Erit mihi magnus Apollo,
and by my Consent shall be the next Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.
But my Heart aches a little for our Divines, and I almost despair of their clean Solutions of the foresaid two Difficulties. What must they do then? Why, they must give up their Religion as well as their Church, or go along with me to the Fathers for their mystical Interpretation of the whole Story of Jesus's Resurrection.
That the Fathers, without questioning their Belief of Jesus's corporal Resurrection universally interpreted the Story and every Part of it mystically, is most certain. St. Hilary[320] enumerates many Particulars of the Story, and intimates what they are typical and figurative of, as any one may see by the Citation referr'd to, which I have not Room to translate and illustrate.
St. Augustin[321] says, that Jesus's Resurrection from the Dead at that time, was to exhibit an Image and Resemblance of his future and mystical Resurrection. And elsewhere says[322] that it's a holy Pleasure to consider and search for the things signified by the Story of it.
That Origen is of the same Opinion, no body need question. A Multitude of his Testimonies might be produced to this Purpose, but I shall mention only one[323], wherein he asserts, that by the Sepulchre of Jesus is to be understood the Letter of the Scriptures, in which, as in a Rock, he is reposited.
St. John of Jerusalem[324] by the Crucifiers of Jesus understands false Teachers, meaning Ministers of the Letter to be sure, because he himself was a great Allegorist.
St. Hilary says that[325] Barabbas is a Type of Antichrist; and by Antichrist, as I have elsewhere shewn out of the Fathers, is meant the Letter of the Scriptures, which modern Commentators and Crucifiers of Jesus would prefer to the Spirit. For these are the two, Letter and Spirit, the Christ and Antichrist, that are contrary one to another.
St. Jerom[326] says, that by the Vail of the Temple rent at Jesus's Resurrection, is to be understood the opening the Vail of the Letter of the Law and the Prophets for the Manifestation of the divine Mysteries contain'd in them. And by the rending of the Rocks according[327] to him is to be understood the Apertion of the Oracles of God, that were before as hard as a Rock, till his spiritual Resurrection for the Illustration of them. And by the Earthquake, He says is meant the Shaking of the[328] Hearts of Men, and preparing them, by a Dereliction of their old Errors, for the Susception of the true Knowledge of God.