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RESURRECTION OF THE DEA D. 439 possession of those qualities With which they havo bravolyborno their precessing life, although they lived in corruptibio
and earthly bossies. For Whalaver has been creared for thesine of something else, When that has coased in bo for thosae of whicli it Was creared, will itself also fisy cease to be, and will not continue to exist in Vain, since, among the Woissos God, that Which is Meless ean have no place; but that which Was creared for the very purposo os existing and livinga liso naturassy suited to it, sinco the cause itsoli is bound up Willi ita nature, and is recognised only in connection mitti
existenco iraeis can never admit of any cause Which shalluiterly annihilato ita existence. But since this cause is seento ite in perpetuat existence, the being so created must bepreserved sor ever, doing and experiencing What is suit te totis nature, each of the tWo paris of Whicli it consisis contribut-ing What belongs to it, so that the foui may exist and remainwithout change in the nature in Whicli it Was made, and
discliarge ita appropriate functions such as presiding over theimpulses of the body, and judging of and me uring that
whicli occurs hom time to time by the proper standarta and measures), and the bob be moved according to iis nature toWarda iis appropriate objecis, and undergo the changes allotted to it, and, among the rest relating to age, or appea
ance, or Sige), the resurrection. For the resurrection is a
species of change, and the last os ali, and a change for thobotter of What stili remains in existenco at that time. CHAP. XIII.- Continuation of the argument. Confident of theso things, no Iess stan of those which have Hready come to pass, and reflecting on Our oWn nature, M are content With a life associaled with neediness and corruption, as suiled to our present state os existence, and we stediastly
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440 ATHENAGORAS ON THEinnato laW for the preservation and saξeguard of the things ven is Him as sultabis to an intelligent existenco and arational litor for Wo know weli that He mouid not haves hionia sucii a being, and furnished him Min ove ining belonging to perpetuit' had Ηρ not intended that what Wasso created inould continue in perpetui . Η, inexesore, the
Maher of this universo made man with a vieW to his pamtahing of an intelligent lila, and that, haring becomo aspectator of His grandeur, and of tho misdom Whicli is manifest in ali things, he might continue alWays in the comtemplation of these; thon, according to the purpose of his
Author, and the nature which he has received, the causo of his creation is a pledge of his continuance for ever, and this continuance is a pledge of the resurrection, Without Whichman could not continue. So that, hom What has been Mid, it is quilo clear that the resurrection is plainly p Ved by tho cause of man's creation, and the pur se of Him Who madehim. Such being the naturo of tho cause for Whicli man hasbeon brouot into this Worid, tho nexi thing mill be to considerthat which immediatoly folio , naturalty or in the order pro sed ; and in our investigation the causo of their creation is fossoWed by tho nature of tho men so created, and the natumof those created by the just judgment of their Maher u nthem, and ali these by tho end of their existence. Havinginvestigated therofore tho potnt placed fidit in order, We must
The proos of the severat doctrines of whicli tho truth consista, or of any matters Whatsoever proposed lar examination, is it is to produce an unWavering confidence in What is sald, must begin, not hom anything mithout, nor hom What certain persons thiis or limo thought, but from tho common and natural notion of the matter, or irom the connection os second-ary trullis With primary Ones. For the question relates eitherto primary belleis, and then ali that is necessary is reminiscenee, So as in stir up the natural notion; or to things Which
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naturalty sollow hom the fimi and to their natural sequence. And in theso things me must observe order, ino ing What strictb follows hom sto first trullis, or from those Whicli aroplaced fret, so as neither to be nnmindsul of the truth, or ofour certainty respecting it, nor to confound the things a ranged is natum and distinguished from each other, or breah up the natural order. Henco I thinh it belloves thoso who desim to tandio tho subject With fairnem, and who misti toform an intelligent judment Whether there is a resurrectionor not, fidit to consider attentively the force of the arguments
contributing to the proos of this, and what placo cach of them holti hicli is first, Which second, whicli third, and whichlast. d in the arrangement of theso they should place fidit
