A Paraphrase on the New Testament, 1 Corinthians · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV.
1. MOreover, brethren, I declare unto you the goſpel which I preached unto you, which alſo you have received, and wherein ye ſtand; 2. By which alſo ye are ſaved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unleſs ye have believed in vain.
1, 2. And becauſe ſome endeavour to ſubvert your Faith, I will recite the ſum of that Goſpel which I preached to you, and in which you have ſince continued and which is the ſure and ſufficient Doctrine of Salvation, (though the Articles be few) without all the corrupt Additions invented by proud erroneous Men; unleſs your Belief of them have been unſound and ſuperficial, and ſo in vain. See that your unſound Belief deceive you not, and this Goſpel will not deceive you.
3. For I delivered unto you firſt of all that which I alſo received, how that Chriſt died for our ſins according to the Scriptures.
3. For I told you, that Chriſt died as a voluntary Sacrifice for our Sins, therein fulfilling what was propheſied of him. This I received from God by Inſpiration, and from the certain Witneſſes by juſt Report and Evidence.
4. And that he was buried, and that he roſe again the third day according to the ſcriptures: 5. And that he was ſeen of Cephas, then of the twelve. 6. After that, he was ſeen of above five hundred brethren at once: of whom the greater part remain unto this preſent, but ſome are fallen aſleep.
4, 5, 6. And as the Scripture foretold, he was buried, and roſe again the third day, and appeared to Peter, and after to the ſpecial Diſciples, who were Twelve before Judas's Defection, and after. And after that [it's like, in Galilee] he was ſeen of Five hundred, &c.
7. After that, he was ſeen of James, then of all the apoſtles.
7. Note, That it's not to be wondred at, that this Appearance to James, and to the Five hundred, are not before diſtinctly mentioned in the Goſpel, when St. John tells us how ſmall a part of what Chriſt did is written. And as one Evangeliſt hath ſome things which the other omit, ſo if Paul have ſome which all four omitted, the ſame Spirit recordeth them all.
8. And laſt of all he was ſeen of me alſo, as of one born out of due time.
8. And after all theſe he appeared to me from Heaven, as to one that was too late converted.
9. For I am the leaſt of the apoſtles, that am not meet to be called an apoſtle, becauſe I perſecuted the church of God.
9. For my perſecuting Gods Church maketh me ſo unworthy to be numbred with the Apoſtles, that though God called me to be one, I muſt eſteem my ſelf as the laſt, ſo the leaſt of them, or below the Twelve.
10. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was beſtowed upon me, was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
10. But Gods free Grace hath called me to this Honour and Work: and his Grace given hath not been in vain; for (though I came late in, and was a Perſecutor) I have ſince been more laborious than any of them all: which I aſcribe not to my ſelf, but to God's free Grace, which choſe, called, inſtructed, excited, and ſtrengthned me.
11. Therefore, whether it were I or they, ſo we preach, and ſo ye believed.
11. But whether the Converſion of ſo many of ſeveral Nations was by me or by them, is not material to the thing in queſtion. Theſe ſame Articles of Faith were they that we all unanimouſly pr…ached, and into the Belief of which, as the Chriſtian Verity, you were Baptized.
12. Now if Chriſt be preached that he roſe from the dead, how ſay ſome among you, that there is no reſurrection of the dead?
12. And how then can the ſame that ſay they believe the Reſurrection of Chriſt, deny the Reſurrection of the Dead, and the Life hereafter?
13.14. But if there be no reſurrection of the dead, then is Chriſt not riſen. And if Chriſt be not riſen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is alſo vain.
13, 14. If none riſe, Chriſt is not riſen: And if Chriſt be not riſen, then it is Falſhood and Deceit which we preach, and whi…h you have believed, and not the glad Tidings of Salvation.
15. Yea, and we are found falſe witneſſes of God; becauſe we have teſtified of God, that he raiſed up Chriſt: whom he raiſed not up, if ſo be that the dead riſe not.
15. And then it will follow, not only that we deceive the world, but that we belie God himſelf, when we witneſs that he hath raiſed Chriſt; which would be a moſt heinous crime.
16. For if the dead riſe not, then is not Chriſt raiſed: 17, And if Chriſt be not raiſed, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your ſins.
