Heresiography, Description of sect 16 – Description of sect 18
Soule-Sleepers.
THat the soule dyeth with the body is an old and despicable Heresie, raised in Arabia, about the time of Origen, and extinguished by his dispute immediately after the birth thereof: Such as were infected with this opinion were termed by Saint Augustine Arabici, by reason of the Province in which this Error first arose. This Heresie is risen up againe among us, and an abscure Author laboureth to maintaine in a Treatise late published among us, intituled Mans mortality, in which hee bringeth an argument out of Gen. 3. 19. where Adam is told that for his disobedience he must turne unto dust from whence he was made, and not onelyonly his body, but also his soule, which came not out of the dust.
In the description of mans Creation by Moses, you may manifestly see the immortality of the soule.
When God created the Beasts,Gen. 1. 24. &c. he said, Let the earth bring forth every living thing: But when he made man, Let us make man in our owne Image. Gen. 126.And againe, The Lord God made man of the Dust of the earth; that is his body: and for his soule,Gen. 2, 7. he breathed in his face the breath of life. God created the Angels spirits without bodies. The creatures bodies without soules: he took a body and soule and made a man in his own Image; in respect of his body he hath affinity with beasts; in respect of his soule with heavenly spi…its.
The Beasts came out of the earth, and to the earth they returne; so mans body.
But his soule came from heaven, and returneth to God that gave it.
Beside some foolish arguments alledged in the Treatise before named, he citeth the words of Solomon, Ecclsiastes 3. 10. For that which befalleth the sonnes of men befalleth beasts, even one thing befalleth them: as the one dyeth, so …yeth the other, yea, they have all one breath, so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast, for all is vanity. All goe to one place, all are of the dust, and all turns to dust againe. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
Which words were to determination of Solomons, but a History of what came in his thoughts, and what troubled him, and stirred him up to a solicitous enquiry, concerning the soules condition, but the state of the soule he determineth, Chap. 12. saying, Dust returneth unto the earth from whence it came, and the Spirit to God that gave it. To this resolution of Solomons, I may adde our Lords answer to the Saduces, Matth. 22. 32. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. This Error of theirs is contrary to the holy Scriptures, 2 Cor. 5, 6. 8. Psalme 31. 5. Luke 23. 46. Acts 7. 59. Apocal. 6. 40. 4. To conclude with Sap. 3. Though not received in…o the Canon, yet it is confessed to be very ancient, and therefore may claime precedency of authority before any heathen Philosopher. The soules of the righteous are in the hands of God, and there shall no torment touch them. 2. In the sight of the unwise they seem to dye, and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to utter destruction, but they are in peace.
Deny the Scriptures.
AMong others, one wicked Sect denieth the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament, and account them as things of nought: whereby by Gods command they that despised Moses Law by the mouth of two or three witnesses, were to be put to death, these wicked ungodly creatures despise both the Law and the Gospell, and in the presence of a cloud of witnesses: Yea, as I am credibly informed in publike Congregations they vent these their damnable opinions Almighty God deliver our poore Church from them.
Of the Seekers, or Expecters.
MAny have wrangled so long about the Church, that at last they have quite lost it, and go under the name of Expecters and Seekers, & doe deny that there is any true Church, or any true Minister, or any Ordinances: some of them affirme the Church to be in the wildernesse, and they are seeking for it there: others say that it is in the smoke of the Temple, & that they are groping for it there, where I leave them praying to God to open their eyes and give them repentance, that they may consider from whence they are fallen, and returne againe to the bosome of that Church, from which they have, to the great dishonour of God, and the scondalizing of the Gospell made so fearfull a defection.
Divorsers.
THese I terme Divorsers, that would be quit of their wives for slight occasions; and to maintaine this opinion, one hath publ…shed a Tractate of divorce, in which the bonds of marriage are let loose to inordinate lust, putting away wives for many other causes, besides that which our Saviour onelyonly approveth; namely in case of adulterie, who groundeth his Error upon the words of God, Gen. 2. 18. I will make him a helpe meet for him. And therefore if she be not an helper, nor meet for him, he may put her away, saith this Author. Which opinion is flat contrary to the words of our Saviour, Matth. 5. 31. It hath been said also, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a testimoniall of Divorsement: But I say to you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, causeth her to cowmit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorsed, committeth adulterie. Againe, he confirmeth the same, Matth, 19. 9. I say therefore unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for whoredome, and marry another, committeth adulterie: and whosoever doth marrie her that is divorced, committeth adultery, Vid. Mar. 10. 11. Luk. 16. 18. 1 Cor. 7. 11.