Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 80
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE RESVRRECTION OF THE FLESH. LXXX.
1 THe reſt of the Articles of our faith, being hitherto ſufficientlie handled; two of them remaine yet to bee diſcuſſed, namely, the reſurrection of the fleſh, and life euerlaſting.
2 Although the Sonne of God, by taking vponupon him our nature, by dying and riſing againe, hath performed the parts of our ſaluation: Although alſo he doth beſtow that quickning Spirite of his, vponupon all thoſe that trulie beleeue the Goſpell: It remaineth as yet, notwithſtanding, that what hath bene performed in him who is our head, be alſo performed in vsus being his members.
3 Hence muſt the faithfull learne, both day and night to meditate vponupon the marke, and ſhutting vp of their happineſſe, and to bee continuallie deſirous of the ſame, in ſuch ſort; as although they bee toſſed in this worlde by diuers and daungerous ſtormes of temptation, raiſed vp againſt them by the Deuill, the Worlde, and the Fleſhe, they may yet continue firme and immooue-able in faith, and in the hope of the liuing GOD, and of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt.
4 Euen as death entred into the world, by the ſinne of the firſt ADAM, whence the neceſsitie of death did ariſe: Euen ſo wee affirme, that death is abolliſhed in the ſaints, and chaunged vntounto aeternall life, by the vertue of the latter ADAM, that is Chriſt; to the end, that as Chriſt did firſt of all riſe againe vntounto that aeternall life: So all the elect may riſe by him vntounto the ſame.
5 Now death is by a naturall generation, conuaied vntounto all the poſteritie of the firſt ADAM, whereas aeternall life is by ſpirituall ingraffing into the ſecond ADAM, deriued vntounto his members.
6 In this reſpect, is the name of ADAM attributed vntounto Chriſt; namely, that as ADAM was the ſtocke of mankinde, breathing out poiſon according vntounto the deadlie nature: So Chriſt is made by grace the root of all the Saints, powring the juice of eternall life into his members.
Wee doe therefore condemne the Philoſophers, who drewe the cauſe of death, not from ſinne, but from this Aixome in naturall Philoſophie, vz. whatſoeuer is compounded, is ſubject vntounto diſſolution. Much more doe wee deteſt the PELAGIANS, who teach, that ſinne and therefore death did ariſe, not from the deprauation of nature in ADAM, but from the voluntarie imitation thereof: the which errour, PAVLE dooth ouerthrowe, as by manie Argumentes, ſo by this moſt clearelie, in that Infants themſelues alſo are ſubject vntounto death.
7 Although that all ſinnes, which are the cauſe of death, are truly remitted vntounto the beleeuers; yet notwithſtanding are they no leſſe ſubject vntounto death, then the very wicked themſelues, and that for two cauſes: Firſt, becauſe that the roote of ſinne, (which is called originall ſinne) is not vtterlie abolliſhed in them in this life, but is brought to an end by death. For then doth the ſtrife betweene the fleſh and the Spirite ceaſe. Secondly, becauſe that vnleſſe they did ſhake of this life, they could neuer be partaker of that other life which they hope for.
8 And therefore we holde, that the faithfull are depriued of this life, rather by the merciemercy of God, calling them vntounto that aeternall kingdom, then becauſe that death is the reward of ſinne.
9 And on the other ſide, that the vnfaithful do not riſe by vertue of the reſurrection of Chriſt, which is alwaies vntounto ſaluation and is beſtowed vponupon his members, but by the force of that curſe of God: whenſoeuer thou ſhalt eat of the fruit hereof, thou ſhalt die the death.
10 For ſeeing this degree doth comprehend both the deathes, but eſpecially the ſecond, which is eternall; it muſt needes be, that the vnfaithfull alſo ſhall riſe againe; whereas otherwiſe, their bodies except they ſhould bee joyned again with their ſoules, ſhould eſcape eternal paines, which is ment by the ſecond death.
11 The whole perſon of eueryevery man wholie conſidered, but not in part, is ſaid to riſe again. For as the body only is ſaid to lie down, ſo the ſame alone (to ſpeak properly) ſhall riſe againe. Whereas the ſoule (ſeeing by death it hath ſuffered no detriment in the eſſence thereof) can bee ſayd to riſe again but metaphorically, as when it is brought by the Spirite of Chriſt, from the ſeruitude of ſinne wherein it was dead, and wherein it could not ſo much as thinke (much leſſe will or doe) the things that are of God, into that holie libertie, which is the way vntounto eternall life.
We do therfore condemne them, who dream that the ſoules ſeperated from their bodies are a ſleepe, and that they ſhall ariſe togeather with the bodies: And we doe alſo deteſt the opinion of HYMENEVS and PHILETVS, who did not diſtinguiſhe the ſpirituall from the corporall reſurrection.