16, 17. If the dead riſe not, and Chriſt roſe not, what hope have you of Salvation from ſin and death?
18. Then they alſo which are fallen aſleep in Chriſt, are periſhed.
18. Then dead Chriſtians are periſhed: that is, If their Souls live not when the Body▪ is diſſolved, their Souls periſh; and if the body riſe not, that periſheth for ever; and the Martyrs would be great loſers, and martyrdom folly.
19. If in this life onelyonly we have hope in Chriſt, we are of all men moſt miſerable.
19. And if there be no reſurrection or life after this, but our hope of benefit by Chriſt were only in the things and time of this preſent life, none were ſo miſerable as Chriſtians, who muſt forſake all, even life it ſ…lf for Chriſt.
Note, That the thing denied by the Hereticks, was not only the reſurrection, of the body, but alſo all life after this for Soul or Body: And ſo the Apoſtle joyneth the confutation of both, under the name of Reſurrection.
20. But now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, and become the firſt-fruits of them that ſlept.
20. But we have full proof even from ſenſe, that Chriſt is riſen; and therefore as the firſt-fruits conſecrate the whole, ſo Chriſts Reſurrection being to purchaſe ours, doth prove to our comfort, that the dead ſhall riſe.
21. For ſince by man came death, by man came alſo the reſurrection of the dead. 22. For as in Adam all die, even ſo in Chriſt ſhall all be made alive.
21, 22. For as by Man came death Corporal, as well as Spiritual and Eternal, by Man alſo came our deliverance by a Reſurrection. For as by Adam's ſin the ſentence of death came on all his poſterity, as …ch; ſo all that are in Chriſt ſhall by him be delivered to everlaſting happy life.
Note, That the Reſurrection of all Men, good and bad, is an effect of Chriſts death and reſurrection, antecedently to differencing Grace, as appeareth John 5.24, 25, &c. But that it proveth a Reſurrection to condemnation, is conſequently cauſed by Mens ſin: and the Apoſtle here ſpeaketh of the Elects Reſurrection to felicity.
23. But every man in his own order: Chriſt the firſt-fruits, afterward they that are Chriſts, at his coming.
23. But Chriſt the cauſe of our Reſurrection muſt riſe before us, and all Chriſtians at his coming.
24. Then cometh the end, when he ſhall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father, when he ſhall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power.
24. Then cometh the end of his acquired Mediatorial Kingdom, when he ſhall have reduced us perfectly to God his Father, and we ſhall need his reducing healing Government no more, and ſo God ſhall govern us in the ſtate of perfect innocency and Chriſt ſhall have put down all Rebelling Powers▪ Authority and Rule.
Note, This is a ſad intimation that ſo much of Rule, Authority and Power as is here called [All,] will be againſt Chriſt.
25. For he muſt reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
25. For theſe Powers now mentioned being Enemies to Chriſt, he muſt reign till they are all ſubdued.
26. The laſt enemy that ſhall be deſtroyed is death.
26. By Enemies I mean all that reſiſt his ſaving works: And of theſe death is the laſt.
27. For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he ſaith all things are put under him, it is manifeſt that he is excepted which did put all things under him.
27. Only God is evident…y excepted, who is he that thus puts all things under him.
28. And when all things ſhall be ſubdued unto him, then ſhall the Son alſo himſelf be ſubject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
28. When Chriſt hath ſubdued all that oppoſeth his ſaving mediatorial work, Chriſt as a Creature ſhall be for ever himſelf ſubject to the Deity, and ſhall give up his recovering work (tho ſtill it will be our Glory to ſee his Glory:) So that the pure, bleſſed Deity will be the felicity of Saints, and be all in all.
29. Elſe what ſhall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead riſe not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
29. And if the dead riſe not, to what purpoſe do we in Baptiſm profeſs our belief of the Reſurrection, and reſign our Bodies a living Sacrifice to die when Chriſt requireth it, and this in hope of a reſurrection ſignified by our riſing from under the Water.
30, 31. And why ſtand we in jeopardy every hour? I proteſt by your rejoycing which I have in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, I die daily.
30, 31. What folly were it in us Chriſtians to chooſe a Religion and courſe of life, for which we are in continual danger from the malignant World? I proteſt by the joy which I have in your Chriſtianity, that I live continually a dying life, that is, in daily ſufferings, and danger of death, and preparation for it.
