Miscellanies of divinitie divided into three books, wherein is explained at large the estate of the soul in her origination, separation, particular judgement, and conduct to eternall blisse or torment. By Edvvard Kellet Doctour in Divinitie, and one of the canons of the Cathedrall Church of Exon.

CHAP. III.

1. Some others hereafter shall be excepted from death. The change may be accounted, in a generall large sense, a kinde of death. The Papists will have a reall proper death: Aquinas, an incineration. This is disproved 1. Thessal. 4.17. which place is handled at large. The rapture of the godly is sine media mor∣te, without death. The resurrection is of all together. The righteous prevent not the wicked, in that.

2. By the words of the Creed is proved, that some shall never die. The same is confirmed by other places of Scripture; with the consent of S. Augustine, and Cajetan. The definitions Ecclesi∣asticorum dogmatum, of the sentences and tenents of the Church, leave the words doubtfully. Rabanus his exposi∣tion rejected.

3. The place of S. Paul, 2. Corinth. 5.4. evinceth, That some shall not die. Cajetan with us, and against Aquinas. Do∣ctour Estius, and Cornelius à Lapide the Jesuit, approve Cajetan. S. Augustine is on our side; and evinceth it by Adams estate be∣fore the fall; which state Bellarmine denieth not. Salmerons objections answered.

4. Some shall be exempted from death, as is manifested 1. Corinth. 15.51. The place fully explicated. The common Greek copies preferred. The Greek reading 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,

We shall not all sleep, standeth with all truth, conve∣niencie, probabilitie, and sense. The other Greek, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, We shall therefore all of us sleep, and the more different Vulgat, Omnes quidem resurgemus, sed non omnes immutabimur, Indeed we shall arise, but we shall not all be changed, justly exploded, as adverse to sense.

5. The Pelagians, though accursed hereticks, yet held truely, That some shall not die. S. Augustine dubious. Others stick in his hesitancie. Yet other Fathers and late Writers are constant, That some shall be priviledged from death; yet, that change may be called a kinde of death.

1. THe third main question being, Whether Adam and his children, all and every one of them, without priviledge or exception, must and shall die? I have first answered, and proved, that there may be an exce∣ption of some, who shall not die. Se∣condly, I have instanced in Enoch and Elias, That they have been excepted, and that they shall not die. I am now come to the third branch of my answer, That others also hereafter shall be excepted. In the avouchment of this truth consisteth the labour, till the end of this Chap∣ter. And first of all, it must needs be acknowledged, That all and every one of those, who might have been, or have been, or shall be excepted, may yet be said, in a sort, to die. a 1.1 The change which shall be in the twinkling of an eye, shall be in the room and stead of death, saith Aretius. b 1.2 The immutation of them who shall be suddenly changed, shall be a kinde of death, saith Beza. Bosquier, in his Terror Orbis, maketh rapture to be a kinde of death: we may more safely and properly call that sudden change, by the name of death. For in this it shall be like death, That it shall take away from our bodies all corruptibili∣tie and mortalitie, together with the defects now annexed to them: and because it altereth, if not abolisheth the former state or nature, it shall go for a kinde of death. But because this change doth not separate the soul from the bodie, doth not dissolve the compositum; we are bold to say, It is not a true, proper, reall death.

The Papists will not be content with this immutation; but urge a perfect naturall death, a very disjunct separation of the soul from the bodie.

Aquinas goeth further, and will have an incineration of the bodies; from which dust and ashes, incorruptible bodies shall arise.

But this is confuted by the Apostle, 1. Thess. 4.17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. c 1.3 We who remain alive shall be hurried together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the aire, as Montanus hath it. The Vulgat differeth but in word, not in sense; d 1.4 We which are alive and remain, shall be caught up. That the Apostle speaketh not this of himself, and of his own person, is confessed. Occu∣menius citeth Methodius his opinion thus; and addeth his rea∣son, For S. Paul was not alive corporally to that time. But it cometh more home, if we say (as well we may) that the bles∣sed Apostle S. Paul knew that himself was none of them, who were to endure alive on earth, till the day of the generall judgement; because he saith, 2. Tim. 4.6. I am now readie to be offered; and the time of my departure is at hand. Yea, 2. Thess. 2.2. he exhorteth the same Thessalonians, That though sedu∣cers should pretend his message, or his letter; yet they should not beleeve that Christs day was at hand. His own time was at hand, but Christs day was not. The English translation jumpeth verbally in the contradiction; At hand; and, Not at hand. The Originall varieth but a little; and that not in sense, nor in the Verb it self, but the Preposition: and Montanus hath the word, Instat, by way of exposition in both places. e 1.5 But he instanceth in his own person, saith Methodius. That he speaketh it onely of the godly, is also apparent by the con∣text: for the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we the remainder, sheweth, that a few shall be left at that time: and if he had spoken of the wicked; perhaps, he would not have put in himself, and other holy ones; he would not have said Rapiemur, We shall be taken up; but Rapientur, They shall be taken up. Again, when he saith, Rapiemur cum illis, We shall be taken up with them; who are meant in those words, save they onely who sleep in Jesus, and whom God will bring with him, 1. Thess. 4.14? which are not the wicked, but the godly onely. They are the Saints, with whom the Lord cometh, Jude ver. 14.

