The sermons of Master Henry Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…The sermons of Maister Henrie Smith gathered into one volume. Printed according to his…

If any man be not satisfied with this, to believe that the souls of the dead do not walk after their dissolution, let me reason with him thus. Is it a soul which thou seest? Why a soul is a spirit, and cannot be scene no more then a voice, or an Echo: diddest thou ever see thine own soul, though it hath been ever with thee since thou was borne? Doest thou think it is a body? Why a body cannot walk without a soul: for the soul is the life which moveth the body. If thou say it is a body and soul too, then why doth Paul call death a dissolution? It is a separation of the soul from the body: if the body and soul be not dissolved, then the man is not dead but living still. If thou say the soul is come to the body, and the body is risen to the soul for that time: then I can say no more to thee, but believe thine own eyes. If thou thinkest that it is such a mans body which thou seest, look in the grave, and open the ground, and there thou shalt see the body where it was laid, even while this visor walks in thy sight: therefore apparitions are no other, then that which appeared to Saul. ⟨p. 537⟩Thus the Devil hath many ways to deceive; and this is one & a dangerous one, to draw us from the word of God, to visions, & dreams, and apparitions, upon which many of the doctrines of the Papists are grounded.

If any man bee not satisfied with this, to beleeue that the soules of the dead doe not walke after their dissolution, let mee reason with him thus. Is it a soule which thou seest? Why a soule is a spirit, and cannot bee scene no more then a voyce, or an Eccho: diddest thou euer see thine own soule, though it hath been euer with thee since thou was borne? Doest thou thinke it is a bodie? Why a bodie cannot walke without a soule: for the soule is the life which mooueth the bodie. If thou say it is a bodie and soule too, then why doth Paul call death a dissolution? It is a separation of the soule from the bodie: if the bodie and soule bee not dissolued, then the man is not dead but liuing still. If thou say the soule is come to the bodie, and the bodie is risen to the soule for that time: then I can say no more to thee, but beleeue thine owne eyes. If thou thinkest that it is such a mans bodie which thou seest, looke in the graue, and open the ground, and there thou shalt see the bodie where it was laide, euen while this vizard walkes in thy sight: therefore apparitions are no other, then that which appeared to Saul. ⟨p. 537⟩