81. And this was not the only instance which our Lord Jesus Christ set forth, but He raised others also, that we might at any rate believe more numerous instances. He raised the young man again, moved by the tears of his widowed mother, when He came and touched the bier, and said: “Young man, I say unto thee, arise, and he that was dead sat up and began to speak.”107    S. Luke xiv. 7, 8. As soon as he heard he forthwith sat up, he forthwith spake. The working of power, then, is one thing, the order of nature is another.

82. And what shall I say of the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue, at whose death multitudes were weeping and the flute-players piping? For the funeral solemnities were being performed because of the conviction of death. How quickly at the word of the Lord does the spirit return, the reviving body rise up, and food is taken, that the evidence of life may be believed!108    S. Mark v. 38–43.

83. And why should we wonder that the soul is restored at the word of God, that flesh returns to the bones, when we remember the dead raised by the touch of the prophet’s body?109    2 [4] Kings iv. 34; xiii. 21. Elijah prayed, and raised the dead child.110    1 [3] Kings xvii. 22. Peter in the name of Christ bade Tabitha rise and walk,111    Acts ix. 40.and the poor rejoicing believed for the food’s sake which she ministered to them, and shall we not believe for our salvation’s sake? They purchased the resurrection of another by their tears, shall we not believe in the purchase of ours by the Passion of Christ? Who when He gave up the ghost, in order to show that He died for our resurrection, worked out the course of the resurrection; for so soon as “He cried again with a loud voice and gave up the ghost, the earth did quake, and the rocks were rent, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and, going forth out of the tombs after His resurrection, came into the holy city and appeared unto many.”112    S. Matt. xxvii. 50–53.

84. If these things happened when He gave up the ghost, why should we think them incredible when He shall return to judgment? especially since this earlier resurrection is a pledge of that future resurrection, and a pattern of that reality Which is to come; indeed, it is rather itself truth than a pattern. Who, then, at the Lord’s resurrection opened the graves, gave a hand to those who were rising, showed them the road to find the holy city? If there was no one, it was certainly the Divine Power which was working in the bodies of the dead. Shall one seek for the aid of man where one sees the work of God?

85. Divine action has no need of human assistance. God commanded that the heavens should come into existence, and it was done; He determined that the earth should be created, and it was created.113    Gen. i. 6 ff. Who carried together the stones on his shoulders? who supplied the expenses? who furnished assistance to God as He toiled? These things were made in a moment. Would you know how quickly? “He spake and they were made.”114    Ps. xxxiii. [xxxii.] 9. If the elements spring up at a word, why should the dead not rise at a word? For though they be dead, yet they once lived, once had the breath of life for feeling, and strength for acting; and there is a very great difference between not having been capable of life, and having remained lifeless. The devil said: “Command this stone that it become bread.”115    S. Luke iv. 3. He confesses that at the command of God nature can be transformed, dost thou not believe that at the command of God nature can be remade?

86. Philosophers dispute about the course of the sun and the system of the heavens, and there are those who think that these should be believed when they are ignorant of what they are talking about. For neither have they climbed up into the heavens, nor measured the sky, nor examined the universe with their eyes; for none of them was with God in the beginning, none of them has said of God: “When He was preparing the heavens I was with Him, I was with Him as a master workman, I was he in whom He delighted.”116    Prov. viii. 27, 30. If, then, they are believed, is God not believed, Who says: “As the new heavens and the new earth, which I make to remain before Me, saith the Lord; so shall your name and your seed abide; and month shall be after month, and sabbath after sabbath, and all flesh shall come in My sight to worship in Jerusalem, saith the Lord God; and they shall go forth, and shall see the limbs of men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched and they shall be a sight to all flesh.”117    Is. lxvi. 22–24.

87. If the earth and heaven are renewed, why should we doubt that man, on account of whom heaven and earth were made, can be renewed? If the transgressor be reserved for punishment, why should not the just be kept for glory? If the worm of sins does not die, how shall the flesh of the just perish? For the resurrection, as the very form of the word shows, is this, that what has fallen should rise again, that which has died should come to life again.

88. And this is the course and ground of justice, that since the action of body and soul is common to both (for what the soul has conceived the body has carried out), each should come into judgment, and each should be either given over to punishment or reserved for glory. For it would seem almost inconsistent that, since the law of the mind fights against the law of the flesh, and the mind often, when sin dwelling in man acts, does that which it hates; the mind guilty of a fault shared by another should be subjected to penalty, and the flesh, the author of the evil, should enjoy rest: and that should alone suffer which had not sinned alone, or should alone attain to glory, not having fought alone with the help of grace.