The Rhemists themselves confesse, that the Apostle speak∣eth of all the faithfull then living, when Christ cometh to the last judgement. Diodorus (as it is in Hierom) saith, The Apo∣stle f 1.6 said WE, that is, they who are just: out of whose number I am not excluded. A powerfull reason may confirm this: be∣cause the wicked will wish mountains to cover them, will quake and tremble at that houre, and would not be willing to come to judgement, if they could avoid it. Therefore it is not likely that they would spring forth, and put themselves for∣ward to meet the Lord.

The summe is, The godly which shall be then left, and be alive, shall be taken up into the aire. The Papists say, this is not to be done, g 1.7 without intercurrent, or intercedent death:

whereas the words are expresse, We living, and remaining, shall be snatched up. The argument of Gregorie de Valentia hath pith in it. For he saith, If the live men do die, h 1.8 it followeth that the just shall arise somewhat after others: for they shall both die and rise again. Which opinion, because it is against all Di∣vinitie, he minceth and mollifieth thus, i 1.9 All may be said to arise together: as that may be said to be done at once, which is done in a very short time. But this shift cannot serve his turn: for, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (1. Corinth. 15.52.) in puncto, or in tempore indivisibili, in one instant, is neither first nor last. But so shall all arise: and Bonaventure, Sentent. 4. distinct. 43. quaest. 3. proveth by six reasons, that k 1.10 There shall be a joynt resurrection of all together; and not successive, as Valentia would have it. The frame may be this, from his confession, The righteous shall not arise after others: But, by Valentia his acknowledgement, if the righteous, who shall be alive when Christ cometh, shall die; they must arise after others: Therefore they shall not die at all. Though it be said, 1. Thess. 4.16. The dead in Christ shall arise first, yet he saith not, he meaneth not, that they shall arise soon∣er then other men (much lesse later, as the Jesuit would feat∣ly excuse it:) for all shall be raised together, good and bad, at the blowing of the trump: All that are in the graves shall heare Christs voice (one voice, one single voice shall be heard of all) and shall come forth: they that have done good, unto the resurre∣ction of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation, John 5.28, 29. They must not come forth one by one, or one after another; but all together. And not onely they who are dead, shall all arise together: but at the same time shall both the dead be raised, and the living changed: * 1.11 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord (perhaps, some of the words which he heard in the third heaven) that we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep: And there is no likelihood that the dead shall prevent the living: Therefore all shall arise, or be changed together. The Lord shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump, 1. Thess. 4.16. With a great sound of a trumpet, Matth. 24.31. The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed, 1. Cor. 15.52. All this shall be done at one time, the change of some, and the resurrection of others. No preeminence is in that point. Though the Apostle saith, The dead in Christ shall arise first; it is meant, before others shall meet Christ in the aire. l 1.12 For he setteth not down the order of their severall resurrections, but the order of their se∣verall raptures and meetings with Christ, saith the deep Aqui∣nas. The raised and changed holy ones shall go together: the changed shall not meet Christ, till first the holy dead be raised.

Again, it is not, Resurgent primi, Shall be the first who arise, which is the bad translation of the Vulgat; but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Resurgent primùm, Shall arise first of all, adverbially; first, that is, before others meet Christ. S. Augustine was sometimes doubtfull of the main point: but what saith he, Tomo 4. de octo Dulcitii quaestionibus, quaest. 3. upon these words, WE WHO LIVE AND ARE LEFT? I would (saith he) heare more learn∣ed men concerning these words, and correct what I have sometimes thought otherwise, from hence; if they can be so expounded to me, as by them I may understand, that all who live now, or shall live, shall die.— But if in these words there can no other sense be found; and if it be cleare, that the Apostle would be understood, according to the evidence of the words, That there shall be some living in the end of the world, l 1.13 who shall not die corporally, but be clothed over with immortalitie, that mortalitie may be swallowed up of life; then to this opinion, without doubt, is agreeable that which in our Belief we confesse, That Christ shall come to judge both quick and dead. So farre proceedeth that holy Father S. Augustine.

2. And because he hath named a second place, and instanceth in the Creed; it shall be my second argument; and thus do I shape it; The Creed Apostolicall saith, Christ shall judge both the quick and the dead. He was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead, saith S. Peter, Act. 10.42. S. Paul hath the same, 2. Timoth. 4.1. Testificor coram Jesu Christo, qui judicatu∣rus est vivos & mortuos, I testifie before Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead; And when the Scriptures say so, they un∣derstand it a 1.14 of the last generall judgement, saith Bellarm. de Purgat. 2.4. Yea the Apostle expresseth so much in the last cited verse of Timothie; Christ shall judge the quick and the dead at his ap∣pearing, and his Kingdome. But his Kingdome was not of this world, and his first appearing was past; Therefore it must be at his second coming. The ground-work of the words being laid, thus the structure ariseth. By the word, dead; you cannot under∣stand the parties as they are dead; for so Christ judgeth them not; alive people are the object of his judgement: But you must needs expound dead for those, that sometimes did die and now are raised to be judged, and are alive. The word quick, or living, you cannot interpret, as the Papists do, such as are alive then, and shall die; and then be raised; and then be judged: for it needed not to have been said, He shall judge the quick and the dead; but it had been sufficient to have said onely one of them, He shall judge the quick, or the living; for indeed they shall all be alive: or, He shall judge the dead; for even the living, and the quick shall die, as the Papists feigne. But indeed the Holy Writ divides all mankinde into two sorts: the one part shall be living, and not die, but be changed; the other are such, as sometimes died: Viventes, & mor∣tuos. And thus there are no clouds in that article, He shall judge the quick and the dead.

