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
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
of the Law and the text Psal 34. verse 22. which you apply to the redemption of the faithfull from etternall torments by the death of the Messias is meant of Gods delivering of them out of temporal calamities and afflictions as the foregoing verses doe plainely shew And lastly your argument touching old Simeon that he craved no longer life to raigne with Christ on earth doth make as much against his beliefe of Christs spirituall as his personall raigne and against his beliefe of Christs suffering as against either of these and surely though he prayed to depart because it was revealed unto him that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord Christ yet the testimony he gave of Christ that he should be the glory of his people Israel which doth as well intimate the generall conversion of the Jewes and Christs raigning amongst them as his being a light to lighten the Gentiles doth imply the conversion of the Gentiles this testimony I say doth shew that Simeon did hope to live againe to raigne with Christ although he did then desire to depart having seen him And to this hope of the Saints as well as to the hope of the glory which shall follow their reigne St. Paul alludes when he saith that others of the faithfull Jewes were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Preface Fourthly And neverthelesse many Iewes sought righteousnesse by the workes of the Law and not by faith Rom. 9.32 and they look'd upon the promises with a bodily eye onely as if the Messias were to erect an earthly Monarchy at Ierusalem And looking thorâ—â—â— these spectacles they could not think that Jesus Christ is the Messias and so they stumbled at his worldly basenesse and being miscaried in their braines they could not see his spiritual power and benefits After their miserable example others acknowledging Jesus Christ to be the promised Messias and not considering the difference of the promises have not attained fully unto the truth of them and so have erred in mistaking his natures and benefits Thus Eblon thought him to be a man and not God as if all the promises could have been performed by a man endowed with singular grace Cerinthus likewise held that Christ is onely a man and because he saw him not sitting on the throne of David he held that Christ is not risen from the dead as yet but shall rise and reigne in Jerusalem a thousand yeares and all his Subjects shal be satisfied with all manner of pleasures in meate drinke marriage festival dayes and offer oblations and sacrifices Euseb lib. 3. chap. 25. Answer That the Jewes were in an error which sought righteousnesse by the workes of the Law we willingly acknowledge but that they did erre in taking the promises touching Christs Kingdom and their owne deliverance in a proper sense wee cannot think For wee know that the multitude would have made Christ a King Joh. 6. verse 15. and that Nathaniel that righteous Jsraelite said unto our Saviour Rabbi thou art the sonne of God thou art the of King Israel Joh. 1 verse 49. and it were too in jurious to our Saviours innocency who came into the world to beare witnesse unto the truth Joh. 18. verse 37. to imagine that he would not upon these occasions have shewed them that they were mistaken in his Kingdom if he was never to be such a King as the Jewes thought he should be and would then have made him had he not avoided it by hiding himselfe from them And indeed by the parable Luke 19. touching the Noble-mans going into a farre countrey to receive for himself a Kingdom and returne which he put forth of purpose because the Jewes did looke for the immediate appearing of his Kingdom by that parable I say he did as good as tell them that they did rightly conceive of the nature of his Kingdom but not of the time when it should appeare that they truely thought he should raigne visibly over them on earth though they were deceived in expecting the accomplishment of it then at his first coming For what was the Kingdom of God which the Jewes thought shuld immediately appeare was it the glory that shall follow the Judgment of the dead doubtlesse they thought not that the Judgment of the dead should immediately ensue Or was it the meanes of salvation that they lookt for doubtlesse then they knew that they had long injoyed this even as their peculiar The Kingdom of God then which they so earnestly and so soone expected must needs be the Kingdom which God had foretold that Christ should govern personally on earth when he should be set by him on the Throne of his Father David For indeed Christ can bring with him no other Kingdom for himself that is no other Kingdom to govern as man but this from that farre countrey whither he is gone to receive for himself a Kingdom and to returne And therefore t was not their looking through these spectacles as you phrase the proper exposition of the prophecies that made them to deny that Jesus was the Christ but rather stumbling at his meane condition onely they did to him what Gods hand and Counsell had determined before to be done And as the Jewes were no example of misbeliefe in looking for their deliverance from captivity and for our Saviours personall raigne amongst them so doubtlesse the proper acception of the prophecies concerning our Saviours raigne did no more occasion Ebion and Cerinthus to mistake his natures and deny his divinity then the proper acceptions of the prophecies concerning his incarnation suffering did and therefore seeing it is not possible that the true understanding of one part of the Scripture should thrust us into the misapprehension of another part thereof we may well thinke that it was the want of a due consideration of those