hope for the house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 And therefore that world is not a distinct world but even the same in which as Mediatour he shall give up the Kingdome to the Father Reply That the Apostle speakes of a world to come as well in respect of Christ as of himselfe it is evident first from Psal 8.4 c. which shewes that the world which the Apostle calls the world to come is the world in which those workes of God are that he made for man to have dominion over is the world I say in which the beasts of the field the fowles of the aire and the fishes of the sea doe inhabit And secondly it is cleare from the originall word by which it is exprest which is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the superiour world the third heaven as you take it but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inferiour world the terrestriall globe the dwelling place of men and all other mortall creatures as we read Matth. 24.14 and Acts 17.6.31 And therefore the Kingdome of heaven in your sense that is Christs possession of heaven and his reigning over the Saints departed cannot possibly be meant by it but the Kingdome of heaven in our sense that is the heavenly Kingdome which Christ shall here visibly reigne over in time to come In the day the great day in which God hath appointed to judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the world in righteousnesse by him as it is Acts 17.31 that is to execute judgement and justice on the earth as the Prophet Jeremiah expresseth it chap. 23. ver 5. So that the Apostles words are as if he had said For not unto the Angels hath be appointed this inferiour world of which we spake before chap. 1. ver 6. to be subject in time to come but unto Christ as one in a certaine place testified saying What is man that thou art mindfull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him Thou madest him a little lower then the Angels thou crownedst him with glory and honour and didst set him over the workes of thy hands c. And thus it is manifest that your referring of the words whereof we speake to ver 3. is but a private fancie crossing the Apostles explication of the world to come by the prophecy of David Psal 8.4 c. And imposing such a signification on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is not to be found in all the Scripture And therefore we still conclude that the world which the Apostle speakes of is to be a distinct world in time from this we now live in and both in time and place from that in which our Saviour shall give up his Kingdome to the Father And as for those who by the world to come doe understand the time of the Gospell betwixt Christs first and second comming they doe hereby make the Apostle either to call the time in which he himselfe lived the world to come or to distinguish the time betwixt Christs first and second comming into two worlds at the least Whereas the scripture doth divide the whole time appointed to the heavens and earth that now are but into three worlds or parts of time the fiâ—st whereof containes the time from the creation to the floud and is the old world of which Saint Peter speakes 2 Epist chap. 2. ver 5. the world long since past The second containes the time from the floud to our Saviours next appearing and is the world that now is The third containes the whole day of judgement the 1000 yeares and little season mentioned Rev. 20. which is to beginne at our Saviours next appearing and to end with the world it selfe at the last resurrection and this is the world to come of which the Apostle here speakes Israel's Redemption For that which is to be given up is already past Mr. Petrie's Answer That which shall be given up is not past as yet neither shâ—ll it be given up altogether but in some manner as the Millenaries acknowledge at the end of their 1000 yeares Reply That which shall be given up is not past as yet you say true and that which shall beginne is not come as yet But surely it is false to say that we acknowledge Christs Kingdome shall not be given up altogether that we acknowledge I say that Christ as man as the Sonne of David shall not then cease to reigne when the generations of men over which he must reigne shall cease And this earth on which he must reigne shall passe away In a word when at the last resurrection he shall take the elect with him into eternall glory and delight and turne the reprobate from him into endlesse horrour and contempt For we know that the Apostle in 1 Cor. 15.24.28 teacheth otherwise saying Then commeth the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father c. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Sonne also himselfe he subject unto him that put all things un der him that God may be allin all Israel's Redemption And it is no where said that the new Jerusalem the City of eternall glory shall be subjected to Christ as a creature but that Christ as a creature shall after the judgement of the dead be there subject to the Father Mr. Petrie's Answer He as God-man saith Matth. 28. To me is given all power in heaven and on earth And thus all the consequences for proving the carthly Monarchy of the Jewes are naught Reply That the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the power our Saviour speakes of Matth. 28.18 was given to him as man and not as God for so he had it from all eternity interpreters agree And what though all power in heaven and on earth was then given to Christ as man What doth this make against my words which affirme that Christ as man shall after the judgement of the dead after all things are subdued unto him surrender againe this power as having no further use of it and in the new Jerusalem not reigne as man but be himselfe subject to the Father Or what doth it make against Christs 1000 yeares reigne on earth that he had then all power in heaven and on earth given unto him unlesse it will follow from hence that if he had been to reigne visibly on earth he might and would have done it at that time But certainely this will not follow for though our Saviour had then all power given him yet he was to exercise it to doe all that was to be done by it in that order and manner which God had appointed it to be done and no otherwise And therefore as we acknowledge that God had from all eternity the same power of creation which in the beginning of this world be first of all put into act and exercise so we acknowledge likewise that Christ hath now that power by which he shall reigne visibly on earth although
whether John signifieth by them the godly on earth If these words make any thing for this purpose these Elders were in heaven but all the interpreters even the Authour of Commentat Apocalypt pag. 8. expone them to be the godly on earth The words Rom. 4.13 are The promise that he should be the heire of the world was not to Abraham and to his seed through the law but through the righteousnesse of faith Certaintly albeit the Land of Canaan was promised to Abraham and his seed yet he never having possession of that land and his seed or the faithfull are more properly called the heires of eternall life Tit. 3.7 And heires of that Kingdome which he hath promised unto them that love him Iam. 2.5 And heires of God and joynt-heires with Christ Rom. 8.17 Which Kingdome was typified by Canaan and of this promise without doubt speakes Paul there The words of Luke 19.17.19 are a part of a parable and we know that every part of a parable is not argumentative These texts then serve nothing for this Monarchy On the margine is cited also a testimony of Windelin but we regard not the testimony of parties in their own cause and far lesse doe we regard the consequences of that testimony wherewith the next page is filled and with that question of the essential or accidentall change of the Elements seeing for one we may bring five thousand testimonies in this urpose Reply The question is you say whether Saint John saw these Elders in heaven And that he did the text it selfe doth witnesse For that these Elders were the same with the Elders in chap. 4. the continuation of the vision doth infallibly evince And that Saint Iohn saw those Elders in heaven the 1 ver of the 4 chap. doth clearly prove where it is said After this I looked and behold a doore was opened in heaven and the first voyes which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with mee which said Come up hither and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter Now what heaven was it in which Saint John saw a doore opened but the starry heaven the same heaven which Saint Stephen saw opened Acts 7.56 And what heaven was it from whence he heard a voice talking with him but the third heaven in the third heaven it was then whither Saint Paul was once caught up that Saint John heard and saw such wonderfull visions and revelations as soone as he was in the spirit that is as soone as hee was carried up by the spirit whither he was before called by the voice And consequently he saw these Elders in heaven and this also the 6 and 7 verses of the 5 chap. doe confirme which shew that these Elders were there where our Saviour represented by the Lambe that had been slaine was when the booke of Revelation was given unto him And as Saint John faw these Elders in heaven so Pareus makes report also of two sorts of interpreters who by these Elders doe understand Saints in heaven One which takes them for foure and twenty and no more for twelve Patriarches and twelve Apostles Another which takes them for all the Saints then in heaven to which interpretation he himselfe enclines And Piscator understands by them all the faithfull under both Testaments under the Law and under the Gospell and so makes these 24 Elders to represent not onely the Saints then departed but all others also which should depart before Christs appearing And now seeing the text shews that Saint John saw these Elders in heaven and interpreters say that they represented the Saints departed how can their words we shall reigne on earth be understood any otherwise then of their reigning after their resurrection Yea let them be taken for the Saints on earth and yet their words cannot be otherwise understood For if they did represent the Saints militant on earth they did then reigne spiritually when they spake these words And therefore seeing notwithstanding their spirituall reigne they said not we doe but we shall reigne on earth it is evident that their words cannot be meant of a reigne which they should enjoy on earth while they were in their bodies before their death which by your owne confession can be no other but a spirituall reigne but of a reigne which they should enjoy on earth when they are againe reunited to their bodies after their death And whereas the words in Rom. 4.13 For the promise that he should be heire of the world c. are by you thus interpreted That he should be heire of eternall life Tit. 8.7 When you can prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the visible world doth signifie eternall life we shall approve of this exposition In the meane while we shall understand it of the joynt-government of the world by Abraham and the rest of the raised Saints in the time of Christs reigne on earth At which time also they may well be said to be heires of eternall life and coheires with Christ seeing they shall rule the world with him and can dye no more The other words Luke 19.17.19 are a part of a parable and every part of a parable is not argumentative you say true that part which crosseth some truth plainely delivered in the scripture but that which agreeth with the plaine scriptures as this doth with the prophecies touching our Saviours and the Saints reginâ—ing on earth is argumentative â—iâ—e why iâ— iâ— said that our Saviour taught them in parâ—â—â—es if parables do comâ—â—â—e no certaine truth And what is the scope of this parable but to shew that Christ was not to reigne over the Jâ—wâ— then aâ— his first comming when the Jewâ—s should refuse to have him â—eignâ—â—ver them saying We have no king but Câ—sar but at his comming againe from heaven with power and great glory at which time he would make those that had in their life time improved his spirit all stocke governours under him And lastly your sâ—â—ighting of Wendelinus testimony as a party and of this murgâ—â—â—ll note as too meane for your meditation is a fine sleighâ— to excuse your not answering of them To which doubtles you had nothing to say for else we may well thinke that you would have been nibling at this marginall note too as well as you are at others and that among so many thousand opposite testimonies you would have pickt out an answer to this single â—â—stimony of Wendeliâ—us Israel's Redemption And this will appeare to a diligent eye even out of the controversed place in Rev. â—0 for besides that the opposition betwixt the first and last resurrection doth impose the same sense on both besides this I say the vision represented not unto St. John perfect men at the first that is men that should be beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus but soules onely and that aâ— of men already beheaded which most manifestly shewes â—â—at the resurrection after mentioned did follow their death and not goe before it And therefore
ever Amen Amen Mr. Petrie's Answer Whether can these more confidently beseech God for the conversion of the Jewes who thinke that the Jewes may daily be converted or these who thinke that they shall not be converted till the comming of Christ the former sort may be confident to be heard daily which these others cannot And moreover the former sort seeth as the Fathers did see Heb. 11.13 everlasting glory presently at hand and thereupon they doe minde and seeke heavenly things as they are commanded Col. 3.1 2. and the other sort are out of hope of glory in heaven at least yet for the space of a thousand yeares and they set their affections on things on earth Yea and it gives encouragement unto the wicked that they shall not be judged nor their bodies tormented these thousand yeares to come yet and on the other side the feare of imminent judgement and punishment is a more powerfull motive to depart from iniquity For which cause the Lord would not give unto men the knowledge of that time but will have us to be alwayes preparing and waiting for that comming to judgement Wherefore we pray unto our Lord Jesus who even now is King of Kings and reigneth in the midst of his enemies and is offended at the foolish conceites of unstable hearts That he would make his power manifest by conforming them whom he hath called and gifted with the knowledge of his eternall Gospell and by reducing all his elect both Jewes and Gentiles who goe astray and that he would now even now give us heavenly hearts and tie us all together in the acknowledgement and obedience of his truth to the praise of his Name and our spirituall comfort both now and evermore Come Lord Jesus and change our vile bodies that they may be like unto thy glorious body according to thy working whereby thou art able even to subdue all things unto thy selfe Reply Surely they that deny the generall conversion of the Jewes as you doe cannot pray at all for this conversion But they that beleeve it may confidently beseech God for it and be confident too that they are delightfully heard of him in it For as we ought alwayes to pray for that which may be done we know not how soone so though our prayers cannot hasten the accomplishment of any future blessings to our selves or others yet we are daily heard in them seeing by such a manifestation of out obedience towards God who taught us to pray for them and of our faith and hope in his promises which reveale them and of our charity towards all that are to be partakers of them we daily improve Gods mercy towards us here and our owne weight of glory with him hereafter And whereas you seeme to lay claime to heaven for your selfe and others of your minde onely and to shut us out of it because according to the tenour of Gods plaine revelations we affirme That the raised Saints are to beginne the eternity of their immortall and glorified estate in a regall condition here on earth with Christ where He and They have been formerly so much reviled and so vilely handled whereas I say you would for this exclude us from having any portion of the joyes of heaven with you till the 1000 yeares reigne be finisht Be it knowne unto you That we hope through Gods free mercy towards us in Christ Jesus to be received into the society of the Saints in heaven even as others if God hath appointed that our earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved before the appearing of our Lord Jesus if not we hope together with the whole number of the elect to be made Inhabitants of the new Jerusalem in that time in which God hath purposed to bring us thither and not before And we cannot conceive that we doe set our affections on things on earth in the Apostles sense Colos 3.2 when we doe with patience expect the accomplishment of the promises made to us in Christ albeit they are in part to be fulfilled on this earth And by the way it is worth the Readers observation That to confirme your seeing everlasting glory presently at hand you cite Heb. 11.13 where it is said These all died in faith not having received the promises but having seene them afarre off c. What I is to see the promises a farre off all one with the seeing of glory presently at hand But you goe on and tell us that our Tenet gives encouragement to the wicked that they shall not be judged nor their bodies tormented these thousand yeares to come yet Which is a confused and corrupt report of our words For though we say That the last judgement of the wicked the judgement of their bodies and foules together shall not be till the end of the thousand yeares reigne on earth yet surely we beleeve even as others That their soules are cast into hell immediately after their departure out of their bodies And doubtlesse if they will not forsake their evill courses for feare of the imminent damnation of their soules for feare of this partiall and particular judgement at their death which doth infallibly binde them over to the eternall damnation of their bodies and soules together at their generall and contemporating judgement they will neither forsake their wickednesse the sooner for their ignorance nor continue it the longer-for their knowledge of the large space of time that is yet to precede their generall judgement For what comfort can it be to them that it shall be yet so long before their bodies be tortured in hell when as their soules may suddenly be adjudged to such torments as are agreeable to the number and nature of their sinnes which the more and greater they are the more and greater will the punishment of their bodies be too at the last And therefore if you had said the truth you would have acknowledged that our Tenet doth warne all those that shall live in the time of the Jewes conversion and deliverance not to oppose them lest to the augmentation of their endlesse woe they therby perish from the earth by a fearefull death And it doth perswade men likewise to take off their affections from things on earth seeing it puts them in minde that if they now walke not after the flesh but after the spirit if they fashion not themselves to this present world they shall together with their Saviour be heires and inheritours of the earth when the whole creation shall be delivered from its bondage of corruption and when by the meanes of Christs and their government on it judgement shall runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame And thus the impartiall reader may plainely see what little alliance there is betwixt the title of your answer and the contents of it For you pretend to fetch him out of darkenesse into the light but doe indeed lead him out of the light into darkenesse And as the Syrians eyes were held by God that they
shall cast them alive into the lake of fire And therefore your application of the story of Ziseah's drumme to this argument is a very ridiculous answer The third argument But most of all clearely in chap. 11. ver 15 16. c. where at the sound of the seventh trumpet the dayes of the witnesses and the mouthes of the Beast and Nations being out-runne were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord c. This is the consummation of the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets Mr. Petrie's Answer This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophets and Apostles and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome seeing thâ—â—full accomplishment of the prophecies is not on earth And so this synchronisme being false and the like synchronismes and all expositions following upon them must faile with it Reply This argument shewes that the Kingdomes of this world are to become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ at the sounding of the seventh trumpet and not before That is at the time of our Saviours descending from heaven at which time the reigne of the beast shal end And consequently it provs first that this reigne of Christ must needes follow the reigne of the beast seeing it beginnes not till his appearing by which the Beast shall be utterly destroyed And secondly it proves that this reigne must needes be on earth seeing the Kingdomes which shall then become his are the Kingdomes of this world And thirdly it proves that the time in which these Kingdomes shall become Christs cannot possibly be the time in which he shall deliver up his Kingdome to the Fathers seeing they shall then cease to be his And so the time of our Saviours reigne over them must needes be the interim the time betwixt the reigne of the Beast and the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father To these consequences you had nothing to say and therefore you catch at these words which follow the argument to wit This is the consummation of the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets which you thus pervert This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophets and Apostles and therefore it is not to be understood of any earthly Kingdome But surely as the mystery of God foretold by the Prophets and recorded chap. 10. ver 7. is meant onely of Christs reigne on earth at his next appearing when the Kingdomes of this world are to become his so you can shew us no promise either in the writings of the Prophets or Apostles which after the resurrection of mens bodies is to be enjoyed by them in heaven in your sense that is in a place of glory separate from the earth For as the raised Saints that are to come with Christ shall be on this earth all the time of his reigne so at the delivering up of his Kingdome to the Father the whole number of the elect shall be with him in the new Jerusalem which is the Paradise of God on the new earth whither it shall then descend And so this synchronisme being true all the like synchronismes and all expositions following upon them must be true also The Authors Judgement of the Contents of the Trumpets and Vials which he commends to the serious consideration of every intelligent READER THat the plagues of the vials should be literally and properly interpreted and not figuratively and mystically Revel 16. these reasons doe in my conceit require 1. Because there is no necessity of interpreting them otherwise 2. Because God hath already shewed many such wonders as the vials speake of 3. Because the last plague is properly to be understood and we may not take one plague properly and the rest improperly 4. Because the powring out of all the vialls shall not take up so much time as the mysticall sense of them doth allow to the powring out of one of them For 1. We finde that on the same persons on which the first viall the plague of the noysouâ—e sore is powred on the same the sift viall is powred For ver 10 11. it is said And they gnawed their tongues for paine and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their paines and their sores And at the powring out of the fourth viall also ver 9. it is said And men were scorched with great beat and blasphemed the Name of God wich ba h power over these plagues c. not over this plague whereby it is intimated That the men who were to feele the fourth plague were to feele more of the plagues besides that And it is very likely that the same persons may live to be the objects of all these plagues For 2. The vials are not to be powred out till after the Jewes conversion whose returne to their countrey is apparently exprest at the powring out of the sixt viall they being the Kings of the East that are to passe dry shod over Euphrates as the comparing of the 12 verse with the latter part of the 11 chapter of Isaiah doth prove And whose full deliverance from all their enemies is plainely revealed in the extraordinary destruction of the Armies in Armageddon at the powring out of the last viall the time of our Saviours descending as the â—9 chapter doth evince For what are the Armies of the Beast and of the Kings of the earth against which our Saviour is there said to descend but the Armies of the Beast and of the Kings of the earth which here are said to be gathered into Armageddon And indeed who can thinke that God who shewed such great signes and wonders at the deliverance of his people out of Egypt from the slavery of that one Nation will not shew as great wonders as those yea as great as any the vials or trumpets doe containe at their redemption from their captivity in all countreys And as for the plagues of the Trumpets it is manifest from the Text Rev. 7.8 9. c. That they were not to be powred out till after the sealing of the 144000 of all the Tribes of Israel Which if it be understood of the generall conversion of the Jewes as many learned Expositours understand it it is cleare That the things contained in the Trumpets are not yet begunne and consequently that they are literally to be taken also Now that the 12 Tribes of Israel there are to be properly understood these reasons doe evince 1. Because there is no necessity to interpret them otherwise 2. Because the 12 Tribes of Israel cannot in the same place be taken both properly improperly Properly for them that are to be saved of all the Tribes of Israel and improperly for them that are to be saved of all other Nations 3. Because it is not probable that by one Nation by the 12 Tribes of Israel all Nations and kindreds and people and tongues should be meant Or that Saint John knew
and to teach us faith by sensible things and therefore we should not rest on these borrowed words but know that the thing described goes beyond the earthly similitude Answer Surely Mr. Mede loc cit doth make it good against Jerome that the primitive Christians also spake not of sacrifices And yet soeing that text Mal. 1. verse 11. which speakes expressely of the Gentiles can be no patterne to expound those which speake particularly of the Jewes and of the house of Levi and that you alledge such pregnant prophecies for the restoring of sacrifices why should we not beleeve this also what absurdity will arise from such a beliefe certainely we know as well as you that they are now unlawfull but it will not follow from hence that they shall never be lawfull againe unlesse it can be be proved that God cannot againe command what he did sometimes forbid or that he cannot injoyne the use of a thing at severall times for severall ends or that God hath in his word forbid the use of these things at any time hereafter to wit as well after the comming of Christ as before it neither of which I presume can easily be maintained And as for that prophecy Ezek. 16. verse 53. c. which is your other maine pillar to support the figurative sense of all the prophecies in controversie and to beare down our proper and naturall construction of them it hath indeed not the substance but the sound of an argument onely and makes much against you but nought against us For first it shews them to be in an error who affirme that the captivity of Samaria of the ten Tribes is already return'd And secondly it is more forcible to disprove the Jewes returne from Babylon against which also it may be alledged then to disprove their future returne from all countreys For the 60. and 61. verse Neverthelesse I will remember my Covenant with thee in the daies of thy youth and I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Then thou shalt remember thy wayes and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters thine elder and thy younger and I will give them unto thee for daughters but not by thy Covenant These words doe shew that this captivity of Jerusalem should returne againe and at her returne receive her sisters Sodom and Samaria and therefore the words verse 53. when I shall bring againe their captivity the captivity of Sodom and her daughters c. doe shew onely that this prophecie doth speake of the captivity and desolation of Jerusalem and her adjacent cities villages by the Romans from which they should no more be restor'd til Samaria and her adjacent cities villages should be restored and inhabited by the Israelites by the ten Tribes whose future returne is witnessed by so many evident prophecies and untill the place where Sodom and her cities stood should againe become a fruitfull land and full of inhabitants as the 55. verse doth intimate So that this prophecy is equivalent with that of Isa 32. verse 13. c. Vpon the land of my People shall come up thornes and briers yea upon all the houses of joy in the joyous City because the palaces shal be forsaken the multitude of the city shal be left the forts and towers shal be for dens for ever a joy of wild asses a pasture of flockes Vntil the Spirit be powred upon us from on high and the wildernesse be a fruitfull field and the fruitfull field be counted for a forest And the meaning of the word for ever here doth give an answer also to the text Amos. 5. verse 2. The virgin of Israel is fallen she shall no more rise For doubtlesse the negative adverbe no more doth imply in that place the like quantity of time as the affirmative adverbe for ever doth in this that is a long but not an infinite time as the insuing limitation of it Vntil the Spirit be powred upon us from on high doth infallibly declare And thus it is evident that both the prophecy of Ezek. chap. 16. verse 53. c. and the prophecy of Amos chap. 5. verse 2. doe shew onely what our Saviours prophecy doth Luke 21. verse 24. that Jerusalem should lie desolate a long time but not alwaies that is until the conversion of the Jewes by an extraordinary effusion of God's Spirit upon them and no longer as Joel also foreshews chap. 2. verse â—8 c. and consequently that which you deeme an invincible fort is fallen of it selfe and by its fall doth declare that Jerome's expounding of the houses mentioned Isa 65. verse 21. of vertues is a very vicious exposition For as the Pharisees made the commandement of God of none effect by their tradition Mat. 15. verse 6. so doe you make the word of God to be nothing by such faithlesse interpretations I say faithlesse because they teach men to destroy the very object of faith the plaine history of God's word by turning it into a meere poeticall fiction and consequently it is the ready way to make men have lesse faith then the Devils have to bring them to that passe that they shal be willingly ignorant that by the word of God the Heavens were of old and the earth standing out of the water and in the water wherby the world that then was being over-flowed with water parished and that by the same word they are kept in store reserved unto fire against the Day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men as St. Pet. saith 2 Epist chap. 3. verse 5 6 7. it is the ready way I say to make men willingly ignorant of all this and then what can follow but that they scoffe at the expectation of Christs comming saying where is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers fâ—ll asleepe all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation verse 4. Wheras you say then that because wee cannot conceive of Heaven in such a manner as it is God doth insinuate it into our affections by similitudes of things pleasant unto us Certainly it is easie to understand when God speaks of a thing by way of comparison and when he speaks of it as it is And though the joyes which God hath prepared for the Saints are unutterable yet the place the eternal habitation which he hath prepared for them is not inapprehensible For doublesse it is that new * That this city cannot be taken mystically for the Church now on earth it is evident seeing that new earth the ceation wherof the descending of this citie unto it as to the place after alledged is immediatly to ensue if not to contemporate with is not yet in being as S. Peter in his 2. Epist 3 châ— and 13.8 doth plainly declare Jerusalem described Revel chap. 21. and 22. which must descend to the new earth after the last judgment the judgment of the dead at the last resurrection For seeing the glorified bodies of the Saints shall still be flesh and
he is a Jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit And of such inwardly Jewes must the promises be understood at least in part that make mention of Judah And therfore it is a great mistaking of the prophesies if wee shall stil make an opposition twixt Jewes and Gentiles beleeving Gentiles are true Jewes as wee see they are called in the new Testament and unbeleeving Jewes are Gentiles and so are called Isa 1.4 and elsewhere Answer That the faithfull in general are Abraham's seed we deny not neither doe we affirme that any can be partakers of the promise made unto Abraham but the faithfull nor that there is now any difference betwixt the beleeving Jew and Greeke But yet we cannot grant that therfore there shal be no difference betwixt the Nation of the Jewes and all other Nations after Christ's next appearing Nor that the prophesies which concerne the Jewes righteous and flourishing estate at that time are to be understood of the Church of the Gentiles now Nor that by Isaac's and Jacob's children any besides the Jewes are meant And we doe not herein make the unbeleeving Jewes heires of the promises but the beleeving onely seeing as all the beleeving Jewes and Gentiles that are departed or shall depart before Christ's comming shall be brought with him to inherite the promise made unto Abraham so all the Tribes shall be converted against that time and be then acknowledged by all that see them to be the seed which the Lord hath blessed as it is Isa 61. verse 9. And consequently the distinction of the Jewes Rom. 10. verse 28 which shewes the estate of the Jewes in St. Paul's time is nothing to the pupose Neither is it indeed rightly applyed by you to the beleeving Gentiles For it doth no more prove a beleeving Gentile to be a Jew then that which you alledg Isa 1. verse 4. doth prove an unbeleeving Jew to be a Gentile which is onely an exclamation against the Jewes for their great wickednesse The meaning then of the text Rom. 2 verse 28. is onely this that that Jew was not a Jew beloved of God which was one outwardly onely by the circumcision which is in the flesh but that Jew was a Jew beloved of God which was oâ—â— inwardly by the circumcision of the heart in the spirit Wherfore Piscator observes in this verse an elegant antanaclasis or using of the same word in a seeming contradictory sense as if the Apostle had said thou art a Jew and not a Jew thou art a Jew before men but not before God as he expresseth himselfe in the close of the next verse The sixth rule All the prophesies cannot be understood of the Church on earth onely neither of the Church in Heaven onely but of both together or partly of the one and partly of the other and partly of both and so prudence must be had in the application of the promises Yea and there is a gradual performance of them and the accomplishment of them is in severall points of time so much as shall give content to God's children yet always leading to a further and further performance As for example God shewed mercy to these Israelites when they were in captivity he brought them home againe they were a poore and afflicted people and were much bettered by their bondage there was a degree of performance There was another degree in Christ's time when he joyned the Gentiles to them and both made one Church But when it is said The remnant shall doe none iniquitie and a deceitfull tongue shall not be found in their mouth Zeph. 3.13 these promises shall have their time when the people shal be more thorowly purged and certainly the full accomplishment shal be at the day of judgement and so long as we are in this life we are under an imperfect and unperformed estate Answer All the prophesies you say cannot be understood of the Church on earth onely neither of the Church in Heaven onely True but yet those prophesies which foreshew the Saints happinesse on earth are to be accomplished on earth onely and those which foreshew their happinesse in Heaven are to be accomplished in Heaven onely And there is no prophesie which speakes of the happinesse which the Saints shall injoy on earth that is to be understood of their happinesse in Heaven too as you chiefely understand the prophesies touching the Jewes future restauration Neither were those prophesies touching the Jewes to have a graduall accomplishment For as it is false that the Israelites the captivity of the ten Tribes did ever yet returne home as the prophesie in your Preface out of Ezek. 16. doth shew so it is false also that the prophesie touching the Jews deliverance Zeph. 3. v. 8. hath bin yet accomplished but it shall be accomplished when at their future return the Nations of the Gentiles shal be assembled against them to their own confusion as it is foreshewed also Rev. 16. in many other prophesies And as the 8. verse doth shew their temporal deliverance from their outward and bodily enemies at that time so the 13. verse shewes their spiritual deliverance from their sinnefull pollutions and ghostly enemies and their outward safety too which shall follow their temporal and spiritual deliverance for they shall feede and lie downe and none shall make them afraid And that all this is to be accomplished at the same time the comparing of the 11. verse with the 8. verse doth confirme for whereas it is said verse 8. Waite upon me until the day that I rise up to the prey c. it is said likewise verse 11. In that Day shalt thou be ashamed for all thy doings wherein thou hast transgressed against me c. In that Day in what day if not in the day before spoken of verse 8 which day indeed is call'd in Scripture the Day of judgement but yet it is not of so short continuance as you take it to be for it containes the 1000 yeares and little season mentioned Rev. 20. all which time is to follow our Savâ—ours appearing and to foregoe the last act of his reigne the judgement of the dead aâ— the last resurrection And consequently the accomplishment of the contents in the 13. verse cannot be at the Day of judgement in your sense that is at the judgement of the dead at the last resurrection as the close of the same verse and the preceding and subsequent verses doe declare although it shal be at the Day of judgement in the Scripture sense that is in the time of Christ's 1000. yeares reigne on earth The seaventh rule Here that general rule is also remembered when the words of Scripture being properly taken teach any thing contrary to the analogy of faith or honesty of manners or any thing frivolous that belongeth nothing to godlinesse or dissonant from the scope of the text or contrary unto other cleare texts of the same these words must be exponed figuratively
take of them for Priests and for Levites saith the Lord. For as the new Heavens and the new earth which I will make to wit at the judgement of the dead when this Heaven and Earth shall passe away as it is in the 20. chap. of the Rev. at the 11. ver and in the 21 chap. at the 1. ver as these shall remaine before mee saith the Lord so shall your seed and your name remaine to wit after their foresaid returne from captivitie And it shall come to passe that from one new Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to z Psal 68. ver 29.31 Psal 100. v. 1 2.4 worship before me saith the Lord and they shall goe forth and looke upon the carkasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their worme shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Read also in the 61. chap. the a Isa 53. v. 12. 4 5 6 7. verses and in the 60. chap. the 9 10 11 b Jer. 12. ver 14 15 16 17. 12 13 14 15 16. verses and in the 49. chap. the 22 23. ver and in the 25. chap. the 6 7 8. verses and in the 14. chap. the c Dan. 7. ver 18.21.27 1. d Isa 55. v. 5. Zech. 2. v. 9.11 2. e Ezek. 39. ver 10. 3. ver and in the 2. chap. the f Isa 49. v. 6. chap. 60. v. 3. 1 Tim. 2. v. 4. 2 3 g Psal 46. v. 9. Hosea 2. v. 18. 4. verses The same Prophecie also you may finde in the 4. chapter of Micah at the 1 2. verses and not much unlike unto this is that in the 8. ch of Zechariah at the 20 22 23. verses and that in the 1.4 chap. at the 16 17. ver c. Mr. Petrie's Answer It is now manifest that these forenamed Prophecies are not of the earthly prosperity of the Jewes onely and we know certainly that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes so that the proofe of this point is needlesse and neverthelesse he filleth up some pages with Prophecies to this purpose Reply Now we are come to the Prophecies that decide the difference for the very ground of the controversie is Whether the Jewes and Gentiles are already joyn'd into one Church which you affirme and we denie and yet both agree that these Prophecies doe foreshew their uniting And what then doe they say of it certainly they say not that the Jewes and Gentiles were united into one Church whil'st the Church was amongst the Jewes onely and some Gentiles were cal'd into it as iâ— was before Christs comming neither doe they say that they are united into one Church whilst the Church is to be amongst the Gentiles onely and some Jewes cal'd into it as it hath been since Christs comming but this they say that at their uniting the whole Nation of the Jewes and all Nations of the Gentiles that are left shall worship God after the same manner at Ierusalem This they shew of themselves and compar'd with the Prophecies which concerne our Saviours reigne on earth they infallibly declare too that at their uniting all Nations in the world shall make but one Church and Kingdome under the government of our Lord Jesus Christ which is enough to shew that in the ensuing discourse you doe but vainly kick against the pricks and manifest an obstinate apostasie from the truth But lest the unlearned Reader should mistake mole-hils for mountaines and shadowes for substances wee must proceed to examine your Answers And first you tell us It is now manifest that these forenamed Prophecies are not of the earthly prosperity of the Jewes onely What is it manifest that these forenamed Prophecies speake not onely of the prosperity of the Jewes because the prosperitie of those dayes belongs not to the Jewes onely because I say these Prophecies here doe shew that the Gentiles shall be partakers with them in the peace piety and plentie of that time who sees not this non sequitur the independencie of this inference These last Prophecies shew that the prosperous estate of the Gentiles shall be dependent on their voluntary submission to and union with the Jewes therefore those forenamed Prophecies touching the Jewes returne unto and prosperitie in their owne Land are not of the prosperitie of the Jewes onely such bald untruths and sophisticall Arguments doe stop many a breach in this worke of yours and help very much to gaine the simple and to hold up the considence of the prejudioâ—te Christian You goe on and say we know certainly that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes Partakers of what of the happinesse which the accomplishment of the Prophecies here alledg'd was to bring forth unto them You must first prove that these Prophecies are fulfill'd before you can affirme that they are partakers of the contemporating happinesse reveal'd in them and unlesse you meane that they are partakers with them of the happinesse foreshewed in these Prophecies you doe but equivocate in saying that the Gentiles are partakers with the Jewes And yet you conclude so that the proofe of this point is needlesse and neverthelesse he filleth up some pages with Prophecies to this purpose Doubtlesse this is spoken of purpose to bâ—ffle the Reader from a serious consideration of the union which these Prophecies speake of which is so obvious that every ordinary apprehension may of it selfe perceive that it is not yet accomplished and this you knew very well and therefore have not so much as quoted the Chapters or bookes where these Prophecies are reveal'd Was not this after all your braving to plead guilty For if this point was needlesse you might so much the rather have afforded the Reader a sight of or at least a direction unto the Prophecies so needlessely alledged seeing you could not have wisht for a greater advantage against me But when you passe over the former Prophecies untoucht and keep these wholly out of sight who will not conclude from hence that you could not possibly disprove the proper and historicall accomplishment of them and consequently that the time of their accomplishment is not yet come Israel's Redemption I know that most of these Prophecies are chiefly interpreted of the joyning together of the Jewes and Gentiles in one Church and rightly Mr. Petrie's Answer If they be chiefly and rightly interpreted so why should we not acquiesce shall we goe about to inerpret them unrightly that were to put out our eyes and deceive our selves and others Reply As I say that Interpreters doe rightly affirme that these Prophecies doe concerne the joyning together of the Jewes and Gentiles into one Church so I say also that they doe wrongfully apply the accomplishment of these Prophecies to the time of the substituted Gentiles calling And therefore by your fallacious dividing of these words from that which followes you doe wilfully put out your owne eyes that so
restore the Kingdome of the Iewes what City then shall be the royall Citie of this great King if not Jerusalem whose extraordinarie restauration is promised in the verses immediately following and to which all the Nations shall goe up to worship as the latter part of the chapter doth foreshew And what people shall be the choycest subjects of this great King if not the Saints that shall come with him and the Iewes his brethren according to the flesh whom he shall then deliver from their enemies as the judgement reveal'd in the 12 13 14 and 15. verses doth declare Certainly you must needs grant that the Prophet hath here foretold the restoring of the Iewes though he useth not these very words which I say not unlesse you will denie that the 9. verse is meant of our Saviours reigning on earth as man and how can you doe this when as the Prophet saith plainely that our Saviour shall be King over all the earth after his descending to the earth and not while he is in Heaven Thus then the great impudence of my innocent assertion is nothing but the gracelesse imprudence of your cholerick accusation and this one Prophecie which first shewes our Saviours comming with all the Saints and then his reigning over all the earth doth infallibly prove all your answers to the other part of the Treatise to be as the answers to this but meere shifts and evasions Israel's Redemption CHAP. IIII. Of the restoring of the whole Creation to its originall perfection ANd thus much of the felicity of that remnant of the Nations which shall outlive the rest at the Jewes returne Now a word or two of the alteration of the sensitive and senselesse creatures at that time The wolfe saith Isaiah in his 11. chap. at the 6. ver shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid and the calfe and the young Lyon and the fatling together and a little child shall leadt hem And the Cow and the Beare shall feed their young ones shall lie downe together and the Lyon shall eate o Gen. 1.30 ch 6.20 21. straw like the Oxe And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the Cockatrice den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine for the earth shall be p Hab. 2.14 full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea And in the 65. chap. at the 25. ver The wolfe and the Lambe shall feed together and the lyon shall eate straw like the bullocke and q Gen. 3.14 dust shall be the serpents meate they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine saith the Lord. Where wee may observe against such as understand by these expressions the effects of preaching on the hearts of cruel minded men that they are a part of those prophecies which concerne the Jewes deliverance and therefore can have no relation to the calling of the Gentiles Mr Petrie's Answer As wee have nothing as yet of the felicity of the Nations at that imagined time so these insuing prophecies make nothing to that purpose for in Isa 11.10 immediately after the forecited words it is said In that day there shall be a roote of Iesse which shall stand up for an ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke c. Marke 1. he saith In that day so he conjoyneth the preceding and following things into the same time 2 He speakes expressely of the calling of the Gentiles as it is also cited Rom. 15.12.3 In the words preceding ver 1. he speakes of the first comming of Christ A rod shall come forth out of the stemme of Iesse and a branch shall grow out of his rootes 4. In the words following that testimony he speakes of the calling of the Jewes and Gentiles together as was exponed before And therefore this prophecy concerneth not the Jewish Monarchy and these words may be better exponed allegorically then properly Reply As it is very untrue that you have had nothing from us of the felicity of the Nations in the day of the Jewes deliverance for wee have brought you many unaccomplished prophecies out of Gods word to confirme it so it is very true that the reader hath had nothing from you of this felicity seeing you have wholly conceal'd from him those prophecies in which it is reveal'd And these ensuing prophecies doe speake of the restauration of the creatures both sensible and insensible at that time for which purpose they were alledged and not to shew the felicity of the Nations which yet may well be gathered from the large mercy which God keepes in store even for the dumbe and insensible creatures in that Day in that day I say so frequently foretold by God and not falsely imagined by us But to prove that these prophecies doe not concerne the restoring of the sensible creatures to their primitive innocency at the redemption of the Iewes you bring foure raw and trifling reasons For reciting the 10. verse In that day there shall be a roote of Iesse which shall stand for an ensigne of the people to him shall the Gentiles seeke You bid us Marke first that he saith in that day so he conjoynes the preceding and following things to the same time And wee say that the restoring of these creatures to their originall perfection the comming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles and the redemption of the Iewes are all to be performed in that day Secondly you say that he speakes expressely of the calling of the Gentiles as it is cited Rom. 15.12 And wee say that as some Nations of the Gentiles were for long agoe cal'd to the knowledge and obedience of the Gospel so at our Saviour's next appearing all other Nations of the Gentiles shall be cal'd unto it Thirdly you say that in the 1. ver he speakes of the first comming of Christ A rod shall come forth out of the stemme of Iesse and a branch shall grow out of his rootes And this wee say too and yet wee say with all that as the foure verses immediately following may as well if not rather be understood of his actions at his second comming then at his first so all that follows in the 6 7 8 9 10.12 13. ver c. is to be fulfilled onely at his second comming which the first part of the 10. ver speakes of And you may not thinke it strange that both the first and second comming of our Saviour are revealed in the same chap. whenas wee finde them elswhere revealed within the compasse of two or three verses as Isa 9.6 7. and chap. 52.13 14 15. and in other prophecies Yea you doe seeme to me to acknowledge it in that you forsake the 10. verse cut of which you gather your two former observations and in which the roote of Jesse is expressely mentioned and fall backe to the first verse as the onely place in
