The 7. part.
Of the resurrection of the dead.
He proueth the resurrection of the dead by the resurrection of Christ, and with many other
arguments: and 31. answereth also obiection made against it. 49. And then exhorteth in respect
of it, vnto good life.
1.
⋮
The Epistle vpon the 11. Sunday after Pentecost.
AND I doe you to vnderstand, Brethren, the Ghospel which I preached to you, which
also you receiued, in the which also you stand,
2. by the which also you are saued, after what manner I preached vnto you if you
keep it, vnlesse you haue beleeued in vaine.
3. For
✟
tradidi
παρέδωκα
This deliuerie in the latin & Greek importeth tradition. So by Tradition
did the Apostles plant the Church in al truth, before they wrote any thing.
I deliuered vnto you first of al which I also receiued: that Christ died
for our sinnes
*
Isai. 53,8.
Dan. 9,26.
Psa. 15,10.
according to the Scriptures:
4. and that he was buried, and that he rose againe the third day,
*
Jon. 2,2.
according to the
Scriptures:
5. and that he was
*
Luke 24.
seen of Cephas; and after that of the eleuen.
6. Then was he seen of moe then fiue hundred Brethren together: of which many
remaine vntil this present, and some are a-sleep.
7. Moreouer he was seen of Iames, then of al the Apostles.
8. And last of al, as it were of
✟
one borne out of time
an abortiue
*
Act. 9,3.
he was seen also of me.
9. For I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle,
because I persecuted the Church of God.
10. But by the grace of God I am that which I am; & his grace in me hath not been
✟
In him God's grace is not void, that worketh by his free wil according to the
motion and direction of the same grace.
void, but I haue laboured more aboundantly then al they: yet not I, but the
grace of God
With me.
Free-wil with grace.
God vseth not man as a brute beast or a block: but so worketh in him and by him
that free-wil may concurre in euery action with his grace, which is alwaies the
principal.
Heret. translation.
The heretikes to auoid this concurrence in working and labouring, translate,
which is with me: where the Apostle rather saith, which laboureth with
me.
with
me.
11. For whether I, or they, so we preach, and so you haue beleeued.
12. But if Christ be preached that he is risen againe from the dead, how doe
certaine among you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13. And if there be no resurrection of the dead, neither is Christ risen againe.
14. And if Christ be not risen againe, then vaine is our preaching, vaine also is
your faith.
15. And we are found also
✟
So may we say: If the Cath. faith in al points be not true, then our first
Apostles were false witnesses, then hath our Countrie be beleeued in vaine al this
while, then are al our Forefathers dead in their sinnes and perished. Which
(presupposing Christ to be God) were the greatest absurditie in the world.
false witnesses of God: because we haue giuen testimonie
against God, that he hath raised vp Christ, whom he hath not raised vp, if the dead rise not
againe.
16. For if the dead rise not againe, neither is Christ risen againe.
17. And if Christ be not risen againe, vaine is your faith, for yet you are in your
sinnes.
18. Then they also that are a-sleep in Christ, are perished.
19. If in this life onely we be hoping in Christ, we are more miserable then al men.
20. But now Christ is risen againe from the dead, the
*
Colo. 1,18.
Apoc. 1,5.
first fruits of them that sleep:
21. by a man death; and by a man the resurrection of the dead.
22. And as in Adam al die, so also in Christ al shal be made aliue.
23. But
*
Rom. 5,12.
1. Thess. 4,15.
euery one in his owne order: the first fruits Christ, then they that are of
Christ, that beleeued in his comming.
24. Then the end, when he shal haue deliuered the Kingdom to God and the Father, when
he shal haue abolished al principalitie & authoritie & power.
25. And he must reigne,
*
Psa. 109,1.
Vntil he put al his enemies vnder his feet.
26. And the enemie death shal be destroied last.
*
Psa. 8,8.
For he hath subdued al things
vnder his feet. And whereas he saith,
27. Al things are subdued to him; vndoubtedly, except him that subdued al
things vnto him.
28. And when al things shal be subdued to him; then the Sonne also himself shal be
subiect to him that subdued al things vnto him, that God may be al in al.
