A DEMONSTRATION OF THE Reſurrection of Chriſt.

CORINTH was a famous Church, if any other, plan­ted by the Apoſtle himſelf, reſiding among them a whole yeare and an halfe, for the preaching and ſetling of the Goſ­pel;Acts 18.24. and afterwards watered by A­pollo an Eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures: but though it were thus planted, thus watered, yet not many years after there crept in ma­ny2 abuſes into that Church, for the reforming whereof S. Paul ſpends moſt of this Epiſtle; and the two chiefe abuſes, a dangerous ſchiſme, and a dangerous hereſy. He picks out purpoſely one to be medled with firſt of all, and the other laſt of all; becauſe things ſpoken firſt and laſt take beſt impreſſion; and nothing he deſired to take deeper impreſſion, then dehortation from ſchiſme, and haereſy; the one brea­king the bond of charity, the other the bond of faith. Their ſchiſme, that one ſaid he was of Paul, ano­ther of Apollo, another of Cephas, another of Chriſt, is confuted thorowout the four firſt chapters; Their hereſy, that ſome among them denyed the reſurrection, is with great vehemency and contention of reaſoning confuted thorowout his fifteeth Chapter: and good cauſe that the Apoſtle ſhould ſo beſtirre himſelf in confirming the doctrine of the reſurrection, it being the very knot and tye of all Religion, and all Religion falling aſunder without it;3 deny the Reſurrection, and the world would ſoone be as bad as hell it ſelf; if the dead riſe not again, let us eat and drinke for to morrow we dye; but affirme the Reſurrection, and beleeve it perfectly aright, and the world would be almoſt as holy as Heaven it ſelfe. Acts 24.15.16.My hope towards God is that there ſhall be a Reſurre­ction of the dead, both of juſt and un­juſt, and herein do I exerciſe my ſelfe, to have alwayes a conſcience void of offence towards God and towards men; therefore good reaſon that the Apoſtle ſhould ſo beſtirre him­ſelf about this point The Reſurre­ction of the dead is the Chriſtians confidence. Fiducis Chriſtia­norum Re­ſurrectio mortuo­rum: Ter­tull.

Now he proves the Reſurrection, firſt more directly by plaine argu­ments unto the 35. verſ. Secondly, more indirectly and underhand by anſwering the ſurmiſed doubts that might be againſt it.

But ſome will ſay, How are the dead raiſed up, & c? This how is not an how of enquiry, (for then he ſhould not have anſwered, thou4 foole; but thou curious fellow:) but an how of objection againſt the very matter; How, how is it poſſible that the dead putrified body ſhould riſe again, that every one ſhould have his own body; being eaten perhaps of the beaſts, or the fiſh, or the fowle, and turned into their ſubſtance? how alſo is it conveni­ent that theſe vile bodyes of ours that were nothing but clogs and troubles to us here, ſhould be reſto­red to us? and this is the implyed Objection; How are the dead rai­ſed up? &c. which the Apoſtle anſwers in all the parts of it, ſhewing it firſt, not to be impoſſible, becauſe wee ſee the like dayly in the ſeed ſowne, it dyes and quickens again; and alſo no feare of the impoſſibili­ty becauſe it is God that doth it: and cannot he reſtore the body, and the ſame body too? he can tell how to ſever the fleſh of men from the fleſh of beaſts; &c. And ſecondly, he ſhewes it not to be inconvenient, becauſe it ſhall be the ſame body for ſubſtance, yet not for irkſome5 conditions; but as celeſtial and ter­reſtriall bodies differ a great deale for glory and excellency, ſo it from it ſelf, dying and being raiſed up a­gain; It is ſowne in corruption, it is raiſed in incorruption; and in ſhewing this glorious change, (thereby anſwering the ſurmiſed objection of inconvenience) he ſpends moſt of the reſt of this Chap­ter from the fortyeth verſe unto the end.