In the Creed there is neither redundancie, nor defect: in the Popish exposition there is redundancie: for, if all and every one shall die, it might as well have been expressed, He shall judge the dead: Or, if the dead, as dead, be not properly judged; it might onely have been said, He shall judge the quick: for, according to the Papists, all the living shall die, and be again made quick. But, as I said, the specializing of two sorts, quick and dead, evinceth, that some shall not die, and some have died.

These words of the Creed did much move Cajetan, as himself confesseth; and they are brought by S. Augustine to establish this point, That some shall not die, but shall be changed: though I confesse, the definitions Ecclesiasticorum Dogmatum, cap. 8. leave it doubtfull. For thus they say, a 1.15 What is said in the Creed, That Christ at his coming shall judge the quick and the dead, we beleeve doth signifie, that not onely the just, but the sinners also shall be judged. And even those also who shall be found alive in their bodies of flesh; of whom our belief is, that they shall yet die, or, as others think, be changed: that being raised immediately, or changed, they may be judg∣ed with those who died before: And yet, me thinks, another expo∣sition of Ruffinus is as bad: for quick and dead he understandeth of souls and bodies; As if the souls were not sentenced before, in the particular judgement; as if the bodies were then dead, or to be dead, when they are judged.

3. I have not yet ended with the words of the great S. Au∣gustine: but from the phrases used by him, out of the Holy Writ, of Expoliari, & Superindui, To be unclothed, and clothed upon, I thus frame another argument.

S. Paul saith, 2. Corinth. 5.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, We would not be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortalitie might be swallowed up of life. He, who is not unclothed, but clothed upon, holdeth what he had, layeth down nothing, and hath somewhat added to him. But by this gar∣ment, Metaphorically, is the bodie meant, which shall not be cast off from the soul, or the soul from it; but in the change shall be arayed with immortalitie.

Now if there be not an expoliation, if there be not a separa∣tion of the soul from the bodie; there is no death: But there is no such expoliation: therefore they who have other clothing put upon them, shall not die. Cajetan, upon the words SƲPER∣INDƲI CƲPIENTES, DESIRING TO BE CLOTHED ƲPON &c. saith, The same shall truly befall us, b 1.16 if at Christs coming we shall be found clothed with our bodies, and not naked: that is, if we shall then remain alive, and not be dead before. And the same Cajetan confuteth Aquinas his exposition, on the place. Do∣ctour Estius approveth Cajetan; and so doth Cornelius Corne∣lii à Lapide, on the words.

Lorinus on Act. 10. and Justinian upon these passages of S.

Paul, will by no means censure our opinion, as Catharinus and Soto do: and this they professe, though they be Jesuits. For in∣deed our opinion is confirmed by S. Augustine, de peccatorum meritis & remiss. 1.2. c 1.17 If Adam had not sinned, his soul had never been disunited from his bodie, but he had been clothed upon with im∣mortalitie, and incorruption: so that the mortall part should have been swallowed up of life, that is, should be changed from a carnall life into a spirituall. Otherwhere S. Augustine saith, Adam had a state, by which he might passe from mortalitie to immortalitie without ta∣sting or partaking of death. Bellarmine speaking of Adam, citeth this, and liketh it. Why therefore may not they, that shall be residui, left, be also without death translated into glorie? If the Jesuits had had such an argument, they would have said, It were convenient for God so to do it, yea necessarie; that by plain de∣monstration mankinde might see and know, what estate they had, and what estate sometimes they lost in Adam; and that all mankinde should have been so translated, if sinne had not hin∣dered, and thrust death among us. I will onely say, It may be, that some are therefore kept to be translated, to shew the man∣ner how Adam without death should have been changed.

Salmeron objecteth, Children found alive at that time, if they die not, shall continue in the same stature: which may not be beleeved. I answer, he derogateth from the power of God: as if he were not able to make children to be men by the change, as he is able by death. Can God make children of stones? and can he not make men of children? Did he create Adam to be a full grown man, of earth? and will his hand be shortned in the im∣mutation? God, out of the little dust of little children, raiseth up, by Salmerons confession, intire, perfect bodies of men: therefore the same God may as well, as easily, and perhaps more easily, (if God doth such things more easily, then other) of the same living bodies of little children, by that mysterious change, produce and ampliate every member to the full growth of per∣fect men. God caused the rod of Aaron to bud; and it brought forth buds, and bloomed blossomes, and yeelded almonds, Numb. 17.8. and yet it was severed from the root; and laid up in the Ta∣bernacle of the Congregation, before the testimonie; free from water, or earth, to nourish it: and this was done the morrow af∣ter it was there laid: though it would not have born almonds, if it had been still united to the stock; perhaps, for many mo∣neths after. Did the same God restore unto Jeroboam, his hand which was dried up before, so that he could not pull it back to him again, 1. Kings, 13.4. and that on a sudden, at the prayer of the Prophet? And will Salmeron think, that if children do not die, they shall continue still children, although they be changed? Who knoweth not, that the change is as great a part of Gods power, as the resurrection?

