becoming changed into blood, yet recovers its luminous ments therefore use thou against the Greeks; for with them 6. 11. Turn now to the Samaritans, who, receiving the Law (6.) only, allow not the Prophets. To them the text just now read from Ezekiel appears of no force, for, as I said, they admit not the Prophets; whence then shall we persuade the Samaritans also? Let us go to the writings of the Law. Now God says to Moses, I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and Exod. 3, of Jacob; this must mean of what is and subsists. For ὑφεστη if Abraham be dead, and Isaac, and Jacob, He is the God of norwv. what is nothing. When did a king ever say, that he was the king of soldiers whom he had not? When did any display wealth of which he was not the owner? Therefore Abraham and Isaac and Jacob must truly subsist, that God may be the irra. God of things which are; for He said not," I was their God," but I am. And that there is a judgment, Abraham shews, saying to the Lord, He who judgeth the earth, shall He not Gen. 18, 25.Sept. execute judgment? 12. But to this the foolish Samaritans answer by way of objection, that the souls possibly of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob continue, but that it is impossible that their bodies should arise. Was it then possible that the rod of righteous Moses should become a serpent, and is it impossible that the bodies of the righteous should live and rise again? And was that done contrary to its nature, and shall they not be restored according to their nature? Again, the rod of Aaron, though cut off and dead, budded, without the scent of waters, sprouting Job 14, forth into blossoms as in the fields, though under a roof; and though set in dry places, yielding in one night the flowers and fruit of plants watered for many years. Did Aaron's rod, as it were, rise from the dead, and shall not Aaron himself be raised? And did God work wonders in wood, to secure to 9. XVIII. 246 Arguments for the Resurrection from the Law. LECT. him the high-priesthood, and will He not vouchsafe to Aaron himself a resurrection? A woman also was made salt contrary to nature; and flesh was turned into salt; and shall not flesh be restored to flesh? Was Lot's wife made a pillar of salt, and shall not Abraham's wife be raised again? By what power was Moses' hand changed, which in one hour became as snow, and then was restored? Simply by God's command. Had it force then, has it not force now? 13. And whence in the beginning came man into being at all, O ye Samaritans, most shallow of men? Go to the first Gen. 2, book of the Scripture, which even you receive; And the Lord 7. (7.) Job 7,9. God formed man of the dust of the ground. Is dust transformed into flesh, and shall not flesh be again restored to flesh? You must be asked too, whence the heavens had their being, and the earth, and the seas? Whence the sun, and the moon, and the stars? How from the waters were made things which fly and swim? And how from the earth all beasts? Were so many thousands brought from nothing into being, and shall we men, who bear God's image, not be raised up? Truly this course is mere unbelief, and an ample condemnation of the unbelievers; considering Abraham addresses the Lord as the Judge of all the earth, and the learners of the Law disbelieve; when it is written that man is of the earth, and the readers disbelieve it also. 14. To them therefore, the unbelievers, we say these things; but the words of the Prophets are for us, who believe. But since some who also use the Prophets believe not what is Ps. 1, 5. written, and allege against us that passage, The ungodly shall Sept. not rise up in judgment, and, He that goeth down to the Ps. 115, grave shall come up no more, and, The dead praise not Thee, 17. (Pr. O Lord,-using ill, what is written well,-it will be well in Book.) a cursory manner, as far as is now possible, to meet them. For if it is said, that the ungodly shall not rise up in judgment, this shews that they shall rise, not in judgment, but in condemnation; for God needs not long scrutiny, but close on the resurrection of the ungodly follows their punishment. And if it is said, The dead praise not Thee, O Lord, this shews, gols that since in this life only is the appointed time for repentμίαν. vid.supr. ance and pardon, for which they who enjoy it shall praise the Lord, it remains after death for them who have died in sins, Introd. Lect. iv. Objections from Scripture answered. 247 not to give praise as the receivers of a blessing, but to bewail themselves; for praise belongs to them who give thanks, but to them who are under the scourge, lamentation. Therefore the just shall then offer praise; but they who have died in sins will have no further season for acknowledgment. ἐξομολο 10. 15. And respecting that passage, He that goeth down to rosas. supr. ii. the grave shall come up no more, observe what follows, He 15. shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know Job 7, him any more. For since the whole world shall pass away, and every house shall be destroyed, how shall he return to his own house, there being henceforth a new earth? But they ought to have heard Job, saying, For there is hope of a tree, Job 14, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the7. &c. tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. And man when he dies, departeth; but v. Sept. when mortal man falls, is he no longer? As it were remonstrating and reproving; (for thus ought we to read the ducwwwv. words, with an interrogation;) for since a tree falls and revives, he says, shall not man revive, for whom all trees were made? And that thou mayest not suppose that I am forcing the words, read what follows; for after saying by way of question, When mortal man falls, is he no longer? he says, If a man die, he shall