"The bodies of men, after
death, return to dust, and see corruption: but their souls, which neither die
nor sleep, having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God who gave
them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are
received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light
and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies. And the souls of
the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter
darkness, reserved to the judgment of the great day. Beside these two places,
for souls separated from their bodies, the Scripture acknowledges none."
- The
Westminster Confession of Faith, XXXII.1 (1647)
