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SERMON II.

ACTS 26, 8.

Why should it be thought thing incredible with you, that God fhould raife the Dead,

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Here is no Article of the Chriftian Faith, that has encountred greater Difficulties from all forts of Men, than this of the Resurrection. The Heathens generally oppos'd it with all the eagerness imaginable; declaring it to be not only need lefs and inconvenient, but abfolutely impoffible. *Απαξ θανόντα ἔτις ἐς ἀνάςασις, fays (x) fchylus, When a Man is once (x) EumeDead, there is no returning to Life again. nid. (a)

Hift. lib.2.

(4) Nat. (a) Pliny reckons it amongst those c. 7. & lib. things, which (in his Opinion) fall 7. c. 55. not within the Sphere of the Divine Omnipotence; and therefore he efteems

(b) Orig.

cont. Celf.

lib. 5. P.

P. 25.

it no better than Delirancy or Madness for any Man to believe it. Origen's Antagonist is of the fame mind: "OUTE βελήσεται ὁ Θεὸς, ἔτε δυνήσεται. Τις α thing (fays.(b) he) which God neither will, nor can do. The Jews whatever was 240. Ed. their Belief either before, or some time Cantab. after the coming of our Lord) do now (Synag. (as (c) Buxtorf informs us) believe it Jud. c. I. but by halves; the Bodys only of the Just in their Opinion being to rife again, whereas the Wicked fink down Body and Soul into everlasting Oblivion. (d) Lib. 1. (d) Irenæus and (e) St. Austin tells us, cap.23,28. That in the Primitive Times, Simon (e) Lib. de Hær. Magus, Baflides, Carpocrates, Valenti nus, Marcion, Apelles, and other Hereticks deny'd it: And I wish I could not fay, that those Disturbers of the Church of God, and Enemies to his Truth, do ftill live amongst us in the Socinians and (f)See the Quakers. The (f) latter of thefe do Snake in pofitively deny it, and though the ScЯ. 12. former do not always declare open ho P. 152 ftility against it, yet they do always 24. Edit. most bafely betray it: They exert the

the Grafs,

utmost

utmost strength of their Learning and Parts, to undermine its Foundations to invalidate thofe Texts which fupport and maintain it; interpreting them all, though never fo plain and full, of the first Resurrection, or of the Refurrection from the Death of Sin to the Life of Grace. In hort, they seem to be of Hymenaus and Philetus's Religion, who fay, That the Refurrection is paft already.

And yet that this Queftion of our Apostle is very proper, rational, and pertinent, and every way worthy the Wisdom and Learning of its great Author, will evidently appear from these three Confiderations.

I. That the Principles and Tenents of the most eminent and learned Pagans themselves, do render the Doctrine of the Resurrection credible.

2. That the Divine Oracles do exprefly affert it. And,

3. That the Divine Power is able to effect it. The first and last of these will ftop the Mouths of fuch as Feftus was,

the

1

the Gentiles; the fecond and last of such as Agrippa, and fome of the Corinthians, the unbelieving Jews and Chriftians. For fince the Principles and Tenents of the wifest Pagans themselves do favour it, fince God in his Reveal'd Will hath exprefly promis'd it, fince he, who hath promis'd, is able to perform it, why Jhould it be thought a thing incredible, with Gentiles, Jews, or Chriftians, That God should raise the Dead?

First then This Question of our Apoftle, is very proper, rational, and pertinent, because the Principles and Tenents of the most eminent and learned Pagans themselves do render the Doctrine of the Refurrection credible. The Ægyptians, Pythagoreans, and Pla(8) Cont. tonifts (fays (g) Origen) were of Ols. l. 5. p. opinion, That after a certain Revolu

245.

tion of Years, all things in this lower World, fhould, together with the Stars and Planets, be reduced to their firft and primitive Order: The Face of the Earth be renew'd into the same ; the fame Flowers, Plants, and Herbs grow and flourish in the Fields; the Beafts all return into their former Circumstances; and each Man in every Punctilio

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Punctilio live over his Life again. But
how this could be without a Refurrecti-
on of all and every Individual Perfon,
Beast, Herb, Plant, and Flower, 'tis
impoffible to conceive. The
(b) fame Author, with many
other, does further inform us,
That the Stoicks maintain'd
the fame Opinion, and that
with this remarkable Improve-
ment and Addition, That this
Παλιγγενεσία τῶν ὅλων, (as

(b) Libro fupra laudato, pag. 244, 245. Vid. & Ofatian. or. cont. Græc.p.143.

Lat. de Vit. Beat.

1.7. c. 23. Euf. de Præp. Ev. 1. 15. Stob.

Ecc. Phyf. 1. 1. c. 24. Cic. de Nat. Deor. lib. 2. & Senec. Ep.

can. de Bell. Civ. lib. 11. Appian. bel. Celtic. & Cæf. Com ment. de Bell. Gal

M. Antoninus calls it) this Re- 30,36. (i)Confulas Lu-
generation or Resurrection of
all things, fhould happen af-
ter an Universal Conflagration. c. llb. 6.
'Twas anciently the Belief of

the (i) Scythians, Germans, and Gauls, as
well as of the Pythagoreans and Plato-
nifts; and 'tis alfo ftill an Opinion ge-
nerally receiv'd amongst the Oriental
Pagans, and divers other Countries,
That when the Body dies, the Soul im-
mediately enters into another Body.
But I would willingly learn, Why the
Soul is not as capable of re-entring and
re-animating its own Body, as of
poffeffing and informing another. If
it be faid, that the Incapacity lies not
in the Soul, but in the Body, because

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its

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