To God; that is, they were written in the Book of Life
with them that were absolved of their sinnes, and ordained
to Life eternall at the Resurrection. That the
Soul of man is in its own nature Eternall, and a living
Creature independent on the Body; or that any meer
man is Immortall, otherwise than by the Resurrection
in the last day, (except Enos and Elias,) is a doctrine
not apparent in Scripture. The whole 14.
Chapter of Job, which is the speech not of his friends,
but of himselfe, is a complaint of this Mortality
of Nature; and yet no contradiction of the Immortality
at the Resurrection. “There is hope of
a tree,” (saith hee verse 7.) “if it be
cast down, Though the root thereof wax old, and the
stock thereof die in the ground, yet when it scenteth
the water it will bud, and bring forth boughes like
a Plant. But man dyeth, and wasteth away, yea,
man giveth up the Ghost, and where is he?” and
(verse 12.) “man lyeth down, and riseth not,
till the heavens be no more.” But when
is it, that the heavens shall be no more? St.
Peter tells us, that it is at the generall Resurrection.
For in his 2. Epistle, 3. Chapter, and
7. verse, he saith, that “the Heavens and the
Earth that are now, are reserved unto fire against
the day of Judgment, and perdition of ungodly men,”
and (verse 12.) “looking for, and hasting to
the comming of God, wherein the Heavens shall be on
fire, and shall be dissolved, and the Elements shall
melt with fervent heat. Neverthelesse, we according
to the promise look for new Heavens, and a new Earth,
wherein dwelleth righteousnesse.” Therefore
where Job saith, man riseth not till the Heavens be
no more; it is all one, as if he had said, the Immortall
Life (and Soule and Life in the Scripture, do usually
signifie the same thing) beginneth not in man, till
the Resurrection, and day of Judgment; and hath for
cause, not his specificall nature, and generation;
but the Promise. For St. Peter saies not, " Wee
look for new heavens, and a new earth, (from Nature)
but from Promise.”
Lastly, seeing it hath been already proved out of
divers evident places of Scripture, in the 35. chapter
of this book, that the Kingdom of God is a Civil Common-wealth,
where God himself is Soveraign, by vertue first of
the Old, and since of the New Covenant, wherein he
reigneth by his Vicar, or Lieutenant; the same places
do therefore also prove, that after the comming again
of our Saviour in his Majesty, and glory, to reign
actually, and Eternally; the Kingdom of God is to
be on Earth. But because this doctrine (though
proved out of places of Scripture not few, nor obscure)
will appear to most men a novelty; I doe but propound
it; maintaining nothing in this, or any other paradox
of Religion; but attending the end of that dispute
of the sword, concerning the Authority, (not yet amongst
my Countrey-men decided,) by which all sorts of doctrine
are to bee approved, or rejected; and whose commands,
both in speech, and writing, (whatsoever be the opinions
of private men) must by all men, that mean to be protected
by their Laws, be obeyed. For the points of
doctrine concerning the Kingdome (of) God, have so
great influence on the Kingdome of Man, as not to
be determined, but by them, that under God have the
Soveraign Power.