it be accompli­shed, whenas he shall fully shew the glory of his Maiestie, vnto the faythfull, saluation, and vnto the reprobate, shame and confu­sion. Howbeit, is there any o­ther thing that a man may say or beleue of the faythfull & cho­sen? whose kingdome and glory, is to be in the glorious king­dome of God: as to raygne as it were with God, and to be glori­fied with him, and finally to be partakers of the diuine glory. And although this kingdome is not yet come, yet notwithstan­ding it may bee seene in some measure.

For they which haue in some measure the kingdome of God within them, beginne to be in the kingdome of God, and to raigne with him, Math. 16. agaynst whom hell gates cannot preuayle. For they are made righteous in god: as it is said of them, Isaiah. 43. All the seed of Israell shall bee made righte­ous vnto the Lord, and be also blessed.

So that, to say truely, This [Page] kingdome is the building vp of the Church, or the aduauncing of the faythfull, which thing S. Paule describeth vnto vs: Ephe. 4.13 who by all degrees of ages might grow vp vnto a perfect man. Now these Gallantes see here the be­ginning of this kingdome, and the encreases thereof: and so soone as they see these thinges with theyr eyes, they geue no longer place vnto fayth, neither can they beleue that which is set before their fleshly eyes.

But S. Paule telleth them another matter, for thus he saith, Col. 3.3.4. Ye are all dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. For when Christ who is your life shall appeare, ye also shall appear with him in glory. He sayth that our life is hidd in God with Ie­sus who is our head: Now, he de­ferreth our glory vnto the day of the glory of Iesus Christ, the head of all the faythfull, & shall bring with him his members, as the head of them.

S. Iohn also sayth the very selfe same thing. Dearely belo­ued, 1. Iohn. 3.2 wee are nowe the sonnes of God, but yet it doth not appeare [Page 60] what we shall be: and we knowe that when he shall appeare, we shall be like him: For we shall see him as he is. Now, he sayth not by y ^e way, that we shalbe made nothing for a certayne tyme, but because we are the children of God, who looketh for inheri­taunce of our Father, he there­fore sustayneth and vpholdeth our hope vnto that day, wherin the maiesty and glory of God shall be made manifest in vs all, and we for our part, shall glory­fy our selues in him. Now, they will here agayne maruell, whē ­as they heare, the children of God who may not returne a­gaine vnto their sound and per­fect vnderstāding, and feele this generation to bee immortall, which commeth from God, whereby, we are made parta­kers of the diuine Immortali­tye.

But let vs goe on with that which we haue begonne. Let them crye out as much as they will, & say, that the blessed ones of God are not called vnto the kingdome before the great daye of iudgement, and that saluatiō [Page] is not promised vnto the chil­dren of God before that tyme. Yet this I say, that Iesus christ is our head, whose kingdome & glory haue not yet appeared: But if the members shoulde goe before the head, it were a croo­ked kinde of order.

And therefore, we shall nowe follow our Captayne and King, whenas he shall come into the glory of his Father, and sit in the seat of his Maiesty. And yet notwithstanding that whiche is in vs from God, Math. 16. & 25. to wit, our spirite, liueth: because that Iesus Christe who is our life, is liuing. For it were an absurd thing to say, y ^t our life were liuing, & yet were vtterly perished. And this life is in God, and with God: and is also blessed, because it is in God. All these thinges doe very well accord & agree with the trueth. For why is it sayd of them who are dead in the Lord, that they are not yet deliuered, or that they do not as yet enherite the kyng­dome of God? It is because they lyue in hope of that whych yet they haue not, and haue not as yet attayned vnto the end of [Page 61] their felicyty.

Wherefore then are they not yet blessed? It is because they right well knowing that God is merfifull vnto them, and se­ing a farre of y ^e reward to come, doe reast themselues in the sure hope of the resurrection. And surely, so long as we dwell in this earthly prison, we hope for the thing which we see not: and agaynst all hope, beleeue in hope: and that is the thing which Saint Paul speaketh, of Abraham: But, Rom. 4. when as the eyes of our vnderstanding (who being now buryed in this fleshe, haue their sight troubled) shall be no more bleared, Heb. 10. ver. 27. we shall then see the thinges we looke for, and take pleasure in this hope. For we are not a feard to speake thus after the maner of the A­postle, who sayth to the cōtrary: That there remaineth none other thing for the reprobate: but a fearefull looking for of iudgemēt, and violent fier, which shall de­uoure them. Seing then that the thing which the reprobate looke for is terrible, it is most sure. that the thing which the chosen [Page] and faythfull looke for, is ioy­full, and therefore of very right ought to be called most blessed.

