The Resurrection Revealed, Book 1 · Chapter 2 · Section 2
SECT. 2. Of Greeke Antiquities.
§. 1 OUr Greeke Companions in this our own Poſition are divers. That wee over-burden you not in the entrance of this Treatiſe, with ſuch things, as are not pleaſing to every Reader, we will preſent to you onelyonly three, each according to his age. The firſt is JUSTIN MARTYR, who flouriſhed about the yeare (after Chriſt) 141. ſo near the time of John the Evangeliſt (this John living till the hundreth yeare after Chriſt) In that 141. yeare after Chriſt, this JUSTIN gave in his Apology for Chriſtian Religion, in writing to ANTONIUS the EMPEROUR. To allow him a ſufficiency of judgement and time to bee a famous Philoſopher (at that time ſo famed) and to write that Apology, wee had need to allow him to be fifty yeers old, as he himſelf teſtifies, and ſo to ſuppoſe him living, afore John was dead; and ſo long, as he was above one and forty at the time of his Apologizing. This man for his great learning, renowned with the honourable title of Philoſopher, witneſſed to bee Godly by his pious Apology in thoſe bloody perſecuting times, and ſealed to be ſo in his death, by the after-name and fame of MARTYR; I ſay this man, this great Juſtin Martyr profeſſed himſelfe, and many other Worthies in his time, to bee of the ſame minde with our POSITION. His very words are theſe, I, and all that are every way orthodox Chriſtians doe know both the future RESURRECTION of the body, and the THOUSAND YEERS in Jeruſalem that ſhall bee re-edified, adorned, and enlarged, as the Prophets EZEKIEL and ESAY and OTHERS doe declare. For ſo Eſay, of this thouſand yeares, Iſa. 65.17. For there ſhall bee a new heaven, and a new earth, and the former ſhall not be remembred, neither ſhall they come into their mindes, but they ſhall finde joy and rejoycing in thoſe which I create: For behold I make Jeruſalem to triumph and my people to rejoyce, &c. to the end of the Chapter. But of that, [For the dayes of my people ſhall bee as the dayes of the tree of life] hee giveth this ſenſe, viz. In theſe words we underſtand (ſaith hee) that the one thouſand yeeres are pointed at. For as it was ſaid to Adam, In that day thou eateſt of the tree, in that ſame day thou alſo ſhalt dye; Wee know he did not accompliſh a thouſand yeers, Wee know alſo that ſaying [That a day with the Lord is a thouſand yeeres] is to our purpoſe. Moreover a certaine man AMONG US, whoſe name is JOHN, BEING ONE OF THE twelve APOSTLES OF CHRIST in that REVELATION which was ſhewed to him, propheſied that thoſe, that beleeve in OVR CHRIST, ſhall accompliſh a thouſand years, (mark, thoſe that beleeve in Chriſt ſhall accompliſh a thouſand years) at Hieruſalem, and after that the GENERAL, and in a word, the everlaſting reſurrection, and laſt judgement of all joyntly together. Even that whereof alſo our Lord ſpake, wherein [they ſhall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, but ſhall bee equall with the Angels] being made the ſonnes of the reſurrection of God. For the gifts of Propheſie are extant with us even till this time.
And as hee ſpeakes thus home to our Theſis poſitively, ſo hee ſpeakes as high againſt them, that are contrary minded, negatively, denying them to bee true Chriſtians. His words are theſe; But contrary-wiſe I have ſignified unto thee (TRYPHO) that MANY, WHO ARE NOT ORTHODOX and PIOUS CHRISTIANS DENY THIS.