Now for the direct proofe of the Reſurrection in the former part of the Chapter, it beares it ſelfe eſpe­cially upon this argument. That Chriſt is riſen, and therefore we ſhall riſe again too: and after that he hath a long time toſſed and tou­zed and waved and argued it up and down with a great deale of zeale, that Chriſt is undoubtedly riſen, (for it is the thing that he is long and earneſt about, and troubles him moſt) the other, That we ſhould therefore undoubtedly riſe, would eaſily follow, none would much gainſay it. After therefore he hath6 ſo belaboured the point of Chriſts Reſurrection, thereby to inferre ours; in my text, he caſts up the ſumme of all, ſhewing what all his former reaſoning had amounted un­to, namely to this to tall, But now is Chriſt riſen from the dead, &c.

There are two things,

• Firſt, That Chriſt is riſen.
• Secondly, Not ſo onely, but ri­ſen as The firſt fruits, to ſanctify and hallow unto his father all the faithfull that ſleep in Chriſt, aſſuring them by his Reſurrection, of their bleſſed Reſurrection at laſt too. As the whole harveſt was bleſſed and ſanctified and halloved in a little handfull of the firſt fruits dedicated to God, that bleſſed and hallowed the whole harveſt; ſo Chriſts Re­ſurrection bleſſeth and warrants all ours.

And Firſt, That Chriſt is riſen; But what, you will ſay, needs any proving of this point? There are no Painims here to deny the Reſurre­ction, there are no Thomaſſes here to doubt of it, we all beleeve the ar­ticle7 of the Creed, The third day he roſe again from the dead?

Beloved, I would it were ſo; but let me tell you what our Saviour ſaith,Luke 18.8. When the ſon of man cometh ſhall he find faith on the earth? and what S. Paul ſaith,2 Theſ. 3.2. Non om­nium eſt fides. all man have not faith; to beleeve that Chriſt by his Reſurrection is the Reſurrection and life to others, is a matter that may well have a, Beleeveſt thou this? ſet upon the head of it; let me tell you, it is not for nought that the Goſpels every one of them are ſo large in the Demonſtration of the truth of Chriſts Reſurrection, by variety of circumſtances, and varie­ty of apparitions, and that the Acts are written in effect for no other end, as Chryſoſtome wel obſerves, (Hom. 1.) then to prove Chriſts Reſurrection by his powerfull ſen­ding of the holy Holy Ghoſt, by his powerfull endowing them with gifts of miracles, with gifts of a more then man-like courage and forti­tude, to preach ſtoutly the Goſpell notwithſtanding all oppoſition, by8 the glorious ſucceſſe likewiſe in their preaching, to convert ſo many of the Jews,Act. 6.7. even a great company of prieſts themſelves; and ſuch numbers of the gentiles unto the faith; theſe ſpeake the Reſurre­ction, theſe are not the works of one that lyeth in the power of death.

Let me tell you, there is more in that of S. Paul then every one thinks, If thou confeſſe with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus,Rom. 10.9. and ſhalt be­leeve in thy heart that God hath raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved;

Let me tell you further, that the paucity of good livers ſhews plainly the paucity of true believers for this point. If I did verily beleeve that Chriſt were riſen from the dead, and all power now given him in Heaven and in earth;Matt. 28.18. would I ſo ſlovenly ſerve him as I do? my ſervice to him is ſuch as if he were rotting in the grave, and not ſitting at the right hand of the Father; why do I therefore Cozen my ſelfe9 and others with a vaine conceit that I beleeve the Reſurrection?