And because my meaning is to instruct our aduersaries, ra­ther then to constrayne them, let them geue vs the hearing, when as we shall draw the trueth out of a figure of the olde Testament, and that not with­out good warrant. For as S. Paul in the passing of the chil­dren through the re [...]a, 1. Cor. 10.1 hand­leth by an Allegory the ouer­throw of Pharaon, and their deliueraunce through the wa­ter: euen so also let them geue vs leaue to say that our Pharaō is drowned in Baptisme, our olde man crucified, and our members mortified, that we are buryed with Iesus Christ, are deliuered out of the captiuitie of the Deuill, and out of the tyrā ­nous gouernmēt of death: albe­it notwithstanding we walke onely in the wildernes, which is a dry and barren ground, Psal. 142. Ex­cept the Lord [...]ay [...] Manna from heauen to vs, and maketh the wa­ter come out of the Ko [...]ke.

For our soule is lyke dry [Page 62] ground without water, which gapeth with drynes before the Lord, and is pressed with want of all goodnes, vntill such time as he rayneth and droppeth the graces of his holy spirite there­on. And soone after, they were brought into the land of promise vnder the conduct of Iosua the sonne of Nawe, a land, flowing with milke and hony: That is to say, The grace of God deli­uereth vs frō the body of death by our Lord Iesus Christ. Howbeit, this was not done w ^t ­out sweate, & shedding of bloud. For then the fleshe chiefly stry­ueth and layeth open her power and force agaynst the spirite. After we haue made our abode vpon the earth, we are then sa­tisfied with plenty. For we haue white garments geuen vnto vs, and we recouer our reast. How­be [...]t Ierusalē y ^e chiefe Citie of y ^e kingdome, is not yet built and set vp. Neither doth Salamon the king of peace, fully gouerne the kingdome as yet.

And therefore the soules of y ^e faythful are at peace, after they are dead, seeing they are g [...]tt [...] [Page] out of the thraldome of their e­nemy. For they are in the midst of all ritches: and as it is sayd: They shall goe from plenty to plenty. But when as the heauē ­ly Ierusalem shall be lifted vp on hye in her glory, and the true Salomon, who is the Lord Ie­sus, euen the king of peace, shall be honorably placed in his Iudgement seate, the true Israelites shall raigne with their true king and prince.

And therefore if we will bor­row and fetch a similitude from worldly thinges, we haue warre agaynst an enemy, so long as we haue to fight agaynst fleshe and bloud. Euen then doe we ouercome our enemy, when as we are spoyled of this sinfull fleshe, so that we be altogether with God. We shall triumph, and enioy the fruite of the vic­tory, when as out head shall be lifted vp in very deede aboue death, to witt, when death shall be swallowed vp into victory.

And this is our limit and end whereof it is written, I shall be filled, when as I shall be a­waked through the sight of thy [Page 63] glory. Now, all they who haue learned to obey God, and heare hts voyce, may soone learne these thinges out of the holy scriptures. All they also who haue reuerently, and discretly handled the misteries of God, haue taught vs these thinges, and as it were geuen them vs from hand to hand.

For the auncient Doctors haue bene bolde to say thus much, Tertullian in his boke of the re­surrection of the flesh that the soules are verely in paradise, and in heauen: and notwithstanding, haue not as yet receiued their glory, or rewarde. For thus sayth Tertullian: Both the reward & daunger hang vpō the comming of the resurrection. And yet for all this, he teacheth that y ^e soules, without all doubt are with God, and doe lyue in God before this comming.

And in another place, why should we not vnderstand the bosome of Abraham to be taken for a thing to receiue the soules of the faythfull, wherein is pic­tured out the Image of fayth, and the manner of both Iudge­mentes clearely shewed. Ire­ [...]eus also sayth after this sort, [Page] Seing the Lord hath passed thro­ugh the middest of the shadow of death, Ireneus in his ninth booke a­gaynst he­resies. where the soules of the dead were, and soone after, was bodily raysed vp agayne, and af­ter his resurrection, lifted vp into the heauens. it is most certaine that the soules of his disciples, for whose loue the Lord hath wrought all these things should go into an inuisible place, which the Lord had appointed for thē.

And that they should there remaine vntill the resurrection, looking for their owne resurrec­tion, taking agayne their bodies vpon them, and perfectly ryse vp agayne, to witt, bodely, and as the Lord rose agayne, euen so should they also come before the presence of God: For no Schol­ler is aboue his Maister. &c.

Chrisostome also sayth, vn­derstand, what and how grea [...] a thing this is, that Abraham is placed. And the Apostle S Paule also, when then shall this be accomplished, that they migh [...] receiue their reward? For if w [...] come not to that, the Fathe [...] hath foretold, that we shall no [...] haue the reward: For he dea­leth [Page 63] much lyke, for as a good father that loueth his children very well, sayth vnto the chil­dren that are worthy of com­mendation, and doe their due­ties well, that he will not geue them their meate vntill such tyme as y ^e other brothers be also come. But art thou sorrowfull, because thou receiuest it not all this while? what shall become of Abell thē who hath ouercome this long since, & is not yet crowned, although he be placed?