§. 2 The next of the Greeke Ancients is IRENAEUS, who flouriſhed about the yeare 178. after Chriſt. Hee was the chiefe Miniſter of the Church at LYONS. Hee ſaith, hee was the hearer of POLYCARP, which POLYCARP was the Diſciple of JOHN. And IRENAEUS had that Agnomination or poſt-name for his godly peace making in the Churches. He wrote five Bookes againſt the Hereſies of his time, which wee have. In the ſecond whereof hee teſtifies, That to his time the gifts of caſting out Devils, and miraculous healing of diſeaſes continued (which ſhewes that hee lived neare the Apoſtles times, which Irenaeus himſelf intimates in his fifth Booke againſt Hereſies neare the end, That JOHN ſaw his viſion of the Revelation almoſt in his time.) TERTULLIAN cals him THE MOST CURIOUS TRIER or SEARCHER OUT OF ALL DOCTRINES. Of this IRENAEUS the GREAT, in Learning and Godlineſſe, Learned ERASMUS affirmeth in his Argument or Summary of the fifth Booke of Irenaeus, againſt Hereſies, that HIEROM aſſerteth him to bee of the ſame minde with the CHILIASTES that are for the THOUSAND YEERS. The truth is, whoſoever ſhall read that fifth Booke of Irenaeus againſt Hereſ. with a piercing eye ſhall finde, that Hierom hath given a right judgement concerning him. For Irenaeus there mainly diſputing for the Reſurrection of the bodies of the Saints, urgeth the Prophets for that Reſurrection (who all ſpeake mainly of the firſt Reſurrection of the bodies of the Saints at the full call of the Jewes.) And particularly p. 575. Irenaeus urgeth that of Ezekiel Chap. 37. v. 1. to v. 15. for it, (as before Juſtin Martyr urged Ezekiel for the one thouſand yeares) which place is evidently for our poſition, as wee ſhall ſee after, when wee come to the proofe thereof by Scripture. Li. 5. Page 576. Againe he urgeth (as Juſtin Martyr did) that in Eſa. 65.22. For as the dayes of the tree (he puts in, OF LIFE) ſhall bee the dayes of them; which is as plainly, as if written with Sunne beames, a part of the Propheſie of the Reſtauration of Iſrael, and the New Jeruſalem, alleadged by Peter, 2 Ep. 3. Cha. and alluded to by John, Rev. 21.1. In another to place of the ſame fifth Booke,Pag. 547. Irenaeus ſpeakes much of the Saints after their firſt life here, that they ſhall inhabit Paradiſe, where Adam was placed at his firſt Creation. And elſewhere ſpeaking of the Saints poſſeſſing the Kingdome of heaven, alleadgeth that place, Matth. 5.5. Bleſſed are the meek for they ſhall inherit the EARTH; which is taken out of Pſal. 37.10, 11. yet a little while, and the wicked ſhall not bee; Yea, thou ſhalt diligently conſider his place, and it ſhall not bee. But the meeke ſhall inherit the EARTH, and ſhall delight themſelves in the ABUNDANCE OF PEACE. And verſe 28, 29. The ſeed of the wicked ſhall bee cut off. The righteous ſhall inherit the LAND, and dwell therein for EVER. Lib. 1. p. 559.One inſtance more (for it would be tedious to you and mee to alleadge all) Fleſh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdome of God; as if one ſhould ſay (ſaith IRENAEUS) The wilde olive tree is not taken into the PARADISE of God.
§. 3 The laſt of the Greeke Antiquities that we ſhall alleadge, is out of Epiphanius, who flouriſhed about the yeer after Chriſt 365.) whoſe words, after mention of Athanaſius and Paulinus, are to this effect. Moreover (ſaith Epiphanius) others have affirmed that the OLD MAN ſhould ſay, THAT IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION we ſhall accompliſh a certaine MILLENARY of yeers, injoying the ſame things as now wee doe, namely keeping the Law, &c. By which it appeares, that if not Athanaſius or Paulinus aforementioned, ſome there were, in, or afore Epiphanius his time, that held the ſubſtance of our Theſis. Yea, it ſeems to mee, that Epiphanius himſelfe ſpeakes ſomething favourable of them that held this opinion by his words preſently following, viz. And that indeed it is written of this ſort of MILLENARIES in the Apocalypſe of John, and that the Booke is received of very many, even of them that are godly, is manifeſt; with more to the ſame effect.
SECT. 2. De Graecorum Antiquitatibus.
§. 1 GRaecorum, qui noſtrae accinunt Theſi, primus eſt JUSTINUS MARTYR, in Dialogo cum Tryphone Judaeo Eyw foreign &c. i. e. Ego autem, & ſi qui ſunt per omnia orthodoxae ſententiae Chriſtiani; & carnis reſurrectionem futuram novimus, & MILLE ANNOS in Jeruſalem inſtauratâ, & exorna…â, & dilatatâ, ſicut Prophetae Ezechiel, & Eſaias, & alii promulgant ſic namque Eſaias, de MILLE iſtorum annorum tempore loquutus eſt. ERIT ENIM CAELUM NOVUM, ET TERRA NOVA, ET NON RECORDABUNTUR PRIORUM, NEQUE EORUM ILLA VENIENT IN CORDA: SED LAETITIAM, ET EXULTATIONEM INVENIENT IN HIS, QUAE EGO CREO, QUIA ECCE FACIO JERUSALEM EXULTATIONEM, ET POPULUM MEUM LAETITIAM & paulo poſt [NAM SECUNDUM DIES LIGNIVITAEDIES POPULI MEI:] In his verbis (inquit) MILLE ANNOS arcanè deſignari intelligimus. Ut enim Adae dictum eſt, quo die de ligno comediſſet, eo die moriturum etiam eſſe; ſcimus cum mille annos non impleviſſe. Novimus quoque dictum illud quòd DIES DOMINI SIT SICUT MILLE ANNI, huc pertinere. Et vir apud nos quidam, cui Nomen JOHANNES, è duodecim Apoſtolis Chriſti unus, in câ quae illi exhibita eſt Revelatione Prophetavit; Chriſto credentes noſtro Gr. Pariſ. edit. foreign Annos mille Hieroſolymis peracturos eſſe; ac poſtea univerſalem, & (ut ſemel dicam) ſempiternam omnium, unanimiter ſimul reſurrectionem & Judicium futurum; id quod & Dominus noſter dixit quod NUPTUM NEQUE DATURI, NEQUE ACCEPTURI, SED ANGELIS AEQUALES FUTVRI SINT, utpote filii Dei reſurrectionis. Apud nos enim huc uſque etiam Prophetica extant dona.
