..... resurgent. .. Qui porro ultimo illo die superstites erunt, nequaquam morientur more reliquorum, sed momento et jactu oculi, immutabuntur, " Finally, we believe from the word of God, that when the time appointed by God shall come, which is unknown to all creatures, and the number of the elect shall have been completed, our Lord Jesus Christ will come again from heaven, and this corporally and visibly, as formerly he ascended thither, with glory and majesty, that he may declare himself Judge of the quick and the dead. For all that were already dead shall then rise from the earth...... Moreover, those who are alive at that last day, will not die after the manner of others, but in a moment and the twinkling of an eye will be changed" (Niemeyer pp. 387, 388). ..... Here it is expressly taught that Christ will not come until the last day, and when the number of the elect shall be completed, that at his coming, not a part, but all the dead shall rise, and that he will appear as the Judge of the living and the dead. The Scotch Confession, A.D. 1560. Art. xi. Sicut etiam sine dubio credimus, ultimum judicium futurum, ad cujus executionem, certo confidimus, eundem Dominum Jesum visibiliter rediturum, sicut visus est ascendere, et quod tunc tempus recreationis et restitutionis rerum omnium veniet, finiter credimus, "Thus also we believe, without doubt, that there will be a final judgment, to whose execution we with certainty expect the same Lord Jesus visibly to return, as he was seen ascending, and that then will come the time of the renewing and restoring of all things" (Niemeyer, p. 345). The Anglican Confession, or Thirty-nine Articles, A.D. 1551–1562. Art. iv. Christus vere a mortuis resurrexit..... in coelum ascendit, ibique residet, quoad extremo die judicandos homines reversurus sit, "Christ did truly rise again from death .... and ascended into heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all men at the last day" (Niemeyer, p. 601). This Article is definite in itself, limiting Christ's return to the last day, until which time he remains seated in heaven, and when he does come it is to judge all men. But these Articles in the older form, as the Articles of Edward VI., had besides this Fourth Article, also the forty-first, thus: Qui millenariorum fabulam revocare conantur, sacris literis adversantuo et in Judaica deliramenta sese praecipitant, "Those who are endeavoring to revive the fable of the Millenarians oppose the sacred scriptures, and run headlong into Jewish follies" (Niemeyer, p. 600). This leaves no doubt about the views of those who compiled this confession. The very thing is pointed out by name, and reprobated in the strongest terms. The Westminster Confession and Catechisms, A.D. 1643-1648. Confession, Art. viii. "And shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world." Larger Catechism, Quest. 56. "Christ..... shall come again at the last day in great power, and in the full manifestation of his own glory, and of his Father's, with all his holy angels, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, to judge the world in righteousness." His coming is here set down "at the last day," and for the purpose of judging the world. These are not all, but they embrace the chief and most important of the Protestant confessions, and among the others there will be found no dissent from the views here expressed. We have chosen to cite the words of these confessions, that they might be allowed to speak for themselves. Their own testimony is more convincing than anything we could say of them. We have here the united testimony of Luther and Melanchthon, of Zwingli and Bucer, of Calvin and Knox, of Ursinus and Olevianus, of the great Anglican divines, Episcopal and Presbyterian, joined by the whole Protestant church of the sixteenth century. Among them all there appears no discordant or conflicting testimony. They were jealous of the honor of their Divine Redeemer, and devoted themselves to his glory. For the welfare of his kingdom they lived and labored They all believed in his kingdom as being spiritual, and were unanimous in their testimony to the following points: 1. That Christ will continue to occupy his mediatorial throne in heaven until all the redeemed are gathered into his fold. Exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, he will extend his kingdom and subjugate the world to his sway, by the power he exercises on that throne, and not by coming in person to establish an earthly kingdom, or to reign visibly over the world. 2. That Christ will not come again until the end of the present world. His coming is identified with the end of this dispensation, or of the present world as under the providence and grace of God. His coming ushers in an entirely new order of things, terminating the probation of this earth, and commencing the period of retribution. 