tho cause of the creation of men ,-namely, the purpose of the Creator in making man; and then connect With this, asis suit te, tho nature of the men so created; not as beingsecond in order, but because We are unabis to pass our judymont in both at the samo time, although they have theclosest natural connection with each other, and are os equaliorce in reserence to the subject before us. But whilo fromtheae proola af the primary ones, and as bsing derived homthe work of creation, the resurrection is olearly demonstrated, none the less can we gain conviction respecting it hom theargumenta talien irona providence, mean hom the reWardor punishment due to cach man in accordance With justjudgment, and iroin the end of human existence. For many, in discussing the subject of the resurrection, havo rested the whole cause on the third argument alone, deeming that the
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442 ATHENAGORAS ON THEconsequence of the purpose of God in forming men, and thenature of the beings so formed. CHAP. XV. rgument for the resurrection from the nature of
But while tho cause discovorabie in the creation of men is of itself sussicient to prove that tho resurrection follows bynatural sequence on the dissolution of bodies, yet it is perhaps right not to stirinh irom adducing either of the proposed arguments, but, agree ly to What has been said, to potnt out tothose Who are not able of themselves to discern them, the arguments hom each of the truths evolvod hom the prima ;and fimi and laremost, the nature of the men created, Whicli conducis us to the fame notion, and has the fame force asevidence of the resurrection. For is the whole nature of men in generat is composed os an immortal foui and a bobwhich was fitted to it in tho creation, and is neither to thenature of the foui by itself, nor to the nature of the bodyseparalely, has God assigned such a creation or such a litoand entire course of existence as this, but to men compoundedos the two, in order that they may, When they have passed through their present existence, arrive at One common End, With the fame elements of Which they are composed at their hirth and during liso, it unavoidably follows, since one livinybeing is formed hom the tWo, experiencing Whatever the foui experiences and Whatever the body experiences, dοing and per- forming Whatever requires the judment of the senses or of thoreason, that the wholo series of theso things must be referredio some one End, in order stat they all, and is means os ali,
-namely, man's creation, man's nature, man's lira, man's doings and sufferings, his course of existence, and the endsultable to his nature,-may concur in one harmony and the Same common experience. But is there is somo one harmonyand community of experienco belonging to the wheso being, Whether of the things which spring hom the foui or of those Whicli ars accomptished by means of the bo , the end forest these must also bo one. And the end will bo in stricinessone, ii the Ming whoso end that end is remains the fame in
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RESURRECTION OF THE DEA D. 442 iis constitution; and the being will be exactly the fame, itali thoso things of whicli the being consists as paris are thesame. And they Will be tho fame in respect of their peculiarunion, it the paris dissolved ars again united sor the constit tion of tho being. And the constitution of the fame menos necessi proves that a resurrection mill follow of tho deadand dissoluod bodios ; for Without this, notther could the fame paris be united according to nature With one another, norcould the nature of the fame mon be reconstituted. d is both underatanding and reason have been given to men fortho discernment of things Which are perceived by the unde standium and not of existences onj, but also of the goodnessand wisdom and rectitudo of their Giver, it necessarib solio sthat, since those things continuo sor the salie of whicli tho
things should also continuo. But it is impossibio for this tocontinue, uniess the naturo Which has received is and in which it inheros, continuos. But that whicli has received both underetanding and reason is man, not the foui by itself.
Μan, therelare, Who consists of the two parta, must continuerar ever. But it is impossibio for him to continue unless herise again. For is no resurrection Were to tahe place, thenature of men as mon Would not continuo. And ii thonature of men does not continue, in vain has the foui boensitod to tho noed of the body and to iis experiencos; in Vain has tho body been fellered so that it cannot obtain What it longs for, obedient to the reins of the foui, and guided by itas Uith a bridio; in vain is the understanding, in Vain is
Wisdom, and the observance of rectitude, or even the practice of every Viriue, and the enaciment and enforcement of laws,-to say ali in a Word, Whateuer is nobie in men or for men's Sahe, or rather the Very creation and nature of men. But is
Vanity is ulterly excluded hom est the works of God, and iram ali tho gisis besto ed by Him, tho conclusion is un-avοid te, that, along with tho interminable di alion of tho sota, there Will be a perpetuat continuanco of the body accord- ing to iis proper nature.
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argument for the resurrection.