foreign, &c. i. e. E contrà verò, eorum qui purae, piae que Chriſtianorum ſententiae nonſunt, multos hoc non agnoſcere tibi ſignificavi. Eos enimtibi deſignabam, qui nomine quidem CHRISTIANI dicuntur, ſunt verò ATHEI, & IMPII HAERETICI, quod omnino blaſphema & impia & ſtulta doceant.
§. 2 Graecorum Antiquorum ſecundus eſt IRENAEVS, qui ſtoruit Anno 178. (circiter) poſt natum Chriſtum. Hác aetate (inquit Abrahamus Bucholcerus, in Indic. Chronologi) IRENAEVS Eccleſiae Lugdunenſis Epiſcopus, & Polycarpi auditor, contra Haereticos ſcripſit libros qui extant. Dicit alicubiſe iſta ſcribere, Romanam ſedem tenente duodecimo Epiſcopo Eleutherio, qui hoc tempore Pontificatum geſsit. IRENAEI etiam temporibus adhuc duraſſe donum ejiciendi daemonia, et ſanandi multos, teſtatur ipſe lib. 2. adverſus haereſes. Hujus IRENAEI meminit TERTVLLIANVS eumque nominat omnium doctrinarum curioſum exploratorem. IRENAEUS aliquoties ſcripſit Johannem Apoſtolum, vixiſſe uſque ad tempora Trajani; Polycarpum verò fuiſſe auditorem Johannis, & ſe Juvenem vidiſſe Polycarpum ſenem. Sic Bucholcerus. Nomen habuit IRENAEUS (ut aiunt) a componenda pace inter litigantes. De hoc IRENAEO Magno, doctiſsimus aſſerit Eraſmus in Argumento ejus in Quintum librum illius Irenaei contra Haereſes, Quin & HIERO NIMUS (inquit ERASMUS) alicubi teſtatur IRENAEUM ſenſiſſe cum CHILIASTIS, cum aliâs, tum enarrans EZECHIELIS caput trigeſimum. Sed in hujuſmodi multis, VETERES cum candore legendi ſunt, &c. Sic Eraſmus. In quam de IRENAEO ſententiam facilè deſcendent, qui acutiori oculo perlegerint quintum illius IRENAEI librum contra HAERESES. Ubi plurimum diſputans pro reſurrectione corporum ſanctorum, eos ipſos urget Prophetas qui tractant ſummoperè de eorundem, PRIMA RESURRECTIONE, ad plenam Judaeorum vocationem. Particularius ILLE (ut anteà JU. MARTYR pro MILLE ANNIS) urget Ezechielem pro RESURRECTIONE. Nominatim cap. 37. v. 1. ad 15. Quem locum de Theſi noſtrâ intelligendum demonſtratio ejus, 3. noſtro libro inſtituenda, convincet. Vide ſis IRENAEUM. Edit. Baſ. in 8. Lat. Anno 1571. ad pag. 545. & 575.
§. 3 Ultimus Graecorum, quem recitabimus, Epiphanius (qui floruit Anno circiter 365) haec habet verba. foreign, &c. id eſt, Porro alii dixerunt, ſenem dixiſſe, quod in prima reſurrectione, millenarium quendam annorum abſolvemus in iiſdem verſantes, in quibus etiam nunc, nimirum & legem ſervantes, & alia &c. Unde liquidò conſtat vel Athanaſium vel Paulinum, vel quoſdam extitiſſe, circa, vel ante tempus Epiphanii, qui ſubſtantiam noſtrae Theſeos omnino defendebant. Imò mihi palam videtur, etiam ipſum Epiphanium, ex verbis ejus ſtatim inſequentibus, faviſſe aliquantulùm iis hanc opinionem tenentibus. Verùm (inquit) ſicut quidam affirmarunt, hoc dixiſſe ipſum aſſeruerunt. Et quòd quidem ſcriptum eſt de millenariâ hâc ſectâ, in Apocalypſi Johannis; & quòd apud pleroſque liber receptus eſt, etiam apud pios manifeſtum eſt, &c. Epiph. lib. 3. To. 2. & juxta Edit Baſil lat. A. D. 1578. ſub Titulo exemplar Paulini Epiſcopi. p. 334. & C. 335. A. & edit Graec. Baſil. p. 435.