What shall Noah doe? And what shal the rest doe that were in those dayes? For we may see that they all taryed, and so must also the rest [...]y, which shall come after thee. And anon af­ter it is sayd: They [...]e preuen­ted vs in the conflictes, but they shall not goe before vs in crow­ning: For there is but one set­led time for those that shall be crowned. And S. Augustine ma­keth a description, in many places of the secret receptacles, where the soules of the fayth­full continue, vntill such tyme as they receiue the crowne and glory: But in the meane while [Page] the reprobate are punished, loo­king for the iust payne of iudge­ment. And in an Epistle which he wryteth vnto S. Ierome, he sayth: The soule, after the body is dead, shall be at reast, and in the end shall receiue the body in­to glory. Neuertheles, he rea­cheth in an another place, that after the ascention of Iesus Christ, the soules which l [...]ue in Christ, 2. Pet. 2.4. ascend into heauen. And yet he is not contrary to him­selfe. Iude. For although it be true, that the wicked spirites are euen now tormented. (as S. Peter affirmeth) yet is this fier, wher­unto the reprobate shall be cast at the day of Iudgement, sayd, to be prepared for the Deuill. S. Peter hath made mention both of the one and of the other, when as he sayth: They are re­serued vnder euerlasting chaynes vnto the great day of Iudgement. In which place, by this speach of reseruation, he meaneth the payne, which yet they feele not: and by the chaynes, is meant the paynes which they present­ly feele. And S. Augustine him­selfe so handleth it in another [Page 65] place, when he sayth: Thy last day cannot be farre of: & there­fore make thy selfe ready for it.

For as thou passest out of this life, such one shalt thou be found in the life to come. And thou shalt not be after this life by and by where y ^e sayntes shalbe, vnto whom shalbe sayd, come ye bles­ted of my Father, inherite the kingdome which is prepared for you from the foundations of the world. And who knoweth not that thou shalt not be there as yet? But thou mayst very well be there where the rich proud man, being in the middest of hys tormēts, seeth that poore wretch (sometyme still of fores and blaines) in rest and peace a great way from him. And thou being taken vp into this rest, certayn­ly lookest most assuredly for thys great day of iudgement, wherein thou shalt agayne receiue thy body, and be chaunged and made like vnto the Angels.

Neither doe I mislike of that which S. Augustine in another place, for Instruction sake, dea­leth withall, so he may meete with a sound and modest Inter­pretor: [Page] to wit, that there are ma­ny degrees of the soule: The first is the quickening of life, or life it selfe: The second, vnder­standing: The third, arte: The fourth, power: The fift, quiet­nes: The sixt, entraunce: And the seuenth, contemplation. Or if any man had rather say thus, The first is from the body, The second to the body, The third a­bout y ^e body, The fourth vnto it selfe. The fift in it selfe, The sixt vnto God, The seuenth in God.

I haue not thought it a misse to bring in here these wordes, to the end to shew the meaning of this holy man herein, [...]ther thē strayghtly to binde any, much lesse my selfe to the necessity of this distinction. For S Augu­stine himselfe (as I thinke) wi­sheth it not, but meant to shew as plainly as he could that there is a going on of the soule, which it shall neuer fully attayne vnto, vntill the day of iudgement.

Finally, for this day of iudge­ment, with which they so great­ly dēfend themselues, there is an argument come to my minde, which may plucke this error [Page 64] cleane vp by the rootes. For in our creed, which is the very ef­fect of all our beliefe, we confesse the resurrection of the flesh, and not of the soule. Neither is there any place left for their wrang­ling, whenas they will tell vs, that by this word flesh, is meant the whole man: We graunt thē that it is sometymes so taken, but in this place we flatly denye it them, whereas wordes which are very playne and easy to bee vnderstood are set forth vnto the rude and ignoraunt people.

In very deed the pharysies who were stout defenders and and mayntayners of the resur­rection, and who had alwayes this word, resurrection in theyr mouthes, did not yet, notwith­stāding, many tymes beleue that there was a soule.

Yet do they still lay hold on vs and force vs to sticke vnto this daungerous rock. For they now alleadge the wordes of S. Paul wherein he telleth vs y ^t we [...] miserabler then all men, if the dead did not rise agayne. And thus they frame their Argu­ment, what needeth say they a­ny [Page] resurrection, if we be blessed before the resurrectiō? But that which is more, what is that great misery of christians, which surpasseth the misery of all men, if this be true that they are at rest, whiles the residue are so greeuously tormented, and after so wonderfull a manner? And here I geue them warning, that if I meant to dally and shift (as they goe about none other thing but to abuse the ignoraunt people) I would finde sufficy­ent passage enough to escape. For, who shall let me from fol­lowing of other good men, that haue disputed, not of the last ge­nerall resurrection, in which, af­ter the corruption of our bodies, we shall receiue agayne incor­ruptible bodyes, but of the lyfe which remayneth for vs after this mortall life, for it is an or­dinary and common maner in the scripture, to let vs vnder­stād by this speach of the resur­rection, what the blessed and e­uerlasting life is?