texts which doe demonsâ—â—ate the divine nature of Christ and not the truth they held touching his raigne that drew them into this error For it is either through the want of a carefull searching into the Scriptures or by reason of some sinister and by-respects onely that all errors have both their rise and continuance in the Church of God Preface Fiftly Vpon this occasion the Apostle John wrote the Gospel again and more largely then any other of the Euangelists speakes of Christs Godhead his wonderfull workes his Kingdom resurrection and his coming againe especially that the Sonne of man is now glorified chap. 13.31 that he hath overcome the world chap. 16.33 that his Kingdom is not of this world and if his Kingdom were of this world his servants would fight that he should not be delivered unto the Jewes but now is his Kingdom not from hence chap. 18.36 And of the condition of his Subjects he saith Remember the word that I said unto you the servant is not greater then the Lord if they have persecuted me they will also persecute you chap. 15.20 verily I say
from the bondage of corrupion into the glorious liberty of the children of God shall not be long delayd Walke you therefore in holinesse with sincerity and cheerefulnesse as it becomes the heires of so great salvation and give all diligence to make your calling and election sure for so an entrance shal be ministred unto you aboundantly not into an earthly Monarchy but the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Answer Beloved in the Lord you are told here by Mr. Petry that this historical Narration of the original of the Millenarian Tenet and his refutation of my booke are for your good And had it been so indeed I had not now answered the one or repli'd unto the other yea I had rather laid my hand upon my mouth or empoly'd it about the publique retractation of mine own opinion But I find not in either ought of that sincere and upright dealing as is pretended in these words That which I sinde is this that Mr. Petrie is too much of the minde of the Lawyers in the Gospel of whom our Saviour said Luk. 11. verse 52. that they had taken away the key of knowledge that they entred not in themselves and them that were entring in they hindred And that as the Pharisees best project to discountenance our Saviours miracles was to say that he did cast out Devils through Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils and their most prevalent motive to disgrace his doctrine was to say that he was a glutton and a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners So Mr. Petrie's chiefest sleight to disparage the truth we hold is to say that it hath no other Father nor abettours but heretiques that it is preacht by such as have in their Congregation grosse Anabaptists and are friends to whatsoever Novellers And that it teacheth the voluptuous carnall living of the raised Saints and their dying againe after they are raised And doubtlesse beloved if you should be as ready to receive these tares into your hearts as Mr. Petrie is to sow them there your eares would be stussed with prejudice and your hearts choakt up with indignation against us but as we wish better things unto you so we hope better things of you even such things as accompany salvation We hope I say that you are as wise as the Bereans of whom the Apostle saith that they were noble in that they received the word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so And if you examine our words by this rule by which the Bereans examined St. Paul's and were so highly commended by him for it we doubt not but you will with one consent affirme That in the point in Question we and not our adversaries doe say as God saith And that we make not the meate that perisheth but everlasting life the reward of the glorified Saints although we truly affirme that these Saints may and shall eate drinke after their resurrection As it is said Mat. 26. verse 29. and Luk. 22. verse 16.18 And that you will affirme too that we truly hold that the Kingdom of God is not yet come although our Saviour Luk. 17. verse 20. answered the Pharisees who demanded when the Kingdom of God should come that the Kingdom of God was within or amongst them For that which our Saviour there cal'd the Kingdom of God is not meant of the Kingdom it selfe of which the Pharisees inquired but of the outward meanes by which that Kingdom is obtain'd As it is Mat. 21. verse 43. and thus also Rom. 14. verse 17. righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost are cald the Kingdom of God because these things doe intitle men to that Kingdom and manifest unto others that they doe belong unto it neither of which the observing or not observing of difference in meats and drinks can doe And in the 1 Cor. 4. verse 20. it is said The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power that is our interest in the Kingdom of God is neither obtained nor attested by our disccursing preaching and professing of the truth onely but by our carefull and conscionable performance of those things which wee are commanded And therefore beloved that you may not mistake the meanes and evidences of God's Kingdom for the Kingdom it selfe but may by the injoyment and effectual use of these be assured in your selves and make knowne unto others that you are heires of that that you have an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God we beseech the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that the word of Christ may dwell in you richly in all wisdom and that our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace may comfort your hearts and stablish you in every good word and worke AN answer to M. Petries Rules for interpreting of the Scripture inserted pag. 8.9.10.11 after his answer