was counted as strange doctrine and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so or no even so although many of these particulars may be counted erroneous yet prove thy self a noble Berean to search the Scriptures to see whether it be so or no Moreover do not count it a strange thing that the truest Doctrines that ever was should be questioned and counted Heresie for the learned Scribes and Pharisees did question Christ to know where he had his Doctrine and said He hath a Devil and is mad The Apostle Paul also was called a pestilent fellow a teacher of strange Doctrines a ring-leader of Sectaries a turner of the world up-side down and what not Yet as the Apostle saith After the manner they called Heresie so worshipped he the God of his Fathers believing all that was written Even so say I that if any thing that I have written in this Treatise doe not agree with the Word of God and the doctrine according to godliness I shall give thanks to any man that will inform me of it and also renounce it but as the Apostle Paul saith in another case I judge I have the Spirit of God and speak the Truth Moreover Christian Reader know that we are in the last age upon whom the very end of the world is come in which last age that great howr of temptation shall be the which shall try all them that dwell upon the face of the whole Earth therefore very profitable for us to look into the Prophecies of the last Times that being fore-warned they may be fore-armed and in order to the stability of thy mind I have in the following Treatise set before thy view the glorious Paradise the which the Lord gave unto his Son Adam and although he lost it by transgression yet I have shewed thee that it shall be restored again by the Lord Jesus into that primitive glory at his second appearance and Kingdom Moreover I have shewed you what a glorious inheritance God will give to his Son Jesus which is the Man from Heaven So that although the earthly Mans earthly Paradise was glorious yet the heavenly Mans heavenly Paradise shall be farr more glorious it is that new Jerusalem the Walls whereof are garnished with all manner of precious stones the Streets whereof is pure gold like to transparent glasse the which Paradise shall not be of the Earth or from the Earth although it shall be placed upon the new Earth but as I have shewed in the Treatise it shall come down out of Heaven from God being that City which faithfull Abraham looked for which had foundations whose maker and builder was God it shall be the glorious habitation of Christ in the day of his raign and all that are saved shall walk in the light of it which City hath no need of the Sun Moon or Stars for the Lamb shall be the light of it Curteous Reader assure thy self that the Godly who have died in the Faith did see these things in promises although they were afar off and did imbrace them and did acknowledge themselves Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth and they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Countrey which is a heavenly one wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City and it was that glorious inheritance which made faithfull Moyses slight Pharaohs Royal Diadem and refuse to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season for he had an eye to the recompence of reward so that faith is the evidence of things not seen Moreover courteous Reader I desire thee not to slight the matter contained herein because of any prejudice thou mayst have against the Author so desiring the Lord to open thy understanding I shall rest but not to pray for thy endlesse happinesse by Christ in glory Thy unworthy Friend G. H. The Sum of a Dispute betwixt a Teacher of the Anabaptists and the Minister of Baughton where by Providence they met August 16. 1654. THe Anabaptist as appeared by his heat being much troubled at a Sermon delivered by the Minister wherein he proved plainly by Scripture That such as he was were the Messengers of Satan and delivered Satans Message fell upon the Minister with abusive words afterwards they entred into Disputation the Question was Whether there were any such Sin as Original sin the Anabaptist denied it the Minister urged an Argument from the example of David confessing that hee was shapen in iniquity and in sin did his Mother conceive him Psal. 51.5 to prove there was The Anabaptist answered That the meaning of that place was this not that David himself was corrupted or defiled with sin but that hee was shapen and conceived in a sinful Woman Which answer will appear to any man that hath but common sense to be not only false but also most absurd and ridiculous for David as will plainly appear to him that reads that Psalm speaks only of himself confesseth his own Sin only and this Original sin as the root and fountain of all the rest there was not so much as a thought of time betwixt his Natural being and his Sinful being Corruption did accompany the very first degree of his Conception I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me And he praies for the forgiveness of this sin among the rest After many words past the Anabaptist unsatisfied objected That the Minister never read of any Childe that was Damned therefore no such Sin which deserved eternal Death his reason was because eternal Death is only the wages of actual sin which the Minister denied and instanced in Esau reprobated from all eternity Rom. 9.11 12 13. The Anabaptist answerd That that was for Esaus actual transgression and cited Jeremy falsly but the words named are in Amos 1.3.6.9 For three Transgressions of Damascus and for Four I will not turn away the punishment thereof and so the sixth and ninth of Gaza and Tyrus which text is as farre from the purpose as Baughton is from Rome It appears plainly from the Apostle that the words cited by the Minister Esau have I hated are concerning Gods purpose in Election and Reprobation and not for any actual Sin committed by Esau or good done by Jacob for the Children not being yet born mark that neither having done good or evil mark that that the purpose of God according to election might stand vers. 11. it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated What will the Anabaptists say now they say it is unjust for God to Damn those that never committed Actual Sin the Apostle would stop their blasphemous mouthes vers. 14. What shall we say then is there unrighteousness with God God forbid saith he Hath not the Potter power over the Clay to make one Vessel for honour and another for
considerable particulars shewing you that Christ and the Saints Dominion shall be alike and that they shall reign alike they being joynt Heirs of one and the same Kingdom alike only hee in all things shall have the preheminence and so I passe to the first That Christ shall have a Kingdom on earth and in Jerusalem This we may see the Angel did declare or make known unto the Virgin saying For loe thou shalt conceive in thy Wombe and bear a Son and thou shalt call his name Iesus he shall hee great and he called the Son of the most High and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and hee shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom shall be no end Luke 1.31 32 33. From hence you may see that the Lord Jesus Christ shall injoy Davids Throne which was not Spiritual and in Heaven but on earth and in Ierusalem even so the Lord Jesus Christ in the same place shall reign Spiritually and Temporally over the very same people the Prophet also affirming the very same thing saith Then shall the Sun be ashamed and the Moon confounded when the Lord of Host shall reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem before his antients gloriously for behold the day cometh saith the Lord that I will raise up unto David a righteous branch a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth in his day shall Judah be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him the Lord our