Salmeron again objecteth, If the living or quick at that day, shall not die; The wicked ones d 1.18 shall avoid the fire of conflagration. I answer first, That the fire of conflagration shall be after judge∣ment. Secondly, if they should escape that fire, they cannot flee from the fire of hell. Thirdly, the wicked ones shall arise with the just, all together. The wicked ones may be changed also at the same instant, that the just are; and that is, at the same instant of the resurrection. Christ is the resurrection, and the life, John 11.25. The resurrection, to them that are dead: perhaps the life to them that are changed, and die not. The resurrection of the dead Saints, is called the resurrection unto life; The resur∣rection of the dead wick•• ones, is called the resurrection unto damnation, John 5.28. Likewise, say I, The change of the wicked, (if changed they be, as I hold it most likely) may be called the change unto shame and pain eternall; as the change of the godly, may be called a change unto glorie. For the wicked shall reap no benefit by that change: nor shall they meet Christ in the aire, by any extraordinarie rapture, as I conceive. And since they die the second death; it mattereth not, if they avoid, ei∣ther the first death, by immutation; or the fire of conflagra∣tion. Lastly, if they shall meet Christ in the aire, it is to their greater terrour: They shall be hurried to their judge, and haled toward their punishment: they meet him not, as he is a milde Saviour; but as an angrie and just God. And this is a sufficient answer both to the second and third objection of Salmeron; as the learned, who reade him, can testifie.

4. Another argument, and that of moment and validitie, to prove that some shall hereafter be excepted from death, is taken from that memorable, diversly read, diversly expounded place of the Apostle, 1. Corinth. 15.51. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, e 1.19 We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed; as the Interlinearie hath it. And this is the first, and best reading. Let us examine, first the words, and the severall translations; and so approach to the exposition.

The Greek cited by me at large, is in all the Greek copies: so saith Peter Martyr; and Doctour Estius confirmeth the same: so likewise doth Chrysostom, and Theophylact reade it: and Theodoret, and Justinus ad Orthodoxos, quaest. 61. & quaest. 109. and Origen, in tertio volumine enarrationis Epistolae primae ad Thessalonicenses, as also in his book against Marcion, Which is a manuscript in the Vatican, saith Estius. So Oecumenius, Prognost. 3.48. So Theodorus Heracleotes reades it, saith S. Hierom, in Tom. 3. Epistolarum, pag. 198. and in the end of the same Epistle to Minerius and Alexander, S. Hierom acknowledgeth, that even in his dayes the Greeks did not reade it as the Latines. Salme∣ron on the place, findes fault with, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Omnes quidem non dormiemus, All of us shall not die: f 1.20 which, according

to the proprietie of the words, is as if he had said, NONE SHALL DIE. For it is not said, NOT ALL OF ƲS SHALL DIE, by which words is meant and declared, that some shall not die. And there is a great difference among Logicians between these two propo∣sitions, NOT ALL OF ƲS SHALL DIE, and, ALL OF ƲS SHALL NOT DIE. So farre he.

First, I say, Estius a learned Doctour, and Popish Divine, doth sleight this subtiltie: g 1.21 Know (saith he) that the sense is no whit changed or altered, whether you reade it thus, ALL OF ƲS SHALL NOT DIE, as the order of the words is in the Greek text: or thus, NOT ALL OF ƲS SHALL DIE, as Hierom reades it, and most of the Latines interpret it.

Secondly, I say, if we should maintain that none shall die of them that are residui, then remaining alive; but that both good and bad, shall all be changed without death; I see no inconve∣nience to arise from that opinion.

Catharinus, in his Commentaries, findes fault with those, who follow the first reading, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but Estius findes fault with him for his fault finding; condemning him of inconsideration, and rashnes. The Arabick accordeth with the Greek; Nos omnes non moriemur, sed nos omnes mutabimur, We all shall not die, but we all shall be changed. The Syriack also is in har∣monie with both Greek and Arabick (though Salmerons nicetie may think it a jarre) Non omnes nos obdormiemus, omnes autem nos immutabimur; Not all we shall sleep, but all we shall be changed: yea, an old vulgat translation, which is in Basil in the librarie of the Predicants (saith Erasmus) agreeth with our Greek. Aquinas him∣self, in the end of his 8. Lect. confesseth, that our Greek reading is in sense consonant to that which the Apostle wrote to the Thessalonians, the first Epist. 4 chap. and 17 verse. Scri∣ptures sweetly expound Scripture: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, saith the Apostle here: and to the Thessalo∣nians, We which are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together. The very Prefaces have a correspondence in substance, and are more then ordinarie; This we say unto you by the word of the Lord, 1. Thessal. 4.15. and here, 1. Corinth. 15.51. Behold, I shew you a mysterie: And then doth he in both places evince an immuta∣tion, without death. Therefore there can be no danger in our opinion; as may be evinced from Aquinas his free acknowledge∣ment. Yea, there is not onely no danger, but great reason for it: for, How excellently doth this agree with that, which presently followeth, verse 52. The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Doth he not plainly discriminate and diversifie those, which shall be raised, from those which shall be changed? He doth not say, We shall be raised incorruptible, and, We shall be changed; as he must have done, if all are to die, and then to be changed: And, to shew that the change is not by laying down