to the prophecy of Amos ch 9. ver 11. Bee which partly because they were devised of purpose to enthrall the readers judgement that hee might not perceive the true meaning of the scriptures as the preface was to perswade him that the scripture is not the ground of the Millenarian Tenet and partly because I would not disjoyne my replies by such a large digression I thought fit beloved to present unto thee in this place His introduction to them is this Mr Petris And here for understanding this and such ober prophecies I add these undoubted rules Answer Undoubted rules must be grouâ—ded on undoubted authority but these for the most have none either from Heaven or of men The first rule The land of Canaan was a type of the Kingdom of Christ and so was Jerusalem and Sion because these were types of this Kingdom so glorious things were spoken of them Psal 46.4.5 and 48.1 2. and 87.1 2 3.5 which texts are more safely understood of Christ 6 Kingdom then of that earthly Jerusalem and Sion yea very hardly can they be understood of them Answer You have brought no text to shew that the land of Canaan was a type of Christs Kingdom but we bring many to shew that it shall be the proper inheritance of Christ the Saints in the time of his Kingdom And the glorious things which are spoken of Jerusalem or Sion in the 46.48 and 87. Psalmes and in many other places of the scripture are spoken of it because it was to be the City of the great King as is foretold Psal 48. v. 2. that is of Christ in the time of his personall raigne over the whole earth and therefore these words which texts are more safely understood of Christ's Kingdom then of that earthly Ierusalem and Sion yea very hardly can they be understood of them are as falsely as faintly spoken by you for is it not said in the foresaid verse Beautifull for situation the joy of the whole earth
yellow And who have an ague find every meate and drinke bitter not that every thing is such but their senses are distempered another who hath not distempered senses finds in the same thing a diversity of colour and relish 3. Why doubt they here whether there be more voices for the one then for the other seeing afterwards it is said p. 50. as all the Prophets speake of nothing more so they have nothing which can be applied to our Saviours second comming as a comfortable effect so generally foreshâ—â—nâ— but this Reply 1. If the heathens be a more in partial judgement then Jewes or Christians are the greater is our shame the more their commendation But as I have not hitherto so I trust I never shall shew such irreverence and uncharitablnesse towards the Church of God as to think much lesse to say that there are no impartial men in it And therefore I need not goe out of the Church to seeke for such to submit to But although there are many impartial judgements amongst Christians yet it behoves the reader to take notice here that you confesse you are none of the society and therefore to be the more suspitious of the sincerity of your dealing a taste where of we had in your former answer And it is observeable too that you make a difference betwixt Turks and heathens as if Turks were not heathens 2. That all rigid Antimillenaries find not many voices for that we plead for nor indeed any at all we need not marvell for you have told us they have no impartial judgments And therefore I might returne your comparisons on your selves but I leave them to the judicious â—â—ader to bestow them where he sees most cause 3. Surely these words I finde not more voices for the one then for the other have no doubtfull sound Neither have they relation onely to a part but to the whole word of God Not to one Testament onely but to both And therefore the Prophets being not the adequate subject of this search you have vainly transferr'd hither what elswhere I have spoken as from the Prophets onely Yea and very impertinently too for the prophecies spoken of there doe concerne the restoring of the Jeweâ— onely but the voices spoken of here are such as do concerne the comming of Christ onely And that first in the forme of a servant to teach and suffer on earth and next in Kingly glory to reigne and rule on earth And grant there should be more Scriptures to shew one of these commings then the other yet seeing there is plaine Scripture for them both we have good reason to beleeve both Israel's Redemption For they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore againe the Kingdom to Israel Mr. Petrie's Answer Any who is not distempered in his braines may see the ground of this Monarchy very unsure to wit a meere Querie Acts 1.6 The disciples asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdom of Israel a querie neither affirmeth nor denieth and neverthelesse how great a Kingdom is built on it If they can finde a surer ground why will they not choose it for their text better they have not and therefore they must be doing with this Reply No good Christian will be either asham'd or affraid to suffer for the truth's sake And therefore we had much rather be defam'd revil'd and if God hath so appointed it worse handled by you or any others then reclamante conscientiâ against our owne knowledge yeeld to be deluded by you this answer being in very deed conpounded of nought but falsehood and deceit For first the ground of this Monarchy is not unsure although a Querie it being grounded not on what the Apostles knew not and would have knowne to wit the time when the Kingdom should be restor'd but on what they knew and doubted not of to wit that the Kingdom should be restor'd Which had they not knowne or at least not thought they could not have asked when it should be restor'd And had they but thought it they would for their better assurance first have askt whether before