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ARTICLE XI

The Resurrection of the Body.

*

Cùm omnes

dant, ut poft

Aquileienfis

nis refurrec

bam ; & pro

HIS Article was anciently delivered and acknowledged by all Ecclefiæ ita Churches, only with this difference, that whereas in other places facramentum it was expreffed in general terms, the refurrection of the flesh, Symboli trathey of the Church of Aquileia, by the addition of a Pronoun quam dixerant propounded it to every fingle Believer in a more particular way peccatorum reof expreffion, the refurrection of this flefb. And though we have tranfla- miffionem, addant carnis ted it in our English Creed, the refurrection of the body; yet neither the refurrectioGreek nor Latin ever delivered this Article in those terms, but in thefe, the nem; fancta + refurrection of the flesh; becaufe there may be ambiguity in the one, in Ecclefia, relation to the celeftial and fpiritual Bodies, but there can be no collufion in ubi tradit carthe other. Only it will be neceffary, for fhewing our agreement with the tionem, addit ancient Creeds, to declare that as by Flesh they understood the body of Man, unius pronoand not any other flesh; fo we, when we tranflate it Body, underftand no minis fyllaother body but fuch a body of flesh, of the fame nature which it had before eo quod cateit was by death feparated from the Soul. And this we may very well and ridicunt, carnis refurrecproperly do, because our Church hath already taken care therein, and given tionem, nos us a fit occafion fo to declare our felves. For though in the Creed it felf, dicimus hujus used at Morning and Evening Prayer, the Article be thus delivered, [the re- carnis refurfurrection of the body] yet in the Form of publick Baptifin, where it is pro- Ruffin. Apol. pounded by way of Queftion to the God-fathers in the Name of the Child adv. Hier. Sato be baptized, it runneth thus, [Doft thou believe ---- the refurrection of the is cauta & flefb?] We fee by daily experience that all Men are mortal; that the Body, left jectione fidem by the Soul, the falt and life thereof, putrifieth and confumeth, and accord- Symboli Ecing to the fentence of old, returneth unto Duft: But thefe Bodies, as frail docet, quæ in and mortal as they are, confifting of this corruptible Flesh, are the fub- eo quod à cæject of this Article, in which we profefs to believe the refurrection of the teris traditur, body.

1

rectionem,

providâ ad

clefia noftra

carnis refurrectionem,uno addito prono

mine tradit, hujus carnis resurrectionem. Id. in Symb. Sive ergo corpus refurrecturura dicimus, fecundùm Apoftolum dicimus (hoc enim nomine ufus eft) five carnem dicimus, fecundùm traditionem Symboli confitemur. Idem Prol. in Apolog. Pamphili. † The Greeks always ufe Cagnòs avasariv, the Latins Carnis Refurrectionem. And this was to be observed, because, being we read of Spiritual Bodies, fome would acknowledge the Refurrection of the Body, who would deny the Refurrection of the Flesh. Of this S. Jerome gives an Account, and withal of the words of the Creed. Exempli caufà pauca fubjiciam, Credimus, inquiunt, refurrectionem futuram corporum: Hoc fi bene dicatur, pura confeffio eft; fed quia corpora funt coeleftia, & terreftria, & aer ifte & aura tenuis juxta naturam fuam corpora nominantur, corpus ponunt, non carnem, ut Orthodoxus corpus audiens carnem putet, Hæreticus fpiritum recognofcat. Hæc enim eorum eft prima decipula; quæ fi deprehenfa fuerit,, inftruunt alios dolos, & innocentiam fimulant, & malitiofos nos vocant, & quafi fimpliciter credentes aiunt, Credimus refurrectionem carnis. Hoc verò cùm dixerint, vulgus indoctum putat, fibi fufficere, maximè quia idipfum & in Symbolo creditur. Ep. 55. ad Pam. & Ocean.