sate downe at the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstoole that is looking for the time in which his enemies shall be subdued unto him as the 1. ver of the 110. Psal doth manifest where the words are these The Lord said unto my Lord Sit thou at my right hand donec ponam untill I shall make not untill I have made thy enemies thy footstoole So that he sits not there while it is doing but untill it must be done untill the time ordained for the accomplishment of it All then that the Apostle affirmes in this text likewise to be already done is this That Christ is sate downe at the right hand of God as was foretold but as for the other part of this prophecy he saith plainely That Christ now expects onely when it shall be fulfilled and if this be not sufficient to make you confesse that the enemies which David here prophecied of are not yet made subject unto Christ that which follows in the Psalme will put it beyond exception for he nominates what enemies are here meant the time when and the manner how they are to be made Christ's footstoole The enemies he speakes of are men the Kings and Heads of the earth as we finde ver 5 6. The time when is the day of his powder The day in which the Jewes shall be as willing to receive him as in the day of his poverty they were to be rid of him as we learne ver 3. Thy people shall be willing in the dry of they power The manner how is by an eminent destruction brought on these Kings and their forces as the 5 and 6. verses doe informe us also which being compared with the latter part of the 19. chap. of the Revel doe plainely shew that this destruction which David foretels is the very same with that which Saint John there reveales for that is to be effected at our Saviours descending from heaven and so is this for it is to be at his comming againe from the right hand of the Father And therefore here is a good ground too for another Throne and that a Throne on earth And your answer to this text is a meere contradicting of it for whereas the Apostle saith That Christ being sate downe at the right hand of God expects till his enemies be made his footstoole You say plainely that his enemies are made subject unto him even his greatest enemies And for want of scripture to justifie this answer you subjoyne as it is granted before and so father it on me But you shew not where it is granted neither can I imagine what you meane by it unlesse you meane that it is granted by my alledging of the same Apostles words Phil. 2. ver 15. to wit That Christ having by his passion spoiled principalities and powers made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in himselfe But surely though it may be true That Christ after the accomplishment of the worke of our Redemption on the crosse triumphed over the evill spirits in his owne person making a shew of them openly that is leading them captives in the time of his triumph as some expositours understand it yet it is not true that these principalities are the enemies recorded in the 110. Psalme whence Saint Paul tooke the foresaid text Neither is it true that the evill Angels were then held in a continued subjection by Christ for the space of a 1000. yeares as they shall be in the time of his reigne on earth when he casts them into the bottomlesse pit when he shuts them up from deceiving the Nations as it is foretold Revel 20.2 3. For as before Christs passion Satan could no more deceive the elect then he can since so hee hath been no more straitened of his liberty in walking up and downe in the earth nor of his power in tempting men unto sinne since Christs triumphing over him in his owne person then he was before if he hath so much for it is of the time under the Gospell that it is said Revel 12.12 Woe to the Inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the devill is come downe unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time 'T is of this time that Saint Peter saith Our Adversary the Devill as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devoure 1. Ep. chap. 5. ver 8. And 't is that we may be able to stand against the wiles of this enemy that Saint Paul adviseth us to put on the while armour of God Ephes 6.11 c. Yea it is in the Christian Church that some were to give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils as Saint Paul writes 1. Tim. 4.1 and that there should be false teachers who privily should bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them As Saint Peter writes 2. Ep. 2. chap. 1. ver c. And they are the Christians of the last dayes of whom S. Paul foretells 2 Tim. 3.1 That they shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankefull unholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traitours heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof And if these be the fruites of Satan's subjection and in prisonment what then are the fruites of his power and freedome Doubtlesse Satan cannot be held in subjection to be bound up as he must be in the time of Christ a reigne as long as new enemies doe arise against Christ in his poore members seeing it is onely through the liberty and power that this Arch-makebate hath in the world that good men suffer for the truth and evill men oppose it that I say men are kept from a generall peace and unity over the whole earth And therefore in confessing that new enemies still arise against Christ you doe Italy gainesay what you before falsly affirmed to wit that the evill Angels Christs greatest enemies are now held in subjection by him that they are now deprived both of their power and liberty to doe hurt to rebell against Christ and to raise persecution against those that are Christs as they shall be I say not in this time of the world but in that in which Christ shall reigne personally on earth Yea if Christs enemies mentioned in the foresaid Psalme be now made his footstoole if they be now wholly subdued unto him for this is the meaning of their being made his footstoole how can new ones still arise The 5. Particular Seeing be sits now on his Fathers Throne therefore neither is this the time nor that the place in which his Throne in to be erected not the place because in one Kingdome there can be but one Throne and not the time for then he should sit on his own Throne which now he doth not Mr. Petrie's
in his own Throne and they that overcome shall sit with him For he that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him saith he will I give power over Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of a Potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I rreeived of my Father Rev. 2.26 Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. The force of this reason is Christ shall not be a King till all his Subjects be called and overcome but his Subjects are not all yet called which forme is alike with this Ferdinand shall not be Emperour till all his Subjects â—e bo nâ— and he victorious whereas some of his Subjects are comming daily into the world and it may be more of them are daily departing This is a rediculous reason and so is the other 2. Neither doth the prayer of the Saints make mention of his earthly Kingdome but of subduing or rivenging their enemies which shall be without an earthly Monarchy to wit by punishing them in hell 3 That text Rev. 11.15 speakes not of a proper Kingdome of Christ and farre lesse of an earthly Kingdome but of the Kingdome of our Lord and his Christ if 〈◊〉 had been said of our Lord and Christ or of our Lord Christ it might be thought to be the proper Kingdome of Christ which he as man governes or shall governe but when it is said of our Lord and of his Christ we see a distinction of persons and unity of power And therefore it is cleare that the text Rev. 2.26 is impertinently cited for proofe of that thing which is not and is imagined to be on earth whereas that power is in heaven Reply 1. Doubtlesse you take this for a very witty comparison but the truth is it is a very ignorant one For the force of this reason is not as you make it say that Christ shall not be a King till all his Subjects be called and overcome But it is this That Christ shall not receive his Kingdome till all those Subjects those glorified Saints which shall come with him in his Kingdome are called and have overcome So that the forme is like this Ferdinand shall not be Emperour till all those Subjects those Nobles that shall waite on him at his coronation be borne and able to attend him And Ferdinand being a mortall King is to be accompanied by mortall attendants but our Saviour being an immortall King is to be accompanied with immortall attendants with all those beleevers which have already or shall hereafter overcome the temptations and afflictions of this world before his appearing and his Kingdome which Saints being but a part though the choisest part of our Saviours Subjects are indeed ridiculously compared by you to all Ferdinands Subjects borne and unborne 2. Though the prayer of the Saints Rev. 6.10 doth not mention our Saviours Kingdome on earth yet seeing the revenge they call for is deferred till the number of those that shall be slaine for the word of God be fulfilled we know that it is not to be executed till our Saviours comming And in what manner it is then to be done by him the 14. chap. of the Rev. from the 14. ver to the end doth declare And the 19. chap. also at 17. ver c. Where the fowles of heaven are summon'd to the Supper of the great God to eate the flesh of Kings and the flesh of Captaines and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them and the flesh of all both bond and free both small and great And surely this judgement on the Saints enemies is to be a temporall judgement on earth at our Saviours comming with the Saints to receive his Kingdome as the 11. and 14 verses of this Prophecy doe shew and not an eternall judgement on their bodies and soules in hell which is not to seâ—ze on them till the giving up of Christs Kingdome at the Judgment of the dead till above a 1000 yeares after this overthrow in which the fowles are to feast on their carkasses as in the 20 chap. of the Rev. at the 11 verse c. it is revealed 3. That text Rev. 11.15 speakes not you say of a proper Kingdome of Christ but of the Kingdome of our Lord and his Christ And by this reckoning our Saviour hath no proper Kingdome at all and consequently is not properly a King for what Kingdome belongs to Christ which may not as well be called the Kingdom of our Lord as the Kingdom of his Christ But certainly the Kingdom which this text saith shall become the Kingdomes of Christ are the Kingdomes of this world and therefore Kingdomes on earth and proper Kingdomes both which you deny And they are to become Christs Kingdomes at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet and not before that is at the time of his appearing againe and therefore they are to be his to governe as he is man and so by your owne confession to be properly his Although then we grant that these words the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ doe intimate a distinction of persons and unity of power which is more then Pareus grants who enclines to a distinction of natures and unity of persons yet it will not follow from hence that the Kingdomes of this world which our Saviour at his comming shall receive into his owne possession as he is man shall not be his proper Kingdomes For they are said to become the Kingdomes of our Lord not because they are not now his but first because at the accomplished donation and actuall subjection of them unto Christ God shall more marvellously declare his supreame power over them then ever he did And secondly because they shall then be his after a more speciall manner then they are now his because I say he shall then be worshipped and obeyed in them all according to the righteous rule of his owne Lawes And yet they are said to become the Kingdomes of Christ onely in regard of the administration of the immediate government of them For Christ alone shall then be visible King over them as now others are and therefore shall be as properly a King on earth as any of them who now beare rule in these Kingdomes And this the next words of the text doe confirme which say not and they but and he that is Christ alone shall reigne for ever and ever And therefore that text Rev. 2.26 is very pertinently cited for proofe of that thing which shall be on earth and is not now in heaven For our Saviour though then in heaven did not say that he had given the Saints in heaven or Saints on earth power over the Nations on earth but that he would give them power over them And surely we cannot thinke that the Martyrs Rev. 6.10 would call on God to hasten the time for the avenging of their bloud on them that dwell on the earth if they could now do it themselves if they
could now rule the Nations with a rod of iron break them to shivers as a Potters vessell Yea why have the Saints on earth been so long time persecuted afflicted tormented and still are if the Saints in heaven have power to deliver them and tread down their enemies And why are there still so many large heathen Kingdomes not yet subdued to the faith or government of the faithfull if the Saints in heaven can rule them as they please Certainely if you can make this good that our Saviour hath already given to the Saints in heaven that power over the Nations which he here speakes of to wit a conquering and commanding power a power to rule them with a rod of iron you will helpe the Papists to a better ground for their supplication unto Saints then was ever yet thought of by themselves For doubtlesse if the Saints in heaven have now command over this inferiour world they must needes be acquainted with all passages of importance in it as Kings and their Agents are with the affaires of State in the Kingdomes over which they rule and so may wel be sought to if nor for spirituall yet for outward and temporall advice succour and defence Israel's Redemption The like encouragement he gave also to his Disciples before his passion Ye are they said he which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may h Matth. 26.29 Mark 14.25 Luk. 14.15 cha 22.16.18 cha 24.42.43 Acts 10.41 eate and drinke at my table in my i Dan. 2.44 cha 7.14.27 Kingdome and sit on k Dan. 7.22 Revel 20.4 Matth. 19.29 seates judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Luke 22.28 Mr. Petrie's Answer It might be more for his purpose to have concealed this text which makes the 12 Tribes of Israel the persons iudged all the texts quoted on the margin speake of the Kingdome of God except that of Luke 24.42 43. where is mention of no Kingdome but of eating and drinking after Christs resurrection and if that be the Kingdome whereof our Saviour speakes eb 22.29 that Kingdome is come already Reply It might have been more for my purpose you say to have concealed this text And why because you have nothing to say to it that it makes the twelve tribes of Israel the persons iudged What doe you thinke then that in our Saviours Kingdome in the restored Kingdome of Israel there shall be no government or that it is a token of the unrighteousnesse of a Kingdome to have governours in it Certainely unrighteous Judges are a ready meanes to make a Kingdome unrighteous to make charity waxe cold and envy and contention grow hot But upright Judges are as effectuall a meanes to preserve righteousnesse in a Kingdome to cherish and strengthen love and unity and to chase away all hatred and dissention and how righteous then shall that Kingdome be where our Saviour himselfe shall be King and the Disciples and other Saints governours under him And surely seeing the twelve Tribes of Isael cannot be taken for the reprobate nor for the Saints already departed and to depart or to overcome before our Saviours appearing for these must be Judges as well as the Disciples as our Saviour himselfe doth testifie Rev. 3.21 To him that over cometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne that is to have power over Nations as it is Rev. 2.26 27. and to reigne on earth as it is Rev. 5.10 Seeing I say the twelve Tribes of Israel can be taken for neither of these they must needes be taken for the Kingdome of Israel which is againe to be restored on earth where onely the glorifiâ—d Saints can sit as Judges over others For in the new Jerusalem they are all to be partakers of the same glory though not of the same measure of glory they are all to have equall interest in the tree of life and river of life and therefore there shall neither be need of judging nor any temporall possessions and affaires to be judged of For the heavens and the earth that now are and all the creatures on the earth being to last no longer then the first death shall last shall be then all dissolved And those new ones mentioned Rev. 21.1 that new heaven I say from which and that new earth to which the new Jerusalem shall descend created in their place You tell us next that all the texts quoted on the margine speake of the Kingdome of God except that of Luke 24 42 43. where is mention of no Kingdome but of eating and drinking after Christs resurrection c. But doe not the other texts speake also of something to be done in the Kingdome of God as well as of the Kingdome of God Surely our Saviour saith Matth. 26.29 I say unto you that I will not drinke henceforth of the fruite of the Vine untill that day when I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome as it is Marke 14.25 in the Kingdome of God and Luke 22.15 he saith I have earnestly desired to eate this Passeover with you before I suffer for I say unâ—o you Henceforth I will not ease of it any more untill it be fulfill'd in the Kingdome of God And he tooke the cup and gave thankes and said Take this and divide it among you for I say unto you I will not drinke of the fruite of the Vine untill the Kingdome of God become Loc here is mention of eating and drinking too and that of our Saviours eating the Passeover and drinking wine againe with his Disciples but not untill the Kingdome of God be come And therefore unlesse you will deny that the Kingdome of God shall come you cannot deny that our Saviour and his Disciples shall again eate and drinke together nor consequently that the Kingdome of God is meant of our Saviours Kingdom on carth Of that Kingdome of which he said to his Disciples Luke 22.28 Yee are they which have continued with me in my temptations therefore I appoint unto you a Kingdome as my Father hath appointed unto me that ye may eate and â—rinke at my table in my Kingdome c. For where is a Lambe for the Passeover where growes the Vine but on earth and when could the Disciples eate the Passeover and drinke wine againe with our Saviour at his table but after the resurrection of their bodies And that text Luke 24.42.43 was quoted onely to shew that glorified bodies can eate and consequently that the denyall of this can be of no force against the proper sense of our Saviours words whose single affirmation of his eating and drinking with his Disciples after his next appearing ought to be of more account with us and to gaine more beliefe from us then all other mens negation of it And this selfe same Kingdome of our Saviour on earth is sometimes called the Kingdome of the Father because it is appointed unto him
by the Father and sometimes Christs Kingdome because as man he is to reigne visibly in it and sometimes the Kingdome of God because Gods power shall be revealed after a wonderfull manner at the setting of it up and because none but God Lawes shall be observed in it and sometimes the Kingdome of heaven because the chiefe governours of it shall come from heaven and because it shall be of an heavenly condition in regard of the holnesse and righteousnesse thereof for as our Saviour and the glorified Saints shall then as perfectly doe Gods will on earth as it is now done by them in heaven so shall their righteous judgement occasion a more righteous dealing amongst all others over the whole earth then was ever yet observed in any particular Kingdome Israel's Redemption I know these words are taken by Interpreters for a metaphoricall expression of those joyes which we shall receive in * In heaven where the holy Jerusalem is that great City Rev. 21.10 c. distinguished to Ezek. chap. 4. ver 2. c. chap. 45. ver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. which I take to be the modell and platforme of the city that is to be built at the Jewes redemption by these and many more differences First because the builder and maker of the one is God Rev. 21.2 but the other men shall build â—er 31.38 Ezek. 40.8 Secondly the materialls of Ierusalem which is above are all gold and precious stones Rev. 21.18 19 20 21. but the materialls of that other Ierusalem shall not be such Ezek. 40.16 17 21 c. Thirdly in this city there is no Temple for the Lord God Almighty and the Lambe are the Temple of it Rev. 21.22 but that city shall have a Temple Ezek. 40.41 c. Fourthly in this city the river of water of life proceedeth out of the Throne of God and of the Lambe Rev. 21.1 but in that city waters not the river of life though endu'd with healthfull and nourishing qualities because of the place whence they are to proceed Ezek. 47.9.12 shall issue from under the threshold of the Temple for the forefront of the house shall stand towards the East and the waters shall come downe from under the right side of the house at the South-side of the Altar Ezek. 47.1 c. Fifthly in this city the tree of Life only grows on either side of the river and beares twelve manner of fruits monethly Rev. 22.2 but by the river that shall issue out of the Sanctuary of that city shall grow all trees for meate Ezek. 47.12 Sixthly in this city there is no night they need no candle nor light of the Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and the Lambe is the light thereof Rev. 21.23.25 ch 22.5 but in that city there shall be night and the light of the Sun shall then be sevenfold Isa 30.26 ch 60.11 Seventhly this city shall descend to the new earth with which there shall be no sea created Rev. 21.1.2 but the waters which shall come from that city shall go into the sea and being brought forth into the sea the waters shall be healed Ezek. 47.8 and therefore that city is to be built before the annihilation of the first earth with which there is a sea heaven but it is a currant axiom in our Schooles Non esse a litera sen propria scripturae significatione recedendum nisi evidens aliqua necessitas cogat scripturae veritas in ipsa litera periclitari videtur That we must not forsake the literall and proper sense of the scripture unlesse an evident necessity doth require it or the truth thereof would be endangered by it and I am sure here is no such cause for which we should leave the naturall interpretation of the place yea we are by many other passages in the scripture rather compelled to sticke to it Mr. Petrie's Answer It may be doubted whether this Author hath been bred in schooles or what he calleth our schooles seeing he so abuseth rhetoricall termes as literall sense for proper sense metaphoricall sense contra-distinguisned to figurative sense and keepes no logicall canons in his arguing and I thinke he did never learne such interpretation of scripture in any approved schoole As for this rule he may see partly by that is said and shall see more hereafter that these words cannot be understood of an earthly Kingdome neither doe these fore cited compell us as he boldly saith to sticke unto the earthly sense of this text in hand Reply It may well be doubted whether pride or choler did most oversway your judgement in this answer For though I willingly confesse my selfe to be a man not worthy to be numbred amongst the learned yet unlesse I should make as little conscience of lying for an advantage as you doe you cannot chuse but know what schools I was bred in for the title page of my Book doth publish it to the world And doubtlesse these schooles have ever yeelded men as eminent for judgement as righteous in their life and as zealous for the truth as those that you have been bred in or any other schooles in Christendome besides But that which you here first indict me for is this Tâ—ar I abuse rhetoric all termes as literall sense for proper sense And I pray what Divine doth not as often or oftner use literall sense for proper sense then for the true sense whether proper or figurative and what is the meaning of literall sense in this approved Axiome but a proper sense For doubtlesse there is no necessity that can compell us to leave the true sense of the scripture although it may to leave the proper sense And yet the axiome runnes thus We must not forsake the literall or proper sense c. which being rendred according to your acceptation of the word literall the true or proper sense what sense will there be in the axiome Your next censure is That I have contra-distinguished metaphoricall sense to figurative sense But it had been honest dealing to have shewed the place or else not to have said so for an accusation without proofe doth onely declare the plaintiffe a slanderer Your third complaint is That I keepe no Logicall canon in arguing No Sir it is not for every one to doe this it is for such as you are for such as are scholars such men will observe a canonicall method in arguing and make as excellent use of logicall maximes as you have done pag. 30. of this maxime What agreeth unto any man as man belongeth unto all men The last censure is That I never learned such interpretation of scripture in any approved schoole Surely the interpretation of scripture is to be learned from God and not from man for that interpretation is most true and infallible when the coherence of the text doth point out the sense or when one scripture doth expound another of the same nature And yet I goe not alone but am accompanied with many approved Authors bred in
quite different from the other And as spirituall pleasures appertaine to the Saints on earth as well as to the Saints in heaven so doe eating and drinking agree as well with glorified as unglorified bodies as well with the state of immortality as with the state of mortality For our Saviour did eate on earth at his Disciples table after his resurrection and he saith that the glorified Saints shall eate and drinke with him at his table after their resurrection And further he saith that after the last Judgement there is in the new Jerusalem the fruit of the tree of life to be eate of and the water of the river of life to be dranke of his words are To him that over cometh will I give to eate of the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 and againe Rev. 22.14 15. Blessed are they that doe his Commandements that they may have right to the tree of life And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely And indeed seeing God creates nothing in vaine it were vaine to thinke that the tree of life should beare twelve manner of fruites monthly unlesse they were to be fed on or that the river of the water of life should runne through the midst of the streete in the holy Jerusalem if it were not as well to be dranke of by the Saints in glory as to nourish the tree of life on the sides of it And therefore unlesse you can bring better proofes to shew that I am misinformed or doe misinforme then these texts of the Psalmist or any you have cited hitherto you your selfe will be found an over-hasty misinformer against the truth Israel's Redemption And as it is evident from his owne words that the Throne of his Kingdome is not now in heaven so it is plaine from Saint Pauls in 1 Cor. 15.12 that it shall not be thereafter the judgement of the dead his words are these As in Adam all dye even so in Christ shall all be made alive But every man in his owne order Christ the first fruites afterwards * They that are Christs at his comming-If there were not to be some distance of time betwixt the resurrection of these and other men it had been as easie for the Apostle to have said they that are dead or all that are in the grave And if there shall be a precedencie of time then no doubt but it shall be such a precedency as may bring some advantage and honour unto the Saints and therefore not onely of a few houres or dayes but of a more notable continuance and length of time of many yeares For if Christ should descend for no other purpose but to call all men to judgement then as there would he need of none so there could not well be any priority of time to distinguish their resurrection because in that act both good and bad must be assembled before him at the same time and the wicked doubtlesse should then be raised as soone to see his comming as the just to meete and accompany him therein they that are Christs at his comming and therefore not the m Zech. 14.5 1 Thes 3.13 chap. 4. ver 14 15 16. 2 Thes 1.10 Col. 3.4 Martyres onely Then commeth the end what presently after his comming no but when he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father and when shall that be when he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power For he must reigne till He that is the Father hath put all his enemies under his feete which will be fully accomplished when the last enemy shall be destroyed which is death and when all things shall be thus subdued unto him then shall follow that inutterable glory that height of happinesse where the Sonne also himselfe shall be subject unto him that did before put all things under him that God may be all in all Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. Whether the Apostle might have said so or so Can any man gather necessarily out of these words so great a distance of time betwixt the resurrection of the godly and of the ungodly Here the Apostle nameth the godly and not the ungodly not importing any notable distance of time but because he had said ver 22. In Christ all shall be made alive which words cannot be properly and univocally meaned of the ungodly whose rising shall be for the accomplishment of the second death therefore here ver 23. he justly â—mits the mention of the ungodly and speakes of the godly as also he doth 1 Thes 4.16 17. where we find expressely an order among the godly saying The dead in Christ shall rise first and then we who are alive and remaine shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meete the Lord in the aire The Apostle in both texts speakes of the same comming of Christ as this Author acknowledgeth and applyeth the words to the same purpose pag. 50. As none will say that there shall be any notable priority in time betwixt the one and the other sort meeting Christ so and farre lesse doe these words speaking onely of them that are in Christ import two resurrections different the one from the other the space of a 1000 yeares Yea and the Apostle saying That we shall be caught up and meete the Lord in the aire and so shall be ever with him How can any imagine that we shall come downe againe from the aire to abide so long a space upon the earth and therefore he speakes there of the generall resurrection when they who are in Christ shall be ever with him not in a temporall but everlasting glory And seeing the Apostle speakes both here and there of the same resurrection certainely he speakes not here of a resurrection before the time of the generall judgement 2. pag. 49. After these words of Paul at his comming Mr. Maton inserteth and not the Martyrs onely Why inserteth he these words doth any who denyeth this earthly Monarchy say that the Martyrs and no more shall come with Christ no but some Millenaries say so And here he would marke a word against them Be it so 3. He wresteth the words thus Then commeth the end what presently after his comming no but when he hath delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father and when shall that be when he shall have put downe all rule and authority and power c. Here instead of explication is a very contradiction of the text by inserting a negative and conveighing it closely with a query The particle Then hath relation to the words preceding and the word Comes is not in the originall as yee may see by the divers characters in the translation and it may as well be rendred Then or at that time is the end when he shall have delivered up c. So that the very time when he shall deliver the Kingdome is when they who are Christs shall arise at his comming And
time betwixt the godly and ungodly as well as they doe betwixt Christ and them 3. If you were as able to justifie your accusations as you are forward to accuse there were no contending with you but it is so common with you to awe the Reader with great words when you have least to say to the purpose that he is by this time well acquainted with your craft and therefore your bare affirming that here is a contradiction will be taken for no evidence Although then the word commeth be not expressed in the originall yet to make the sense compleate this word or a word equivalent to this as your owne translation doth witnesse is here to be understood For then or at that time say you is the end I pray at what time at the time of our Saviours descending surely the Apostle answers not so but when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father When he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power c. So that the Then here is referred by Saint Paul to these Whens which follow it and not to the words foregoing as you wrest it And besides whereas the Apostle shews us when the end shall be by these convertible expressions When he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God When he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power you skippe from this and falsely and fallaciously inferre That the time when he shall deliver up the Kingdome is when they who are Christs shall rise at his comming so that according to your explication of the text the words Then commeth the end are superfluous and the text should runne thus Christ the first-fruites afterwards they that are Christ's at his comming when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome c. And thus it appeares how much this place of the Apostle doth puzzle you And yet you tell us also That the 15 ver doth teach us that Christ reigneth now because it is said there for be must reigne c. But this is no truer then the rest that you have said For the Apostle referres these words to the time after his comming and not to the time that now is so that the full meaning of his words is this Afterwards they that are Christs at his comming Then commeth the end when after his comming he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God When after his comming he shall have put downe all rule and all authority and power When after his comming the rest of the dead are risen For he must reigne after his comming till he hath put all his enemies under his feete And the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death at the last resurrection of the dead And whereas you adde that text Heb. 2.8 Thou hast put all things under his feete to prove also that Christ doth now reigne You doe very unadvisedly contradict your owne Tenet and the Apostles words For if all things are now actually put under him then he doth not now reigne seeing the Apostle saith That he must reigne untill he hath put all his enemies under his feete and no longer And therefore it is evident that those words Heb. 2.8 are spoke in relation to Gods fore-appointment of it and not to the actuall performance of it to Gods committing of that power to the Sonne by which he is now able to subdue all things unto himselfe as it is Phil. 3.21 and not to the Sunnes putting of this power in execution which shall not be till his comming againe as both the order and sense of Saint Pauls words here doe shew and the voices in heaven at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet Rev. 11.15 And the thanksgiving of the Elders ver 17. doe confirme And so the beginning and not the end of the administration of Christs Kingdome is to be when they who are dead in Christ shall be made alive And though these Saints shall dye no more yet death the last enemy shall not be then utterly destroyed for as much as none but these Saints shall then rise and that the Jewes which are then to be delivered and the Gentiles which shall be called at and through their deliverance and those who are borne in the time of our Saviours reigne shall be subject unto death as well as we though not to the like persecution by men or temptation from Satan who is then to be bound up for the space of a 1000 yeares Israel's Redemption Thus farre Saint Paul whose words doe clearely prove that the reigne of Christ as man of which alone we treate doth neither beginne before his comming nor extend it selfe beyond the death of Dâ—ath the last resurrection And therefore cannot without a palpable contradiction be taken for the time when he shall give up his Kingdome to the Father nor for the time that now is betwixt which and his Kingdome too our Saviour in my conceit hath put an irreconcileable distinction calling this the time not of a Kingdome but of temptation that is a time of persecution for righteousnesse sake a time wherein his Disciples must be delivered up to be afflicted killed and hated of all Nations for his Name that thus fulfilling the rest of the afflictions of Christ for his bodies sake which is the Church they may at last wholly and together for shall not their bodies as well reigne with Christ as their soules but these we know are and shall be yet captives to the grave or are the Saints that shall be found alive at Christs comming exempted from his Kingdome for if he should reigne till then and then give up his Kingdome to his Father they are exempted but if as our Apostle she ws his reigne beginne not till his comming then as the living shall at that time n Thes 4 15 6 17. together with the dead in Christ be caught up to meete him so the Saints shall then and till then they cannot wholly and altogether reigne with him I say together and at once be made partakers of their Masters Kingdome which as it appeares is not to be in heaven and therefore must needes beheld on earth where all things which our Saviour promised his Disciples may well be accomplished in a literall sense Mr. Petrie's Answer What God by his word and experience hath conjoyned let no man call irreconcileable for he saith Psal 110.2 Reigne thou in the midst of thy enemies and Rom. 8.37 In all these things that is in the midst of our sufferings we are more then conquerours so that when the enemies doe rage and persecute even then doth Christ reigne and the godly are Kings or if there be any title more transcendent Reply Certainely experience doth joyne nothing together but declares onely to us what God hath conjoyned and doubtlesse what God hath conjoyned Christ would not separate and yet Luke 22.28 he saith Yee are they which have followed mee in my temptations therefore I appoint unto you a Kingdome as
God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome For why should Christs appearing and his Kingdome be joyned together yea why should his Kingdome be added as the end of his appearing unlesse both were to contemporate unlesse his Kingdome were to begin at his appearing not before it Mr. Petrie's Answer The menâ—ioning these two together and in that order doth no more import such a beginning then the end of glory is the beginning of vertue because the Apostle saith in the same order he hath called us unto glory and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 howbeit glory be named before vertue glory is after vertue Reply Although the end doth alwayes precede the means to the end in the intention and in this text of Saint Peter in the expression also yet as we say not that Christs appearing is the like medium to his Kingdome as vertue is to honour so we deny that the order of Saint Pauls words in 2 Tim. 4.1 is like to this of Saint Peters and that our Saviours appearing is the end for which he is to reigne For that our Saviour is to reigne that he may appeare there is no scripture to testifie but thâ—t he is to appeare that he may reigne not onely this text of Saint Paul but many prophecies doe witnesse as that of Zech. 14.4 c. which shews that he shall reigne on earth after his comming with the Saints And that Rev. 11 15. which shews that at the time of his descending the Kingdoms of this world are to become his and that Rev. 19 which shewes in what manner the Kingdomes of this world are to become his to wit by destroying the Kings and mighty men on the earth in battell and giving their flesh to the fowles of heaven And that Rev. 20.2.3 which shewes that after these Kings are thus destroyed and their Kingdomes obtained Christ shall shut up Satan in the bottomâ—esse pit the space of a 1000 yeares And lastly that propheticall parable Luke 19 11. c. which was purposely spoken against the false opinion of the Iewes who even generally thought that Christs Kingdome should immediately appeare For it declares plainely that the Nobleman went into a farre countrey not to reigne but to receive a Kingdome and to returne and that when he was returned and had â—eceived his Kingdome hâ— gave to one servant authority over ten cities and to another â—â—er five c. And slue those that would not that hâ— shouâ—d reigne over thâ—m and is not this all one as if he had said that he was not to reigne then whilest he was among them as they expected nor in the time of his absence from them in heaven but when he should returne to them againe from heaven And besides that our Saviours Kingd me is to beginne at his appearing and not before and so according to the order of the Apostles words it is evident in that it is said Who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Where by the judging of the quicke and the dead which necestarily followes his appearing is shewed to be his imployment in his Kingdome The judging I say of his enemies that would not that he should reigne over them by a temporall but terrible destruction at the beginning of his Kingdome as the foresaid parable and the prophecies of Zech. 14. and Iohn 19. and others doe declare And the judging of his Subjects by a civill judgement in the time of his reigne as the same parable likewise and the Thrones of judgement promised to his Disciples and to them that overcome and all the Prophecies of his and the Saints reigne on earth doe manifest And the judging againe of his rebellious subjects by a temporall but totall destruction when his 1000 yeares peacefull reigne is expired as the Prophecy Rev. 20.7 8 9. doth shew And lastly his judging of all both good and bad at the delivering up of his Kingdome to God even the Father at the last resurrection of the dead when he shall pronounce the definitive sentence of a perfect and compleate salvation to the one part to the elect and of a perfect and compleat condemnation to the other part to the reprobate According as it is largely expâ—est Matth. 25.32 c. and as it is implyed Rev. 20.15 in these words And whosoever was not found written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire Israel's Redemption And to my seeming that propheticall image in the 2 of Dan. ver 13. which represented both the orderly succession and diver secondition of all the then following Kingdoms of this world unto the Kingdome of Christ shadowed there unto us by the stone that was cut out without hands doth give good light to this of Saint Paul For in what manner those Kingdomes have succeeded each other in the like manner is the Kingdome of Christ to succeede them as appears by the same phrase of speech which is attributed as well to the setting up of this Kingdome as to any of them to wit That it shall breake in peeces and consume all those Kingdomes Ver. 34 35 44 45. And therefore sâ—eing these words are meant of a conquest and succession by force of Armes in all the former Kingdomes how can they be otherwise understood in this of Christ which is to succeed them all as they have succeeded each other both in time and place as ver 35. doth fully declare Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. In the seeming of many millions that image doth not signifie a temporall Monarchy of the Jewes which is the point in hand and the seeming of so many contrary to the seeming of one might satisfie for all that long discourse following neverthelesse I adde albeit these foure Kingdomes did succeed one another yeâ— the Kingdome of Christ did not succeed or was the last of them or after them in time for it is written ver 41. In the dayes of these Kings not after them shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed and it shall breake in peeces the iron the brasse the clay silver and gold It shall breake the silver and the gold then it shall be before the brasse and the iron And of what King can that be understood but of Christ who saith Isai 10.12 I will punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria and chap. 37.29 Because of thy rage against me I will put my hooke in thy nose c. 2. Whereas it is alledged that the 35. ver doth fully declare that succession in time and place certainely the 35. ver is not contrary to the 44. ver which shewes plainely that this Kingdome shall be in the dayes of these Kings and breake them in peeces and therefore these words shall breake them in peeces signifie a conquest by power but neither by succession in time nor by force of armes Reply 1. You were here a little too hasty in
he cannot put it into act untill he descend to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe Thus we finde that he had power to lay downe his life and power to take it againe before he did either John 10.18 And that all judgâ—ment even the judgment of the great day was committed unto him at his fiâ—st comming John 5.22 And thus it appeares that aâ—l your answers to the consequâ—nces by which we have proved our Saviours visible reigne on earth are of no consequence at all ISRAELS REDEMPTION CHAP. II. That Christ shall reigne personally on Earth prov'd by expresse Prophesie ANd thus it hath bin proved by consequence that our Saviour shall hereafter reigne on earth You shall now heare it directly and expressely affirmed Behold saith the Angel to the Virgine Mary thou shall conceive in thy wombe and bring forth a Sonne and shalt call his name Jesus he shall be great and shall be called the Sonne of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the u Matth. 2.6 Acts 2.30.31 Throne of his Father David Luke 1.31 Behold saith Jeremiah in chap. 23. ver 5. c. the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch and a King shall †Ch. 33.15.16 reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice x Isa 8 8. Job 19.25 Hob. 1.2 in the * Whatsoever losse Luke 19.11 12 13.14 c. Acts 3 19.20.21 Revel 11.15 Rom. 4.13 the disobedience of the first Adam brought on himselfe and his posterity that no doubt the second Adam hath recovered with advantage for himselfe and his chosen But the first Adam lost not onely hiâ— right to heaven but the happy estate too which an innocent life would for a long time have continued to him and his on earth And therefore that intercourse and familiarity with God that rule and command over men and all other creatures which Adam before the advancement of mankinde to it highest happinesse should have here enjoyed if he had not fell that and fore more then that shall Christ with hiâ— chosâ—n inherit at his next appearing And now seeing even reason it selfe doth thus strongly â—â—ation for our Saviours future soveraignty what unreasonablenesse were it in us any longer to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bt the literall accomplishment of these and all other sacred revelations which so fully describe and â—â—â—â—â—earely confirme it earth In hiâ— dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is his name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse Behold saith Zechâ—â—riah in chap. 6. ver 12. the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne and he shall be a Priest upon his Throne and the Counsel of peace shall be betweene them both And in Ezek. 34.22 c. I will save my flocke and they shall no more be a prey and I will judge betweene cattell and cattell and I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feede them even my Servat David he shall feede them and he shall be their Shepheard And I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David a Prince among them I the Lord have spoken it And in chap. 37. ver 24. c. David my Servant shall be King over them and they shall have one Shepheard and they shall also walke in my judgements and observe my Statutes and doe them and they shall dwell in the Land that I have given unto Jacob my Servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children for ever and my Servant David shall be their Prince for ever And in Isai 9.6 c. Vnto us a child is borne unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end Vpon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever the zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this And in chap. 52. ver 13. c. Behold my Servant shall deale prudently he shall be y Psal 118.22.23 24. c. exalted and extolled and he very high As many were z 1 Luke 2.34 35. astonied at thee his visage to wit at the time of his suffering was so marred more then any man and his forme more then the sonnes of men So to wit at his next appearing shall he sprinkle many Nations the Kings shall shut their mouthes as him for that which had not been told them shall they see and that which they had not heard shall they consider And in Micah 4.6 c. In that day saith the Lord will I assemble her that halteth and I will gather her that is driven out and ber that I have afflicted and I will make her that halted a remnant â—â—â—â—ber that was cast farre a Rom 〈…〉 15.32 â—ff a strong Nation and the Lord shall reigne over them in Mount Zion from henceforth even for ever And in Psal 72.6 c. He shall come downe like raine upon the mowne grasse as showers that water the earth In his dayes shall the righteous flourish and abundance of peace so long as the Moone endureth He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth They that dwell in the wildernesse shall how before him and his enemies shall licke the dust The Kings of Tarshish and of the â—fles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheha and Seba shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall b Ps 68.29.31 Isa 45.22.23 downe before him c Psal 22.27.28 Phil. 2.10 Rev. 14.6 7. chap. 15.4 all Nations shall praise him And in Psal 102.13 c. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof So the heathen shall feare the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the earth thy glory When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appeare in his glory Now that these prophecies concâ—rne the reigne of Christ alone I thinke no man doubts and that they are already fulfilled it cannot be proved Mr. Petrie's Answer These texts may prove something against your fellow Mr. Archer who thinks that Christ after he hath put the Jewes in possession of their Monarchy shall ascend againe into the heavens and the Jewes in the meane time shall reigne till his third comming But they prove nothing against us who hold that Christ reigneth on the true Throne of David Reply This answer