For when we heare it spoken that the Saduces denyed the resurrection, it is not referred [Page 67] to the body, but is simply spoken accordyng to theyr opynyon, that after a man be dead, there is no memory left of hym. And hereof is a probable Argument, that whatsoeuer, wherewith S. Paule helpeth himselfe to strēg­then that, which he hath sayde, should be ouerthrowen in one word, if it were aunswered, that it is very true that the soules liue, and that the bodyes whiche shall turne to duste, can by no meanes ryse agayne:

Let vs now then come to ex­amples, first as touching this saying, they which are dead in Iesus Christ are lost, this might the philosophers haue easely cō ­futed, who haue mightely and constantly defended the immor­tality of the soule. And as for this saying, What shall they doe who are baptised for the dead? It is very easely aunswered: For the soules liue after death. And to this which followeth, wherefore are we also continu­ally in danger? It may be aū ­swered, that we lose this fraile lyfe, to recouer Immortall lyfe, wherein we shall lyue a great [Page] deale better. We haue already bestowed many wordes, where­of the teachable haue had no neede. For, the Apostle him­selfe sayth, that we are misera­ble, if our hope in Iesus Christ stretched it selfe no farther then vnto this present life. which thing, Psal. 73. ver. 2.3. euen by the testimony of the prophet is out of all doubt, who confesseth: that his feete had almost foultred, and his steppes had well nye slipt, when he saw the prosperitie of the proud and wicked.

And to say truely, if we looke but downe vnto our feete, we wil say those to be blessed which haue all thinges come to passe as they would wishe. But if our eyes looke farther of, we will call them blessed, who haue the Lord for their God, in whose hand is the issue of death. How­beit, we will bring some thing which shall be a great deale more certaine, by which we will not onely repulse their obiecti­ons, but also declare the true, and natural meaning of the A­postle, be glad without stryfe of wordes to as many as would [Page 68] meekely, and curtisly learne.

For if there be no resurrecti­on of the body, the faythfull may of very right be called accursed, yea, were there none other rea­son but this, that they are so often vexed, hurt, beaten, and violently handled, and doe suf­fer in their bodies such extreame wantes, all which they thinke to be appoynted and ordayned for an euerlasting blessednes, be­cause they are disapointed of this hope. For, is there any thing, I say not, more misera­ble, but rather more ridiculous thē to see and beholde the bodies of those, who all the lyue long day, doe nothing els but sport and laugh, in the fulnes of all delightes, and pleasures: and contrarywise, to see the bodies of feeblished Christians, dead through hunger and colde, and pressed with all kindes of vio­lences, if the bodies both of the one and the other pearished a­lyke.

For this thing could I very well confirme by the wordes of the Apostle, which he setteth downe anone after, when he [Page] sayth, wherefore are we conti­nually in daunger? I dayly suf­fer death for your glory. &c. Let vs eate and drinke, for to mor­rowe we shall dye. It were a great deale better for vs, sayth he, that this saying should take place in vs, as to say: Let vs eate, and drinke, if these tor­mentes and shames, which we suffer in our bodies be not chan­ged into the glory which we hope after. which thing should neuer be, without it were in the resurrection of the body. Furthermore, although I should passe ouer this defence, yet could I bring in another reason, that we are more miserable then all men, if there were not a resur­rection.

For although we be very bles­sed before the resurrection: yet is it no blessednes without the resurrection. For we say, that for the same cause the spirites of the Saintes and of the fayth­full are very blessed, for so much as they reast in the hope of the blessed resurrection: and therefore if there were no such thing, all this blessednes should [Page 69] turne to nothing. wherefore, the saying of the Apostle is most true, that we are more misera­ble then all men, if there be no resurrection. And this doctrine is not agaynst these wordes, that the spirites of the Saintes, are more blessed before the re­surrectiō, but yet it is by reason of the resurrectiō. They laye be­fore vs also that percell of scrip­ture which is writtē in y ^e Epi­stle to y ^e Hebrewes, of y ^e aunci- Fathers, where it is sayd. All these dyed in fayth, and receiued not the promises, but sawe thē a farre of, and beleued them, and receiued them thankefully, and confessed that they were straun­gers and Pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such thinges, declare playnely that they seeke a Countrey.

And surely, if they had bene mindefull of that Countrey, frō whence they came, they were at leasure to haue returned thi­ther. But now they desier a­nother much better, which is an heauenly one. And now let vs se how these our sleapers frame their iolly Argument. [Page] For, say they, If they desier the heauenly Countrey: Then doe they not inherite it. But we frame it after this maner, and say, If they desier it, then haue they a being: for there can be no desier, without there be some to desier. Now I would draw but this out of them: That where there is a desier, there must also be a feeling of good and euill, which desier must either fol­low the thing that seemeth good, or eschew that which see­meth euill. Why, say they, this desier reasteth wholy in God.

Now tell me I beseech you, is it possible to think or deuise a more ridiculous saying? And to say truely, you shall see that of these two poynts, we shall gaine vnto our selues one of them, ei­ther that God desiereth some better thing then he hath, or els that there is something in God which is not of God. And this maketh me thinke, y ^t these Gal­launtes doe buriest at an earnest and w [...]ghtie matter.

