' Interim.
induce to the commission of sin; but still it is waiting for the flesh in order that it may through the flesh also compensate for its deeds, inasmuch as it laid upon the flesh the execu- tion of its own thoughts. This, in short, will be the process of that judgment which is post- poned to the last great day, in order that by the exhibition of the flesh the entire (:f)urse of the divine vengeance may be accomplished. Besides, (it is obvious to remark) there would be no delaying to the end of that doom which souls are already tasting in Hades, if it was destined for souls alone.
CHAP. XVIII. — SCRIPTURE PHRASES AND PAS- SAGES CLEARLY.'VSSERT "THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD." THE FORCE OF THIS VERY PHRASE EXPLAINED AS INDICATING THE PROMINENT PLACE OF THE FLESH IN THE GENERAL RESURRECTION.
Thus far it has been my object by prefatory remarks to lay a foundation for the defence of all the Scriptures which promise a resurrection of the flesh. Now, inasmuch as /his verity is supported by so many just and reasonable considerations — I mean the dignity of the flesh itself,^ the power and might of God,^ the analogous cases in which these are displayed,* as well as the good reasons for the judgment, and the need thereof ^ — it will of course be only right and proper that the Scriptures .<jhould be understood in the sense suggested oy such authoritative considerations, and not after the conceits of the heretics, which arise from infidelity solely, because it is deemed in- credible that the flesh should be recovered from death and restored to life; not because (such a restoration) is either unattainable by the flesh itself, or impossible for God to effect, or unsuitable to the yf //a/ judgment. Incred- ible, no doubt, it might be, if it had not been revealed in the word of God; ^ except that, even if it had not been thus first announced by God, it might have been fairly enough as- sumed, that the revelation of it had been with- held, simply because so many strong presump- tions in its favour had been already furnished. Since, however, (the great fact) is proclaimed in so many inspired passages, that is so far a dissuasive against understanding it in a sense different from that which is attested by such arguments as persuade us to its reception, even irrespective of the testimonies of revela- tion. Let us see, then, first of all in what title this hope of ours is held out to our view.'
2 As stated in ch. v.-ix.
3 See ch. xi.
4 As stated in ch. xii. and xiii.
6 Divinitus.
7 Proscripta.
ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH.
[CIIAI'. \1X.
There is, I imagine, one divine edict whicli is exposed to the gaze of all men: it is "The Resurrection of the Dead."' These words are prompt, decisive, clear. I mean to take these very terms, discuss them, and discover to what substance they apply. As to the word resurrcctio, whenever I hear of its impending over a human being, I am forced to inquire what part of him has been destined to fall, since nothing can be expected to rise again, unless it has first been prostrated. It is only the man who is ignorant of the fact that the flesh falls by death, that can fail to discover tiiat it stands erect by means of life. Nature pronounces God's sentence: " Dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." - Even the man who has not heard the sentence, sees the fact. No death but is the ruin of our limbs. This destiny of the body the Lord also de- scribed, when, clothed as He was in its very substance, He said," Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again." ^ For He showed to what belongs (the incidents of) being destroyed, thrown down, and kept down — even to that to which it also appertains to be lifted and raised up again; although He was at the same time bearing about with Him " a soul that was trembling even unto death,"" but which did not fall through death, because even the Scripture informs us tnat " He spoke of His body." ^ So that it is the flesh which falls by death; and accordingly it derives its name, cadaver, from cadendo} The soul, however, has no trace of 3i fall in its designation, as indeed there is no mortality in its condition. Nay it is the soul which com- municates its ruin to the body when it is breathed out of it, just as it is also destined to raise it up again from the earth when it shall re-enter it. That cannot fall which by its entrance raises; nor can that droop which by its departure causes ruin. I will go further, and say that the soul does not even fall into sleep along with the body, nor does it with its companion even lie down in repose. For it is agitated in dreams, and disturbed: it might, however, rest, if it lay down; and lie down it certainly would, if it fell. Thus that which does not fall even into the likeness of death, does not succumb to the reality thereof. Passing now to the other word mortuoniin, I wish you to look carefully, and see to what substance it is ap- plicable. Were we to allow, under this head, as is sometimes held by the heretics, that the soul is mortal, so that being mortal it shall at- ' Resurrectio Mortnorum. - Gen. iii. lo. 3 John ii. lo.