12 The Scripture declareth by manifeſt teſtimonies, that the ſoules of the faithfull who die in the Lorde, are receiued of chriſt into that eternal paradiſe, ſituated aboue all heauens, whervnto Chriſt did aſcend, and that they are there conuerſant with Chriſt, being partakers in their meaſure of bleſſednes and felicity: wheras on the other ſide, the word of GOD, and the conſideration of thinges that are contrary, doe ſhew, that the ſoules of the wicked are thruſt into hell, and there tormented in their manner.
13 The ſame bodies that lay down ſhal riſe, but not in the ſame qualities, as the verie ſame body of Chriſt which was crucified & buried did ariſe, but not hauing thoſe qualities wherewith it was endued when it was crucified, dead and buried. Yet this is the difference, in that the bodie of Chriſt felt no corruption, and therefore did ouer-come the power and effect of death, euen in the verie houſe of death: But our bodies are deliuered from corruption, which ſeemed to hauehave bene able vtterlie, to hauehave aboliſhed them.
Wee doe therefore condemne thoſe, who dream that the ſoules hauing loſt their former bodies, by corruption, ſhall aſſume other bodies in their ſteede.
14 This change ſhall bee done at a moment in thoſe whome Chriſt ſhall finde aliue at his ſecond comming.
15 The Axiome of the Philoſophers that the generation of one thing, is the corruption of an other; hath no place in this matter: and the ſimilitude of PAVLE drawne from the ſeed ſowen in the ground, is not to be drawn anie farther, than vntounto the change of the quality.
16 Wee affirme that the one and the ſelfe ſame man in number ſhal ariſe, both in reſpect of his bodie, which is his matter; and alſo in reſpect of his forme, that is, of his ſoule, which ſhall quicken the one and the ſelfe ſame bodie, although by the retaking againe of the forme, the perſon might in a nice ſort ſeeme to be an other in number, than it was before.
17 By reaſon of this change of the qualities, and not becauſe the very bodilie quantity and circumſcription, are taken away (for they are perpetuall circumſtances or adjuncts of a bodie) PAVLE doth affirme that the natural bodie is changed into a ſpirituall.
Great therfore is their errour, and meerelie contrary vntounto the Reſurrection of the bodies, who teach that the bodies are eſſentiallie changed by Reſurrection, into a ſpirituall nature. For by this meanes death ſhould ſo aboliſh the nature of the bodie, as the Reſurrection cold not reſtore the ſame, and the analogie alſo betweene Chriſts Reſurrection & the reſurrection of his members ſhould be deſtroied.
18 By this means furthermore, the threatning of the puniſhments of that aeternal fire and paine, ſhould be altogether Allegoricall: yea, and after the reſurrection, both the godlie and the wicked ſhuld become ſome third ſpirit compact or braied together, as it were, of the natural ſpirit, and the bodie accidentallie transformed into the nature, either of the ſame, or of a diuers ſpirit.
19 But they doe verie greeuouſlie erre, who imagine that the bodie of Chriſt after his glorification, which enſued vponupon his Reſurrection, became not onelie of a ſpirituall nature, (which though it were graunted not to bee circumſcribed in regard of quantitie, yet they muſt needs yeild, that the ſame is bounded within the propriety of the nature of it) but alſo of a diuine; ſeeing the Deitie alone is euerie where, by a proprietie altogether vncommunicable vntounto anie thing els. Neither hath the Reſurrection aboliſhed the true bodilie humaine nature of Chriſt, but the infirmities of his naturall bodie beeing laid aſide, God hath endued the ſame humane nature, with moſt excellent ſupernaturall guifts.
20 The qualities of the bodies beeing glorified, cannot be knowne vntounto vsus while we are in this life, neither are we curiouſlie to enquire of them: Yet may it be gathered by the woordes of Chriſt, comparing the Saincts vntounto the brightneſſe of the Sunne, and affirming them to be aequall with the Angels, by the ſtorie of the Reſurrection and Aſcenſion of Chriſt: & alſo out of the firſt to the CORINTH. and both the Epiſtles of PAVLE to the THESSALONIANS, that beſides their incorruption, they ſhall bee alſo bright or ſhining, and of a more refined & quick ſubſtance, than now they are.
21 Of the contrarie ſide, it may in ſome ſort be gathered, how horrible and fearefull the ſtate ſhall be of thoſe men, who are to be adjudged vntounto the ſecōd death, which is the euerlaſting curſe of God. Seeing their ſoules ſhall therefore neuer bee ſeperated from their bodies, euen becauſe that their vnſpeakable torments may be aeternall.
Defended by ABEL BARRERIVS a Gaſcoigne.