The Sum of Christian Religion

¹To this the answer is double. First they can not prove that, which in the third place in their Minor they affirm: That the souls can not draw naughtiness & corruption from the bodies. For our first Parents also were created to eternal life, and yet were depraved falling from god. Wherefore as the creation of our first parents, and their trial by temptation, and in temptation their falling away (which being put, their corruption was certainly to follow:) so also the uniting of the souls with their bodies, in which certainly they shall be corrupted, is not contrary to the goodness of God: partly because God is so good, as also he will show forth his anger against sin, and his justice together with his mercy in his works: partly because he hath appointed a remedy in his son, unto the which who fly are delivered from this hereditary and necessary corruption, and from the danger of damnation: neither is it disagreeing from his goodness, rather to save men freed from sin and death, by the death of his only begotten Son, then if they had never fallen into these miseries. Neither is it absurd, that the nature or temperature of the body, though it be senseless, yet should be prone to evil, and no fit instrument for the good actions of the soul: and that the soul not being established in that purity, in which it was made, should follow the inclinations and corrupt temperature of the body, and should fall from that integrity in which it was, as soon as it is united unto the body: and seeing that the body proceeding from sinful and guilty parents, is one part of a man, that God should be offended with the whole man, for that part of his which is guilty, and should withdraw the grace of his spirit, that the other part also, that is, the soul being ⟨p. 73⟩deprived of spiritual gifts, may fall into wickedness and malediction.

¹To this the answeare is double. First they can not proue that, which in the third place in their Minor they affirme: That the soules can not draw naughtines & corruptiō from the bodies. For our first Parentes also were created to eternall life, and yet were depraued falling from god. Wherefore as the creation of our first parentes, and their triall by temptation, and in temptation their falling away (which being put, their corruption was certainly to followe:) so also the vniting of the soules with their bodies, in which certainlie they shall be corrupted, is not contrarie to the goodnes of God: partly because God is so good, as also he will shew foorth his anger against sinne, and his iustice togither with his mercie in his woorkes: partly because he hath appointed a remedie in his sonne, vnto the which who flie are deliuered from this hereditarie and necessarie corruption, and from the danger of damnation: neither is it disagreeing from his goodnes, rather to saue men freed from sinne and death, by the death of his onele begotten Son, then if they had neuer fallen into these miseries. Neither is it absurd, that the nature or temperature of the bodie, though it bee senseles, yet should be prone to euill, and no fit instrument for the good actions of the soule: and that the soule not being established in that puritie, in which it was made, should follow the inclinations and corrupt temperature of the bodie, and should fal from that integritie in which it was, as soone as it is vnited vnto the bodie: and seeing that the bodie proceeding from sinful and guiltie parentes, is one part of a man, that God should be offended with the whole man, for that part of his which is guiltie, and should withdraw the grace of his spirite, that the other part also, that is, the soule being