be not admitted, we may with equal propriety and justice call in question the personality of Jefus Chrift in his human character, and even that of God the Father himself. For if Christ be in us, the body is dead; * and God is a confuming fire; † God is love; ‡ and God is in you of a truth. § On the whole then, I may fairly conclude with remarking, that, for the most part, in the arguments of Socinians we may be faid to have premiffes without conclufions, and in those of Arians conclufions without premisses; and that there is nothing in the feeble attempts, the bold affertions, or the perverse difputings of our adverfaries, I do not say to terrify, but in any degree to difcourage us from friving together for the faith of the Gospel, even that faith which standeth not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.** *Rom. viii. 10. + Heb. xii. 29. DISCOURSE VII. I COR. Chapter 15. Verfe 12. If Christ be preached that he rofe from the dead, bow fay fome among you that there is no refurrection of the dead? HAT important article of our Creeds, THA the Refurrection of the Body, is the other great mystery which has all along been foolishness to Infidels, and a ftumbling block to many Chriftians. Under this article then I am to endeavour, agreeably to my engagements, to give all the fatisfaction which the fenfible, the candid, and the well-difpofed can require. I might infift that the great doctrine before us is virtually at least contained in my text: but but as there is a strong propenfity in human pride to confider what is propounded to our faith as infulting our understandings, it will be neceffary to enter into a full and even minute difcuffion of the subject. A late ingenious author, Dr. Sykes, very confidently afferts, that this doctrine has no manner of warrant from fcriptural authority. He obferves, as Mr. Locke has done before him, that "there is not any fuch expreffion "in the New Teftament as the Resurrection of the flesh; that the Scriptures often speak "of a Refurrection, and of the Resurrection of the dead; but as to the Refurrection of "the body, or of the flesh, there is not And therefore that fuch an "article was required at first to be professed "in order to Baptifm, can never be proved." "one word. I have already apologized for freedoms taken with the dead. The names I just now mentioned are of the first authority with unbelievers at this day; and I take a part in the controverfy with a hope to con * See Enquiry when the Resurrection of the Body was first inferted in the Creeds. fub. init. duct duct it to your content, if not by recency of argument, or reply, at least by the mode of their enforcement. Now that the above expreffions or phrases, -the Refurrection of the body, or the flesh, never occur in the New Teftament; that this article, together with fome others which Dr. S. mentions, did not make a part of the Baptifmal Creed before the middle of the fourth century, may without difficulty be admitted; because if it will appear, that the Refurrection of the body, or of the flesh, is moft unquestionably the doctrine of Scripture, and of the Apoftolical and primitive Church, we are bound by all means to retain it; and its infertion into the Creed at any time was both proper and neceffary; the original Creed, whatever it precisely was, having been reasonably enlarged, (by Dr. S's own confeffion), as circumstances demanded, and herefies multiplied. Let us enquire then, whether the doctrine of the Refurrection, as it is delivered in our Creeds, Creeds, be not founded in evidence rational, fcriptural, and irresistible. If we confider this doctrine as a matter of opinion, and not of faith, we shall find it to have countenance in no contemptible autho rity. Tho' the heathens saw spiritual things in general thro' a dim glass indeed; tho' the prospect of futurity was greatly clouded to a world almost wholly corrupt in principle, and abandoned in practice, yet the notion of another state, and even of a refurrection, or of a renovation of all things, which is a refurrection in effect, was far from being univerfally exploded, as abfolutely ridiculous, or chimerical. We are affured Zorouftres taught the doctrine of the refurrection among the antient Perfians, as he himself derived it most probably from the Jews, with whom he had communications. Grotius, who, with refpect to this article at least, was not of doubtful mind, in proof of the admiffible poffibility of the thing, cites the authorities both of hiftorians and philofophers, and affirms it to have been the tenet of almoft the whole fect of the Stoics. * The Grecian * See Grotius de vent. 1. 7. and 10. Prideaux Connect. v. 1. p. 103. &c. Le Clerc's Notes. custom |