Answer.—Jesus Christ came again to life with a spiritual body; this we concede. Then these proofs do not demonstrate that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is irrational. This we deny; for it is an article of faith in the Church of Rome; and it is nearly unanimously believed by all the other Partialist Churches, that the bodies of the righteous alone will be spiritual bodies; and that the bodies of the wicked will be after the resurrection, as they were while on earth. Consequently, it does not follow, from the fact that Jesus Christ came again to life with a spiritual body, that the above proofs do not demonstrate that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is irrational.
Remark.—The Partialists quote passages of the Scriptures to prove the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. We shall not discuss the true meaning of those passages; for such a discussion does not enter in the plan of this work, which is exclusively intended to prove historically the true origin of the Partialist doctrines. However, in regard to those texts we say:
It would be a blasphemy against God to suppose that the Scriptures teach us an irrational doctrine. But, as demonstrated above, the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is irrational. Then the Scriptures do not teach it. Then those texts ought not to be understood of the resurrection of the body.
3d. It can be proved that the Church of Rome did not hold the doctrine of the resurrection of the body from the Jews.
The Church of Rome did not hold from the Jews the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, if, 1st, the Roman Catholic theologians do not hold that this doctrine is taught in the Old Testament; 2d, If this doctrine was traditional only among the illiterate portion of the Jewish nation; and, 3d, If this tradition was not of an ancient and national origin.
But, 1st, The Roman Catholic theologians do not hold that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is taught in the Old Testament; 2d, This doctrine was traditional only among the illiterate portion of the Jewish nation; and, 3d, This tradition was not of an ancient and national origin.
1st, The Roman Catholic theologians do not hold that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is taught in the Old Testament.
The Roman Catholic theologians do not pretend that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is taught in the Old Testament; they only assert that it may be that it is taught therein. Bergier, who is their organ, and whose works, written in the last century, were, and still now are, classical among the priests, writes—Article, Resurrection of the Body, page 159:—"We presume that Job, Daniel, and the seven Maccabean brothers, had some knowledge of this essential dogma." Consequently the Roman Catholic theologians do not hold that the doctrine of the resurrection of the body is taught in the Old Testament.
2d, The doctrine of the resurrection of the body was traditional only among the illiterate portion of the Jewish nation.
Josephus states, in his Antiq. Jud., book 18, ch. 2; and in his De Bello Judaico, book 2, ch. 7, al. ch. 12, that the Sadducees were the literate portion of the Jewish people; that they held nearly all the public offices; that they were well educated, courteous, and that they avoided public discussions and controversies on the subject of religion. He states also that they disbelieved the doctrine of the resurrection of the body. Therefore the doctrine of the resurrection of the body was traditional only among the illiterate portion of the Jewish nation.