they would have askt when it should be restored Neither can we grant this to be a * Queries as Rhetoricians do distinguish them are either simple or figurative and affected Simple Queries are such as are proposed for instruction and knowledge-sake and are either meerly simple when there is no more in them but what is doubted of as what is truth Iohn 18 verse 38. or not meerly simple when there is no more in them then what is doubted of as where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eate the passeover Mat. 26. verse 17. in which querie the doubt is not touching the subject it selfe whether the passeover should be prepar'd but touching a circumstance belonging to the subject touching the place where it should be prepar'd and such a querie is this of the Apostles the subject the restoring of the Kingdom is not doubted of nor the person that should restore it but the circumstance of time onely when it shold be restored And these queries though they do not expresly formally affirme or deny yet they do implicitly vertually affirme or deny meere querie untill you have defin'd what a meere querie is for you seeme to me by this proposition A Querie neither affirmeth nor denieth to take all queries to be alike if you doe not you say it onely fallaciously to make the unlearned reader thinke so that by this meanes he might the more readily beleeve all you say against us and if you doe you are very much mistaken as all your rhetoricians will shew you who reckon up many sorts of Queries among which there is one so opposite to your words that it more certainly and vehemently affirmes or denies then a bare affirmation or negation can doe and such a one is that in St. Mat. chap. 7. verse 16. Doe men gather grapes of thornes or figs of thistles which is a farre more forcible deniall then St. Lukes Of thornes men doe not gather figs nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes chap. 6. verse 44. so on the contrary Is there no balme in Gilead is there no Physitian there Jer. 8 verse 22. doth more movingly affirme then the bare affirmation doth And of this sort of interrogatory asseverations and negations the Scriptures have very many especially God's answer to Job and the prophecy of Micah And therefore untill you can bring better proofe to shew this ground unsure we need not seeke for another text to build so great a Monarchy on although we bring many other to strenghthen beautify and finish the building Israel's Redemption The words you see are a Querie And such propositions imply three things First a person or persons proposing it Secondly a matter or subject proposed Thirdly a person or persons to whom it is proposed The persons here are the disciples asking the question and our Saviour answering them as the
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
them out And had there been any I presume you would too seeing it is not likely that they would have brought an exposition different from that which was commonly received by others and have given no reason for it or one no better then a why may we not think so 2. If you thinke that these places here quoted be diversly interpreted as your disjunctive conjunction OR intimates and yet say why may not this Kingdom be taken as the thiefe meant or as Christ meant or as Simeon meant any one may perceive that you are altogether unresolved what sense to take it in but had rather take it in any sense then that we take it in And if you thinke that all these places have but one meaning as the last words of this part of your answer imply you should have shewed us what it had been For in our Saviour's and Simeon's words the word Kingdom is not found And the words which you take to be equivalent with it are diversly expounded Paradise in our Saviour's words is interpreted to be Heaven And salvation and Glory in Simeon's song doe signify Salutis et gloriae authorem the authour of glory and the authour of salvation to wit Christ himselfe So that if the Kingdom in the Apostles Querie be expounded either of these two waies it is all one as if they had said Lord wilt thou at this time restore Heaven to Israel or Lord wilt thou at this time restore thy selfe to Israel And as for the Kingdom the theife spake of we thanke you for mentioning of it And doe willingly grant that the Apostles understood it as he did But how was that surely as all other Jewes did of a Kingdom on earth and not in Heaven For his words in the original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when thou commest in thy kingdome that is in thy Kingly power as it is Mat. 16. verse 27 28. for by those words the theife could not meane his ascension into Heaven as it is comonly expounded seeing he was wholly ignorant of it And therefore it must needs follow that he understood it of an earthly Kingdom which all Jewes expected and as it seemes by the Apostles Querie all beleeving Jewes thought should suddenly appeare after his resurrection But because it was not to be so therefore it was that our Saviour promised the theife the present happinesse of his soule in Heaven where it should remaine in his presence until at his comming in his Kingdom of which he had spoken he should bring it with him to be reunited to his glorified body and so according to his request he should in his whole manhood be made partaker of his Master 's glorious reigne on earth 3 You must give us leave to thinke that no expositour doth deny it until either we can find or you or others shew us such a one But It follows not you say the Apostles thought so therfore it shall be so But this follows therefore we must beleeve the Apostles before Mr. Petrie or any others who thinke it shall not be so Yea and this follows the Apostles thought so and our Saviour who knew their meaning