07-04 Of the Resurrection of the Body contd
cont’d 4. There are many objections made to this great and glorious doctrine; the principal of which will be attended to.
4a. That maxim, or aphorism, is sometimes alleged; "a privatione ad habiturn non datur regressus;" from a total destruction of any being, there is no restoration of it to its former state and condition: this may be true of things according to the common course of nature, and by the power of nature; yet will not hold good of what may be done in an uncommon and extraordinary way, and by the power of God. Besides, the bodies of men at death are not totally destroyed, in any way whatever, with respect to their matter or substance; whether reduced to ashes by fire; or cast into the sea, and devoured by fishes; or interred in the earth, and crumbled into dust; yet they are in being, and are something; out of which, it is not impossible, they may be raised by the power of God.
4b. It is objected, that the body is dissolved into so many, and such small particles, and these scattered about, and at a great distance, and united to other bodies; that these should be distinguished, and separated from those to which they are united; and be gathered together, and replaced in their proper order; and that they should meet in their proper places in the body, as if it was with choice and judgment, seems incredible, if not impossible. But, as it has been already observed, considering the omnipotence and omniscience of God, who knows where every particle of matter lies, and can collect and range them together in proper order, the resurrection cannot be thought neither incredible nor impossible. Besides, it has been observed by some, that particles as numerous and more minute, as those of light be, are governed by, and subject to, certain fixed laws, when they seem to be in the greatest disorder; and may be separated from others, and be collected in "camera obscura," in a dark chamber, into the exact image of a man: and then what impossibility is there, that the parts of a body, though dispersed, and mingled among others, should be brought together again, and compose the same body; any more than the particles of light do the figure of it, after so many mixtures with, and percussions against other particles [40]? And it is further observed, that the parts of which the visible body is composed, were as much scattered over the whole earth, almost six thousand years ago, as they will be many years after death, or at the end of the world; and so not more impossible in this case, than at first to collect the parts so dispersed, and to bring them into order. And moreover, let the bones of a skeleton, or the wheels and parts of a watch, be jumbled and thrown together in the utmost disorder; yet a good anatomist can put all the bones of a skeleton, and a good watchmaker all the wheels and pieces of a watch, into the same structure again, so as to compose the very same skeleton and watch; and of infinitely more wisdom and power is the great Artificer of all possessed, to put the human body, though its parts lie ever so dispersed, and in disorder, into the same structure again [41]. And as to the union of the particles of the body, with other bodies, and the difficulty of the separation of them, those that are well versed in chemistry, are able to produce innumerable examples of things that adhere and unite closely with one another, which are yet easily separated, by the addition of a third [42]. And as to the distance of the parts of the body, and the unlikelihood of their meeting at the same places of the body to which they belong, as if they acted with choice and judgment; it is observed, that the lodestone will draw iron when at a distance from it; and that the heavenly bodies, which are at a great and almost immeasurable distance, are subject to a law that brings them towards each other; and such is the virtue of the lodestone, that let iron, lead, salt, and stone, be reduced to a powder, and mixed together, and hold the lodestone to it, it will draw the iron only, and as it were by free choice out of this composition, leaving all the rest of the bodies untouched [43]. And surely then, the great Alchemist of the world, and he who is the Author of the lodestone, and has given it the virtue it has, is capable of doing as great, and greater things, than these; he can gather together the particles of the dissolved body, though ever so distant and dispersed, and separate and distinguish them from other bodies they have been united to, and put them in their proper place, in their own body.