But now let vs leaue to speake of all this geare, and see, what the tyme, or space of returning, [Page 70] meaneth? let them therefore re­turne with a good minde, and heare a better thing then this fantasticall opinion, which hi­therto they haue held.

The Apostle speaketh of A­braham and of his posteritye, who dwelt out of their Coun­trey emongest straungers, And they differed not greatly, as it were from banished men, or els as Seaiournes, because they had scarsely any Tents, or Ca­bines to couer them withall, following the commaundement which the Lord g&ue vnto A­braham, which was this, That he should leaue his parentes and kinsefolkes, and get him out of the land.

For God had promised them a thing which as yet he had not manifested and performed. And so they sawe the promises a farr of, and dyed in a sure fayth, that it would one day come to passe, that God would fulfill his promises. By which fayth they confessed that they had no cer­taine and sure abiding or dwel­ling place on earth, but that they had a Coūtrey which was [Page] not on the earth, and which they wished for, to witt, heauen. And in the latter end of the chapiter he sheweth that all they whome he there spake of, receiued not the last promise to the end they might not come to perfection without vs.

And so if these our sleapers had obserued the proprietie of this saying, they had neuer ray­sed vp so many troubles. Now it is a wonder to see how blinde they are in so great light. But yet this is a more strange thing, that they geue vs bread in stead of stones: to witt, whiles they goe about to ouerthrow the cause, they mainteine and vp­hold it.

Now, for the matter which is spoken of Thabita in the Acts of the Apostles, Acts. 9.40 they thinke they haue, by it, a suer piller to leane vnto. For she, being a scholler of Iesus Christ, full of good workes and a good Almes wo­man, was raysed agayne by S. Peter. And therefore say they, Thabita had great wrong, If it be true that we say. That the soules which are seperated [Page 71] from the bodies, doe lyue in God and with God: because she was taken away from the compa­ny of God, and from that bles­sed lyfe, to returne into this sea of wickednes. As though we could not returne the selfe and same thing agayne vpon their owne hedds. For be it, that she sleapt, or that she was nothing, yet was she blessed, because she dyed in the Lord.

And therefore it was not expedient that she should re­turne in that lyfe which she had finished. They them selues haue snarled this knot, and therefore let thē first of all loose it agayne if they please. For it is good reason, that they should be sub­iect to that law, which they make for others. Notwithstan­ding we will easely enough vn­doe it. For, the state and condi­tion which is prepared for vs after death, which S. Paule speaketh of himselfe, is put o­uer to all the faythfull, to witt, Philip. 1.21 that in death is aduauntage, and that the best being is with Christ. And yet Saint Paule sayth of Epaphodite (who without [Page] doubt was one of the number of the faythfull) That God hath pitie of him, because he had de­liuered him from a great sicknes, Phil. 2.27. and restored him to his health.

Now these Gallauntes who deale with the misteries of God so vndiscretely, and so vnreue­rently, might say that this mer­cy and compassion, was cruell dealing. But we say, and con­fesse it, to be mercy: because the mercy of God hath certein de­grees: For this it is sayd: Those whome he hath chosen, he hath sanctified: Rom. 8. [...]0. and whome he hath sanctified, them hath he also glo­rified. Doth not the Lord then exercise his mercy, when as he more and more sanctifieth vs? Let vs then say thus much, If it be the good will of God (as S. Paule sayth to haue Christ to be magnified in our bodies by lyfe, is not this mercy? what, is it for vs to appoynt God a law to worke miracles?

And it is sufficient, that the glory of the Aucthor shineth in them, for what matter were it, if we say that God, in the doing hereof regarded not the cōmo­dities [Page 72] of Thabita, but the poore who wept, and shewed the gar­ments which she had made for them, at whose prayers she was raysed vp agayne? For S. Paul thinketh this to be a reason good enough for him, that he lyued, although it had bene better for him in deed to haue gone to the Lord. And after he had sayd that God had had compassi­on of Epaphrodite, he addeth and not onely of him, but vpon me also: to the end I should not be out of measure sorrowfull. Now goe your wayes, and qua­rell with God, because he hath agayne deliuered vnto the poore a carefull woman, for the re­lieuing of their necessitie. For although we see not the reason of this deede, yet hath Iesus Christ very well deserued, to be glorified, both by our lyfe, and by our death: Seeing that he dy­ed and role agayne, that he might [...] Lord, both of quick and dead. Rom. 14.9.