reigne over the Iewes in their owne land and that Ierusalem shall againe be built Why should we not beleeve that both the building of the Temple of the Lord and his reigning on the Throne of his Father David shall be as properly fulfilled in Christ the antitype as they were in Solomon the type Whereas then you say further That in this sense the Disciples did beleeve the Scriptures after the resurrection of Christ I pray what scriptures this prophecy Surely it is false that they did any where cite this prophecy to prove our Saviours resurrection from the dead And the words of the Evangelist are plaine When therefore he was risen from the dead saith Iohn his Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them to wit that he had said to the Iewes Destroy this Temple c. and they beleeved the Scripture that is the scripture which foreshewes our Saviours resurrection as Psal 16. alledged by Saint Peter Acts 2.25 c. and Psal 2.7 alledged by Saint Paul Acts 13.33 c. And the word which Iesus had said that is and they beleeved also that this saying of his to the Iewes was meant of the resurrection of his body and not as you say they did that it was an interpretation of Zechariah's prophecy which for shewes indeed the building of the Temple of the Lord but not the destroying of it by the Iewes nor the building of it in three dayes no nor the building of it untill the man whose name is the Branch should sit and rule on his Throne Neither did our Saviour say plainely Destroy the Temple of the Lord as the false witnessâ—s acâ—used him nor absolutely destroy the Temple but darkely and inrelation to his owne body destroy this Temple as his words touching the raising of it in three dayes doe intimate and the Evangelist doth afterwards expound it And he said also I will raise it and not I will build it which shewes the making of a Temple where was none before and therefore cannot be applyed to the quickening of our Saviours body a temple then in being and not to be corrupted in death And as for your confused exposition of the prophecy of Zech. 14.4 c. it is not onely contrary to the truth but to reason it selfe For first which is flat against the truth you ascribe the accomplishment of this prophecy to our Saviours ascending to the Saints in heaven and to the time succeeding his ascension whereas it is manifest by the words in the first verse which you have concealed And the Lord my God shall come and aâ—l the Saints with thee that it is to be fulfilled at his descending with the Saints from heaven and in the time succeeding his descension And secondly which is not onely against the truth but against reason also you affirme That by the cleaving of the Mount of Olives towards the East and towards the West is meant the shaking of all the world at the preaching of the Gospell And That by the Iewes flying to the valley of the mountaines is meant their imbracing of the Gospell Which is as if you had said that the Iewes did then imbrace the Gospell when they fled from it or that the Iewes in flying from the Gospell fled to the Gospell For as you interpret the cleaving of the Mount of Olivers from which the Iewes were to fly of the preaching of the Gospell so you interpret the valley of the mountaines to which the Iewes were to flee of the same also And who sees not by this and by your expounding of the 6 and 7 verses Of the perpetual â—ight of the Gospell and the 8 verse Of the continuall flâ—â—wing of the doctrine of the Gospell and all of the Gospell and of nothing but of the Gospell that by such a liberty of interpreting any one may make the plainâ—st scripture that is to say onely as he faith and so to patronize and defend any dangerous opinion against the truth clearely revealed in it The truth therefore of this prophecy is no other then that which the Prophet himselfe hath plainely told us to wit that the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in the midst by an earthquake at the comming of our Saviour with all the Saints and that the Iewes which are gathered together neere unto it shall then flye for feare of this earthquake as they fled for feare from before the earthquake in the dayes of Vzziah King of Judah And the effect of this earthquake is described ver 10. where it is said And all the Land shall be turned as a plaine from Gâ—ha to Rimmâ—n South of Jerusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamins gate unto the place of tho first gate unto the corner gate and from the tower of Hananiel un to the Kings wiae-presser And man shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Ierusalem shall be safely inhabited And as this part so all the rest of the prophecy is to be understood likewise according to its owne stile and language which is so obvious that it needes no inter preration and the light thereof cannot be more obscured then by such a glosse as you have put upon it And thus it being undeniable that this prophecy of Zech. doth foreshew our Saviours second comming his comming with all the Saints and the things then no be performed by him it necessarily followes That he shall come not onely to conquer death first in part at the resurrection of the Saints that shall rise to meete him and to come with him and then wholly at the resurrection of all others when he shall passe the sentence of salvation on the elect and of damnation on the reprobate but in the interim in the space betwixt this first and second resurrection to be King over all the earth as this Prophet saith ver 9. to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe as Saint Iohn reveals Rev. 11.15 to put downe all rule and all authority as Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.24 and to set up that dominion glory and Kingdome at the manifestation whereof all people nations and languages shall serve him as Daniel foreshewes chap. 7. ver 14. which he shall doe by an extraordinary destroying of the most and greatest of his enemies in batte'l and by causing every one that is left of the Nations to goe up from yeare to yeare to Ierusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hafts as Zech. here and many other Prophets besides doe declare Israel's Redemption You see here that our Saviour comes not onely to conquer death which is the last enemy that he shall d stroy and therefore not wholly to be destroyed till the last resurrection but also to take the Kingdomes of this world unto himselfe to put downe as Saint Paul hath said all the authority and power of other Nations that there may be one shepheard and one sheep-fold Dan. 7.27 that the Kingdome and dominion
it is not possible thâ—t they can be fulfilled both in heaven and earth as you say Israel's Redemption And although it be said that Christ shall reigne over the house of Jacob for ever and that of his Kingdome there shall be no end Yet it is not meant that he shall alwayes reigne as man or that the earthly Jerusalem the place of his Throne as man shall alwayes stand But this onely iâ— means that the Kingdome of the Saints which Christ as he is man shall governe a m Isai 65.22 long time on earth shall after the Judgement of the dead at which time this heaven and earth shall passe a way be delivered up to God even the Father in the new Jerusalem where it shall ever remaine and where God shall be all in all yet so that Christ too as man shall still retaine the dignâ—ty and preheminence of a King a Priest a Prophet though he shall have no need to make use of either office And thus a late and learned n Mr. Downe on the 17. ch of St. Ioh pag. 157. of his Treatises published 1633. Divine of ours doth reconcile the former words of Saint Luke in chap. 1. ver 33. with that of Saint Paul in 1 Cor. 1â— 24.28 We are to know saith he that the Kingdome of Christ containeth in is two things The mediatory function of his Kingly office and his Kingly glory That he shall lay aside for then to wit after the judgement of the dead there will be no further necessity nor use thereof But this be shall bold for ever as being by the acts of his mediation justly acquired and according to covenant bestowed upon him by his Father And furthermore it may be observed that the words o Psal 72.17 Psal 89.28 29.36.37 Psal 145.13 â— Isa 32.14.15 ch 60 15. Ezek. 37.25 For ever Euermore and Everlasting are in the Scriptures â—ften joyned with and put for these and the like sayings Through all or many generations through all ages or as long as the Sun and Moone endure And therefore can conclude no more but this That Christs reigne as man shall continue as long as there shall be men to succeed each other on the earth â—or as long as this heaven and earth shall last that is untill the time which God hath fore-ordained for the judgement of the dead When the heavens that are now p Rev. 20.11 Ch. 21.1 shall passe away with a noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heaâ—e the earth also and the workes that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 And to this purpose when the Prophet Daniel had said His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not passe away he addes presently by way of exposition And his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed And in another place more plainelâ— The q Ch. 2.44 Kingdome shall not be left to other people So that when the Prophets say that Christ shall reigne for ever and that his Kingdome shall stand for ever â—or be aâ— everlasting Kingdome it is all one as if they had told us onely That neither Christ nor his Kingdome shall have any successours that no sonne of man shall succeed him in his Throne that no humane Kingdome shall be set up in the place of his Kingdome as his shall be in the place of the foure Monarchies but that in spight of all opposition both of men and devils hiâ— dominion shall endure untill the upshot and period of all temporall and humane government that is untill the last resurrection when with a venite benedicti he shall give up the number of the elect full and whole as we say unto God himselfe Mr. Petrie's Answer They will change the signification of the words when they please and so farre as it makes for their purpose and no more but when they shall prove by scripture that the earthly Jerusalem shall be the place of Christs Throne we may agree upon the exposition of the words for ever and shall be no end and till that be shewne I omit further enquiry of them but as yet we have seene neither necessary consequence nor evident expressim for it Followes another point that the restauration of Jerusalem and resurrection shall concurre Reply Here is the accusation but where is the evidence to confirme it doubt lesse you sought narrowly but could finde none And therefore the reader may first take notice how for want of proofe against us you confute your selfe For they will change the signification of the words you say when they please c. And a little after till that be shewne I omit further enquiry of the words How further enquiry did you then enquire of them if you did where are your reasons to shew that we have changed the signification of the words if you did not enquire or enquired in vaine how can you tell that we have changed their signification would you say that we have when you could not tell yea you would doe worse then this for you say we have done it although you know we have not done it For we have quoted on the margine no lesse then seven texts to shew that the words for ever and everlasting c. are in the scripture taken as well in a limited as in an unlimited sense they are these Psal 72.17 Psal 89.28 29. and againe ver 36 37. Psal 145.13 Isai 32.14 15. and 60.50 Ezek. 37.25 in all which places the foresaid words are taken onely for a long time And shall the reader beleeve that you who doe so frequently catch at the marginall quotations in other places did not see these here doubtlesse you saw them and saw so much in them that you could say nothing to them And besides doe you not your selfe allow of the same signification of these words when as you tell us That Christ as Mediatâ—ur shall câ—â—â— to reigne shall deliver up the administration of the Kingdome to his Father sâ—ying Thou O Father hast thine owne Subjects and let them have the Kingdome prepared for them pag. 46 For that which is delivered up is already past And whereas you say Thâ—â— we may agree on the exposition of the words for ever c. when it can be proved by scripture that the earthly Jerusalem shall be the place of Christs Throne Hâ—th not this been done more then once then shew us what scripture spâ—akes more plainâ—ly of any thing then Jer. 31.38 39 40. anâ— Zech. 14.10 11. doe of the building and inhabiting againe of Jerusalem Or then the foresaid prophecy of the Angel Gabriel Luke 1.31 32 c. and of Isai 9.6 7. and of Jer. 23.5 6 doe of our Saviours reigning on earth and upon the Throne of his Father David Or then many other doe some parâ—icularly of his reigning over the Jewes and some of his reigning over the Gentiles and some of his reigning over both Suâ—ely you can shew no text in which any truth is moâ—e clearely
all But as yet I know no father of it besides your selfe unlesse it be that father of lies who suggested it unto you And therefore the reader had neede beware how to take your words upon trust for doubtlesse if he hearken to your bare word he shall never beleeve what God hath foretold nor know what we hold The last text is Ezekiels vision of the dry bones chap. 37. And if it betokens thâ— Jewes returne from their captivity as ver 11. doth seeme to interpret it where it is said These bones are the whole house of Israel Yet it is observeable first that the deliverance here foreshewne is of all the Tribes of the whole house of Israel Secondly that it is to be after such a long and reâ—â— us captivity as should make them even despaire of a deliverance as ver 11. doth declare And thirdly that at the time of their deliverance they shall become an exceeding great Army us it is said ver 10. which observations doe infallibly manifest that this prophecy hath not been yet accomplished and consequently that when you say this vision doth foreshew the returne of the Jewes from their captivity no withstanding the exâ—reamity of their misery you doe unawares confesse that they are not yet returned but shall returne at the accomplishment of this prophecy For when were the Jewes delivered out of a captivity of such a long continuance as it here intimated by these very dry hones and by the raising of them our of their graves or when did all the Tribes the whole house of Israel returne to their land or when did any of them that I say not all that I speake not of so great an Army as is here foretold make their way into their owne countrey by force of arm since their forty yeares march into Judea out of Egypâ—â— And therefore as all the other texts have relation to the first resurrection onely so hath this last to the future Redemption of the Jewes out of captivity to their returne againe into their owne land against the time of their redemption of the Saints bodies out of their graves at our Saviours appearing And that which followes in the chapter doth as plainely reveale the uniting of all the Tribes in their owne land under one King and our Saviours personall reigning over them there as the vision of the dry bones doth their returne to their land Israel's Redemption And as the Elders in Revel 5.10 said in the hearing of Saint John Thou best made as unto our God Kings and Priests and we Å¿ Rom. 5.17 ch 4.13 Luk 19.17.19 2 Tim 2.12 ch 4.8 1 Pet. 5.4 shall reigne on * Sanctorum super terram regia dignitas authoritas in hoâ— mundi statu nulia est sed extiâ—uÌ„ perpetue calamitates ac persecutiones quâ—s à tyraâ—â—is muâ—â—â— bujus regibus patiuntur De altâ—râ— igitut mâ—ndâ— statu hoc accipi â—â—um Quod siverâ— super terram regnabunt sancti utique ea non a 〈…〉 â—n idâ—â—iâ— quod non est creaturae dominâ—â—â— non est Eodem videtur Chrâ—stus respexisse Matth. 5.5 Est hâ—â— observandum quod sanct 〈◊〉 regnab mus non regnamuâ— Quo digitum intendunt ad alterum seculum Nâ—â—â— sanct 〈…〉 constituti â—â—m regnant super terram quâ—â— cum pat entia adhuc expectâ—â—â— liberationem 〈◊〉 quam accelerare non possunt Apoâ— 6. v. 16.21 They are the words of Mar. Frid Wendelinus cha 2â— of the 2 â—â—ct of his Naturall Contemplaticas pag. 429.430 urged in defence of an accidentall change of the world against the essential abolition of it both which Tenets are as I think very true if referr'd to their proper seasons if shunning both the improvident confounding and pernicious wresting of Scripture we affirme a marvellous renovation of this Heaven and Earth at the beginning of our Saviours Kingdome and a creation of new at the end thereof that is at the last judgement when as it is in the 20. of the Revel and the 11. ver This heaven and earth shall fly â—râ—â—y and no place be found for them and if they shall have place no more then surely they can have beeing no longer for place is an inseparable affection of their being and consequently this Scripture proves an absolute annihilation of the first world which I suppose no man will deny If he doth observe when this passing of the first heaven and earth is to be accomplishâ— to wit above a thousand yeares after the renewing of them for they are to be renewed at our Saviours entrance into his Kingdome but they are not to passe away till the giving up thereof to God the Father at the last Judgement and so it stands firme that these words imply no lesse then a perishing which yet may further be establisht by three other undeniable testimonies One of the same Apostle in the next chap. at the 1. vers And I saw saith he a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea Which last câ—â—se expresly affirming an utter abolition of the sea doth plainely informe us that by the dying and passing away of the first earth which with the sea makes but one globe is meant a substantiall perishing of it Another of Moses in the 8. chap. of Gen. at the 22. vers While the earth remaâ—neth seed time and harvest and cold and h aâ— and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease and therefore when seed-time and harvest and summer and winter and day and night shall cease as it is most certaine they shall at the last Judgement the earth it selfe must of necessity then cease also A third of Job in his 26. chap. at the 10. vers He hath compassed the waters with bounds untill the day and night come to an end Deut. 11. vers 21. which words being compared with the precedent testimony wherein day and night are shewne to be of equall duration with seed time and harvest and with that of the 22. of the Revel where it is said of the new Ierusalem and the inhabitants thereof there shall be no night there and they neede no candle neither light of the Sunne must needs be taken for a plaine and positive proofe that the day and night shall come to an end and consequently that the starres and so the sublunary creatures too whose generation and continuance doe more or lesse depend upon celestiall influences being all made onely for the use of man while he is to have his reâ—â—â—ency and abode on this earth shall at mankinds removall from hence together with this earth with which they were created be brought againe to nothing earth Mr. Petrie's Answer That these words Rev. 5.10 signifie the honour and priviledges of the godly on earth it is out of doubt But the question is whether John saw these Elders in heaven and whether they shall come from the heaven to the earth againe or
be called in question by most expositourâ— Yea if we should say that no more is plainely delivered in the scriptures but that which is not controverted by any what a small â—â—â—ance of scripture should we acknowledge for plaine scripture And doubtlesse you your selfe will say that most of the texts controverted betwixt Protestants and Papists and betwixt orthodoxe and hereticall Protestants are plaine texts for difference in opinion for the most part proceedes not so much from the obscurity of the text as from the obstinacy of such who either out of prejudice or selfe-conceit or for self-ends wrest it from the scope and purpose of the Holy Ghost to countenance their private and perverse fancies And whereas you say That Christians have given better warrants of their expositions then Millenaries are able to doe The reader may well guesse at the soundnesse of these words by the state of your charity For as without any warrant you exclude all Millenaries from the communion of Christians so the truth is that we justifie our expositions either by other scriptures or by the coherence of the precedent and subsequent verses or by the plainnesse of the texts themselves which are undoubtedly the best warrants whereas you without any necessity enforcing thereto do straine the words of the text from their proper meanâ—ng and so doe impose upon them a sense not minded by the Spirit of God not warranted by other scriptures and whereof they are scarcely yea in many places not at all capable as your answers doe sufficiently testifie against you Israel's Redemption Which vision as it is the next to that of the battell wherein the Beast and false Prophet are taken so doubtlesse it shall not till then receive its accomplishment for seeing Antichrist is but the devills instrument we cannot imagine that his power shall out-last the devills liberty especially if we consider that while Satan is in hold there shall be a generall peace over the world as the u Isai 2.4 Mich. 4.3 Prophets say expressely and as is here implyed in that as soone as he is loosed againe * Rev. 20.7.8 presently he shall gather all the rest of the world to fight against the Saints But their malicious attempt shall finde no better successe then that of the Beast the false Prophet and the Kings of the earth their predecessours had done at the beginning of the 1000 yeers For fire shall come downe from God out of heaven Ver. 9. and devoure them Mr. Petrie's Answer This vision is neâ—â—â— that battell in order of writing but it follows not that it shall not beginne to be accomplished till the former vision be fully accomplished for albeit Antichrist be the devills instrument it may be understood as histories doe verifie that his power may be in the time of Satans imprisonment that is while Satan is not permitted to rage and persecute openly as he did in the dayes of the heathenish Emperours in the meane time Antichrist may sit in the Church of God and deceive the world with lies and fained miracles so that even when peace is in the world from warres there be not peace from the children within as Bernard complaines in his time in Cantic ser 33. and when he hath deceived the greatest part of the world except some few persons in comparison of them who are deceived then Satan may stirre up Antichrist to wage warre against the disclosers of his deceits as he did against the Albigenses and Tolosani about the yeare 1220. and against the Bohemians about the yeare 1420. in the dayes of the Emperours Sigismund Albert and others and so the malicious attempt of Satan may have the same successe with that of the Beast I say not the like but the same both in place time and number Reply That the binding up of Satan and the thousand yeares reigne of the Saints were to contemporate you doe not deny but that the binding up of Satan is to succed the destruction of the beast and false prophet as well in the execution thereof as it doth in the order of its revelation it doth not follow you say and yet you bring no reason against it whereas we have these unanswerable evidences in the Text for it First that upon the binding up of Satan a thousand yeares peace is to follow in the world and secondly that throughout this time Satan is to be withheld from deceiving the Nations neither of which was ever yet accomplished For when was there amongst men such a time of rest from warre as this or any time at all of immunity from Satans temptations Whereas therefore you understand by Satans imprisonment no more then his restraint from raging and persecuting openly it is flat against the Text which saith that when Satan is shut up he shall not deceive the Nations and not that he shall not stirre them up to open persecution which is but a particular effect of his deceiving of them And besides may not a secret persecution be farre worse then an open And is not a power to deceive Christians by lies and fained miracles more obnoxious to the Church of God then both these What comfort then could this prophecy afford the faithfull if notwithstanding Satans imprisonment Antichrist should still prevaile so much amongst men Or what new thing had been here revealed unto Saint John if no more but this had been meant by the binding up of Satan But indeed when Satan shall be cast into the bottomlesse pit and a seale set upon him he shall be debarred not onely from tempting but from walking up and downe amongst men and therefore it is no better then meere non-sence to say that when Satan is bound up and withheld from deceiving man he may yet have an instrument sitting in the Church of God deceiving the world c. For can any man be an instrument to Satan when Satan himselfe shall neither have power to deceive him nor liberty to come neare him Thus then your conceit of Antichrists existence and continuance in the Church after Satans imprisonment and restraint doth plainely crosse not onely the order of this Revelation but the evidence of the Text. And your historicall narration holds no correspondence with this propheticall history of Saint John ISRAELS Redemption CHAP. IV. The chiefe doubts Answered NOw against this which hath been said touching our Saviours Kingdome his owne words iâ— the 18 of Saint John ver 36. may be objected For there he saith plainely My Kingdome is not of this world and in Matth. 25.31 he saith When the Sonne of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he sit upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepheard divideth the sheepe from the goates With which agreeth that of Saint Peter in his 2 Epist ch 3. ver 7. But the heavens and earth which are now by the same word
are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of â—udgement and perdition of ungodly men And many other places there are of the like nature But to the first I answer that those words of our Saviour doe onely distinguish the time and condition of his Kingdome from the time and condition of the Kingdomes of this world at the setting up of whose Kingdome there shall be such an Nec enim dubium quin maxima rerum naturalium humanarum mutatio regni hujus auspicia sit antecessura Antichristus enim cum totâ suâ Synagogâ abolebitur extinguetur hominum pars maxima gentilibus non nisi paucis relictis qui in posteris suis non extra sed intra regnum hoc mille annis supererunt ut prophetiae suprà memoratae cum aliis in Scripturâ passim occurrentibus abunde testantur sub decursum verò mille annorum mirum in modum aucti a Satana e carcere suo saluto iterum seducti Sanctorum castra oppugnabunt sed incassum Nec dubium est quin rerum quoque naturalium quae regni huius incolis ministrabunt longè alia sit futura facies quam impraesentiarum est siquidem beatissimum tranquillissimum erit regni istius seculum omnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae in naturâ modò decurrit expers Mar. Frid. Wend. Contemp. Phys Sect. 2. cap. 17. pag. 375 376. alteration over the whole frame of x Psal 46. Isai 2.12.19.21 ch 11.6 c. ch 30.25 26. ch 41.18 19. ch 55.13 Ezek. 38.19 20. Matth 24.29.30 Mar. 13.24 25. Luke 21.25 26. Rev. 6.12 13. c. ch 16.18.19 c. nature and such a change of government on the earth that this time shall then as well be accounted the time of another world as the time before the floud is now taken for the old world by us and was long agoe so stiled by Saint Peter in his 2 Epist chap. 2. ver 5. And therefore notwithstanding this proofe the place of his Kingdome shall be the earth that now is though this be not the time nor any humane policy the patterne of his reigne Mr. Petrie's Answer Our Saviour distinguishes not betwixt the time of his and other Kingdomes for he saith in the same verse My Kingdome is not from hence that is My Kingdome is at hand as he said unto his Disciples Matth. 16.28 Verely I say unto you there be some standing here who shall not tast of death till they have seene the Sonne of man come in his Kingdome that is reigning powerfully by the preaching of the Gospell and Matth. 24.14 This Gospell of the Kingdome shall be preached in all the world for a witnesse unto all Nations and then shall the end come There is his Kingdome before the end of this world and now is the time of his reigne albeit no humane policy be the patterne thereof 2. If he had said to that purpose as the Millenaries say that in time of his Kingdome being so nigh the Kingdome of the Romanes should be no Kingdome they might had more pretext of law for condemning him wherefore he distinguisheth the condition of the Kingdomes and not the time of them so that Caesar might been Emperour and Christ a mighty King both at once Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat coelestia Reply 1. That our Saviours Kingdome is to be a distinct Kingdome both in time and condition from the Kingdomes of this world is a truth apparantly delivered in the scriptures And for ought you have said to the contrary we may still thinke that these words of Christ doe intimate as much For though you first deny that these words doe distinguish betwixt the time of his Kingdome and other Kingdomes yet you presently give this sense to them your selfe when you say My Kingdome is not from hence that is My Kingdome is at hand And therefore it was not then in the world and if not then sure I am it hath not been yet and so it is distinct in time too from other Kingdomes as well as in condition I say it hath not been yet for what Kingdome of Christ hath been set up in the world since he spake these words which was not in the world when he spake these words Certainely his spirituall Kingdome was as much in the world at that time though not spread so much over the world as it hath been since That Kingdome therefore which you say was not then but was at hand is not yet come as the testimonies which you have alledged to prove that it was then at hand doe testifie against you also For that text Matth. 16.28 doth speake of a Kingdome to beginne at Christs appearing and not before it of a Kingdome I say when the Sonne of man shall come as it is in the same verse and when the Sonne of man shall come in the glory of the Father with his Angels as it is in the preceding verse And therefore doubtlesse these words of our Saviour Verely I say unto you there be some standing here which shall not tast of death till they see the Sonne of man comming in his Kingdome doe reveale a strange and extraordinary preservation of some then present till Christs next appearing For what doth the comming of the Sonne of man signifie but Christs descending from heaven and why did he subjoyne these words to his speech touching his comming in the glory of the Father with his Angels but because they are meant of the same comming And besides the Gospell had been before preacht by the Baptist by Christ himselfe and by the Disciples and not some but all the Disciples lived to see it preacht among the Gentiles also and therefore the seeing of this could not be the meaning of our Saviours words Thus then this first text doth shew that the Kingdome of our Saviour is not yet come And the other text Matth. 24.14 doth shew onely That the Gospell of the Kingdome that is which makes report of the Kingdome or by which men are made partakers of the Kingdome of Christ should be preached in all the world before the end should come that is the end and destruction of Jerusalem as the subsequent verses doe declare and not the end of the world as you affirme For would Christ thinke you have advised them to flye out of Judea into the mountaines from his presence at the end of the world Or how should it be worse for women with child and for them that give sucke at his comming then for others And now as for your exposition of these words My Kingdome is not from hence that is My Kingdome is at hand I pray what interpreters doe you follow in it or what colour have you for it What! are from hence and at hand all one or is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an adverbe of time or of place Doubtlesse these words My Kingdome is not from hence are to be understood as if Christ had said My Kingdome is
entrance and end of his reigne and an eternall judgement upon them and all other ungodly sinners at the last resurrection of the dead All which judgements the Prophets doe foreshew to be in the last day and not the last of these onely And therefore our Saviours comming shall not be at the last of these but at the first And whereas you alledge Psal 110. to shew that Christ shall not come till the last judgement it is false that this Psalme doth teach us any such thing for it shewes onely that Christ shall not come till that day in which God hath appointed to make his enemies his footstoole of which day the last judgement is but the last act And it is false also that Christs sitting at the right hand of God is his reigning For the Apostle Saint Paul saith That he sits not there reigning over his enemies but expecting the time in which they shall be made his footstoole Heb. 10.13 that is in which God shall bring him to reigne over them And that which followes in the Psalme doth shew what is to follow Christs comming from the right hand of God and not what is to goe before it as is shewed before Object 5 Fifthly you say That Christs Kingdome is an heavenly Kingdome 2. Tim. 2.17 and the reward of the godly is in heaven Matth. 5.10 11. as our Saviour spake of it and never of an earthly Kingdome unlesse by way of aversation Who made me a Judge saith be Luke 12.14 and the godly have prayed and wished to be with him in the heavens and never prayed to reigne in his earthly Kingdome 2 Cor. 5.1.6 Phil. 1.3 Sol. 5 And we say that the Kingdome of Christ is to be heavenly in condition and no way earthly but in place And that the reward of the godly departed before Christs comming is to be both in heaven and on earth Although the text Matth. 5.10 is meant onely of Christs Kingdome on earth called the Kingdom of heaven partly because of the heavenly constitution thereof but especially because the God of heaven shall mightily manifest his power in the setting of it up and because Christ and the Saints now in heaven shall come from heaven to governe it And we confesse that Christ at his first comming refused to be made a King and to undertake the actions belonging to his Kingly office because that was not the time in which he was to sit on the Throne of David but when he should come againe into the world as hath been plentifully proved And as Saint Peter Acts 2.30 31. doth plainely prove from the prophecy of David Psal 16. That Christs sitting on Davids Throne was not to foregoe but to follow his resurrection And what though the godly living in this world have prayed and desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ in heaven did they not therefore expect and wish to come with him againe from heaven certainely it is notoriously false to affirme that the godly never prayed to reigne in Christs Kingdome on earth For what is it that Christ taught them to aske in these petitions Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven and what was it that the sonnes of Zebedee and the penitent theife sought for or what was it that the Elders sang praise to the Lambe for Rev. 5.9 10 was it not because by his death he had purchased for them a Kingdome then to come on earth Object 6 Sixthly you say That God hath raised up Christ from the dead and set him at his right hand in the heavens farre above all principality and power and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feete and gave him to be the head over all things Eph. 1.20 21 22. Whence it is manifest that seeing our Saviour governeth his Church and all Spirits are subject to him which authority is given unto him and so as God-man his Kingdome is not to beginne as yet Sol. 6 But certainely it is not manifest from hence that Christ doth now governe his Church any otherwise then he did before his incarnation that is outwardly and openly by mortall agents and inwardly and secretly by his Spirit and divine power Neither is it manifest from hence that all things are actually put under his feet or that all things are now thus subject to his manhood For who can better expound the Apostles meaning then the Apostle himselfe who in Heb. 2.9 saith We see Jesus who was made a little lower then the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour that is raised from the dead and set at the right hand of God in the heavenly places farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come as it is exprest in Ephe. 1.20 21. But now we see not yet all things put under him saith the Apostle too Heb. 2.8 which words are quite contrary to these And hath put all things under him c. Ephes 1.22 What shall we say then that the Apostle speakes contradictions God forbid For they are put under him in a propheticall sense by a certaine appointment of it which is the meaning of the Apostle in the Ephesians where he speakes as the Prophet doth of what God intends to doe as if it were already done And they are not put under him in a proper and grammaticall sense by an actuall performance and visible manifestation of it which is the meaning of the Apostle in the Hebrews nor doubtlesse shall they be thus put under him untill that world to come of which the Apostle speakes Heb. 2.5 c. shall be put under him And then also he shall be visible Head over all things to the Church For then he shall sit and rule upon his Throne on the Throne of David on which God hath sworne with an oath to set him Acts 2.30 And shall be a Priest upon his Throne as Zechariah hath foretold chap. 6. ver 13. Object 7 Seventhly you say That when Christ shall descend from heaven with a shout and voice of the Arch-Angel with the trumpet of God the dead in Christ shall rise first and they who are alive and remaine shall be caught up together with them in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the aire and so shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. Here he is speaking of the same resurrection whereof be speakes 1 Cor. 15. as appeares by ver 52. and here he shewes the rising of the dead and change of the living to be together and that they both together shall meet the Lord and be ever with him Sol. 7 And what then will you conclude from hence that therefore these Saints shall not live with Christ on earth no you cannot for though they shall meet the Lord in the aire yet
elect onely be gathered together and the rest left behinde seeing that great Assist it to be hâ—ld chiefly for the condemnation of ungodly men Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. Here is nothing to prove the Monarchy of the Jewes 2. The two Evangelists speake there of the gathering of the Elect and taking them up as also 1 Cor. 15.23 yet they speake not exclusively as if the ungâ—dly shall not be judged nor raised but they speake of separation and â—hereby of taking the elect into the â—are and heavens whereas the wicked shall not be taken up but left on the earth and be condemned and sent to hell Matth. 13.40 41. and it followeth ver 43. Then shâ—ll the righteous shine forth c. The particle then shewes that the wâ—ckâ—â— shâ—ll bâ—â—ast into the furnâ—â—e of fire as soone if not sooner as the righteous shall shine in the Kingdome of the Father 3. If the righteous shall be taken up and the ungodly left on the earth that is the one taken away from the earth and the wicked left on the earth then the godly shall not have earthly doâ—inion 4. If Christ at his comming shall hold that great assise chieâ—ly for condemnation of the wicked how then shall the godly be quickned and the wicked be left in their graves after them for the space of a 1000 yeares These things cannot agree Reply 1. Here is nothing you say to prove the Monarchy of the Jewes But here is something we say for the confirmation of our Savâ—ours reigne on earth which is all one 2. The Evangelists speake here onely of the gathering of the elect to meete Christ at his comming and not at all of the raising and judging of the ungodly because that is not to be done at the beginning but at the end of his reigne And then it is that the whole number of the elect and of the reprobate shall be separated one company on his right hand and the other on his left and not one part caught up to the aire and the other left on the earth And we confesse that the casting of the wicked into hell mentioned in that parable Matth. 13.42 shall be at the entrance of the time in which the righteous shall shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father But we deny that this casting of the wicked into hell is meant of their casting in after their resurrection when they shall all at once receive the sentence of dâ—mnation from Christ himselfe For first it is not said here that they shall be gathered together before Christ as it is said Matth. 25.32 c. But that the Angels shall gather them out of Christs Kingdome and cast them into a furnace of fire that is shall destroy them in every place over the world where they then are and cast their soules into hell as is intimated by the binding of the tares in bundles to burne them That is as they finde them here and there in the field And secondly it is said that they shall be gathered out of Christs Kingdome and cast into bell that is shall be taken away from the place where and from among the men over whom Christ shall then reigne And therefore this gathering of the wicked iâ— to be at the beginning of Christs Kingdome and before their last judgement and not at the end of Christs Kingdome when they shall be fetcht out of hell againe to receive their last judgement And that the foresaid judgement is meant of a temporall destruction on all obstinate sinners that are living at Christs comming and not of the eternall destruction of their bodies and soules together at the last resurrection it is evident also from Rev. 20.9 where it is revealed that all the ungodly that are to oppose the Saints at the end of the thousand yeares reigne shall be devoured by fire from heaven before the last resurrection so that there shall be none of them living on the earth when they are to be gathered before Christ at the last judgement and consequently that gathering of them cannot be the same with this gathering of them when they shall be on the earth Matth. 13. And so by the Kingdome of their Father mentioned ver 43. must needes be meant the Kingdome of Christ spoken of ver 41. which in called the Kingdome of their Father because Christ with whom these Saints shall reigne shall receive it of God who is both his and their Father 3. The righteous shall be caught up to meete Christ and to come along with him to the earth And not to stay with him in the aire or to be carried up to heaven from thence as hath been shewed already more then once And therefore this is but a trifling argument 4. This argument is a supposition of that which we deny For it is our argument against you That seeing the elect onely shall be raised and gathered together at Christs comming and the ungodly which are left in their graves and that the mischievous ungodly which are living shall be left also to perish extraordinarily as it is Matth. 13.41 42. and the rest to be eye-witnesses of Gods wonders at that time and to become converts by it as it is Isai 66.19 20. Joel 2.32 Zech. 14.16 Rev. 11.13 and in other places Therefore the last judgement the great Assise which is to be held chiefly for the condemnation of ungodly men cannot be at or presently after Christs comming but shall be at the end of his reigne And so this part of your answer is a meere perverting of my words which agree so well in themselves and with the word of God that you had nought to say against that which they prove and therefore you fallaciously make them to grant what they doe indeed disprove Israel's Redemption Who doubtlesse are not to be left that the evill Angels may fetch them for they shall be partakers with them of that judgement and therefore will be as unwilling to appâ—are before that barre as they Neither is it likely that they shall be left because the good Angels cannot at once assemble them to the place of judgement and the elect to meet the Lord in the aire if these things were to be done at the same particular time And therefore as I suppose they shall be left either to perish in that generall destruction which shall come upon all Nations that fight against the Jewes whom our Saviour shall then redeeme or to be eye-witnesses of Gods wonders in all countries at that time Mr. Petrie's Answer What can either good or evill Angels doe without the Lords Authority and what can they not doe when he willeth but certainely the wicked shall both be witnesses of Gods wonders and likewise perish in that generall destruction that cause of their condemnation is touched before Reply We know that neither the good nor bad Angels can doe any thing without the Lords Authority but what is this to the force of my words which consists in this that
should not know the Prophet though they heard and followed him so it hath been your utmost endeavour all along to corrupt and dazle the readers judgement that he might not know the truth of the Prophecie that is set before his eyes and publisht in his eares Now the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who commanded the light to shine out of darkenesse shine in our hearts that as of sincerity as of God we may give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ That Isay without handling of the word of God deceitfully we may by manifestation of the truth commend our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever Amen Glorificetur Deus praedicetur veritas exerceatur pietas restituatur integritas Let God be glorified truth taught piety practised righteousnesse restored Redeat Pax regnet Rex regat Lex Let peace returne the King reigne the Law rule To my Booke excus'd THy wounds are heal'd and now thou must along To tell thy torturers they did thee wrong That thou wast no deceiver although They Did straine their wits to hide thy truth away Lest passing * John 11.48 unexcus'd the simplest might Have taken too much heed of the upright Report thou mak'st and claspt thee with such love As no * Acts 5.34 c. Gamaliel should e're remove Tell this to them and after greet thy friends Who prize the truth more then their private ends Courteous Reader THere was of late in this Kingdome one Mr. Mede a grave and learned Divine of the University of Cambridge who in his Treatises on the Revelation which he publisht to the world some yeares before his death doth plainely professe that he held not onely the Jewes generall conversion but their returne to their countrey too and the thousand yeares reigne of Christ and the Saints on earth Of which reigne as he hath a particular Tract so in the fourth synchronisme of the second part of his Clavis Apocalyptica he shewes by infallible arguments that it is to succeed the utter destruction of the Beast and false Prophet and to contemporate with the 1000 yeares binding up of Satan That it is I say to be in the time betwixt the destruction of the two Armies revealed in Rev. 19.20 which he there clearâ—ly proves to be two distinct Armies Against this Authour while he lived no man moved his pen although there was both time and opportunity to have done it but since his decease which is an usuall course with the enemies of the truth as there have been many who have voted against him without answering any of his workes so there have been some who have undertaken to examine here and there a piece of his labours amongst whom Mr. Petrie is one who in pag. 14.60.61 of his answer to Israels Redemption doth assay the confutation of two of Mr. Medes synchronismes The first is the seventh synchronisme of the first part of Clavis Apocalyptica which he thus encounters Mr. Petrie And here by the way observe that the renowned Authour of Clavis Apocalyptica is mistaken in his seventh synchronisme wherein he saith that the powring forth of the seven vials is contemporary with the end of the Beast and Babylon Answer He saith indeed that they contemporate with the ending that is with the declining estate with the totall destruction of the Beast and Babylon which the vials shall by their severall plagues gradually bring to passe but not that they doe all contemporate with the very end with the last moment of the Beast and Babylon which is proper onely to the powring out of the last viall For then shall great Babylon come in remembrance before God to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fiercenesse of his wrath as it is revealed Rev. 16.19 And then shall the Army in Armageddon be destroyed and the Beast and false Prophet taken in battell and cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone as it is declared Rev. 19.20 Mr. Petrie For albeit it be said chap. 15.2 That they who had gotten the victory over the Beast sang the song of Moses it followes not that the Beast was then destroyed Answer Surely it followes as well that the Beast shall be destroyed when the song of Moses is sung by the conquerours of the Beast as it doth that Pharaoh and his Host were destroyed when it was sung by Moses and the Israelites For seeing it is againe to be sung upon the like occasion and noâ— before the destruction of the Beast must as necessarily precede the second singing of it as the destruction of the Egyptians did the first And this the fourth verse doth confirme which shewes that by reason of Gods judgments which shall be made manifest unto the world at the singing of this song All Nations together shall come and worship before the Lord as the Prophets have said and as Saint Paul doth intimate by the comming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles Rom. 11.25 which thing cannot come to passe while Satan the deceiver of the Nations is at liberty and the Beast and false prophet his instruments are subsisting Mr. Petrie Neither albeit the first and fift and last vials be powred on the Beast followeth it that they were not powred till the last time of the destruction of the Beast seeing the Saints in heaven and on earth too may rejoyce for their particular victory over the Beast as yet reigning and the vials may be powred on the Beast at severall times even some of them on the Beast in the height of her pride to the end that men may have warnings of the judgements of God on the Beast in her greatest pompe Answer This also followes as the 1 verse of the 15 chapter doth witnesse where the seven vials are called the seven last plagues and why are they called so but because they were not to be powred out till the last time the time of the destruction of the Beast Impossible then it is that these last plagues these plagues which were to befall the Beast in her last time onely should befall her in her height of her pride in her greatest pompe that is long before her last time For this is all one as if you had said that the Beast then began to be destroyed when she was most insensible of her destruction when she had least cause to feare it And therefore though the Saints in heaven and on earth too may rejoyce for their particular victory over the Beast as yet reigning yet doubtlesse they shall not sing Moses song of thanksgiving for the utter overthrow of the Beast before the Beast be utterly overthrowne And though the vials were to be powred out at severall times yet as in their orderly powrings out they were suddenly to succeed each other so likewise they were all