89. The reason, unless I am mistaken, is complete and just, but I do not require a reason from Christ. If I am convinced by reason I reject faith. Abraham believed God,118    Gen. xv. 6. let us also believe Him, that we who are heirs of his race may also be heirs of his faith. David likewise believed, and therefore did he speak;119    Ps. cxvi. [cxv.] 10. let us also believe that we may be able to speak, knowing that “He Who raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus.”120    2 Cor. iv. 14. For God, Who never lies, promised this; the Truth promised this in His Gospel, when He said: “This is the will of Him that sent Me, that of all that which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”121    S. John vi. 39. And He thought it not sufficient to have said this once, but marked it by express repetition, for this follows: “For this is the will of My Father, Who sent Me, that every one that seeth the Son and believeth on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”122    Ibid .

90. Who was He that said this? He in truth Who when dead raised up many bodies of the departed. If we believe not God, shall we not believe evidence? Do we not believe what He promised, since He did even that which He did not promise? And what reason would He have had for dying, had He not also had a reason for rising again? For, seeing that God could not die, Wisdom could not die; and inasmuch as that could not rise again which had not died, flesh is assumed, which can die, that whilst that, whose nature it is, dies, that which had died should rise again. For the resurrection could not be effected except by man; since, “as by man came death, so too by man came the resurrection of the dead.”123    1 Cor. xv. 21.

81. Nec hoc solum exemplum edidit Dominus 1156 noster Jesus Christus; sed alios quoque resuscitavit, ut nos vel exemplis uberioribus crederemus. Resuscitavit adolescentem fletu viduae matris 1338C inflexus, quando accessit et tetigit loculum, dicens: Adolescens, tibi dico surge: et resedit qui erat mortuus, et coepit loqui (Luc. VII, 14). Statim ut audivit, statim resedit, statim locutus est. Alia ergo virtutis gratia, alius ordo naturae.

82. Nam quid de archisynagogi filia loquar, in cujus obitu flebant turbae, tibicines personabant? Etenim ad fidem mortis pompa funeris exhibetur. Quam cito ad vocem Domini convertitur spiritus, redivivum corpus erigitur, cibus sumitur; ut vitae testimonium crederetur.

83. Et quid miremur ad vocem Dei refundi animam, redire ossibus viscera; cum meminerimus prophetici tactu corporis mortuum suscitatum (IV Reg. 13, 21)? Elias oravit, et defunctum suscitavit 1338D infantem (III Reg. XVII, 22): Petrus in nomine 1339A Christi Tabitham surgere atque ambulare praecepit, et redditam sibi pauperes gratulati crediderunt pro alimentis (Act. IX, 40); et nos adhuc pro salute non credimus? Illi resurrectionem alienam suis lacrymis redemerunt, nos nostram nec Christi credimus passione? Qui cum emitteret spiritum, ut ostenderet pro nostra resurrectione se mortuum, seriem ipsam resurrectionis exercuit; simul enim ut clamans iterum voce magna emisit spiritum; et terra mota est, et petrae scissae sunt, et monumenta aperta sunt, et multa corpora sanctorum dormientium resurrexerunt, et exeuntes de monumento post resurrectionem ejus venerunt in sanctam civitatem, et multis apparuerunt (Matth. XXVII, 51, 52).

84. Si haec facta sunt, cum emitteret spiritum, 1339B cur incredibilia putamus, cum redire coeperit ad judicium? praesertim cum haec resurrectio documentum illius resurrectionis, et futurae sit veritatis exemplum: minus autem exemplum est, quam veritas. Quis igitur in Domini passione monumenta aperuit, manum resurgentibus dedit, viam qua civitatem sanctam peterent, demonstravit? si nemo fuit, fuit utique vis divina, quae operaretur in corporibus mortuorum. Hominis tu quaeris auxilium, ubi opus Dei cernis?