They bring in Dauid also for a mainteiner, and defender of their cause, who notwithstan­ding is our very good patrone: But they so shamelesly, & sence­lesly, [Page] alledge him, as that I am ashamed and greued to recite many of their Argumēts which they borrow of him. Howbeit, we will faythfully recite those, which we haue heard they doe abuse. first they are not asha­med to alledge this place: I haue sayd, ye are Gods, and ye are all the children of the most high: Psal. 82.6.7. But yet ye shall all dye as men &c. Now harken to their expositiō: in deed say they, the faythfull are Gods, and the children of God: But yet notwithstanding they dye and fall euen as the re­probate doe: so that, the state & condition of them both is all alyke, vntill such tyme as the Lambes shall be seperated from the Goates. Hereunto we aun­swere them with the saying of Iesus Christ: That they which are called Godds, are they vnto whome the word of God is deli­uered to publishe: to witt, the ministers of God. And also all Iudges. that carry the sword of God in their hands, from whose Maiestie they haue recei­ued the same. Iohn. 10.34.35. And although the interpretation of Iesus Christ [Page 73] fayled vs, Exod. 22. and the vse of scrip­ture would not serue our turns, yet the place it selfe, is cleare enough of it selfe, wherein, vn­iust Iudges and such as beare with the wicked are reproued. These men I say, are called Goddes, because they represent the person of God, hauing pre­heminence and aucthoritie ouer the rest. Howbeit they are war­ned, that they shal haue a Iudge vnto whome they must render and yeald an accompt of their office.

Now, Psal. 146.4. let vs heare the second place which they alledge, his spirite departeth, and retur­neth into his earth: and euen thē all their thoughts shal pearish. In this place they take the spirite for winde: and that the man shall from thence returne into the earth, to witt, that he shall be nothing els but earth: and all his thoughts pearish, y ^t they should remaine, if mā had a soul Howbeit we are not so full of cunning: for we call euery thing by his name: we call a spirite, a spirite: which when it goeth out of a man, man returneth in­to [Page] his earth, out of which he was taken, as we haue at large declared. It remaineth now for vs to see what this saying mea­neth, and all his thoughtes pea­rish. we are hereby admonished, not to put our trust, which ought to be Immortall in men. For, it should be vncertayne, and very vnstable, considering that the lyfe of man passeth so soone a­way. For the manifestation of the meaning hereof, the Pro­phet hath sayd y ^t their thoughts pearish, That is to say, what­soeuer they imagine or take in hand so long as they lyue, is brought to nought, and turneth to nothing. As in a nother place is sayd: Psal. 112.10. The wicked shall see it and be angry: he shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away: the desier of the wicked shal pearish. And in stead of pearishe, it is sayd in another place, shall be brought to nought: Psal. 33.10 The Lord shall bring to nought the deuises of the people: Lykewise: Take aduise, & it shall come to nought. Which thing the virgine Mary meaneth by the drift in her song, Isaiah. 8. saying: He hath scattered the [Page 74] proud in the Imagination of their hartes.

And soone after, they bring in this third place: Psal. 74.39 He remembred that they were but fleshe, yea, a winde that passeth and commeth not agayne. And they make a­doe and say, that this word spi­rite, is set downe for winde, as it is oftē tymes so takē: where­in they vnderstand not, that they doe not onely, abolishe the Immortalitie of the soule, but doe also cut in sunder the hope of the resurrection. For if there be a resurrection, it is very cer­tayne, that the spirite returneth and if it returne not, then is there no resurrection. Where­fore it were best for them to de­sier, that this folly might not be imputed vnto them, then opina­tiuely follow it, because such a wicked and wayward de­maund might be graunted thē. And this we onely say, to the end that all men might see what an open way we haue to escape, if we thought of nothing els, but of the refuting of their Ar­gumentes. For we will of pur­pose cōfesse, that that this word, [Page] winde, agreeth very wel in this place. For we consent that mē are lyke vnto the vauering and incōstāt winde which bloweth, now in this corner, an other while in that. But if they thinke to drawe this to serue their turnes, they erre, not knowing the scriptures, whose manner is to shew by the circumstaunce of words, sometimes the frayle­nes and weakenes of the state of man, and otherwhiles the shortnes of this lyfe. For when Iobe speaketh of man, he sayth: That he shooteth forth, & blos­sommeth as a flower, and is cut downe: he vanisheth also as a shadow, and continueth not, and what other meaning hath he by this discription, but that man is frayle and transitory, & lyke vnto a withering flower. And Isaiah also is appointed to cry out and saye: Isaiah. 40 6, 7. That all fleshe is grasse, and all the grasse there­of is as the flowers of the fielde: The grasse withereth, and the flower fadeth: But the word of the Lord endureth for euer.