'" Corpsi- from falline." This, of course, does not show the connfotion of the words, like the Latin, [Elucidation I.]
tain to a resurrection; this would afford a pre- sumption that the flesh also, being no less mortal, would share in the same resurrection. But our present point is to derive from the proper signification of this word an idea of the destiny which it indicates. Now, just as the term resurrection is predicated of that which falls — that is, the flesh — so will there be the same application of the word dead, because what is called " the resurrection of the dead " indicates the rising up again of that which is fallen down. We learn this from the case of Abraham, the father of the faithful, a man who enjoyed close intercourse with God. For when he requested of the sons of Heth a spot to bury Sarah in, he said to them, "Give me the possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead,"'' — meaning, of course, her flesh; for he could not have de- sired a place to bury her soul in, even if the soul is to be deemed mortal, and even if it could bear to be described by the word ''''dead." Since, then, this word indicates the body, it follows that when "the resurrection of the dead" is spoken of, it is the rising again of me?i's bodies that is meant.
CHAP. XIX. THE SOPHISTICAL SENSE PUT BY HERETICS ON THE PHRASE " RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD," AS IF IT MEANT THE MORAL CHANGE OF A NEW LIFE.
Now this consideration of the phrase in question, and its signification — besides main- taining, of course, the true meaning of the important words — must needs contribute to this further result, that whatever obscurity our adversaries throw over the subject under the pretence of figurative and allegorical lan- guage, the truth will stand out in clearer light, and out of uncertainties certain and definite rules will be prescribed. For some, when they have alighted on a very usual form of prophetic statement, generally expressed in figure and allegory, though not always, dis- tort into some imaginary sense even the most clearly described doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, alleging that even death itself must be understood in a spiritual sense. They say that that which is commonly sup- posed to be death is not really so, — namely, the separation of body and soul: it is rather the ignorance of God, by reason of which man is dead to God, and is not less buried in error than he would be in the grave. Wherefore that also must be held to be the resurrection, when a man is reanimated by access to the truth, and having dispersed the death of ignorance, and being endowed with new life 7 Gen. x.xiii. 4.
CHAP. XX.
ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH.
by God, has burst fortli from the sepulchre of the old man, even as the Lord Hkened the scribes and Pharisees to " whited sepul- chres." ' Whence it follows that they who have by faith attained to the resurrection, are l/with the Lord after they have once put Him on in their baptism. By such subtlety, then, even in conversation have they often been in the habit of misleading our brethren, as if they held a resurrection of the dead as well as we. Woe, say they, to him who has not risen in the present body; for they fear that they might alarm their hearers if they at once denied the resurrection. Secretly, however, in their minds they think this: Woe betide the simpleton who during his present life fails to discover the mysteries of heresy; since this, in their view, is the resurrection. There are, however, a great many also, who, claiming to hold a resurrection after the soul's departure, maintain that going out of the sepulchre means escaping out of the world, since in their view the world is the habitation of the dead — that is, of those who know not God; or they will go so far as to say that it actually means escaping out of the body itself, since they imagine that the body detains the soul, when it is shut up in the death of a worldly life, as in a grave.
CHAP. XX. — FIGURATIVE SENSES HAVE THEIR FOUNDATION IN LITERAL FACT. BESIDES, THE ALLEGORICAL STYLE IS BY NO MEANS THE ONLY ONE FOUND IN THE PROPHETIC SCRIP- TURES, AS ALLEGED BY THE HERETICS.
