The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-05-02
DIR. NEWTON ON THE RESURREC'
TION OF CHRIST


Saints Protestant Episcopal church, New
York city, who was some time since
charged with expressing doubts OF the
incarnation of Jesus Christ, preached a
sermon last Sunday, in which he declared
he did not believe in the resurrection Oh
the "body" of Christ, although admitting
that the APOSTLES of Christ believed in the
resurrection of His body. AS far as d.
Newton's church and the Bible are au-
tbority on this subject DR.. Newton mas
been guilty of heresy. The Protestant
Episcopal church has emphasized its be
lief in the resurrection of the BODY OF
Christ by using in the more solemn part
of their services the Latin word earns
meaning ~he flesh" to make their Dehel
in the doctrine of the resurrection Oh the
hodv or "nesh" of Christ more hXed ana
determined. One of the clergymen, con-
shifted about this matter, said that Whlle
DIR Newton was unorthOdoX that he was
so changeable that hewould veer around TO
an orthodox belief before any harm came
of it. ca
DR. Newton seems to have followed 81.
Paul rather than Jesus Christ as author-
itv upon the resurrection of THE pody'
St Paul SAYS: "Thou fool, that when
thou sowest is not quickened except 1t
die. and that which thou sowest' thou
sowest not that body that shall BE- out
hare Grain. it may chance of wheat OF
some other grain. But God giveth 1t
body as it hath pleased Him ana TO
every seed His own body" III
is sown a natural body, it IS raised d
sniritual body, there is natural pouy
and there is a spiritual body IL Wouiu
soo,n that whilst ST. Paul was firm be-
liovor in the resurrection of Christ that
no believed that a natural body was sowh
and n spiritual body was raised, Tor he
saws; "That which thou sowest 'hou
sowest not that body that shall be- ana
then he clinches it by the declaration that
+hora is n natural body and there Is
spiritual body. .,
Rut ST. Paul's version differs with
cbrist,s account of His raised body. 1t
will be remembered that Christ appeared
to His disciples after His resurrection
when all of them but Ihomas were
present and said unto them Peace
be unto YOU" and "when He had so sald
be showed them His hands and his slde'
bnt when Thomas was told this by the
other declples, he said he would not De
leve it unless he thrust his fingers INTO
the holes made by the nails IN Jesus
hands. and thrust his hand into his SIDE.
When Christ again appeared TO them
Thomas was present, and lie SAID to|
Thomas: "Reach hither thy finger ana
behold My hands; reach hither thy hand
and thrust it into My side, and be not
faithless but believing"
But again, more conclusive than all,
that it was the physical body of Christ
that had arisen from the dead, it will bel
called to mind that Christ appeared tol
two of his disciples who walked together
that same day going to village called
Emmans, and Christ joined them, butt
"their eyes were holden" and they did not
know Him until He broke bread with
them, when they became alarmed terri
fed and affrighted and supposed they had
seen a spirit, and Christ said unto them:
"Why are We troubled, and why dol
thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold
My hands and My feet, that it is l, My
self, for a spirit has not flesh and bones
as We see Me have"
This proves conclusively that whatever
construction that st. Paul gave TO the
resurrection of the body or spirit of
Christ, He, Himself, testified to the fact
that it was His body. His flesh, where
withal He was clothed in His earthly eX-
istence that had risen from the dead.
1t is rather surprising that Dr. Newton
would inject such a discussion into the
ethics of the day. 1t makes no kind of
difference with the believer in the divine
nature of Christ whether it was His body
or His spirit which rose from the dead.
The effect must have been the same but
Dr. Newton is certainly unorthodox in
his construction of the language of st.
Paul, however reasonable that construc-
ton may seem, for Christ declares 1t was
His flesh and His bones that rose from,
the grave and became the first fruits of
the resurrection.