Go to now, Let these men ga­ther in a word, that the soule [Page 75] of Man withereth and fadeth: and let them be more sharpe sighted, to see how blockish a preacher this is, 1. Pet. 1.23 who proueth by this, that all the faythfull are immortall, because they are got­ten agayne by an incorruptible seede, to wit, by the worde of God, which is sure, and lasteth for euer. Now the scripture cal­leth all those which put their trust in this lyfe, a withering flower, & a winde that passeth, who haue made vnto thē selues an euerlasting abode here in this world, thinking to reigne without end: not looking to that end, by which their condition shall be chaunged, and goe into some place els where. Of which people also the Prophet spea­keth, who haue sayd: Isaiah. 28.15. We haue made a couenaunt with death, and with hell are we at an agree­ment: Whereby he laugheth to skorne their vaine hope, for he attributeth not that vnto lyfe, which vnto them, is the begin­ning of an euill lyfe. And affir­meth that they haue an end and doe dye: so that it had bene bet­ter for them that they had neuer [Page] bene, then [...] be after that mā ­ner. The lyke saying also is in another psalme: Psal. 103.13. for it is sayd: That as a louing Father hath cō ­passion in his children so hath the Lord compassion on all those that feare him. For he knoweth wher­of we men are made: and he him­selfe remembreth that we are but dust. The dayes of man are as grasse, as a flower of the fielde so florisheth he: For the winde go­eth ouer it, and it is gone, and y ^e place thereof shall know it no more. Now, if they will by these wordes affirme, that the spirite pearisheth and becommeth no­thing. I tell them agayne, let them beware they lay not open a place for the Epicures, if any of them shall arise to corrupt the beliefe which both they, and we haue of the resurrection: For there is too too great a number of such scoffers. For by the selfe same reason, they will 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 [Page 76] 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 y ^e rest. And y ^t saying in the booke called Ecclesiasticus, is almost lyke, for there it is sayd: The num­ber of a mans dayes for y ^e 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 [Page] 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 [Page 77] 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 [Page] 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: [Page 49] of whome it is sayd, y ^t 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 [Page] 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 [Page 79] 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 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. [Page] 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, [Page 80] 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 y ^t we may make an [Page] 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 [Page 81] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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 y ^e 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 [Page 82] 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 y ^e 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 y ^t 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 [Page] Deuill, and death. And this is the fayth, whereupon we must now stay our selues. that y ^e pu­nishmēt of sinne cōmitted 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 y ^e 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 y ^e spirite of God, vsed not these speaches, to dryue death away, & to thrust God back that called them: but to the end they might [Page 83] [...]schew the Iudgement, wrath, and seuerity of God, by which they felt Gods chastisement w ^t death. And because they shall not thinke that I make this of mine owne head, I aske this question, to witt, whether a [...]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 y ^e 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 [Page] therefore thus I conclude, tha [...] death in these places, is to feel the wrath, and horrible Iudgement of God, and to be feare [...] and troubled with the feeling thereof. Euen so Ezechiah seing that he must leaue y ^e Realme, t [...] be put out for a spoile to the ene­mies, and that he leaft no chil­dren, of whome might descen [...] the hope of the Gentiles, his soule was troubled with thes [...] thinges, which were signes and tokens of Gods anger and pu­nishment, and no signes of the feare of death: For in deede h [...] afterward dyed, without desie­ring to be deliuered from death. To be short, I confesse tha [...] death of it selfe is euill, because it is the curse and punishment for sinne: For on the one side, i [...] 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, eue [...] 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 [Page 58] 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, [Page] where is now their God? who shewed himselfe in very deede to be the liuing God. Neither can his mercy come euer in questiō, 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 [Page 59] 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 opē, 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 commen­datiō 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 [Page] into crooked figures, I aūswere that these thinges may also be taken without any figure.

In the second place, I haue sayd, y ^t 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, but to wor­ship him with the mouth, to the end that others might heare. But if they would here disturbe me of my purpose and talke, and say that it is lawfull for them to doe the same, if they be in heauē with God (as we beleue) to this I aunswere, that to be in heauē and to lyue with God, is not to talke one with another, and one to heare another, but onely to [Page 60] take pleasure in God, to feele his good will, and to reast in him. And therefore if they haue any other reuelatiōs els where let them looke well vnto them. For, as for my selfe, I will ne­uer goe about to seeke after such crooked questions, which serue more to styrre vp debate and strife, then to set fourth Religi­on, and the feare of God.

Neither doth that saying which is written in the booke of Ecclesiasticus tēd to this end: That the soules of the dead doe pearish: But when he exhorteth that we, in good time, and as occasion serueth, might geue thankes vnto God, he soone after teacheth, that after death, there is no more tyme to prayse him: That is to say, that there is no place left for repentaunce. Now, if there be any emongest them that doe yet murmure and are not contented, saying, this toucheth vs nothing at all, that destruction it selfe must come vnto children: I aunswere for the faythfull, Psal. 118.17. Psal. 84 4. that they shall not dye, but lyue, and shall set fourth the workes of the Lord. They [Page] that dwell in the house of the Lord, Psal. 146.2. will prayse him for euer.

The sixte place which they alledge out of the psalmes is this: I will prayse the Lord du­ring my lyfe, and as long as I haue any being, I will sing psalmes vn­to my God. And thus they rea­son: If a man must prayse the Lord so long as he lyueth, and hath any being, he will not prayse him after death, and whē he hath no being. And because, as I thinke, that they speake this meryly and in the way of iesting, euen so will I also for their sakes speake some thing by the way of myrth.

When Eneas, as it is writ­tē in Virgile, promised vnto his hostesse to acknowledge that humanitie, and curtesy which he had receiued at her handes, as long as he thought of her, meant he hereby, that he would sometymes forget her: when as he sayd, So long as my soule shall styrre in my body: did he thinke by this, that he would acknowledge the good turne af­ter death, in these fabulous fieldes.

