The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

3. To the two disciples going to Emnus. In this apparition ⟨p. 461⟩are divers questions. As first, who these disciples should be: To which it is answered by many of the Ancients, that they were of the seventy disciples: and some think that Cl•ophas was an inhabitant at Emmaus, and that the other disciple should be Saint Luke himself, because he doth not name who it was, as Saint John doth often forbear the naming of himself in his Story: but all this is conjectural, and doth not much concern us to know who they were. Secondly, a question is moved about the body of Christ, what should be the reason that the disciples did not know him, when he went and talked with them by the way: and the rather, because it is said, that Mary Magdalen did not know that it was Jesus: was it because the glorified body of Christ was now become invisible, such as mortal eyes could not know? For answer hereunto: some think that Christ did appear in another shape and metamorphosed himself: but this answer cannot be sound: for to what end were his apparitions, but to show that he was truly risen from the dead, in the same body that died? and besides it is a dream to think that the same body cannot suffer a Metamorphosis, and still remain the same true body it was. Secondly, some think it came from the habit and kind of raiment he appeared in, as here he showed himself in the habit of a Traveller, and to Mary in the habit of the Gardiner: but yet this answer doth not suffice. Thirdly therefore, from the Text it self we must look for the reason, & so it is said, that their eyes were held that they could not know him. The cause was in the power of Christ, working upon their sight, and not in the shape of the body of Christ: but yet if we observe that it is not said so of Mary, and that Christ scarce ever appeared to the Apostles, no not after they believed that he was risen, but in part or in some degree for a time, they doubted and did not know him, therefore I conceive, that the cause may be safely assigned to the quality of his body now glorified: for though the beams of his perfect glory were restrained for the forty days, yet he carried about a true glorified ⟨p. 462⟩body, which is so much altered in quality (though the substance be the same) as it is called a spiritual body, and therefore no wonder though it were not so easily known.