Credo resurrectionem carnis a tractate on the eleventh article of the Apostles Creed / by W.H. Esquire sometimes of Peter-house in Cambridge.

CHAP. 6. Of many resemblances in the booke of Nature of our Resurrection.

IF we borrow some Iewels from the Aegyptians, and search the writings of prophane Authors, we shall often find some shadow of holy hi∣story among the Hea∣then.

Plato the divine a∣mongst

the Philoso∣phers (as it is observed by one, who sweetly descants on the songs of Sion, which Ionas sung in a strange land, when he was impriso∣ned in a living tombe, within a Chrystall cage) this Moses a∣mongst the Athenians differeth but a little in describing the Nature of the god-head, from that other Moses, which was as I may so say (absit invidia verbo) a Plato amongst the He∣brewes, each of them doth but a little vary

the Article, The one writes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, He that is, the other 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, That that is; From whence wee may take up this note, when God had a purpose to re∣veale his eternity to Moses, hee chose to do it by a word, which being but one syllable amongst the Greeks doth notwithstanding signify and containe three times, that which is past, that which is present, that which is to come; all which are indistinct in God, because hee is

not changed, but is yesterday, to day, and the same for ever more, for in Gods Grammer as it is wit tily said, there are no lerters, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. no Nowne but Boni∣tas, no Pronoune but Ipse, no Verbe but Sum, no Adverbe but Nunc.

But to leave genera∣lities, and to returne to the head of our race where wee first began. In this point of reuni∣ting the soule with the body, this Athenian Eagle hath soared higher than any other

of the Philosophers, for hee held that in the revolution of so many yeeres, men should be in the same estate wherein they were be∣fore, which is obscure∣ly drawne from the Re∣surrection; when wee shall bee in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as wee were in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

The Principall Se∣cretary in nature, & di∣ctator of reason, holds the immortality of the soule, and consequent∣ly strong reasons even from his own axiomes and rules of Philoso∣phy may bee derived

to confirme the Resur∣rection of the body. For if wee admit the soule to bee immor∣tall, then it must ne∣cessarily follow that the body, as the Or∣ganon or instrument thereof bee revnited thereunto. The soule was not made to live to it selfe, but in the body, and resteth not fully content so long as she wanteth her cō∣panion. Secondly, the soule separated from the body is imperfect, Et nulla res imperfecta est capax perfectae falici∣tatis.

Thirdly, Non est perpetuum quod est con∣tra naturam; but it is contrary to the nature of a mans soule to be separated from the bo∣dy, seing it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the perfecting act thereof; wherfore the Soule cannot be con∣tinually separated, but must necessarily re∣sume the body.

It is not my intent to leade my Reader in∣to the Lycaeum of the Peripateticks, or the Gallery of the Sto∣icks, or the Tusculatum of the Oratour. The

season of the yeere doth now invite us with Isaack into the fields, and with Ioseph of Aramathea into our gardens: And here (as it hath ever beene the guise of godly men from the beholding of worldly things to be∣get heavēly thoughts, to turne the sight of e∣very solemnity into a Schoole of Divinity, and from things they see here downeward, to make a prospect up∣wards) whatsoever is presented to our eyes, may be an Embleme

to us of our resurrecti∣on. How doth it feed us with delight, to view the trees apparel∣led with a fresh beau∣ty? to see,

— The mealy mountaines late unseene, Change their white gar∣ments into lusty greene, The gardens prancke thē with their flowry buds, The meades with grasse, with leaves the naked woods.

For what is the Spring, but as Tertul∣lian calleth it the re∣surrectiō of the yeere? and it is no way con∣sonant

to reason, that man for whom all o∣ther things doe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, shoote forth, wax fresh, spring and rise againe, should not have his spring and ri∣sing too.

