Institutes of the Christian Religion Abridged by Edmond Bunnie, Book · Book 3 · Chapter 25
Cap. 25. Of the laſt reſurrection.
FIrſt, hee ſetteth downe the doctrine, and confirmeth it from the firſt to the fourth: ſecōdly he taketh away certaine errours, from the 5. to the 9. Laſt of al he deſcendeth to certaine, from the 10. to the 12.
Albeit wee hauehave nowe paſſed from death vntounto life,2. Tim. 1.20 Iohn. 5.24 Ephe. 2.19 yet leaſt it ſhould be a griefe to be yet exerciſed vnderunder this harde warfare, wee muſt looke for the bleſſed hope, and comming of the glory of the great GOD; our ſlowneſſe, the mockes of prophane men, or violent temptation notwithſtanding.
Phi. 3.8 Rom. 8.192 Perfect felicitie which was doubtfully diſputed vponupon of ye Philoſophers, was yet knowne to none of them that it was yet ſet before vsus in the reſurrection. Therefore our mindes muſt bée lifted vp thervnto, eſpecially ſéeing the dead elements doe after their manner deſire the ſame thing.
1. Cor. 15.14 2. Cor. 4.103. 4 By the very waight of the thing our endeuour ſhould be whetted, ſeeing that except the dead doe riſe againe the whole Goſpel is deceiptfull and doubtfull: but becauſe the thing is harde to be credited, that faith may ouercome al lettes,Luke. 24.6 1. Cor. 15.6 Acts. 9.4 the ſcripture miniſtreth vntounto vsus two lettes: the firſt, the ſimilitude of Chriſt, the other the omnipotencie of God, the firſt wherof, is handeled 3. the laſt in the 4. ſection, where it teacheth yt our ſenſes muſt be directed to the infinite power of god,Phil. 3.20 1. Cor. 15.36.37 in proouing the reſurrection, and that it is vnmeete to hauehave reſpect what may naturally be doone where an ineſtimable miracle is ſet before vsus, which with the greatneſſe thereof ſwaloweth vp our ſenſes, yet Paul in ſetting forth an example of nature reprooueth their dulneſſe which deny the reſurrection.
5 As concerning errours, firſt he cōfuteth ye errour of the Ethnicks, Eccle. 5.4 Marke. 12.18 Luke. 20.27 Acts. 2.8& Saduces which denied the reſurrection & immortalitie of the ſoules, and alſo of the Chiliaſtes which limitted the reigne of Chriſt a thouſand yéeres. The place of the Reuelation maketh nothing for thē,Reue. 20.4 where Iohn entreateth not of the eternal bleſſednes of the church, but only of the diuers troubles which were to come vponupon the Church while it yet trauelled in earth: but the ſcripture crieth out that there ſhalbe no end of the bleſſedneſſe of the elect, nor of the puniſhment of the reprobate.
6 Moreouer after hée hath called to minde two other doting errours:2. Pet. 1.14 2. Cor. 5.1 Heb. 12.23 the firſt of them, that the ſoules ſhall riſe againe with the bodies as though the whole man died firſt, hée confuteth it: ſecondly that that may better appeare, he ſheweth what their eſtate is, after the diſſolution of the body, till the day of the laſt iudgement.
2. Cor. 5.27 The laſt of them which imagine that ſoules ſhall not receiue the ſame bodies wherwith they are now clothed: but ſhall hauehave newe and other bodies, the better to roote it vp, firſt hee taketh away the obiectiō of the Manichies deniyng the reſurrection of the fleſh,Matth. 17.52 becauſe it is vncleane: Secondly hee prooueth that no other body ſhall riſe than this.
Col. 24.6 Rom. 8.118 This argument he proſecuteth, and by that occaſion hee girdeth him ſelfe to expounde the manner of the reſurrection.
9 Neither is it any thing to the contrary,Iohn. 11.25 Matth. 25.31 Acts. 24.15 that the reſurrection doeth pertaine to the wicked, and the accurſed of God, no leſſe then to the Saintes, although not in the ſame manner.
10 After he hath laide theſe thinges, hee paſſeth from the reſurrection to the eternall felicitie,Oſe. 13.14 1. Cor. 15.54 which is the ende of the reſurrection, thereof hée affirmeth two thinges, that the excellencie therof farre ſurmounteth our capacitie, and that the meaſure of glory ſhall not bée equall to all the ſonnes of God, becauſe he doth diuerſly diſtribute his giftes to the Saintes in this worlde, and doeth vnequally enlighten them.
11 We muſt beware of crabbed queſtions in this matter:Rom. 8.22 albeit he himſelf anſwere to ſome, yet ſo, that in the meane ſpace hee admoniſheth vsus that we deſire not aſwell to knowe before the time what is doone in heauen, as which way to goe thither.
12 Hée deſcendeth from the felicitie of the faithfull,Matth. 8.12 Eſ. 66.25 1. The. 1.9 Pſalm. 9.9 to the miſerable ſtate of the reprobate, which is both great and eternall.