live again; and immediately he adds, Ib. Sept. I will wait till my change come; and again elsewhere, Who Job 19, 26. Sept. shall raise up on the earth my skin, which endures these things. And Esaias the Prophet says, Thy dead men shall Is. 26, live, together with my dead body shall they arise. And the Prophet Ezekiel, now before us, says most plainly, Behold, Ezek. I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves. And Daniel says, Many that sleep in the dust of the Dan. 12, earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 16. And many Scriptures are there which testify the Resurrection of the dead; for there are other and many more sayings on this matter. But now, by way of remembrance only, we will make a passing mention of the raising of Lazarus after four days; and just allude, because of the shortness of the time, to the widow's son also who was raised. Now also let 19. 37, 12. 2. 248 The power residing in the bodies of Saints departed. LECT. me just remind you of the ruler's daughter; and mention the XVIII. rending of the rocks, and how there arose many bodies of the saints which slept, their graves having been opened. But specially let us call to mind that Christ was raised from the dead. I speak but in passing of Elias, and the widow's son whom he raised; of Elisseus also, who raised the dead twice; once when living, and once after his death. For when alive he wrought the resurrection by means of his soul; but that not the souls only of the just might be honoured, but that it might be believed that in the bodies also of the just there is power, the corpse which was thrown into the grave of Elisseus, when it touched the dead body of the prophet, was quickened, and the dead body of the prophet did the work of the soul, and that which was dead and buried gave life to the dead, and while imparting life, yet continued itself among the dead. Wherefore? Lest if Elisseus should rise again, the work should be ascribed to his soul alone; and to shew, that even though the soul is not present, a virtue resides in the body of the saints, because of the righteous soul which has for so many years tenanted it, and used it as its minister. And let us not foolishly disbelieve, as though this thing had Acts 19, not happened; for if handkerchiefs and aprons, which are from without, touching the bodies of the diseased, have raised up the sick, how much more should the body itself of the Prophet raise the dead? 15. (9.) 17. And with respect to these instances we might say much, rehearsing in detail the marvellous circumstances of each event; but as you have been already wearied both by the ὑπερ prolonged fast of the Preparation, and by the watchings, let is what has been cursorily spoken concerning them suffice for a while; these words having been as it were sown thinly, that you, receiving the seed like richest ground, may in bearing fruit increase them. But be it remembered, that the Apostles also raised the dead; Peter raised Tabitha in Joppa, and Paul raised Eutychus in Troas; and thus did all the Apostles, even though the wonders wrought by each have not all been written. Further, remember all that is said in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, which Paul wrote against them 1 Cor. who said, How are the dead raised, and with what body do 15, 35. they come? And how he says, For if the dead rise not, then ver. 16. The body having shared with the soul here,shares with it hereafter.249 is not Christ raised; and how he called them fools, who ver. 36. believed not; and remember the whole of his teaching there concerning the resurrection of the dead, and how he wrote to the Thessalonians, But I would not have you to be ignorant, 1 Thess. brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope, and all that follows: but chiefly that, And the dead in Christ shall rise first. 4, 13. ver. 16. 15, 53. 18. But especially mark this, how very pointedly Paul says, For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this 1 Cor. mortal must put on immortality. For this body shall be raised, not remaining weak as now; raised, I say, the very same body, but putting on incorruption it shall be fashioned anew,as iron blending with fire becomes fire, or rather as He knows how, the Lord who raises us. This body therefore shall be raised, but it shall abide not such as it now is, but an eternal body; no longer needing for its life nourishment as now, nor stairs for its ascent, for it shall be made spiritual, a marvellous thing, such as we cannot worthily speak of. Then, v. Matt. it is said, shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, and the 13, 43. moon, and as the brightness of the firmament. And God, 12, 3, foreknowing men's unbelief, has given to little worms in the summer to dart beams of light from their body, that from what seen, that which is looked for might find credence; for He who gives in part is able to give the whole also, and He who makes the worm radiant with light, will much more illuminate a righteous man. is cf. Dan. 19. We shall be raised therefore, all with our bodies eternal, (10.) but not all with bodies alike: for if a man is righteous, he will receive a heavenly body, that he may be able duly to hold converse with Angels; but if a man is a sinner, he shall receive an eternal body, fitted to endure the pains of sins, that it may burn eternally in fire, nor ever be consumed. And righteously will God assign this portion to either company; for we do nothing without the body. We blaspheme with the mouth, and with the mouth we pray. With the body we commit fornication, and with the body we keep our chastity. With the hand we rob, and by the hand we bestow alms; and in like manner the rest. Since then the body has been our minister in all things, it shall also share with us what befals us hereafter. |