The general session conteining an apologie of the most comfortable doctrine concerning the ende of this world, and seconde comming of Christ, written by Thomas Rogers. The first part, wherein for the comfort of the godlie is proued not onely that God wil, but also that he doth iudge this world.

CHAP. 8. (Book 8)

Against the Saturnians, Valentinians, and such like, whoe denie the re∣surrection of the flesh. (Book 8)

AN hard thing it is to make flesh and blood beleeue, that there shalbe à re∣surrection of the flesh. Therefore haue theie who defended the affirmatiue part, had manie aduersaries. Much contradicti∣on, saith Cyrila 1.1, yet but one trueth. Gre∣cians denie it; Samaritanes beleeue it not; Heretikes saie it shal not be, And al of them to proue their vane opinions doe bring either reason, as theie thinke, or scripture.

Their reasons are these. Man dieth, rot∣teth, & is eatē-vp of wormes; which wor∣mes also doe perish: Seeing therefore the body so putrifieth, and perisheth, how can it rise-again? Manie are drowned, and deuoured of fishes, which fishes after∣warde perchance be taken, and eaten-vp. Howe then shal the whole bodie arise? These and manie moe idle imagi∣nations, which of purpose I ouer-passe, theie bring-foorth to proue the impossi∣bilitie of the bodies resurrection. Vnto which. S. Cyril as in other places christi∣anlieb 1.2; so most diuinelie, in his 18. Cate∣cheis doth answere to this effect:

Thou which we beleeuest not those things which are written concerning the resurrecti∣on, being carnalie minded, look-vpon earth∣lie, and material thinges, and thou shalt see

most notable examples of the resurrection. Beholde the seede which is sowen, how doth it spring-afresh, and florish if it putrifie! if it putrifie not, it would neuer spring. Which seede is created for vs, and our vse, not for it selfe. Shal therefore that which is made for man, being euen dead spring-afresh; and shal not man himselfe rise-againe when he is dead?

Looke somewhat higher vpon the trees, consider them as theie are in the winter sea∣son, and consider them as theie are in Som∣mer. In the winter theie are dead without both leaues and fruite: in the Sommer most goodlie to beholde either with greene leaues, or goodlie fruite, or with both. For God who knoweth thine hardnes of heart, euerie yeere setteth à resurrection before thine eies, that by thinges without soule, thou mightest be∣leuee the resurrectiō of reasonable mē which haue soules.

Looke higher yet vpon heauen, and thou shalt finde à most euident proofe of the resur∣rection. The Moone sometime is in the waine, and sometime at the ful: sometime it is bright as daie, and sometime red as blood. Which thing God doth, saith Cyril, that thou man consisting of blood, shouldest not doubt of the resurrection of the dead; and

that thou shouldest beleeue that of thie selfe, which thou seest happen to the Moone in heauen. With manie other both strong and Christian arguments doth Cyril in that fore-saide place ouerthrow the foo∣lishe opinion of fleshlie minded men, the which, either because I studie to bee brief, or for that I know these by me now alledged be sufficient to preuaile with à man anie whit reasonable, I omit: confu∣ting their error, & concluding this point with an excellēt place of Irenaeus, which is thisc 1.3.

Theie therefore denie the power of God, and see not the trueth, who looke vpon the weakenes of the flesh, and consider not his power who raised it from the dead. For if he doe not quicken that which is mortal, nei∣ther make that incorrupt which is corrupti∣ble, God is not almightie. But inasmuch as in al these things he is mightie, we should think∣vpon, and cal into minde our beginning. For God tooke duste of the grounde, and made man. And vndoubtedlie more harde, and incredible is it to make man, yea and à liuing and reasonable man too of bones, and sinewes, and veines, and forme which ne∣uer was before; then to raise-againe that which sometime was beeing dissolued into

earth, for those reasons aboue mentioned; yea, though it returne vnto that, whereof at the first he made him to be who was not, when he thought good: much more wil he now, & that willinglie restore thē whe sometime were into that life which he giueth. Hitherto Irenaeus. The principal place of scripture wherby theie would proue that the body shal not rise-againe, is thisd 1.4: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God. Which place maketh no whit to their purpose. For y^e Apostle in that whole chapter wher∣out that text was taken, as no where else so forceablie, proueth the resurrection of the flesh. What therefore doth the Apo∣stle meane by these words, Flesh and blood cānot inherit the kingdome of God? Is it that so manie as are not regenerated by the holie Ghost, shal neuer be partakers of heauenly cōsolation? or equiualent with that of our Sauioure 1.5, He that beleeueth not, shal not see life, but the wrath of God abideth vpon him? yes vndoubtedlie. Of which iudgement Irenaeus is, as appea∣reth in these his wordesf 1.6: The Apostle ad∣horting vs vnto the participation of the spi∣rit, according to the reasons aboue mētioned, did saie: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdome of God. As if he should saie: Be not