Laſtly, let me tell you, that if we do in ſome meaſure believe Chriſts Reſurrection, yet the more eviden­ces and arguments to ſhow it, the ſweeter and ſtronger growes our faith. The things indeed to be be­leeved cannot be demonſtrated by reaſon; but yet this may be de­monſtrated by reaſon, that it is ve­ry reaſonable to beleeve them, or (to ſpeake with S. Aug.) that they may be demonſtrated by reaſon:1. Quòd non ſit ſtultum ta­lia credere; deinde quòd ſit ſtultum ta­lia non credere. firſt, that it is not a fooliſh thing to beleeve thoſe things; and further­more that it is a fooliſh thing not to beleeve them. The more evidences and arguments therefore to demon­ſtrate the too too reaſonablenes of Chriſts Reſurrection, the ſweeter and ſtronger growes our faith; Foraſmuch as many have taken in hand,Luke 1.1. &c. that thou mighteſt know the certainty of thoſe things wherein thou haſt been inſtructed;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Though at my firſt Catechizing in the prin­ciples of Religion, I ſhould ſimply10 beleeve the Articles of faith; yet to know the certainty of them much eſtabliſheth my faith. Hereunto tends that;Rom. 1.11. for I long to ſee you, that I may impart unto you ſome ſpiritual gift, to the end you may be eſtabli­ſhed; and night and day praying ex­ceedingly that wee might ſee your face and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith;1 Theſ. 3. namely by further doctrine and proofe of the Goſpel, more and more evidence the truth of it unto you. That therefore the Chriſtian may know the certainty of this thing wherein he hath been Catechized, namely Chriſts Reſurrection from the dead; the third day he roſe again from the dead, theſe things may ſuffi­ciently do it;

Firſt, the prediction or teſtimony of the Old Teſtament.

Secondly, the teſtimony of ſo many eye witneſſes, eſpecially the Grand-Jury of the Apoſtles to whom he often appeared in the fleſh after the Reſurrection.

Thirdly, the teſtimony of the11 ſpirit, which after his Reſurrection and Aſcenſion Chriſt ſent down a­mong his Apoſtles and Diſciples to give them extraordinary holines of life, extraordinary power to work miracles, extraordinary boldnes and zeale to preach the Goſpel, extra­ordinary ſucceſſe in preaching it; theſe things could not be done by one that was in the power and hands of death, but by one that was ſet down at the power and right hand of the Father.

And firſt the prediction of the Old Teſtament is a good argument to the Chriſtian to beleeve Chriſts Reſurrection,Codicem portat Ju­daeus undo credat Chriſtia­nus, libra­rii noſtri facti ſunt quomodo ſolent ſervi poſt domi­nos codices ferre, ut illi portando deficiant; illi legendo proficiant. (Aug. Pſ. 56.) becauſe he ſees he is taught to beleeve no new thing, but that onely which hath been ſo often, and ſo long agoe foretold by thoſe Scriptures which the very Jew, the maine enemy to the Reſurrection cannot deny, nay zealouſly main­taines. The Jews carry the bookes, by which the Chriſtians may be­lieve; they are become our book-carriers; even as ſervants carry their maſters bookes after them, that12 whereas the one are weary with carrying, the other may profit by reading.

But where are theſe predictions of the Old Teſtament? ſurely had we all thoſe places which our Sa­viour alledged to the two Diſciples, beginning at Moſes and all the Pro­phets,Luke 24.37. and expounding to them in all the Scriptures the things that con­cerned his paſſion, and his glory, we ſhould be marvellouſly furniſhed: or had we thoſe which it's likely S. Peter uſed in his Sermon:Act. 3.24. All the Prophets from Samuel and thoſe that follow after, as many as have ſpoken have likewiſe foretold of theſe dayes; or thoſe by which Apollo ſo mightily convinced the Jews,Act. 19. ſhew­ing by the Scriptures that Jeſus was Chriſt:Act. 28.23 and thoſe whereby Paul continued perſwading the Jews con­cerning Jeſus, from morning till evening, both out of Moſes and the Prophets; we ſhould be richly fur­niſhed, underſtood we all theſe; But howſoever let theſe expreſs pla­ces prove the Reſurrection;

Firſt, that of the ſixteenth Pſalm, urged by St. Peter Act. 2. My fleſh ſhall reſt in hope, becauſe thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, nor ſuffer thy holy one to ſee corruption.

Secondly, that of the ſecond Pſalm, urged by S. Paul Act. 13. Thou art my Son, this day have I be­gotten thee; manifeſtly declared thee to be my very ſon now by my raiſing thee from the dead. Rom. 1.4.

Thirdly, that of Eſay 52.14, 15. As many were aſtonied at thee, &c. ſo ſhall he ſprinkle many nations; the Kings ſhall ſhut their mouths at him, for that which hath not been told them ſhall they ſee, &c.