God forbidd that we should suf­fer this wrong to be done vnto this place of scripture, least soone after we suffer our selues to be ouercome of that cursed heretique Heluidius. And this I speake in good earnest. And to the end they should not finde fault with vs, that we haue not done as much as them selues, I will yeald them fiue tymes as good a reckoning hereof. Psal. 30.12. First where it is sayd: I will geue thankes vnto thee O Lord my God for euer and euer. Psal. 34.1 Lyke­wise I will alway geue thankes vnto the Lord, his prayse shall continually be in my mouth: Also, Psal. 52.9. I will alway prayse thee, because thou hast done this. Lykewise, O my God, my king, Psal. 145.1. I will extoll thee, and blesse thy name for euer and euer. Psal. 61.8. Also So will I alwayes sing prayse vnto thy name for e­uer. And euen very now they see, that Dauid who was so much their friend, fighteth here sharpely agaynst them. And therefore let vs make no compt of these Argumēts which are built vpon the poynt of a nedle, or vpon so weake a foun­dation.

The Seuenth place which they alledge is this: Psal. 39.13 Stay thine anger from me, that I may reco­uer my strength, before I goe hēce, and be no more. And there­with they ioyne that which is sayd in Iobe: Iob. 10. ver. 1.21.22. Let me a little complayne my sorrow and griefe, before I goe hence and shall not returne, euen into the land of darknes and shadow of death, in­to a land I say, darke, as darkenes it selfe, and into the shadow of death; where is none order, but the light is there as darkenes.

All this geare serueth them to no purpose. For these are words full of heate, and of a troubled conscience, in trueth expressing, and liuely representing as in a Table, the affection of those who being touched to the quick, with the fearefull Iudgement of God, are no longer able to beare his hand.

And therefore these men pray that if they deserue that God should forsake them, yet, that they might at the least in some small measure, and that at the last cast, gaspe for lyfe before [Page 62] the Iudgement of God, where­with they are shaken and terri­fied. And we ought not to mar­uell, although the faythfull ser­uauntes of God are driuen to this poynt. For it is sayde: 1. Sam. 2.6 That it is the Lord that killeth, and ma­keth aliue, bringeth downe to the graue, and rayseth vp. And this saying: not to be, signifieth, to be seperated from God.

For if in this case, there is no man that hath his being, but he that is, they that are not in him haue no true being, because they are for euer confounded, and cast out from before his face. Moreouer, I see not how we should be so greatly offēded with this manner of speach, if it be simply sayd of the dead, that they are not, so that this saying be referred to men. For with men, they are not, although before God, they are. And so to con­clude in a worde, not to haue any being, is not to be seene any more. According to that which is sayd in Ieremy: Iere. 31. A voyce was heard in Rhama, a mourning and bitter weeping, Rachell weeping for her children, refused to be [Page] comforted for her children, be­cause they were not.

Let vs now come to that which remaineth out of the sto­ry of Iob. Iob. 3.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19. For we haue herebe­fore handled something, tou­ching the same matter as it came in question. The first is, Why dyed I not in the byrth? or why dyed I not so soone as I came out of my mothers wombe? why did the knees preuent me: and why did I sucke the breastes? For so should I now haue lyen and bene quiet, I should haue sleapt then and bene at reast, with the kinges and Counsellers of the earth, which haue builded them­selues desolate places: or with the Princes that had Gold, and haue filled their houses with siluer, or why was I not hid as an vntimely byrth, or as Infants which haue not seene the light?

The wicked haue there cea­sed frō their tyranny, and there, they that labored valiauntly, are at reast. The prisoners reast together, & heare not the voyce of the oppressor. There are small and great, and the ser­uaunt is free from his Maister. [Page 63] But what & if I bring against them the fourtenth Chapiter of Isaiah? Isaiah. 14.10. Where he bringeth in the dead comming 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 y ^e end of all thinges, where­vnto euery man resigneth the estate which he had in this world. For, by this meane he trusteth to see y ^e 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, [Page 64] 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 y ^e 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 [Page] 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. 16.17The 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 cō ­fusion.

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, [Page 65] 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 [Page] 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 [Page 66] 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 impudē ­cy 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 [Page] for y ^e people that fought: where prayers are appoynted for the dead, to the end that by them, their sinnes might be forgeuen.

It may be, that they haue other Arguments, but as yet I know them not: For in very deede, I haue not altogether seene all their gloses and drowsy dreames. And, for any thing I know, I haue leaft out nothing, which may cause the vnlearne­der sort, to chaunge or wauer. But I agayne desier all those which shall reade this, to re­member that the Anabaptists (whome it is enough that I haue so named, for the declara­tion of all kindes of horrible wickednes) are the Aucthors of this iolly doctrine. For we are of very right to suspect, whatso­euer cōmeth out of such a filthy Iakes, & beastly Shopp, which hath deuised, and dayly deuiseth so many monstrous thinges.