3. That when Christ does come it will be to the general resurrection and judgment of the last day. A partial, literal resurrection of saints to dwell upon the earth before the general resurrection, as well as a personal reign of Christ over this world, is a doctrine unknown to the faith of the Reformers. It remains that we compare in this examination the Catholic and Greek confessions. The Catholic church boasts of her faith as truly apostolic, having received it and handed it down unimpaired from the apostles. However she was constrained by the upheaving of the great Reformation to give to the world a new exposition and confirmation of her faith. It is entirely foreign to our purpose to examine the claims of the Catholic church to apostolicity, or to discuss the soundness of her teachings. It has been indeed a mooted question where the true doctrines of the Catholic church are to be found, or what are to be considered as her symbolical writ ings; and upon this subject her own authorities are not entirely agreed. The most reliable authorities name the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent (Canones et Decreta Concilii Tridentini), the Tridentine or Roman Catechism (Catechismus Romanus, ex Decreto Concilii Tridentini), and the Profession of Faith (Professio fidei Tridentinae), contained in the Bull of Pius IV., 1564, giving the greatest weight to the first of these documents. Möhler, who may be regarded as the very highest authority on this subject, says in reference to the Canons and Decrees of Trent and their symbolical character: "Every other writing that may bear such a title is only a deduction from this formulary, or a nearer definition, illustration, or application of its contents, or is in part only regulated by it, or in any case obtains a value only by agreement with it, and hence cannot in point of dignity, bear a comparison with the original itself." It may not be amiss in passing to observe that a doctrine need not be suspected because of being found in the creed of that church, for confessedly most of the great doctrines are retained and zealously defended by her, however she may have corrupted and destroyed the truth by admixtures of error. She has never been charged with unsoundness or false teaching on the particular point under consideration, but has adhered closely to the ancient creeds and the faith of the Fathers. 1. Council of Trent, Sessio III., A.D. 1546. The decree concerning the faith-de symbolo fidei-has in reference to Christ: Sedet ad dextram Patris, et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos, cujus regni non erit finis "sitteth at the right hand of the Father, and will come again with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; of whose kingdom there shall be no end." The symbol adopted was simply the Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan, and, of course, does not differ on this doctrine. The Tridentine Profession of Faith includes the same formula, and all authorized teachers of the church are expected and required to conform to its doctrines (Sarpi, Hist. Concil. Trent). 2. The Catechism of Trent, A.D. 1566. This catechism, published by authority of the council, Sessions xxiv., xxv., and officially endorsed is of very high authority in the Catholic church. In it we find the following: De vii. Articulo, Caput viii. 1. Quis est septimus articulus, quamque sententiam includit? "What is the seventh article, and what doctrine does it embrace?" Inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, "Whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead." And it is added: Cujus Articuli, ea vis est et ratio, summo illo die, Christum Dominum de universo hominum genere judicaturum esse, "Of this article this is the force and meaning, that at the last day Christ the Lord will judge all mankind." 2. Quotuplex est Christi adventus? Sacrae literae duos Filii Dei adventus esse testantur; alterum cum salutis nostrae causa carnem assumpsit, et homo in virginis alvo effectus est; alternum, cum in consummatione saeculi ad judicandos omnes homines veniet. Hic adventus in sacris literis dies Domini appellatur, etc., etc. Thus rendered by T. A. Buckley (London 1852), "For the sacred letters bare witness that there are two comings of the Son of God, one, when for our salvation he took upon him the flesh, and was made man in the womb of the virgin; the other, when he shall come at the end of the world to judge mankind. This coming is called in scripture, the day of the Lord; of which the apostle saith, The day of the Lord shall so come as a thief in the night; and our Lord himself, But of that day and hour no one knoweth" (Cat. Rom. ex Decreto Concilii Tridentini, etc.). As illustrating and confirming the faith of the Catholic church on this subject, we may cite one or two additional authorities. The extended Catechism of P. Collot, doctor of the Sorbonne, translated and published by authority of Archbishop Hughes, has Article vii. 2. "What mean those words: Whence he shall come to VOL. XXIV. No. 96. 82 |