to manifest His
Resurrection He made use of a double testimony, neither of which can
be rebutted. The first of these was the angels' testimony, who
announced the Resurrection to the women, as is seen in all the
Evangelists: the other was the testimony of the Scriptures, which He
set before them to show the truth of the Resurrection, as is narrated
in the last chapter of Luke.

Again, the proofs were sufficient for showing that the Resurrection
was both true and glorious. That it was a true Resurrection He shows
first on the part of the body; and this He shows in three respects;
first of all, that it was a true and solid body, and not phantastic
or rarefied, like the air. And He establishes this by offering His
body to be handled; hence He says in the last chapter of Luke (39):
"Handle and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see Me
to have." Secondly, He shows that it was a human body, by presenting
His true features for them to behold. Thirdly, He shows that it was
identically the same body which He had before, by showing them the
scars of the wounds; hence, as we read in the last chapter of Luke
(39) he said to them: "See My hands and feet, that it is I Myself."

Secondly, He showed them the truth of His Resurrection on the part of
His soul reunited with His body: and He showed this by the works of
the threefold life. First of all, in the operations of the nutritive
life, by eating and drinking with His disciples, as we read in the
last chapter of Luke. Secondly, in the works of the sensitive life,
by replying to His disciples' questions, and by greeting them when
they were in His presence, showing thereby that He both saw and
heard; thirdly, in the works of the intellective life by their
conversing with Him, and discoursing on the Scriptures. And, in order
that nothing might be wanting to make the manifestation complete, He
also showed that He had the Divine Nature, by working the miracle of
the draught of fishes, and further by ascending into heaven while
they were beholding Him: because, according to John 3:13: "No man
hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended from heaven, the Son
of Man who is in heaven."

He also showed His disciples the glory of His Resurrection by
entering in among them when the doors were closed: as Gregory says
(Hom. xxvi in Evang.): "Our Lord allowed them to handle His flesh
which He had brought through closed doors, to show that His body was
of the same nature but