APPENDIX. 211 visible and shaped bodies as they appeared on the mount? The same difficultyposeth us about the risen body of Christ he would not have Mary touch him, because he had not yet ascended to his Father: he could appear, and vanish from their sight, at his pleas- ure; and yet Thomas handled him, and felt that he had flesh and bones. That body of flesh ascended visibly up towards heaven ; and yet it is not flesh and. blood in heaven,, but a spiritual body ; for it is not worse than he will make his members. What shall we say to these things? We must say, that we are not capable of knowing them, but have reason to be thankful that we may know so much, more necessary for us. But yet it seemeth prob- able that the bodies of Christ,and Enoch, andElias, were change- able, according to the region in which they were to be. Christ could take up a body of flesh and blood, and immediately change that state of it into a pure and incorruptible, spiritual body, as it entered into tfie incorruptible, spiritual region. And so God did by Enoch and Elias. As Paul saith, that we shall not all die, (those that live till Christ's appearing,) but we shall all be chang- ed. And yet, ifElias have business on the mount, he can put on the clothing of a grosser body to be seen of'men, and can lay it by, or return to his more invisible, spiritual state, when he return- eth to the place from whence he came. And no wonder, when angels (and the ancients say Christ, before his incarnation) assum- ed bodies suitable to their several businesses on earth ; yea, such as could eat and drink With men ; when they dwelt not in heaven so coarsely clothed. 9. But how came Moses to have abody on the mount, who is said to have been buried, and, therefore, tooknone with him into heaven? We must still remember, that we inquire of things above our certain knowledge. But, in humble conjecture, we may say, that it is no more impossible for Moses to assume such a body as he appeared in on the mount, for that occasion, than for angels to appear in human shapes; and departed souls, too, as many appa- ritions have told men. And if bad souls can do it, why not good ones, when God will have it ? The tradition seemeth but a Jew- ish dream, that God kept the body of Moses uncorruptéd in the grave ; and that this was it that the devil is said to strive for against Michael, that the body might be corrupted. And say others, that, at this transfiguration, it rose again. There need no such conceits to our satisfaction. The soul of Moses could assume a body. 10. But still, the dissimilitude of Enoch and Elias from all the saints in heaven is an unresolved difficulty. Ifwe knew that God would have it so, it might satisfy us. But there is a symmetry in the body of Christi And it is like, that the same region hath in-
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