of the bodie, he addeth immediately, This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortall must put on immortalitie, vers. 53. phrases implying no losse, no decay, no separation; but a superin∣duction, and superaddition to what before was enjoyed. And when this is done, he saith most pertinently, vers. 54. Then shall be brought to passe the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victorie. as if he had said, When both these things are accom∣plished, the raising of the dead, and the change of the living, so that they shall be no more mortall; then shall death be overcome: O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? vers. 55.

So much for the first and best reading, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I come to the second (which is varied by the addition of one letter; but it makes a contrarietie in the sense) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Omnes non dormiemus, All of us shall not sleep, saith the for∣mer: Omnes dormiemus, All of us shall sleep, saith the latter. And this latter way it seemeth to have been read in some few co∣pies, even in S. Hieroms time. But this Greek lection is justly suspected (saith the worthy Estius;) the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 being so easily tur∣ned into 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 by the addition of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or a little dash. And he findeth just fault with Acacius in Hierom, for saying it was so read in most Greek copies; when as, certainly it was read so but in verie few copies; whereof there is scarce one now extant, and not many proofs that ever there were many copies of that extant. Neither indeed doth the reading stand with sense. For the A∣postle solemnly premizeth, Behold, I shew you a mysterie: and then subjoyneth immediately, according to this new-fangled mis-writing, We shall all therefore sleep, or die. Is this a mysterie, that all shall sleep, or all die? Doth he promise mountains, and bring forth a molehill? Every Heathen knows, that we shall die; every Christian, Turk, and Jew, that we shall be raised a∣gain. But, when God justly for sinne sentenced man to death with a morte morieris, That some sinfull men should be exce∣pted, is a mysterie, deserving such a watchword, as Behold: Be∣hold, I shew you a mysterie; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Secondly, from the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I thus argue: That death (if such a death there be any) which is so speedily be∣gun, by separation of the soul from the bodie, and ended (as I may so say) by the swift and momentanie reuniting of the same soul to the same bodie, cannot handsomely be called a sleep. Doth he sleep, who in the twinkling of an eye is chan∣ged from mortalitie to immortalitie? yea, from being alive, is made dead? and from being dead, is made alive; and that in∣corruptibly? Was ever sleep confined to an instant, till now? or may one be said to sleep, in the midst of these great works? It is not so much as Analogicall sleep. The greatest sleepers have more then an instant, ere they can begin to sleep. Sleep

creepeth or falleth on men by degrees; heavinesse and dulnesse usher it; and the spirits have a time to retire to their forts, and cittadels; the senses are not locked up, nor do they deposite the use of their faculties in a moment. And may that be called properly rest, or sleep, which resteth not above an instant, and is as quick as thought? Rest and sleep do couch upon the bed of time: likewise it is as much as possibly can be done, (if so much can be done) to awake one in an instant. The Scri∣pture useth the phrase of sleeping towards them, who rest (as it were) in death, in the earth, in the grave: Our friend Laza∣rus sleepeth, saith Christ, John 11.11. when indeed he was bu∣ried. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake, Dan. 12.2. Let one place of holy Writ be produced, where one and the same instant beginneth sleep, and endeth awaking; and then I may say, there may be some shadow for that read∣ing. But here is no pause, no rest, no quiet; therefore no sleep: therefore the word sleep in this place, is applied to such as died before; and not to such as are alive, and shall die; as the second lection implieth.

Thirdly, it wanteth force, to say in the whole conjoyned sentence, We shall therefore all sleep, or die; but we shall all be changed. If the Apostle had intended any such thing, he would not have used the adversative particle But; but the implica∣tive word And: We shall all therefore sleep; AND we shall all be changed. This had been sense, if thus it had been: but not being so, we may the more confidently shake off the second lection, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as abhorrent from reason; and cleave to the first, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Omnes quidem non dormie∣mus, &c. All we shall not die, but all we shall be changed.

And so, from the varietie of Greek copies, I come to the Vulgat, the Translation in Latine, Omnes quidem resurgemus, sed non omnes immutabimur; Truely we shall all of us arise, but we shall not all of us be changed.

First, I say, this differeth from all Greek copies; whereas, if it had been according to any sort of them, it might have swayed us much that way.

Secondly, the same argument toucht at before, may also give a side-blow to this translation. The Apostle raiseth up their considerations, by promising to tell them a mysterie: But it was no mysterie to tell them, that they should all be raised; when he had told it so pithily, so divinely, and so of∣ten beat upon it before, by so many kindes of arguments, as he did.

