Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Of the ſtate of ſouls after death and of the reſurrection of the dead.
I. Mens ſoules doe neither dye with their bodies, nor ſleepe after they are looſed from the bodie, nor lye ſtill out of heauen or hell, nor be tormented in purgatorie.
WE beleeue, that our ſoules doe neither dye with our bodies: nor being looſed frō our bodies do ſleep: or not ſleeping, do lye ſtill in ſome cloſe place, both out of heauen and hell: nor yet are tormented in purgatorie: but that out of the body alſo mens ſoules do liue, vnderſtand, & deſire: and that the ſoules of the godly do raigne with Chriſt in heauen, and of the vngodly, are tormented in hell with the deuills: the Lord himſelfe ſaying of them, when the godly and mercifull men do decay, that is, depart out of this life, they, that is, their ſoules, Luc. 16.9ſhallbe receiued into euerlaſting habitations: Luc. 23.43 Luc. 16.23 Act. 1.25and teaching in another place, that they are with him in paradiſe: but of the other, by ſhewing an example of the rich glutton, that they goe downe into hel, that is, into the place appointed for euerlaſting fire, (as we alſo read of Iudas) there to be tormented.
II. That the places be diuerſe, where the ſoules of the faithfull, and the vnfaithfull do liue, after the deaths of their bodies.
Nowe, ſeing the condition and ſtate of the ſoules of faithfull and vnfaithfull men is ſo diuers: we alſo beleeue that the places into which they paſſe are diuers: that is to ſay, euerlaſting tabernacles, …. Pet. 2.4or heauen & paradiſe ordained for the godlie; and hell and the deepes prepared for the wicked: ſith to one of theſe places the ſcripturs attribute an immeaſurable light, and to the other exceeding darkeneſſe, which Chriſt called vtter darkeneſſe: and ſith the Lord ſaieth, Mat. 8.12 Ioh. 17.24that he deſireth, that where he himſelfe is, there ſhould alſo bee they, vvhichwhich beleeue in him: plainly meaning, that in the ſame place, where he is in bodie and ſoule, the faithfull are and ſhalbe alſo: firſt indeede in their ſoules, afterwardes at their time they ſhalbee with their bodies. but the vnfaithful with neither ſoules nor bodies. So wee iudge it great impietie to ſay, that heauen is euerie where: ſith it is to the vngodlie no where, but to the godlie it is onelyonly aſſigned in the holie ſcriptures, as their proper, and euerlaſting ſeate. And it muſt needes be graunted, both that bodies are circumſcribed with their certaine diſtances of place, yea euen after the reſurrection: & alſo that ſoules are cōtained at leaſt, (as they ſpeak) definitely.
III. There ſhalbe an and of this world, & all things ſhalbe chaunged, though the verie time be vnknowne.
And although it be vnknowne vntounto vsus, Mat. 24.26 Act. 1.7 Ieſ. 24.23 & 65.17 & 66.22 Pſal. 102.27 Dan. 12.2 Mal. 4.1 2. Pet. 3.13 Apoc. 21.1 Iude. 14.15 Mat. 24 Luc. 25.1 &c.whē the ende of this world ſhalbe, and that it may not bee knowne: yet we beleeue, that doubtleſſe it ſhal be: and that then ſhal be chaunged not onelyonly the earth, but alſo the heauens: and that there ſhalbe a new heauen & a new earth: and that all the dead yea the wicked, ſhal riſe againe, Chriſt calling them to the generall iudgement, by the voyce and trumpe of an Archangell: to the aſſurance of which things it appertaineth, that the Lord, when he foretold of the deſolation of Ieruſalem, did forthwith apply his ſpeach to theſe matters: namely that we ſeing what happened to Ieruſalem, might by thoſe thinges, beleeue alſo that the ſame ſhould certainely come to paſſe, which he then alſo ſpake concerning the ende of the world.
IV. At length ſhall all dead men, hauehave life againe, and ſhall riſe out of their graues.
We beleeue therefore that as by Adam all dye, ſo bv Chriſt all ſhal bee reuiued, 1. Cor. 15.22yea euen the wicked alſo in their bodies: when as euerie ones ſoule ſhall take the bodie againe: though we cōfeſſe that ſome ſhall riſe to eternall bleſſedneſſe and ſome to euerlaſting damnation: as Chriſt ſaith, and they ſhall come forth, Ioh. 5.29that hauehave done good, to the reſurrection of life: they that hauehave done euill, to the reſurrection of condēnation: whereby is confirmed the order alſo of the reſurrection, which the Apoſtle ſetteth downe, ſaying, firſt they ſhall riſe that are Chriſtes, then the reſt.