The whole creature doth write a commen∣tary to give us com∣fort in this point; but principally the Arabi∣an Phenix that sole bird of wonder; never did the Roman Empe∣rors lye in their beds in greater state, when in their 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they were to bee burnt, and

changed to Gods, then she doth consume her∣selfe in cost, because shee knowes she shall bee revived. By all wri∣ters she hath ever been held a type of our glo∣rious Resurrection: In the 91. Psalme it is said, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, In the vulgar translation wee reade it, hee shall flourish like the palme, but it may be translated, hee shall flourish like the Phenix, for the greeke word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, admitts of both significations.

Dies diei discipulus,

one day teacheth ano∣ther, and one night certifieth another, each day dieth into the night, and riseth into the morning a∣gaine, these vicissi∣tudes of times, and re∣volutions of seasons, are but so many deaths and so many resurre∣ctions.

Homo est nummus Dei, Man is Gods coine stamped with his I∣mage. Nazianzen spea∣king of Rulers, as of the Image of God, compareth the High∣est to pictures drawne

cleane through even to the feet; the middle sort, to halfe pictures drawne to the girdle; the meanest to the les∣ser sort of pictures drawn but to the necke and shoulders: But all in some degree carry his Image, as well the poore penny, as the coine of gold. In these lively pictures of ours may wee see some sha∣dow, some resemblāce of our future Resurre∣ction, doe not our nails pared, & our haire being cut grow a∣gaine? And if these

dead parts of the body bee restored by the or∣dinary power of God in nature, much more shall his mighty pow∣er restore the bodies of men; hath God given me the security of the very haires of my head, and shall I distrust him for the raising of my body?

These and the like meditations are armor of proofe against the feare of death. Pulvis es, & in pulverem rever∣teris, is Mans Epitaph writtē with Gods own finger.—Libenter mor∣talis

sum, quisim futurus immortalis, is a faith∣full mans suscription and reply.

I might here with∣out disgression record what I find upon file, many memorable say∣ings, Apothegmata me∣rientium, and novissima verba, the last breath of such Seraphycall Zelots, as have gone to heaven, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, with some sentence of piety in their mouthes, with good words in their lips, and like so many dying swans have war∣bled

out their soules into the hāds of God. But this field hath bin already reaped to my hand.

Since an Angell sate on our Saviours grave, and proclamed those good tidings—Resurre∣xit non est hic, wee have added to our tombe∣stones too Hic jacet-this happy clause-spe¦resurgendi; for wee know that the bodies of the dead are not lost but layed up, that they doe not perish but rest in hope, that the sepulchers are not

gulfes to swallow thē, but repositaries to keep thē; therfore do the Germans wittily call the Church-yard Gods acker, because the bodies are sowne there to bee raised up againe.

Securus moritur qui scit se morte renasci.

Soules take your rest, whose soule in heavens at∣tends,

A blest reunion of two loving friends.

When Christ shall come with a Prodi La∣zare, the graves shall set ope their marble

doores; when the Ark-Angell shall sound the trump of collectiō, the scatter'd bones of the Saints shalbe gathered together with sinewes, and those sinewes in∣corporated with flesh, and that flesh covered o're with skin, and by a new Metempsycosis or rather 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, such as Pythagoras never dream'd of, the same soule shall reenter in∣to the same body.

But of the perfect restauration of our bo∣dyes, and glory of our soules, wee shall dis∣course

more largely in the close of our medi∣tations.

Before I unlade my ship, and put her into the creeke, before I lodge my colours, I should collect some∣thing by way of refu∣tation from the absur∣dities that arise from the deniall of this truth. The blessed A∣postle hath set them downe at large in his Epistle to the Corin¦thians, to which most comfortable Chapter (wherein is store of Manna, for the soule

to feed on) I referre my Reader. To com∣ment upon each of those texts were to set up a candle before the Sunne; many of them being plaine and easy to bee understood. I will only select one period of harder con∣struction, and give you, the.

Notes

• Plato Moses alter Moses Atticus.
• Anma Pla∣tonicus.
• Math, 19 28.
• The Phae∣nix.