deceiued, for vnles the word of God abide, & the Spirit of the Father be in you, vanelie, as it falleth out, ye haue spent the time, & so be∣ing blood and flesh, ye cannot inherit the king∣dome of God. This to the ende we should not refuse the ingraffing of the spirit by following & fauoring the flesh. And thou being, saith he g 1.7à wild oliue, wast graffed into the good oliue, and made partaker of the fatnesse of the O∣liue. As therefore à wilde Oliue, if, being ingraffed it continue as first it was, is cut-waie; but if it keepe the ingraffing, and change into the nature of à good oliue, it bea∣reth fruite as though it were planted in the paradise of à king: so mē, if through faith they profit in godlines, & take the spirit of God, & prosper in bringing-out fruit of the same, they shalbe spiritual, & as it were planted in Gods paradise. But if theie refuse the spirit, and a∣bide as theie were at first, liking better of the flesh, than of the spirite; thē rightlie it is saide of such,* 1.8 Flesh and blood shal not inherit the kingdome of God. Againe, y^e more fullie to answere them, I saie the word Flesh, hath not alwaies one signification in the holie scripture. Frr somtime it is properlie ta∣ken, as the nature therof doth import, for à masse & substāce of flesh, as where Paul faithh 1.9, Al flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of mē, & another of beasts &

another of fishes, and another of birds. Some∣time vnproperlie, both by the figure Sy∣necdoche it is taken, sometime for man onelie, a where it is saidei 1.10, Al flesh had corrupted his waie vpon earth, meaning al men; sometime for euerie liuing crea∣ture, as in this sentencek 1.11, An ende of al flesh is come before me: and also by the fi∣gure Metonymie it signifieth, first y^e state & condition of this life, as in these words of Paull 1.12, In that I nowe liue in the flesh; I liue by the faith in the son of God; secondlie, y^e outward shew or appeerance of things, that Christ meant when he saidm 1.13 ye iudg after the flesh; thirdlie, & last of al, it signi∣fieth the corruptiō of our nature, or what soeuer is in à man not regenerate; this meant both our Sauiour in saiengn 1.14, That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh, and Paul tooo 1.15, If ye liue after the flesh, ye shal die.

Therefore Paul in saieng, Flesh & bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of God, mea∣neth that fleshlie minded men, such as delight in the workes of the fleshp 1.16, as ad∣ulterie, fornication, vncleannes, wanton∣nes, idolatrie, witch-craft, hatred, &c. shal not inherite the kingdome of God. Now had he meant the earthie or fleshie sub∣stance of man, as these heretiques doe

dreame, he should therebie haue spoken▪ against that which he had not onelie so couragiouslie maintained both at Athens in the streete of Marsq 1.17; and at Ierusalem in the counsel of the Iewesr 1.18; and at Cesa∣rea, before Felix the gouernours 1.19: but al∣so so learnedlie by arguments taken frō the resurrection of Christt 1.20; from the end of our Baptismeu 1.21; from absurdities which arise by the denial thereofx 1.22; from simili∣tudes of thinges createdy 1.23; from compari∣sonsz 1.24, & from sundrie other special pla∣ces, proued and confirmed. But leaue we these heretikes.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Cyril catech. 18.
• b 1.2

  Cyril catech 4, and 14.
• c 1.3

  Irenaeus ad∣uersus haereses Valentini &c. lib. 5.
• d 1.4

  1. Cor. 15, 50.
• e 1.5

  Ioh. 3, 36.
• f 1.6

  Irenaeus ad∣uersus haereses Valent. lib. 5.
• g 1.7

  Rom. 11, 17.
• * 1.8

  Diuers significa∣tiōs of the word flesh.
• h 1.9

  1. Cor. 15, 39.
• i 1.10

  Gen. 6, 12.
• k 1.11

  Gen. 6, 13.
• l 1.12

  Gal, 2, 20.
• m 1.13

  Iohn. 8, 15.
• n 1.14

  Iohn. 3, 6.
• o 1.15

  Rom. 8, 13.
• p 1.16

  Gal. 5, 19. 20. &c.
• q 1.17

  Act. 17, 22. 23. &c. 31. 32.
• r 1.18

  Act. 23, 6.
• s 1.19

  Act. 24, 14. 15. 16.
• t 1.20

  1. Cor. 15, 12. 13. &c.
• u 1.21

  1. Cor. 15, 23.
• x 1.22

  1. Cor. 15, 13. 14. 32.
• y 1.23

  1. Cor. 15, 36. 37. &c.
• z 1.24

  1. Cor. 15, 48. 49.