appointed to contemporate with the last time of the Beast onely Mr. Petrie And the rather may we judge so that we finde such agreement in the principall termes of the seven trumpets and seven vials the second trumpet with the second viall the third trumpet with the third viall the fourth trumpet with the fourth viall the sixt trumpet with the sixt viall and the seventh trumpet with the seventh viall Now seeing the first trumpet is of the same time with the beginning of the Beast as he saith synchro 1. par 2. the first viall must be of that same time also and all the other synchronismes and expositions of texts that are grounded on the seventh synchronisme of the first part are wrong Answer If there be such agreement betwixt the trumpets and vials as you pretend the trumpets cannot possibly contemporate with the whole time of the Beast as you hold seeing the vials containe the last plagues that are to befall the Beast which could not beginne to be powred out while the Beast was to remaine in her height and much lesse could they beginne to be powred out as soone as the Beast began Whensoever therefore the trumpets were to beginne sure I am that there is not that agreement betwixt the trumpets and vials as you imagine For as the effects of the first and fift trumpets and vials agree not so neither doe the effects of the third fourth and sixt For at the sounding of the third trumpet the third part of the rivers and fountaines of waters doe become so bitter that men dye of them because they are made bitter Whereas at the powring out of the third viall the rivers and fountaines of waters are turned into bloud And at the sounding of the fourth trumpet the third part of the Sunne Moone and Starres is smitten with darkenesse whereas the fourth viall is powred on the Sunne onely and power given him thereby to scorch men with fire so that by reason of their great heat they blaspheme the Name of God which hath power over these plagues And at the sounding of the sixt trumpet the foure Angels bound in the great river Euphrates are loosed who with an extraordinary and miraculous Army destroy the third part of men whereas at the powring out of the sixt viall this river is dried up that the way of the Kings of the East might be prepared and the Kings of the earth and of the whole world are then also drawne together to the battell of the great Day of God Almighty by the Satanic all delusion of the Beast and false Prophet Which Army is destroyed by the plague of the seventh viall and not in the time of the sixt viall And therefore there is no such agreement in the principall termes of the seven trumpets and seven vials as will either conclude that they are of the same time or that all the other synchronismes and expositions of texts that are grounded on the seventh synchronisme of the first part are wrong Mr. Petrie Which I marke because the late Millenaries have been moved by the appearance of these synchronismes to embrace this opinion Answer The many proofes and prophecies which we alledge out of the Prophets the Evangelists the Acts and the Epistles as well as out of the Revelations doe abundantly testifie what moved us to embrace this opinion Even the same authority which moved this renowned Authour to embrace it and to take so much paines for the confirmation of it The fift Synchronisme of the second part followes whose arguments Mr. Petrie thus proposeth and answereth The first Argument FIrst he saith Doe not these woâ—ds Qui Bestiam non adoraverant shew that this Kingdome of Christ did sacceed unto the Beast his image and them that were marked with his marke For why should it be said of the sonnes of that Kingdome that they had not worshipped the Beast unlesse the Beast had gone before And truely the good office goeth before the reward in time c. Mr. Petrie's Answer Our former translation is more consonant unto the Greeke which saith They did not worship the Beast which is not the plusquamperfect time but so that at the same time the Beast is deceiving the world and the children of God doe not worship the Beast 2. The reward of them who worship not the Beast is in heaven and they follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Reply 1. Whether it be rendred They did not worship the beast or They had not worshipped the beast the difference is not materiall For if it followes from this last translation that the Kingdome of Christ spoken of in Revel 20. succeedes the Kingdome of the Beast it will follow as well from the first translation For doubtlesse They that did not worship the beast had not worshipped the beast And indeed though it be true That at the same time the beast is deceiving the world and the children of God doe not worship the beast Yet it is not true that the children of God are to receive their reward for not worshipping the beast at the same time in which they do not worship the beast And therefore seeing this vision did represent unto St. John the reward of the Saints for not worshipping the beast it must needes succeed the time in which the beast had power to torment them for not worshipping of him 2. That reward which the soules of them who worship not the beast are to receive while their bodies are in the graves is in beaver But the reward which is presently to follow the resurrection of their bodies at our Saviours appearing is to be with him on this earth for the space of a 1000 yeares and upwards as the contents of Revel 20. doe shew The second Argument This appeares yet more fully by the song of the Elders and beasts sung at the destruction of Babylon chap. 19.6 Hallelujah for the Lord God Almighty reigneth c. Mr. Petrie's Answer When the Bohemians saw the Armies of the Pope and the Empeperours turning their backes at the touch of Ziscah's drumme had they not just reason to sing Hallelujah for the Lord God Almighty reigneth let us rejoyce c. And so may the godly at every victory over the Popish Armies even before the resurrection Reply No doubt but the Bohemians had great reason to rejoyce and to praise God when they say the Armies of their enemies flye at the sound of Ziscah's drumme But yet as I cannot thinke that those Bohemians were represented by the great multitude which Saint John heard sing the hymne Rev. 19.6 7. or that they did then sing this hymne so I know that this hymne of praise is not referred by the Holy Ghost as you referre it to every particular victory over the Popish Armies but onely to the victory immediately recorded in the same chapter which is the victory which Christ himselfe shall have over the beast and false prophet when at his descending from heâ—ven to enter his Kingdome on earth he
ISRAELS REDEMPTION Redeemed OR The Jewes generall and miraculous conversion to the faith of the Gospel and returne into their owne Land And our Saviours personall Reigne on Earth cleerly proved out of many plaine Prophecies of the Old and New Testaments And the chiefe Arguments that can be alledged against these Truths fully answered Of purpose to satisfie all gainsayers and in particular Mr. Alexander Petrie Minister of the Scottish Church in Roterdam By ROBERT MATON the Author of Israel's Redemption Divided into two Parts whereof the first concernes the Jewes Restauration into a visible Kingdome in Judea And the second our Saviours visible Reigne over them and all other Nations at his next appearing Whereunto are annexed the Authors Reasons for the literall and proper sense of the plagues contain'd under the Trumpets and Vialls To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isaiah 8. v. 20. LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons and are to be sold by George VVhittington at the blew Anchor neere the Royall-Exchange 1646. ISAIAH 49. v. 13. c. SIng O Heaven and be joyfull O earth and breake forth into singing O mountaines for God hath comforted his people and will have mercy upon his afflicted But Sion said The Lord hath forsaken mee and my Lord hath forgotten me Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the Sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will not I forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands thy walls are continually before me Thy children shall make haste thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall goe forth of thee Lift up thine eyes round about and behold all these gather themselves together and come to thee as I live saith the Lord thou shalt surely cloth thee with them all as with an ornament and bind them on thee sa a Bride doth For thy waste and thy desolate places and the Land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the Inhabitants and they that swallowed thee up shall be farre away The children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say againe in thine eares The place is too straight for mee give place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine heart Who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my children and am desolate a captive and removing to and fro and who hath brought up these Behold I was left alone these where had they been c. ROM 11. VER 28. c. As concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake but as touching the election they are beloved for the Fathers sake For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance For as ye in times past have not believed God yet have now obtained mercy through their unbeliefe Even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtaine mercy For God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all TO THE READER Courteous Reader THere are two main obstacles which debarre men from the apprehension of Gods word the one a strange language the other a strange interpretation The first is proper to Papists the other is common to Protestants and Papists and is indeed the more dangerous seeing an unknowne tongue doth onely hide the truth from the unlearned and so may somewhat easily be avoyded but a false interpretation doth equally deprive both the wise and the simple of it and so causeth the blind to leade the blinde For whatsoever text of Scripture is expounded any otherwise then God meant by it it is according to its interpretation the word of man and not of God and consequently in adhering to such interpretations we believe not what God saith but what man doth make him say Now of Scriptures that are misunderstood some are so difficult that it is not possible to give a peremptory interpretation of them of which sort are some passages in Daniel in the Revelation and here and there in other parts of the Scripture and in these we should either confesse our ignorance or deliver our thoughts as evidences only of our desire to attaine to the perfect knowledge of Gods word Others againe are so plaine that every common and ordinary understanding if left to it selfe cannot choose but take them in their true sense and not in that which is thrust upon them by a false glosse And of these some have been a long time controverted and others have as long past unsuspected amongst which are the many Prophecies which God hath reveal'd touching the future restauration of the Jewes and the personall reigne of our Lord Jesus Christ on earth And surely whatsoever was the ground of the misinterpretation of these Prophecies at the first whether an hatred of the Jewes whom alone in their proper sense they doe concerne or some sinister and selfe-respects whatsoever I say was the ground of it at the first the continuance of it hath been occasioned by the inconsiderancie of the ungrounded application of the words Jew and Israelite indifferently to the Jewes and Gentiles and of the words Israel Sion and Jerusalem to the Church of the Gentiles when as there is not one text in all the Scripture wherein a Gentile is cal'd a Jew or an Israelite or wherein the Church of the Gentiles is cal'd Israel Sion or Jerusalem Those texts Rom. 2. ver 28. and 29. and chap. 9. ver 6. and 7. are both by Piscator and Pareus understood of the Jewes only And these words Gal. 6. ver 16. upon the Israel of God are both by the ordinary and interlineary glosses understood likewise of the Jewes onely so that it is as if the Apostle had said And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on those Gentiles and mercy and peace and mercy on those Jewes And surely if that text be not thus distinctly understood of the faithfull Jewes and Gentiles there will either be a tautologie in the words or else the last words must be understood of the Israel in blindnesse to whom the Apostle doth here also wish mercy according to that which he saith of them Rom. 10. ver 1. That his hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel was that they might be saved And that the Tribes of the children of Israel Rev. 7. ver 4. are properly to be understood Ribera and others acknowledge and Pareus though he enclines to an allegorical interpretation of them in his commentaries on the Revelation yet in his explication of the 18. doubt of the 11. chap. to the Rom. he thus resolutely determines against it Quod Oraculum ad literam de conversione Judaeorum planè intelligendum videtur quoniam Israelitae signati in frontibus ibi disertè discernuntú◠a signatis gentibus populis linguis reliquis ver 9. Which Prophecie saith he doth plainely seeme to
be understood of the conversion of the Jewes according to the letter because the sealed Iewes are expressely distinguisht from the sealed Nations people and tongues ver 9. To which we may adde and because the sealing of these Jewes all at once before the execution of the ensuing plagues doth imply that they should be all living when the plagues begin and while the plagues continue as we find them at the sounding of the sift Trumpet chap. 9. ver 4. And because also the plagues are not ordinary plagues but extraordinary not such plagues in which the sealed persons are to be any way sharers with the unsealed but such plagues as were brought on Pharaoh and his people when Israel was wholly exempted from them Moreover St. Paul Gal. 4. ver 25. c. is so farre from making Jerusalem that was then Jerusalem in her legall and Mosaicall estate a type of Heaven or of the Christian Church that he plainely affirmes she was an enemy to the children of promise the children of Jerusalem which is above ver 26. that is of Ierusalem which is to be restor'd from above for seeing Interpreters acknowledge that this free Ierusalem is not to be understood of a Ierusalem which is locally in Heaven but of a Ierusalem on earth cal'd Ierusalem which is above in respect of its originall and spirituall endowments from thence as Pareus observes seeing I say they acknowledge thus much they might in my conceit have seene as well that it could not be understood of the Church of the Gentiles the Christian Church that now is First because this could not be cal'd Jerusalem unlesse Jerusalem had been a type of it which the Apostle denies Secondly because the Apostle ver 25. distinguisheth Jerusalem in bondage as well in time as in condition from the free Ierusalem calling her Ierusalem that now is which argueth that the free Jerusalem was not then and consequently could not be meant of the Christian Church then also in being And thirdly the Prophecie which he alledgeth ver 27. out of Isaiah chap. 54. ver 1. * Isa 49. ver 13 14 15 16. c. Rejoyce thou barren that bearest not c. doth infallibly declare that he meant by the free Ierusalem which is the mother of us all the Ierusalem which shall be rebuilt and inhabited by Christ himselfe at his comming from Heaven with all the Saints For first this barren and desolate Jerusalem is oppos'd to the Gentile Nations ver 3. who are not said to be her seed or naturall people but to be inherited by her seed that is to be held tributaries by the Jewes as other Prophecies doe abundantly testifie And secondly this barren Jerusalem ver 6 7. is called a wife of youth when she was refused and said to be forsaken but for a moment in respect of the everlasting and immovable kindnesse with which she shall be received which cannot possibly be meant of the Gentiles to whom the Lord was not married and whom he tooke not for his people till this wife of youth was refused and forsaken And because she was to be a long time barren and desolate after her destruction by the Romans therefore the Apostle Heb. 13. ver 14. saith of her For here wee have no continuing City but wee looke for one to come which City to come is the City the Prophet here speakes of as remarried and more fruitfull after her barren and desolate estate then before and which the Apostle calls Jerusalem which is above and the free Jerusalem and of which also he saith Heb. 12. ver 22. But ye are come unto Mount-Sion and unto the * Psal 46. v. 4. Psal 48. v. 1.2 Psal 87. v. 3. Isa 60. v. 14. Ezek. 48. v. 35. City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company * Mat. 16. ver 27. 2 Thess 1. v. 7. Joh. 1â— v. 51. of Angels to the * Eph. 1. v. 10 11.13 14. Rev. 10. v. 7. Joh. 10. v. 16. generall Assembly and Church of the first-borne which are written in Heaven c. which doubtlesse may well be applyed to the Church triumphant on earth under Christ her Head with whom the Angels shall come and on whom they shall visibly attend at his next appearing but not to the Church now militant on earth as Piscator and Pareus apply this also And this may serve as a Lydius lapis as a touch-stone to shew how unadvisedly the words Jew Israel Sion and Jerusalem are figuratively expounded of the faithfull in generall And indeed seeing the Iewes before the incarnation of Christ did never call the Converts of the Gentiles Iewes but alwayes Proselytes it is not likely that the Apostles would then begin to call them Iewes when the believing Iewes themselves were in respect of their Faith to be called Christians and not Iewes Neither is it likely that the words Israel Iudah Sion Jerusalem c. should have been so often us'd in the Prophets without any intimation of a figurative sense yea with such evident circumstances and contents shewing the contrary if they had been mystically intended this also I say is nothing likely seeing in the Revelation the mysticall sense of Sodom and Egypt but once spoken of and of Babylon but seldome mentioned is plainely intimated unto us in the 11. and 17. chap. And for my owne part I am perswaded that the mysticall interpretation of the plaine Prophecies which concerne the Iewes future restauration in their owne Land and our Saviours and the Saints visible reigne over them and all other Nations hath been the occasion of the various and unsatisfactory interpretations of most part of the Revelation and of some part of Daniels visions and that Divines will neither concurre in Judgement nor come neare the truth in much of these obscure Prophecies till they agree upon the proper exposition of the foresaid plaine Prophecies as Mr. Mede that renowned Author calls them in the 293. and 294. pages of his Comment on the Apocalyps where he commends this to the consideration of them that are learned and able to judge of the mysteries of Divinity to wit Whether it be not the best and easiest way of dealing with the Iewes not to wrest the most cleare Prophecies touching the affaires of Christs second and glorious comming to his first but to perswade them that they are to expect no other Messias to accomplish all those things then that Iesus of Nazareth whom their fore-fathers crucifyed For while we thus wrest those most cleare Prophecies saith he the Iewes deride us and are the more hardned in their unbeliefe And doubtlesse this and the Idolatry of Papists are the principal motives which keep us at such a distance in affection that the ordinary meanes of salvation the preaching of the Gospel is neither exercised by us amongst them nor sought unto by them amongst us But yet these stumbling blocks shall neither hinder nor delay the extraordinary meanes of their salvation at
and a figurative sense is the literal or primarily intended sense of these words And contrarily unto this rule the Jewes and others expone the descriptions and prophesies of the glory and power of Christ and his Church after an earthly manner and so straying from the true meaning they transforme his spiritual Kingdom into an earthly and temporary which as it is ungodly so it is repugnant unto Scripture testifying plainly that his Church is all glorious within and not of this world and therfore these comparisons that are taken from earthly Kingdomes must be understood figuratively and in a spiritual sense at least it must be diligently observed what portion of every passage it to be understood properly and what figuratively seeing many times that which is spoken figuratively is exponed by the words preceding or following and all figurative speeches have some tokens of the use unto which they are directed or another text may be found where the same matter is more clearely handled These general rules being premitted it shall be easier to expone all the promises of Christ's Kingdom and especially that text Amos 9.15 They shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them saith the Lord thy God For these words may be cleared by the words Jer. 4.1 If thou wilt put away thy abominations out of my sight then thou shalt not remove Where we have the same promise but expressed with a condition and it is usual in the Scriptures that earthly promises are expressed sometimes with a condition and sometimes without it but alwaies are understood conditionally 2. By the acceptions of the word land which as it is not alwaies exponed of the earth so somtimes it is put for the grave as Iob 10. verse 21. The land of darknesse and shadow of death And for Heaven Psa 27.13 I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living And especially that land was a type of the Kingdom of Christ as it is said in the first rule and of the true inheritance of the Saints and true gift of God Deut. 4.1.38 And so whether the word land be taken properly or typically the promise is manifestly true both before and after the comming of Christ to suffer for they were brought againe into their land and they who were brought were not pulled out of their land and they are planted in their true land whence they shall no more be pulled ouâ—â— and hereby the large note on the margine of Page 9. is frustrated Answer Let this rule then which is a compound of several rules laid downe by others for the right interpreting of the Scriptures decide the matter in controversie betwixt us And doe not say but shew that the proper expositioÌ„ of the prophesies which coÌ„cerne our Saviours and the Saints visible reigne on earth the conversion deliverance and establishment of the Jewes in their owne land the destruction of their opposers and subjection of all other Nations unto them in a word which reveale unto us the chiefest events and alterations that shall come to passe over the whole world til the world it selfe shall passe away doth teach things contrary to the analogy of faith to honesty of manners to other cleare texts things frivolous and not belonging to godlinesse For surely if our proper exposition of these predictions doth teach ought of all this we may well be accounted for publishers of a new Gospel but if it doth teach nought of this you your selfe are worthy to be accounted but a partial preacher of the Gospel a preacher but of a part of the Counsell of God tel us therfore what article of faith or plaine text of Scripture or moral duty is destroy'd or oppugned by the beliefe of our Savâ—ours coming with the Saints to reigne on earth or of the Jewes conversion and returne or of the calling of all Nations to the faith of Christ and the knowledge of God And tel us too whether the knowledge of these things be a frivolous and unnecessary knowledge or a knowledge not belonging unto godlinesse Certainly we cannot conceive how the personal reigne of Christ on earth should any way abridge or weaken his spiritual power or abbreviate his Kingdom or that his Church should be lesse glorious when he comes into the world unto it then it hath been since he departed out of the world or can be as long as he is absent from it And we know that by our proper exposition of these prophecies we doe make a just distribution of the word of God that we give unto the Jew whatsoever belongs unto the Jew and to the Gentile whatsoever belongs unto the Gentile whereas you by your proper interpretation of the prophecies which concerne the Gentiles and your figurative exposition of the prophecies which concerne the Jewes doe keepe your owne things to your selfe and make the mercies prepared for others to be common mercies yea to be as much or more yours then theirs And as you hereby impose a figurative sense upon the spiritual part of the promises made unto the Jewes so you impose a double figurative sense upon the temporal part of the promises made unto them For first you interpret those outward and earthly promises as you call them of spirituall blessinges too and being so interpreted you understand them of the Gentiles as wel or rather then of the Jewes And this you make figurative speeches where you finde none and may indeed as easily make a figurative speech of any speech as thus interpret these prophecies But it is not the figurative and metaphorical oppression of a prophecy that doth make the prophecy to carry a figurative sense for both temporal and spiritual promises may be figuratively and metaphorically exprest but yet they are not to be figuratively understood that is prophecies of temporal things however exprest are not to be understood of spiritual blessings neither are prophecies of spiritual or temporal things whether figuratively or properly exprest to be understood of any besides those of whom they are plainly prophecied In a word prophecies however exprest are to be understood of what they speake where they speake of temporal things they are to be understood onely of temporal things and where they speake of spiritual things they are to be understood onely of spiritual things And of whom they speake where they speak plainly of Christ they are to be understood of Christ onely and where they sptake plainly of the Jewes they are to be understood of the Jewes onely and where they speake plainly of the Gentiles they are to be understood of the Gentiles onely and where they speake generally and indifferently of both they are to be understood of both And in like manner where they speake plainly of Canaan and Jerusalem or Sion they are to be understood of them onely Thus much for your rules which whosoever shall embrace he will doubtlesse be no better friend to the truth we
hold then you your selfe are that which follows is your explication of these words Amos 9. verse 15. They shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them saith the Lord God Which passage you answer First by that text Jer. 4. verse 1. where you say we have the same promise but expressed with a condition How the same promise certainly the promise in Jer. was made to Israel before she went into captivity before that judgement was come upon her for her abominations But the promise in Amos is made to Israel after she should come out of captivity after the wrath of God against her should cease And whereas you say further that it is usuall in the Scriptures that earthly promises are expressed sometime with a condition and sometime without it but are alwaies understood conditionally It is to be noted that here you confesse the promise Amos 9. verse 14 15. to be an earthly or outward promise and conditionally understood which pag. 8. you interpret of spiritual houses and benefites as you doe also that text Isa 65. verse 21. in your preface and others in other places And yet it is not true that all outward and earthly promises are conditional promises for those which are mixed with spiritual promises as in Jer. 32. verse 37. c. and in Ezek. 36. verse 24. c. and in many other prophecies or that doe contemporate with such outward and bodily promises as are mixed with spiritual promises as this of Amos doth those earthly promises I say cannot be conditional promises seeing the spiritual promises with which they contemporate are promises of the condition it self And therfore the prophecy of Amos chap. 9. verse 11. c. is an absolute prophecy a prophecy hereafter to be fullfild when the Spirit of God shal be powred on the Jewes from on high as it is Isa 32. verse 15. c. And not a conditionall prophecy a prophecy formerly canceld for want of obedience Secondly you answer the foresaid text of Amos by shewing a different acception of the word land which you say as it is not alwaies expounded of the earth so sometimes it is put for the grave and for Heaven But the instances by which you would prove this doe faile you very much for besides that mens graves are in the earth it is not the word land of it selfe but this phrase of speech the land of darkenesse that is put for the grave Job 10. verse 21. and the land of the living that is us'd Psal 27. verse 13. which doth not signify Heaven as the Authours of the English annotations on the whole Bible printed 1645. doe observe but the surface of the earth on which the living are at the land of darkenesse doth a place under the superficies of the earth where the bodies of the dead remaine And happily David spake here of the land of Canaan in relation to the time in which Christ himselfe and all the Saints that are to come with him should have their abode in it in which respect as it may properly so it may very fitly too be cald the land of the living of the living that shall die no more But if this phrase did signify Heaven as you say yet it will no more follow from these words that the land of Canaan was a type of Heaven then it will follow from those in the 10. of Job that it was a type of the grave And sure we are that Amos prophecy is to be fullfild in the land whither the text saith that the Israelites shall returne from their captivity and where they shall build themselves houses and plant vineyards from which they shall no more be carried captives as they have formerly been For the meaning of there words that they shall no more be pulled up out of their land is parallel with that Dan. 2. verse 44. that their Kingdom shall not be left to other people And here also it is to be noted that this part of your answer doth crosse the former part For there you say that this prophecy of Amos was a conditional prophecy and so not accomplished for want of obedience in the Jewes and yet here you say that they were brought againe into their land and that they were not pulled out of their land but are planted in their true land whence they shall no more be pulled out so that here you exalt those Jewes up to Heaven which before you did thrust downe to Hell for not fulfilling the condition required of them and therfore you must know your owne minde better in understanding the Scripture and speake more significantly and truly then you doe in this inference before you can frustrate the marginal note in the 9. page of my booke To my booke accused Welcome my booke more welcome unto mee With stripes and wounds then to have scaped free 'T is all I lookt for when I sent thee forth That most would deem thee vile and of no worth For 't is the lot of truth as 't is of those That godly live to have the most her foes And sure where wrested Scripture doth withhold The beames of truth and give us drosse for gold There nought a truth more doubtful can conclude Then doth the favour of the multitude Which hadst thou purchast I should then have fear'd I had obscur'd what now I hope I 've cloar'd And shall by God's assistance still make good Against all bawlings of the carping brood ISRAELS REDEMPTION REDEEMED The first part Jsraels Redemption THat Christ is already a Mat. 1. v. 20.21 Luk 2.11 Ioh. 1.29.30 c. come that as a Prophet he hath b Maâ— 4.17 Luk. 4.15 c. cald us to repentance and aâ— a Priest hath been a c 1 Ioh. 2. Heb. 2.17 Rom. 3.25 propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world having by d Heb. 9.28 ch 10.14 Mar. 8.31 Ioh. 10.15 Rev. 5.9 once offering himself perfected for ever them that are sanctified is the faith of Christians and the infidelity of the Jewes But that he shall come as a King to raigne on earth and restore againe the Monarchy of Israel is the faith of the Jewes and the infidelity of Christians And I thinke it a matter equally difficult to perswade either part to the mutual embracement of each others beliefe Mr Petries answer What new spirit is this Whether be such persons Jewes or Christians they oppose themselves unto all Jewes and Christians 2. Whether doe they understand the difference twixt Jewes and Christians It was never yet heard that the Jewes doe beleeve that Christ Jesus shall come as a King they said Away with him wee will not have him to raigne over us They say that the Messias shall come but they speake not of his comming twice or thrice looke all the Iewish Rabbies and aske them who are alive they will say but once This conceit of Christs comming to raigne
context declares the matter enquired of is the restauration of the captivated Soveraignty of the Jewes as the text it selfe doth informe us These are the parts yet because it would be impertinent in this businesse to speake any thing of the persons but onely as their joynt authority may help somewhat to justifie the truth of this proposall I shall omitting this division onely glance at them in the ensuing confirmation of the subject Which comprehends in it these two assertions First That the Kingdom of the Jewes shall againe be restored unto them Secondly That our Saviour at his comming shall restore it Mr. Petrie's Answer The Querie comprehends neither of the two because as I said it affirms nothing And the asked matter comprehends them not Not the first because it is of the Kingdom of Israel and not of the Jewes and as all are not Israelites who are of Israel Rom. 9.6 so neither are they all Israelites or the children of God who are of Israel according to the flesh but the children of the promise are counted for the seed therefore the Kingdom of Israel mentioned there may he another then the Kingdom of the Jewes Neither is the other assertion comprehended it the question because it askes not of his second or third comming but of now wilt thou now restore the Kingdom Reply The Querie comprehended both because both are intimated in the Querie and doe necessarily follow from the Querie And you have not shewed us any Querie that affirms nothing nor in what sense this Querie doth affirme nothing In the asked matter there is the Kingdom to be restored and from hence proceeds the first assertion And the person that should restore it and from hence proceeds the second assertion But the first is not here comprehended you say because the Querie is of the Kingdom of Israel and not of the Jewes as if the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of the Jewes were not to be understood of the same people No say you For all are not Israelites who are of Israel Rom. 9.6 a worthy reason for it is as if you should say by the Kingdom of Israel cannot be meant the Kingdom of the Jewes because all that are Israelites by birth are not elect Israelites Israelites according to the flesh and according to faith also For this onely iâ— the meaning of the text cited by you Rom. 9.6 and so proves not that the Kingdom in the text belongs to any other people language or nation but the Jewes of whom alone interpreters doe understand it And therefore you should have spoken out and told us plainly what the other Kingdom you speake of was For we know of no more but two besides this in Question betwixt us And these are commonly cal'd the Kingdom of grace by which is meant the Saints or Church on earth before Christs appearing And the Kingdom of glory by which is meant the Saints or Church in Heaven And that neither of these Kingdoms is meant in the text I prove thus Not the Kingdom of grace for at that time the Jewes themselves alone were this Kingdom and that could not be restored unto them which as yet they had not lost and not the Kingdom of glory for that likewise could not be restor'd which as yet they had not And none can imagine that the Apostles Querie is thus to be paraphrased Lord wilt thou at this tiâ—â— take all the faithfull up with thee into Heaven And therefore seeing it could not be meant of either of these Kingdoms it must be meant of the Kingdom of the Jewes on earth or of none Which is our first assertion And the other is comprehended here too For although the Querie askes not of his second comming but of now yet seeing Christ was to restore it and did it not while he was on earth it necessarily follows that he shall doe it at his descending againe to the earth Which is our second assertion and thus both are found in the text And besides if you take the word 8 as all are not Israel who are of Israel in the Apostles meaning i. e. all are not faithfull Israelites that are descended of Israel then it is an apparent tautology to add so neither are they all Israelites or the children of God that are of Israel according to the flash and if you doe not take the Apostles words in this sense then it is notoriously false to say that all are not Israelites to wit by nation who are of Israel by birth And is it not a pretty inference All Israelites are not Israelites therefore the Kingdom of Israel there may be another then the Kingdom of the Jewes Surely you might as well have said therefore the Pope shall be St. Peters successour For this conclusion hath as much dependence on the anteâ—eden as the other Israel's Redemption CHAP. I. Of the restoring of Jerusalem and the Jewes returne ANd first of the first That the Kingdom of the Jewes shall again be restor'd unto them For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againâ— the Kingdom in Israel So evidently doe these words expresse an earthly Kingdom I meane onely a Kingdom to be held on earth that no expositor which I have met with doth deny it and therefore seeing they could not but imbrace the sense me thinks they should not so rashly have rejected the consequence And that for these reasons Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. Me thinkes you speake non-sense Manâ— expositours expone these words otherwise seeke and you shall finde Secondly why may wee not thinke that the Apostles meaned as Simeon did Luk. 2.30 31 32. or as the repenting thief did Luke 23.42 or as Christ did verse 43. certainly these did not meane of an earthly Monarchy neither is there my word in this text shewing that they meaned otherwise Thirdly albeit no expositour would deny that the Apostles did understand an earthly Kingdom yet it followse not They thought so therefore it shall be so No more then it follows The Apostles did not for a time beleeve the calling of the Gentiles Act. 11.3 therefore the Gentiles are not called But the consequence hath reasons he saith whereof the first two are topicall and by way of probabilitie pag. 5. When the Authour saith The reasons are probable and I may say childish will any Christian change his faith for them certaine faith should have sure grounds lest the wind of tentation blow it away and therefore I might leave these prohabilities as not worthy of reading or answer neverthelesse consider them Reply 1. Me thinks you might as wel have shewed the non-sense as said it was non-sense But many expositours you say expone these words otherwise This shews not that I have spoken non-sense in saying that I have met with no such But I doubt it shews that you speake an untruth which is worse then non-sense For you might as easily have nam'd some of them as have said it and bid me looke
askt but onely for seeking to know more in it then is fitting they should know And this reason is alledg'd for the same purpose For whereas our Saviour gave a sharper answer here to the sonnes of Zebedee then he did to the Apostles and yet granted withall that the thing they spake for should be given to some it is altogether unlikely that where he used a milder reproofe he did therby deny that the thing which was askt should at any time be done especially seeing in both answers it was for the motives of their asking onely and not for the matter that they were reprehended And therefore you having not answered ought to the force of this reason but onely caught at that which was not intended I might well passe by all that you have thus impertinently spoken but yet I will say somewhat to it though not much First then I grant that these sonnes of Zebedee spake of Christ's glorious Kingdom and that the Apostles understood the same Kivgdom but I conclude not from hence as you doe that this Kingdom shall not be on earth which expositours say as well these as the Apostles did meane and that because Christ shall come in glory and reigne in glory as you may see Mat 16. verse 27 28. 2 Thess 1. verse 7 8 9 10. Heb. 1. verse 6. Jude 14 15. ver Rev. 11. verse 15. chap. 15. verse 4. Psal 72. Psal 102. verse 13. c. Isa 2. verse 2 3 4. Zach. 14. verse 4 5. c. But I thus conclude from hence against your answer to my former reason that seeing the Apostles meant the same Kingdom that these two did therefore they meant a Kingdom which should be and not a Kingdom which should not be 2. But if Christ in his answer had spoken of an earthly Kingdom how say you was it not in his power to choose his princes in that Kingdom And how doth it appeare that he spake rather of an earthly Kingdom then of one in Heaven if we say he had this power for why he should have this power on earth rather then in Heaven you cannot conceive And seeing you would have the reader take this for a currant argument from you to shew that Christ in his answer to these Zebedites did not speake of an earthly Kingdom to wit because he seemed to deny that he had power to choose his princes therein will you your selfe take it for a currant argument from us to shew that Christ did speake of an earthly Kingdom if he had power to choose his princes therein if you will not then you would have the reader to esteem better of your argument then you your selfe doe And if you will you must needs grant that you have herein argued against your selfe For whereas our Saviour said it is not mine to give he meant not that he had nothing to doe in the giving of it But this he meant that it was not his to give indifferently to any that should aske it as the words which you have omitted in this reason doe shew for he could give it to none but those to whom the Father had eternally appointed it to be given and to them he could and should give it For the Father giveth it by the Sonne in the temporal accomplishment of it and the Sonne giveth it from the Father according to the eternall appointment of it as the text it selfe in the original clearly shews For it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not mine to give but to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Israel's Redemption Thus farre wee have argued topically by way of probability But that which seemes to me clearly to quit our Apostles from error though not from oblivion from error I say in the subject though not in cercumstance in the thing demanaded though not in the season of it's performance is because I finde my text to be a lesson read to them by our Saviour before his passion For speaking of the destruction of the Jewes They shall fall said he by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Hierusalem shall be trodden downe of the Gentiles untill the times of the Gentiles be fullfild Luke 21. at the 24. verse ◠Isa 32.15 Act. 3.21 and at the 28. verse having before shewne what signes should immediately foregoe his appearing he left them this Cordiall when these things begin to come to passe then looke up and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Behold here Beloved the casting away of God's people for a time which wee see at this day verified and their receiving againe for-ever which shall as certainly come to passe plainly foretold The Redemption I say not onely of their soules from the bondage of sinne to the favor of God by the profession of the Gospel but consequently of their bodies too from their generall captivity to the repossessing of their countrey by a miraculous deliverance For if no more should be meant by the word Redemption but the meere conversion of the Jews in those places where now they live it cannot be conceived why this action should be accompanied with such wonderfull tokens and perplexity of all other nations as is here mentioned unlesse we shall admit no space of time betwixt this conversion and that instant in which our Saviour shall give sentence on the dead which I suppose few or none will yeeld to And if you seriously consider the evidence of the prophets I am confident you will confesse That a most righteous and flourishing estate of the Jewes in their owne land must of necessity distinguish the time of their calling and the worlds dissolution at the last judgement Mr. Petrie's Answer Who being right in his wit will learne of one word Redemption that the Jewes shall have an earthly Kingdom over all nations Our Saviour is not speaking there of an earthly Kingdom nor of the conversion of the Jewes but as he speaks and expones himselfe verse 31. Know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand and this is a matter of greater encouragement then any earthly Kingdome can be unto spirituall minded persons and therefore when they wrestle against the understanding of the Jewes conversion in these words they fight against their owne fancies Now if they cannot finde clearer texts in the new Testament for this earthly Monarchy every understang Christian will reject the misapplying of the prophets seeing every ground of faith is revealed more clearly in the new Testament then in the Old Neverthelesse let us heare the particular proofes Reply Who that enjoyes the benefit of understanding will not find how grosly you abuse the Author and dissemble with the Reader when purposely overpassing the main ground here alledged for the earthly kingdom of the Jews you make as though there were no other light for it but in this one word Redemption which hath in it self none but a borrowed light to wit as it hath
the children of Israel here comprehending all such Israelites as were then departed or should afterwards depart in the true faith of Christ before the casting off of that Nation before the giving of it up to a generall captivity and infidelity and the receiving of the Gentiles in their stead and the remnant of his brethren comprehending all the faithfull Israelites whose conversion is presently to follow the accomplisht conversion of the substituted Gentiles And besides seeing the Babylonish captivity whither the Jews were carried away captives for their idolatry is foretold in the 4. Ch at the 9. and 10. ver why should we think that here again the same captivity is threatned and not rather as some Expositors say their captivity by the Romans for crucifying their Sâ— ioâ—r with the story of whose vile usage amongst the nâ—tâ— words of the Prophet do so punctually agree For the â—hall smite the Juâ—â—e of Israel with a â—od upon the cheek saith Mâ—â—h v. 1 And whâ—â— tâ—ey had blindfolded him they stroke him on the face and asked him saying prophesie who is it that smâ—te thee saith Luke 22. v. 64. which words you have craftily conceal'd and the words of St. Paul also Rom. 11. v. 25. alledged to shew that by She which travaileth is meant the calling of the substituted Gentiles And yet for all this as if all were plain on your side and nothing so on ours you can boldly conclude therefore this Exposition not agreeing with the text all that follows upon it hath no ground in the text Of which now the matter hath been pleaded on by both let the indifferent judge Israel's Redemption And this the next verse doth confirm which tels us that at the time of this return He that is the Judge of Israel before spoken of that he I say shall stand and feed or rule in the strength of the Lord in the Majestie of the Name of the Lord his God and they that is the Jews shall abide for now that is at this coming of our Saviour be shall be not as when he took our nature upon him of no form a Isa 53.2 3. nor comlinesse a man despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs but he shal be b Zech. 9.10 Psal 72.8 great unto the ends of the earth that is over all the world untill he and his shall at the last judgement exchange the earthly Jerusalem the Throne c Jer. 3.17 Ch. 14.21 of his Kingdom which is to be d Jer. 31.38 built again by men for that e Rev. 21. empireall Jerusalem not made with hands eternall in the heavens Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. He is the ruler of Israel mentioned ver 2. and not the Judge mentioned v. 1.2 They are not the Jews but rather the brethren of whose return he spake in the words immediately preceding 3. Now signifieth not the time of Christ's second coming but the time of the abiding or of the Christians constant persevering in the faith And in this sense is our Saviour great over all the world seeing all the Centiles praise him and all people do land him as it is written Rom. 13.10 11. But at his second coming men shall not build a throne to him but he shall judge the quick and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 Reply 1. He is both the Ruler mention'd in the 2. vers and the Judge mention'd in the 1. ver and therefore call'd the Judge of Israel and not of Judah or Jerusalem because Israel comprehends all the Tribes which in the time of our Saviour's reign are again to be reunited As Isaiah Jeremiah and Ezekiel do shew 2. They are the Jews and so are the remnant of his brethren whose return is mention'd in the words immediately foregoing For the beleeving Gentiles can neither be said to return to the faith which the Nations of whom they came never had Nor in respect of their faith to the Israelites to whom they had before no relation And their abiding is meant of the place where they should dwell from whence they should be no more remov'd as in former times and not of the perseverance of faith in any from which no true beleever hath ever been remov'd 3. Now is apply'd here to the time in which Christ shall be great unto the ends of the earth that is both known fear'd and obey'd over all the earth and so signifieth the time after his second coming and not the time that now is in which he is acknowledged but of a few Nations and amongst them too fear'd and obey'd by a very small company And yet you can tell us without blushing that he is already great over all the world seeing all the Gentiles praise him and all people do land him What Turks Arabians Chinois and heathens of America I pray apply the Scriptures more pertinently For St. Paul did not alledge those prophecies touching the Gentiles Ch. 15. v. 10 11. to shew that all Gentiles did praise God when he wrote that Epistle or that they should do so at any time before Christ should come to reign over both Jews and Gentiles too but to shew that God had as well appointed Christ to be a Saviour to the Gentiles as to the Jews that so he might move them both to agree the better together and to bear with the infirmities of each other and to receive one another as Christ had received them to the glory of God in suffering for both and in sending the Gospel to be preacht indifferently to both And whereas you say that at Christs second coming men shall not build a Throne to him but he shall judge the quick and the dead I say that as well the first as the last must be done And for the building of Jerusalem see Jer. 31. v. 38. c. and Ezek. 48. v. 15.30 c. and Zech. 14. v. 10 11. and then hear also what Jer. hath said Ch. 3. v. 17. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the Name of the Lord to Jerusalem neither shall they walke any more after the imagination of their evil heart c. and therefore surely more must be done by Christ at his second comming then you meane by the judging of the quicke and the dead Israel's Redemption Another prophecy much like unto this is that of Amos in his 9. chap. at the 8. verse Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinfull Kingdom and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob saith the Lord. For loe I will command and I will fift the house of Israel among all Nations like as corne is sifted with a seive yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth And at the 11. verse In that day will I raise up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen and close up the breaches thereof and