4c. The various changes and alterations the body undergoes are objected to the same body being raised; it is observed, that in the space of seven years all the particles of the body are changed; some lost and others got; and it seems impracticable that the same body should be raised, since its particles are not the same in youth as in old age, nor when emaciated as in better circumstances; and therefore being raised according to which, it may, it cannot be the same. It may be observed, that though the body has not always the same fleeting particles, which are continually changing, as the fluids are, yet it always has the same solid and constituent parts; and so a man may always be said to have the same body and to be the same man; it is the same body that is born that dies, and the same that dies that shall rise again; the several alterations and changes it undergoes, with respect to tallness and largeness, fatness or leanness, do not destroy the identity of the body. Moreover, it is not requisite that all the particles of matter of which the body of a man has been composed, throughout his lifetime, should be collected, to constitute the risen body; it is enough that all the necessary ones should be collected and united together; otherwise it must rise in a gigantic form. It is a good distinction made by a learned writer [44], of an "own" or "proper" body, and of a "visible" one; the visible body consists both of fluids and of solids; the former of which change and alter, according to difference of years, of constitutions, and other circumstances; but the latter continue the same: an own or proper body, consists almost only of solids; as of skin, bones, nerves, tendons, cartilages, arteries, and veins; which continue the same from infancy to the age of maturity, and so on, excepting the strength and size of them; and so sufficient to denominate the same body, notwithstanding the change of the fluids, and of the flying off and accession of the fleeting particles. And as every animal, so man, has a first principle, or "stamen," which contains the whole own body; and which, in growth, is expanded or unfolded, and clothed, as it were, and filled up with other particles continually; so that it is enough if this stamen is preserved, and at the resurrection unfolded and filled up, either with the same matter that belonged to it before, or with such other matter as it shall please God to constitute the same body; let one die, as it may, when a child, or full grown, or with a loss of a leg or an arm, or with any defect; since all will be filled up in the expanded "stamen," as observed [45].
4d. The grossness and gravity of bodies, are objected, as rendering them unfit to dwell in such a place as heaven, all fluid, and purely ethereal. As for the grossness of raised bodies, they will not be so gross as may be imagined, or as they now are; though they will not be changed into spirits, as to substance; they will be spiritual bodies, in the sense before explained; they will be greatly refined and spiritualized; and will not be supported in such a gross manner as with food, drink, &c. as now; and will be light, agile, and powerful, and capable of breathing in a purer air. As to the gravity of them, a learned man observes [46], "There is no such thing as gravity in regions purely ethereal, which are above the reach and activity of particular orbs; there is no high and low in such places; our bodies will be there sustained, as the globe of the earth, and the several celestial orbs, are now sustained in the "air" and "ether"." And he further observes, that perhaps, after all, our heaven will be nothing but an heaven upon earth; or some glorious solid orb, created on purpose for us, in those immense regions which we call heaven; and he says, this is no new opinion, but embraced by many of the ancients: and certain it is, that the raised saints will, quickly after their resurrection, inhabit a new earth for a thousand years, prepared for them. As for the objection, taken from the impurity of bodies, and their unworthiness and unfitness to be united to souls; and their being a prison and a burden to them; and so would make the condition of souls worse: these are only heathenish notions, and cannot affect the minds of Christians, and require no answer. But,
4e. There is another objection, of more importance, which must be removed; which is taken from human bodies being eaten by men, either through necessity, as in distressed cases; or of choice, as by cannibals, or man eaters; whereby the flesh of one man is turned into the flesh of another; and one human body becomes a part of another; and so there cannot be a distinct resurrection of each of these bodies, with the proper parts belonging to them. In answer to which, there is no need to say, as an ancient learned apologist [47] seems to do, that the substance of one man’s body, when eaten by another, does not turn to nourishment, nor become the flesh of the other that eats it; it being not designed by providence for food; since it is certain, men have been nourished by it, as when in distress, as well as otherwise: let it be observed, that it is a very small part of the food a man takes into his body, which turns to nourishment; not above the fiftieth part of it, according to the accurate Sanctorius [48]: and daily experience teaches, that what we use for food, belongs only to the "visible" body of an animal, and the fluids and juices thereof; and not its solid parts, its bones and nerves: nor is a cannibal, or man eater, nourished with withered and dried bones, and with nerves and membranes, divested of their juices [49]; and so is nourished, not with the own proper body; but only with the "visible" one, and the fluids thereof. Besides, the nourishment of the bodies of men, is