V. There ſhall not bee newe bodies created for our ſoules, but the verie ſame, which died ſhall riſe againe.
But we beleeue, that there ſhall not a newe bodie bee framed for each foule, but that the verie ſame bodies, touching the ſubſtance, of euerie one, which died, ſhal riſe again, though diuerſly altered in ſome qualities: euen as the Apoſtle reacheth, of the ſame bodies of the godlie, 1. Cor. 15.36 & 42 &c.by a ſimilitude of the ſame ſeede, that it is ſowne one manner of bodie, it riſeth another: they are ſowne corruptible bodies, they riſe incorruptible: and ſo forth: and Iob, witneſſing of his hope, (ſaieth) I know that my redeemer liueth, Iob. 19.25and, at the laſt day I ſhall riſe out of the earth: J ſhall ſee God my ſauiour in my fleſh, whom I my ſelfe ſhall ſee & none other, and mine eyes ſhall be hold him. For with our corporall eies ſhall wee ſee Chriſt returning in the cloudes in his bodie: and alſo raigning in heauen.
VI. By the example of our bodies after the reſurrection, it is ſhewed that Chriſts bodie is not euerie where.Phil. 3.21
But ſith the Apoſtle ſaieth, that Chriſt ſhall transforme our vile bodies, that they may bee made like vntounto his glorious bodie: wee beleeue that if Chriſts bodie, by that glorie which it receiued, by riſing againe, receiued alſo the power to be euerie where in the proper ſubſtance, ſo alſo our bodies for the ſame glorie ſhall alſo bee euerie where: which, ſith it ſhall not bee: therefore wee beleeue that neither the bodie of Chriſt is now eueryevery where in it owne ſubſtāce how full of glorie and maieſtie ſoeuer, being it ſelfe finite or determinate, Ioh. 17.24& the glory therof alſo finite: eſpecially, ſith he ſaid, that where he himſelfe is, there he will hauehave vsus to be alſo: and we ſhall not be euerie where in our bodies.
VII. Errors.
We cōdemne thoſe impious dotages, both of the philoſophers, which taught that mens ſoules were mortall; and of thoſe heritickes, which thought that the ſoules of all men once ſeparated from the bodies were in ſome cloſe places, where they ſlept, that is, were depriued of all ſenſe and operation of the minde: or els waked, but yet reſted, till they reſumed againe new bodies, and thē were admitted into heauen, or elſe thruſt into hell: as alſo thoſe, which dreamed that the ſoules of many godlie men, were cleanſed by a certaine fire in purgatory, from the reliques of their ſinnes, and their ſuffered temporall puniſhments. Wee diſallow alſo thoſe, which do not diſtinguiſh betweene heauen where we read that the godly are, frō hell and the deepes, where wee read that the wicked ſhal be: but that make a difference betweene them both, only in this, that ſome are made bleſſed, ſome accurſed, though they ſhal be all in one place together. Neither can wee allow of thoſe, which ſaye, that if not the certaine daye and howre, yet the certaine time, month or yeare, may be known & ſet downe, when the Lord will come, and end this world: notwithſtanding that Chriſt ſaid, it is not for you to knowe the times. Yea and wee accuſe thoſe skorners; of whome Peter ſpake, which thinke that the world ſhall euer remaine thus: Act. 17 2. Pet. 3.3 &c.denying that there is any life to come & laughing at it. We alſo condemne thoſe which denie the reſurrection of the dead; as alſo thoſe which dreame, that they ſhall not hauehave the ſame, but other new bodies. Alſo we condēne thoſe that taught, that our bodies after the reſurrection ſhalbe ſo ſpirituall: that they ſhall be like to a ſpirite, or as the ayre, and not bee ſeene nor felt, as ſome hauehave alſo fayned the bodie of Chriſt was after his reſurrection: and ſince hauehave alſo forged, and impudently lyed, that his bodie was, as it were chaunged into his diuine nature, ſo that it could no longer be called a creature.