righteousnesse Isa. 24.23 Jer. 23.5 6. Thus you may see plainly that the Lord Jesus which is called the Son of David shall possesse the Throne of David Moreover you may see what the Prophet Micha also saith to the proof of this truth In that day saith the Lord I will assemble her that halteth and gather her that is driven out and her that I have afflicted and I will make her that halteth a remnant and her that was cast off a strong Nation and the Lord shall reign over them in Mount Sion for henseforth and for ever and there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him agreeing with the Psalmist which saith Yet will I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the outmost parts of the earth for thy possession thou shalt break them with a rod of Iron and dash them in peeces like a Potters vessel Psal. 2.6 7 8 9. Dan. 7.14 Micha 4.6 7. For behold I create new Heavens and a new Earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde but be you glad and rejoyce in the thing which I create for behold I create Jerusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy and I will rejoyce in Jerusalem and joy in my people and the voyce of weeping shall be no more heard in her nor the voyce of crying and he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord and in the Majesty of the name of the Lord his God and they shall abide for now shall he be great to the ends of the earth Isa. 65.17 18 19. Psal. 67.4 Jerem. 3.17 Isa. 62.7 8 9 10 11 12. These Scriptures and many more that might be added to the proof of the first Particular That the Lord Jesus Christ shall reign on the earth in Ierusalem The second thing is to prove That the Saints also shall receive a Kingdom and reign on earth Unto the proof of this I shall begin with the words of our blessed Saviour which saith Yee are they that have continued with me in my temptations I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me that yee may eate and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit upon Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Whereunto he adds also another sentence in the Apocalyps very pertinent to the proof of this saying He that overcometh and keepeth my works to the end I will give him power over the Nations and hee shall rule them with a rod of Iron and shall break them like a Potters Vessel even as I have received of my Father Luke 22.28 29 30. Revel. 2.26 27 28. From hence wee may see that as the Lord gave unto his Son Jesus a Kingdom in reference to his Sufferings and his obedience unto him even so Jesus the Christ will give his people a Kingdom in reference to their sufferings and obedience to his will and that this is to be on Eatth I shall give you a plain text even as saith the Spirit of Christ in these words And they sung a new Song saying Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hast made us to our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the earth Moreover they shall injoy that Sovereignty so long as the Sun and Moon indures for so saith the Lord by his Prophet in these words And in the days of those Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed and this Kingdom shall not be given to another people but it shall break and destroy all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever and the Kingdom and Dominion and Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heavens shall be given to the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all people shall serve and obey him Dan. 2.44 Cap. 7.27 28. Revel. 5.10 from these Scriptures we may see that the Saints shall injoy a Kingdom in the which they shall reign and rule the Nations with a rod of Iron so that the wicked shall be as ashes under the soals of their feet And this Kingdom also we see is to be held on earth neither can there be any other interpretations given upon these Scriptures without great abuse to the plaine meaning of the Spirit in these Scriptures If it be objected and said That these Scriptures bespeak or fore-shew the flourishing condition of the people of God while they live in this corrupt Tabernacle of flesh I shall deny and make this answer That it is the portion of the Saints nay all of them to suffer in this Life and the nigher the appearance of Jesus Christ the greater shall the suffering be so that through many tribulations they shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Dan. 7.21 2 Thess. 1.9 Acts 14.22 2 Tim. 3.12 Rev 6.9 10 11. and many more Scriptures I might give as to the proof of this for there shall bee such Trials for the godly that should not the days be shortened no flesh would
shall bring the glory and henour of the Nations into it there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a Lye but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev. 21.10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27. From hence we may take notice of the splendency of this glorious City and the excellency of the foundations and doubtless this was the City that our blessed Father Abraham looked for when he did so dis-regard his native Country and Fathers house that he forsook it and was a Sojourner in the Land of Promise a strange Land as he is recorded of in the Epistle to the Hebrews in these words By faith he abode in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country as one that dwelt in Tents with Isaac and Jacob as heirs of the same Promises for he looked for a City having a foundation whose maker and builder is God Heb. 11.9 10. From hence we may see that God did shew Abraham that glorious City New Jerusalem that afterwards hee and all the faithful should inherit for their Possession the which he did see by faith for faith is the evidence of things not seen and the ground of things hoped for so that his hope being so firm in that Inheritance that he should injoy it made him set light of all earthly inheritances And they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a Country wherefore God is not ashamed to be their God for he hath prepared for them a City Hebr. 11.14 Compare sixteen And certainly that City that hath foundations whose maker and builder is God the which also God hath said he hath prepared is the very City that Iohn saw come out of Heaven from God which shall be the place of Christ and the risen Saints residence which doth agree with the words of the Spirit of Christ that faith Hee that overcometh I will make a Pillar in the House of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name Revel. 3.12 So that hence we may see that as God gave his earthly Son which is Adam at the first an earthly Paradisical Inheritance or Situation so he gave his second Son that heavenly Man a heavenly Paradisical inheritance or situation which is no other than the New Jerusalem situated upon the new Earth and that this New Jerusalem is not Heaven it self as some do conceive although it be heavenly is clear for Christ faith it shall come out of Heaven from his God and it is the dwelling place of Christ and the Saints until the Mediatorship shall be delivered up into the hands of the Father but when Christ shall deliver up the Mediatorship unto the Father then they shall be invested into the highest degree of glory And having shewed you a brief glimps of the glory of the New Ierusalem I shall give you several Reasons why that Ierusalem that shall be built upon her own heap by the Iews at their return is not the New Ierusalem which mention is made of in Rev. 3.12 chap. 21. and so to the first Reason which is 1 Because that the City Ierusalem that is to be built at the Iews return shall be built by mens hands as also faith the Prophet And they shall build the old wast places and raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the City that was desolate and wast for many Generations and the Sons of Strangers shall build thy walls and their Kings shal minister unto thee And that this is a Prophecy of the last and general return you may see for the text faith They shall not build and another inhabit but they shall long injoy the work of their own hands Isa. 60.10 11. cap. 61.4 cap. 65.21 22 23. From which Scriptures you may see that that City in the which the Iews shall inhabit is built with hands but the New Ierusalem mentioned Revel. 