32. If after the manner of men I have fought with beaſts at Epheſus, what advantageth it me, if the dead riſe not? let us eat and drink, for to morrow we die.
32. If as Men Combat one with another, I was put at Epheſus to ſtrive with Beaſts (or Beaſts in the ſhape of Men) what get I by ſuch hazzards and ſufferings, if there be no life to come? Then it will follow, that thoſe ſenſual fools are the Wiſe Men, who ſay, Let us eat and drink, and take pleaſure to the Fleſh while we may, for we ſhall ſhortly die.
33. Be not deceived: Evil communications corrupt good manners.
33. Let not ſuch evil Principles, and Proverbs, and talk deceive you. Ill words deceive many, and draw to ill Deeds and Converſations.
34. Awake to righteouſneſs, and ſin not; for ſome have not the knowledge of God: I ſpeak this to your ſhame.
34. Such lewd opinions ſhew that mens Reaſons and Conſciences are in a ſleep and ſtupidity; awake them, and they will lead you from ſin to righteouſneſs. By this it appeareth that ſome among you that call themſelves Chriſtians, have not yet the true knowledge of God and his Will; which I ſay, to humble you by ſhame.
35. But ſome man will ſay, How are the dead raiſed up? and with what body do they come?
35. But ſome of you may the hardlier believe the Reſurrection, becauſe they cannot tell how the dead are raiſed, and with what body they ſhall riſe.
36. Thou fool, that which thou ſoweſt is not quickened, except it die.
36. This is the Objection of a Fool: For in ſowing (though a Seed truly dead be unfruitful, yet) the Seed is buried, and by a ſort of Rotting or Corruption ſeemeth as dead, before it ſpring up unto Fruit.
37. And that which thou ſoweſt thou ſoweſt not that body that ſhall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of ſome other grain.
37. The Corn which thou ſoweſt hath not the Blade or Stalk, and Ear, and Flower, and Chaff. It is not formally, but virtually or ſeminally the ſame, whether it be Wheat, or other Grain.
38. But God giveth it a body as it hath pleaſed him, and to every ſeed his own body.
38. But out of this Seed, and by its Seminal Vertue, God, by the addition of attracted Nutriment, giveth it a Body, with Straw, Flowers, Chaff, and Seed, as pleaſeth him: It being his Power and Will, to which nothing is impoſſible, which muſt ſatisfie our inquiſitive Minds; Reſurrection, as Generation, being unſearchable to us.
39. All fleſh is not the ſame fleſh: but there is one kind of fleſh of men, another fleſh of beaſts, another of fiſhes, and another of birds.
39. But you muſt allow a difference of Bodies: for even here there is much difference.
40. There are alſo celeſtial bodies, and bodies terreſtrial: but the glory of the celeſtial is one, and the glory of the tereſtrial is another. 41. There is one glory of the ſun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the ſtars; for one ſtar differeth from another ſtar in glory. 42. So alſo is the reſurrection of the dead. It is ſown in corruption, it is raiſed in incorruption.
40, 41, 42. The Celeſtial Bodies greatly differ from the Earthly Bodies; and ſo do even the Celeſtial among themſelves; as the Sun from the Moon, and one Star from another, &c. And ſo ſhall our Bodies at the Reſurrection greatly differ from theſe that we have now; particularly, by being incorruptible.
43. It is ſown in diſhonour it is raiſed in glory: it is ſown in weakneſs, it is raiſed in power: 44. It is ſown a natural body, it is raiſed a ſpiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a ſpiritual body.
43, 44. It is now ſo vile a Body, that it muſt rot and corrupt in darkneſs in the Earth; but it ſhall riſe in Glory. It is buried in utter impotency, like the common Earth; but Gods Power ſhall raiſe it a Powerful Body. It is buried like the Body of a Beaſt, that was paſſive, and only acted by the living Soul; but it ſhall riſe a Spiritual Body, more ſuited to the Nature of the Soul, and having alſo an active Nature (like as Fire hath) in it ſelf. Thare are Natural Bodies, of Paſſive Matter, in daily flux, repaired by Food, and acted only by other Natures, or Souls: And there are Spiritual Bodies, (either ſuch as the Sun and Light hath, or higher) which are incorruptible, and of themſelves not inclined to death, diſſolution, or change, and beſides the Soul, are ſo like it, that they are themſelves Active Natures.
