Pneumatologia, a treatise of the soul of man wherein the divine original, excellent and immortal nature of the soul are opened, its love and inclination to the body, with the necessity of its separation from it, considered and improved, the existence, operations, and states of separated souls, both in Heaven and Hell, immediately after death, asserted, discussed, and variously applyed, divers knotty and difficult questions about departed souls, both philosophical, and theological, stated and determined, the invaluable preciousness of humane souls, and the various artifices of Satan (their professed enemy) to destroy them, discovered, and the great duty and interest of all men, seasonable and heartily to comply with the most great and gracious design of the Father, Son, and Spirit, for the salvation of their souls, argued and pressed / by John Flavel ...

A Separate Soul immediately capable of Blessedness. Inference II.

THe Soul of Man being a Substance, and not depend∣ing in its Being on the Body, or any other fel∣low creature; There can be no reason on the Souls account, why its blessedness should be delayed till the Resurrection of the Body.

'Tis a great mistake. (and 'tis well 'tis so) that the Soul is capable only of social Glory, or a Blessedness in partner∣ship with the Body: And that it can neither exert its own powers, nor enjoy its own happiness in the absence of the body. The opinion of a sleeping interval took its ri••e from this errour, (as it is usual for one mistake to beget another) they conceived the Soul to be so depen∣dent upon the Body, at least in all its operations, that when death rends it from the Body, it must needs be left as in a swoon, or sleep; unable to exert its proper powers, or enjoy that felicity, which we ascribe to it in its state of se∣paration.

But certainly its substantial Nature being considered, it will be found, that what perfection soever the body re∣cieves from the Soul, and how necessary soever its depen∣dence upon it is: * 1.1 The Soul receives not its perfection from the Body, nor doth it necessarily depend on it in its prin∣cipal operations, but it can live and act out of a Body, as well as in it. Yea, I doubt not, but it enjoys it self in a much more sweet and perfect liberty, than ever it did or could, whilst it was clogged and fettered with a body of

flesh. Doubtless, * 1.2 saith Tertullian, when it is separated, and as it were strained by death, it comes out of darkness into its own pure, perfect light, and quickly finds it self a sub∣stantial Being, able to act freely in that light. Before the eyes of the dead body are closed, I doubt not, but the believing Soul with open eyes beholdeth the face of Jesus Christ: Luk. 23.43. Philip. 1.23. but this will also be fur∣ther spoken to hereafter.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Anima rati∣on••••i•• nihil 〈…〉〈…〉 poss••t••r 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Co••im••r. Disp. 2. Art. 3.
• * 1.2

  Proculdubio cum ••i mortis exp••imitur de c••••••••••tione ca••∣n••s, & ipsa e••pressi••ne co∣latu〈…〉〈…〉to de o••pan••o co••pore ••umpit in a∣pert••m, ad m••∣ram & p••••am, & sua•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 statim semetipsam in expeditione substantiae recognoscit, ut de somno emergens ab imaginibas ad veritates. Tertul. in lib. de Anima.