Redemption The next prophecy shall be that of Joel who mentions the very signes which our Saviour said should be the immediate fore-runners of the Jewes Redemption And it shall come to passe afterwards saith he in his 2. chap. at the 28 ver that I will powre out my spirit upon all flesh and your sinnes and your daughters shall prophecy your old men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those dayes will I powre out my spirit and I will shew wonders in the Heavens and in the earth blood and fire and pillars of smoake the Å¿ Isa 24. v. 23. Mat. 24. v. 29. Rev. 6. v. 12. Sun shall be turned into darkenesse and the Moone into blood before the * Great not onely in regard of the strangenesse and dreadfulnes of events of things then to come to passe but great also in regard of the long continuance and tract of time which God in his revelations hereafter to be fulfild doth by the word Day as well without this epither as with it frequently import great and terrible t Ezek. 39.8 Mal. 4.5 Iude 6. Rev. 16.14 Day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered for in Mount Zion and in Hierusalem shall be deliverance as the Lord hath said and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call And in the 3. chap. at the 1. ver Behold in those daies and in that time when I shall bring againe the captivity of Judah and Hierusalem I will also gather all Nations and will bring them downe into the valley of Jehosaphat which in the 14. verse is called the valley of decision and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel whom they have scattered among the Nations and parted my Land And at the 15. verse againe The Sun and the Moone shall be darkened and the starres shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roare out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the u Isa 2.19 c. Ezek. 38.19.20 Hag 2.22 Mat. 24.29 Rev. 16.18 ch 6.13.14 Heavens and the earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Mr. Petrie's Answer The Apostle Peter not onely makes use of these words but expones them and shewes the accomplishment of them in some degree as it is said in the sixth rule before for Act. 2.16 he saith This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel And it shall come to passe in the last daies c. And verse 22. Ye men of Israel heare these words Jesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among you by miracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of you as ye your selves know Reply The Apostle repeats but expounds not the Prophets words and consequently shewes not the accomplishment of ought that the Prophet affirms shall be done All that he shewes is this That the thing which then happened to the Apostles was the worke of the same spirit which Joel spake of but he saith not that it was the same worke The same spirit indeed was then powred out but it was not the same powring out of the spirit And for want of distinguishing betwixt the effusion of the same spirit and the same effusion of the spirit you affirme that those things which the Prophet saies the spirit shall doe not long before the Lord's second comming were then done at his first comming And the reason you bring from St. Peters words Act. 2. verse 22. to shew that the prophecy of Joel was then fulfild in part is a very strange one For the Prophet shewes what others shall doe through the extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit before the Day of the Lord comes and the words you have alledg'd doe shew what works Christ himselfe did when he was come Israel's Redemption I am not ignorant that the darkening of the Sun and Moone is sometimes taken allegorically and by way of allusion but that therefore it should be so understood here it doth not follow for where it is figuratively applyed it signifies the judgement it selfe which is to befall those people of whom it is spoken but where it is literally used it is put onely for a signe of an eminent destruction which shall suddenly follow it as the great and terrible Day of the Lord shall doe at the accomplishment of this prophecy Mr. Petrie's Answer Where the darkenesse of the Sun and so it may be understood of the Moone is used properly it is not put onely for a signe of an eminent and imminent destruction as it is manifest Luke 23.45 which was a Testimony from Heaven of Christ's innocency for conviction of the murtherers and chap. 21.25 the signes in the Sun and Moone and in the starres and the distresse of Nations upon the earth with perplexity and the roaring of the sea and waves are all to be understood properly as signes before the great and terrible Day of the Lord. So what is promised in the 28. and 29. verses of the second chap. of Joel was truely albeit not altogether fulfilled in the daies of Peter even how-beit the words of the 30. and 31. verses be properly understood and not wholly fulfild til the time immediately preceding the last comming of Christ Reply That the darkning of the Sun or of the Moone properly taken especially if supernaturall as this here is a signe of an eminent and imminent destruction you confesse but that it is onely so you deny And were this true I have not spoken much out of the way But the instance you bring of the darkning of the Sun at the time of our Saviours passion makes nothing for you For whereas you say it was a testimony from Heaven of Christ's innocency for conviction of the murtherers the historie of the Gospel tels you no such thing and interpreters are against you Sicut enim Deus tenebris involvebat terram Aegyptum sic etiam nunc totam Judâ—â—am in signum iraâ—i Dei et futurae poenae saith Pareus on the 27. chap. of Mat. at the 45. verse that is As God did once bring darknesse on the land of Egypt so likewise did he now on the land of Judea as a signe of his wrath and their ensuing punishment So Chrysostome too It was an undoubted signe of Gods anger for that which they did against him And Origen It was a presage of the future darknesse which should over-spread the whole Jewish Nation To which Dr. Mayer consents and with Origen concludes from the time of the darknesse continuance being three houres that the Jewish Nation should be in darknesse till about the Evening of the world Although then Christ's innocency may well be gathered from it yet for ought I can finde you goe alone in alledging it as a reason of the darknesse
then wrought within them I can hardly thinke that any man but you will say otherwise And by your leave it was the Apostles speaking with other tongues which made the Multitude come together and at which they were confounded as the 4 5 6 7. ver c. doe shew And not the sound of the rushing winde that filled the house where the Apostles were sitting when the appearance of cloven tongues like as of fire came and sate upon each of them For this was past and St Peter speakes not of it but shewes onely that their speaking thus in divers languages was the worke of the same Spirit of which Joel had spoken And your conclusion therefore Peter citeth the words pertinently which I dare say none is so likely to doubt of as your selfe hangs as loosely to your premises as the premises doe to that which I have said Israel's Redemption And secondly because as the Prophet revealed so he repeates the powring out of the Spirit as a contemporary event with the wonders which shall be shewne in the Heavens and in the earth before the great and terrible Day of the Lord come Which Day can no way be referred to the first comming of Christ when he came to save x Luk. 19.56 ch 19.10 Ioh. 12.97 sinners and not to destroy them When he would not take upon him to be a y Luk. 12.14 Ioh. 6.15 Judge and Ruler over them For then too the donation of the Spirit must have been an antecedent of his birth of the time he lived and not a subsequent of his death and departure which hath no analogy with a day It remaines then that it is an expression of his second comming which is called a great and terrible Daâ— in regard of the generall destruction which shall be brought on all Nations that oppose themselves against the Jews at that time For in mount Zion and in Hierusalem as you have heard shall be deliverance and in the Remnant whom the Lord shall call Mr Petrie's Answer 1. Joel saith not that the powring out of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible day of the Lord come but he shewes so many things preceding the comming of our Saviour neither may we thinke that all these things shall be fulfilled in the same juncture of time if all be accomplished even in severall times the prophecy abides true 2. That day or time was terrible for it is written Act. 2.6 the multitude came together and were confounded or troubled in minde because that every man heard them in his owne language and they were all amazed and marvelled verse 22. a man approved among you by miracles wonders and figues Whereby it is manifest that even to the sight of these Jews that time of Christ's comming was terrible albeit his second comming shall be more terrible in regard of the generall destruction which shall â—e on all Nations not for opposing themselves against the Jews as they imagine but for their not acknowledging God and not obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.8 Reply 1. Now you tell us that Joel saith not that the powring of the Spirit shall not be til the great and terrible Day of the Lord come Neither have we said he doth for had he said so the Spirit could not at that time have been powred on the Apostles But yet Joel saith that that particular powring out of the Spirit of which he speaks is to be a signe of the neere approach of that terrible Day and therefore cannot til that time be accomplisht Although then we thinke not that all the things which Joel speake of are to be fulfilled in the same juncture or moment of time yet we thinke that they shall be all accomplisht in a very short time But to say that one of these things shall be accomplisht in one age and another in the next or some hundreds of yeares after and so of the rest is to make the word of God of none effect For Joel speakes of these things as immediately to ensue if not to contemporate with each other and speake but of one powring out of the Spirit and that also to be a forerunner of the Day of Christ's second comming and therefore it can be but once fulfilled and that onely in its proper season 2. But you will make good all that you have said by and by For the Day of our Saviour's first comming was terrible you say And that because it is written Act. 2.6 The multitude came together and were confounded because every man heard them speake in his owne language and they were all amazed and marvelled and verse 22. a man approved amongst you by miracles wonders and signes And did this make him terrible what then could make him comfortable If to save sinners to cast out Devils to raise the dead to open the eyes of the blinde the eares of the deafe to loose the tongues of the dumbe the feet of the lame to heale the lunaticke and them that had palsies in a word to cure all diseases did terrify the Jews what could he doe to make his presence delightfull unto them O what a terrible message the Angel came with when he said Behold I bring you tydings of great joy which shall be to all people Luk. 2.10.11 for unto you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord O what a terrible noise was made when a multitude of heavenly Spirits praised God saying Glory to God in the Highest on earth peace good will towards men O what terrible doings there were ver 13 14. when Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom Mat. 4.23 and healing all manner of sicknes and all manner of diseases among the people O what a terrible sight it was when so many thousands of hungry soules were sed with five loaves and two fishes These were wonders indeed but all things that are wonderfull ch 14.23 are not terrible but such onely as are either punishments or signes of punishments otherwise though they cause amazement at the first as surpassing the reach of naturall causes yet being intended for man's good they occasion gladnesse and not feare unlesse it be a pious feare which well consists with joy in the Holy Ghost For shame then recall this doctrine and thinke not to make any one beleeve that the sicke person will be afraid to heare of his health or the condemned prisoner of his pardon and til you can doe this perswade not your selfe that you can prove our Saviour's presence terrible in the Day of his humiliation wherein he was approved for so many signes miracles and wonders wrought onely to make men lay hold on the meanes of their eternall happines And if the history of these things be so wonderfully pleasant unto us what was the performance to such as saw them and the benefit of the miracles to such
battle is in the time of the sixt vial after which follows another vial and time of trouble mentioned in the rest of that chap. of the Revel 2. We may be perswaded that the gathering of the Nations Joel 3.2 is not to be understood of a battle after the comming or at the comming of Christ if we consider the words of the first verse for behold in these dayes and in that time c. Heknitteth this chap. with the preceding and shewes the contents of both to be at the same time which is not any particular yeare or age but comprehends the whole deliverance of Israel or people of God which was begun when the captive Jews were brought from Babylon and continues til Christ's second comming as if the Prophet had said When the Lord shall deliver his people it shall not be a short and moment any deliverance but this protection shall continue til he have avenged him of all the enemies of his Church As for the Name of the valley of Jehoshaphat there is no necessity to understand thereby the valley of blessing 2 Chro. 20.26 seeing that valley never hath this name in the Scripture neither is it possible that all the Nations of the world can conveen in that place but the name may rather be taken appellatively for the valley of God's judgement as the Hebrew word imports and the words following allude thereunto whereby the Prophet teacheth us to consider the etymologie of the Name and neverthelesse he would have us to consider the gracious deliverance of Jehoshaphat that he will as certainly deliver his people in all ages as he did Jehoshaphat And this is a more glorious trophee then if any one Nation were kept a thousand yeares in worldly prosperity Reply 1. My words doe shew that this prophecy of Joel cannot be meant of the time of Christ's Judging the dead when they shall be all called out of their graves as it is commonly expounded and that because it speakes of the gathering together of a great Army against the Jews but not after Christ's comming which opinion you falsely attribute to me although against his comming as the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. at the 12 13 14. ver doth shew for that Army is to be gathered into Armageddon in the time of the sixth vial and to be destroy'd at the powring out of the seventh vial by our Saviour and his Heavenly Host as the 15. ver of the same chap. and the latter part of the 19. chap. of the Rev. from ver the 11. c. doe plainly declare 2. That which you here begin with was the ground of the former part of your answer but on what ground I know not for I deny that this prophecy doth speake of a battle after Christ's comming albeit I doe affirme that our Saviour's comming shall be when this great Army is gathered together against the Jews as ready to destroy them And your shewing the coherence of this chapter with the precedent doth make more against you then you are aware of for it is remarkeable that you rightly conclude from hence that the Prophet shewes the contents which I have urged out of both being in the Hebrew all in one chapter to be at the same time And yet you say presently after that this same time is not any particular yeare or age but comprehends all the time from the Jews returne from Babylon to the second comming of Christ which is as if you had said This particular time is not a particular time but many particular times yea thousands of particular times This same time is not the same time but more then the same time yea as much more then the same time as is from the Jews returne from Babylon to this same time For the text in the originall points emphatically to one particular time as the seperate pronounes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subjoyn'd to their substantives with the praefix 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe shew So that it is as if the Prophet had said In those selfe same dayes and in that very time in which I shall bring againe the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem I will also gather all Nations c. And besides how I pray can the signes that are to be shewed more often then any man knows or in any part of so large a time as you speake of all which your exposition grants foreshew the neernesse of the terrible Day of the Lord which yet is the onely end of the wonders that Joel saith shall be shewed in the Heavens and in the earth at that time For our Saviour Mat. 24. Luk. 21. speaks of the same darkening of the Sun and Moone that the Prophet doth and if his word may be taken these signes shall as infallibly shew the neere approach of his second comming as the shooting forth of the leaves of the figgtree doth shew that the summer is nigh at hand And thus the emphasi◠of the Hebrew text and our Saviour's intimation of the true extent of the time betwixt these signes and his appearing the accomplishment of which signes you confesse to be at the time of the deliverance which the Prophet foretels doth both discover how notoriously false your exposition of the same time is And therefore the sense which you by this means would thrust upon the prophet must needs be your owne likewise and not the Prophet's For the Prophet speakes here but of one Army and the parallel prophecy Rev. 16. speakes but of one Army and Ezek. who foreshewes the same battle speakes but of one Army and they all say that the Iews onely are to be opposed by this Army and that a sudden destruction shall come on this Army and consequently the deliverance here spoken of is to be short and sudden and the people to be delivered by it are the Jews And so here is nothing at all touching God's special protection of his Church in all ages or of many deliverances but here is an extraordinary Judgement foreshewing the dreadfull overthrow and downefall of all the enemies of the Jews and the then faithfull Christians And as concerning the place where this Army is to be gathered together this is chiefely to be taken notice of that the prophecy speaking but of one Army it can be meant but of one place and that to be in the land of Judea whither the Nations shall come up against the Jews shortly upon their returne as the valley of Jehoshaphat here doth intimate and Ezek. doth plainly declare Neither is the doubt you bring about the possibility of so many Nations meeting together in one place of any consequence For it is not usuall for a people wholly to leave their owne countrey when they invade their enemies land for that were the ready way to lose their owne land and to starve themselves but to send forth such a strength as they may well raise and maintaine and the Prophet here calls for their men of war and
you may the better beguile others of the truth For first the union foreshewed in these Prophecies is not to begin untill the Nations which shall oppose the Jewes after their returne be miraculously overthrowne at the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ as the foresaid Prophecie of Isaiah chap. 66. at the 15 16 19. ver c. compar'd with the 38. and 39. chapters of Ezek. with the 3. chap. of Joel and with the 19. chap. of the Rev. at the 11 12 13 14 15 c. doth plainly declare And secondly at the accomplishment of the union foreshewed by these Prophecies All Nations must goe up to worship before the Lord at Jerusalem as the latter part of the 66. chapter of Isaiah doth shew to which we may adde the Prophecies in the 8. chap. of Zecha at the 20. ver c. and in the 14. chap. at the 16. ver c. The words are Thus saith the Lord of Hostes it shall came to passe that there shall come people and the Inhabitants of many Cities and the Inhabitants of one Citie shall goe to another saying Let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord of Hostes I will goe also yea many people and strong Nations shall come to seeke the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of Hostes In those dayes it shall come to passe that ten men shall take hold out of all Languages of the Nations even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew saying We will goe with you for we have heard that God is with you And it shall come to passe that every one that is left of all Nations which came against Jerusalem shall even goe up from yeare to yeare to worship the King the Lord of Hosts and to keep the feast of Tabernâ—cles and it shall be that who so will not come up of all the Families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the Lord of Hosts even upon them shall be no raine And thirdly at the accomplishment of this union the Jewes shall not seeke unto the Gentiles but the Gentiles in generall unto the Jewes onely for instruction in the wayes of God as Isaiah saith chap. 2 ver 2. and 3. and Micah chap. 4. ver 1. and 2. It shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall established in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it and many people shall goe and say Come yee and let us goe up to the Mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us his waies and wee will walke in his pathes for out of Sion shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem And fourthly at the accomplishment of this union and throughout the whole time of its continuance which it exprest Rev. the 20. ver 2 3. there is to be an uninterrupted peace over all the world as the following words of the foregoing prophecy of Isa Micah doe manifest And he shall judge amongst the Nations shall rebuke many people they shal breake their swords into plow shares their speares into pruning books nation shal not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learne warre any more With which agreeth that of Hosea chap. 2. ver 18. In that day I will make a Covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowles of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground And I will breake the bow and the sword and the battell out of the earth and will make them to lie downe safely And to this wee adjoyne the prophecy Psal 46.8 9. Come behold the workes of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth He maketh warres to cease unto the ends of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder he burneth the chariot in the fire And fiftly at the accomplishment of this union the converted Jew shall not be governed by the ecclesiastical and civill lawes of the Gentiles as it is now but the Gentiles by the ecclesiastical and civill lawes of the Iewes as is before shewed by their going up to Ierusalem to worship and to be instructed in the wayes of the Lord. And as touching their civill grovernment it is further evidenced by the prophecies in which the Gentiles great subjection to the Iewes is revealed Of which sort are the prophecies Isaiah chap. 14.1 2. chap. 49.22 23. chap. 60.9 10 11 12. c. and chap. 61.4 5 6 7. And thus good reader thou hast the true sense and scope of the prophecies with which as Mr Petrie saith I have needlesly silled many pages and doubtlesse it was very needfull for him to say so seeing their perspicuity is so irresistible that he could finde no mysticall paraphrase against it to puzzle thee withall Israel's Redemption But to say that this is now fulfilled in the time of the substituted Gentiles vocation is to overthrow what was before affirmed and to take great paines to beguile our selves and others of the truth it is I say to put out our owne eyes and bid others follow us for St Paul in the 11. of the Rom. tells us plainly that the Jewes â—re broken off from their Olive tree and that we are graffed in for them that they are cast away that they are hardened that God hath concluded them all in unbeliefe and that through their fall salvation is come unto us to provoke them to h Deut. 32.21 jealousie And therefore it cannot possibly be maintained that the Jewes and Gentiles are as yet one i Ioh. 10.16 sheepfold Mr Petrie's Answer The Apostle saith not that all the Jewes are broken off but rather the contradictory ver 1. and 5. neither saith he that God hath shut up all the Jewes in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all the Jewes but us our former translation saith conforme to the originall God hath shut up all in unbeliefe that he might have mercy upon all whereunto the words of the same Apostle Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath coucluded all under sinne that the promise by saith in Jesus Christ might be given to them who beleeve Here the Apostle is not speaking of the Jewes onely but generally both of Jewes and Gentiles and so farre must his words be extended thereto seeing he is speaking of them ver 30. and 31. and so the meaning of ver 32. is It was the counsel of God to suffer both Jewes and Gentiles to fall into unbeliefe or disobedience as the mond Apeitheia likewise imports and the word sin teaches Gal. 3. that he might save all his elect both of Jewes and Gentiles after one way not by their workes but of his mercy onely And therefore I cannot possibly conceive how a man of understanding can bring or receive such a conclusion out of these words as this It
in saying that the union of the two people of the Jewes and Gentiles consists in the union of the Church under the Old and New Testament You doe herein grant first that the Church under the New Testament is the Church of the Gentiles and so not of the Jewes and Gentiles both as it should be if it did proportionably consist of the Jewes and Gentiles And secondly you doe herein grant that the Apostles words Ephes 2. ver 11. c. are meant of this union for you cannot conceive that the union betwixt the two people consists in the union of the Church under the Old and New Testament unlesse you doe conceive withall that the places which speake of their union are so to be understood And thirdly you doe herein contradict the preceding prophecies which you grant to foreshew the same uniting of the two people for these Prophecies doe plainely declare the uniting of the whole Nation of the Jewes with all the Nations of the Gentiles on the earth and not the uniting of Gentiles under the Gospel with Jewes under the Law not the uniting I say of one part of Christs mysticall bodie the Church then in heaven with another part thereof newly cal'd to the Faith on earth Israel's Redemption And besides how the bringing of the Jewes out of all Nations upon horses and in Litters and in Charrets and upon mules and upon mens shoulders can beare any other but a literall sense or how the vaile that is spread over all Nations can now be said to be destroy'd when as so many of them runne a whoring after their owne inventions I cannot conceive Yea Even unto this day saith St. Paul of the Jewes in his time when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart Neverthelesse when it shall returne unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away 2 Cor. 3. ver 15. and 16. But we see not yet Israel return'd yea we see it fallen into more grosse ignorance and superstition and therefore the vaile is not yet taken away and consequently is not yet destroyed from all Nations Mr. Petrie's Answer Whether he cannot or will not conceive it may be doubted many 1000. have conceived both those he gives no reason of his doubting in the former and the cause of his doubting in the other is naught for albeit the vaile be not taken away from all the Jewes and from all of all the Nations in which sense it shall never be taken away seeing the Church on earth is alwayes a mixt company yet certainly it is taken away from the Jewes and all the Nations to wit so many of them as turne to the Lord which are so many as the Starres in heaven that is innumerable to men For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men Tit. 2.11 And God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknesse hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ so writes a Jew unto the Gentiles 2 Cor. 4.6 Reply The reason of my doubting in the former passage is because neither you nor any other can give a reason sufficient to prove that the bringing of the Jewes for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon horses and in Litters and in Charrets and upon mules and upon swift beasts c. to his mountaine at Jerusalem is not to be taken in a proper sense for the best reason you can shew is as it seemes that many thousands have conceived these words in another sense which is as good a reason to prove that other sense to be the true sense of them as it is to say that Mahomet was no false Prophet because many millions have and doe erroneously conceive him to be a true Prophet And why did you not afford us a sight of that other sense which so many 1000. have taken these words in and of the important reasons that mov'd them so to doe seeing you confesse page 10. that the Scripture is properly to be taken unlesse the proper sense be dissonant from the scope of the text or contrary to the analogie of Faith or honesty of manners neither of which hath been prov'd of the proper sense of these words nor of any of the Prophecies upon which you strive so much to impose a figurative sense And as you have not brought a reason to remove my doubting in this former passage so you have not prov'd the reason of my doubting in the other to be naught For in saying that albeit the vaile be not taken away from all the Jewes and from all of all the Nations in which sense it shall never be taken away c. yet certainly it is taken away from the Jewes and from all Nations to wit so many of them as turne to the Lord c. In saying thus you say nothing to the purpose for was it not thus when the Prophet spake these words was not the vaile then taken away from as many of the Jewes and of other Nations as were then turn'd unto the Lord And when St. Paul said Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart neverthelesse when it shall returne unto the Lord the vaile shall be taken away were there not then more Jewes converted to the Christian Faith then have been ever since and yet the Apostle saith that the vaile was then upon their hearts and speaks of the removing of it from them as of a thing to be done and not then done although those were then converted which God had appointed to be then converted And therefore the Apostles words are to be understood of the removing of the vaile from all the Jewes and not from some onely And the Prophet saith likewise that God will destroy the Covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations which cannot be fulfill'd when onely a part of the vaile is destroy'd as you understand it but shall be when the whole vaile is destroyed And that it shall be wholly destroyed the Prophecie of Isaiah chap. 2. v. 2 3. which shewes that all Nations shall goe up to the mountaine of the Lords house to be taught in his wayes and the same Prophets words ch 11. v. 9. for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea And the Prophecies which shew that all Nations shal goe up to Jerusalem to worship doe with the preceding Prophecie joyntly testifie and therefore this first clause of your parenthesis doth flatly denie what God doth frequently affirme And the Scripture which you have alledg'd is us'd onely as a daring glasse to dazzle the eyes of the heedlesse or unlearned Reader for that of Tit. chap. 2. ver 11. hath relation to the severall ages Sexes and conditions of men as the preceding verses doe shew so that to all men there is no more then to all sorts of men young and
the onely occasion of their sorrow by whose mourning this Prophecie is to be fulfill'd And our Saviour himselfe also hath foretold Matth. 24. at the 30. ver that this mourning is to be fulfill'd at his next appearing his words are Then shall appeare the signe of the Sonne of man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourne and they shall see the Sonne of man comming in the n Act. 1. v. 11. clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Whom then shall wee believe our Saviour and the Prophet or you For what though the Iewes which shall mourne for him so long after his suffering did not in their owne persons either pierce or see him pierced yet as Levi is said to pay tithes in the loynes of his Father Abraham so these are said to have done what their Fathers did and Mr. Brightman in his exposition of the 7. ver of the first chap. of the Rev. understands that too of the accomplishment of these words of Zech. which he expounds almost in the same termes as I have done pag. 16. 17. of his Rev. of the Apocalyps Israel's Redemption And what comparison is there betwixt the griefe of a few fearfull and scattered Disciples for a day or two and the solemne mourning of all Iudah and Jerusalem and that to every Family apart and their wives apart As therefore this Prophecie doth concerne the Jewes onely and chiefly the Tribes that crucified their Saviour so doubtlesse it shall then receive its accomplishment when God at their generall conversion shall poure upon them the Spirit of grace and supplications Zech. 12. v. 10. that so they may at once obtaine the forgivenesse of their sinnes and thus lament their forefathers malicious and cruell contrivance and their owne hereditary and wilfull approbation of the death of Christ who shall then descend unto them to restore their Kingdome and to reigne over all the earth as it is in the 14. chap. of the same Prophet at the 5. and 9. ver c. Mr. Petrie's Answer It is said ver 11. There shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem and ver 12. and the Land shall mourne every Fâ—mily apart c. whereby is intimated a distinction of the mourning in respect of place and as they did mourne at Jerusalem publikely so we may easily conceive that these who had resorted at these publick Feasts unto Jerusalem did likewise mourne apart after their returning and were not contented with one dayes mourning all facts that are credible are not written And therefore this Prophecie doth concerne the Jewes but not onely seeing even the Gentiles may be said to have pierced his sides by their sinnes meritoriously and to looke on him by faith and mourne for their guiltinesse c. and chiefly the persons that crucified their Saviour So doubtlesse it is great impudence to affirme that the same Prophet chap. 14.5 and 9. ver saith Christ shall descend unto the Jewes to restore their Kingdome for there is not one word of restoring nor of the Jewes Kingdome in these two verses Reply As in the preceding answer you have applied the accomplishment of Zech. words ch 12. ver 10. to the Jewes converted by St. Peters first Sermon so in this you endeavour to parallel their mourning with the great and solemne mourning so largely exprest in the following verses of the same Prophecie For it is said ver the 11. There shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem c. and ver 12. The Land shall mourne everie Familie apart c. whereby is intimated say you a distinction of the mourning in respect of place and as they did mourne at Jerusalem publickly so wee may easily conceive that these who had resorted at these publick Feasts unto Jerusalem did likewise mourne apart after their returning all facts that are very credible are not written And therefore on the contrary you have written here what is not credible For is it credible that the mourning of 3000. is any way comparable to the solemne and universall mourning of all Judah and Jerusalem for Josiah 2 Chron. 35. ver 24 25. to which the mourning in this Prophecie is compared Or is it credible that any of these Jewes who resorted unto Jerusalem out of so many Countries as are rehearst Acts 2. ver 9 10 11. were of the Families of David and Nathan when as the Tribe of Judah wat not then carryed into captivitie by the Romans And if they mourned after their returne into their severall Countries into Mesopotamia Cappadocia Pontus and Asia c. this was out of the Land whereas the mourning the Prophet foreshewes is to be fulfill'd onely in Lerusalem and in the land of Iudea and it is to be observed by men and their wives apart and what circumstance is there in the 2. chap. of the Acts from which you can gather that any of the 3000. you speake of were women yea it is to be observ'd by all the Families of the Jewes that remaine that is that are living at the accomplishment of this Prophecie and therefore the repentance of these 3000. could not possibly be the mourning here spoken of by the Prophet You say next that this Prophecit doth concerne the Jewes and chiefly the persons that crucified their Saviour but not onely seeing even the Gentiles c. And did you not tell us even now that you give no other interpretation of the Prophecies then is chiefly intended How then can you say here that this Prophecie is chiefly meant of the Jewes in a proper sense and yet meant also of the Gentiles in a figurative sense is not this to give another sense besides that which is chiefly intended and doe you thinke that both these senses are intended if so how shall we know certainly which is chiefly intended Surely to affirme that the Holy Ghost doth intend a double sense in these Prophecies is no small errour seeing it makes God to have as it were a heart and a heart to be I say as a double dealer who speakes one thing and meanes another and shall we conceit thus of God God forbid Yea let God be true and every man a lyar as truth then is but one so doubtlesse there can be but one true sense of any place in the Scripture but one sense intended by God and thefore to make the Scripture Janus-like to looke two wayes is from man and not from God and it is the readiest way that I know to foment division amongst men But there is yet the heaviest charge behinde for it is great impudence you say to affirme that Zech. chap. 14. ver 5. and 9. saith Christ shall descend unto the Jewes to restore their Kindome for there is not one word of restoring or of the Jewes Kingdome in these two verses And yet his descending and reigning over all the earth is expresly foretold in these two verses and shall he come to be King over all the earth and yet not
grace is foretold in these Prophecies and the words of our Saviour I send you as sheepe amongst Wolves Matth. 10. ver 16. are flat against you for they are meant of the most obstinate enemies of the Gospel they are meant I say not of such as should become sheep but of such as should kill the sheep and use their utmost endeavour to keep all others out of the sheepfold as the verses following doe declare and interpreters acknowledge and albeit there hath been now and then one such Wolfe as St. Paul was that of a savage persecutor hath become a pious Saint yet besides all these Wolves that have still kept their owne hue and habit and befides those who being bred up in the Church have still retain'd their innocent garments there have been many who being without the Church have exchang'd their habit for sheeps clothing for no other end but to have the benefit of the Sheeps pasture and the better opportunitie to destroy the sheepe and to destroy the more sheep And befides although the word Wolves doth in the saying of our Saviour signifie men yet it followes not from hence that it is so to be understood in these Prophecies for it must be some circumstance out of the Prophecies themselves that must prove this and not the allegoricall acception of this word in another place And as I say not that the change of beasts affections from bad to better from evill to good is to be the proper effect of any knowledge of God in themselves so I say that God hath here reveal'd that this change shall as well bee the effect of mans pleasing him by obedience as the change of them from better to worse from good to evill was of mans displeasing him by sinne Israel's Redemption As then there can be no sufficient reason alledg'd for the allegoricall interpretation of these Prophecies so if wee believe Gods revelations touching the Jewes returne there can be no reason urg'd to the contrary that will force us to forsake the literall sense of them By which sense I am sure that passage of St. Paul in the 8. chap. of the Rom. at the 21. ver is so well explain'd that the great strife about the signification of the word Creature there may be soone decided and by which too the opinion of those who from that place would make the sensitive creature copartners with us of that glorie which followes the last resurrection falls to the ground For is not the exchange of a ravenous disposition for a quiet and peaceable and the freedome from the abuse of sinne A delivery of the sensitive creature from the bondage of corruption and the glorious i Dan. 7. ver 21.22 libertie of the Sonnes of God what is it but the flourishing estate of the Jewes before spoken of under Christ their Head who accompanied with all the Saints departed and then living shall come and receive dominion and f Dan. 7. ver 14.27 chap. 2. ver 44. Rev. 15. v. 4. ch 20. v. 4.6 glory and a Kingdome that all people Nations and Languages may serve him as you shall heare anon Mr Petrie's Answer 1. The truth of God needeth not the boulstering of mans devises 2. The Apostle is speaking there of the finall deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption which is not cleared by that cohabitation of beasts unlesse wee will be content with a small portion of deliverance for the generall deliverance of the creature which kind of contentment these Authours will not acknowledge in the accomplishment of the promises no not in a fuller measure The Authour collecteth nothing particularly from that text Isa 65.25 neither is there any word there of the Jewish Monarchy and seeing it hath the same allegorie with that chap. 11. wee goe forward Reply 1. The truth of God say you needeth not the houlstering of mans devices And mans devices say wee are not a boulstering but a bereaving are not an upholding but a destroying of the truth of God But what is the device which you have found here is it not the comparing of one place of Scripture with another which speakes plainly of the same thing and is not this warranted by the generall approbation of Divines for a very remarkable rule in the right interpreting of the Scriptures you cannot denie it The device then which you speake of is but a device of yours to make the Reader baulk the onely light Gods word holds out unto him for the true discoverie of the Apostles meaning that so he may stick the closer to that sense which mans device hath put upon it 2. The Apostle saith the creature it selfe also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption c. and the Prophet saith the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie downe with the Kid and the Cow and the Beare shall feed together Whereby he shewes both what these creatures bondage of corruption is and what their deliverance from it whereby he shewes I say that the wild untamed and hurtfull disposition which these creatures are now subject unto is their bondage of corruption and that the re-estating of them into that mild peacefull and harmlesse condition in which they were first created shall be their deliverance from it And when shall this be fulfill'd shall it be after the generall judgement of the dead mention'd Rev. 20. ver 12 c. surely no for then this earth out of which these creatures were made shall passe away and be no more found Revel 20. ver 11. then this earth and the workes the creatures that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3. ver 10. And we read not of any Starres in the new heaven or of any beasts on the new earth yea besides men and Angels we reade of no more creatures then of a tree of life and of a river of life in that holy Jerusalem which shall descend from God unto the new earth the earth with which there shall be no Sea created and consequently these creatures deliverance is to be fulfill'd at the restoring of Judea and Jerusalem cal'd here by Isaiah the holy mountaine and chap. 2. the mountaine of the Lords house and the mountaine of the Lord. And thus by conferring these two Prophecies of Isaiah and St. Paul it is manifest what these creatures deliverance from the bondage of corruption is touching which you say onely that the Apostle is speaking of the finall deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption which is not cleared by that cohabitation of beasts unlesse wee will be content with a small portion of deliverance for the generall deliverance of the creature So that you grant that the cohabitation of the beasts is their deliverance from the bondage of corruption and consequently that the foresaid Prophecies in which it is reveal'd are properly to be understood which before you so stoutly denied but you say withall that it is a small portion of the
on earth for it is their priviledge at their entrance into their Kingdome and throughout the whole space of their reigne to judge the world that is all Nations of the Gentiles with the Judgement of Government and Reformation with the exercise of a Civill and temporall power over them as in the Prophecies of the Gentiles subjection unto them it may plainely be seene And it is their priviledge at the last resurrection to judge the world and the Devill that is all evill as well Angels as men by a joynt approbation of their finall and perfect condemnation of the full accomplishment I say of their eternall reprobation that is the wicked men that have been their oppressours and judge the Angels that is the evill spirits that have been their tempters and therefore shall not be thrust downe to the barre amongst them but advanced to the bench against them an addition doubtlesse to their former happinesse and no abatement of it Mr Petrie's Answer Some word of Isaiah 35.10 must be taken in another then the proper signification for if the word Sion be not taken for the Christian Church but for that bill within Jerusalem and the word Returne be meaned of bodily returning of the Jewes the words everlasting joy being taken for worldly joy â—ooâ—er â—dicts the â—â—neâ— of the thousand yeares Monarchy which shall end with an insurrection of the Gentiles against the Jewes but if the redeemed of the Lord be expoued sâ—n the faithfull whom Christ our Lord hath redeemed with his bloud and their returning and comming to Sion be their repenting and joyning to the society of the Saints then the everlasting joy is cleare by the words of our Saviour John 16.22 Ye now have sorrow but I will see you againe and your heart shall reioyce and your joy shall no man take from you And as the Judgement is unquestionable so it is justly doubted whether the Apostle meaneth the Jewes 1 Cor. 2.3 seeing our Saviouâ— saith Matth. â—9 28 Ye who have followed me in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall siâ— on the Throne of his glory shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel where the twelve Tribes are not Judges but judged But certainly be meaneth not of their judging in the temporall Monarchy seeing the Angels shall not be judged before the universall Judgement And the Apostle saith how much more things appertaining unto this life whereby it appeares that in the first part of the verse he understands a Judgement not in this life And in both respects these words of the Apostle are a diminution doubtlesse unto that imagined Monarchy Reply Without doubt if the Reader will take all to be true that you say he shall never finde you in an errour But if you have no better reason to prove that the words Sion and Returne must be taken in another then a proper signification but because you conceit that the worde everlasting joy cannot consist with the insurrection of the Nations at the expiration of the thousand yeares you doe but deceive your selfe with this reason For though the thousand yeares peacefull reigne shall be terminated by the Gentiles insurrection at the loosing againe of Satan yet the joy of the Jewes here reveal'd is not limited by it For we read indeed of the surrounding of the Saints by the Nations Rev. 20. ver 9. but we read not there of any feare in them or hurt done unto them yea wee read onely of the finall overthrow of their enemies And whereas the better to countenance your Argument you call the everlasting joy here a worldly joy I pray what reason moves you to imagine that the joy promised by God to the converted Jewes whom he calls his elect and whom others he saith shall call the holy people and the seed which the Lord hath blessed should rather be a worldly joy then such a joy as our Saviour promised his Disciples John 16. ver 22. Is it because the Jewes are to be Inhabitants on the earth after they receive this everlasting joy and were not the Disciples Inhabitants of a more sinfull world then these Jewes shall be when they were made partakers of the joy which no man could take from them This reason then cannot prove your Epithite to belong rather to the joy of the Jewes then to the joy of the Apostles and yet unlesse this be the reason of your calling it a worldly joy I cannot conceive why you should thinke that after the Jewes are so plentifully inspir'd with the Spirit of God as the Prophets doe foreshew they shall be their joy should not be as spirituall and inseparable as the Apostles was And although it be unquestionable from the passage of St. Paul in the 1 Cor. chap. 6. ver 3. that the Judgement of all evill as well Angels as men is at the last resurrection to be passed on them by the joynt-approbation of the whole number of the elect yet seeing it is not unlikely that by the world ver 2. the Apostle meanes rather the Nations of the Gentiles in the time of Christs reigne on earth then the number of the reprobate at the generall Judgement of the dead it may justly be doubted whether by the word Saints in that place also the Nation of the Jewes be not comprehended with the faithfull which our Saviour shall bring with him as well as in the 20. chap. of the Rev. where it is foreshewed that the Nations of the foure quarters of the earth shall be gathered together against the Saints at the end of the thousand yeares And the words of our Saviour to his Disciples Matth. 19. ver 28. Ye who have followed mee in the regeneration when the Sonne of man shall sit on the Throne of his glory shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel doe help to confirme and not to confute the Government of the Gentiles by the Jewes For as the Apostles shall be made the supreme Governours of their owne Nation under our Saviour so doubtlesse shall other glorified Saints both of the Jewes and Gentiles be chiefe Governours under our Saviour over other Nations according as it is satd Rev. 5. ver 10. and chap. 20. ver 4. and as the parable Luke the 19. of the Noble-mans distributing of ten Cities to one servant and five to another doth imply for who is that Noble-man which is gone into a farre Countrey to receive for himselfe a Kingdome and to returne but our Saviour whom the Heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all thing c. Act. 3. ver 21. who also spake that Parable because he was nigh unto Jerusalem and because the Jewes erroneously thought that the Kingdome of God should immediately appeare should be set up then at his first comming And as the glorified Saints shall be chiefe Judges under Christ so wee may well thinke that many of the unglorified Saints of the Jewish Nation shall be imployed by them in the