2. chap. 21. shall be built without hands as you may see Heb. 11.10 So much to the first Reason The second Reason is because the materials of the New Ierusalem is Gold and Silver and precious Stones and Pearls Rev. 21.18 19 20. but the materials of the other Ierusalem is Wood and such like Ezek. 41.16 The third Reason is because in the New Ierusalem there was no Temple but the glory of God and the Lambe was the light of it Rev. 21. 20. but in the other Ierusalem there was a Temple Ezek. 41.14 15. Reve. 11.1 2 Thess. 2.4 The fourth Reason is because in the New Ierusalem we finde mention of no trees but the Tree of Life only Revelations 22.2 Cap. 2.7 but in the other Ierusalem there was every Tree good for food Ezek. 47.12 The fifth Reason is because in the New Ierusalem there shall be no need of the Sun nor Moor for God is the light of it neither shall there bee any night there Revel. 21.23 Compare Chap. 22 5 but in the other Ierusalem there shall be night and day and thereby there shall bee an account of years they shall have the use also of the Sun and the Moon in which time they shall have their perfect strength shining forth most excellent in their splendor as you may see Isa. 30.26 The sixth Reason is because that the New Ierusalem shall come down out of Heaven from God as I before have spoken as faith the Scripture And I John saw the New Jerusalem come down from God out of Heaven prepared as a Bride for her Husband Revel. 21.1 That is it was a City lacking no reparation or beautifying but it was sufficiently trimmed decked and beautified which is called by the Spirit trimmed as a Bride for her Husband but the other Ierusalem wanted both re-edifying trimming and beautifying And so briefly I have given you a review of that New Jerusalem and have proved it not to be that Ierusalem that shall be built upon her own heap I have shewed you also it cannot be meant Heaven because it came down from God out of Heaven neither can it bee meant the Saints as some have supposed it because the Saints are said to walk in the streets of it which streets are pure gold like to clear glasse the Saints also are said to have the name of it written in their fore-heads but there shall in no wise enter into it any that defileth or maketh a lye but such as are written in the Lambs Book of Life The which sheweth and much more I could speak to it that it is a material City yet not Heaven it self though heavenly as I have said neither cin it be the Saints but the City that the Saints shall enter into Blessed and thrice happy are they that have their
let me speak to thy comfort The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head that is though the Serpent had thought by his subtilty to have buried thy honour in the dust for ever and so to have destroyed the work that I had been doing Six days in one hour yet I will have him to know that my Wisdom is unsearchable and my ways past finding out that I have found a way to involve my Son in the flesh not to take upon him the Nature of Angels but the Seed of Abraham whereby hee may take away the Victory from the Grave though thou must needs dye and be like water spilt upon the ground yet I have used a means that thou shalt not be for ever expelled 2 Sam. 14.14 So know this to thy comfort and set the Serpent know this to his shame though my word be established in the Heavens that the Heavens and Earth shall pass away yet not one word of mine shall pass away unexecuted and so I shall take the words of the Lord before named 2 Sam. 14.14 and shew you why God brought in the promised Seed to intervene sin and the sentence that is though his Decree cannot be broken nor his Justice go unsatisfied but that Man must dye for that Original Sin no man or woman to be exempted but must all be banished by death But Jesus Christ was to bring life and immortality to light herein is the saying made good O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy Victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us victory through Jesus Christ our Lord This place the Apostle useth 1 Cor. 15. to prove the very thing that I am now a proving of If you should ask me whether Christ brought nothing for the Sons of Men more than a Resurrection I should answer yes many things he brought heavenly Paradisical glory for all such as would accept of it upon those conditions that he offered it Much more might be said to this Objection and Argument but my time at present is precious Arg. 2. If the Sin against the First Covenant made the Sinners liable but to the first Death then Adam and all since in his loyns were liable but to the first Death But the Sin against the first Covenant made the Sinners liable but to the first Death Ergo Adam and all his posterity stand guilty by that Sin only of the first Death To the proof of this Argument I shall give you to understand what I mean by the first Covenant and that you may see was excellent injoyments I mean excelling in Prerogative beyond all other Creatures insomuch as they were all under him and whatsoever name he gave them they shall bee called by and also had he not sinned he should have injoyed that pure earthly Paradisical injoyment which was the glory of the first Covenant from which glory hee fell by transgression of that Law or that Original Sin as you so call it First That he sinned against no other Covenant but that Covenant because there was never no Covenant made of a second Life or a second Glory not till after Adam had sinned and therefore could not sin against such a Covenant it being not made nor he in a capacity to sin against any such thing So that Sir take notice of this one thing by the way that as the Grave and the misery tending thereunto as sickness weakness and such like infirmities is that which a Creature receiveth as punishment for the sinning against that pure earthly Paradisical Covenant So the Gulf of Hell with eternal misery is the punishment of Sin committed against that second Covenant the which is a Covenant of heavenly Paradisical glory so that as the glory of the second Covenant doth surmount the glory of the first so the loss of the thing Covenanted with the punishment thereunto doth farre surmount the injoyment of the first with the punishment annexed thereunto Now to prove my Minor Proposition by a plain rext as Gen. 3.19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread until thou returnest to the ground for out of it wast thou taken dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Compare this with the seventeenth verse of the same Chapter where he saith Cursed is the ground for thy sake and also telleth him that it shall bear thorns and thistles So if you take good notice what the Lord denounces as punishment to him and his seed which is only earthly and inflicted only upon the outward man no whit eternal neither inflicted upon the inward man and thus I have proved my Minor Proposition that Adams Sin was but against the first Covenant which sin lost but the injoyment of the first Life with that earthly Paradisical glory Arg. 3. If Adam in his best condition as he stood in Paradise before the Fall were but an earthly man and all his injoyments were but earthly injoyments then he could lose no more than what he had to lose which was earthly But Adam in his best condition was but an earthly man all his injoyments were but earthly injoyments Ergo all that he lost was butearthly injoyments The Minor I shall thus prove 1 Cor. 15.44 There is a Natural body and a Spiritual body so it is written the first man Adam was made a living Soul the last man Adam was made a quickning spirit verse 