29. Otherwise what shal they doe that are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise
not againe at al?
30. Why also are they baptized for them? Why also are we in danger euery houre?
31. I die daily by your glorie, Brethren, which I haue in Christ Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ our
Lord.
32. If (according to man) I fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me,
if the dead rise not againe?
*
Isai. 22,13.
Let
Let vs eate and drinke.
Fasting is meritorious.
S. Ambrose applieth these words to our Christian Epicurians that take away fasting,
and deny the merit therof: How can we be saued (saith he) if we wash not
away our sinnes by fasting, seeing the scriptures say, fasting and almes deliuer
from sinne? What are these new Maisters then that exclude al merit of fasting? is not
this the very voice of the Heathen, saying: Let vs eat and drinke, to morrow we shal
die? li. 10. epist. ep. 82.
vs eate and drinke, for to morow we shal die.
33. Be not seduced,
*
Menander.
Euil communications corrupt good manners.
34. Awake ye iust, and sinne not. For some haue not the knowledge of God, I speake
to your shame.
35. But some man saith: How doe the dead rise againe? and with what manner of body
shal they come?
36. Foole, that which thou sowest is not quickned, vnlesse it die first.
37. And the which thou sowest, not the body that shal be, doest thou sow; but bare
graine, to wit, of wheat, or of some of the rest.
38. And God giueth it a body as he wil: & to euery seed his proper body.
39. Not al flesh, is the same flesh: but one of men, another of beasts, another of
birdes, another of fishes.
40. And bodies celestial, & bodies terrestrial: but, one glorie of the celestial, and
another of the terrestrial.
41. One glorie of the sunne, another glorie of the moone, and another glorie
of the starres. For
✟
The glorie of the bodies of Saints shal not be al alike, but different in
Heauen according to mens merits.
starre differeth from starre in glorie:
42. so also the resurrection of the dead. It is sowen in corruption, it shal rise in
incorruption.
43. It is sowen in dishonour, it shal rise in glorie. It is sowen in infirmitie, it
shal rise in power.
44. It is sowen a natural body; it shal rise a
✟
As to become spiritual doth not take away the substance of the body glorified:
no more when Christes body is said to be in spiritual sort in the Sacrament, doth
it import the absence of his true body and substance.
spiritual body. If there be a natural
body, there is also a spiritual,
45. as it is written:
*
Gene. 2,7.
The first man Adam was made into a liuing soul: the last
Adam into a quickning spirit.
46. Yet that is not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural: afterward
that which is spiritual.
47. The first man of earth, earthly: the second man from Heauen, heauenly.
48. Such as is the earthly, such also are the earthy: and such as the heauenly,
such also are the heauenly.
49. Therfore as we haue borne the image of the earthly, let vs beare also the image
of the heauenly.
50. This I say, Brethren, that
✟
Flesh and bloud signifie not here the substance of those things, but the
corrupt qualitie incident to them in this life by the fal of Adam.
flesh and bloud can not possesse the Kingdom of God:
neither shal corruption possesse incorruption.
51.
⋮
The Epistle vpon Al soules day.
Behold I tel you a mysterie. We shal al indeed rise againe: but we shal not al
be changed.
52. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the
*
Apoc. 8,2. 11,15.
last trompet (for
*
Apoc. 8,2. 11,15.
the trompet
shal sound) and the dead shal rise againe incorruptible: and we shal be changed.
53. For this corruptible must doe-on incorruption; & this mortal doe-on
immortalitie.
54. And when this mortal hath done-on immortalitie, then shal come to passe the
saying that is written:
*
Ose. 13,14.
Death is swallowed vp in victorie.
55. Death where is thy victorie? Death where is thy sting?
56. And the sting of death, is sinne: and the power of sinne is the Law.
57. But thankes be to God that hath giuen vs the victorie by our Lord Iᴇꜱᴠꜱ
Christ.
58. Therfore, my beloued Brethren be stable and vnmoueable; abounding in the worke
of our Lord alwaies, knowing that your labour is not vaine in our Lord.