Miscellanies of divinitie divided into three books, wherein is explained at large the estate of the soul in her origination, separation, particular judgement, and conduct to eternall blisse or torment. By Edvvard Kellet Doctour in Divinitie, and one of the canons of the Cathedrall Church of Exon.

CHAP. II.

1. A division of such as have been raised. They all died.

2. The widow of Zarephath her sonne raised, yet died again: supposed to be Jonas the Prophet. The Shunammites sonne rai∣sed, not to an eternall, but to a temporary resurrection. A good, and a better resurrection.

3. Christ the first who rose, not to die again.

4. The man raised in the sepulchre of Elisha, arose not to immortality.

1. ANd because divers have been raised up, of whom there is not the like doubt, and answer in each kinde to be made, I will therefore distribute them, in regard of their times, in∣to three sorts:

Such as were raised

• 1. Before Christs death.
• 2. After he was ascended.
• 3. About the time of his death.

Which inverted method I purposely choose, because I will re∣serve the hardest point to the last.

The first sort again is subdivided into such as were raised, either before Christ was incarnated, or by Christ himself.

They who were raised before Christ was born, were three:

• 1. The widow of Zarephath her sonne, 1. King. 17.22.
• 2. The Shunammites sonne, 2. King. 4.35.
• 3. A dead man who was cast into the grave of Elisha, and when he touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood upon his feet, 2. King. 13.21.

All these three were raised up to live, and lived to die again. Neither did the intention of such as requested to have them raised, or of such as raised them, aim once, that they should live immortally: but live onely on earth again as other men did, and then die again. Neither did I ever reade any, who held these to arise to immortall glory: neither stands it with reason. For that they were once dead and raised to life, the Scripture saith: and that they must either live to this time, or be translated to immortall glorie in their bodies, or die, is as true as Scripture. Now, because there is no ground to say, that they yet live, or were translated bodily into heaven; there is good ground to conclude, that again they died.

2. Concerning the first of these: the Jews think he was Jo∣nas the Prophet: and S. Hierome, in his Prologue on Jonas, citeth their opinion, and dislikes it not. Tostatus also saith, Dïvers others think so. If Jonas were the widow of Zarephath her sonne, we know that Jonas died afterward: for the Prophets are dead, Joh. 8.53. and he was one of the Prophets. And concerning both the first and second instance, it is thought by many good Authours, that they are pointed at, Heb. 11.35. The women received their dead raised to life again: or, the Pro∣phets delivered to the women their dead, as the Syriack reads it; that is, to converse with them as formerly, being raised not to an eternall, but a temporary resurrection; and so to die again at their appointed times. And to this truth the Text it self giveth in evidence: for it is said in the same verse, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Of holy men there is a double resurrection; the first, and the last; the good, and the better. The resurrection mention∣ed in the beginning of the verse was good: and with reference to the former (saith Chrysostom) the latter resurrection is cal∣led the better. For the former was temporary, the latter eter∣nall, called also The holy resurrection in our book of Common Prayer, in the Epistle on the sixth Sunday after Trinity; though there is no substantiall ground for the word holy, ei∣ther in the Latine, or Greek, Rom. 6.5. Of the former, Aqui∣nas, in his Comment on Hebr. 11.35. saith it was rather a re∣suscitation then a resurrection: and again, c 1.1 These being raised died again, but Christ rising from the dead, dieth no more, Rom. 6.9.

3. And therefore Christs resurrection was (as Aquinas saith, and as it is indeed) the beginning of the future resurrection. Then must they needs die again who were raised before him. He was the first Guide that lead the way to the eternall re∣surrection. He abolished death, and hath brought life and immor∣tality to light, 2. Tim. 1.10. Life and immortalitie to light, which were before in darknesse. And I think that the Apo∣stle may well be thus paraphrased in that place to the He∣brews: The women desired that their dead children might be rai∣sed again, (1. King. 17.18. 2. King. 4.22, &c.) and, as a gift they received their dead raised to life again, to live with them accor∣ding to their desire. But others were tortured, and would not ac∣cept deliverance, and cared not for the joyes of this life, or the pu∣nishment unto death, nor temporary raising, that they might obtain the better resurrection: not to die again, as the others did; but to live for evermore.

4 But as for the third, Tostatus saith, He lived a long time, and he was more healthie then he was before he died: And he giveth this sound reason; Because what things are done superna∣turally, are farre more perfect then they that are done naturally. Never was there so good wine, as the water turned into wine: the choicenesse whereof was so easily discerned, even when the palate was cloyed, when the taste was corrupted and dull'd, towards the end of a feast, Joh. 2.10. Now as he lived a long time, so out of doubt in the end he died, tasting of mortali∣tie as truely as the Prophet did, whose bones before had rai∣sed him.

O Blessed Jesu, I beg not at thy hands the reuniting of my soul unto my body, for a temporary life: but, if it be thy holy will, let the vertue of thy Passion raise me first, from the death of sinne, to the life of righteousnesse; and from a righteous temporary life, to the life of immortall happinesse. Grant this, for thy glorious Names sake, O holy Redeemer. Amen.

Notes

• c 1.1

  Isti sic resuscitati, sunt iterum mortui: Christus autem resue∣gens ex mortuis, jam non moritur, Rom. 6.9.