without their will and knowledge, and entirely depends upon the will and pleasure of God; in whose power it is to hinder that no one essential particle of a body should belong to another, through nourishment by it, and that even after a natural manner; there is no impossibility in it, since by numberless chemical experiments, as further observed, it will appear, that though a body has the property of uniting itself to another, yet it can be hindered by the addition of a third, and by other ways too, from doing the same [50]: and God, who has promised to raise the bodies of all men, will take care that nothing relating to nourishment should hinder the performance of it; and that the particles of one man’s body shall never so become the particles of another, as that the resurrection of either should thereby be rendered impossible [51]. And it is observed by a learned writer, that if even a cannibal, during his whole life, had fed upon nothing but the matter of the visible bodies of men, and it had only pleased God to hinder the "stamina" of all those whom he had devoured from being converted into food; but that they should have passed through his body, with other excrementitious matter; what impossibility is there that the particular "stamen" of each person (supposed to be his "own proper" body) should be separated from thence, and be filled up again by other proper matter? Thus likewise, may the "stamen" of the cannibal himself remain alone, without any of its expanding fluids, and be filled up with others at the resurrection; and he accordingly may rise likewise in his "own" body.—To conclude, adds he, since the "own" body must be considered abstractly from any humors and juices; and since all that serves for the food and nourishment of a man eater, must only be divided from the "visible" body of the person devoured; it is plain, that although a cannibal had devoured hundreds of "visible" bodies of other men; it would likewise happen, according to the common course of nature, that the solid particles, divested of all their juices, or the own bodies of the devoured persons, would be discharged, or cast out, unmingled with those of the devourer; and consequently, that each of them might appear separate and entire, at the time of its resurrection [52]. So that upon the whole, there can be nothing in the above objections, to a rational man, who believes the power, promise, and providence of God. To conclude, this doctrine appears to be of great importance and usefulness, and therefore to be abode by. It is one of the articles of the creed of the ancient Jews; it is reckoned among the first principles of the doctrine of Christ; it is a fundamental article of the Christian faith. The resurrection of Christ stands and falls with it; the whole gospel is connected with it, and depends on it (1 Corinthians 15:13-17), without this, there is no expectation of a future and better state (1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:19), practical religion greatly depends on the truth and belief of it. It has been observed [53], that the opposers of it have always had bad lives; it is a natural consequence, what the apostle observes of the denial of it (1 Corinthians 15:32). Whereas, a firm belief of it, promotes a studious concern of a holy life and conversation, as may he observed in the experience and practice of the apostle Paul (Acts 24:15, Acts 24:16). It is very useful to instruct in various things. It serves to enlarge our views of the divine perfections; as of the omnipotence and omniscience of God, of his holiness and justice, of his immutability in his counsels and purposes, and of his faithfulness in his promises and threatenings. It teaches us to think highly of Christ, as God over all, and as possessed of all divine perfection, since he has so great a concern in it; and serves to endear the Spirit of God, and teach us not to grieve him, by whom we are sealed to the day of the redemption of our bodies. And it may be a means of encouraging our faith and trust in God, in the greatest straits and difficulties, as being able to deliver out of them (Romans 4:17; 2 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:10). And it may direct us to a due and proper care of our bodies, while living, that they are not abused through avarice or intemperance; and to provide or give orders for the decent interment of them after death. This doctrine affords much comfort; hence, in the Syriac version of John 11:24 it is called, "the consolation at the last day". It may be of great use to support saints under the loss of near relations (1 Thessalonians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:14), and under their various trials and afflictions, and under present diseases and disorders of body; from all which they will be freed at the resurrection; and in the views of death, and of the changes the body will undergo after death; and yet, after all rise again, and see God, and enjoy the company of angels and saints (Job 19:26, Job 19:27).
ENDNOTES:
[40] Nieuwentyt’s Religious Philosopher, vol. 3. contempl. 28. s. 5. p. 1041, 1042. Ed. 4th.
[41] Ibid. s. 3. p. 1037. & s. 5. p. 1040.
[42] Ibid. s. 7. p. 1046. see contempl. 29. p. 1078, 1079.
[43] Ibid. s. 9, 10. p. 1048, 1049.
[44] Nieuwentyt’s Religious Philosopher, vol. 3. contempl. 28. s. 2023. p. 1058, &c.
[45] Ibid. s. 24, 25, 28. p. 1063, &c.
[46] Hody’s Resurrection of the same Body asserted, p. 205.
[47] Athenagoras de Resurrectione, p. 44, 48.
[48] In Hody, p. 186.
[49] Nieuwentyt ut supra, s. 33. p. 1072, 1073.
[50] Ibid, s. 11. p. 1051, 1052.
[51] Hody ut supra, p. 185, 186.
[52] Vid. Nieuwentyt, ut supra, s. 29. p. 1067, 1068, & s. 33. p. 1073.
[53] “Nemo enim tam carnaliter vivit, quam qui negant carnis resurrectionem,” Tertull. de Resurrectione, c. 11.