When we treated concerning the Refurrection of Christ, we ‡ delivered the Page 254 proper notion and nature of the Refurrection in general, that from thence we might conclude that our Saviour did truly rife from the dead. Being now to explain the Refurrection to come, we fhall not need to repeat what we then delivered, or make an addition as to that particular, but referring the Reader to that which is there explained, it will be neceffary for us only to confider what is the Refurrection to come, who are they which shall be raifed, how we are affured they fhall rife, and in what manner all fhall be performed. And this Refurrection hath fome peculiar difficulties different from those which might feem to obftruct the belief of Chrift's Refurrection. For the Body of the Son of God did never fee corruption; all the parts thereof B b b 2

con

16.

continued in the fame condition in which they were after his moft precious Soul had left them, they were only depofited in the Sepulchre, otherwife the Grave had no power over them. But other mortal Bodies, after the Soul hath deferted them, are left to all the fad effects of their Mortality: We may Joh. 17. 14, Say to corruption, thou art my father; to the worm, thou art my mother and my fifter; our Corps go down to the bars of the pit, and reft together in the dust. Our death is not a fimple diffolution, not a bare feparation of Soul and Body, as Chrift's was, but our whole tabernacle is fully diffolved, and every part thereof crumbled into duft and ashes, fcattered, mingled and confounded with the duft of the Earth. There is a description of a kind of Refurrection in the Prophet Ezekiel, in which there is fuppofed a valley Ezek. 7. 1, 7, full of bones, and there was a noife, and behold a fhaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone, the finews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them above, and their breath came into them, and they lived and ftood upon their feet. But in the Refurrection to come we cannot suppose the Bones in the Valley, for they are diffolved into duft as well as the other parts.

8, 10.

Pliny rec

which he

-mentions thefe

donare, aut

We must therefore undertake to fhew that the Bodies of Men, howsoever corrupted, wherefoever in their parts difperfed, how long foever dead, fhall hereafter be recollected in themselves, and united to their own Souls. And for the more facil and familiar proceeding in this fo highly concerning truth, I fhall make use of this method: Firft, To prove that fuch a Resurrection is not in it felf impoffible. Secondly, To fhew that it is upon general Confiderations highly probable. Thirdly, To demonftrate that it is upon Chriftian Principles infallibly certain. It is not in it felf impoffible, therefore no Man can abfolutely deny it; it is upon natural and moral grounds highly probable, therefore all Men may rationally expect it; it is upon Evangelical Principles infallibly certain, therefore all Chriftians must firmly believe it.

First, I confefs* Philofophers of old did look upon the Refurrection of the Body as impoffible, and though fome of them thought the Souls of the dead koning up did live again, yet they never conceived that they were united to the fame those things Bodies, and that their Flesh should rife out of the duft that it might be conthought not to joined to the Spirit of a Man. We read of a certain Philofophers of the be in the Epicureans and of the Stoicks, who encountred S. Paul; and when they Power of God, heard of the refurrection they mocked him, fome faying, that he seemed to two, morta- be a fetter forth of strange Gods, becaufe he preached unto them Jefus and les æternitate the Refurrection. But as the ancient Philofophers thought a Creation imrevocare de- poffible, because they looked only upon the conftant works of Nature, among functos. 1. 2. which they never find any thing produced out of nothing, and yet we have chylus, the already proved a Creation not only poffible, but performed; fo did they Pythagorean, think a Refurrection of corrupted, diffolved and diffipated Bodies to be as yet abfolutely impoffible, because they could never obferve any action or operation in Nain the Power ture, which did or could produce any fuch effect; and yet we being not tied of God, for fo to the confideration of Nature only, but eftimating things poffible and impollo fpeak to poffible by the power of God, will eafily demonftrate that there is no impofthe Eume- fibility that the dead fhould rise.

c. 7. And Æf

a

denies it to be

he makes A

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Uti anima interire dicatur, ab Epicureis obfervatur: Ut carnis reftitutio negetur, de una omnium Philofophorum fchola fumitur. Tertull.

Acts 17.18.

For,

For, if the Refurrection of the dead be impoffible, it must be fo in one of these refpect; either in reference to the Agent, or in relation to the Patient ; either because it is a work of fo much difficulty, that there neither is nor can be any agent of wisdom, power and activity fufficient to effect it; or else be caufe the Soul of Man is fo far feparated by death from the Body, and the parts of the Body fo much diffolv'd from themselves, and altered from their nature, that they are abfolutely incapable by any power to be united as they were. Either both or one of these two must be the reafon of the impoffibility, if the Refurrection be impoffible; for if the Body be capable of being raifed, and there be any agent of fufficient ability to raise it, the Refurrection of it must be poffible.

