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A27234 The doctrine of a general resurrection wherein the identity of the rising body is asserted against the Socinians and scepticks : in a sermon preach'd before the University at St. Mary's in Oxford, on Easter-Monday, Apr. 5 / by Tho. Beconsall ... Becconsall, Thomas, d. 1709. 1697 (1697) Wing B1656; ESTC R1506 19,938 35

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confirm But now since all these must be allowed tho' the most avowed Sceptick or Infidel turn Tyrant and Devil too and exert his utmost Wit and Malice in defeating the Designs of the Almighty in a word tho' he out-do the most improved Cruelties of former Persecutors and tear Infants from the Womb to sacrifice to Wolves and Tygers yet after Wit and Malice and Cruelty have spent themselves there will still be Materials enough for Omnipotence to perfect his own Designs in a glorious and triumphant Resurrection And thus I have in some measure performed what I at first engaged in But certainly this is a very vile way of Practising upon our Faith Suppose we were not able to form any manner of an Hypothesis to represent the Possibility of a General Resurrection must the clearest Revelations be rejected and the Fact pronounced impossible because we are not able to form a Modus to demonstrate the Possibility of it Certainly this is to measure Omnipotence by the shallow Projections of a finite Understanding But before any Man pretends to fix Impossibilities upon reveal'd Matters of Fact he must be able to give an exact Account of the various Modes by which its impossible for on All-wise and an All-powerful God to execute and perform ' em Till this is done to pronounce any thing of this Nature impossible is the heighth of Impudence Folly and Presumption And shall any Man pretend to trace the different Workings of Omnipotence when he 's baffled in every little Phaenomenon in natural Causes a finite Understanding is not able to comprehend the one and nothing less than Knowledge as extensive as infinite Power is able to fathom or unravel the other Let no Man then be Bubled out of his Faith by such extravagant Pretences But let him consider that God who comprehends the dust of the Earth in a measure and weigheth the mountains in scales and the hills in a ballance can not only Marshal together all the dispersed Particles of each respective Body but reserve such a Stock of each in the Chambers of Nature as will enable him to answer and make good his Promises And since he has plainly assured us that we shall All rise in our Bodies let not any seeming Difficulties shake our Faith but rather let his infinite Power and Wisdom answer and remove them for we may be sure of this that his infinite Power and Wisdom will conspire to assert his Veracity In a word It ought to be considered that the sacred Canon expresly place's the Article of a general Resurrection upon the Infinite Power of God and therefore tho' the Doctrine of future Rewards and Punishments may not discover the necessity of the same rising Body yet in as much as it resolves it self into the Infinite Power of God it ought to be looked upon as a special Attestation of the Divine Authority of the Gospel Institution And consequently we may conclude that God will find out Methods to accomplish his own Designs so that neither the Power of Hell Death nor the Grave shall be able to baffle and defeat ' em And then we need not fear but God will give to every Seed his own Body and in the same act change our vile Bodies that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious Body according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself A Postscript SInce the Composure of this Discourse there 's an Attempt made to over-turn the Numerical Identity of the Rising Body See Latitudinarius Orthodoxus de Mysterio Resurrectionis Cap. 7. Sect. 3. And tho' a great deal is offered from the Justice and Wisdom of God yet I think there 's nothing considerable besides the Argument drawn from the Instance of Seed or Grain given by St. Paul upon the Subject and because it seems to clash with the Hypothesis I have advanc'd I think my self obliged to make some Return to it The words are these But some man will say How are the dead raised up and with what Body do they come Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die And that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare grain it may chance of wheat or of some other grain But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him and to every seed his own body 1 Cor. 15. ver 35 36 37 38. Upon the words we may very justly premise that the Apostle argues by way of Allusion and Example and therefore the Parallel is to be carried no farther than the Design and Scope of the Apostle's Argument for when Instances come up to the main Design of an Argument tho' in other Cases there 's an apparent Disparity they have serv'd the Intention of 'em and to extend 'em farther is Illogical and Vnjust Again there can be no force in Alluding Instances when apply'd beyond their primitive Design if the Application is inconsistent with other express Positions of Scripture This is a Limitation so just and reasonable that where any Doctrine is express and clear it s to be a Rule or Interpretation to any Allusion that seems to interfere with it especially as long as the Interpretation concludes any things and is not forced and unnatural This I offer because I hope I have produc'd express Authorities of Scripture which prove the numerical Identity of the Rising Body beyond all dispute or controul But now for the Apostle's design I think its only to represent the Nature of that Change which is to be made on our mortal Bodies at the Resurrection How are the Dead or how is the Mortal Part of 'em Raised up With what Bodies do they come How shall these mortal Bodies be chang'd alter'd or model'd The Instances represent a a Change but its only in Qualities and Perfections not in Matter or Substance this is apparent from the whole Catalogue of Instances which ought to be uniform and consistent As one sort of Flesh differs from another sort of Flesh in Frame and Contexture and consequently in Qualities and Dispositions so doth the rising Body differ from the mortal Body as the Glory of the Sun Moon and Stars is vastly different so is the Glory and Perfections of the rising Body from those of the mortal Body and the leading Instance is apparently subject to the same Application The Seed sown viz. of Wheat or some other Grain is sensibly different from the Product of it The first is but bare Grain the second Grain with Root Blade and Ear to it and no doubt the difference between the Rising and Mortal Body is as visible as to its Frame and Qualities for its God that models our mortal Bodies or gives them Bodies as it hath pleased him And its plain the Parallel is design'd thus far and no farther for thus it is expresly apply'd So also is the Resurrection of the dead It is sown in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sown in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body Here 's indeed a very considerable Change but it s a change of the same Body and consequently a change of Contexture Quality or Disposition not a change of Matter and Substance and therefore its absurd to carry the Parallel any farther For tho' the Production of Corn supposes only a seminal Principle in the Seed whilst the greatest share of Matter is adventitious and only prepared by proper Vessels yet it can be no Argument that our rising Bodies are to be made up of adventitious Matter unless it were expresly apply'd thus far Besides this Instance of Seed can be carried no farther than those of the Sun Moon and Stars and the different kinds of Flesh and as these cannot without Absurdity and Non-sence be apply'd to represent any thing but the different Qualities and Perfections of the rising Body so that of Seed cannot by the Rules of Logick or right Reason extend any farther Upon the whole then the Identity of the Rising Body is established on the clearest Authorities of Scripture and there 's nothing in the Argument before us that can be thought to invalidate or weaken the force of 'em The refore what is before asserted concerning the Identity of the Rising Body is still in force and may be esteem'd consosonant to the Canon of Scripture and the Catholick Faith FINIS See Mr. Lock 's Essay concerning Humane Vderstanding Book 2. Chap. 27. Sect. 15.20.26