Now, to upset all conceits of this sort, let me dispel at once the preliminary idea on which they rest — their assertion that the prophets make all their announcements in fig- ures of speech. Now, if this were the case, the figures themselves could not possibly have been distinguished, inasmuch as the verities would not have been declared, out of which the figurative language is stretched. And, indeed, if all are figures, where will be that of which they are the figures? How can you hold up a mirror for your face, if the face no- where exists? But, in truth, all are not fig- ures, but there are also literal statements; nor are all shadows, but there are bodies too: so that we have prophecies about the Lord Him- self even, which are clearer than the day. P'or it was not figuratively that the Virgin conceived in her womb; nor in a trope did she bear Emmanuel, that is, Jesus, God with us.- Even granting that He was figuratively to take the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria,' still it was literally that He was to " enter into judgment with the elders and princes of the people."" For in the person of Pilate "the heathen raged," and in the person of Israel " the people imagined vain things;" " the kings of the earth " in Herod, and the rulers in Annas and Caiaphas, were gathered together against the Lord, and against His anointed." ^ He, again, was "led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a sheep before the shearer," that is, Herod, "is dumb, so He opened not His mouth."* " He gave His back to scourges, and His cheeks to blows, not turning His face even from the shame of spitting. "^ "He was numbered with the transgressors;" ^ " He was pierced in His hands and His feet;" ' " they cast lots for his raiment" '° " they gave Him gall, and made Him drink vinegar;" " " they shook their heads, and mocked Him;" " " He was appraised by the traitor in thirty pieces of silver." '^ What figures of speech does Isaiah here give us? What tropes does David? What allegories does Jeremiah? Not even of His mighty works have they used parabolic lan- guage. Or else, were not the eyes of the blind opened? did not the tongue of the dumb recover speech? '•* did not the relaxed hands and pal- sied knees become strong, '5 and the lame leap as an hart? '* No doubt we are accustomed also to give a spiritual significance to these statements of prophecy, according to the anal- ogy of the physical diseases which were healed by the Lord; but still they were all fulfilled literally: thus showing that the prophets fore- told both senses, except that very many of their words can only be taken in a pure and simple signification, and free from all allegori- cal obscurity; as when we hear of the down- fall of nations and cities, of Tyre and Egypt, and Babylon and Edom, and the navy of Carthage; also when they foretell Israel's own chastisements and pardons, its captivities, restorations, and at last its final dispersion. Who would prefer affixing a metaphorical in- terpretation to all these events, instead of ac- cepting their literal truth? The realities are involved in the words, just as the words are read in the realities. Thus, then, (we find that) the allegorical style is not used in all ' Matt, xxiii. 27.
" Ps. l.xix. 22. TertuUian only briefly gives the tense ia two words: et potus amaros. ■4 Isa. xxxv. s, s6o ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH.
[chap. wii.
parts of the prophetic record, although it occasionally occurs in certain portions of it.
CHAP. XXI. — NO MERE METAPHOR IN THE PHRASE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. IN PROPORTION TO THE IMPORTANCE OF ETERNAL TRUTHS, IS THE CLEARNESS OF THEIR SCRIP- TURAL ENUNCIATION.
Well, if it occurs occasionally in certain portions of it, you will say, then why not in that phrase,' where the resurrection might be spiritually understood? There are several reasons why not. F'irst, what must be the meaning of so many important passages of Holy Scripture, which so obviously attest the resurrection of the body, as to admit not even the appearance of a figurative signification? And, indeed, (since some passages are more obscure than others), it cannot but be right — as we have shown above ^ — that uncertain statements should be determined by certain ones, and obscure ones by such as are clear and plain; else there is fear that, in the conflict of certainties and uncertainties, of explicitness and obscurity, faith may be shattered, truth endangered, and the Di- vine Being Himself be branded as incon- stant. Then arises the improbability that the very mystery on which our trust wholly rests, on which also our instruction entirely depends, should have the appearance of being ambigu- ously announced and obscurely propounded, inasmuch as the hope of the resurrection, unless it be clearly set forth on the sides both of punishment and reward, would fail to per- suade any to embrace a religion like ours, e;K- posed as it is to public detestation and the imputation of hostility to others. There is no certain work where the remuneration is uncertain. There is no real apprehension when the peril is only doubtful. But both the recompense of reward, and the danger of los- ing it, depend on the issues of the resurrection. Now, if even those purposes of God against cities, and nations, and kings, which are merely temporal, local, and personal in their character, have been proclaimed so clearly in prophecy, how is it to be supposed that those dispensations of His which are eternal, and of universal concern to the human race, should be void of all real light in themselves? The grander they are, the clearer should be their announcement, in order that their superior greatness might be believed. And I appre- hend that God cannot possibly have ascribed to Him either envy, or guile, or inconsistency, or artifice, by help pf which evil qualities it is » Resurrectio Mortuorum, of which we have been speaking. 2 See ch. xix.