τινι γινώσκε

Now if the Refurrection were impoffible in refpect of the agent which fhould effect it, the impoffibility muft arife * either from an infufficiency of* To adalé knowledge or of power; for if either the agent know not what is to be done, **s andesar or if he know it, but hath no power to do it, either he will not attempt it, TOTO T or if he do, must fail in the attempt; but that, of which he hath perfect μή γι Γνώσκειν knowledge, and full power to effect, cannot be impoffible in relation to the c T dua agent endued with fuch knowledge, armed with fuch power.

άρχισαν μὴ ἔχειν προς τὶ ποιῆσαι καλῶς

τὸ ἐγνωσμθρον. Ὁ γδ αινοῦν τι 7 χρέως δεόντων ἐκ ἂν ἔτ ̓ ἐχειρῆσαι, είτε ποίησαι το άπαν διηθεί η όπερ απνοις· ὅτι γινώσκων καλῶς τό ποιηθησόμθρον καὶ πόθεν γένοιτ' ἂν καὶ πῶς, διύαμιν ἢ ἡ μηδ' όλως έχουν προς το ποιῆσαι τὸ γινωσκόμθμον ἢ μὴ ἀρκᾶσαν ἔχων, ἐκ ἂν ἐγχειρήσεις ἢ ἀρχι, εἰ @pogvoin κ 7 ἰδίαν ἐπισκέψη διύαμιν, ἐγχειρήσας ἢ ἀπερισκέπτως ἐκ ἂν ἐπιτελέσειε τὸ δόξαν. Athenagoras de Refurrectione.

14

16.

Now when we fay the Refurrection is poffible, we fay not it is so to Men or Angels, or any creature of a limited knowledge or finite Power, but we attribute it to God with whom nothing is impoffible; his understanding is infinite, he knoweth all the Men which ever lived fince the foundation, or fhall live unto the diffolution of the World, he knoweth whereof all things were made, from what duft we came, into what duft we shall return. Our Pfal. 139. 15, fubftance was not hid from thee, O Lord, when we were made in fecret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth; thine eyes did fee our fubftance, yet being imperfect, and in thy book were all our members written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them. Thus every particle in our Bodies, every duft and atome which belongeth to us, is known to him that made us. The generation of our flesh is clearly feen by the Father of Spirits, the augmentation of the fame is known to him in whom we live, move, and have our being; the diffolution of our tabernacles is perceived by that God by whom the very hairs of our head are all numbred, and without whom one sparrow shall not fall Mat. 10. 29, to the ground. He which numbereth the fands of the Sea, knoweth all the 30. scattered bones, feeth into all the graves and tombs, fearcheth all the repofitories and dormitories in the Earth, knoweth what duft belongeth to each Body, what Body to each Soul. Again, As his all-feeing eye obferveth every particle of diffolved and corrupted Man, fo doth he alfo fee and know all ways and means by which thefe fcattered parts fhould be united, by which this ruined Fabrick fhould be recompenfed; he knoweth how every bone fhould be brought to its old Neighbour-bone, how every finew may be re-embroidered on it; he understandeth what are the proper parts to be conjoined; what is the proper gluten by which they may become united. The Refurrection therefore cannot be impoffible in relation to the agent upon any deficiency of knowledge how to affect it.

And as the wisdom is infinite, fo the power of this agent is illimited; for God is as much omnipotent as omniscient. There can be no oppofition made

against

*Non fola a

caro fuos fi

against him, becaufe all power is his; nor can he receive a check against whoin there is no refiftance: All creatures muft not only fuffer, but do what he will have them; they are not only paffively, but actively obediential. There is no atome of the duft of ashes but must be where it pleafeth God, and be applied and make up what and how it feemeth good to him. The Refurrection therefore cannot be impoffible in relation unto God upon any difability to effect it, and confequently there is no impoffibility in reference to the agent, or him who is to raise us.