administration of their Government seeing Isaiah chap. 14. ver 2. saith plainly that they shall take them captives whose captives they were and shall rule over their oppressours And suppose that none of the unglorified Jewes should be imployed in this government yet when our Saviour himselfe shall be King over all the earth and all the Saints that come with him Princes under him when the Nation of the Jewes shall be his naturall Subjects and all other Nations tributaries and servants unto them when they shall be comprehended by the name of Saints with those undefiled ones that Christ shall bring with him when all this shall be what Nation shall the Gentiles be said to be governed by but by that which they live in subjection unto and of whom their King came and amongst whom he shall reigne And thus much touching your first pretence that the Gentiles shall not be judged by the Jewes because the Jewes are to be judged by the Apostles Which is all one as if you should say that a Nation that live under any government it selfe cannot governe other Nations that are in subjection unto it Your next pretence is that our Saviours words are not meant of the Apostles judging in a temporall Monarchy seeing the Angels shall not be judged before the universall Judgement But where doe you finde that our Saviours promise to the Apostles is not to be fulfill'd before the judging of the Angels And what shall we understand by the twelve Tribes of Israel according to your opinion shall weâ— take them for the rest of the glorified Saints no no they cannot for they shall be all Judges at the universall Judgement as well as the Apostles Shall we take them then for the reprobate of the Jewish Nation Surely wee finde no such signification of these words in all the Scripture neither doe wee find it taught by any that the reprobate of one Nation shall be judged by some of the Saints onely and the reprobate of another Nation by others of the Saints but that all the Saints shall joyntly judge all the reprobate both Angels and men onely by assenting to the Judgement that our Saviour himselfe shall give against them and this may be gathered from the Apostle who saith not thus Know yee not that the Apostles or Prophets but know yee not that we shall judge the Angels he speakes of all and not of some Saints only seeing then the twelve Tribes of Israel as you apply this saying to the universall Judgement can neither be taken for the rest of the glorified Saints nor for the reprobate Jewes it must needs follow that you are out in your application and consequently the twelve Tribes of Israel must be taken for the Nation of the Jewes over which the Apostles shall sit as Judges in the time of our Saviours reigne on earth And how else should this promise of our Saviour implie a priviledge to the Apostles above the rest of the glorified Saints for their following him in the time of his temptation if it did not constitute them alone to be supreme Judges under him over that Nation which shall be nearest and dearest unto him in his Kingdome for seeing all other Saints shall joyne with them in judging of the reprobate Angels much more shall they in judging the reprobate Jewes which cannot be so much honour unto the Disciples as the judging of the reprobate Angels and so the great priviledge which our Saviour promised the Disciples shall according to your opinion be farre inferiour to that which St. Paul affirmes to be common to all the Saintâ— And whereas you sâ—â— that the Apostle saith how much more things appertaining unto this life whereby it appeares that in the first part of the verse he understands a judgement not in this life Wee grant your conclusion for we know that the Angels were not to be judged by the faithful Corinthians and the rest of the Saints before their departure out of this life or before the redemption of their bodies at our Saviours appearing but that they shall be judged by them after their reigning with Christ after their judging of the world a thousand yeares And so the glory of the Kingdome of Israel is not yet diminished by any of your feeble falicies and indigested imaginations Israel's Redemption And this is as much as I need say though not above halfe that the Prophets say concerning the Kingdome in the tâ—â—â— I will therefore shut up all with that solemne protestation of God in the 31. chap. of Jer. at the 35. ver Thus saith the Lord which giveth the Sunne for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moone and of the Starres for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of Hosts is his name If those Ordinances u Jer. 33. ver 20.25 depart from before me saith the Lord then shall the seed of Israel also cease from being a Nation before mee for ever Thus saith the Lord If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord. And with that humble complaint of Israel whom God in the 7. of Mioah at the 8. ver makâ—â— to prophecie thus of her selfe Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall rise when I sit in darknesse the Lord will be a light unto mee I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute Judgement for me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold 〈◊〉 righteousnesse Mr Petrie's Answer We acknowledge both in their owne sense and trâ—th 〈◊〉 noâ—â—ing 〈◊〉 in them nor collected out of them for proofe of this purpose Reply If you will acknowledge them both in their owne sense you must acknowledge them to be for our purpose for you must acknowledge that the Nation of the Jewes which now sâ—â— in darknesse which now heares the indignation of the Lord because she hath sinned against him shall againe be brought forth to the light by him as Micah saith here And the foresaid protestation of God by Jer. chap. 31. touching the preserving of the Jewish Nation will force you to acknowledge your errour page 20. where you say that now through many agâ—s Ephraimites are not knowne in any part of the earth Israel's Redemption And so I passe from the thing to be restor'd which is the Kingdome of Israel to the Person by whom it is to be restor'd which is Christ the Lord at his next appearing For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdome to Israel Mr. Petrie's Answer If the temporall Kingdome of the Jewes could be demonstrated out of the Scriptures the question a nent the King might more easily be resolved and neverthelesse these few millenaries cannot agree concerning the person of their King
for Mr. Maton thinkes that Christ shall continue visible King of this Kingdome and Mr. Archer thinkes that Christ shall restore the Kingdome unto the Jewes and returne into the Heavens till the thousand yeares be whered and in the meane time the Jewes shall be Kings Till these into questions be decided we might supersede and neverthelesse let us heare what they can say for a temporary Kingdome of Christ whether oâ—er Jewes and Gentiles Reply The temporary Kingdome of the Jewes hath been already demonstrated by such evident Scriptures and unanswerable Arguments from them as you durst not to examine and it is now praised be God for his good leave and assistance delivered also from that darknesse which your deluding allegories and farre setcht interpretations doe draw over it and thereby set free from that disgrace and contempt which you strive so much to bring is into amongst the Gentiles And our next taske is to discover the like fraudulent dealing in your Answers to those texts and reasons by which wee have prov'd that our Saviour who shall restore this Kingdome shall also reigne over it on earth And first that the Reader may not take distaste at us before he heare us you tell him here that these sew Millenaries agree not concerning the person of their King for Mr. Maton thinks that Christ shall continue visible King of this Kingdome and Mr. Archer thinkes that Christ shall restore the Kingdome unto the Jewes and returne unto the Heavens Herein indeed wee agree not and as I heartily wish that all Christians did so rightly understand the word of God that there might be no difference at all amongst them so seeing offences must needs come and that there must be heresies and divisions amongst us that they which are approved may be made manifest 1 Cor. 11. ver 18 19. I had rather differ from any man in opinion then for any by respect to depart from one jot or title of the truth which is either plainely reveal'd in the Scripture or may be gathered from it by infallible consequence And sure I am that as wee find often mention of our Saviours comming againe so Job tells us chap. 19. ver 25. that his Redeemer shall stand at the latter day upon the earth to wit at the day of his next appearing and the Saints resurrection as these words immediately following doe declare And though after my skinne wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God c. And St. Luke ch 1. v. 31 records that the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and Jer. chap. 23. ver 5. that he shall reigne and prosper and shall execute Judgement and Justice in the earth and so say Isaiah and Zechary yea and we conceive it to be for this reason especially that Judea is cal'd the Land of Immanuel Isaiah 8. ver 8. and we reade not of his departure from the earth againe untill the earth it selfe shall passe away at the last resurrection Yea unlesse our Saviour should as well reigne over the Jewes as restore their Kingdome to them wee cannot conceive why he should descend before the universall Judgement seeing he can as well restore the Kingdome of the Jewes in Heaven where he is as if he should descend unto the earth to doe it But yet your collection from this difference to wit that â—till these two Questions be decided you may superside is a very dangerous Doctrine For though superside be a very fine word yet as you use is it hath a very soule consequence for you would have the Reader conceive that there is no truth in the subject wee treat of because there is some difference betwixt us in the stating of it whereas indeed all truth is made the more firme and manifest by difference else what shall wee say of our Religion there being scarce any one head or Article in Divinity about which there hath not been or is not now some difference or other amongst Christians if then wee must superside from if wee must let passe if wee must have nothing to doe with those things in which there is not a full agreement amongst us we must omit the use of the Lords Supper because Papists differ from Lutherans and Calvinists from both about the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Wee must not beleeve our election or Justification because Divines doe differ about the materiall and formall canses of the one and the moving and meriting causes of the other and because there is a difference betwixt you and us about the manner and place of our Saviours Kingdome we must not believe that he hath any Kingdome yea we must quite cast off the worship of God because we cannot agree about the forme of it some being for a set forme and others against it some againe for premeditated and others for extemporary prayers And thus to make one truth odious you stick not to make a shipwrack of the faith even at once to destroy our whole Christian practise and beliefe so contrary is your advice to that of the Apostle in the 1 Thess chap. 5. ver 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good Now for conclusion of this first part I will adde Mr. Brightmans words touching the 7. and 8. ver of the 66. chap. of Isaiah and the 3. ver of the 110. Psal Many such places of Scripture saith he might he brought to this purpose he meaneth to shew the generall conversion of the Jewes and perhaps it would be profitable to bring them at least for this end that our Writers might have occasion thereby given them to consider more diligently of these places from the right interpretation whereof I feare mee that we wander when as we make them to speake of things that he past whereas they doe fore-tell of things yet to come In his Revel of the Apoc. chap. 19. on the 8 and 9. verses pag. 791. and his words on the 11. ver of the 6. chap. of the Cant. Time saith he will teach many things to be in the Prophets which we commonly interpret as though they were past whose event is yet to come and especially as it seemeth to mee in the calling of the Jewes which verily little confidered of ours hath darkned I will not say perverted the proper and naturall meaning of the Prophets in many places 1 COR. 4. v. 8. c. NOw yee are full now ye are rich ye have reigned as Kings without us and I would â—o God yee did reigne that we also might reigne with you For I thinke that God hath set forth us the Apostles last â—s it were men appointed to death for we are made a spectacle unto the world and to Angels and to men We are fooles for Christs sake but yee are wise in Christ we are weake but yee are strong ye are honourable but wee are despised Even unto this present houre we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have
no certaine dwelling place And labour working with our owne hands being reviled wee blesse being persecuted we suffer it Being defamed we intreate we are made as the filth of the world and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day I write not these things to shame yâ—u but as my beloved sonnes I warne you 2 TIM 2. v. 12. If we suffer we shall also reigne with him REV. 5. V. 10. And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reigne on earth DANIEL 12. v. 6 7. How long shall it be to the end of these wonders And I heard c. Therefore so is the end of the wonders when all these things shall be fulfilled that is to say when the resurrection shall be the glory of the Saints shall shine the glory of the teachers shall be chiefest and all other things brought to perfection whereby Christs Kingdome shall have the preheminence over all which things if any man judge to be meant of the internall Kingdome already obtained he destroyeth the Prophecy which is specially conversant in foretelling things which shall be accomplished being proper to certaine places and times and not alike common to all whereof what observation or prediction or admiration can there be as is of these things which in the former verse are called wonders Mr. Thomas Brightman in his Exposition of the last and most difficult part of Dan. Prophecie pag. 954. on the 7. ver of the 12. chap. ISRAELS REDEMPTION REDEEMED The SECOND PART Israels Redemption CHAP. 1. That Christ shall reigne personally on Earth prov'd necessary consequence THat our Mediatour hath undergone the Offices of a Priest and Prophet the Gospel is our witnesse but considering that the Jewes are yet to receive a Kingdome a Kingdome in which they shall hold them captives whose captives they are Isai 14. ver 1 2 3. and in which peace and righteousnesse shall flourish on the earth considering this I say we may justly doubt whether our Saviour hath as yet executed the office of a King and so much the rather because he tooke our nature upon him as well to performe his Kingly office therein amongst us as either his Priestly or Propheticall the glory of this being indeed the reward of that contempt and torment which he suffered in the others and though it cannot be denyed That he hath already a Col. 2. v. 15. spoyled Principalities and powers that is the evill spirits and hath made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his Crosse nor that he is b Ephes 4.8 ascended up on high and hath led captivity captive and given gifts unto mâ—n Noâ— that he is become the c Col. 2.10 Head of all Principality and power that is of the Saints and holy Angels and is d Heb. 1. v. 3. chap. 8. v. 1. chap. 10. v. 12. chap. 12. v. 2. set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God so that he is e Phil. 3. v. 21. able even to subdue all things unto himselfe Yet that he doth not now reigne in that Kingdome which he shall govern as man and consequently in that of which the Prophets speake his owne words in the third of the Revelation at the one and twentieth verse doe clearely prove To him that overcometh saith he will I grant to sit with mee in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne f Heb. 2. v. 8. chap. 10. v. â—2 13. From whence it followes that the Throne which here he calls his owne and which he hath not yet received must needs belong unto him as man because the place where he now sits is the Fathers Throne a Throne in which he hath no proper interest but as God Againe it followes that seeing he is now in his Fathers Throne therefore neither is this the time nor that the place in which his Throne is to be erected Not the place for in one Kingdome there can be but one Throne and not the time for then he should sit in his owne Throne which now he doth not doe Mr. Petrie's Answer He grants that Christ is now a King and that he hath executed the Kingly office but he denyeth that he hath reigned in an earthly Kingdome as mâ—n in all which we agree but we disagree in two particulars First That the Prophets have spoken of such a Kingdome this remaineth as yet to be proved Secondly That he sâ—â— on a Throne in heaven as man If these words as man be understood according to the Logicall acceptation it may be granted for what agreeth unto any man as man belongeth unto all men and indeed it belongeth not unto all men to sit on the Throne of Majesty And neverthelesse Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as God-Man or Mediatour and in this sense we deny this assertion as it seemes this Author takes it Reply What a miscellany of untruth and contradiction is here we need not then enquire what spirit had the guidance of your pen. It is evident enough that it was he who once undertooke to be a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets For that Christ is a King it is unquestionable Where is he that is borne King of the Jewes said the wise men Matth. 2. ver 2. And Saint Matthew and Saint Luke have given us his regall genealogy have registred his princely parentage At his birth then he was a King authoritative as Divines speake The Authority of a King did then of right belong unto him but he was not then nor hath been since a King executive by putting his royall Authority in execution Neither have I said it but the contrary for my words are but considering this we may justly doubt whether he hath as yet executed the office of a King yea that our Saviour as man as the Sonne of David hath not yet executed the office of a King is the very hinge of the difference we are now entring upon for you hold that our Saviours reigning as the Sonne of David is to be fulfilled while he is in heaven where and when he was not to restore the Kingdome to Israel and we hold that his reigning as man as the Sonne of David is to be fulfilled on earth at his next appearing when and where he is to restore the Kingdome to Israel In this then is our disagreement and not our agreement as you report And seeing you affirme that he hath executed his Kingly office for you say though falsely in all which we agree How can you conceive that he doth now reigne when as that which is already done cannot possibly be as yet in doing or to doing It seemes by this therefore that you neither rightly understand what we nor what your owne side doe hold of our Saviours Kingdome and yet as I take it you are the man that uttered this selfe-conceited query Whether doe they understand the differences betwixt Jewes and
Christians pag. 1. This is one untruth to wit That I have granted that Christ hath executed his Kingly office The next is That I have said that he sits on a Throne in heaven as man which though it be in it selfe a truth for Christ himselfe saith of himselfe and am set downe with my Father in his Throne Rev. 3. ver 21. Yet it is not true that I have said these words for thus I have said that the place where he now sits is the Fathers Throne a Throne in which he hath no proper interest but as God These are your misreports of what I have idsa to which we may adde your affirming that it hath not been proved that the Prophets have spoken of a Kingdome on earth when as the Prophecies which I have alledged for it are so plaine that you left them as one afraid to behold their evidence Now your contradictions follow for having also falsely affirmed that this Proposition Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man is one thing â—bout which we disagree you thus descant on it If these words as man be understood according to the Logicall acceptation it may be granted Thus farre you affirme that according to the Logicall acceptation Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man and yet you subjoyne presently for what agreeth unto any man as man belongeth unto all men and indeed iâ— belongeth not unto all men to sit on the throne of Majesty Whereby you deny that according to the Logicall acceptation Christ sits on a throne in heaven as man It followes and neverthelesse Christ sits at the right hand of the Father as God-Man or Mediatour Here likewise you affirme that Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man though not onely as man but as God too and yet you immediately subjoyne and in this sense we deny this assertion to wit that Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as man as it seemes this Author takes it But surely this Author hath not spoken the words and yet he will not deny that Christ doth fit there as man lest he should deny what Christ himselfe and the Apostles have said neither will he affirme that Christ sits there any otherwise then as God-man or Mediatour although his sitting doth properly belong unto him as man onely But you have said that Christ both sits and sits not there in a logicall acception and that he sits there as God-man and yet not as man Thus contrary are you to your selfe and withall as contrary to the truth in misapplying your distinction For whereas you say It may be granted that Christ sits on a throne in heaven as man if these words be understood according to the logicall acceptation of them it is notoriously false for the words as man in this sense doe imply somewhat essentially belonging unto man which cannot be affirmed of Christs fitting on a Throne in heaven to wit that it doth essentially belong unto his humane nature for then it should inseparately belong unto him and to all other men besides this then you should have deny'd and affirm'd onely that he sits there as such a man as Mediatour Put you out of your great skill in Logique in which you will allow me no insight have first affirmed both members of your distinction and presently deny'd both such a subtile or rather simple discourse have you extracted out of your logicall principle And that the Reader may see how unseasonable and unreasonable you have alledged this Philosophicall rule as well as the Propheticall and Apostolicall writings and revelations he must know that this maxime what agreeth unto any man aâ— man belongeth unto all men is generally true onely of meere man in opposition to other creatures and not of our Saviour who is both God and man and so as well distinguisht by his humane properties from his divine nature and by his essentiall attributes from other creatures as by his mediatory offices from other men Wherefore it followes not that what belongs unto Christ as man belongs unto all men because we usually say that all that belongs to Christ as man which belongs not to him as God which appertaines to his humane and not unto his divine nature Whether it be proper to him as man in opposition to other creatures as to laugh and to be borne of a woman or common also to other creatures as to be hungry and thirsty to eate and drinke to walke to weepe to groane c. Or proper to him as such a man as Mediatour in opposition to other men As to be borne of a Virgine to dye for our sinnes to rise againe for our justification to sit on a Throne in heaven and to reigne visibly on earth over all Nations These and such like we say doe not in propriety of speech belong unto Christ as God but as man because they are the properties of his humane nature As on the contrary it belongs unto him as God and not as man to be equall with the Father to be infinite omnipotent omniscient c. And thus much for your answer in grosse which is indeed a very grosse answer You goe on to catch at particulars which you thus alledge The 1. Particular That the Jewes are yet to receive a Kingdome in which they shall hold them captives whose captives they are Mr. Petrie's Answer Here a little change of a little word makes a great difference for the text saith whose captives they were And now they say they are The Prophet is speaking by name of the Assyrians whose Monarchy is now destroyed and the Interpreters shew the acomplishment of that Prophecy according to the Prophets morning a but that prophecy speakes not of them whose captives the Jewes now are neither know we whose captives they are seeing they live as free Subjects wheresoever they live Reply It is true that the text saith whose captives they were but seeing the deliverance which the Prophecy foreshewes hath not been hitherto accomplished we may truely say whose captives they are and therefore there is no such great difference in this change as you pretend For unlesse you can prove that the whole Nation of the Jewes whose redemption this Prophecy doth conceane as these words for the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob and will yet chuse Israel doe shew Vnlesse I say you can prove that the whole Nation that all the Tribes have been set in their owne I and and aâ— their returne thither have brought strangers with them whom they have possessed there for servants and handmaids and have ruled there over their oppressours over those who formerly ruled over them which I am sure you cannot doe it is not very materiall whether we say whose captives they were or whose captives they are And if there be any difference in the change it is onely because the Prophets expression doth seeme to point to that last generation of the Nations under whom the Jewes shall remaine captives immediately before their deliverance But
chap. to the Phil. but the 10. and 11. verses doe rather shew what reverence he shall have in the Day of his reigne on earth then what he hath already The 3. Particular His owne words doe clearely prove it Rev. 3. ver 21. Mr. Petrie's answer Can any man see in these words any thing for an earthly Kingdome for albeit the Throne of the Father and the Throne of our Saviour were diverse yet may they not be both in heaven Reply Can any man choose but see in these words two distinct Thrones will any man besides you say that they may be both in heaven What Can our Saviour have an idle Throne in heaven Throne in which he doth not now sit For he now sits in his Fathers Throne and when then shall he sit in that other Throne which you say may be in heaven besides his Fathers Throne Certainely you cannot tell us To put you out of doubt then that the Throne which our Saviour here calls my Throne is a distinct Throne from the Fathers and yet not in heaven you must remember first that this Throne is our Saviours Throne of judgment which he shall receive when he comes to judge the quicke and the dead and therefore is to be on earth and not in heaven And secondly That it is the Throne in which the Saints that overcome shall fit with him therfore also not the Throne where he now fits because no man can sit in that but himselfe And therefore also the Throne as well of his Monarchicall government as of his judging the dead at his delivering up of the Kingdome to the Father because it is in the time of his reigne onely that the twelve Apostles shall sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel as hath been shewed before The 4. Particular That which he calleth his owne Throne he hath not yet received Heb. 2.8 and Ch. 10.12 13. Mr. Petrie's answer The words Heb. 2.8 are Thou hast put all things â—â—â—der his sees For in that he hath put all things in subjection under him he lofe nothing that is not put under him but we see not yet all things put under him Here is a twofold Vniversality all things are put under him and nothing is not put under him What more would you have The last words say all things are not put under him If the idst words say so they must be contrary to the former words but the words are we see not all things put under him weâ—ther is the word Receive there which is the point in hand Noâ— these two are fâ—rre different we see not all things put under him and he hath not received all things to be under him So this Text in stead of proofe convinceth the foolish Tenâ—s It way be this is more â—â—â—are in c. 10.12 13. where it is said He saâ— downe on the right hand of God There the height of glory expecting from henceforth till his enemies be made his foote stoole What is here for an earthly Throne or another Throne his enemies are made subject unto him even his greatest enemies as it is granted before but as â—â—ng as this world contunâ—es new enemies shall be arising and can be not subdue them as be hath doen others unlesse he erect and sit on an earthly Throne Reply You have here strived all you could to obscure two texts which I have quoted in the margine of my booke out of the 2 and 10 chap. of the Epist to the Heb. that Heb. 2. ver 8. is this Thou hast put allthings 〈◊〉 subjection under his seete For in that he put all in subjection under him be left nothing saith the Apostle that is not put under him But now we see not yet all things put under him Out of which words you frame your objection thus Here is a two-fold Vniuersality all things are put under him and nothing is not put under him What more would yee have The last words say All things are not put under him This is your form all argument and your wise answer is this If the last words say so they must be contrary to the former words but the words are we see not all things put under him No the words are But now me see not yet all things put under him And if they were as you here alledge them why did you object before that the last words say All things are not put under him seeing you deny that they say so in you answer Iâ— not this first to speak otherwise then the text speakes and then to reprehend your self for mis-alledging of it yet this I hope is neither false Logique nor false Divinity in you And what I pray is the meaning of these words But now we see not yet all things put under him if this be not the meaning of them that all things are not put under him And yet by your leave they are not contrary to the former words for the Apostles former words have relation to the Prophetie all expression of the Psalmist who speakes of that which was to come as if it had been then done Who fore shews onely what great power was designed unto our Saviour by the Father and not when the manifestation and exercise thereof should be So that the whole meaning of Saint Pauls words is this For in that God hath fore appointed to put all in subjection under Christ he hath left nothing he hath exempted no creature that is not to be put under him But now we see not yet this fulfilled we see not yet all things actually put under him But we see already Jesus for the sufferings of death crowmed with glory and honour And thus the Apostle shews what of that Prophecy of David was then fulfilled in Christ after his ascension to wit this that he was then â—â—â—nod with glory and honour And what was not then fulfilled to wit this the actuall subjection of all creatures unto him which is not to be fulfilled till the manifestation of the world to come to which time it is that the Apostle referres the accomplishment and exercise of Christs dominion over the creatures which the Psalmist reveales as the comparing of the 5. verse of this chapter with that which follows doth evidently declare For having said in the 5. ver For unto the Angels hath be not put in subjection the world to come whereof he speakes he presently assumes But one in a certaine place testified saying What is man that thou art mindfull of him or the Sonne of man that thou visitest him c. And thus this text shews not our Tenet to be foolish but you to be as fallacious in seeking to obscure it as your owne mouth doth pronounce you prophane in calling that truth foolishnesse which Christ the Prophets and Apostles have so plainely and plentifully set forth In the other Text Heb. 10. ver 12 13. it is said But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever
approved schooles who have all confessed the same truth that I speake for and stucke to that proper interpretation of these scriptures which I follow For not to speake of the primitive Christians or of many of the Fathers after them there have been many approved men for learning in these latter tâ—nes that have been witnesses of this truth amongst whom are Brightman Alstedius Wendelinus and Mede whom you your selfe pag. 14. commend for a renowned Author although you shake off his choisest proofes as easily as Sampson shooke off the Philistins cords and breake through his strongest arguments as forcibly as Sampson did through the gates of Azzah which he carried away in a triumphing manner such wonders doe you worke by your canonicall or rather carelesse arguing And yet for all this you must give me leave to make so bold with you againe as to tell you That as the plainesse of this text in hand and of the fore-cited scriptures doth compell us to acknowledge the proper sense of them so I trust both the love of the truth the feare of God and a desire to keepe a good conscience will ever constraine us to sticke to it For it is manifest by your taunting termes that you could finde neither scripture contradicting nor necessity forbidding the proper sense of our Saviours words for the confirmation whereof this rule is here alledged Israel's Redemption For besides that there is little analogy and resemblance betwixt a perpetuall l Rev. 22.3 praising and worshipping of God and the businesse of a politicke government here spoken of besides this I say we are already informed that though our Saviour be now in heaven yet he sits not there in his owne Throne and consequently is not yet in the Kingdome which the Father hath appointed him Mr. Petrie's Answer What impudence is here Doth not David say Psal 16 11. In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore and Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I wake with thy likenesse and Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly sitis fied with the fulnesse of thy bouse and thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasures These and many more are spoken of the joyes in heaven by resemblance with earthly Kigndomes and we have already shewed that he bath been misinformed or misinformeth of another Throne and another Kingdome Reply Here you startle the Reader with a very foule exclamation but an evill tongue as it doth not become you so it will nothing benefit you Yea it deepely staines you innocency before God very much impaires your reputation amongst men especially upright men and sets up your wounded conscience as an irreconcileable Judge against you Looke into the Epistle of Saint James chap. 3. ver 6. and you may see both the abominable off spring and originall of it So is the tongue saith he amongst the members that it defileth the whole body and settethou fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of hell That therefore it may not burne hereafter in those flames from whence it is now too much inflamed thinke seriously on this passage and from henceforth give better language to others though your enemies then you have done to me for telling you the truth Now as for your answer I conâ—sse these texts to be Davids words and that there are some metaphoricall phrases in them But I deny that they have any resemblance with the civill affaires of an earthly Kingdome or that there is any comparison to be made betwixt them and our Saviours saying Luke 22.28 so that the impudence you speake of may well recoile on your selfe For the text Psal 16.11 shews onely that the fulnesse of alljoy and delight is in the enjoyment of the sight of God and to be at the right hand of God doth betoken the highest place of honour and glory in heaven which is proper to our Saviour who is said to sit at the right hand of God in allusion to a custome amongst men who are wont to set those whom they will most honour whom they most delight in at their right hands And that Text Psa 17.8 shews that David after the resurrection when he shall have a glorified body as Christ now hath shall be perfectly happy shall be as he would be For these words to awake after thy likenesse are all one with those of Saint Paul in 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. To rise in incorruption in glory in power to rise with a spirituall body For if we have been planted together in the likenesse of Christs death we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection saith the same Apostle Rom. 6.5 and because we are laid into our graves as one that lies downe in his bed to sleepe and shall be raised out of them as one that riseth out of his bed from sleepe therefore it is that the Prophet useth awake in stead of arise And the text Psal 36.8 is referred by Musculus to Gods bountifull provision in this life for all men indifferently and by Calvine better as well to the outward and temporall as to the spirituall and eternall benefits of God towards the faithfull his words are Some restraine it to spirituall graces but unto mee it seemeth a more likelyhood that under it are comprehended all Gods benefits that pertaine as well to the use of this present life as to the eternall heavenly blessednesse And so refers it as well to joyes on earth as to joyes in heaven And happily seeing the Prophet makes mention here of the house of God it is best understood of the great comfort which men shall receive through Gods loving kindnesse towards them in the time of our Saviours Kingdome on earth when Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord shall again be rebuilt and all Nations shall flow unto it as it is Isai 2.2 or as it is Zech. 14.16 shall goe up from yeare to yeare to worshippe the King the Lord of Hosts and to keepe the feast of Tabernacles When I say in the mountaine of the Lords house in the restored Jerusalem the Lord of Hosts shall make unto all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined And shall destroy the face of the covering cast over all people and the vaile that is spread over all Nations Isai 25.6 c. And besides every understanding man knowes that to drinke of the river of thy pleasures is a metaphoricall expression seeing pleasures are not the nourishment of the body and so properly and corporally dranke of but belonging to the soule to which they are as comfortable as sweete and wholesome waters to a thirsty body But to drinke wine to eate the Passeover to eate and drinke at our Saviours table to eate bread in the Kingdome of God to sit on seates and judge the twelve Tribes of Israel are all proper expressions and so
indirectly against his Sonne as a friend and heir of his Fathers Crowne the Sonne may undertake to regaine the rebels unto his Father and the Father may be well pleased to commit unto his Sonne that part of the Kingdome for that effect with full power which the Sonne accepts and reigneth and prevailes powerfully so that albeit the arch-traitour gain-stand in malice to the honour of the Ring and his Sonne yet many of the rebels are reconciled with the King who by this meanes regaineth his Kingdome So the Sonne of God hath undertaken for so many as it pleased him and beseecheth men to be reconciled with the King of heaven and earth shewing that he hath appeased the Fathers wrath and hath power to receive into and exclude from the Kingdome of heaven which power he hath received of the Father and he shewes that there is a time determined for receiving men into grace againe So that if that time shall expire there is no more grace to be shewed unto any Satan envieth the glory of God and mans reconciliation and therefore opposeth by deceiving some and vexing others who hearken unto the word of reconciliation neverthelesse Christ prevaileth by his preaching so that a great many repent and crave mercy and others not when the determined time comes these who have been received into mercy are presented unto God the Father and as if they had not rebelled he accepts them into his Kingdome when the Sonne saith Here am I and these whom I have brought into acknowledgement of their offences I have satisfied justice for them Thou O Father hast thine owne Subjects and let them have the Kingdome prepared for them The Father will not say thy reward is not in heaven but on earth therefore let them goe againe to the earth and inherit glory there for a 1000 yeares but receives them into the inheritance reserved for them in the heavens Reply This answer is as much besides the question as the other for the argument is That if Christ doth now reigne and shall reigne onely till his comming then those Saints which shall be found alive at his comming shall be exempted from his Kingdome shall not reigne with him as the Saints departed did reigne with him To which you say no more but this That they shall be caught up to meete him And besides seeing our Saviour is not to give up his Kingdome to his Father till after his next appearing and that the time of his reign is to be but a 1000 yeares it must needs follow according to your opinion that not onely all the Saints before his incarnation but that the Apostles themselves too and all the rest of the Saints that have been converted within the first six hundred yeares and upwards since his incarnation must be excluded from his Kingdome And yet doubtlesse both the Saints before Christs first comming and the Saints under the first ages of the Gospell have all reigned spiritually as well as the Saints since that time They have been conquerours I say over sin and over sufferings for obedience unto Christ in as eminent manner as any Saints since have been if not more eminently as in the 11 chap. to the Heb. the Acts of the Apostles and the Ecclesiasticall histories doe testifie And therefore that reigne of the Saints revealed in the 20 chap. of the Apoc. as a reigne to come and to be but of a 1000 yeares continuance must needs be meant of some other reigne and consequently of a proper and politick reigne on earth at the redemption of their bodies But lest the reader should take notice that you have nothing to say to these arguments you annexe unto your indirect answer a long discourse whereof that of the Apostle Rom. 5.19 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous is the whole summe And in this discourse which you call a clearing of the whole matter There are these notable passages For first you rell us that Adams revolting was a diminution of the Fathers Kingdome whereas indeed it made way for the salvation of those whom God had predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ of which number not one was diminished by Adams apostasie for as many as God had purposed to save before mans fall so many and no more will he make heires with Christ will he make partakers of the Kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world Secondly you tell us That the bringing of the faithfull into the obedience of the Father is the rendring of the Kingdome unto him And so you make Christs reigne and the rendring of his Kingdome to the Father to be all one and to contemporate whereas the giving up of his Kingdome must needes succeede the time of his reigne for to cease from governing a Kingdome must needes presuppose a preceding government of it Yea and you your selfe say afterwards That when the determined time comes these who have beene received into mercy are presented unto God the Father when the Sonne saith Here I am and these whom I have brought into the acknowledgment of their offences I have satisfied justice for them Thou O Father hast thine owne Subjects and let them have the Kingdome prepared for them Wherein you plainely acknowledge that the rendring up of the Kingdome to the Father is to be when the number of the elect is fulfilled when these who have before been received into mercy are all presented unto God the Father with spotlesse and incorruptible bodies and soules Which is a flat contradicting of your former words to wit That the receiving of the faithfull into mercy that the bringing of them into the Fathers obedience at their conversion is the rendring of Christs Kingdome Thirdly you tell us That Adams revolting was a sinne directly against the Father Whereas the workes of power being chiefly attributed unto the Father the workes of wisedome unto the Sonne and of love unto the Holy Ghost The sinnes of infirmity and weakenesse are most direct against the first Person the sinnes of ignorance and unadvisednesse most direct against the second Person and the sinnes of wilfulnesse and malice most direct against the third Person And did Adam fall out of weakenesse when as all Divines agree he had ability to stand or out of ignorance when he knew that he did what he was forbid to doe or rather out of wilfulnesse when notwithstanding his power to have withstood temptation and his knowledge of the unlawfulnesse of the act he yet yeelded to doe what he should nothâ—ve done Fourthly whereas the rebellion of mankinde against God is generall you compare it onely with the rebellion of a part of an earthly Kings Subjects Fifthly from this defective comparison you make Christ to reigne but over a part of his Fathers Kingdome whereas he is to deliver up a whole Kingdom to the Father and not a part of a Kingdome onely and doubtlesse he must reign
over al that he delivers up Yea although you here make Christ to reign only over a part of his Fathers Kingdome and say also That the areh-traytour gain-stands in malice to the honour of the King and his Sonne that Satan still opposeth by deceiving some and vexing others yet you say pag. 7. That Christ is great over all the world seeing all the Gentiles doe prayse him and all people land him And pag. 52. That he hath made all Kingdomes of the world acknowledge his authority and hath put downe all contrary power and authority c. And pag. 58. That now is no Kingdome but our Lords and his Christs And pag. 40. That his enemies are made subject to him even his greatest enemies So contrary are you to the truth and to your selfe Sixthly and lastly you tell us That at the delivering up of our Saviours Kingdome the Father will not say Thy reward is not in heaven therefore let them goe againe into the earth and inherit glory for a 1000 yeares And doubtlâ—sse he will not For when our Saviour shall give up his Kingdome to the Father his owne Kingdome on earth shall be fulfilled And we say that his Kingdome is to beginne at his appearing when none but the Saints then departed shall rise and not at the last judgement when all others shall rise as you to delude the reader doe purposely misunderstand us And so your pretended explication of the whole matter is indeede no other but an intended implication of a plaine truth Israel's Redemption Of this Kingdome also speakes Saint Peter in Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the o 1 Pet. 1.13 times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and he shall send Jesus Christ which was before preacht unto you p Luke 19 11 12. c. whom the heavens must receive untill the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy q Rev. 10.7 prophets siâ—ce the world began where if by the times of refreshing and times of restitution of all things nothing else can be meant but the Jowes inhabiâ—ing agâ—ine of their owâ—e land and the bringing of all other Nations into subjection to them with which a blessed and wonderfull change of the creatures shall concurre then it is evident that when Christ comes at this time he shall accomplish this thing to Israel and consequently receive his appointed Kingdome but that these words can have no other meaning a small acquaintance with the Prophets will informe you who as they speake of nothing more so they have nothing which can be applyed to our Saviours second comming as a comfortable effect so generally foreshewne but this Mr. Petrie's Answer I am sure no man can imagine that these words in themselves import that our Saviour shall reigne among the Jewes as an earthly Monarch which is the point pag. 45. And therefore this if by the time c. is as if one would say If I be a King I am a King 2. That the Prophets have another meaning may be seen by all interpreters and partly by that is said here 3. It is wonder if any Jew will say that the Prophets speake of nothing more for if his meaning be They speake not more of any other thing it is questionable seeing there is much spoken of Gods precepts But if he doe meane as it seemes that they speake not of any other thing that can be applyed unto our Saviours comming I will cite one Prophet for all Dan. 2.1 2. Where is mention of the great Prince of great trouble even to the time of deliverance and then awaking of some not for a space of time but to everlasting life and of others at the same time unto shame and everlasting contempt And is not this a more comfortable effect foreshewne generally unto every one that shall be written in the booke Now the cause why the Prophets write so much of Jerusalem and that Kingdom to be restored was That the godly hearing of the destruction of that Kingdome did greatly feare that that Common-wealth should never be restored wherein Christ our Saviour was to be borne and performe the worke of redemption we may justly thinke that their feare was not so much the want of bodily liberty as the not comming of our Saviour and therfore the Prophets insist much upon that point for the comfort of the godly that howsoever that Kingdome shall be ruined yet it shall be restored and all Nations shall by the preaching of Jewes come into the obedience of Christ and so receive lawes from the Jewes as being captives unto them whose captives they might be for a time But to imagine that the faithfull did expect and the Prophets did speake of no other thing but this earthly Monarchy is too grosse and directly contradicting the Apostles bearing another testimony of them Heb. 11.16 They desire a better countrey that is heaven And 1 Pet. 1.9 10. Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules Of which salvation the Prophets have enquired and searched diligently who prophecied of the grace that should came unto you c. Reply 1. If these words in themselves import not that our Saviour shall reigne among the Jewes as a Monarch on earth yet compared with the prophecies to which they doe direct us for an explanation of the times of refreshing and times of restitution of all things â—hey doe certainely import as much And this forme If by the times of refreshing and times of restitution c. the Jewes restoring to and prosperity in their land must needes be meant thâ—n it is evident that when he comes at these times he shall accomplish this unto Israel is not to prove idem per idem the same thing by the same thing as you untruely affirme But this forme If by the times of refreshing c. the Jewes restoring to and prosperity in their land be meant then by the times of refreshing c. the Iewes restoring to and prosperity in their land is meant And your silence touching the meaning of the times of refreshing and the times of restitution of all things doth manifest that you did thus traduce the forme of this argument onâ—ly because you could not gâ—insay the evidence f it You say pag. 23. T at aâ—l interpreters except a few Millenaries have expounded the prophecies touching the Jewes future prosperity in their owne land of the Jewes onely And you say here That all without exception have said that the Prophets have another meaning But surely we have shewed that such interpreters cannot prove what they say Yea seeing it is evident by Saint Peters words here That our Saviour shall not come againe till the times of refreshing c. and that it is as evident by the writings of the Prophets to which the Apostle directs us for an interpretation of these times that nothing appliable
