[This is an excellent article on the resurrection. There have been, even lately Old School Baptist ministers who did not believe in a physical resurrection of the body but a "spiritual" one. This vies was preached in churches on the eastern shore of Maryland and even in the Hopewell Church in NJ. Beebe and Trott rejected these views.- ed]
Brother Beebe: I received a short time since, a letter from a brother in Tennessee, referring to my proposition to republish elder Parker's pamphlet, and proposing some inquiries concerning the resurrection, to which I beg leave to respond, in accordance with his request through the Signs.
In answering this letter, I shall have necessarily to touch some points brought forward by elder Goldsmith; I will therefore hear remark, that this is not designed as a reply to him; That I do not design answering him until he shall have given us his statement, and informed us what he does believe concerning the resurrection; and I do hope he will be explicit in letting us know what he understands concerning the resurrection as declared in the scriptures, what it consists in. If he believes he holds the truth on this subject, he needs neither to be ashamed or afraid to speak plainly and to declare without reserve his sentiments. And I request as a favor he will do it, as I have been so abundantly charged with misunderstanding and misrepresenting him. Indeed, as to answer him at all, unless something particular should require a reply I doubt the propriety. I have set forth the plain definite testimony of the scriptures on the subject, and if men will not hear (I do not say Moses and the prophets,) but Christ and the apostles, they will not be persuaded by human argument. And it's the testimony of scripture according to its plain manifest import, is not allowed to be decisive in the case, then we are without a standard, and every man may believe and teach us seems good in his own eyes.
In reference to Elder Parker's pamphlet, I will inform my brother in Tennessee and others who have wished for the work, that although I have written the most I intended to write an answer to the pamphlet, yet I have given up the idea of publishing it as proposed. Having my attention called to the point by a brother in whose judgment I have much confidence, I have since reflected on the subject, and every day's developments go to convince me, that such is the peculiar state of the church at this time, that even Christians seem more disposed to embrace something new, it should be a little extraordinary especially, then to be satisfied with the plain simplicity of scripture testimony. They seem in the state the Israelites were in when they said in the wilderness, “and our soul loathes this light bread.” Hence I have concluded that Elder Parker's pamphlet, written to publish as proposed, would perhaps make 2 disciples to his system, where any notes would Convince one of its errors. I hope brethren who have written on the work, will excuse me for having occasioned there taking that trouble. Should Providence open the way from my publishing my reply to this pamphlet separately, and to circulate it where his views are known, I may perhaps yet do so.
Touching the resurrection, my brother enquires, what is, and has been, the belief on this point among the old-fashioned Baptists, as far back as their writings show? If we begin with the New Testament, we shall commence with the origin of the Baptists proper. And beginning there, I think any person, not wishing to strike out a new path, and who will admit that Christ and his apostles said what they meant on this subject, will acknowledge that they taught that there would be a raising up, a coming forth, a resurrection of that part of man designed as the body, and which is subject to death, to be buried in graves or in the sea. See the concluding declaration of Christ in verses 40-45, of John chapter 6: “And I will raise him up at the last day.” See his declaration in John 5.28-29, in distinction from his remark, verse 25: “Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, that they have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” See also John 11.23, as illustrated by verse 40-44; also Matthew 22.23-33. These with other texts show us what Jesus taught on this subject. Paul says, “why should it be thought of thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead?” Acts 26.8. See also First Corinthians 15.12-54, (noticed in part by me, in answer to elder Goldsmith, Sign No. 4 of the present volume) and Revelation 20.12-13; these with other scriptures show what the apostles believed and taught on this subject. After the apostle's days, so far as we can learn from church history, the professed Church of Christ generally believed in the resurrection of the body, and the rise of the beast. There are some exceptions which I will hereafter notice. Coming to the Waldenses, we find in their confession of faith, dated 1120 AD, this declaration: “And this we also believe concerning all other Saints, namely that they are waiting in heaven for the resurrection of their bodies at the day of judgment.” Jones history. Walden. Chapter 5 Section 3. Coming to the confession of faith put forth by the particular Baptists in England, in 1643, we find a doctrine of the resurrection of the body and a future judgment declared; and from that day to this I know of no confession of faith put forth by the regular Baptists, which does not include a belief in the resurrection of the body, and in a final judgment.
Among all the errors which Mosheim charges upon the anabaptists, as he calls them, we do not find that of a denial of the resurrection, as he would have done, had it been so. I will now briefly trace the denial of the resurrection of the body, through the corresponding period. The first instance on record is that of the Sadducees, as in Matthew 22.23: To Sadducees which says that there is no resurrection,” again acts 23.8: “for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither Angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees confess both.” Notice in verse 6, that Paul on this point, declares himself a Pharisee. Let those who deny the resurrection, get rid of this testimony for the doctrine if they can. Another class that appeared to disbelieve in the resurrection was the sex of Grecian philosophers, the Epicureans and Stoics, Acts 1718-32. Again there were some in the Corinthian church, also Hymenaeus and Philetus Who denied a future resurrection. 1st Corinthians 15.12; and second Timothy 2.17-18. Leaving the New Testament, we find the Manicheans, the disciples of Manes, 3rd century Who rejected the resurrection. Manes Had formerly been one of the Persian magi or worshippers of fire. After professing to be converted to Christianity, he undertook the blend of Persian philosophy with the religion of Christ. Briefly, he acknowledged 2 great principles from which all things proceed; The one light, the other darkness, these two powers he taught, have produced an immense multitude of creatures resembling themselves; the first man was produced by the power of darkness, his body of corrupt matter, his soul from a particle of light stolen from heaven. Jesus Christ came to deliver these souls; and those souls who believe him to be the son of God, will at death, after being purified both by water and fire, go to the regions of light, while their bodies will return to their original mass of corrupt matter, thus his system contained a denial of the resurrection of the body. Coming down to modern times, most of the sect called Quakers are supposed to disbelieve the resurrection of the body though the founders of the sect left that point undecided. It seems also, that recently among the Baptists there are numbers, and those, too, calling themselves old school, who are denying the future resurrection of those bodies. Thus, my brother, I have given an answer both affirmative and negative to your inquiry, as far as I can from recollection and a hasty reference to church history. What I have stated will I think be found correct, though there may be some omissions.