And that of Eſay 53.10. When thou ſhalt make his Soul an offering for ſin, he ſhall ſee his ſeed, he ſhall prolong his dayes, &c.

Fourthly, not to name more par­ticulars, all thoſe places prove this, that ſhow he muſt conquer death: for how ſhould he conquer death for others, that were deteined by it himſelf?Eſay 25.7. he wil deſtroy in this moun­taine the face of the covering caſt14 over all people, and the vail that is ſpread over all nations;Hoſ. 13.14. And I will ranſom them from the power of the grave. Fiftly, all thoſe places that ſpeak of his everlaſting Kingdome; Ʋnto us a child is borne,Eſay 9.7. and the go­vernment ſhall be upon his ſhoulders; of the increaſe of his government and peace there ſhall be no end, &c. theſe and many other the like places may aſſure us againſt Jew or Gentile, that for the Reſurrection or any other myſtery about the Saviour of the world, we believe no new thing, but that onely which often and long agoe hath been foretold by thoſe Scriptures that were highly magni­fied, not onely by the Jew, but alſo by the Gentile; when Ptolomy that famous King of Egypt cauſed them a long time before our Saviors com­ing in the fleſh to be tranſlated out of hebrew into greek, a tongue more known to the nations, that thoſe Holy Scriptures alſo might be bet­ter known to the nations: our com­fort and ſtay of faith therefore may be, that with S. Paul we ſay and be­lieve15 none other things then thoſe which the Prophets and Moſes-did ſay ſhould come,Act. 26.23. that Chriſt ſhould ſuffer, and that he ſhould be the firſt that ſhould riſe from the dead ▪ &c.

