First, that the highest happiness and perfection of the human soul consisteth not in a state of pure separation from all body; and, secondly, that it does not consist neither in an eternal union with such gross terrestrial bodies, as these unchanged; the soul being not at home, but a stranger and pilgrim in them, and oppressed with the load of them: but that at last, the souls of good men shall arrive at glorious, spiritual, heavenly and immortal bodies. But now, as to that point, whether human souls be always united to some body or other, and consequently when by death they put off this gross terrestrial body, they are not thereby quite divested, and stripped naked of all body, but have a certain subtle and spirituous body, still adhering to them, and accompanying them? or else, whether all souls, that have departed out of this life, from the very beginning of the world, have ever since continued in a state of separation from all body, and shall s continue forwards till the day of judgment or general resurrection? we must confess, that this is a thing not so explicitly determined, or expressly decided in Christianity, either way. Nevertheless, it is first of all certain from Scripture, that souls departed out of these Death, called terrestrial bodies are therefore neither sleep in Scrip- dead nor asleep, till the last trump and ture, only κατ ̓ εὐφη general resurrection, but still alive and μισμόν. awake; our Saviour Christ affirming, that they all live unto God; the meaning whereof seems to be this, that they, who are said to be dead, are dead only unto men here upon earth`; but neither dead unto themselves, nor yet unto God, their life being not extinct, but only disappearing to us, and withdrawn from our sight; for

[cap. ii. p. 69.

asmuch as they are gone off this stage, which we still continue to act upon. And thus it is said also of our Saviour Christ himself, and that after his resurrection too, that "he liveth unto God." (Rom. vi. 10.) From whence it is evident, that they, who are said to live to God, are not therefore supposed to be less alive, than they were, when they lived unto men. Now it seemeth to be a privilege or prerogative proper to the Deity only, to live and act alone, without vital union or con- Epì àgxv, junction with any body. "Quærendum. ii. (saith Origen), si possibile est, penitus oper.] incorporeas remanere rationabiles creaturas, cum ad summum sanctitatis ac beatitudinis venerent? An necesse est eas semper conjunctas esse corporibus?" It is worth our inquiry, whether it be possible for rational creatures to remain perfectly incorporeal, and separate from all body, when they are arrived to the highest degree of holiness and happiness? or whether they be always of necessity conjoined with some bodies;-and afterward he plainly affirmeth it to be impossible: "Vivere præter corpus ullam aliam naturam, præter Patrem, et Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum:" For any other nature, besides the Father, and the Son, and Holy Ghost, to live quite without a body.-Indeed, if this were most natural to the human soul, and most perfective of it, to continue separate from all body, then doubtless (as Origen implied), should the souls of good men, rather after the day of judgment, continue in such a state of separation to all eternity. But, on the contrary, if it be natural to souls to enliven and inform some body or other, (though not always a terrestrial one) as, our inward sense inclines us to think, then can it

not seem so probable, that they should, by a kind of violence, be kept so long in an unnatural or preternatural state of nakedness and separation from all body, some of them even from Adam till the day of judgment.

Again, the Scripture also intimates, that souls departed out of this life have a knowledge of one another, and are also capable of the punishment of sense or pain: "Fear him (saith our Saviour)who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell," (Luke xii.) And the soul of the rich man is said to be immediately after death in torments, before the day of judgment; as likewise to have known Abraham and Lazarus. And it seems neither agreeable to our common notions, nor yet to piety, to conclude, that the souls of wicked men, departing out of this life, from the beginning of the world in their several ages, till the day of judgment, have all of them no manner of punishment inflicted on them, save only that of remorse of conscience and future expectation. Now it is not conceivable, how souls after death should know and be knowable, and converse with one another, and have any punishment of sense or pain inflicted on them, were they not vitally united De An. p. 309. to some bodies. And thus did Tertullian Rigal. [cap. vii. reason long ago: "Dolet apud inferos p. 165.] anima cujusdam, et punitur in flamma, et cruciatur in lingua, et de digito animæ fœlicioris implorat solatium roris. Imaginem existimas, exitum illum pauperis lætantis, et divitis morentis. Et quid illic Lazari nomen, si non in veritate res est? Sed etsi imago credenda est, testimonium erit veritatis. Si enim non habet anima corpus, non caperet imaginem corporis. Nec mentiretur

de corporalibus membris scriptura, si non erant. Quid est autem illud, quod ad inferna transfertur, post divortium corporis? quod detinetur, et in diem judicii reservatur? Ad quod et Christus moriendo descendit? puto ad animas patriarcharum? Incorporalitas animæ ab omni genere custodia libera est; immunis a pœna et a fovela. Per quod enim punitur aut fovetur, hoc erit corpus. Igitur si quid tormenti sive solatii anima præcepit in carcere, vel diversorio inferum, in igni vel in sinu Abrahæ, probata erit corporalitas animæ. Corporalitas enim nihil patitur, non habens per quod pati possit: aut si habet, hoc erit corpus. In quantum enim omne corporale passibile est; in tantum quod passibile est, corporale est." We read in Scripture of a soul tormented in hell, punished with flames, and desirous of a drop of water to cool his tongue. You will say, perhaps, that this is parabolical and fictitious. What then does the name of Lazarus signify there, if it were no real thing? But if it be a parable never so much, yet must it, notwithstanding, as to the main, speak agreeably to truth. For if the soul (after death) have no body at all, then can it not have any corporeal image, shape, or figure. Nor can it be thought, that the Scripture would lie concerning corporeal members, if there were none. But what is that, which, after its separation from this body, is carried down into hell, and there detained prisoner, and reserved till the day of judgment? And what is that, which Christ dying descended down unto? I suppose to the souls of the patriarchs. But incorporality is free from all custody or imprisonment, as also devoid of pain and pleasure. Wherefore, if souls be sensible of pain after death, and tormented

with fire, then must they needs have some corpo+ reity; for incorporality suffers nothing. And as every corporeal thing is passive or patible, so again whatsoever is passive is corporeal. Tertullian would also confirm this from a vision or revelation of a certain sister-prophet, (miracles and prophecy being said by him not to be then altogether extinct,). "Inter cætera ostensa est mihi anima corporaliter, et spiritus videbatur, tenera et lucida, et aërii coloris, et formæ per omnia humanæ." There was (said she) amongst other things, a soul corporeally exhibited to my view, and it was tender and lucid, and of aëreal colour, and every way of human form.-Agreeably to which, Tertullian himself addeth; "Effigiem non aliam animæ humanæ deputandam præter humanam, et quidem ejus corporis, quod unaquæque circumtulit.” There is no other shape to be assigned to a human soul but human; and, indeed, that of the body, which is before carried about.-It is true, indeed, that Tertullian here drives the business so far, as to make the soul itself to be corporeal, figurate, and colorate, and after death to have the very same shape, which its respective body had before in this life; he being one of those, who were not able to conceive of any thing incorporeal, and therefore, being a religionist, concluded God himself to be a certain body also. . But the reasons, which he here insisteth on, will indeed extend no further than to prove, that the soul hath after death some body vitally united to it, by means whereof it is both capable of converse, and sensible of pain, forasmuch as body alone can have no sense of any thing.

a Ubi supra, cap. ix. p. 166.