I will now notice the different views which this brother informs me are held by those Baptists in Tennessee, who denied the resurrection of these old bodies, as they call them.
1st. The argument on which some of them rely: is that all the anti-Christian denominations have believed in the resurrection of the body, and therefore the true church must believe differently on this point. Then the Sadducees, the Epicureans, and the Manicheans, I suppose must be considered of the true spiritual church. Most persons who have a traditional belief in the truth of divine revelation, I presume, believe that there will be a resurrection of the bodies of men and a final judgment. They also with equal confidence believed that the scriptures were written by divine inspiration, that Jesus Christ was the divine person, and that he became Incarnate, was crucified, and rose again. Now if we must reject the former as anti-Christian, because so generally believed, we must on the same ground in like manner reject these other points. But the truth is, that while regenerated persons may believe those positions in the letter of them, there is a spirituality in them which they know nothing about.
2nd the different views held. 1st that regeneration is the only resurrection taught in the scriptures. I refer to my remarks on this point in answer to elder Goldsmith, Signs, No. 4, present Volume, and will only add on this point, a query: how is it that some are regenerate it unto life, and others are regenerated unto damnation, as is the case if the resurrection of the scriptures is only regeneration? See John 5.29. 2nd that death God will give the soul a spiritual body as it pleases him. This device for the resurrection, is a complete denial of the resurrection and substitutes a new creation in its place. Christ then after bearing the sins of his people in his own body on the tree, and bearing the penalty due, is foiled in his attempt to redeem their bodies, or to conquer death. These old bodies are so corrupted as to be beyond the power of salvation and must be abandoned by the God that made them, and death must reign undestroyed, with an eternal dominion over them! If this is believing the record that God has given of his son, pray what is unbelief? But I would like to be informed when this spiritual body died? When was it dead and in the grave, to come forth? What absurdities men will run into, to get rid of the truth, while professing to believe the scriptures? Why not come out at once and say they do not believe the scriptures, instead of trying to wrest them in this way? 3rd the body spoken of in the scriptures in reference to resurrection, is the mystical body of Christ. This in one point is a better device than the preceding, and it does not involve an entire denial of resurrection. But unfortunately, it unavoidably involves the notion of Hymenaeus and Philetus: that the resurrection is passed already, which has received Apostolic condemnation, second Timothy 2.17-18. For the mystical body, as such, must have been raised with its head, Christ; Or, do these persons suppose there was in the resurrection of Christ, the curious fact of a head being raised while its body remained under the power of death in the grave? Of the mystical body of Christ, does the apostle speak, when he says, even when we were dead in sins (that is as individuals) has quickened us together with Christ, and has raised us up together, Ephesians 2.5-6 and Colossians 2.12-15. The last resort made by those who deny the resurrection in Tennessee, mentioned in the letter now being answered, is, the round assertion that the body of Christ did not actually go to heaven. I suppose then we must conclude, that God buried Christ's body as he did the body of Moses and that the disciples were deceived when they thought, they saw him taken up. Of course, we must infer, if this be the case, that as the law of Moses is buried in the experience of God's children, by the bringing in of the gospel of Christ, so the gospel and work of Christ are to be buried, and no more remembered nor come into mind, when the saints get to heaven. Excuse me, my brother, for treating these theories in this way. The truth is, when the scriptures and their plain and definite import are laid aside, there is no room left for argument, and our only source of proof is cut off; Hence we are left, only to show that deformities of their theories; And these one would think, would be enough to make them sick of them.
I will add on the subject of the resurrection of the body, that all those persons, whether professed infidels or others, who believe that God would not condescend to notice the small concerns of this life, or to watch and direct transmutation of atoms, are very consistent with themselves in denying the resurrection of the body. For when we consider that some persons are eaten by beasts and by fish, and particles of their bodies become component parts of the bodies of those devourers; that others are burned and their ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven, others again have their bodies, left to the decompose on the surface of the earth, and the particles thereof to be driven about by the winds, or washed by the floods and come mixed with other matter, and passing through all the multiform changes to which matter is subject; how can such believe that God could ever collect the particles of the human body together again? But I trust there are some old-school Baptists left yet, who have such confidence in the infinitude of the attributes and government of our God, as to believe that not a particle of matter which he has made, amidst all its changes, is ever, for a moment, lost from his view our control, or is ever found not filling the space, and answering the object assigned by his decree to it. Believing thus, my brethren, we do not think it beyond the power of God, nor a thing incredible that God should raise the dead.
S. Trott
P. S., in reference to other subjects on which the brother asks my view, he may perhaps hear from me, if I am permitted hereafter, in this way, or by letter.
Centerville, Fairfax County, Virginia, April 9, 1842
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