45. howbeit that was not first which is Spiritual but that which is Natural and after that which is Spiritual vers. 46. The first man is of the earth earthy the second man is the Lord from Heaven vers. 47. Thus you see the first man Adam was but earthly and also his injoyments as earthly as himself Obj. If it should be objected and said That the Lord made Adam an immortal Soul Ans. To which I answer that God breathed into Adam the breath of Life and so hee became a living Soul it should appear he was a dead Soul before for many times in Scripture the Mortal part of Man is called the Soul Joshua 10.28 it is proved in and so oftentimes in the ninth tenth and eleventh Chapters of Joshua and Adam and all his Posterity had such mortal Souls that had not Christ risen to have brought a Resurrection that is to say that mortal Body out of the dust we had been like the beasts that perished 1 Cor. 15.18 And so much briefly to the third Argument Arg. 4. The Fourth Argument To prove why Adams sin did not bring any of his Posterity to be liable unto the second Death If the punishment due to that Original sin of Adam in Paradise be no other than what God hath declared in the Sentence which is no other but upon the outward man then none of the Sons of Adam shall be Damned for that sin of Adam in Paradise But that punishment due to Adam in Paradise is no other than
not wel grounded therein for it is the great Hour of temptation to try all them that dwell upon the face of the earth Revel. 3.10 11. Great Pharaoh was a lively Type of this last and great Enemy of Israel for we may finde that hee had many Magicians which did many lying Signs and Wonders to harden the hearts of his People Exod. 7.11 12. So hath the Man of Sin a false Prophet as I have shewed you before and also in his Province many that can work by Magick Art which love to be in Kings Courts as Pharaohs Magicians did and that there shall be lying Signs or Wonders in that time see these few Scriptures in the room of more Dan. 8.25 Mat. 24.24 Revel. 13.14 15 16. Chap. 16.14 So by these signs and lying Wonders he shall make the World beleeve that he is the Christ until both hee and his false Prophets shall be taken alive and cast into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimston If it should bee Objected and said That this is meant of the Romish Babylon I shall give you three Reasons by the which you may see that the Man of Sin or the last Antichrist before mentioned is not the Romish Babylon First is because in Scripture the Lord gives the Romish Babylon the name of a Woman but in all places of Scripture he calleth the last and great Antichrist by the name of a Man and I will prove these two in order the which will make good the first Reason Come down and sit in the dust O Virgin daughter of Babylon thy nakedness shall be uncovered thy shame shall be seen I will take vengeance and will not meet thee as a man Isa. 47.1 2 3. See more vers. 9. Jer. 51.8 Prov. 2.16 17 18. Chap. 3.4 5. See more Revel. 17.4 And the Woman was arrayed in Purple and Scarlet upon her fore-head was a name written Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth vers. 5. And I saw the Woman drunken with the bloud of the Saints and Martyrs of Jesus vers. 6. See more Chap. 18.3 4. Isa. 51.18 19. And the next thing to prove is That the Antichrist is called by the name of Man as you may see Isa. 14.12 compare 16. How art thou fallen from Heaven thou Lucifer Son of the Morning how art thou cut down to the ground thou that didst weaken Kingdoms They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee saying Is not this the man that made the Earth to tremble that did shake Kingdoms And so as the Scriptures did fore-see that he would assume to himself such a Power was pleased to stile him by the name Man as you may see in the Scriptures following Ezek. 38.17 Dan. 11.24 2 Thes. 2.3 From these Scriptures you may see that the last Beast which is the Antichrist is called by the name Man and that the Romish Babylon is called by the name Woman And so I pass to the second Reason Secondly The great and last Antichrist or the Man of Sin cannot be taken for the Romish Babylon because the Romish Babylon did and doth acknowledge God and his Son Christ although they worship him in a false manner but the great and last Antichrist acknowledgeth no God neither will he Worship any but exalt himself above every god acknowledgeth no God but himself who shall bee then the God of Forces and as the Prophet Daniel saith of him The King shall do what hee list hee shall exalt himself against all that is God and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods and shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished for the determination is made Dan. 11.36 37. 2 Thes. 2.4 Dan. 7.8 Jude 5. From hence you may see that this last and great Antichrist shall advance himself above every god not acknowledging the God of Heaven but the Romish Babylon as aforesaid doth acknowledge a God and Worship him though in a false manner And so much briefly to the second Reason The Third and last Reason why the great and last Antichrist may not be took for the Romish Babylon is because the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed by the ten Horns of the last Beast that is to say by Ten Kings that have supported her or in a word thus That the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the appearance of Jesus Christ but the great and last Antichrist shall not be destroyed until the Lord Jesus come and destroy him upon the Mountains of Israel as I shall shew you in his time and place And now to prove that the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the coming of Christ you shall see it out of Revel. 17.16 And the Ten Horns that thou sawest upon the Beast shall hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire for God hath put it into their hearts to fulfil his will and agree and give their Kingdom unto the Beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled vers. 17. And the Woman that thou sawest is that great City that reigneth over the Kings of the earth And you may also see more from Revel. 18.9 and more might be added but this to prove briefly That the Romish Babylon shall bee destroyed before the coming of Christ by the Ten Horns that support the Beast for which cause the Romish Merchants viz. her Clergy and the Kings of the Earth shall weep for her and lust after her although the Beast shall over-power them and make them destroy her but the Heavens shall rejoyce over her and the Holy Apostles that is the Churches then in being and the Gospel-Messengers shewing clearly That the Romish Babylon shall be destroyed before the appearance of Christ Revelations 18.19 20. The next thing to prove is That the Man of Sin or that great and last Antichrist is to remain until the coming of Christ so saith the Apostle That the Lord shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming And so saith Dan. 7.9 10 11. Chap. 11.41 compare Chap. 12.1 2. Revel. 19.19 20. so from these Scriptures you may see plainly That the Man of Sin shall remain till the very time that Christ shall take his great Power and Reign so that neither of these Opinions can bee true that saith That the Romish Babylon is the Antichrist or that saith That the last and great Antichrist is risen and already past So thus I have proved the last Antichrist not to be Babylon A word or two to prove him to bee called the King of Babylon or the King of Assyria and that you may see the Prophet Esay hath the title of both in the fourteenth Chapter and verse fourth in these words Thou shalt take up this Proverb against the King of Babylon and say How hath the Oppressor ceased how hath the golden City ceased the Lord hath broken the staffe of the wicked and the scepter of the Ruler vers. 5. He who
