The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII. Of the ſtate of ſouls after death, and of the reſurrection of the dead.
DOCTRINE I. That ſouls die not with the bodies, nor do they ſleep being ſeparated from them, or reſt any where beſide in Heaven or hell, neither are they tormented in Purgatory.
WE believe that our ſouls do neither die with the body, nor ſleep when parted from them, or remain waking in certain hidden places, beſides Heaven and hell, nor that they are tortoured in that purgatory fire; but that the ſouls of all men live even out of their bodies, underſtand, and will; & that the ſouls of the godly do reign in heaven wth Chriſt, & thoſe of the wicked are tormented in hell with the Divels; as the Lord teacheth of the firſt,aLuke 16.5. When godly and mercifull men fail, that is, departed out of this life, they, that is, their ſouls, are received into everlaſting habitations, and in another place, that they arebLuke 23.43. with him in Paradiſe; but of theſe laſt, by thecLuke 15 …5 example of the rich Glutton, that they goe into hell, that is, a place deſtinated to everlaſting burnings (as alſo wedActs 1.25. read of Judas) and are there tormented.
DOCT. II. That the places are different where the ſouls of the faithfull, and where thoſe of unbelievers live after the death of their bodies.
BUt ſeeing the ſtate of faithfull and unbelieving ſouls is ſo different, we believe that the places are different alſo into which they goe; namely, the eternall tabernacles in heaven, and paradiſe appointed for the godly, anda2 Pet. 2.4. hell or the bottomleſſe pit prepared for the wicked; ſince the holy Scripture attributes unconceivable light to the one, and the greateſt darkneſſe to the other, which ChriſtbMat. 8.12. calleth utter darkneſse; and ſince the Lord ſaith, that his will is, that where himſelf is, there thoſe that believe in him be alſo, apparently ſignifying, that in that place where he is now with his body and ſoul, there alſo ſhall be the faithfull, firſt with their ſouls, and in due time with other bodies alſo, but unbelievers never with either: ſo that we judge it the higheſt impiety to ſay that heaven is every where, whereas it is in no place of Scripture aſſigned to the wicked, but frequently to the godly alone as their proper and eternall habitation; and for that it is neceſſary that bodies be circumſcribed in ſome ſpace after the reſurrection, and that ſouls be contained ſomewhere definitively, as the ſchooles ſpeak.
DOCT. III. That the end of this world will certainly come, and all things shall be changed, although the time it ſelf be unknown.
MOreover, although the time when the end of this world ſhall be, is ſo unknown to us,aMat. 24.36. Act 1.7. Iſa. 24.23. and 65.17. and ….22. Pſ. 102.27. Dan. 12.2. Mal. 4.1. 2 Pet. 3.13. Apoc. 21.1. Iude 14,15. Mat. 24. Luke 21.5, &c. that it is not poſſible to know it, yet we believe that it will moſt certainly be, and then not only the earth but likewiſe the heavens ſhall be changed, and there ſhall be a new heaven and a new earth, and all the dead, even the wicked ſhall riſe, when Chriſt ſhall call to judgement the voice and trumpet of an Arch-angel: and to the certainty of theſe things belongs that method of our Lord Ieſus, in having firſt foretold the deſolation of Ieruſalem, and thereunto ſubjoyning a diſcourſe concerning theſe matters, to the end that by thoſe things which we have ſeen befall Ieruſalem, we might believe that thoſe which he then foretold of the end of the world will come to paſſe with the ſame certainty, &c.
DOCT. VI. That all dead men shall at laſt be quickned, and riſe from their ſepulchres.
WE believe therefore thata1 Cor 15.2. as all men die in Adam, ſo in Chriſt all, even the wicked as to the body, shall be made alive, every ones ſoul reſuming its proper body; although we confeſſe ſome ſhall ariſe to eternall happineſſe and others to eternall damnation;Ioh. 5.29. according to the ſaying of Chriſt, and they shall come forth that have done good, unto the reſurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the reſurrection of damnation; whence alſo the order of the reſurrection is confirmed, which the Apoſtle delivers in theſe words,aTheſ. 4.16. And the dead in Chriſt shall riſe firſt and then the reſt.
DOCT. V. That there shall not be new bodies made for our ſouls, but the very ſame shall riſe which died.
FUrthermore we believe that there ſhall not be a new body framed to every ſoul, but the ſame of every particular perſon, that died, as to the ſubſtance ſhall riſe again, but different in ſome qualities; according to the Apoſtle's doctrine concerning the bodies of the godly,a1 Cor. 15 36.42. ſhewing by the example of the ſame grain, that they are ſowed one thing and ariſe another, that they are ſowed obnoxious to corruption, but raiſed incorruptible, &c. and Iob teſtifyeth concerning his hope in this manner;Iob 19.25, 26, 27. I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that I ſhall riſe again in the latter day upon the earth, and that in my fleſh I ſhall ſee God; Whom I ſhall ſee for my ſelf, and not another, and wine eyes ſhall behold him. For we ſhall ſee Chriſt with our corporeall eyes in the clouds returning to us with his body, and alſo reigning in heaven.
DOCT. VI. That from the example of our bodies after the reſurrection, it appears that the body of Chriſt is not every where.
WHereas the Apoſtle ſaithaPhil. ….2…. Chriſt ſhall change our vile bodies, that they may be faſhioned like unto his glorious body, we believe that if the body of Chriſt by vertue of the glory it received after his reſurrection, received the power of being every where; then ours alſo will by reaſon of the ſame glory be every where; which ſeeing it ſhall not be, neither do we believe that the body of Chriſt, however full of glory and majeſty is now every where with its ſubſtance, ſince it is finite, and the glory thereof alſo finite; eſpecially for that he hath ſaid, that bIo…. 17.24.he will that where he is, there we ſhould be alſo; but we ſhall not be every where with our bodies.
DOCT. VII. Errours.
FIrſt we condemn the wicked dotage both of thoſe Philoſophers who taught the humane ſoul is mortall, and 2. of thoſe hereticks who imagin'd that the ſouls of men ſeparated from their bodies did either ſleep in certain ſecret places, that is, are deprived of all ſenſe and operations of the mind, or that they are awake indeed, but reſt untill they reſume their bodies, and then are either to be admitted into heaven, or thruſt into hell. 3. Moreover, we condemn thoſe who dream that the ſouls of many of the godly are purged in a certain purgatory fire from the reliques of their ſins, and undergoe temporall pains. 4. We diſapprove their opinion who do not diſtinguiſh heaven, where the godly ſhall be, from hell where we read the wicked ſhall be; but make the difference to conſiſt only in this, that ſome are made happy and others miſerable, although all be in the ſame place. 5. But neither can we aſſent to them, who ſay that the certain time month or year, if not the the certain day and hour, may be determin'd and known,Act. 1.7. in which the Lord will come and put an end to to this world; ſeeing Chriſt hath ſaid, It is not for you to know the times. 2 Pet. 3 3.6. We deteſt thoſe Scoffers whom St. Peter mentions who think the world ſhall endure thus for ever, and deny & deride all life to come, 7. We alſo condemn all thoſe who reject the reſurrection of the dead: and alſo thoſe who fancied we ſhall not have the ſame, but other new bodies. 8. We likewiſe condemn them who taught that bodies after the reſurrection ſhall be ſo ſpiritual that like a ſpirit or ayre, they can neither be ſeen nor felt; ſuch as ſome have attributed to Chriſt after his reſurrection, and others alſo impudently feign to have been changed into the divine nature, ſo that it cannot be any longer termed a Creature.