45. And ſo it is written, The firſt man Adam was made a living ſoul, the laſt Adam was made a quickning ſpirit.
45. That is, The firſt Adam was made by God a living Soul, put into a corruptible Body, not having an unchangeable State in himſelf, nor Power to make his Poſterity ſuch; But the ſecond Adam had in himſelf unchangeable Life, ſuited to a ſpiritual, glorious State, and was the Root of ſuch to his Believing Poſterity, enabled, as the Lord of Life, to riſe himſelf, aſcend to Heaven, and to raiſe them to Life, and take them to himſelf, and to make them a ſpiritual, holy People, capable thereof.
46. Howbeit, that was not firſt which is ſpiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is ſpiritual.
46. But the Animal Perſon, from whom by Generation we have but meer Nature, was to us in cauſality, before him that conveyeth to us Spiritual and Everlaſting Life. Our Nature derived from Adam was before the Reparation, Spiritual Holineſs, Reſurrection, or Glory given by Chriſt; even as Adam was before Chriſts own Incarnation and Reſurrection. Perfection is the laſt and ripe State of Gods Work in our Salvation.
47. The firſt man is of the earth, earthy: the ſecond man is the Lord from heaven.
47. Adam was made out of the Duſt of the Paſſive Elements; though God breathed into him a Living Soul, yet Earth was his firſt abode: But Chriſt is the Lord from Heaven; his Divine Nature being there from everlaſting, aſſumed the Humane by the overſhadowing of the Holy Ghoſt.
48. As is the earthy, ſuch are they alſo that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, ſuch are they alſo that are heavenly.
48. And as Adam was a Natural Man, and the Root of ſuch; ſo it is but Nature which we have from him: And as Chriſt is Heavenly and Spiritual, ſo will he make all the holy Seed to be like him, Spiritual and Heavenly.
49. And as we have born the image of the earthy, we ſhall alſo bear the image of the heavenly.
49. And as we are born of Adam, Men, as he was; ſo we ſhall be made by Chriſt Spiritual and Heavenly, as he is.
50. Now this I ſay, brethren, that fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
50. And this I tell you, That theſe Bodies muſt not come to Heaven in the proper Form of Fleſh and Blood, nor can as ſuch poſſeſs it▪ for, as ſuch, they are corruptible, and cannot ſo inherit Heaven, which is incorruptible.
51. Behold, I ſhew you a myſtery; We ſhall not all ſleep, but we ſhall all be changed,
51. And I will tell you that which is commonly unknown: Though the Juſt ſhall not die that are alive at Chriſts coming, they ſhall all be changed, as well as thoſe that riſe from the Dead, from being proper Fleſh and Blood, to have Spiritual Bodies.
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the laſt trump, (for the trumpet ſhall ſound) and the dead ſhall be raiſed incorruptible, and we ſhall be changed.
52. In a moment Chriſts potent Call will be like a Trumpet, calling Men together; and the Dead ſhall be raiſed, and living Saints changed into an incorruptible ſtate.
53. For this corruptible muſt put on incorruption, and this mortal muſt put on immortality.
53. For this mortal Body and Compoſition, which is now corruptible by Diſſolution, muſt be changed into an incorruptible and immortal ſtate of Being and Habitation.
54. So when this corruptible ſhall have put on incorruption, and this mortal ſhall have put on immortality, then ſhall be brought to paſs the ſaying that is written, Death is ſwallowed up in victory.
54. And Death being conquered by Chriſt, (being a Fruit of Sin, from which he ſaveth us) we ſhall die no more.
55. O death, where is thy ſting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56. The ſting of death is ſin; and the ſtrength of ſin is the law.
55. Though now Death ſeem to conquer us, we triumph over it by Faith in Chriſt, foreſeeing our Reſurrection: being ſaved from Sin, which is the Sting, and the Penal Law or Curſe, which is Sins condemning Strength.
57. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
57. But by Faith, which ſeeth things to come, we give God thanks, that will raiſe us from the Dead, and give us final Victory over Death through Chriſt.
58. Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye ſtedfaſt, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
58. And now, Brethren, make this neceſſary uſe of all. Seeing our Faith and Hope of a Reſurrection and future Life aſſureth us, that none of our Chriſtian Labour or Suffering ſhall be in vain, or to our loſs, or without a glorious Reward; what remaineth, but that againſt all Temptations you be ſteadfaſt and unmovable, and do Gods Work with all your Power, abounding in Labour and Patience to the end?
ANNOTATIONS.
AS this Chapter is of great uſe for our Inſtruction, ſo it is not without many Difficulties to our Underſtanding.
I. It's needful to be obſerved, into how narrow a room Paul reduceth the Goſpel, or Articles of Faith concerning Chriſt; and how greatly herein they differ from him, that condemn, excommunicate, or perſecute thoſe who believe Theſe, and all the Bible beſides, if they ſubſcribe not to the Truth of all their Articles and Forms ſuperadded, and the juſtneſs of their numerous Canons.
II. The Apparition of Chriſt to the Five hundred, and to James, ſeemeth part of that which St. John ſaith was not by him written: So that part of the Evidence of Chriſts Reſurrection ſhould be enough to cauſe us to believe it.
III. Though it was but ſome at Corinth that denied the Reſurrection, the Church was faulty in bearing with them: yet Separation from that Church for their ſakes is not required, nor allowed by the Apoſtle.
IV. The Socinians from the 19th. Verſe, and divers others, gather, That Paul denieth the Felicity of our Souls before the Reſurrection, becauſe he intimateth, That if there were no Reſurrection, (but only an Immortality of the Soul) Chriſtians were the moſt miſerable Men, and their Faith and Sufferings vain, and they were yet in their Sins, &c. The Matter is weighty, and the Solution hath its Difficulty. Some ſay, That becauſe the Heretical denied the Immortality of the Soul, as well as the Reſurrection of the Body, Paul ſuppoſeth this, and anſwereth them as to both: And they ſay, That foreign ſignifying but to ſtand up, that is, to live again, includeth the Life of the Separated Soul, as well as the Reſurrection of the Body. Others ſay, That Paul ſpeaketh only of the Man, and not of the Soul alone, which is but part of the Man. Soul and Body are eſſential to a Man; and as a Man he may be miſerable, becauſe part is ſo, (as a Toothach is to the whole Body) though the Soul be happy. Others ſay, That the Felicity or perfect Man at the Reſurrection will be ſo much greater than that of the Separated Soul before, and alſo that this Separate State is ſo darkly revealed to us, that the Apoſtle maketh light of it in compariſon of the latter. The firſt of theſe Opinions is not inconſiderable; but the chief Anſwer is by a ſtricter Expoſition of the particular Texts. And, 1. Verſe 19. argueth thus: [If we believe in, and ſuffer for a Chriſt as riſen, who is not riſen, then he cannot ſave us either as to Soul or Body; and then we are the moſt miſerable ſort of Men. For our Hopes in him, for the Time and Things of this Life only, affords us leſs than others have, his Kingdom being not of this World] This Argument is not againſt, but for the Immortality of the Soul.
So Verſe 32. [What advantageth it me if the dead riſe not?] i. e. Neither Soul nor Body is advantaged by ſuffering for a Chriſt as riſen, who is not riſen.
V. The Compariſon of Adam and Chriſt is as hard, ſeeming to mean, that Adam's Soul, and his Poſterities, as ſuch, are not Immortal. But indeed it implieth no more than this: 1. That it's called, Gen. 2. a Living Soul, but Chriſt the Lord of Life. 2. That Adam had but a Soul breathed into him by Creation on Earth; but Chriſt was in Heaven from Everlaſting, the Living God. 3. That Adam propagated only Humanity; but Chriſt alſo Sanctity and Felicity. 4. That Adam by Nature had but a loſeable Capacity of Bodily Life continued, and Heavenly Felicity; and by Sin came ſhort of both: But Chriſt hath Life in himſelf, as the Root of Holineſs and Happineſs in Heaven, which he will give Believers, both to their Souls and Bodies; and will give a Bodily Reſurrection to all Men.