Vessels of honour and yet some hee made Vessels of dishonour To that I anwser It is very true that hee did make some of that Lump Vessels of honour but they were such as were pricked in their heart for their sins * and did purifie their heart through beleeving and obeying the truth and so Christ became the Author of their eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 1 Pet. 1. vers. 22. for it was that which the Lord hath promised Souls that did purge themselves from the unbeleef in their hearts as you may see 2 Tim. 2.20 But in a great House there are not only Vessels of Gold and of Silver but also of Wood and of Earth and some to honour and some to dishonour vers. 21. if a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every good work And now I shall give you a brief review of those words that the Apostle Paul makes use of Rom. 9. they are the words of the Prophet Ieremy Jer. 18.1 to 17. and so onwards And the Word of the Lord came unto me saying Go down to the Potters house and there will I cause thee to hear my words and I went down to the Potters House and behold he wrought a work on the wheel and the vessel that he made with clay was marred in the hands of the Potter and he made another Vessel as seemed the Potter good to make it then the Word of the Lord came unto me saying O House of Israel can I not do with you as this Potter saith the Lord Behold as the clay is in the Potters hands so are yee in my hands O House of Israel At what instant I speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to pluck up or destroy If that Nation turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them but in what instant I speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to build or to plant it if they do evil in my sight then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them now therefore go speak to the men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return every one of you from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good but they said there is no hope but we wil waâ—â—â— after our own devices c. and in vers 17. he threatens to shew them his back and not the face in the day of their Calamity the which wee may see the Lord brought upon them and yet he was just when he judged and thus you see the Apostle answereth the Objection and shews the Jews Rom. 9. what the Lord had determined concerning them and also made known by the Prophet Jeremy that hee could according to the truth of his Justice if they remained obstinate in doing evil in his sight make them a dishonourable Vessel as well as the Potter could make that Clay which was not yeelding and conformable to his hands a vessel of dishonour Thus I have shewed you the words of the Prophet and the meaning of the Apostle that he doth not stop the mouthes of those persons that say the Lord of the whole earth cannot do unrighteousness and therefore cannot Condemn the Childe and cast it into Hell for the Fathers sin neither can he Reprobate any but for their actual sin but hee stops the mouthes of those Jews and all such as they are who do question why God might finde fault although they before have given him just cause of offence Mal. 3.8 The next thing you affirm is not true wherein you said I did affirm That that fire which Saint Jude calls eternal fire was meant only consuming fire though it was consuming indeed yet I did not affirm that to bee the only meaning of it but you may remember I said by the word eternal fire was meant such a fire as was not kindled by man neither did it happen in the City by accident but it issued forth from God being not kindled by man and so was as eternal as himself for the breath of the Lord was ever a fire to his enemies Dan. 7.10 From hence it is said of him in Hebr. 11.29 Our God is a consuming fire the which fire did destroy the Natural bodies of the Sodomites and that eternal fire was not Hell as you blindly conceive but it was such fire as the Prophet commanded to come down from Heaven to destroy the Captains and their Fifties which was as eternal as that of Sodom being without kindling by man or without end and it came not out of Hell but from Heaven and so you may see it Gen. 19.24 in these words Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and sire from the Lord out of Heaven and this was for the destruction of no more but their Natural bodies for it is not Gods way to afflict the punishment of Hell before he hath tried Souls at the general Judgement which shall not be till after the Resurrection for the Sentence against the first sin and the punishment thereof which was the first death was not inflicted upon Adam till after God had legally tried him and Sir let me tell you that the very Devils are not yet in Hell but their punishment is reserved until the Day of Judgement Iude vers. 6. Matth. 8.29 Why art thou come to torment us before the time Which sheweth plainly that the punishment of reprobate Angels and reprobate Men is not yet inflicted but hath reference to time and Sir if I should ask you where Hell were what answer would you give me you would happily tell mee it was where the Wrath of God was and then I shall conclude that Hell were under your Coat for Christ saith Ioh. 3.36 That he that beleeveth not the wrath of God abideth on him for ever And truly Sir if your faith should be tried by your works as Iames saith it must be then doubtless you would be found altogether unbeleeving and if so then according to the former words of our blessed Saviour That the wrath of God abides on such so that if you do conclude Hell to bee in all places where the Wrath of God is though I do indeed conclude that there shall be a material place of Hell where the Wrath of God shall remain perpetually then Hell must of necessity be at the place aforesaid And if you do conclude it to bee on the Earth or under the Earth as some foolishly have conceived then it is most evident that the Devils are not yet in Hell for he is called the Prince of the Air and hence it comes to pass that the Devil is many times cast down by the Judgements of God so that if you have any reason to prove Hell to be yet in being then you might have some better ground to say the
Sodomites with their Children are in Hell but having no reason to prove the first you have little reason to say the second But if you should suppose that Luke sixteenth would prove it in the Parable I will shew you that that will bee no proof for it was but a Parable and I can as well affirm that the Trees went forth on a time to anoynt a King over them Judg. 9.8 And they said unto the Olive tree reign thou over us You may read unto the sixteenth verse and see a large Discourse of it which is a Parable as well as that Luke sixteenth and so proves nothing but is for illustration and so that place Luke sixteenth is for illustration by the which the Lord doth shew what shall be the condition of poor afflicted Souls that suffer in this Life and also the condition of such who hate the poor afflicted people of God and take their pleasure in this Life so that God calls things that shall be in time as if they were in present being Hence it comes to pass that the Angel cries out Babylon is fallen Revel. 14.8 and so Revel. 18.2 which Voyce from Heaven was sixteen hundred years ago and yet I doubt not but you would conclude with me that Rome which is there called Mystery Babylon is not yet fallen so also John saith Revel. 20.11 12. That he saw the general Resurrection and the last Judgement so that you may see God calleth things that shall be as if they were and thus I have answered your great Objection Luk. 16.22 But now because there is a Generation of Men which affirm That there is no Hell now in being nor never shall be and thereby are hardned in their ungodly practises I shall shew you in a few words my judgement concerning Hell that all men may see I abhor such an ungodly opinion In the first place I shall speak a little of the time of its being and that I find in Scripture shall not be till the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to judge the world 2 Thessal 7. vers. 8. where the Lord is said to come in flaming fire to punish such as disobey him in his Gospel and Iude 14 15. verses Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints to execute judgement upon all Which sheweth that neither Judgement nor the execution of Judgement which is the punishment of Hell shall be untill the coming of the Lord see also Revel. 