Jewes did enquire and search diligently will inferre this conclusion Therefore at the redemption of their bodies at the perfecting of their salvation through the revelation of Jesus Christ they shall not reigne with Christ on earth Israel's Redemption And here we may call to minde too our Saviours words to Iames and Iohn when they requested that one might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdome To sit on my right hand and on my left said he is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Mr. Petrie's answer We may call to mind too his words ye know not what you aske Matth. 20.22 and the words of the Evangelist ver 24. When the ten heard it they were moved with indignation against the brethren Which words shew that howbeit Christ had spoken of his Kingdome yet at that time Iames and Iohn were both ignorant and ambitious Reply You tell us here that we may call to mind too our Saviours reprehensive words Matth. 20.22 and the Evangelists words ver 24. touching the indignation of the ten against the brethren But surely it is best to call to mind the truth which as it is plainly taught in our Saviours direct answer ver 23. so it is necessarily implyed in the other disciples indignation who doubtlesse would rather have marvelled at the strangenesse of their suite then have been any whit offended with them for it had they sought that which no man should at any time enjoy And therefore although you may charge the two brethren with ambition for seeking to be preferred above the other disciples and with an erroneous conceit touching our Saviours unlimited choise of the persons that should sit at his right and left hand yet you cannot charge them with ignorance touching the subject and matter of their request to wit that there were such places to be had which they aimed at Israel's Redemption Which saying as it doth shew that our Saviour had before acquainted the Apostles of his Kingdome so it intimates that his Kingdome is to be held on earth where onely this may be fulfilled for in heaven it cannot be done unlesse we will grant that other men shall be as highly exalted there as our Saviour is to wit to the right hand of God Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. Albeit never one shall sit on his right hand nor his left yet nothing in these words is for this purpose seeing he saith not there that any shall sit but onely To sit on my right hand is not mine to give 2. Matth. 19.28 he speakes of sitting on the Throne of his glory which must be in heaven seeing he speakes absolutely his glory and his glory is greater in heaven then can be on an earthly Throne And he saith unto his Disciples When he shall sit on that Throne ye who have followed me in the regeneration shall sit upon twelve thrones And may not some of these thrones be on his right hand and some on his left hand I enquire not now what these thrones may be but there ye see multitude of thrones in glory as Kings in their State may have thrones for their greatest Peeres Reply 1. Doubtlesse if never one shall sit on Christs right hand nor his left there can be nothing in our Saviours answer to prove this for no scripture doth teach that that shall be done which is never to be done But how shall we know whether any shall sit at his right hand and his left but from scripture And if the scripture is to be sole Iudge in this case as indeed it is our Saviours answer is an unquestionable evidence to prove this For he saith not onely as you answer for him It is not mine to give but he saith It is not mine to give but to them for whom it is prepared of my Father What! were the places on his right hand and on his left then prepared of his Father to be given by him to some and yet can you say that never one shall sit on his right hand nor his left and that nothing in these words is for this purpose Alas that of all Gentiles a Christian of all Christians a scholar of all scholars a Divine should so wilfully and presumptuously beare false witnesse against Christ himselfe 2. 'T is true that Matth. 19.28 our Saviour speakes of sitting on the Throne of his glory and that he said unto his Disciples when he should sit on that Throne they also should sit not on multitude of Thrones but on twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And therefore that Throne of his glory is not to be in heaven as you say but on earth as we say seeing neither our Saviour nor the Disciples shall judge any in heaven And we willingly grant that some of these Thrones are to be on his right hand and some on his left And therefore we say also thâ—t they cannot be in heaven because then some of the disciples if not all should be as highly exalted there as our Saviour to wit to the right hand of God Which is a dignity that no creature but the Sonne of man shall have Israel's Redemption Which is a Prerogative peculiar to the Sonne alone a preheminence I say which the chiefest of the Angels never enjoyed For to which of the Angels said he at any time Sit on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Heb. 1.13 Mr. Petrie's Answer Christ sitting on a Throne sits on the right hand of God but to speake absolutely To sit on a Throne in heaven is not to sit on the right hand of God no more then any Prince is advanced to the right hand of a King albeit be sit on a Throne and inferiour to the King and his eldest Sonne Reply 'T is true that Christ sits on a Throne in heaven as he himselfe saith Rev. 3 21. and t is true likewise that he sits on the right hand of God as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.13 and chap. 10. ver 12. but it is not true that I have said To sit on a Throne is to sit at the right hand of God And therefore this instance as it is alledged by you being a meere perverting of my words you answer your selfe not me And yet your answer is but a bundle of superfluous words For who knows not that to sit on a Throne onely is one thing and to sit on a Throne at the right hand of a King is another thing and therefore that though to sit on a Throne onely be not to be advanced to the right hand of a K ng yet to sit on a Throne or out of a Throne at the right hand of a King is to be advanced to the right hand of a King As Bathsheba was to the right hand of her sonne Solomon 1 King 2.19 Israel's Redemption And the same Apostles words in 2 Tim. 4. may not be forgotten I charge thee saith he before
your answer for surely I doe not say That this image doth signifie a temporall Monarchy of the Jewes but I say That our Saviâ—ur prefigured by the stone that brake the image in peeces and became a great mountaine filling the whole earth shall set up in the place of the foure Monarchies represented by the gold the silver the brasse and the iron and of the Kingdomes represented by the mixture of iron and clay into which the last and iron Monarchy was to be divided a Kingdome over all the world which is the point in hand And whereas to prove that the Kingdome of Christ here foretold was not to succeed these Kingdomes you alledge ver 44. in which it is said In the dayes of these Kings shall the God oâ— heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destâ— yed and the Kingdome shall not beâ—â—eft to other people but it sh ll breake in peeces and consume all these Kingdâ—mes the iron the b asse the clay the silver and the gold and it shall stand forever Certaiâ—ely you could not have urged a plainer text to prove the contrary For first seeing the Prophet saith that the Kingdome here spoken of is to be set up in the dayes of these Kings that is after the iron Romane Empire should be divided as the preceding verses declare the setting of it up cannot possibly be meant of a Kingdome to be set up at our Saviours first comming and consequently not of the preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles For this was done while the Empire was entire and in its height it being in the reigne of Augustus Caesar that Christ was borne and of Tiberius that he was crucified And therefore the Kingdome that was to be set up after this Empire should be divided into severall Kingdoms and yet not prâ—sently after but in the dayes of these Kingdomes that is after they should be of some remarkeable continuance must needs be understood of ouâ— Saviours visible reigne on earth to whose kingdome these Kingdomes shall give place as the former Kingdomes did successively to each other And secondly seeing the Propheâ— saith That the Kingdome shall not be left to other people It necessarily followes that when the God of heaven shall set up this Kingdome some one people shall have the sway over all other pâ—ople from whom the dominion shall not be taken away as it was from the successively prevailing Nations of the foure severa l Empires And what people should this be in whose hands the rule shall continue so firme and stedfast but the Jewes the people of whom Christ the person prefigured by the stone cut out without hands har should smite the image was to be borne And to whâ—m at the expiration of the time allotâ—â—d to the four Kingdom s revealed in another vision chap. 7. The Kingdome and dominion and the greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole heaven shall be given ver 27 And thirdly seeing the Prophet saâ—th That this Kingdome shall breake in peeces and consume all other Kingdoms to wâ—â— the iron the brasse the clay the silver and the gold it is maâ—ifest that it is by it self alone to succeed and follow after all these for how shall all these be broken in peeces by it if this be not to succeed them in the place where it breakes them in peeces And how shall all these be so consumed by it that no place shall be found for them if either of them shall continue with it And fourthly seeing it is unquestionable that the Kingdomes which the image represented and which this Kingdome should breake in peeces were all temporall and visible Kingdomes It must needes be granted that this Kingdome by which these temporall Kingdomes were to be destroyed and succeeded in their place for the stone having smote the image filled the whole earth must it selfe be a visible and for the place and manner of government a temporall Kingdome also Because no temporall and politicall Kingdom can be overthrown and succeeded in its place but by another of the like nature over-mastering it You goe on and say It shall breake in peeces the silver and gold then it shall be before the brasse and iron And of what King say you can that be understood but of Christ who saith Isai 10.12 I will punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria and chap. 37. ver 29. Because of thy rage against me I will put my hooke in thy nose c. Here are a few words but full of very grosse and contradictory untruths For first hâ—ving immediately before recited out of the Prophet It shall breake in peeces the iron the brasse the clay the silver and the gold You presently affirme It shall breake the silver and the gold then it shall be before the brasse and the iron And shall we beleeve you when you speake against the Prophet or when you speake with the Prophet When you say of your selfe It shall breake in peeces and succeed but two of the four Empires or when you say as the Prophet doth that it shall succeed and breake in peeces the whole image all four Empires and the Kingdomes of the last divided Empire Secondly in saying that the stone the type of our Saviours manhood was to be before the brasse and the iron you make Christ to be borne before the Grecian Empire was in being whereas it is evident by the history of the Gospell that he was borne in the dayes of the Romane Empire to which the Jewes were then tributaries Thirdly by the instances which you bring out of Isai 10.12 and chap. 37. ver 29. c. to coâ—sâ—â— me your argument You first make the stone to be Christ in his God-head to whom you attribute this threatning and not in his manhood of which alone it is to be understood For the stone cut out without hands is Christ borne of a Virgin and the mountaine out of which he was cut is the Jewish Nation the Inhabitants of Mount Sion the place which God had chosen to put his Name there And secondly you hereby make the accomplishment of the vision which shewed things then to come to be before the revelation of it For the threatning against Senacherib was fulfilled before Judah's captivity and this vision was in the time of their captivity under Nebuchadnezzar who was the head of gold in the image And thirdly you make the destruction of the Assyrian Empire to be by an extraordinary meanes by an Angel sent from God whereas it was by an ordinary meanes by the army of Cyrus Prince of the Mâ—des and Persians And what could you have said more contrary to the dreame and the interpretation thereof then all this 2. You have nothing to say against the evidence of ver 35. which shewes that the Kingdome of Christ was to succeed the four Empires in time and place as they had succeeded each other to wit by force of armes but this that ver 35. is not contrary to ver
their former distinst titles and governments should hereby be meant Certainely you cannot finde in all the scripture nor in any humane writer such a signification of these words And as for the Christian beleefe it doth not alter the form of civill government in any Nation But be it Democraticall Aristocraticall or Monarchicall it agrees alike with all of them Yea it consisted in the primitive times with the profession of Pagans and doth now consist in the Easterne Churches in the religion of the Mahometans so farre is it in its purity and integrity from teaching us to disturbe the peace of any Kingdome to seeke I say the suppression and removeall of the government or religion thereof by outward violence by the helpe of the sword And therefore it cannot be said of the preaching of the Christian faith that it breakes in peeces and consumes the Kingdomes in which it is profest 3. There was reason you say to expresse the Kingdome of God ver 44. by a thing different from the image because the foure Kingdomes were of one quality and this of another But doubtlesse as the four were no more of one quality then gold silver brasse and iron are all of one quality so though they were all of different qualities from this yet this could not be the reason wherefore the Kingdome of God ver 44. was represented by no part of the image but by a thing different from it For if notwithstanding their different qualities they had been to continue together as you say they might notwithstanding this difference of qualities have been represented together also as well as the contemporating Kingdomes of the divided Empire are by the mixture of iron and clay but the reason was because the setting up of this Kingdome should be the beginning of a new world of a world in which all the Kingdomes on earth should make but one Kingdome under Christ when once the time comprehended by the image should be at an end as it is said ver 35. Then was the iron the clay the brasse the silver and the gold broken in peeces together and became like the chaffe of the Summers threshing-flores and the winde carried them away that no place was found for them And the stone that smote the image became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth And againe ver 44. But it shall breake in peeces and consume all these Kingdomes and it not it with any other but it alone shall stand for ever And that text John 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world doth helpe also to confirme this for it either points out unto us the time of our Saviours reigne or the authority by which he is to reigne And so is as if he had either said thus My Kingdome is not to be now in the time of this world in the time before my next appearing but hereafter in the time of that world to come spoken of Psal 8. that is at the time of my appearing againe when all creatures shall be actually put in subjection unto me Or thus My Kingdome that is the authority by which I must reigne is not from hence is not to be given unto me of the world that is of men but I am to have it from God I am to fetch it from him and to come againe as it is in the parable Luke 19.11 c. and in this sense the expression agrees very well with that Querie Matth. 21.25 The baptisme of John whence was it from heaven or of men And besides all this the Kingdome of grace of which you understand the Kingdome which the God of heaven should set up ver 44. was set up at the first promise of Christ as you confesse pag. 9. and so was in the world even from the beginning whereas that Kingdome ver 44. was then to come when this vision was revealed to Nebuchadnezzar And if you say that the Kingdome ver 44. did represent the Kingdome of grace as it was to be set up amongst the Gentiles at the preaching of the Gospell to them after our Saviours ascension Surely it was set up thus also before the division of the Romane Empire and therefore it cannot in this sense be the Kingdome meant in ver 44. which was to be set up after the division of the Empire and when some of the Kingdomes into which it was divided should be Christian or rather Protestant Kingdomes as these words ver 43. doe intimate And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men but they shall not cleave one to another even as iron is not mixed with clay And in the dayes of these Kings to wit of these amongst whom some that are Christian or Protestant Princes shall mingle themselves with the seed of men shall joyne themselves in marriage with unbeleeving or misbeleeving Princes shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed And at the setting up of this Kingdome it is that the contents of Psal 2.8 and of Psal 110.2 c. and of Psal 149.2 c. which agree so well with the breaking of the image in peeces shall be accomplished And if their very expression doth not sufficiently declare that they are properly to be understood yet certainely all the prophecies which foreshew the Gentiles subjection to the Jewes doe render it unquestionable Israel's Redemption And that nought else is meant by the world to come in Heb 2.5 but this Kingdome of our Saviour it is evident by the authority there alledged out of Psal 8. which prophecy is therefore made use of by the Apostle as a plaine proofe that Christs manhood is exalted above the chiefest of the Angels because it shewes that it is to Christ as man and not to any of the Angels that God hath put in subjection the world to come Mr. Petrie's Answer None denyeth it Reply If none denieth that the Kingdome of our Saviour is to be in the time of the world to come why doe you so much condemne us for beleeving this truth and why also doe you affirme flat against this truth that it is now in this present world Israel's Redemption And if there be yet a world which is to be put in subjection to Christ as man then it must needes be a distinct world from that in t 1 Cor. 15.24.28 Rev. 21. â— which as man he shall give up the Kingdome to his Father Mr. Petrie's Answer The Kingdome or the World whereof the Apostle speakes there was then to come not in respect of Christ but of the Apostle for he meaneth the Kingdome of heaven as appeares by these words whereof we speake which have relation to the words preceding ver 3. If we neglect so great salvation where he opponeth the Evangelicall promises unto the typicall promises these was an earthly Canaan and this is heaven Christ at the time of writing this Epistle was in possession of it and the Apostle did then
the beleeving Iew was he not so before Christs incarnation as well as since was he not Abrahams seed before as well as since was he not heire according to the promise before as well as since What hinders then but that the Iewes may notwithstanding this spirituall union and fellowshâ—p with the beleeving Gentiles be as heretofore so at their generall conversion againe advanced above all other Nations by many not onely outward favours and priviledges but by a greater measure of inward gifts and abilities also Israel's Redemption Neiâ—her was the Temple then destroyed but afterwards and therefore the things here spoken of are all to be accomplished at his second comming and that not in heaven but on earth On earth I say and in e Jerusalem where f Davids Throne was For his feete shall stand in that day Isai 33.20 â—hap 50. ver â— 2 3.9 10. Psal 122 5. to wit when he comes or if God himselfe be here by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figuratively described when he brings him to receive his appointed Kingdome on the Mount of Olives which is before Ierusalem on the East from which Mount our Saviour ascended and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the West and there shall be a very great valley and halfe the mountaine shall remove toward the North and halfe of it toward the South And ye shall flâ—e to the valley of the mountaines for the valley of the mountaines shall reach unto Azal yea ye shall flee like as ye fled from before the Earthquake in the dayes of Uzziah King of Judah And the Lord my God shall come and all the g Iu de ver 14 15. Rev. 19.11 12 13 14 15 16. Saints with theâ— And it shall come to passe in that day that the light shall not be cleare nor darke but it shall be one day which shall be knowne to the Lord not day nor night but it shall come to passe that at evening time it shall be light And it shall be in that day that h Psal 46.4 Eze. 47.1 c. Ioel. 3.8 living waters shall goe out from Jerusalem halfe of them toward the former sea and halfe of them toward the hinder sea In Summer and in Winter shall it be and the Loâ—d shall be King over all the earth In that day shall there be one Lord and his Name one All the Land shall be turned as a plaine from Ceba to Rimmon South of Ierusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her pl ce from Benjamins gate unto the place of the first gate unto the corner gate and from the Tower of Hananiel unto the Kings wine-presses And men shall dwell in it and there shall be no more utter destruction but Ierusalem shall be safely inhabited Zech. 14.4 c. Mr. Petrie's Answer Christ said Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up againe Then said the Iewes Forty and sixe yeares was this Temple in building and wilt thou reare it up againe in three dayes but he spake of the Temple of his body saith the Evangelist Iohn 2.19 So the true Temple is Christs body which the Iewes destroyed and he raised it up againe and in this sense the Disciples did beleeve the Scriptures after the resurrection of Christ ver 22. And therefore the things spoken in these Scriptures are accomplished at his first comming not onely in heaven last on earth according to the different portions thereof In heaven and on earth I say and in true Ierusalem and on the true Throne of David for his feete stood in that day to wit when he went to receive the fuller accomplishment of his Kingdome on the Mount of Olives which is by Ierusalem on the East from which also he ascended and the Mount or Olives hath been cloven in the midst thereof toward the East and toward the Wâ—st when not onely the members of the Church but all the world was shaken at the powerfull preaching of the Gospell even more gloriously then at the giving of the Law Heb. 12.26 So that nothing could hinder the course thereof And the Iewes have fled to that valley of the mountaines when they did imbrace the Gospell which is low in worldly mens esteeme and of high esteeme before God And the valley of the mountaines hath reached unto Azal For the preaching of the Gospell hath been an excellent stone marke shewing the righ way as it is exponed 1 Sam. 20.19 on the margine of the late translation to the Kingdome of heaven Yea they have fled like as they did flee from before the earth quake in the dayes of Vzziâ—h King of Iudan to wit they have been astonished at the wonderfulnesse of Gods workes And the Lord hath come And so forth as it followes in Zach. 14. where he shewes the perpetuall light of the glorious Gospell ver 6 7. and the continuall flowing of the wholesome waters in the Kingdome of Christ ver 98. and the removing of all impediments for the security of the elects conversion and salvation You see here that our Saviour came not onely to conquer death which is the last enemy that he shall destroy and therefore not to be destroyed till the last resurrection but also to take the Kingdomes of the world unto himselfe and hath made them all acknowledge his authority and hath put downe all contrary power and authority for all Nations have praised Christ and given laud unto him Rom. 14.9 10.11 That there is one shepheard and one sheepfold that the Dominions Kingdomes and greatnesse of the Kingdomes under the whole Heaven have been possessed by the People and Saints of the most High that is as the Gospell hath exponed it by the faithfull Israel Rom. 14.12 bowbeit all hath not been possessed at the same period of time Reply Was ever scripture more apparently wrested more impertinently alledged Behold saith Zechariah the man whose name is the Branch and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord even he shall build the Temple of the Lord c. chap. 6. ver 12. This is the prophecy and your interpretation this Christ said Destroy this Temple and in three dayes I will raise it up againe c. John 2.19 And interpretation doubtlesse as wide from the sense of the Prophet as the Iewes apprehension was from the meaning of our Saviours words For shew us where the Temple of the Lord is in all the old Testament which was then all the scripture taken in any other sense then for the house of Gods worship at Ierusalem Or the building of the Temple of the Lord in any other sense then for the building of that Temple Yea looke but into the 14 and 15 verses immediately following and it is unquestionable that the same words are there taken for the Temple of the Lord in Ierusalem And besides seeing the Prophets shew so plainely that our Saviour shall
and greatnesse of the Kingdome under the whole Heaven may be possest by the people of the Saints of the most High That is as the former prophecies doe expound it by the i people of Israel Psal 148.14 And this as I thinke is the time of which he spake these words Verely verely I say unto you k Ioh. 1.51 Heb. 1.6 Hereafer shall ye see heaven open and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the l sonne of man Mr. Petrie's Answer That these words shal be fulfilled or have been fulfilled it is most certaine and it is as certaine that they shall never be fulfilled in the proper acceptation of the words seeing the body of Christ is not so tall as that 〈◊〉 shall reach from heaven to earth for this cause some as Cyril on this place have expâ—ned unto for upon in this sense as if the Heavens were open the Angels shâ—ll come downe and ascend unto my Service So doth Chrysostome apply these words to the Angels ministring unto Christ in time of his passion and resurrection Others thinke it to be an exposi ion of that vision of Iacob Gen. 28. whereby was signified that Christ is the Mediatour making way betwixt heaven and earth Col. 1.10 And these expositions for the matter doe agree with other Scriptures Reply It seemes by your first words that you are doubtfull of the accomplishment of this prophecy for that it shall be fulfilled or hath been fulfilled it is most certaine you say And your next assertion that it shall never he fulfilled in the proper acceptation of the words doth appaâ—ently contradict that which followes for by and by after you tell us that Cyril hath exponed it as if the heavens were open the Angels shall come downe and ascend unto my Service and that Chrysostome doâ—h apply it to the Angel ministring unto Christ in time of his passion and resurrection And is not this a proper exposition of the prophecy then shew us one more proper And doubtlesse it is to be understood as Cyril understands it of the Angels ministring to our Saviour But yet we beleeve not that it was fulfilled when in his agony there appeared an Angel unto him strengthening him Luke 22.43 and much lesse when after his resurrection and Angel appeared at his sepulchre Matth. 28 2. For it is evident that when this prophâ—cy shall be fulfilled they that are in our Saviours presence shall as plainely see heaven open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the starry firmament part asunder and the Angels ascending from and descending â—o him as they shall see each other as plainely I say as Saint Stephen looking stedfastly into heaven saw 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heavens open and the Sonne of man standing on the right hand of God Acts 7.55 56. And as Saint John Baptist saw the heavens opened unto Christ and the Spirit of God descending liâ—e a dove and lighting upon him Matth. 3.16 And Saint Paul assures uâ— Heb. 1.6 That when God againe bringeth in the first begotten into the world he sayth And let all the Angels of God worship him And to what time then can our Saviours Hereafter can this visible attendance of the Angels on him belong but to the time of his next appearing of his comming againe into the world the time and place of which God hath said that all the Angels of God shall doe homage unto him And besides it is more then probable that the Evangelist would as well have recorded the accomplishment as the prediction of this thing if he had knowne of the fulfilling of it But the acute reason of your denying the proper sense of the prophecy is yet behinde and may well remaine to posterity as the wonder of your worke and the monument of your wit For the Angels you say shall not ascend and descend upon the Sonne of man seeing the body of Christ is not so tall as that it shall reach from heaven to earth Doubtlesse a very tall proofe and yet it comes short of the marke you aime at For surely the proper acceptation of the prophecy as it depends not on so it is not proved but infallibly disproved by the proper acceptation of the word upon which preposition having relation onely to the participle descending the full expression had been thus ascending from and descending upon or unto which is meant by upon in this place And which the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth as well signifie as upon and might have been here so exprest as well as it it is Luke 10.6 and chap. 19. ver 5. and in other places had there been any likelihood of a modesâ— Christians misunderstanding of this prophecy by reason of the word upon However the learned had need beware that in translating the scriptures they follow not the common liberty of speech in the smalest word when as the wilfull are so ready to make it an occasion of venting their vaine conceits Israel's Redemption For that this may be fulfilled it is requisite that he be on earth whither these messengers may descend unto him and from whence againe they may ascend which argues too his continuance here for a greater space of time then the judgement of the dead requites Mr. Petrie's Answer A poore proofe for as it is requisite that he be on earth whither that these messengers may descend unto hint so I may say it is requisite that he be in heaven whence they may descend on him and whither they may ascend to him and so taking the words in that sense they may be fulfilled albeit he never were on earth even as they may be fulfilled when he is on earth and not in heaven but according to the first exposition he was on earth when they were fulfilled farre lesse it his â—ominuance on earth necessary for these words Reply A poore proofe you say And surely were it not much more powerfull then the answer it were poore indeed For may you say as well from the order of our Saviours words That it is requisite he be in heaven whence the Angels may descend from him and ascend to him as we may that it is requisite he be on earth whence they may ascend from him and descend to him Certainely nothing can be said more direct against the truth For such a conclusion doth necessarily change and pervert our Saviours words into this contrary forme Hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the Angels ascending to and descending from the Sonne of man Whereas our Saviour said ascending and descending to the Sonne of man which necessarily proves that he is not to be in heaven at the accomplishment thereof seeing he must be the terminus a quo the person from whom and not to whom the Angels shall ascend and the terminus ad quem the person to whom and not from whom they shall descend And therefore taking these words no otherwise then our Saviour spake them they may be fulfilled on earth as we say but
Monarchy on earth and if the bodies shall be like unto his glorious body they shall not live an earthly life nor dye againe He quoteth 1 Thes 3.13 and chap. 4.14 c. but the first hath nothing of a second resurrection and chap. 4.14 saith We shall be ever with the Lord to wit in another manner then now now by grace and then in glory If we shall ever be with the Lord then we shall not dye againe and rise againe unlesse the L rd dye too which I thinke they will not say Lastly he cites Ezek. 37.12 13. which words certainly are allegoricall and shew the returne of the Jewes from their captivity notwithstanding the extâ—eamity of their misery and after these words he takes occâ—sion to speâ—ke of the spirituall Kingdome of the Chu ch as is said before but neither first nor last speakes the Prophet of a fiâ—st and second resurrection at or about the last day And so in all these testimonies nothing is to this purpâ—se of the concurring of the Iewish Monarchy with the first resurrection Reply The first resurrection of bodies importeth a second you say True but of other bodies not of the same bodiâ—s And I dare say that the conceite touching the dying againe of them that rise to rise the second tâ—me is your proper fancy Sure I am it is very slandâ—â—ously imputed to Mr. Archer who holds in deed thaâ— the raised Saints shall be made governours over our Saviours Kingdom in his absence but not that they shall again be subject unto death And when I say here that these Saints shall have a share in Christs Kingdome and be his assistants in it And elsewhere pag. 121. that the time of these Saints abode with Christ shall never have an end yea when you your selfe confesse that the testimonies on the margine doe prove the contrary doe I hold their dying againe thinke you or doe I not Certainely as we know not to what end the Saints should rise if they were to dye againe so we know that the bodies of the dead though they be sowne in corruption shall be raised in incorruption even the bodies of the greatest sinners who could not otherwise live in eternall torments and therefore it is manifest that you have here laid an errour of your owne devising to another mans charge partly that you might not seeme to take so much paines and confute nothing and partly to disgrace the truth we hold touching the order of the resurrection For as it is true that the dead shall rise but once so it is true also that they shall not rise all at once And this the prophecies of Saint John Rev. 20.4 c. and Saint Paul in 1 Cor. 15.22 23 24. doe so plainely reveale that we may well wonder why so many learned Interpreters should rather strive to extinguish thâ—se greater lights then by the brightnesse of them to discover the true meaning not onely of such texts as concerne the resurrection but of those also that concerne the prerogatives and priviledges which they who have part in the first resurrection are to enjoy on earth And now let us see how you deale with the texts on the margine of which the first that you alledge though not the first that is quoted is in Luke 20.35 36. But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither doe they dye any more for they are equallanto the Angels and are the children of God being the children of the resurrection This is the text and yâ—ur â—â—ferences these If they can dye no more and be equall unto the Angels then they shall not rise at a second resurrection And who saith that they shall neither shall they live an earthly life say you And so say we if by an earthly life you meane a sinfull life or a mortall life but if you meane only that they shall not live on earth we deny your s quelli For our Saviour lived on earth before his death and yet hâ— lived not an earthly that is a sinfull life And he lived many dayes on earth after his resurrection in which he shewed himselfe openly to his Disciples who did eat and drinke with him after he rose from the dead Acts 10.42 And yet his glory was not diminished by it nor he made lower then the Angels or the more liable unto mortality for it Neither shall the raised Saints be lesse equall unto the Angels in their immunity from copulation in their holinesse of conversation or in the immortality of their bodies while they abide on earth then when they are carried into the presence of God himselfe And seeing our Saviour saith here But they that shall be accounted worthy to obtaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that age or that time of the world and the resurrection from the dead doth he not plainely point out unto us a time in which none of the dead shall be raised but such as shall be accounted worthy of some peculiar happinesse which is kept in store for them against that time Certainly if we compare these words of our Saviour with the 14 and 15 verses of the 14. ch of Luke we cannot think otherwise For what is the resurrection which none but they that are accounted worthy shall obtaine but the resurrection of the just spoken of chap. 14. ver 14 which you passe over in silence and what did our Saviour meane when he said not onely thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection but at the resurrection of the just Did he not meane that he should receive a recompence at that time when all the just then dead and none but the just should be raised And what is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here That age or that time of the world but the time of the Kingdome of God spoken of chap. 14. ver 15 And what is this Kingdome of God of which it is said that he is blessed which shall eate bread in it but the Kingdome which God shall set up under Christ as man when he brings him againe into the world For whereas it is recorded chap. 14. that when one that sat at meate with our Saviour heard him tell the Pharisee who bad him to eate bread at his house that if he made a feast he should not call his rich kindred friends and neighbours but the maimed the blinde and them that could not recompence him and that he should be recompenced at the resurrection of the just whereas I say it is written that when one heard these things he said unto our Saviour Blessed is he that shall eate bread in the Kingdome of God What correspondence could there be betwixt these words and our Saviours touching the recompencing of the charitable at the resurrection of the just unlesse the Kingdome of God here spoken of should contemporate with the resurrection of the just unlesse the just I say should rise to receive their
recompence when this Kingdome of God shall beginne And it being evident from the text that this Kingdome of God is to be a Kingdome in which there shall be eating of bread that is according to the signification of this phrase in the Gospell of such creatures as God hath ordained for mans food on earth this Kingdome of God must needes be meant of a Kingdome on earth and consequently the recompence our Saviour spake of is to be given on earth and the resurrection of the Saints to enjoy this Kingdome is to precede the rising of all others which shall not be till the time of this Kingdome be sully expired The second testimony is in Joh. 6.39 40 44.54 of which the last ver is this Who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day And these last words are the close of the other verses also whence you argue thus If the last day be the day of the generall judgement as certainely it is even supponing the temporall Monarchy for a 1000 yeares and the elect shall not be raised till the last day as these words imply then there shall not be a first and second resurrection unlesse the second resurrection be after the last day And what coherence is there in this argument what appearance of truth certainely it savours not of your great skil in Logique For neither the first not the last resurrection shall be till the last day and yet both shall be in the last day seeing the last day shall beginne with the first resurrection and end with the last But yet we have good reason to beleeve that our Saviour spake here only of the first of these resurrections because in v. 54. he speakes onely of raising them that should be worthy partakers of the Sacrament of his body and bloud which Sacrament is to shew forth the Lords death till he come as Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 11.26 and for ought we yet know no longer If therefore you have no better arguments to support the spirituall interpretation of the first resurrection Rev. 20.4 5 6. then this it were farre better that you did lay your hand on your mouth then plead for it And indeede how could you imagine that God should reveale unto S. John the rising of men from sin as a secret then unknown unto the world that I say he should foreshew this as a thing then to come which began â—n Adam himselfe and was at that time the daily effect oâ— the preach ng of the Gospell The third text is that of Saint Paul in Phil. 3.11 If by any meanes I might aâ—t â—ine to the resurrection of the dead To which you answer these words name hâ— dead generally c. Certainely no more generally then the same Apostles words in 1 Cor. 15.42 c. doe Where he saith Sâ— also is the resurrection of the dead it is sowne in corruption it is raised in incorruption it is sowne in dishonour it is raised in glory it is sowne in weakenesse it is raised in power it is sowne a naturall body it is raised a spirituall body And doe any besides the just rise in glory in power and with spirituall bodies or do you thinke that it was need full for Saint Paul to use his utmost care and endeavour that he might attaine to rise at that time when thâ— unjust should rise The resurrection therefore which the Apostle strove so much to attaine unto was no other then the resurrection of the dead in Christ then the first resurrection of which it is said that he who hath a part in it the second death hath no power over him As on the contrary all that dye before this resurrection and are not raised in it shall perish everlastingly But because you had no more to say to the text which I have quoted you alledge the 20 ver of the same chapt out of which you raise these arguments If the Politeuma the freedome of the godly be in heaven then they expect not a Monarchy on earth And if their bodies shall be like unto Christs glorious body they shall not live an earthly life nor dye againe But as we allow your last argument for we know not who doth affirme the contrary to wit that the Saints shall after their resurrection be either mortall or sinneâ—ull so in your first argument we first deny your translation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you make the ground of your argument For it signifies not there a freedome or priviledge but a manner of living as by the Apostles opposing of his owne conversation to the conversation of some carnall minded Ministers of the Gospell it is apparent and therefore it is rendred by Piscator word for word for our civill life or behaviour is in heaven that is is as temperate as if we were inheaven in the presence of God and the holy Angels And secondly we deny the argument it selfe For though we suppose that the godly have now no outward freedome on earth for an inward and spirituall freedome you must needes grant them seeing he that is called in the Lord is the Lords free-man as it is said 1 Cor. 7.22 and all the royall dignity which you allow the Saints consists in this though then we suppose I say that they have now no outward freedome for this also they have as appeares in 1 Cor. 7.21 and chap. 9. ver 19. yet it will not follow from hence that they expâ—ct none on earth hereafter when Christ shall change their vile bodies that they may be like unto his glorious body The two next texts are one in 1 Thes 3.13 and the other chap. 4. ver 14 15 16 17. in both which the Apostle speaks of the rising of none at Christs comming but of the dead in Chr st And seeing the resurrection of their bodies doth equally belong to the godly and the ungodly why should we not thinke that he would as well have spoken of the resurrection of these also as of the other if they had been to rise at the same time with the other Doubtlesse you could shew no reason why the Apostle should speake so much and so often of the resurrection of the godly at Christs comming and nothing of the resurrection of the ungodly if they had been to rise all together And therefore you have here also strugled onely with your owne fancy and now the third time strangled this deformed issue of your slanderous imputation to wit that the raised Saints shall dye againe and rise againe For this opinion is indeed altogether inconsistent with the truth which we hold touching the reigning of the raised Saints with Christ a 1000 yeares before the last resurrection And suppose any one had vented this errour yet it is an argument of your malice to prosecute the confutation of it in your answer unto me I say thus to prosecute it as if it were the common opinion of us
that should be beheaded Therefore by the word they lived is meant the living of them that had been beheaded the rising of men after their death and not the regenerating of them that should be beheaded the rising of men before their death For the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they lived must needes be opposed to the death of the body to the death of the bâ—headed the death here mentioned and not to the death of the soule the death of men before they are regenerated a death not here mentioned 4. This argument is a meere petitio principii a begging of the point in question for it supposeth that the first resurrection is to be understood spiritually which in the very subject of the controversie And therefore it is just as if you had said If the first resurrection be that which we say it is then it goes before the Saints death as we say it doth surely if interpreters do expound the first resurrection of the Saints of the forsaking of Antichrist's errours of their not worshipping of the Beast nor receiving his marke and of their constant profession c then they doe understand it of the effects and consequents of the spirituall resurrection and not of the spirituall resurrection it selfe For the regeneration of the Saints is the change and renewing of their soules by the infusion of sanctifying and saving graces of their regeneration And they doe herein put a tautology upon the text which according to this interpretation must be thus paraphrased And I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and for the word of God and which had not worshipped the Beast neither his image neither had received his marke upon their foreheads or in their hands and they lived that is and they worshipped not the Beast not his image nor received his marke c. And if for the word they lived you say they were regenerated I demand when they were regenerated were they regenerated again after they were beheaded c. after they had in their life time refused to worship the Beast c For all this was revealed as past when St. John saw their soules and yet it was after he saw their soules that they lived and reigned with Christ a 1000 yeares Thus then is the text by your interpretation deprived both of truth and sense which taken in its proper signification doth of it selfe speake in this manner to every understanding And I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and the soules of them which had not in their life time worshipped the Beast neither his image and they lived that is and they that were thus beheaded lived againe in their bodies they rose from the dead and reigned with Christ a 1000 yeares But the rest of the dead lived not till the 1000 yeares were finished That is till the resurrection of the dead described ver 12 13. c. And now who hath shewed himselfe the strange wrangler hath this Authour or Mr. Petrie Israel's Râ—demption It is said also that they lived and reigned with Christ a 1000 yeares But how can it be that they should reigne immediately after their resurrection or beginne their reigne all at ouce or continue it but a thousand yeares which things these words imply if by their resurrection should be understood their regeneration and by their reigne their being in heaven Or if by the word they lived should be meant onely they were converted how can they reigne so long as a thousand yeares seeing the place of their reigne must be on earth for if they should be any where else how can they be encompast againe with warre when the thousand yeares are expired as ver 9. declares they shall Mr. Petrie's Answer If by their living and resurrection be meant their constant profession as is said and by their reigning their prevailing over these heresies all these mists are soone scattered to wit they reigned before their death and not after their resurrection they began their reigne not all at once but in their severall ages even as the Millenaries doe imagine that the Saints in that conceited Monarchy shall not live all at once but in their severall ages dye againe and succâ—ed one age to another for the space of a 1000 yeares and so they reigne not every one throughout the 1000 yeares and so long space have some ever opposed the errours of the Beast and they reigning on earth have been encompast with warre againe as it was foretold and Ecclesiasticall histeries declare Reply This answer is a fallacy of the same straine with the fourth part of the former answer So that all it signifies unto us is this That if you say the truth then you say the truth And seeing you affirme that by the Saints living and resurrection is meant their constant profession and by their reigning their prevailing over heresies I pray tell us whether amongst Christians there were to be constant professours and prevailers over heresies the space of a 1000. yeares only and no more if there were to be such longer then this cannot be the meaning of the Saints living and reigning with Christ a 1000 yeares And if there were to be such no longer then when did the 1000 yeares begin in which these constant Professors should be if they began in the time of the Apostles then there are no constant professions and prevailers over heresies now nor have been in some hundreds of yeares before this If they began not at that time then you will exclude the Apostles themselves out of the number of constant professours and prevailers over heresies unlesse you will divide the 1000 yeares and say that it is not meant that they lived and reigned a 1000 yeares together but at severall times and yet thus also you must exclude some ages from having any constant professours in them which is quite contrary to the word of God which shewâ— that when Satan should most prevaile should have most power to deceive there should be some elect whom he should not deceive And whereas you say That those constant professours reigning on earth have been encompassed with warrâ— againe I pray tell us when they were exempted from it the space of a thousand yeares or when they have beene onely encompast with it Surely they have knowne but little peace and have not been onely encompast but often destroyed and made away by the fury of their adversaries whereas in the time of the Saints 1000 yeares reigne on earth with Christ they are to enjoy peace so long and when after these yeares they shall be encompast by their enemies not one of them shall perish but their enemies shall wholly be destroyed by fire from God out of heaven as Rev. 20.7 8 9. doe manifest And consequently all that you have said or can say touching the present accomplishment of this prophecy touching the fulfilling of it before our Saviours appearing neither hath nor