reprehended them not for misunderstanding it therefore it shall be so And whereas you say that the Apostles for a time beleeved not the calling of the Gentiles and referre these words for a time to the time after our Saviours ascension it is not so For doubtlesse from the very time in which our Saviour said unto them Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 they did beleeve it although perhaps they might not thinke that they should have been cald so soone yea if the words of St. James Acts 15. verse 14. should be meant of the song of old Simeon as you doe say page 26. there is no doubt but they knew it from the time they first heard of that prophecy Neither doth the text you quote speake of the Apostles doubting of it but of other beleeving Jews And therefore you have shewed your selfe very bold with the Apostles mistooke the ground of your argument and denyed what afterwards you confesse And lastly when the Authour doth take the Apostles words in that sense which interpreters doe give unto them and shews by reasons first and Scriptures afterwards that the Apostles did not out of any carnal minde or misconceit of our Saviours Kingdom uâ—ter this Querie and when that Mr. Petrie doth neither flatly affirme or deny any sense of the Apostles words nor give a reason worth the naming much lesse reading or answering against any of these reasons albeit but childish as he saith will any reader thinke that Mr. Petrie will prove a better guide to him herein then this Authour doubtlesse no man taking a journey will choose him for a guide that is in doubt which way to goe and no good Christian will be lesse carefull in his way to Heaven To the Law then and to the Testimony to the plaine word of God this is the sure ground of thyfaith and therefore sticke to it for if men speake not according to this it is because there is no truth in them Isa 8.20 Israel's Redemption First because the Authours of this demand were not babes either in yeares or understanding but the Apostles themselves men who had followed f Mat. 4. v. 19. our Saviour from the very time that he manifested himselfe to the world g Mat. 13. v. 36. Mar. 7.17 by preaching and miracles and suffered not so much as a parable to escape their knowledge Men to whom h Act. 1.3 he had shewed himselfe alive after his passion by many infallible proofes being seene of them forty daies and speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God And yet that these men should now at their last conference with him be mistaken in a matter of such importance as this is which concerns the purpose of God touching the whole Nation of the Jewes is as I beleeve and as I thinke you will all say a thing altogether unlikely and and so it is too that all the Apostles should be of the same mind unlesse it had been a truth formerly taught and not as it is imagined an error then newly vented by them Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. It is unlikely they could be mistaken and therefore it is likely that they understood of the true Kingdom of Israel as Christ did 2. And neverthelesse seeing after the last conference they were mistaken in a matter of great evidence so many times foretold as the calling of the Gentiles it is not unlikely that before Christ's ascension they might been miscaried with that opinion of the Jewish Monarchy which was not a new opinion invented nor vented by the Apostles Reply 1. The question is not what Kingdom the Apostles meant in their Querie which Divines generally consent to be an earthly Kingdom But whether they did not erre in meaning thus So that this part of your answer having relation onely to what Kingdom they
meant is nothing to the purpose and wee have answered you in that already more then wee need have done unlesse you had named plainly what other Kingdom they spake of and stood to that onely 2. What you give with one hand you plucke backe with the other In the former part of this answer you say that it was likely the Apostles understood of the true Kingdom of Israel as Christ did and yet here you tell us that it was not unlikely that before Christ's ascension they might be miscaried with that opinion of the Jewish Monarchy What and yet when they askt the Question understand it too of the true Kingdom of Israel which you by opposing this part of your answer to the former doe take to be a different Kingdom from this surely it is a plaine contradiction for they could not understand it both waies at the same time And therefore impossible it was that they could and could not meane an earthly Kingdom when they askt the Question But Romae Tibur amas veniosus Tibure Romain you say and unsay because you know not what to say And as for the instance you bring to confirme this part of your answer to wit the Apostles not beleeving for a time the calling of the Gentiles it hath been already shewed to be false And if by the words as Christ did in the former part of this answer you meane his reply to the theife which you have quoted before it hath been shewed already too that it could not be meant of this Kingdom but if by these words you meane otherwise you should have told us what it was Israel's Redemption A second reason which makes me disi ast the censure here cast on our Apostles is because our Saviour's answer is alledged as a sufficient ground tor it whereas it will appeare even to a weake judgement that by his answer the Apostles opinion is as much established as their curiosity is reprehended for they askt whether he would at that time restore againe the Kingdom to Israel To which he answered It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power As if he should have said it is enough for you to know that such a thing shal be done and by whom but as for the time when it shall