22.12 He shall come quickly and his reward shall be with him to give unto every one according to his works See Mat. 25.29 30 31. So much briefly for the time of Hell in its being although much more may be said Secondly in brief for the place of Hell which I conceive shall bee on Earth where sin was committed for which I refer you to Isaiah 24.21 which saith And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will punish the Host of High ones which are on high and the Kings of the earth on the earth It is in that day when hee shall reign gloriously in the Hill of Zion when the Sun shall be ashamed and the Moon confounded And further we know Hell is called utter darkness viz. when the Lord hath with-drawn the Sun Moon and Stars which are but for signs and seasons and for days and years and these words shew that they are limited as to time which when they are taken away the Earth will be utter darkness and so the place where the Lord will punish Further he saith he will gather all Flesh to the valley of Jehosaphat and plead with them there and so much briefly to the place Now because I have thus said that Hell is not yet in being let not any ungodly Soul be hardned in his ungodly practices to think that when they dye they shall not go to Hell thou maist come there too soon for if so be that a thousand years to the Lord be but as yesterday and yet he have knowledge of time then ten thousand years is but a moment to those which have no knowledge of time but in the Grave there is no remembrance of time so that from Adams death which was the first man unto the time of his Resurrection will be to him but a moment of time But if by these words you should conclude that I hold the Mortality of the Soul I shall speak a word to it although I have spoke to it before yet a word now in its place may be seasonable and that is this All that is man dyeth and is mortal neither do I know and I beleeve you will be troubled to finde that any other thing returns to God than that Spirit which is neither of man nor from man but was freely given from God which indeed is immortal and yet is in no capacity to receive joy until the body is perfected with it I could speak much to this particular but that I see two sorts of persons that are ready to run upon the extremes which for want of true understanding in that point do run into great absurdities In the last Clause of your Letter you say The Anabaptist would have urged another Argument to prove no Children damned but you say you refused it and said that was but running round To which I answer That it did appear to me you were very weary indeed and could not answer to one Argument and therefore much less to many more You writ to me that you were scarcely recovered of Sickness and so that was one ground why you could not We use to say Sir a bad shift is better than none but while you were a talking of the flesh namely contesting about your Tithes with your Neighbour which was none of your Flock you seemed to be very well But Sir I marvell not much at your Apology for I scarce ever met with any of your Coat but they had urgent business that wanted them at home or a great way to Ride or a Sermon to Teach or some such like excuse but were any of you at any place where you might have varieties for your Belly or monies for your Purse and no Sectaries in the way as you call them to trouble you you would not bee in such great hast Furthermore you said I cried Victory by railing upon you Sir I pray you do not make me like your self which usually do rayl in your Pulpit as I am informed and by your own confession but I shall give you a review of those words which you call rayling You may remember when you were mounted on your Horse and ready to be gone when you could say nothing unto me you had thought to stop my mouth with these words saying unto me you profess God hath spoke to you let us see you shew a sign Although I never had a tittle in my speech to that purpose my answer was this which you call rayling that you are like to that adulterous Generation that seek a
what God hath declared in the Sentence Gen. 3. ergo none of the Children of Adam shal suffer in Hell for that Sin and that it was but a loss of earthly injoyments with deformities and corruption I have proved it at large Arg. 5. To prove that Sin in Paradise did not make him or any of his Posterity liable to eternal Death is as followeth That Opinion which in the extent of it will make the Devil to speak truth and God to lye is an absurd and blasphemous opinion But the Opinion that saith That that Sin of Adam in Paradise maketh all the Sons of Adam guilty and liable to eternal Death affirmeth that the Devil speaks true and the Lord lieth Ergo that Opinion is absurd and blasphemous The Major will be easily granted The Minor I shall prove for God saith Gen. 2.17 If thou eatest thou shalt surely dye but the Devil said Gen. 3. to the Woman Yee shall not dye but be like gods c. Now if this Death that the Lord said they should dye be meant punishment in Hell as you blindly conceive and yet wee see that all Adams posterity which sinned in him or are become sinners by him are not punished in Hell which you say is meant by that Death then God speaks not true in saying they shall surely dye when he intends they shall not And the Devil speaks true when hee saith they shall not dye and wee see they do not so dye if that Death which God saith they shall surely dye bee meant the second Death this is to make the Devil speak true and God a Liar O horrid Blasphemous Opinion be ashamed of it Obj. Peradventure you will say That God sent Christ to take away the guilt and punishment of that Original sin which is as false and ridicnlous as the other O blinde guide is this any more in effect than to say That God sent his Son to make the Devils words appear to be true and his own false the Devil said they should not dye God said they should Now that they might not indeed dye you say God sent his Son that they might not dye which is no less than to make God a Lyar And so much briefly to your blasphemous opinion A word or two what I say to this and that is in these words Thou shalt surely dye is only meant the death of the material Body and hence it comes to pass that as well the righteous as unrighteous dye none exempted he regards not the person of any so that it appears clearly our God is a God of truth that cleareth not the guilty and that the Devil according to the words of John is a Lyar and hath been so from the beginning Arg. 6. The last Argument is as followeth That Opinion which crosseth plain texts of Scripture in the plain meaning of them is false and erronious But that Opinion which affirmeth That all Infants as they come into the World are guilty of such a Sin as makes them liable to the second Death namely to be punished in Hel and so lye under the Wrath of God is against plain texts of Scripture in the plain meaning of them Ergo such an Opinion is absurd und erronious Only the Minor will be questioned the which I shall prove from Matth. 