that all schemes of unusual grandeur are liti- giously promulgated.
CHAP. XXII. — THE SCRIPTURES FORBID OUR SUPPOSING EITHER THAT THE RESURRECTION IS ALREADY PAST, OR THAT IT TAKES PLACE IMMEDIATELY AT DEATH. OUR HOPES AND PRAYERS POINT TO THE LAST GREAT DAY AS THE PERIOD OF ITS ACCOMPLISHMENT.
We must after all this turn our attention to those scriptures also which forbid our belief in such a resurrection as is held by youvAnima/is^s (for I will not call them Spiritualists),^ that it is either to be assumed as takitig place now, as soon as men come to the knowledge of the truth, or else that it is accomplished immedi- ately after their departure from this life. Now, forasmuch as the seasons of our entire hope have been fixed in the Holy Scripture, and since we are not permitted to place the ac- complishment thereof, as I apprehend, pre- vious to Christ's coming, our prayers are di- rected towards* the end of this world, to the passing away thereof at the great day of the Lord — of His wrath and vengeance — the last day, which is hidden (from all), and known to none but the Father, although announced beforehand by signs and wonders, and the dissolution of the elements, and the conflicts of nations. I would turn out the words of the prophets, if the Lord Himself had said nothing (except that prophecies were the Lord's own word); but it is more to my pur- pose that He by His own mouth confirms their statement. Being questioned by His disciples when those things were to come to pass which He had just been uttering about the destruction of the temple, He discourses to them first of the order of Jewish events until the over- throw of Jerusalem, and then of such as con- cerned all nations up to the very end of the world. For after He had declared that " Jeru- salem was to be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles should be ful- filled," 5 — meaning, of course, those which were to be chosen of God, and gathered in with the remnant of Israel — He then goes on to pro- claim, against this world and dispensation (even as Joel had done, and Daniel, and ail the prophets with one consent*), that " there should be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars, distress of nations with per- plexity, the sea and the waves roaring, men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on tne 3 For the opinions of those Valentinians who held that Chr'.ot's flesh was composed of soul or of spirit — a refined, ethereal sub- stance— see TertuUian's De Came Ckrisii, cc. x.-xv.
* Suspirant in.
6 Joel iii. 9-15; Dan. vii. 13, 14.
CHAP. XXIII.]
ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH.