And tot no ono thinh it strange that we cali by the name oflito a continuance of being which is interrupted by doath and
corruption; but tot him considor rather that this mord has notone meaning oesy, nor is there only one me ure os continu-ance, because the nature also of the things that continuo is not ono. For ii each of the things that continuo has ita continuance according to iis peculiar nature, netther in the caseos those Who aro Wholly incorruptibio and immortal shali me find tho continuanco like oura, because the natures of superiorbelam do not talio the levet os such as are inferior; nor in men is it proper to look for a continuance invariabio indvnchange te; inasmuch as the former are hom the fidit created immortal, and continuo to exist Without end by thssimplo mill of their Maher, and men, in respect of the foui, havo from their firet origin an unchange te continuanee, butin respect of the bob obtain immortality is means of change. This is What is meant by the doctrine of the resurrection; and, looking to this, we both a ait tho dissolution of the bo , astho sequel to a life of Want and corruption, and after inis Weliope tor a continuance With immortalitri not pulting eitherour death on a lovet with the death of tho irrationat animais,
or tho continuance of men With the continuance of immortias,lest κε should una ares in this Way put human nature and
liso on a levet with things With whicli it is not proper to compare them. It ought not, thereiore, to excito dissatisfaction, is some inequality appears to exist in rogard to the duratiouoi men; nor, becauso the separation of the fovi hom themombers of the body and the dissolution os iis paris inte rupis the continuity of lite, must me therofore despiar of tho
resurrection. For although the relaxation of the senses and
of the physical poWers, Which naturalty tines place in fleep,
seems to interrupi tho sensationes life when men fleep at
eques intervals of time, and, as it mero, come bach to lito again, Fet We do not refuse to cali it liso; and for this reason, I suppose, some cali fleep tho brother of death, not
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as deriving their origin from the samo ancestors and fastora, but causo thoso who are dead and those Who fleep are subject to similar states, as regards at least the stilineas and tho setice of ali sense of the present or the past, or rather of existenco itsoli and their own isse. Is thereiore, me do notrei e to cali by the nams of liso tho liso os mon fuit os sueti inequality hom blath to dissolution, and interrupted is allthoso things which Wo have besore mentioned, netther oughtwo to despala of the liso succoeding to dissolution, such asinvolves the resurrection, although for a timo it is interrupted by the separation of the foui froin the body.
CHAP. XVII.-The 8eries of changes wε ean nois orace in manr dera a resurrection probabis.
For this nature of men, Which has inequialty allotted toti hom tho fidit, and according to the purpose of iis Maher,
tris an unequat lite and continuance, interrupted sometimes
arise and come consolidate I mean os bones, and nerves,
and cartilages, of muscies too, and flesti, and infestines, and the other paris of the bodyl For notther in the yet moist foed is a thing of this hind to be seen, nor even in insanis do any of those things mahe their appearance Whicli pertainto adulis, or in the adest period What belongs to thoso whoare past their prime, or in these What belongs to suta as havo grown old. But although some of tho things I have said exhibit not at all, and othors bui faintly, the natural sequenceand the changes that come upon the nature of men, yet allwho are not blinded in their judment of these mattera by vice or stoth, know that there must be first the depositing of the seed, and that When this is completely organized in respectos every ma ex and pari and the progeny comes forth to tho
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446 ATHENAGORAS ON THElise, and the maturi which attends groWth, and aster thematurity the flachening of the physical poWers tili old age, and
then, When the body is Worn out, iis dissolution. M, there-sore, in this matter, though neither the foed has inscribedupon it tho life or form of mon, nor the life ine dissolutioninto the primary elemenis, the succession os natural occu rances mahes things credibie which havo no credibility homine phenomena themselves, muta more does reason, tracingout the truth hom the natural sequence, afford ground forbolisving in the resurrection, since it is safer and strongerthan experience sor ostablishing tho truth. CHAP. XVIII. u ment must have referenee both to foui and bo : there tolli therefore be a resurrection.