VI. Ver. 24. The Kingdom delivered up to the Father, is but that Government which Chriſt uſeth to recover and ſave Sinners, and is no addition to the Father, nor diminution to Chriſt: But as a Prince undertaking to reduce Rebels, layeth down his Commiſſion and Arms when he hath done his Work, and yet increaſeth his own Honour; or as a Phyſician giveth up his Hoſpital, when he hath healed all the Sick. And it is like, yea, certain, that when Chriſts acquiſitive Mediation is finiſhed, he will ſtill be ſome ſort of Mediator of our Fruition: For we ſhall ſtill behold his Glory.
VII. Ver. 37.39. ſeem to intimate, That the Body that ſhall riſe is not the ſame that was ſowed, but ſuch a Body as God pleaſeth a new to give. Doubtleſs it is the ſame in ſome reſpect, and not the ſame in an reſpects: And to be able to know juſt how far it is or is not the ſame, is too hard for us, and may be quietly left to the Will of God. The Seminal part of the Grain (Matter and Form) liveth in the new Fruit, in which it ſpringeth up, (as the Seminal part of Man begins his Being in the Womb) but the added Maſs which makes up the Root, the Stalk, and Ear, and new Grains, are all drawn from without, from the Water, Earth, and Air, by God, and by the Seminal Spirit. We ſee that Men oft grow Fleſhy, Fat, and Lean again, and at laſt die with little but a skinned Skeleton: I think few believe, that either Men dying Fat ſhall riſe Fat, or Men dying Lean ſhall riſe Lean; or yet that every Man ſhall riſe with all the Fleſh which he ever lived or ſinned in, and which daily paſſed away, or conſumed in Sickneſs. To know how much, and what goeth to identifie the Body, we muſt leave to God, if we will not pretend to the knowledge we have not. Nor is it neceſſary to believe, that all Fowls, Beaſts, and Fiſhes riſe again, and go to Heaven, which are ever digeſted, and made Humane Fleſh.
The Apoſtle likening our Bodies to Seed, maketh ſome to doubt whether the dead Body have a Reſurrection by any Seminal Vertue, as a Natural Cauſe, or only riſe by Miracle. The latter is moſt commonly held: And yet it is certain, that the Soul taketh with it a Love and Inclination to its Body, which is a ſort of Seminal Diſpoſition. And no mortal Man knoweth whether the Soul take not with it ſome of the Igneous Spirits by which it here operated as ſuch a Body, as Seminal Vertue in Inferior things is lodged in them; and whether at the Reſurrection God uſe that Compoſition of Igneous Matter (or Ethereal) and Spiritual Form, for the aggregation of ſo much more ſuch Matter as ſhall be needful to make up the Glorious, Spiritual, Incorruptible Body. But all this, and how much of the Fleſh we lived in God will raiſe, is to us unknown.
VIII. Ver. 50. That Fleſh and Blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God, is groſly perverted by them that ſay, That it's only Sinful Fleſh that is meant; or them that ſay, That Fleſh and Blood ſhall enter, but incorruptible. It is proper formal Fleſh and Blood that the Apoſtle mentioneth. Fleſh is the Blood, and other nutritive Juyce, coagulated into that Fibrous Subſtance ſo called, and is the Matter of Food digeſted and aſſimilated unto this. It is made of Earth, Water, and Air; and ſo is Blood. Define them, and nothing that is in Heaven will agree with that Definition. If ſuch Earth ſhall be placed in Heaven▪ it will ceaſe by tranſmutation to be Earth. To call a Spiritual, Incorruptible, Glorious Body, Earth and Water, or Fleſh and Blood, and place theſe with the Bleſſed Spirits, is but to equivocate, and not to uſe the Words univocally. The two General Councils (Nice ſecond, and Conſtance before it) differing in other things, agree That Chriſts true Body is in Heaven, but that there it is not Fleſh and Blood: (And yet the Papiſts feign, that he hath ſtill real Fleſh and Blood in the Sacrament.)
Doubtleſs by a Spiritual Body is meant one that is ſo near the Nature of a Spirit, as is fitteſt for ſpiritual and glorious Work; which made many of the Fathers ſay, That it will be an Ethereal, or Igneous, or Luminous Body. But Gods Knowledge muſt be implicitly reſted in, when we have no explicit Knowledge.