Secondly, the teſtimony of ſo many eye-witneſſes witneſſing the truth of his Reſurrection from his often apparitions unto them, as Firſt, to Mary Magdalene: 2. to the women by the way going from the ſepulcher to the Diſciples, to acquaint them with that which had befalne there: 3. to Peter alone: 4. to the two Diſ­ciples travelling to Emaus, whoſe eyes were a while holden that they knew him not; 5. to the Diſciples gathered together, and the doores ſhut upon them when Thomas was away, and all theſe five apparitions were the firſt day. 6. to the Diſci­ples eight dayes after, when Thomas alſo was among them; 7. to ſeven of the Diſciples at the Sea of Tibe­rias, when they had that extraordi­nary draught of fiſhes, at his com­mand bidding then caſt on the right hand, though all night they had16 fiſhed, and catched nothing. 8. In a mountaine of Galilee as himſelf being alive had foretold them; and this moſt thinke to be that famous apparition underſtood here by S. Paul, when he tells us of one of his appearings to be to more then 500 brethren at once. 9 Upon Mount Olivet, from whence he aſcended up to Heaven; And theſe appariti­ons are recorded in the Goſpels; whereunto S. Paul mentioning ſome of theſe, adds alſo ſome other apparitions beſides; as this of his appearing to more then 500 bre­thren at once, if it be not the ſame with that apparition in Galilee; alſo a diſtinct apparition to James, alſo another diſtinct one when he ſaies, To all the Apoſtles; and laſtly an apparition to himſelf, as one borne out of time: and theſe are the wit­neſſes choſen before of God (as Pe­ter ſpeaks) to whom he ſhewed him­ſelf openly; he ſhewed himſelf open­ly not to all the people, but to witneſ­ſes choſen before of God;Act. 10. and there­fore ſeeing wee are compaſſed about17 with ſuch a cloud of witneſſes, we have ground ſure enough for our faith. Nothing can be objected againſt their teſtimony, but that either they were deceivers, or were deceived; Deceivers, ſo the Jews objected, that while the watch ſlept his Diſciples came by night, and ſtole his body away, and ſo ſpread abroad the errour of his Reſurre­ction, Matt. 28.13. but this is too too incredible; it is too too incre­dible that they could do this, and it is more then too too incredible that they would do it. Firſt, too incredi­ble that they could do it, for conſider a text in St. Matt. 27.62. &c. Now the next day that followed the pre­paration, &c. The High Prieſts ſaid to Pilate, command therefore that the ſepulchre be made ſure, &c. If they had intended to ſteale away his body, why not the firſt-night before the Watch was ſet? for all the cir­cumſtances here well conſidered, give it a thing too too incredible, that they could do it after ſo vigi­lant, diligent, and abundant Watch,18 that queſtionleſs was ſet, for why? they came about it even on the Sab­bath day, and that was an high day too. Secondly, the very words that our Saviour ſaid, that within 3 dayes he would riſe again, ſtuck in their ſtomacks vilely; 3. They confeſſed that if it ſhould ſo fall out, the laſt errour would be worſe then the firſt. 4. they had full leave of Pilate to do whatſoever they would for the ma­king all ſure, would they not thinke you therefore ſet a moſt vigilant Watch, & c? and ſo it appears they did,Matt. 27.66. They went and made the ſepul­chre ſure, &c. they would not truſt any other; how ſhould it therefore be a thing credible, that theſe ſhould or durſt be ſo negligent as to fall a ſleep, nay would be ſo negligent, for in all likelyhood in a thing that they had ſuch ſpeciall care of, they pickt out for the Watch ſome forward zealots, that the very zeale of the cauſe would keepe them waking, as well as the aw and dread of authority; eſpe­cially it being but one night they19 watched; how is it credible alſo that the poor ſneaks, the Diſciples, that ſhewed their heels ſo finely when their maſter was apprehend­ed, ſhould now when he was in the grave, take heart of grace ſo coura­geouſly, to attempt the thing againſt ſo ſtrong a Watch? how further is it credible, that the rowing away of the ſtone before the door of the ſepulchre, the ſtone that was a very great one, when the women that came to anoint him tooke great care how to get it rowled away; how credible that this ſhould not have waked ſome of the Watch hard by? how further is it credible, if the Diſciples had ſtolne him a­way, that the winding ſheet ſhould have been left behind in the ſepul­chre, lying decently in one place, and the napkin that was about his head wrapped up in another place by it ſelf; would they not rather, if they had ſtolne him, not have ſtript him but carried him away as he was in his grave-geare? common humanity would not let them ſtrip20 him, and carry him away in ſo hor­rid a manner as ſtark naked; and common wit would not let them thinke, that they ſhould have had ſo much leiſure without feare of waking any of the Watch, as to ſtrip him, eſpecially being wound up in linnen cloaths, with Mirrhe and other ſpices of a clammy and ſtick­ing nature like pitch; to ſtrip him of this, and to have leiſure then to wrap up the linnen cloaths, and the napkin upon his head ſeverally by themſelves, theſe are not ſignes of ſuch as are in feare and haſt, ſo that it is no marvell that hereat the Evangeliſt ſaid,John 20.8. that the Diſciple ſaw and believed. How (laſtly) is it credible, that the Watch durſt go home to the high Prieſts with ſuch a fine tale in their mouths? While we ſlept, his Diſciples came by night and ſtole him away; what had this been but to have pronounced ſen­tence againſt their own Souls? when the Angel had brought Peter miraculouſly out of priſon,Act. 12.19. the keepers were examined, and put to21 death, though innocently, for the eſ­cape, what could they have looked for but the like ſauce? the impunity of the Watch is argument enough to any that hath but halfe an eye in his head, that there was dawbing in the matter, and caſting heads about it: and laſtly, that Dilemma of Aug. againſt this fine tale of the Watch. Either it was falſe that they ſlept,Aut falſum erat quòd dormie­rant, & mendaci­bus credere non debue­runt; aut verum erat quòd dor­mierant, & quod fa­ctum eſt neſcierunt. in Pſ. 55. Stulta in­ſania! ſi vigilabas, quare per­miſiſti? ſi dormiebas, unde ſciſti? in Pſ. 36. and ſo lyars are not to be believed; or it was true, and then how could they tell what hapned? fooliſh madnes! if thou waſt awake, why didſt thou ſuffer it? if thou waſt a­ſleep, how didſt thou know it?