9.14 where Christ faith Little Children are heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven Take notice Sir these were not Beleevers sprinkled Children neither were they Baptised neither were they brought for that purpose Thus you see your Opinion speaks against plain text of Scripture Christ saith They are heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven And as for the answer of that Objection in Psal. 51.5 I refer you to the place where I have answered it in its time and place in the letter And now I shall take notice of an absurdity that will follow and so will leave as to the Arguments you do affirm in this your Opinion That all Infants that dye in their Infancy none excepted must needs be damned for you did affirm That David was guilty of that Sin that brought Damnation and if David were guilty then all Children for David in your sense was an Elect Person and yet if he had died in his Infancy he had been damned according to your expression from Psalm fifty so that upon this account all Children in their infancy stand at enmity with God and if so then shew mee what reconciliation there can be according to Scripture account without the manifestation of Repentance and Faith towards God for Christ faith Except you beleeve you shall dye in your sins John 8.24 which Children cannot do although you would blindly conclude from Matth. 18. that those little ones there were Children which cannot bee proved for though Christ did take a little one yet he took not little ones and neither are little ones capable to suffer for Christ and so consequently not capable to be offended Secondly Faith is a perswasion of the minde flowing from the understanding but Children having no understanding can have no faith so that God saith I speak not to your Children which neither know nor understand and so much for the absurdity which necessarily will follow That all Infants must be damned if that which you say be true and so I shall leave as to that particular Characters of the false Ministery THe next thing that I shall enter upon is to shew the Characters of the false and corrupted Ministery whereby they that run may read and know them by their fruits First you shall know them by their teaching for Doctrines the Commandements of men the Lord in old time did complain against such Persons as you may see Jer. 5.30 31. in these words A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land the Prophets Prophesy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and the people love to have it so and what shall be done in the end thereof Thus you may see the Prophets of old did prophesie the vision of their own Brain and the Priests of Old they must bear rule by their means that is to say their false Divinations must go for truth and it being pleasing to the flesh the people loved to have it so So it is with the false corrupted Ministery in our days the Prophets of old or more properly antient Fathers as they so call them they in their several Councils have determined certain Articles of their own invention imposing them on mens Consciences as infallible truths when God never spake any such thing in his Word the Priests they bear rule by their means and conclude they must needs be truths it being the judgement of their reverend Fathers as Luther and Calvin and St. Austin and the like and it being grown in custom amongst the people they love to have it so like as the people of old who lusted after the Flesh-pots of Aegypt I shall only particularize a few of their Traditions and so pass the first Character
as will not worship the Image of the Beast to bee killed Revel. 13.13 14 15. chap. 16.14 but some have expounded this place thus and have said The outward Court is the Ordinances that were not to be measured that is to say not to be accounted of so as to be practised and the Holy City was the Church which was to be trod under foot to which Exposition I say That I never could finde God in Scripture comparing the Gospel-Ordinances to an outward Court it is well if they can finde it who do affirm it neither do I find in the New Testament where the Gospel-Church is compared to a Holy City Christ hath compared it to a City but the word Holy is not used in that place but doubtless this Holy City spoken of here Revel. 11. is meant Jerusalem which in Scripture is frequently called a Holy City as you may see if you peruse these Scriptures following Psal. 24.3 Isa. 27.13 Chap. 48.2 Dan. 9.24 Joel 2.1 Chap. 3.17 Obadiah 6. Zephany 3.11 Mat. 4.5 Chap. 27.53 So that it will appear that the Temple spoken of in Revel. 11.1 was the Temple of that beloved City or Holy City Jerusalem which is also as clear that it was a Prophecie of the last times if we compare Ezekiel with it so that both Ezekiel and John in their Discoveries of the Prophecie of the last times do shew that there was a Temple as well as a City and so I shall pass to the third and last Reason The Third Reason why there is to be a Temple at the last and general return of the Iews is from the words of the Apostle Paul unto the Thessalonians where the Apostle saith That the Man of Sin shall sit in the Temple of God which Temple is the glorious holy Mountain before mentioned even the Temple Jerusalem as Dan. 11.45 and that this Temple and the Man of Sin is to be in the laft Age is clear for the Man of Sin is to be destroyed saith the Apostle by the brightness of his coming 2 Thess. 2.8 Dan. 7.9 10 11 12. until the which time of Christs coming he shall assume to make the Temple the Throne of his Glory and so these are the three Reasons in brief why there shall bee a Temple built as well as a City First because the Lord shewed Ezekiel a Temple after the Vision of the dry Bones which was the last return of the Captives Secondly He shewed John one and appointed him to measure it in his Vision And Thirdly By the revelation of the Holy Spirit saith the Man of Sin shall make his Seat there and hold it till Christ comes Moreover the Prophet Malachy saith That the Lord that was looked for shall suddenly come into his Temple And so much briefly to prove that the Jews shall return again to build their City and Temple The manner of the Rise of the Man of Sin called the Vile Penson or the Antichrist proved not to be the Romish Babylon Secondly The manner of the arising of the Man of Sin hee shall arise out of the Fourth and last Monarchy the which Fourth Monarchy shall consist of seven Heads that is the whole Monarchy shall bee ruled by seven unanimously by Royal authority but in this unanimous agreement or seventh Head shall continue but a little space but one of the Seven shall make himself the Eighth and yet of the Seventh and shall go into perdition and this is that which was set forth in that Image that Daniel saw Dan. 2. but more plainly laid down in the lowest part of the Image as in the Feet and Toes ver. 41.42 43. and in the midst of those Kings that is while those Kings are a striving for their Dignity the God of Heaven will set up a Kingdom which shall break and destroy that great King Gog which shall be the Eighth and last Moreover this vile Person or Man of Sins rise is with all deceiveableness and unrighteousness fair words and feigned speeches deceiving the hearts of the simple and before hee cometh to bee this Eighth and last King he is but a Little Horn full of eyes Dan. 7.7 8. professing Knowledge and Light in the Mystery of God and yet at last he hath a mouth given him to speak great words against the God of Heaven The very manner of his arising doth declare him to be a great Person at the last for at his first arising three of the Ten Horns were plucked up by the root that is three Kingdoms do fall before him or are resigned up into his hands and so groweth great and by that means he cometh to be one of the Seven that shall rule the whole Monarchy and shall not be contented with that as I have shewed you but by his power shall take away the other Six parts and so changing the Government from the hands of seven into one he is called the Eighth and of the Seventh and so shall remain till the Son of Righteousness shall dismiss his Reign by casting him off into the Lake of fire Dan. 7.8 compare verse 24. ch. 8.25 Revel. 