The Institution of Christian Religion

But forasmuch as God did not only vouchsafe to give life unto an earthen vessel, but also it was his pleasure that it should be the dwelling house of an immortal Spirit, Adam might justly glory in so great liberality of his maker.

But forasmuche as God did not onely vouchesaue to geue life vnto an earthen vessell, but also it was his pleasure that it shoulde be the dwelling house of an immortall Spirite, Adam might iustly glory in so great liberalitie of his maker.

Now it is not to be doubted that man consisteth of soul & body, and §2by the name of soul I mean an immortal essence, and yet created, which is the nobler part of him. Sometime it is called the Spirit. Albeit when these two names Soul and Spirit are joined together, they differ one from the other in signification,¹ yet when Spirit is set by it self it meaneth as much as Soul. As, when Solomon speaking of death, sayeth that then the Spirit returneth to him that gave it. And Christ commending his Spirit to his father, and Stephen his Spirit to Christ do both mean none other thing but that when the soul is delivered from the prison of the flesh, God is the perpetual keeper of it. As for them that imagine that the Soul is therefore called a Spirit because it is a breath or a power by god inspired or poured into bodies which yet hath no essence: both the thing it self and all the Scripture showeth that they do to much grossly err. True it is that while men are fastened to the earth more than they ought to be, they wax dull, yea because they are estranged from the Father of lights they are blinded with darkness, so that they do not think upon this, that they shall remain alive after death. And yet is not that light so quenched in darkness, but that they be touched with some feeling of immortality. Surely the conscience which discerning between good and evil answereth the judgement of God, is an undoubted sign of an immortal Spirit. For how could a motion without essence attain to come to the judgement seat of God, and throw it self into fear by finding her own guiltiness? For the body is not moved with fear of a Spiritual pain, but it falleth only upon the soul. Whereby it followeth that the soul hath an essence. Moreover the very knowledge of God doth prove that the souls which ascend up above the world are immortal: for a vanishing liveliness were not able to attain to the fountain of life. Finally forasmuch as so many excellent gifts wherewith mans mind is endowed, do cry out that there is some divine thing engraven it, there are even so many testimonies of an immortal essence. For that sense which is in brute beasts, goeth not out of the body, or at lest extendeth no further than to things presently set before it.