Secondly, it is more then too in­credible they would do it: would they that being Jews knew well what God and Religion meant, have dared to have father'd ſuch a groſſe forgery on God? it is the argu­ment, one of them, which our Apo­ſtle here inſtanceth in; If Chriſt be not riſen, then are we found falſe witneſſes of God, which ſome might thinke, (irreligious and pro­fane wretches that they are) to be22 no ſuch great argument, yet weigh it well in theſe perſons the Apoſtles, and a forcinger argument cannot be brought; for how canſt thou ima­gine, that the Apoſtles, who being no ſuch fooles, as appears well enough by putting the wiſe Jews ſo to it to call councell upon coun­cell againſt them, would of them­ſelves, without Divine warrant, have attempted ſo fooliſh a thing as the preaching of obedience up and down the world to a crucified man, no otherwiſe riſen from the dead then by ſtealing his body out of the grave? what hope could ever they have of any ſucceſſe? No hope from him whom they preached, whoſe own conſciences told them he was yet in the power of death; no hope from God whom they ſo foul­ly belyed, no hope from any thing in themſelves, not from eloquence and excellency of ſpeech to perſwade, they were but rude and illiterate men; not from wealth and riches to corrupt, ſhoos on their feet and a ſtaff in their hand was moſt of that23 they had; not from authority and greatnes to awe and prejudice, they were but contemptible fiſhermen & the like; not from number and mul­titude to overrun and ſubdue, they were but eleven ſilly ſneaks, that had all run away when their Maſter was apprehended, no hope therefore from any thing in them­ſelves: no hope further from any docibleneſs and inclinablineſs of the parties to be perſwaded, not any in­clineableneſs of the Jew; Not him but Barrabas, and Crucify him, Cru­cify him was the loud and joynt cry of the Jew; the Jew was hardned therefore againſt any ſuch Do­ctrine; it had been as eaſie for theſe fiſher men, the Apoſtles, to have ſpoken to the fiſhes of the Sea, to have made them follow them on the dry land, as to have ſpoken to the people of the Jews to have made them follow them in the Doctrine and beliefe of Chriſts Reſurrection upon their own bare word; they that cared not for all Chriſts miracles when he was24 alive, but Crucified him, were they likely to have believed the bare aſ­ſertions of fiſhermen for his Reſur­rection? Not any inclinableneſs a­gain in the Gentile,Act. 17.32. it was that they mocked at when they heard of the Re­ſurrection; it was that that Paul was glad to qualify with this argu­ment of inſinuation in the beginning when he was to ſpeake of it to the Gentile;Act. 26.8. Why ſhould it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God ſhould raiſe the dead? be it a thing never ſo hard, why ſhould it be thought above Gods ability to do? It was that alſo that when Paul was in the earneſtneſs of his ſpeech about the aſſertion of it,Act. 26.24. made Fe­ſtus break out with a loud voice and ſay; Paul thou art beſide thy ſelfe; was the Gentile therefore likely to be inclinable to this Doctrine, eſ­pecially Chriſts ſuffering being pub­lick, and all ſeeing it, and his Re­ſurrection being private and under­hand, and but a few ſuppoſed wit­neſſes of it? and thoſe few oppoſed almoſt by all that nation, the nation25 of the Jews, that if there had been any ſuch thing ſhould have brought the knowledge thereof unto the Gentiles, would they therefore that were no ſtark fooles, have gone a­bout a thing of ſo great folly, where­in they had no hope of ſucceſſe from him that they preached, as not ri­ſen; no hope from God, as belyed by them; no hope from any thing in themſelves, as being without elo­quence, without riches, without au­thority, without multitude; no hope from any inclinableneſs in the par­ties to be perſwaded Jew or Gentile, as being utter enemies the one to the mention of the name of Jeſus of Na­zereth, the other to the mention of the Reſurrection. Either therefore they were very Idiots and ſtark fooles, and why then were the wiſeſt Jews ſo put to it by them, to lay heads together, and to aſſemble councel after councel? or elſe they were wiſe enough; and why then ſhould any thinke they would at­tempt ſuch a fooliſh thing without good ground and reaſon?