Thirdly, where the Vulgat saith, Non omnes immutabimur; it is not true: for Omnes immutabimur, We shall all be changed, from mortalitie to immortalitie, from naturall bodies to spirituall. If you say, We shall not be all changed to glorie; I say so

with you: I adde, That is no mysterie; all know that. There∣fore the Apostle speaketh not of a change to glorie eternall in the heavens; whereunto some onely shall be changed; but he speaketh of a change from mortalitie to immortalitie, from cor∣ruptible bodies to incorruptible; which even the wickedest men shall have. And perhaps he meaneth, that this generall immu∣tation shall be made, sine media morte, without intercurrent, or intercedent death, even in the wicked that shall be then alive: yet in the change, you must alwaies make this diversitie: The wicked shall be singled out to shame, to losse, to punishment eternall, with their raised or changed bodies (for even in their raising also, there is a change from corruption to incorrupti∣on:) but in the change of the godly, there is glorious incor∣ruption, joyfull immortalitie, pleasurable eternitie.

The word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth a change of a thing from place to place; as when we take a piece of wood from the earth, and cast it into the water: Thus the wicked shall be hur∣ried from their graves to the judgement seat; and shall be pla∣ced on the left hand of our Saviour; and, after sentence, shall be haled, and cast from earth into hell. On the other side, the righteous in their change shall be mounted up from their graves, or from the earth, into the aire, to meet Christ; and shall be at his right hand; and, after sentence, be carried or ascend up into heaven, in most glorious manner, to live with Christ eternally.

Fourthly, if we reade it with the Vulgat, We shall all arise, but we shall not all be changed; we must also immediately an∣nex the words, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eie, at the last trump: for there is the pause, and stay to be made; there is the full sentence. The Vulgat hath done very ill, to make the stay and full point at immutabimur: for then the words following bear no construction at all, if they be considered by themselves; In a moment, in the twinkling of an eie, at the last trump. For then cometh in new matter; For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, &c. What coherence subsequent then shall you make unto these words? None at all. The coherence must be with the antecedent words. But, say I, take the antecedent words, as the Vulgat hath them; and reade, as you must, the connexion in this sort, We shall indeed all arise: but shall not all be changed, in a mo∣ment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: For the trum∣pet shall sound, &c. I say, even in this reading there is little sense also; yea, much untruth. Is it not certain that we shall be changed in a moment? Or how long shall the time of change be? There is no way to avoid this foul absurditie, which cometh by the Vulgat edition; unlesse it be by a greater, that

is, by saying that you will make an Hyperbaton; and include these words, We shall not all be changed, in a Parenthesis: and then the sense will be, We shall arise in a moment, &c. For, though it be true, that we shall arise in a moment; yet there is no ground, that we shall not be changed in a moment. In all likelihood, a change may rather be more speedie, which is without death; then that change which is made through death and resurrection. If they may be, and shall be raised, and chan∣ged in a moment; they may in a moment be changed, and not raised.

Secondly, no authoritie, that I know, runneth for such a needlesse Parenthesis: and I deem it as a violence offered to the Text, so to strain it, when the sense will runne fairly o∣therwise, according to the best Greek copies; We shall not all sleep; but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.

Let this also serve to have been spoken against the Latin Vulgat edition, and its bad reading, Omnes quidem resurgemus: sed non omnes immutabimur. In momento, in ictu oculi, in novissi∣ma tuba, canet enim tuba, & mortui resurgent incorrupti, &c. By how much the lesse sense is in this; by so much the more are we bound to adhere to the Originall, and the most common and best copies of it.

This I may be bold to averre, That if some shall not die, and yet be changed; there shall be an infallible, yea demon∣strative proof unto sense, That the very self same bodie which man had, shall inherit eternall glorie. For, if they die not, they must needs keep and have the same bodies, from which they are not parted by immutation. Yea, the identicall resurrecti∣on of the same very bodies which were dead, may thus farre be proved, That if the changed bodies shall be still the same in substance, though differing in qualities; the raised bodies also shall be no otherwise, nor any way different: and Pythagoras will then disprove his * 1.22 transmigration of souls into diverse bodies, and his heathenish * 1.23 regeneration (to which Nicodemus seem∣ed to have an eye, Joh. 3.4.) when every soul cometh arayed with its own bodie; and when they, who by change put not off their bodies, shall come alive to judgement.

5. The Pelagians were wont thus to argue, If sinne came in by Adam, then all must needs die: But some shall not die, namely those, y 1.24 who shall be found remaining alive: Therefore sinne came not into the world by Adam. S. Augustine answer∣eth this argument very sufficiently otherwise: and it may ea∣sily and briefly be answered, All shall die reatu, though not actu. Yet that holy Father, and that great just enemie of the accursed Pelagians, z 1.25 for the greater and better securitie and safe∣tie, would seem to rest doubtfull of their assumption; which

he needed not. Whereupon, de Civitat. 20.20. he saith, a 1.26 Death goeth before; a most short and speedie one, yet a death. And in the same place, b 1.27 They shall slip, sail, or passe over by death to immor∣talitie with wonderfull speed. Again, de peccat. merit. & remiss. 2.31. c 1.28 God at the end of the world shall grant this priviledge unto some, That by reason of their sudden change they shall not feel death. And, Retract. 2.33. d 1.29 Either they die not, or otherwise they glide from this life into death, and from death into eternall life, as it were, in the twinkling of an eye, by a most speedie alteration, taking no notice or sense of death. He leaves it doubtfull (as you see) in these his last books: though sometimes before he thought, That all should die; and otherwhere, as ad Dulcitium, quaest. 3. That they should not die.