85. Non egent humanis divina ministeriis. Coelum Deus fieri jussit, et factum est: terram creari statuit, et creata est (Gen. I, 6 et seq.). Quis humeris saxa convexit? quis congessit impensas? quis laboranti Deo suam operam ministravit? In momento haec facta sunt. Vis scire quam brevi? Dixit, et facta 1339C sunt (Psal. CXLIII, 5). Si dicto elementa consurgunt, cur dicto mortui non resurgant? Qui licet mortui sint, tamen aliquando vixerunt, habuerunt spiritum sentiendi, habuerunt vires agendi; plurimumque refert capax animi non fuisse, 1157 et exanimum remansisse. Diabolus dixit: Dic lapidi huic, ut fiat panis (Luc. IV, 3). Confitetur, jubente Deo, converti posse naturam; tu non credis, jubente Deo, reformari posse naturam?

86. De solis cursu coelique ratione philosophi disputant, et sunt qui putant his esse credendum; cum quid loquantur, ignorent. Neque enim coelum ascenderunt, axem dimensi, mundum oculis perscrutati sunt; quia nullus eorum cum Deo in principio fuit, nullus eorum de Deo dixit: Cum pararet coelum, 1339D cum ipso eram, et eram cum eo componens, ego eram cui adgaudebat (Prov. VIII, 27, 30). Si ergo illis creditur, non creditur Deo, qui ait: Quemadmodum coelum novum, et terra nova, quae ego facio manere coram me, dicit Dominus, sic stabit nomen vestrum, et semen vestrum: et erit mensis ex mense, et sabbatum ex sabbato: et veniet omnis caro in conspectu meo, 1340A ut adorent in Hierusalem, dicit Dominus Deus: et exibunt, et videbunt membra hominum, qui praevaricati sunt in me. Nam vermis eorum non morietur, et ignis eorum non exstinguetur, et erunt in aspectum universae carni (Esai. LXVI, 22 et seq.)

87. Si terra renovatur et coelum, cur dubitemus hominem posse renovari, propter quem terra facta et coelum est? Si praevaricator servatur ad poenam, cur justus non perpetuatur ad gloriam? Si vermis non moritur peccatorum, quemadmodum interibit caro justorum? Haec est enim resurrectio, sicut verbi ipsius sonus exprimit; ut quod cecidit, hoc resurgat: quod mortuum fuerit, reviviscat.

88. Et haec est series et causa justitiae, ut quoniam corporis animique communis est actus (quia 1340B quae animus cogitavit, corpus effecit) utrumque in judicium veniat, utrumque aut poenae dedatur, aut gloriae reservetur. Nam propemodum absurdum videtur, ut cum animi legem lex carnis impugnet, et mens plerumque quod odit, hoc faciat, quando inhabitans in homine peccatum carnis operatur; animus subdatur injuriae alienae reus culpae, caro quiete potiatur auctor aerumnae: et solus atteratur, qui non solus erravit: aut solus gloriam referat, qui non solus gratiae militavit.

89. Plena, ni fallor, et justa ratio: sed ego rationem a Christo non exigo. Si ratione convincor, fidem abnuo. Credidit Abraham Deo (Gen. XV, 6), et nos credamus; ut qui sumus generis, etiam fidei simus haeredes. Credidit et David, propter quod et 1340C locutus est (Psal. CXV, 10): et nos credamus, ut possimus loqui, scientes quoniam, qui suscitavit Dominum Jesum Christum, et nos cum Jesu suscitabit (II Cor. IV, 14). Hoc enim promisit, qui numquam mentitur, Deus (Tit. I, 2): hoc promisit veritas in Evangelio suo, dicens: Haec est autem voluntas ejus qui misit me, ut omne quod dedit mihi, non perdam ex eo: sed resuscitem illud in novissimo die (Joan. VI, 39). Nec satis putavit semel dixisse, sed etiam repetita expressione signavit; sic enim sequitur: Haec est enim 1158 voluntas Patris mei, qui misit me, ut omnis qui videt Filium, et credit in eum, habeat vitam aeternam, et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die (Ibid., 40).

90. Quis hoc dicit? Utique is qui mortuus plurima 1340D defunctorum corpora suscitavit. Si Deo non credimus, nec exemplo credimus? Non credimus quod promisit; quando etiam quod non promisit, effecit? Ipse autem quam causam moriendi habuisset, nisi habuisset et causam resurgendi? Etenim quoniam Deus mori non poterat, mori non poterat sapientia: resurgere autem non poterat, quod mortuum non 1341A erat; assumitur caro, quae mori posset; ut dum moritur, quod solet, quod mortuum fuerat, hoc resurgeret. Neque enim poterat esse nisi per hominem resurrectio; quoniam sicut per hominem mors, ita et per hominem resurrectio mortuorum (I Cor. XV, 21).