The second Dignity is that Change and Alteration1 of our Body from a Natural to a Spiritual Body, whereby is not meant any Transubstantiation from a Corporeal to a Spiritual substance: For our Bodies shall, after the Resurrection, be conformable unto Christs body, which, though glorious, was not yet a Spirit, but had flesh and bone, as we have. Nor is it to be understood of ⟨p. 425⟩a thin, Aerial, Invisible Body (as some have collected) since Christ saith of his Body, after he was risen, Videte, Palpate. Wheresoever it is, it hath both its quantity, and all sensible qualities of a Body Glorified with it. It is a strong Argument, that it is not there, where it is not sensible; And therefore the Doctrines of Ubiquity, and Transubstantiation, as they give Christ more than he is pleased to own, an Immensity of Body; so do they spoil him of that, which he hath been pleased for our sakes to assume; Extension, Compacture, Massiness, Visibility, and other the like sensible Properties, which cannot stand with that pretended miracle whereby they make Christs Body (even now a Creature, and like unto ours in substance, though not in qualities of Corruptibility, Infirmity, Ignominy, Animality) to be truly invested with the very immediate properties of the Deity. True indeed it is, that the Body of Christ hath an efficacy and operation in all parts of the world, it worketh in Heaven with God the Father by Intercession; amongst the blessed Angels by Confirmation; in Earth, and that in all ages, and in all places amongst Men, by Justification, and Comfort; in Hell amongst the Devils and Damned, by the Tremblings and Fears of a condemning and convicting Faith. But Operation requireth only a presence of Virtue, not of Substance. For doth not the Sun work wonderful effects in the bowels of the Earth, it self notwithstanding being a fixed Planet in the Heaven? And why should not the ⟨p. 426⟩Sun of Righteousness work as much at the like distance, as the Sun of Nature? Why should he not be as Powerful Absent, as he was Hoped? Or why should the Not presence of his Body make that uneffectuall now, which the Not existing could not before his Incarnation? Why should we mistrust the Eyes of Stephen, that saw him in Heaven, at such a Distance of place, when Abraham could see him in his own bowels through so great a Distance of Time?
The second Dignity is that Change and Alteration1 of our Body from a Naturall to a Spirituall Body, whereby is not meant any Transubstantiation from a Corporeall to a Spirituall substance: For our Bodies shall, after the Resurrection, be conformable unto Christs body, which, though glorious, was not yet a Spirit, but had flesh and bone, as we have. Nor is it to be understood of ⟨p. 425⟩a thinne, Aereall, Invisible Body (as some have collected) since Christ saith of his Body, after he was risen, Videte, Palpate. Wheresoever it is, it hath both its quantity, and all sensible qualities of a Body Glorified with it. It is a strong Argument, that it is not there, where it is not sensible; And therefore the Doctrines of Vbiquity, and Transubstantiation, as they give Christ more thā he is pleased to owne, an Immensity of Body; so doe they spoyle him of that, which hee hath beene pleased for our sakes to assume; Extension, Compacture, Massinesse, Visibility, and other the like sensible Properties, which cannot stand with that pretended miracle whereby they make Christs Body (even now a Creature, and like unto ours in substance, though not in qualities of Corruptibility, Infirmity, Ignominie, Animality) to be truly invested with the very immediate properties of the Deity. True indeed it is, that the Body of Christ hath an efficacie and operation in all parts of the world, it worketh in Heaven with God the Father by Intercession; amongst the blessed Angels by Confirmation; in Earth, and that in all ages, and in all places amongst Men, by Justification, and Comfort; in Hell amongst the Devils and Damned, by the Tremblings and Feares of a condemning and convicting Faith. But Operation requireth only a presence of Vertue, not of Substance. For doth not the Sunne work wonderfull effects in the bowels of the Earth, it selfe notwithstanding being a fixed Planet in the Heaven? And why should not the ⟨p. 426⟩Sunne of Righteousnesse work as much at the like distance, as the Sunne of Nature? Why should he not be as Powerfull Absent, as he was Hoped? Or why should the Not presence of his Body make that uneffectuall now, which the Not existing could not before his Incarnation? Why should we mistrust the Eyes of Stephen, that saw him in Heaven, at such a Distance of place, when Abraham could see him in his own bowels through so great a Distance of Time?
- 1Vid. Aug. de C•v. Dei. lib. 13. cap. 20. & 23. & Epist. 146.
