That the soul of man is a Divine ray, infused by the Sovereign Creator,
I have already proved, and now come to show that whatever immediately
proceeds from Him, and participates of His nature, must be as immortal
as its original; for, though all other creatures are endowed with life
and motion, they yet lack a reasonable soul, and from thence it is
concluded that their life is in their blood, and that being corruptible
they perish and are no more; but man being endowed with a reasonable
soul and stamped with a Divine image, is of a different nature, and
though his body is corruptible, yet his soul being of an immortal nature
cannot perish; but at the dissolution of the body returns to God who
gave it, either to receive reward or punishment. Now, that the body can
sin of itself is impossible, because wanting the soul, which is the
principle of life, it cannot act nor proceed to anything either good or
evil; for could it do so, it might even sin in the grave. But it is
plain that after death there is a cessation; for as death leaves us so
judgment will find us.

Now, reason having evidently demonstrated the soul's immortality, the
Holy Scriptures do abundantly give testimony of the truth of the
resurrection, as the reader may see by perusing the 14th and 19th
chapters of Job and 5th of John. I shall, therefore, leave the further
discussion of this matter to divines, whose province it is, and return
to treat of the works of nature.

* * * * *




CHAPTER V