The Immortality of the Soul, Title page – Dedication
An excellent treatiſe of the Immortalytie of the ſoule, by which is proued, that the ſoules, after their departure out of the bodies, are awake and doe lyue, contrary to that erronious opinion of certen ignorant perſons, who thinke them to lye a ſleape vntill the day of Iudgement. *⁎*
Set fourth by M. Iohn Caluin, and engliſhed from the French by T. Stocker.
AT LONDON Printed by Iohn Daye, dwelling ouer Alderſgate. An. Do. 1581.
Cum Priuilegio Regiae Maieſtatis.
¶ To the right honorable, Phillip, Earle of Arundell, Baron Matrauers and Clune, The God of all glory, and conſolation, graunt …ncreaſe of all heauenly and ſpiritual giftes, …owardes the aduauncing of his glory, and maintenaunce of his Church: together, encreaſe in true honor of right nobilitie here in this lyfe, and in the end perfect bliſſe and felicitie in his heauenly kingdome through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.
BEing now about a yeare paſſed (Right honorable) in cō pany with a godly Gentleman, my good friend, w…o entring into ſome ſpeach with me concerning the looſenes and diſſolutenes of this age: in the end, after long diſpute and reaſoning betwene vsus, …e concluded, and verely thought, that a …reat part, euen of ſuch as beare the name of Chriſtians, doth ſuppoſe the ſoules of men to be mortall: and thereupon, wiſhed me, to take the paynes to tranſlate into Engliſh this pamflet of M. Iohn Calvin, trea…ng of the IMMORTALITIE OF THE SOVLE, which he bele…ed to be moſt neceſſary to be vnderſtood of the greater number of our Countreymen.
whereupon, after I had peruſed it, and throughly conſidered thereof, his iudgement ſeemed to me, to be both good and ſound. For, at the tyme that Maiſter Caluin wrote this booke, it ſhould ſeeme by his preface enſuing, that there were many greuouſly infected with this monſtrous opinion. That the Soules of men dyed together with the bodies. Which ſoule and helliſh error, I feare, hath poſſeſſed and poyſoned at this day, the hartes and mindes of a great number, here at home within this land, not onelyonly of the godleſſe, and ignoraunter company, but euen of too too many of ſome of thoſe which make a great and glorious glittering outward ſhew, of being fauourers o… the glorious Goſpell of our Sauiour and redeemer Chriſt Ieſus, as by their monſtrous pride, deteſtable Ambition, miſerable couetouſnes, cruell extortions, filthy gluttonies, cankred malices, and moſt beaſtly vncleanes now reigning, manifeſtly appeareth.
Wherefore, ſeing this pamflet, was a… that tyme neceſſary to be publiſhed, for the confuting of all ſuch Atheiſtes, Epicures and belly Gods, as then lyued, I thinke i… in my poore opinion, that this preſent moſ… neceſſary and needefull. But here, me thinketh I heare ſome men ſay, that it is impoſſible for any, in ſo great light of the Goſpell to be of this minde: whome I feare I may with griefe of hart iuſtly aunſwere that there are too too many ſuch. For, if a man, throughly looke into the lyues and cō uerſation of the multitude, yea, and that euen of the outward pretended profeſſors of the Goſpell (for I doe not ſee how they are to be more fitly termed) we ſhall then finde it to be ouertrue: of which deteſtable hipocryſie the Lord God in the fulnes of tyme, will without all doubt, be terribly and fearefully aduenged, if it be not ſpedely, and earneſty repented of, and all peruerſe and crooked wayes eftſoones, reformed and amended. And queſtionles, ſeing Satan in thoſe dayes ſo luſtely beſtyrred him ſelfe, ſurely, he now, moſt terribly roareth, and rageth to deface the word of the Lord, (which as the Apoſtle witneſſeth) is the power of Saluation, to all thoſe that in trueth beleue it: And he in very deede the earneſtlyer, and buſilier trauelleth herein, becauſe he perceiueth that his leaſe is by many yeares, neerer at an end, then at that tyme it was, and therefore goeth about hand ouer head (as we commonly ſay) to make hauock of his Lordes enheritaunce, as vſually all wicked leaſees doe, a little before the expiration and full terme of their yeares.
wherefore (right honorable) at the godly motion of that my friend, I tooke vponupon me to engliſh this Treatiſe, for the benefit (I truſt) of all thoſe my Countreymen of this our Engliſh nation, which ſhall diligently reade the ſame. And for ſomuch, as I am of neceſſitie enforced to ſeeke for ayde of ſuch a Patron, as I might aſſure my ſelfe to be of ſome ſinguler towardnes of perfect wiſedome (I meane not of ſuch wiſdome as worldlinges dreame of, but of that true wiſedome, which is the knowledge and obedience of and to the Maieſtie of the word of God) whereby, this Argument might finde ſuch one as were of power able, in knowledge wiſe, in zeale and affection willing and forward, to withſtand the aduerſaries of this peſtilent Doctrine, in which wiſedome, cōſiſteth the very ſtrēgth of the young men, and the right vnderſtanding and honor of the aged: I hauehave at this preſent takē bouldnes to chooſe your Lordſhip out from amongeſt the reſidue of the Nobilitie of this noble realme of England, to addreſſe this my poore trauell vntounto: aſſuring my ſelfe that you will be moſt willing to ſuffer the ſame to march vnderunder your enſigne, agaynſt all the enemies thereof. And therefore, if the worthynes of the matter herein conteyned, and handled by Maiſter Caluin, may ſo excuſe the vnworthynes of my ſimple ſtile in the tranſlating hereof, as that your honor vouchſafe to accept the one with the other, and beare with the one for the other, your noble curteſie ſhall the rather confirme all the true profeſſors of the Goſpell in that vndoubed opinion which they hauehave already conceiued of you, by reaſon of the good beginnings of your godly proceedings, already in this behalfe, in the …ewe and open ſight of the world manifeſtly declared, and geue thē occaſion, continually to glorify God for ſo vertuous and gratious Nobilitie, and inceſſauntly pray vntounto his Maieſty, for the good encreaſe & long proſperitye of all ſuch: and I my ſelfe alſo hauing good cauſe to thinke my trauell moſt bleſſedly beſtowed, will acknowledge my duety alwayes bound vntounto your good Lordſhip for the ſame.
And beſides, there is no doubt, but that he which hath begonne this good worke in you, will lykewiſe performe it, vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt: ſo that, your perſeueraunce therein, will afourd you a moſt firme and ſure ground worke, for the vpholding and continuing of your noble houſe, in a proſperous and floriſhing ſucceſſe, without the which perſeueraunce, vntounto the end, and in the end, there is no acceptation with the Lord of all our doings whatſoeuer: For as it is ſayd in the 18. of Ezechiell his propheſie and 26. verſe. When a righteous man continueth not in his righteouſnes, but turneth away from it, and committeth iniquitie, he ſhall euen dye for the ſame: he ſhal euen dye in his iniquitie which he hath done. Thus humbly crauing pardon, leaſt I hauehave troubled your Lordſhip ouerlong, I leaue you to the protection of the moſt high. London, the ſecond of Iune. 1581.
Your Lorſhips moſt humble and duetifull to be commaunded in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Thomas Stocker.