of the dead: and, as in Adam all die, so, also, in Christ all shall be made alive; but every one in his own order; the first fruits Christ, then they that are of Christ, who have believed in his coming." [1] These words of the Apostle are to be understood of a perfect resurrection, by which we are resuscitated to eternal life, being no longer subject to death. In this resurrection Christ the Lord holds the first place; for, if we speak of resurrection, that is, of a return to life, subject to the necessity of again dying, many were thus raised from the dead before Christ; [2] all of whom, however, were restored to life to die again; but Christ the Lord, having conquered death, rose again to die no more, according to this clear testimony of the Apostle: " Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no longer have dominion over him." [3]
"THE THIRD DAY"] In explanation of these additional words of the Article, the pastor will inform the people, that Christ did not remain in the grave during the entire of these three days, but, as he lay in the sepulchre during an entire natural day, during part of the preceding day, and part of the following, he is said, with strictest truth, to have lain in the grave for three days, and on the third day, to have risen again from the dead. To declare his divinity, he deferred not his resurrection to the end of the world; whilst at the same time, to prove his humanity, and the reality of his death, he rose not immediately, but on the third day alter his death, a space of time sufficient to prove that he had really died.
Here the Fathers of the first Council of Constantinople added the words, "according to the Scriptures," which they received from Apostolical tradition, and imbodied with the creed, because the same Apostle teaches the absolute necessity of the mystery of the resurrection, when he says: " If Christ be not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain, for you are yet in your sins." [4] Hence, admiring our belief of this Article, St. Augustine says: " It is of little moment to believe that Christ died; this, the Pagans, Jews, and all the wicked believe; in a word, all believe that Christ died; but, that he rose from the dead is the belief of Christians; to believe that he rose again, this we deem of great moment." [5] Hence it is, that our Lord very frequently spoke to his disciples of his resurrection; and seldom or never of his passion without adverting to his resurrection. Thus, when he said: "The Son of Man shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and scourged and spit upon; and after they have scourged him, they will put him to death?" he added; " and the third day he shall rise again." [6] Also, when the Jews called upon him to give an attestation of the truth of his doctrine by some miraculous sign, he said: " A sign shall not be given them but the sign of Jonas the Prophet: for as Jonas was three days and three nights in