earth."' "For," says He, "the powers of heaven shall be shaken; and then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds, with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh,"= He spake of its "drawing nigh," not of its being present already; and of " those things beginning to come to pass," not of their having happened: because when they have come to pass, then our redemption shall be at hand, which is said to be approach- ing up to that time, raising and exciting our minds to what is then the proximate harvest of our hope. He immediately annexes a par- able of this in "the trees which are tenderly sprouting into a flower-stalk, and then de- veloping the flower, which is the precursor of the fruit." 3 "So likewise ye," (He adds), "when ye shall see all these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of heaven is nigh at hand."-* "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all those things, and to stand before the Son of man;"^ that is, no doubt, at the resurrection, after all these things have been previously transacted. Therefore, although there is a sprouting in the acknowledgment of all this mystery, yet it is only in the actual presence of the Lord that the flower is devel- oped and the fruit borne. Who is it then, that has aroused the Lord, now at God's right hand, so unseasonably and with such severity to "shake terribly" (as Isaiah* expresses it (" that earth,", which, I suppose, is as yet un- Bhattered? Who has thus early put " Christ's enemies beneath His feet " (to use the lan- guage of David ^), making Him more hurried than the Father, whilst every crowd in our popular assemblies is still with shouts consign- ing " the Christians to the lions? " ^ Who has yet beheld Jesus descending from heaven in like manner as the apostles saw Him ascend, according to the appointment of the two an- gels?' Up to the present moment they have not, tribe by tribe, smitten their breasts, look- ing on Him whom they pierced. '° No one nas as yet failen in with Elias;" no one has is yet escaped from Antichrist;'- no one has...s yet had to bewail the downfall of Babylon. '^ sCompa/e fhe Apology^ xl.; De Sped, xxvii.; De Exhort. Cast. xii.
9 Acts i. II. >° Zechr xii. 1^ '3 Rev. xviii. 2.
comp. John xix. 37.
36 And is there now anybody who has risen again, except the heretic? He, of course, has al- ready quitted the grave of his own corpse — although he is even now liable to fevers and ulcers; he, too, has already trodden down his enemies — although he has even now to strug- gle with the powers of the world. And as a matter of course, he is already a king — al- though he even now owes to Caesa' the things which are Caesar's.'* CHAP. XXin. — SUNDRY PASSAGES OF ST. PAUL, WHICH SPEAK OF A SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION, COMPATIBLE WITH THE FUTURE RESURREC- TION OF THE BODY, WHICH IS EVEN ASSUMED IN THEM.
The apostle indeed teaches, in his Epistle to the Colossians, that we were once dead, alienated, and enemies to the Lord in our minds, whilst we were living in wicked works; '^ that we were then buried with Christ in bap- tism, and also raised again with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.'* " And you, (adds he), when ye were dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quick- ened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses."'^ And again: "If ye are dead with Christ from the elements of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? " '^ Now, since he makes us spiritually dead — in such a way, however, as to allow that we shall one day have to undergo a bodily death, — so, consider- ing indeed that we have been also raised in a like spiritual sense, he equally allows that we shall further have to undergo a bodily resurrection. In so many words '» he says: " Since ye are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." ^ Accordingly, it is in our mind that he shows that we rise (with Christ), since it is by this alone that we are as yet able to reach to heavenly objects. These we should not "seek," nor "set our affection on," if we had them already in our possession. He also adds: " For ye are dead " — to your sins, he means, not to yourselves — "and your life is hid with Christ in God." ^' Now that life is not yet apprehended which is hidden. In like manner John says: " And it doth not yet ap- "tMatt. xxii. 21.
'8Ver. 20. The last clause in Tertullian is, " Quomodo sen- tentiam fertis?" '9 Denique.
ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH.
[chap. XXIV.
pear what we shall be: we know, however, that when He shall be manifest, we shall be like Him."' We are far indeed from being already what we know not of; we should, of course, be sure to know it if we were already (like Him). It is therefore the contempla- tion of our blessed hope even in this life by faith (that he speaks of) — not its presence nor Us possession, but only its expectation. Con- cerning this expectation and hope Paul writes to the Galatians: " For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." - He says " we wait for it," not we are in pos- session of it. By the righteousness of God, he means that judgment which we shall have to undergo as the recompense of our deeds. It is in expectation of this for himself that the apostle writes to the Philippians: " If by any means," says he, " I might attain to the resur- rection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect." ^ And yet he had believed, and had known all mysteries, as an elect vessel and the g7-eat teacher of the Gentiles; but for all that he goes on to say: " I, however, follow on, if so be I may apprehend that for which I also am ap- prehended of Christ." " Nay, more: " Breth- ren,"(he adds), "I count not myself to have