Tho argumeuis I just noW proposed sor examination, asost lishing the truth of the resurrection, are ali of the samo hind, since they ali stari from the fame potnt; for their startinypoint is the origin os the fidit men by creation. Butwhilo somo of them derivo their strength hom the starundi potnt itseli hom Whicli they tae their rise, osters, consequent upon the nature and the life of men, acquire their credibili hom the superintendence of God over us; for thecause according to Whicli, and on account of Whicli, men have come into being, Ming closely connected With the nature ofmon, derives iis sorce from creation ; but the argument homrectitude, Whicli represenis God as judging men according asthey have lived weli or iit, derives ita force hom tho end of their existence: they come into being on the formex ground, buttheir state depends more on Gossis superintendence. And nowstat the matters Which come first have been domonstrated bymo to tho best of my abilit' it mill bo Weli to prove our proposition by those also Which come astero mean by the re ardor punishment duo to each man in accordance With righteous judgment, and by the final cause of human existence; and of theso I put foromost that which tahes the lead is nature, and inquire first into the argument relating to the judgment: premising only one illing, irom concern for the principiewhicli appertains to the matters besore us, and for order-
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tho Μaher of this raniverse, to ascribe to Ires Wisdom and rectitudo the preservation and care os ali that has beon created, ii they Wisti in heep to their oWn principies; and withsuch vlews is hold that nothing either in earili or in heavenis Without Mardianship or providence, but that, on the contrarn in everything, invisibie and visibio altho, smali and great, the attention of the Creator reaches; for ali created things require the attention of the Creator, and each one in particular, according to ita naturo and tho end sor whicli it was mado: though Ι thinh it would be a useless expendituroos tro te to go through the list no , or distinguish bet Henthe severat cases, or mention in detail What is suit lo to Oaeli nature. Man, at ali evenis, of Whom it is now our businessio speah, as being in Want, requires soOS; as being mortes, posteriW; as being rational, a process of judgment. But isoach of theso things belongs to man by nature, and he requiressood ior his lite, and requires posteri for the continuance of the race, and requires a judgment in order that food audposteri may be according to laW, it os co se follows, sinceiood and posterib refer in both together, that the judgmentulust bo resereed to them too by both together I mean man, consisting of fovi and bov), and that such man becomes account te for ali his actions, and receives for them eitherreward or punishment. Nom ii the righteous judgmenta ards to both together iis retribution for the deeds wrought; and is it is not proper that either the foui alone Ahould receive the wages of the deeds wrought in union with tho body forthis of itsoli has no inclination to the faulis Whicli are committed in connection with the plerauro or food and culturo
oithor in this life sor the amard according to morit finds no place in the present existence, since many atheisis and persons Who practise every iniqui and wichednem livo on to the last, unvisited is calamit' Whilst, on the contrarn those Who have
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448 ATHENAGORAS ON THEmanifestly lived an exemplary life in respect of every Virtuo, live in pian, in insuli, in calumny and outrage, and suffering of ait Endsin or aster death for both together no longer exis the fovi being separated hom the body, and tho bo. itfelibeing resolved again lato the materiati out of Which it Wascomposed, and no longer retaining anything of ita formerstructure or form, muta less the remembrance of ita action0 :tho rosult os est this is very plain to eVery one, amely, stat, in the language of the apostle, this corruptibio sand dissol ble) must put on incorruption, in in order that those Who Were dead, having been made alive by the resurrection, and the paris that were separated and entixely dissolved haring beon again unded, each one mari in accordance With justice, receive
In replying, then, to those Who achnowle o a divino superintendence, and admit the fame principies as me do, yet somelioW depari hom their om admissions, ono may use Sucharguments as those Which have been adduced, and many morethan these, should he bo disposta to amplisy What has beensaid onj concisely and in a cursory mannem But in dealingwith those Who differ hom us concerning primary truths, it Will perhaps be weli to lay doWn another princise antecedentio these, joining With them in doubting of tho things toWhicli their opinions relate, and examining the matrer alongwith them in this manne-whether tho life of men, and theirentire course of existence, is overtooked, and a sori os densedatanem is poured do- upon the earth, Uding in ignorance and silenco both the men themselves and their actions; orwhether it is much saser to be of opinion that tho Maher presides over the things which He Himself has made, inspect-ing est things Whatsoever Which exist, or come into existence,
Whalaver Were to bo passed on the actions of men, men Mould have no advantage over the irrationes creatures, but raster