can have any truth in it And lastly as for the contents of your parenthesis certainely we doe not imagine that the raised Saints the Saints which the Lord shall bring with him whom alone Rev. 20.4 doth concerne shall not live throughout the whole space of a 1000 yeares reigne for we know that they can dye no more after their resurrection But we beleeve that the converted Jewes and all the Gentiles that are lest to wit after the extraordinary destruction which for their generall opposing the Jewes shall light on them at our Saviours appearing we beleeve I say that these and their posterity shall live in the like mortall condition as we doe now though they shall live much longer then we doe now Israel's Redemption And lastly The reigne of Christ doth not beginne till Antichrist is destroyed so that a metaphoricall interpretation of the first resurrection would make good this conclusion That most of the Saints shall rise many hundred yeares before their reigne there being no lesse distance of time betwixt the houre of their calling and Antichrists confusion Mr. Petrie's Answer I have before made it cleare that Christs Kingdome is already begun for he reigneth in the midst of his enemies not onely by his power over-ruling disappointing and turning all their plots upon their owne pates but also in comforting the hearts of the godly so that they are a terrour to the whole earth even to their enemies who are many times more afraide at the prayers of the godly then at the cannons of other enemies and subdue the spirits of the world and binde Kings in chaines stronger then iron And therefore that assertion falleth The reigne of Christ beginneth not till Antichrist be destroyed and that absurdity following that assertion is falsely imputed to that interpretation Reply You have before alledged Psal 110. to shew that Christ doth now reigne in the midst of his enemies and we have shewed that that prophecy is not to be fulfilled untill he comes from the right hand of his Father and therefore you have onely said and not proved that Christs Kingdome is already begun And That he doth now by his divine power over-rule and dispose of the actions of men and by his Spirit comfort the hearts of the godly is nothing to the question in hand For thus he governed the whole world and his Church in the world as much before his incarnation as he hath done since But the prophecies which foreshew our Saviours Kingdome on earth doe clearely manifest that he is to reigne over the world in the same manner as temporall Kings doe over their Subjects to wit visibly and civilly that in the time of his Kingdome I say the acts of his government are to be the immediate acts of his manhood onely although they proceede originally from his Godhead And surely this Kingdome is not yet begun nor shall beginne till Antichrist be destroyed and consequently the foresaid absurdity touching the great distance betwixt the rising and reigning of the Saints doth inevitably follow upon the spirituall interpretation of the first resurrection And whereas you say That the enemies of the godly are many times more afraide of their prayers then at the cannons of other enemies you herein contradict experience it selfe for what doe the Mahometans or any Pagan Nations regard the prayers of Christians whose very faith they account foolishnesse or what doe persecuting Christians themselves regard the prayers of the persecuted whom they thinke to be worthily punished by them doubtlesse they are no more afraide of them then Saint Paul was when through a mistaken zeale he was so exceedingly madde against them that he punished them in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme de persecuted them to strange cities And therefore though the prayers of the righteous may prevaile very much with God for their owne and their enemies good or for the disappointing of their enemies devicâ—s and attempts yet certainely their enemies can neither see nor regard this unlesse God open their eyes as he did Saint Pauls to behold the perversnesse of their own wayes and the innocency and uprightnesse of them whom they so much despise Israel's Redemption The assumption is grounded on Rev. 11.15 which shewes that till the time of the seventh Trumpet with the beginning whereof the last viall doth concurre The Kingdomes of * The Kingdomes of this world It is not said The Kingdome of heaven to wit of the third heaven the incorruptible habitation of Saints and Angels or of another world I say of another in substance But the Kingdomes of this world that is this world which is now shall till then be divided into many Kingdomes shall wholly become Christâ— and be made by him one heavenly Kingdome a Kingdome in which men shall live after an heavenly estate and condition a Kingdome in which Gods Will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven For seeing that cannot possibly become any mans possession which doth utterly cease to be what other construction can be given of these words but this That the government of all the Kingdomes of the world is hereafter to be taken into Christs owne hands as he is man And indeede how else should they then become his after such a manner as they are not now his if not by a subiection to his manhood for as he is God they were alwayes his and all will grant that this Scripture doth plainely foreshew a deposing of all the Kings of the earth at the accomplishment thereof A deposing of them I say in such a way that their Kingdomes may become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ which cannot be by abolishing and dissolving the earth on which they must reigne but may and shall be by subduing and conquering them and the Kingdomes over which they must reigne this world doe not become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Châ—ist Mr. Petrie's Answer The assumption he would say assertion but it is marked before the Author is no Logician is grounded on Rev. 11.15 the words are The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Here it is not said Our Lord and his Christ shall not reigne till this time but this is all that the words import Nâ—w is no Kingdome but our Lords and his Christs And if it be objected It is no where said so of Christs reigne till this time of the seventh trumpet and therefore it cannot be true that our Lord and his Christ doe reigne till then I answer ye have heard before that in the midst of these Kingdomes doth Christ reigne even among them and over them But all their Kingdomes shall be utterly destroyed and his Kingdome shall be for ever and ever saith John and therefore not for a thousand yeares onely Now if we lay together what is said of the Jewes reigne bare and this answer we shall likewise see the vanity of that observation on the margine upon
these cited words which is It is not said the Kingdome of heaven to wit of the third heaven or of another world I say of another in substance but the Kingdomes of this world that is which is now and shall till then be divided into many Kingdomes shall wholly become Christs and be made by him one heavenly Kingdome c. For if we remember what is said that here Iohn speakes of the Kingdome of our Lord and of his Christ he speaks not of the Kingdome of the Iewes on earth seeing he makes a distinction of two persons our Lord and his Christ that is the Father and the Sonne and that Kingdome is for ever and ever Reply As little Logicke as the Author hath left he can tell that Assertion is not a logicall but rhetoricall terme And he doth remember also that in the schooles where he was bred they were wont to call the minor propositioâ— the Assumption as he hath done here and can make it evident by this syllogisme If the reigne of Christ as man doth not bâ—ginne till Antichrist is destroyed then the spirituall interpretation of the first resurrection doth make most of the Saints to rise many hundred yeares before their reigne But the reigne of Christ as man doth not beginne till Antichrist is destroyed Therefore c. Now what will you call this minor proposition will you call it an Assertion or an Assumption if an Assertion you call it as no Logician calls it if an Assumption then why may not I call it so too without any offâ—nce to the learned in Logicke Your answer followes in which you say It is not said here our Lord and his Christ shall not reigne till this time But this is all the words import now is no Kingdome but our Lords and his Christs And surely this comment is a great deale more obscure then the text For if you meane onely that at the accomplishment of this prophecy there shall be no Kingdome over which the Lord and his Christ shall not reigne this is no more then what you affirme to be done by our Lord and his Christ already for you say That at this present time Christ reigneth in the midst of these Kingdomes even among them and over them But you must needes acknowledge a difference betwixt his reigning over them now and his reigning over them then or else you make this prophecy to be no prophecy to foreshew nothing at all And wherein can this dâ—fference consist but in his reigning over these Kingdomes hereafter in his humane nature which he doth now over rule only by his divinâ— providence for if by your foresaid words you should mean that at the accompl shment of this prophecy there shall be no Kingdom but a spirituall Kingdome which is all the Kingdomes you will allow Christ this is not onely contrary to the light of the text but of reason it selfe For there can be no spirituall Kingdome on earth unlesse there be withall a temporall a civill Kingdome in which it may be set up And the text speakes not of spirituall Kingdomes but of temporall for it saith The Kingdomes of this world that is the temporall and civill Kingdomes which the Kings of this world doe reigne over These Kingdomes it saith be they the Kingdomes of Christian or of heat hen Princes shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ that is shall by the Lord be put under the government of his Christ as he is man And therefore the Kingdomes themselves shall not be then utterly destroyed as you say but be made one Kingdome under Christ as we say And indeede if we doe but call to minde the time when this prophecy is to be fulfilled which is at the sounding of the last trumpet when Christ himselfe shall descend from heaven we cannot imagine that the Kingdomes of this world should then become the Kingdomes of Christ any otherwise then by a subjection unto his manhood then by submitting themselves to the â—ules of that Ecclesiasticall and civill policy which he their King shall then command to be observed by them And now if the reader consider this and remembers also what cleare prophecies there are for the restoring of the Kingdome of the Jewes he will plainely perceive that the time when the Kingdomes of this world shall become the Kingdome of Christ is to be the very same in which he shall restore againe the Kingdome of Israel And your precious subtilty touching a distinction of two persons our Lord and his Christ that is the Father and his Sonne doth make nothing against this synchronisme For they are said to be the Kingdomes of the Lord partly because he shall them make it more manifest then ever he did that they are his to dispose of and partly because no other Lawes but the Lords shall be observed in them And of his Christ because no man but he shall be supreâ—me Head and Governour over them And surely the Kingdomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this world cannot be the Kingdomes of the Father and the Sonne for ever if you take this word in an unlimited sense seeing neither this world in which they are nor the civill societies of men of which they doe consist shall be of an infinite duration And I thinke too that you will not say that by the Kingdomes of this world that Kingdome of eternall glory is meant in which the Sonne also himselfe shall after the judgement of the dead be subject unto the Father unto him that before put all things under him Israel's Redemption And this also is intimated by the binding up of t Rev. 20.1 2 3. c. Satan a thousand yeares with which the reign of the Saints contemporates Mr. Petrie's Answer He said before This chapter is controverted to wit by the Millenaries on the one part and all Christians on the other and now he saith This his conceit is intimated in the binding up of Satan which is as if he had said It is all undoubted what he saith and all is false that all Christians say whereas Christians have given better warrants of their exposition then Millenaries are able to doe Reply I say not that the whole chapter is controverted for doubtlesse no Christian will deny that the latter part thereof doth speake of the judgement of the dead at the last resurrection But I speake of a controverted place in this 20 chapter which is that touching the first resurrection And yet suppose the whole chapter had been controverted I might neverthelesse say that this or that truth is not onely intimated but plainely exprest in it as the first bodily resurrection is plainely exprest in ver 4 5. notwithstanding the disagreement of expositours about it And as the deliverance of the Jewes the restoring of their Kingdome and our Saviours personall reigne on eath are all so plainely exprest in the propheticall scriptures as that nothing can be more plainely spoken although the proper interpretation of them
not from beneath but from above I am not to be made a King by the power of mortall men but by the power of the immortall God onely So that in his former words My Kingdome is not of this world the preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of doth not indeed intimate any difference in time or condition betwixt our Saviours Kingdome and other Kingdomes but in the cause and authour of them which sense it carries in our Saviours word Matth. 2â— 25 The baptisme o John whence was it from heaven or of men and in the saying of Saint John 1 Epist chap. 2. ver 16. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world And thus My Kingdom is not of this world is no more but my Kingdome is not of men if my Kingdome were of men then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews but now is not my Kingdom from hence from the men of this world 2 You tell us next That if Christ had said that in the time of his Kingdome the Kingdome of the Romanes should be no Kingdome they might have had more pretext for condemning him But surely Christ had no need to answer to that which was not askt neither did the Romanes but the Jewes desire his death And yet as before he spake openly to the world so now he spake plainely to Pilates demand too for when Pilate said unto him Art thou a King then he answered Thou sayest that I am c. Which forme of answering was taken for an affirming of that which was askt And therefore where Saint Matthew writes Jesus said unto him Thou hast said chap. 26. ver 64. Saint Marke hath And Jesus said I am chap. 14. ver 62. And doubtlesse Pilate by this answer tooke him for such a King to whom the Throne of Israel did belong and yet he made it not a pretext to condemne him but sought to deliver him And it is false also to imagine that the Kingdomes of this world shall not be taken out of the hands of their severall Governours of their mortall Kings when they shall become the Kingdomes of Christ himselfe when they shall be governed by him and the glorified Saints that shall come with him Israel's Redemption And to all such places that mention only the dissolution of the elements and the last judgement I answer that these are but a part of those things which shall be done by Christ at his next appearing and that as other scriptures shew onely that he must reigne on earth and what shall be done at the beginning of his reigne so these shew onely what shall be left undone till the close of his Kingdome when he shall deliver it up to God even the Father Mr. Petrie's Answer This shift will not serve their turne for the soriptures teach us That at Christs comming shall be the end and he shall deliver up his Kingdom 1 Cor. 15.23 24. c. I forbear to write any more of Mr. Petrie's objections here because I shall repeat them all in my reply Reply You alledged even now such scripture against our Saviours reigning after his comming as doth infallibly prove it to be then and not before to wit that text Matth. 16.28 which shewes that the Sonne of mans comming in his Kingdome is when he comes in the glory of the Father with his Angels as by comparing it with the former verse it is evident And yet here you call it a shift to say that some of the prophecies which concerne the Day of our Saviours appearing are to be accomplished at the time of his comming and some in the time of his abode on earth some at the close of his Kingdom And to countenance your censure you heape up these objections following against us Object 1 First you say That the Scriptures teach us that at Christs comming shall be the end and he shall deliver up his Kingdom 1 Cor. 15.23 24. Sol. 1 But that Text shewes onely that the Saints shall rise at Christs comming and not that the end shall be then For it saith That the end shall be when after his comming he hath reigned till God hath put all his enemies under his feete which will be fully accomplisht when death the last enemy is fully destroyed at the last resurrection as we have shewed before Object 2 Secondly you say That Christ shall come in a time when men looke not for him and all shall rise again both godly ungodly and then is the shutting of heaven as the parable of the ten Virgins teacheth Matth. 25. Sol. 2 But there is no mention of the rising of the godly and ungodly together but of the gathering of all Nations before Christ and the separating of them into two companies whereof one company the elect shall be received into life eternall and the other company the reprobate shall be sent away into everlasting punishment which separation we say shall be made at the close of our Saviours reigne at the last resurrection when he is to give up his Kingdome to the Father For we read Matth. 24.30 31. of the gathering of none but the elect at his comming to take possession of his Kingdome And as for the day and houre of his comming we know that it is unknowne to any but it will not follow from hence that he shall not reigne after his comming And the parable of the ten Virgins doth shew onely That those which at our Saviours comming are thought to be faithfull Christians and are indeed but hypocrites shall not be partakers of his Kingdome Hypocrites being of all others most odious to our Lord and his Christ Object 3 Thirdly you say That where Christ is the faithfull then shall be with him John 14.3 Sol. 3 And so say we for they shall be with him in his reigne on earth Object 4 Fourthly you say That the heavens must containe him till the time of the restitution of all things which God hath spâ—ken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began But the Prophets have foretold the last judgement and that he shall convâ—â—ce all the ungodly Jude ver 14 15. Therefore he shall not returne till that time And that is most plaine Psal 110.1 Sit at my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footestoole That sitting at Gods right hand is his reigning and it is not said His enemies shall be subdued and then he shall reigne but he shall reigne till then so that he reigneth conquering and he conquereth reigning Sol. 4 Surely we doe not say that Christ shall reigne on earth before he returne to the earth againe but when he doth returne we say that then he shall exercise a civill judgement over all in the time of his reigne and that he shall execute an extraordinary temporall judgement on all the ungodly that shall oppose him at the
seeing the good Angels which can at once assemble the unjust to the place of judgement and the elect to meet the Lord in the aire shall yet gather the elect onely and leave the rest behinde therefore these things are not to be done at the same time And consequently that the judgement of the dead is not to be at the time of Christs ascending For then doubtlesse the wicked should as well be gathered to the place of their last judgement as the elect shal to meet the Lord in the aire And it is flat against the expresse word of God Isai 66.19 20. Joel 2.32 Zech. 14.16 Rev. 11.13 to say that all the wicked that shall be eye-witnesses of Gods wonders at the time of our Saviours descension shall perish in the destruction that shall then come on the earth Israel's Redemption For that by Christs judging the quicke and the dead mentioned in 2 Tim. 4. cannot be meant one kind of judgement Psal 2.8 c. Ps 110.2 c. Ps 149.6 c. Isai 30.25 Cha. 66 1â— 16. c. to wit the sentence of damnation that by his judging the quicke I say cannot at all be meant the last and compleat but rather a former and inchoate judgement of ungodly men it appeares out of Rev. 20. where it is shewne that the Saints enemies shall be all slaine before the last resurrection And we cannot say that these which are to be left shall be a part of that Army there spoken of because that Gog and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Saviours reigne that is immediately before the last resurrection whereas these shall be alive at the time of that generall distresse which shall light on the world at his entrance into that appointed Kingdome as the gathering together of the elect who are to reigne with him doth declare Mr. Petrie's Answer Here at before are strange imaginations 1. That text 2 Tim. 4.1 cannot be meant of the last but a former judegment Who ever said before that Christ shall yet appears twice to judge the quicke and the dead For suppone that onely the godly shall be raised at Christs comming yet they will not say that he shall judge them seeing they say that they shall not stand at the barre 2. The judging of the quicke and the dead shall be before the time of the last resurrection as that forme of arguing imports whereby it followes that Christ shall judge the quicke and the dead in a former and inchoate judgement Who shall remaine then to be judged in the compleate judgement at the last resurrection 3. I will say no mere of that fancy concerning these that shall be left and the destruction at the entrance of that Kingdome but marke that God and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Saviours reigne that is immediately before the last resurrection or which is one after the reigne of the Jewes But that Army of Gog and Magog is the same with the Army mentioned in Revel 16.14 as Napeir proveth Prop. 32. And Mr. Maton proveth in his treatise of Gog and Magog pag. 94 95 And I have shewed before that the sixt viâ—â—ll mentioned in Revel 16.12 13 14. is the same with the sixt trumpet yea and Clavis Apocalyp in par 1. synchro 7. makes it to concurre with the destruction of the Beast and Babylon which shall be before the Monarchy of the Jewes as the Millenaries hold and therefore in this point Mr. Maton is contrary to himselfe and to Clavis Apocal. as well as unto Christians who deny that Monarchy of the Jewes Whereby it is manifest that what he speakes here without reason must be wrong and amended by these reasons which he hath lo. cit And consequently that great battell shall be fought not after but before the Jewes shall reigne if ever they shall reigne in that manner Reply The truth is strange to none but to such as make themselves strange to it He seemeth to be a sitter forth of strange gods said the Athenians of Saint Pauls preaching unto them Jesus and the resurrection Acts 17.18 When as indeed their Gods were the strange Gods and not his God they in an errour and not he And yet how strange soever our former imaginations doe seeme to you we have shewed that they are not so strange as true And that these words doe bring such strange things to your cares was not the fault of the Authour but the errour of the Printer and the over-hastinesse of the Stationer who sent his bookes abroad before he had received a copie of all the faults whereof the words here omitted were the greatest and are to be corrected as they are now set downe to wit thus For that by Christs judging the quicke and the dead mentioned 2 Tim. 4.1 cannot be meant one kinde of judgement to wit the sentence of damnation that by his judging the quicke I say cannot at all be meant the last and compleat but rather of former and inchoate judgement of ungodly men it appeares out of Rev. 20. where it is shewne that the Saints enemies shall be all slaine before the last resurrection This is the true forme of my words and in this forme they doe wholly disanull the two first parts of your answer for the destroying of the Army in Armageddon at Christs comming Rev. 19. and of the Nations that shall againe be gathered against him and his at the end of his reigne Rev. 20. are temporall judgements on the ungodly and before their last judgement the judgement after their resurrection And therefore Christ shall not appeare twice to judge the quicke and the dead but shall twice judge these ungodâ—y after his appearing That is once by a former and inchoate judgement in their temporall destruction in their first death And againe by a finall and compleate judgement in their eternall destruction in their second death And as for the third part of your answer it is but a slanderous information against me For I say not that the Gog and Magog mentioned in Rev. 20. is the same with the Army mentioned Rev. 16.14 but that Ezekiels Gog and Magog is the same with that Army as the reaâ—ons which I alledge pag. 94 95. doe shew And I say that the Gog and Magog in Rev. 20. is a different Gog and Magog from Ezekiels as these words pag. 128 doe witnesse And this Gog and Magog in Rev. 20. is to be the multiplyed posterity of those that are left of the Nations at the beginning of the thousand yeares when the Army of the Beast and false Prophet and of the Kings of the earth and of the whole world who as the parallell shewes are the Gog and Magog foretold by Ezekiel shall be destroyed in Armageddon And againe pag. 129. I say That the Nations which shall oppose the Jewes at their expected returne are to be the Gog and Magog foretold by Ezekiel and that the posterity of those which shall be left alive
my text to be encompast I here give over the pursuit of these meditations and commend to as mâ—ny as wish well to themselves and to Zion these instructions following Mr. Petrie's Answer If you be throughly satisfied why have you so oft used the words of probability conjectures my conceit it may be thus or thus these words smell not of satisfaction nor of that certaine knowledge and stedfastnesse which is required 2 Pet. 3.17 As for that double jury it may evidently appeare that both Prophets and Apostles are contrary to such fancies It may be the Vses of this doctrine are commendable yet if wrong premisses be powerfull to perswade Neverthelesse heare all Reply We bring not onely probable but demonstrative and necessary arguments also to justifie the truth of our tenet And besides all this we alledge for it a large Catalogue of cleare and invincible prophecies from which as we receive full satisfaction our selves so that we might shunne the guilt of keeping backe any part of the counsell of God Acts 20.27 we hold them out to others too that as many as God hath appointed by our Ministery to call to the knowledge of this truth may be partakers of the like satisfaction with us And what though I have in some places used the word probable and once the word conjecture and sometimes said in my conceit shall that therefore of which I so speake be suspected for an untruth I pray tell me why my conceit may not be as agreeable to the truth as any others or why without any disadvantage to the truth I may not use such expressions as the pen-men of holy writ have done How much was Saint Peter beside the truth when in answer to our Saviours demand touching the two creditours Luke 7.42 43. Tell me which of them will love him most he said I suppose he to whom he forgave most Certainely nothing at all for Christ replyed Thou hast rightly judged Or what was Saint Pauls counsell the worse for saying I suppose that this is good for the present distresse 1 Cor. 7.26 Or will you say that it was doubtfull whether Saint Paul had received the Holy Ghost because ver 20. he saith And I thinke also that I have the Spirit of God Or can you imagine that the Apostles tooke not the best course for the pacifying of the difference that was risen in the Church of Antioch betwixt the Gentiles and some beleeving Iewes about circumcision Acts 15. because they wrote in this forme It seemeth good unto us ver 25. and againe ver 28. It seemeth good unto the Holy Ghost and to us If you dare not say or once imagine that these words doe argue unstedfastnesse or uncertaine knowledge in these then how can that be true which you say here that words equivalent with these smell not of satisfaction And if these words argue uncertaine knowledge and unstedfastnesse in us then what do they argue in you who even in the second and third pages have your may be me thinks why may we not thinke thus or thus it is likely it is not unlikely Certainely as to câ—vill at words and phrases shewes the weakenesse of your cause so to blame another for that which you your self may as well be blamed doth shew the malice of your mind Israel's Redemption First to praise God for his abundant mercy who through the fall of the Iewes hath brought salvation unto us Gentiles that together with them we might partake of the roote and fatnesse of their Olive tree Mr. Petrie's Answer Whether is it more to the praise of Gods mercy and bountifulnesse that the godly shall come againe from the heavens to abide so long on the earth or to abide in that glory of heaven for ever and ever certainly the gift of the greater and uninterrupted glory deserveth the greater praise and while they were on earth they professed themselves to be strangers from home and pilgrimes on their journey towards their home Heb. 11.13 and shall they come as pilgrimes againe Reply Doubtlesse God is not to be taught by us what reward is most to the praise of his mercy and bountifulnesse towards the godly But we are to account that reward most to the praise of his bountifulnesse and mercy towards them which we find in his word to be appointed unto them And we doe conceive that the glory of the Saints after their reunion to their bodies will be greater because more perfect though they live on earth then the glory of their soules is now without the fellowship of their glorified bodies And we know not what should interrupt their glory on earth when as Christ himselfe on whom the Angels shall visibly attend shall be on earth with them and God himselfe also may here manifest his glory unto them in what measure hee pleaseth And though Abraham and some other of the Patriarches to whom God had promised the possession of the Land of Canaan did in their corruptible estate here live as strangers and pilgrimes in that land yet they shall not after their resurrection possesse it as strangers and pilgrimes but as heires and coheires with Christ And where as you say That it is a greater gift of God that the godly should abide in that glory of heaven for ever and ever then to come againe from the heavens to abide on earth You seeme to me to imagine that the godly shall never againe come from thence as your denying also pag. 54. that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him doth testifie against you which conceit is contrary to all the scriptures that affirme the resurrection and the Saints appearing with Christ And I pray where doe you finde in scripture that the Saints shall after their resurrection live in a place separate from the earth Certainely they are after the last judgement to be translated into the new Jerusalem and that City is then to descend to the new earth as we read Rev. 21.2 3. And lastly what affinity hath ought that you have said here with the use you answer what shall we not praise God for his mercy in making us partakers of the fatnesse of the Jewes Olive tree while we are here although it were a greater happinesse for us to be ever in heaven after our departure then to come againe to the earth Israel's Redemption Secondly to beware of unbeliefe which was the cause that the Jewes were broken off from their Olive And if God spared not the naturall branches much lesse will he spare us if by faith we continue not in his goodnesse Mr. Petrie's Answer It is greater unbeliefe to despise the revealed truth of God then to despise the fancies of men as this Monarchy is proved to be Reply 'T is true that it is greater unbeliefe to despise the revealed truth of God then to despise the fancies of men And it is as true that it is a sinne but little inferiour to that against the Holy Ghost wilfully to call a revealed truth
an humane fancie that it may be drawne into scorne and contempt under this notion And surely seeing it is a great unbeliefe to despise the revealed truth of God therefore we have great need to beware of such unbeliefe as it is said in the use Israel's Redemption Thirdly not to contemne or revile the Jewes a fault too common in the Christian worlds and that partly because we are unmindfull as well of the Olive from whence we were taken as of that into which we are graffed whose root beares us and not we the root and partly because we misapply the infallible promises of God by which he hath so freely and so feelingly so often and so openly declared that he will again graffe them in For if we were cut out of the Olive tree which is wild by nature and were graffed contrary to nature into a good Olive tree how much more shall they which be naturall branches be graffed into their owne Olive trees Rom. 11.24 Mr. Petrie's Answer Whether serveth more for to move us to love the Jewes to know that the Jewes and Gentiles are one in Christ whensoever they shall be converted or to thinke that the Jewes shall not be converted till Christ come againe and thou they shall be Lords over the Gentiles a 1000 yeares The former doctrine presently throweth downe the partition wall and this opinion still holden it up at least for a 1000 yeares Reply This Query as it doth in it selfe containe an apparent untruth so it is grounded on a misreport of our Tenet For first it makes us to thinke that there shall be no Jewes converted untill the whole Nation be converted whereas we hold the partiall and as I may so call it typicall conversion of them the conversion of them I say in their first fruites with you and the generall and contemporating conversion of them the conversion of them in the whole lump against you Onely we say that the partiall and successive conversion their conversion in some particular persons and families hath since the Apostles dayes been very thinne and rare Secondly you make us to thinke that the Jewes shall not be converted till Christ comes when as we hold that they shall be converted before his comming and be wholly freed from the opposition of the Gentiles at and by his comming at the judgement which shall light on the world when he descends to destroy the Army in Armageddon And thridly you make us to thinke that there shall be no spirituall union betwixt the Jewes and Gentiles in the time of the thousand yeares reigns whereas there is not to be a full and perfect union betwixt them in their acknowledgement and worship of the true God till then and in that time As our Saviours prophecy John 10.16 and Zech. 14.16 c. and Isai 2.2 3 4. and many other doe witnesse And though the Gentiles shall then be tributaries to the Jewes yet they shall be much more happy in this subjection wherein they shall have Christ for their King and the glorified Saints for their chiefe governours under him then ever they were in their former liberty which for the most part they so much abused to the provocation of Gods everlasting wrath against them Even as now you account that Jew which is become the Lords free-man which savingly embraceth the truth of the Gospell much more happy in his captivity under and subjection to the Gentiles then if he were Lord of the whole earth and withall a stranger from the covenants of promise having no hope and being without God in the world These are your misreports and as for your Query it selfe it is false to imagine that the knowledge of the conversion of a few Jewes can move us to a greater love towards them then the knowledge of the conversion of the whole Nation can And what love soever you may grant to be due to them in your dispute of it we may well thinke that you make shew of little towards them in your actions as these words pag. 65. Let Jewes follow Jewish fables c. doe manifest In which there neither appeares any symptome of your desire of their conversion nor of your love towards them or us Israel's Redemption And lastly earnestly to beseech God that he would speedily put into execution the meanes which he hath appointed for their conversion that he would even in these our dayes bring this mystery to light by powring on his people the spirit of grace and supplications whereby they may beleeve and repent For their happinesse will both increase and consummate ours Zech. 12.10 so also the Apostle * If the fall of them c. Observe here what Iewes are said to occasion the riches of the Gentiles Not those that beleeved when the Apostle wrote this although many of them were the first instruments of the Gentiles conversion and much lesse they that have beleeved since that time for these as they come farce short of the others both in number and qualifications so they may be said rather to have taken of us then given unto us to have inherited the riches of the Gospel with us but not increased them Not the first beleevers thereof nor such which hitherto have so slowly and thinly followed them but the stiffe-necked and stubborne Iewes who slew Christ who martyred and persecuted his Disciples They are here said to be the reconciling of the world and the riches of the Gentiles And that because their fall and casting away moved God so soone to visit us with the tidings of salvation And their fulnesse the receiving of them it must be that shall perfect us The receiving of them I say which were then cast away but how not in their owne persons for it is impossible that the same men should fall and not fall should be cast away and not be cast away but in their posterity and that not in part and by sits but wholly and at once For the Apostle speakes not of particular men and families but of all the Tribeâ— of the whole Nation And indeed what but a generall conversion of the Iewes can bring such felicity to the Gentiles as shall not onely parallel but exceed the blessings which we have already received by their unbeliefe If the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles how much more their fulnesse and againe If the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead Rom. 11.12.15 Now to our Lord Jesus Christ who is both the light of the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel who is the faithfull witnesse and the first begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne bloud and made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and
because you could not shew the accomplishment of this Prophecy touching the Jewes you tell us that Interpreters doe shew the accomplishment of the Prophecy touching the Assyrian at the end of this chapter and that that Prophecy speakes not of them whose captives the Jewes now are No Doe none of the Jewes then continue captives in Assyria surely the reports and writings of Travellers and Traffickers in those parts doe testifie the contrary And what though the Emperiall power hath been translated from one Nation to another since the Jewes were carried captives by the Assyrian yet may we truely affirme that the Jewes remaining in that Countrey are now captives to the Assyrian because by the Assyrian in the Prophecy is meant the Inhabitant of Assyria whither the Jewes were first carried captives of whom the Lord hath said I will breake the Assyrian in my Land and upon my mountaines tread him under foot thâ—â— shall his yoake depart frâ—â—â— off them that iâ— from off the Jewes and his burden from off their shoulders And have Interpreters shewed the accomplishment of this according to the Prophets meaning Me thinkes then you should not have hid it from us for the story is worth the hearing which can shew when the Jewes were in their owne Land wholly set free from the bondage which the Assyrian first brought them into and the Assyrian himselfe made subject to them And what though no Jewes were now captives in Assyriae what were this to the aforesaid Prophecy touching the Jewes redemption which speakes indefinitely of their deliverance from their oppressours and of their taking them captives whose captives they were and not particularly of the Assyrian or of any other Nation It followes neither know we whose captives they are seeing they live as free Subjects wheresoever they are But doe you know that God calls them captives and their dwelling in strange Countreys a captivity this then would have made you account them captives too if you had had but a graine of that divine reverence towards Gods word of which you would make others beleeve that you have no small measure And what was it that made the Jewes captives at first was it not the losse of their Countrey and their living under the dominion of another people and doth not this still continue upon them wherein then are they now lesse captives then they were heretofore what priviledges have they now which they enjoyed not under Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Dâ—mius Artaxenxes Ahasuerus and others It seemes then that you take them not for captives unlesse they should be put under great slavery under an Egyptian bondage This indeed were to make their captivity more grievous and burdensome unto them but captives they are withâ—ut this and God onely knows how soone also the civill power under which they live may be turned against them The 2 Particular He tooke our nature on him as well to performe his Kingly office therein amongst us as his Priestly or Propheticall the glory of this being c. Mr. Petrie's answer It is manifest that he reigneth in us seâ—ing the faithfull can say with the Apostle Gal. â— 20 The life which I now liâ—â— I live by faith in the Sonne of God and Christ lives in mee but that the glory of an earthly Kingdome is the reward of his contempt and torment we cannot thinke seeing such a glory is not answerable to his sufferings who being equall with God made himselfe of no reputation and humbled himselfe even to the death of the Crosse Wherefore his reward is not deferred so long but now God hath exalted him highly and given him a name which is above every name Phil. 2. And he for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God Heb. 12.2 which is a greater honour then of an earthly throne Reply It is manifest that the faithfull before Christs incarnation could say also as well as we The life which we now live we live by faith in the Sonne of God and Christ lives in us For they were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did eate the same spirituall meate and drinke the same spirituall drinke which we doe for they dranke of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ 1 Cor. chap. 10. ver 2 3 4. So that if you will call the adoption sanctification regeneration and justification of the Saints a reigning which the Apostle calls a living Christ doth no otherwise reigne over them now then he did from the beginning of the world to wit by his holy Spirit But the reigne in quâ—stion is his reigning visibly in his humane nature on earth In which sense it is and for which end it was that he was borne a King an heire apparant to the Throne of David For unlesse he had been to reigne as man on earth and as the Sonne of David over Israel there had been no more necessity of his being borne of that Tribe and Family of the Jewes which had sole interest and title to the Crowne of Israel to qualifie him for the execution of his Kingly office in your spirituall sense for the distributing of his Spirit unto and the guiding of the Church therewith then there was of his being born of the Tribe of Levi to fit him for the execution of his Priestly office in laying down his life for our sine and making intercession for us now unto the Father And as Herods destroying of the Infants of purpose to destroy our Saviour that he might thereby translate the Kingdome of Israel from the House of David and fasten it to himselfe and his Posterity had been a plot as sottish as it was savage if he had not understood that the Scepter did belong onely to our Saviour So doubtlesse if he had not therein truely conceived what King Christ should be the Evangelists would as well have recorded that Herods misapprehension of our Saviours Kingdome was the occasion of his bloudy fact as he hath related his malicious attempt to defeate our Saviour of his right And although we doe not say that this Kingdome of our Saviour on earth is all the reward of that contempt and torment which he hath endured for us yet we say that it is all the reward which he is to have here on earth And we say also that this reward is very agreeable though not equall to his sufferings that I say God hath very righteously appointed that our Saviour should by the Posterity of the same persons be there worshipped and obeyed where by their Predecessours he had been so scornefully despightfully handlâ—de and that at the end of this reigne he shâ—uld there judge those persons also who had formerly adjudged him to death And the scriptures which you have brought doe not gaine say this for that Heb. 12.2 doth shew onely what reward he hath aâ—ready in heaven and so doth the 9 ver of the 2
delivered then all this is in the texts which we have brought and can bring for it And therefore we both have and can prove by scripture even expresse scripture that the restored Ierusalem shall be the place of Christs Throne although it be beyond our power to make you acknowledge that we can and have proved it it being the pâ—culiar act of the Spirit of God to doe this of that Spirit I say whose apparent testimonies you so presumptuously resist and so lightly esteeme ISRAELS REDEMPTION CHAP. III. That the Kingdome of Israel and the thousand yeares reigne of the Saints shall concurre ANd thus even one prophecy of Zech. doth clearely unfold all that we averre touching our present subject to wit That our Saviour shall reigne on earth and in Jerusalem For as it tels us That the Lord shall be King over all the earth that in that day there shall be one Lord and his name one So it saith too that at the very instant of our Saviours descending All the Land shall by an earthquake be turned as a plaine from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem and it shall be lifted up and inhabited in her place from Benjamins gate unto the place of the first gate unto the corner gate and from the tower of Hananiel unto the Kings wine-presses c. Moreover another notable content of this prophecy is That when our Saviour comes to reigne over all the earth he comes not alone but brings all the Saints with him Mr. Petrie's Answer We see neither that be shall come to reigne after that manner over all the earth neither that he shall bring all his Saints with him and for this last point be alledges no text of scripture but will have it to be taken on his bare word which we refuse to doe We reade that when be shall come to judge he shall bring all the holy Angels with him Matth. 25.31 and all Nations shall be gathered before him and that be shall send his Angels to gather the elect from the foure winds but that they shall come with him into an earthly Monarchy we finde no where And neverthelesse as if it were unquestionable he addeth Reply Unlesse you had made a covenant with your tongue to deny every thing that we prove you could not have said That we alledge no text of scripture which shewes that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him For what is the meaning of these words Zech. 14.5 And the Lord my God shall come and all the Saints with thee Or what meanes Saint Paul when he saith 1 Cor. 15.23 Afterward they that are Christs at his comming doth he not meane that all the Saints departed shall then rise and can they rise in their bodies at Christs comming and yet not come then from heaven to be reunited to their bodies These tâ—xts we have alledged in exprâ—sse termes and do you take them for canonicall or apocrypha if for canonicall then surely your foresaid report of us is apocrypha And yet this is not all that we have to say touching this point for as you read Matth. 25.31 That Christ shall bring all the holy Angels with him so you may read too in 1 Thes 3.13 these words At the comming of our Lord Jesus with all the Saints And chap. 4.14 Them also that sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him And Jude ver 14. out of the prophecy of Enoch Behold the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints And therefore that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him is not our bare word but the plaine word of God And so it is too that they shall come to reigne with him on earth as we have already proved and the texts following doe further declare And besides how can you choose but beleeve that Christ shall bring all the Saints with him though there were no expresse scripture for it seeing you beleâ—ve that all the dead shall rise at the same time surely you must either deny this or grant that Israel's Redemption Which words as they doe establish the literall sense of the r Luke 14.14 ch 20.35 36. Ioh. 6.39.40.44 54. Phil. 3.11 1 Thess 3.13 ch 4.14 c. Ezek. 37.12.13 fiâ—st resurrection mentioned in the 20 chap. of Rev. So they make the Kingdome of Israel and the 1000 yeares reigne of the Sainâ—s there spoken of to synchronize and meete together for why shall the Saints come with him but because they have a share in his Kingdome and are to be his assistants in it as he told the Disciples Luke 22.28 Mr. Petrie's Answer The first resurrection of bodies imports a second resurrection and so either these who rise shall dye againe and rise againe at the second resurrection or they who shall rise at the first shall not dye at all and others shall rise againe at the second resurrection This Authour makes it no where manifest which of these two be holdeth and Mr. Archer holdeth the first opinion but neither of them hath any warrant from Scripture and the testimonies that are cited here on the margine shew that there shall not be such a resurrection of the righteous for it is said Luke 20.35 They who shall be accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage neither can they dye any more for they are equall unto the Angels being the children of the resurrection If they can dye no more and be equall unto the Angels then they shall not rise at a second resurrection neither shall they live an earthly life which in the best degree is inferiour unto the life of the Angels John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and ver 44. No man can come unto me except the Father who hath sent me draw him and I will raise him at the last day If the last day be the day of the generall judgement as certainely it is even supponing the temporall Monarchy for a 1000 yeares and the elect shâ—ll not be raised till the last day as these words imply then there shall not be a first and second resurrection unlesse the second resurrection be after the last day and consequently there not being a resurrection of the children of God till the last day the first resurrection mentioned Rev. 20. cannot be understood of the bodies but rather arising from sinne whereof mention is made Ephes 5.14 and Col. 3.1 He cites also Phil. 3.11 If by any meanes I might attaine unto the resurrection of the dead These words name the dead generally and make nothing for a first and second resurrection but ver 20. it is said Our conversation or freedome is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile body that it may be like unto his glorious body If the freedome POLITEVMA of the godly be in heaven then they expect not a