The Master of the Sentences saith concerning the question, Whether the change be by death, or without it, e 1.30 Man can∣not determine certainly which of these is truest. Rabanus, lib. 4. de sermon. proprietat. having alledged the consent of divers Fathers to establish his own opinion, That all must die; yet an∣nexeth this, Because there are others alike Catholick and learned men, who beleeve, That, the soul remaining in the bodie, those shall be changed to immortalitie, who shall be found alive at the coming of our Lord; f 1.31 and that it stands them in stead of rising from the dead, that they cast away mortalitie by change, not by death; Let any man rest on which opinion he pleaseth, &c. Which very words also, you shall finde in the book de Ecclesiast. Dogmat. cap. 7. Now though S. Augustine was dubious, and some with him; and though some also have imbraced the contrary opi∣nion: yet equally Catholick and learned men have been con∣stant to maintain, That some shall not die, but be changed; as you have heard confessed.

If you please, you may take a view of some, more particu∣larly. The afore named Theodorus Heracleotes, cited by Hie∣rom, in his epistle to Minerius and Alexander, hath it thus; i 1.32 The Saints, who in the day of the last judgement shall be found to be alive and remain in their earthly bodies, shall not see death, or taste of it; and shall be with the Lord, kicking and spurning at death and the greatest inforcing necessitie thereof. Apollinaris, cited in the same epistle, said, Some shall not die; but be snatcht out of this life, that with changed, and glorified bodies, they might be with Christ. Chry∣sostom on the 10. to the Romanes, and on 1. Thess. 4. and upon this place to the Corinthians, saith, Some shall escape death. With him agreeth Epiphanius, Haeresi 64. saying, k 1.33 Who is suddenly snatched up, is not yet dead. And before them, Origen, lib. 2. contra Celsum, so opineth. Theophylact on 1. Corinth. 15. thus, l 1.34 Even they who shall not die, shall be transchanged out of this corruptible life, to incorruptibilitie: And again, m 1.35 Some indeed shall not die at all. To that effect S. Hierom in his epistle to Marcella, quaest. 3.

num. 148. and in his epistle to Minerius and Alexander, bring∣eth the saying of Christ (Matth. 24.37, &c.) of the dayes of Noah, when the floud swept them away, as they were eating and drinking; to prove that at the last judgement some shall not die. Theodoret evinceth the same truth, producing the pas∣sage of Matth. 24.40. of two in the field; one assumed, the other rejected. And Chrysostom, in his Sermon de Ascensione Domini, instanceth in the verse following, of two in a mill; one refused, the other accepted: which proofs aim at this, That all shall not die. Cajetan is rich in proofs, That all shall not die: See him on Act. 10. upon Timoth. 4. upon 1. Corinth. 15. upon 1. Thessal. 4. Tertullians words must not be omitted, in his book de resurrectione carnis; n 1.36 This gracious priviledge belongs unto those, who at the coming of our Lord and Saviour to judgement shall be found alive upon earth: and for the grievous afflictions and pressures of the times under Antichrist they shall have granted unto them this indulgence, That they shall not die, but shall be suddenly changed, and so go to meet Christ together with those which shall then be rai∣sed from the dead.

Salmeron being peremptorie, That all and every one shall die properly, upon 1. Thessal. 4. hath a wilde crotchet, That all, who shall be alive toward the end of the world, shall be consu∣med with the fire of conflagration, which shall go before Christ; and so dead and raised shall be snatched up. But S. Augustine, de Civitat. Dei, 20.16. setting down the order of the last judge∣ment, saith, The fire of conflagration shall be after the last judge∣ment.

I will close this point, with the sound and learned words of Calvin, (which fully accord, with what I rested on, in the be∣ginning of this chapter) upon 1. Corinth. 15. o 1.37 Since there cannot be a change (saith he,) but the former nature must be abolished; the very change, on good grounds, may justly be accounted a kinde of death: but since there is not a separation of the soul from the bodie, it is not to be reputed as if it were the common and ordinarie death. Upon 1. Thessal. 4. he wittily observeth, that they p 1.38 who are dead, or do die, for some space of time or other (longer or shorter) their souls put off the substantiall clothing of the bodie or flesh: but they who shall be changed, shall put off onely the qualitie, not the substance.

The summe of all is this, The third main question, by me at first propounded, was, Whether all and every one, without ex∣ception, must and shall die? The Papists are obstinate for the af∣firmative; I have proved the negative, That some may be, some have been, and some others shall be excepted, and not die. And so I end my third and last Chapter of my third book of Miscellanies.