17.11 He shall succeed in time the raiser of Taxes but they shall not give him the power or honour of the Kingdom but by flattery shall he obtain it not by a joynt consent of the people of the Province but shall receive his Power and Authority by a smal number of people And when hee hath entred into the fattest place of the Province he shall break League Covenant and Protestation and work deceitfully yet to carry on his design hee shall do that which his Father hath not done nor his Fathers Father for by stirring up of his courage and valour hee shall take much riches out of the Southern Country and to get the affections of those people of the Province where hee liveth he will scatter the Prey amongst them to the end that his Army may grow great that thereby he may take strong Holds and senced Cities and this is the very way whereby hee shall grow great and be helped forward and exalted into the Throne even in the holy Mountain Dan. 11.24 25. ver. 43.45 and so by his Victories hee shall grow great and exalt himself and at last exalt himself above God and shall honour the god of Forces that is look upon the power of his Army to be the great Power that is to say by his own strength he hath obtained that which hee doth injoy and so shall puff out great swelling words of vanity against the God of gods acknowledging no other God but himself and shall place his Throne above the Stars of Heaven for the proof of it see these Scriptures as followeth Isa. 14.12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Dan. 11.36 37 38 39. 2 Thess. 2.4 Revel. 17.11 compare fourteen Also to carry on his design hee shall have a false Prophet that shall work great Signs and Wonders to deceive those that have not narrowly looked into the Scriptures and are
portion in it And so I pass to the Eighth Particular The restoration of the Creation into the Primitive purity The truth of this Particular need not much be questioned that is to say Whether the Lord will restore the whole Creation into its Primitive excellency when I say the whole Creation I mean Man though happily not every man also the Beasts of the Field and the Earth into that condition that they were in the time of Adams innocency I say there is no question to be made of the truth of this Particular for all the Prophets that ever writ have writ more or lesse to the affirming of this to bee true as I could instance in them all in particular order but because it will take up much time I shall give you one plain text of Scripture that doth affirm that all the holy Prophets have spoken of this great restoration more or less the text of Scripture is in Acts 3.20.21 in these words For I will send Iesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the Heavens must contain untill the restoration of all things spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began From hence you may see that all the Prophets ever since the world began did fore-tel or Prophesie of the restoration of Man and Beast into their first excellency which also agreeth with the words of Paul that saith We know the whole Creation groaneth with us and travelleth with us in pain together untill this present time because the Creature was made subject to vanity not of its own will but by reason of him that hath subdued it under hope because the Creatures themselves shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8.20 21 22. From these words wee may take notice that the Creatures with Man shall be delivered from that groaning condition which they were made subject to by reason of Adams transgression and that there shall be a perfect restoration of all Creatures unless it be the Serpent and such men as live and dye in the stare of unbelief and thereby deprive themselves of that good which otherwise they should injoy But for the better understanding of this truth I shall divide the Creation into three parts that is to say the Creature Man the creature Beast and the creature Earth and shall treat of them in order And first of the Creature Man that he shall be restored unto that Primitive state that is to say all manner of corruption to be done away as namely Sickness Weakness Faintness Lameness Blindness and all other things that are as Corruptions or defections in Nature and then shall the saying be made good that is written by the Prophet Then shall the eyes of the blinde be opened and the eares of the deaf unstopped then shall the Lame man leap as an Hart and the tongue of the dumbe shall be loosed for in the Wilderness shall waters break out and rivers in the Desart neither shall the inhabitants of the Land say I am sick and the people that are therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Isa. 32.24 cap. 35.5 6. they shall not dye in their nonage in that juncture of time but shall live an hundred years old without frailty in Naure whereby they shall see their Childrens Children in great peace as the Prophet saith There shall not be thence an infant of days or an old man that hath not filled his days but the childe shall dye being an hundred years old but the Sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed even such as do not submit to that great King Jesus Isa. 65.20 Ezek. 14.12 so that the weakness and corruptions and frailty of Nature shall be clear taken away so that those Jews that live in the flesh and others which is to say the Gentiles who also are living at that time in the flesh shall not dye by reason of any malady over-coming their Nature but by vertue of Gods appointment in that set time before mentioned the envie also of the Sons of men shall depart away so that one shall not envie another as afore-time Isa. 11.13 And so I shall briefly pass to the second thing Which is That the Beasts of the field shall also bee restored from the bondage of their corruption into that liberty that they did injoy in the time of Adams innocency the envie of them also shall be taken away so that the Lambe and the Kid shall lye down in peace with the savage Beast the Lion shall not destroy the Lambe neither the Leopard the Kid There was a lively Type of this thing in Noahs Ark and so shall it be when Jesus Christ the Ark that is to say the safety of his people is lifted up as an Ensign in the Nations for so saith the Prophet With righteousness shall be judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall bee slay the wicked and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loyns and faithfulness the girdle of his reins the Wolf also hall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf and the young Lion and the fatling together and a little childe shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed the young ones and lye down together and the Lion shall eate straw with the Oxe and the sucking Childe shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Childe shall put his hand on the Coskatrice Den they shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy Mountains for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord Isa. 11.4 5 6 7 8 9. Cap. 65.25 Hence you may see that there is a time wherein the Creatures shall be restored into the Primitive state for in the Garden of Eden in the which they were first placed they lay down in peace and did not destroy each other The reason why they did destroy one another afterwards was because of the Curse that Adam brought upon the whole Creation by the transgression of the Law of God Hence it cometh to pass that the Creature Man destroyeth one another and the Creature Beast but in the beginning it was not so neither shall it be so in the time of the perfect Redemption as is clear from the fore-mentioned Scripture Obj. But if it should be objected and said That this is meant by the flourishing state of the Church while they remain in this Tabernacle Ans. To which I answer I have already proved That all or every one of the godly shall suffer persecution in this Life that although many shall run to and fro in the last days and be purified and made white yet the wicked shall do more wickedly and shall wear out the Saints of the most High so as there shall be such troubles as there hath not been