Secondly, the Resurrection is not impoffible in relation to the patient, because where we look upon the power of God, nothing can be impoffible but that which involveth a contradiction, as we before have proved; and there can be no contradiction in this, that he which was, and now is not, fhould hereafter be what before he was. It is fo far from a repugnancy, that it rather containeth a rational and apparent poffibility, that Man who was once duft, becoming duft, fhould become Man again. Whatfoever we lofe in Death, is not loft to God: As no creature could be made out of nothing but by him, fo can it not be reduced into nothing but by the fame: Though therefore the parts of the body of Man be diffolved, yet they perish not; they lofe not their own entity when they part with their relation to humanity; nima feponi- they are laid up in the fecret places, and lodged in the chambers of nature, tur, habet & and it is no more a contradiction that they fhould become the parts of the nus interim, fame body of Man to which they did belong, than that after his death they in aquis, in fhould become the parts of any other body, as we fee they do. Howfoalitibus, in ig- ever they are scattered, or wherefoever lodged, they are † within the knowtiis; cùm in ledge and power of God, and can have no repugnancy by their separation to hæc diffolvi be re-united when and how he pleaseth. The first duft of which Man in vafa tranf- was made, was as far from being flesh as any afhes now or duft can be; it funditur. Ter- Was only an omnipotent Power which could mould that into a human Body, tull. de Refur. and breathe into the noftrils of it the breath of Life. The fame therepower Tu perire fore, which must always be, can still make of the duft returning from the Deo credis fi bodies of Men unto the earth, human bones and flesh, as well as of the duft quid oculis which firft came from the Earth: For if it be not eafter, it is moft certainly bus fubtrahi- as eafie to make that to be again which once hath been, as to make that tur? Corpus to be which before was not. When there was no Man, God made him of refcit in pul- the Earth; and therefore when he returns to Earth, the fame God can make verem, five in him Man again. The Refurrection therefore cannot be impoffible, which is humorem our firft Conclufion.

nibus, in bef

videtur, velut

carnis. c. 68.

noftris hebeti

omne, five a

folvitur, vel

in cinerem

1

.

comprimitur, vel in nidorem tenuatur, fubducitur nobis, fed Deo elementorum cuftodi refervatur, Minutius Felix in Octavio. Omnia quæ difcerpuntur, & in favillas quafdam putrefcunt, integra Deo funt, in illa enim elementa nìugdi eunt unde primò venerunt. S. Augustin in Pfal. enarrat. 62. † Abfit autem út ad refufcitanda corpora vi

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tæque reddenda non poffit omnipotentia Creatoris omnia revocare quæ vel beftia, vel ignis abfumpfit; vel in pulverem cineremque collapfum, vel in humorem folutum, vel in auras eft exhalatum. Abfit ut finus ullus, fecretumque naturæ ita recipiat aliquid fubtractum fenfibus noftris, ut omnium Creatoris aut lateat cognitionem, aut effugiat poteftatem. S. Aug. de Ciuitate Dei, lib. 22. cap. 20, + Recogita quid fueris antequam effes, utique nihil. Meminiffes enim fi quid fuiffes. Qui ergo nihil fueras priufquam effes, idem nihil factus cum effe defieris, cur non poffis effe rurfus de nihilo, ejufdem Authoris voluntaté, qui te voluit effe de nihilo? Quid novi tibi eveniet? Qui non eras, factus es; cùm iterum non eris, fies. Redde, fi potes, rationem qua factus es, & tunc require quâ fies? Et támen faciliùs utique fies quod fuifti aliquando, quia æquè non difficile factus es quod nunquam fuifti aliquando. Ter tull. Apol. c.48. Utique idoneus eft reficere qui fecit. Quanto plus eft feciffe quam refeciffe, initium dediffe quam reddidiffe; ita reftitutionem carnis faciliorem credas inftitutione. Idem de Refur. tarn. c. 11. Difficilius eft id quod non fit incipere, quam id quod fuerit iterare. Minutius Felix in Octavio. Utique plus eft facere quod nunquam fuit, quàm reparare quod fuit. Quomodo ergo, impoffibile effe dicis, ut Deus, qui hominem formavit ex nihilo reformet? Quomodo nos fufcitare non poteft converfos in pulverem, qui etiamfi in nihilum rediremus, facere poterat ut effemus, ficut effecit nos effe, cum antea nunquam fuiffemus? S. Aug. de verbis Apoft. Serm. 19. To the