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O Most gracious Lord God, who hast com∣mitted all judgement to thy onely sonne, our onely Lord and Saviour; I beseech thee to have pitie upon me, and for Jesus Christ his sake, receive me into thy especiall favour. O blessed JESU, accept of these my poore and weak endeavours; and receive my prayers, and present them with mer∣cie to the throne of Grace: hasten thy coming, and thy kingdome: Come sweet JESU, come quickly: and prepare my soul, to meet thee with joy. If it be thy ho∣ly will, let me be one of them, that shall be changed, and changed to the better: from pain to comfort, from sicknesse, sorrow, and labour, to rest, and blessednesse eternall. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Loco mortis erit mo∣mentanea commutatio.
• b 1.2

  In illis qui repentè immutantur, immutatio illa erit species mortis.
• c 1.3

  Nos viventes reli∣cti, simul cum illis rapi∣emur in nubibus in oc∣cursum Domini in aera.
• d 1.4

  Qui vivimus, qui relinquimur, &c.
• e 1.5

  Sed suam personam verbi gratiâ profert.
• f 1.6

  Apostolus Nos dixit, pro eo quod justos; de quorum & ego sum nu∣mero.
• g 1.7

  Sine media morte.
• h 1.8

  Sequitur justos ali∣quantò pòst resurrectu∣ros, quàm alios: fiqui∣dem morientur, atque adeò resurgent.
• i 1.9

  Omnes possunt dici resurgere simul, prout simul fieri dici potest, quod fit sub idem tem∣pus brevissimum.
• k 1.10

  Resurrectio omnium fit simul, & non succes∣sivê.
• * 1.11

  1. Thess. 4.15.
• l 1.12

  Non enim ponit ordi∣nem resurrectionis ad resurrectionem, sed or∣dinem ad raptum vel occurrentiam.
• l 1.13

  Qui non expolientur corpore, sed superindu∣antur immortalitate, ut absorbeatur mortale à vita.
• a 1.14

  De novissimo generali judicio.
• a 1.15

  Quod dicimus in sym∣bolo, in advētu Domi∣ni vivos & mortuos judicandos, non solùm justos & peccatores signi¦ficari credimus; sed & vivos eos, qui in carne invenien••i sunt: qui ad∣huc morituri credun∣tur, vel immutandi sunt, ut alii volunt; ut suscitati continuò, v••l reformati, cum antè mortuis judicentur.
• b 1.16

  Si in die Domini, ve∣stiti corpore, & non nu∣di, inventi fuerimus; id est, si tunc residui futu∣ri sumus, & nondum mortui.
• c 1.17

  Si non peccâsset A∣dam, non erat expolian∣dus corpore, sed super∣vestiendus immortali∣tate & incorruptione, ut abscrberetur mor∣tale à vita, id est, ab a∣nimali in spirituale transiret.
• d 1.18

  Ignem conflagrationis evadent.
• e 1.19

  Omnes autem non dormiemus, omnes au∣tem immutabimur.
• f 1.20

  Quod, juxta verbo∣rum proprietatem, per∣inde est ac dicere, Nul∣los dormituros: non e∣nim dicitur, Non o∣mnes dormiemus, quà declararet, aliquos non morituros. Est grande discrimen apud Logicos inter Non o∣mnes dormiemus, &, Omnes non dormie∣mus.
• g 1.21

  S••ito sensum non mu∣tari, sive legas, Omnes quidem non dormie∣mus, qui ordo verbo∣rum est in Graeco: sive, Non omnes quidem dormiemus, quomodo legit Hieronymus, & plerique Lat ni ver∣tunt.
• * 1.22

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.23

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• y 1.24

  Qui reperientur vivi
• z 1.25

  In majorem caute∣lam.
• a 1.26

  Dormitio praecedit, quamvìs brevissima, non tamen nulla.
• b 1.27

  Per mortem ad im∣mortalitatem mirâ cele∣ritate transibunt.
• c 1.28

  Hoc quibusdam in si∣ne largietur Deus, ut mortem istam repenti∣uâ commutatione non sentient.
• d 1.29

  Aut non morientur, aut de vita ista in mor∣tem, & de morte in ae∣ternam vitam, celerri∣mâ commutatione, tan∣quam in ictu oculi trans∣eundo, mortem non sentient.
• e 1.30

  Horum quid sit ve∣rius, non est humani judicii definire.
• f 1.31

  Et hoc eis reputari pro resurrectione ex mortuis, quòd mortali∣tatem immutatione de∣ponant, non morte, &c.
• i 1.32

  Sancti, qui in die ju∣dicii in corporibus repe∣riendi sunt, non gusta∣bunt mortem; erúnt que cum Domino, gravissi∣mâ mortis necessitate calcatâ.
• k 1.33

  Qui rapitur, nondum mortuus est.
• l 1.34

  Etiam qui non mori∣entur, ad incorruptibi∣litatem transferentur.
• m 1.35

  Nonnulli nè morien∣tur quidem.
• n 1.36

  Hujus gratiae privi∣legium illos manet, qui ab adventu Domini, deprehendentur in carne: &, propter du∣ritias temporum An∣tichristi, merebuntur, compendio mortis per demutationem expun∣ctae, concurrere cum re∣surgentibus.
• o 1.37

  Cùm mutatio fieri ne∣queat, quin aboleatur prior natura; ipsa muta∣tio meritò censetur spe∣cies mortis: sed cùm non sit animae à corpore solu∣tio, non reputatur in morte ordinaria.
• p 1.38

  Qui dormiunt, aliquo temporis spatio exuunt corporis substantiam; qui innovabuntur, non nisi qualitatem.