דלא חוו הוו והון. לא כל שכן ;Jame Purpofe the Jews

Secondly, The Refurrection is not only in it felf poffible, fo that no Man with any reafon can abfolutely deny it; but it is alfo upon many general Confiderations highly probable, fo that all Men may very rationally expect it.

If we confider the principles of Humanity, the parts of which we all confift, we cannot conceive this prefent Life to be proportionable to our compofition. The Souls of Mcn as they are immaterial, fo they are immortal; and being once created by the Father of Spirits, they receive a fubfiftence for Eternity; the Body is framed by the fame God to be a Companion for his Spirit, and a Man born into the World confifteth of thefe two. Now the Life of the moft aged Perfon is but fhort, and many far ignobler Creatures of a longer duration. Some of the fowls of the air, feveral of the fishes of the fea, many of the beafts of the field, divers of the plants of the earth, are of a more durable conftitution, and out-live the Sons of Men. And can we think that fuch material and mortal, that fuch inunderstanding Souls fhould by God and Nature be furnished with Bodies of fo long permanfion, and that our Spirits should be joined unto Flesh fo fubject to corruption, fo fuddenly diffolvable, were it not that they lived but once, and fo enjoyed that life for a longer feafon, and then went Soul and Body to the fame destruction, never to be reftored to the fame Subfiftence; but when the Soul of man which is immortal, is forced from its Body in a shorter time, nor can by any means conrinue with it half the Years which many other Creatures live, it is because this is not the only Life belonging to the Sons of Men, and fo the Soul may at a fhorter warning leave the Body which it fhall refume again.

Again, If we look upon our felves as Men, we are free agents, and therefore capable of doing good or evil, and confequently ordinable unto reward or punishment. The Angels who are above us, and did fin, received their punishment without a Death, because being only Spirits they were fubject to no other diffolution than annihilation, which cannot confift with longer fuffering Punishment; thofe who continued in their station were rewarded and confirmed for all Eternity: And thus all the Angels are incapable of a Refurrection. The Creatures which are below us, and for want of freedom cannot fin, or act any thing morally either good or evil, they cannot deferve after this Life either to be punished or rewarded, and therefore when they die they continue in the state of Death for ever. Thus those who are above us fhall not rife from the dead, because they are punished or rewarded without dying; and where no death is, there can be no Refurrection from the dead. Those which are below us, are neither capable of reward or punishment for any thing acted in this Life, and therefore though they die, yet fhall they never rife, because there is no reason for their Refurrection. But Man by the nobleness of his better part being free to do what is good or evil while he liveth, and by the frailty of his Body being fubject to death, and yet after that, being capable in another World to receive a reward for what he hath done well, and a punishment for what he hath done ill in the flesh, it is neceffary that he should rife from the dead to enjoy the one, or fuffer the other. For there is not only no just retribution rendred in this Life to Man, but confidering the ordinary condition of things, it cannot be. For it is poffible, and often cometh to pass, * Παρίμι δ that one Man may commit fuch Sins as all the punish-es öre Cuments in this World can no way equalize them. It is juft, that he who fheddeth & fuMan's blood, by Man his blood thould be shed ; but what death can fufficiently ENG V retaliate the many Murthers committed by one notorious Pirate, who may This cfmany thousands over-board; or the Rapines and Affaffinations of one Re- v Old TE 7 bel or Tyrant, who may deftroy whole Nations? It is fit that he who blaf-Clog diphemeth God fhould die; but what equivalent punishment can he receive sagútegav ein this Life, who fhall conftantly blafpheme the Name of God, deftroy his μελημάτων. Priests and Temples, abolish his worship, and extirpate his Servants? What Athenagords: is then more proper, confidering the Providence of a most just God, than to

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