be done this the Father hath put in his owne power and therefore ought not to be enquired of by you nor to be reveal'd by me This is the whole meaning of the reply and now give you your verdict whether you finde the Apostles hereby condemned for holding of an untruth or rather for an over curious affection to acquaint themselves with the very day in which they should behold the glorious accomplishment of so great a blessing Mr. Petrie's Answer This cause is a mistaking as if the Question were granted for albeit they did meane so yet Christ's words have nothing of that point but â—nely taxeth the disciples of their curiosity and therefore the paraphrase following in this reason is vaine Reply This cause is no mistaking for the Question must needs be granted and that even because Christ's words have nothing expressely of that point unlesse you will be so irreverent as to think that Christ who reprehended them onely for a curious desire to know when this thing should be would not much rather have reprehended them for misunderstanding of the thing it selfe if it should not have been Yea doubtlesse if it should not have been he could not have said It is not for you to know the times and the seasons Seeing that which shall never be can have no time nor season And thus while you grant that Christ did reprehend their curiosity in seeking to know the time when Israel should be restor'd and yet deny that he did therein grant Israel should be restor'd you make him say that there should be a time for that which should never be and so in effect put the ly upon him So much have you over-shot your selfe in denying that the subject in the Question is granted because our Saviour doth expresly say nothing of it And besides if the Question be an untruth and so nothing meant by it then what doth our Saviour's answer meane doth that meane nothing likewise you will not say it for you tell us that it taxed their curiosity and therefore surely it meant something for an answer that meanes nothing doth taxe nothing And therfore also the Apostles meant something that was true for that knowledge is not curious which thinks it knows something when it knows nothing or which knows the truth but that which would know more then it ought to know touching some truths And thus it appears that the paraphrase in this reason which you have cunningly conceal'd from the readers sight is not vaine but valid Israel's Redemption Another reason which makes for our Apostles is the answer our Saviour gave the sonnes of Zebedee when they besought him that one might sit on his right hand and the other on his left in his Kingdom or as Saint Marke paraphraseth it Mat. 20.21 22. ch 10.37 in his glory ye know not said he what ye aske this reproofe you will grant goes neerer to the quicke then that before used to the Apostles and yet if you marke what follows you shal find that the matter of their petition is allow'd of and onely the motives thereof condemned to wit their ambition in seeking the highest roome and their unadvisednesse in supposing that Christ could then give that to any which none could have but they for whom it was from all eternity prepared of his Father And therfore seeing this is all Mat. 20.23 that these two were rebuk't for by such a sharpe reply how can wee mistrust that more then this should be included in a milder answer Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. These two spake of Christ's Kingdom in his glory and therefore we may justly thinke that they meaned of his greatest glory or of his Kingdom of Heaven and not of an earthly Kingdom 2. If Christ in his answer had spoken of an earthly Kingdom how was it not in his power to choose his Princes in that Kingdom and seeing they weâ—â— only taxed for their ambition and unadvisednesse concerning the glorio as Kingdom of Christ and the Apostles were taxed for their curiosity concerning the particular time of that Kingdom how shall we mistrust that they understood any other Kinngdom Reply 1. Not this reason nor any other was brought to shew what Kingdom the Apostles meant which interpreters grant to be an earthly Kingdom but to shew they did not thinke amisse in looking for such a Kingdom which is that that interpreters doe accuse them of and that because our Saviour gave them such an answer from which answer my foregoing reason doth shew that no such harsh conclusion doth arise seeing the Apostles are not excepted against by our Saviour for not rightly understanding that about which they
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
unto you yee shall weepe and lament and the world shall rejoyce and you shal be sorrowfull but your sorrow shal be turned into joy these things have I spoken unto you that in me yee might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good cheere chap. 16.20.33 And of his coming againe he saith In my Fathers house are many mansions if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my self that where I am there yee may be also chap. 14.2 Now you have sorrow but I will see you againe and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you chap. 16 22. All which words were written flatly against the errours of Cerinthus and teach us that Christ's Kingdom is not an earthly Kingdom nor delayed for one or two 1000. yeeres but now is his kingdom now he hath overcome the world his subjects are not to live on earth without persecution and sorrow and when he comes againe he will receive them with him into his Fathers mansions and their sorrow shall be turned into joy that shall never be taken from them Answer That you have made a false report of the occasion of Saint Iohns writing of his Gospell and consequently of the end and scope of the texts here alledged the words of our English Divines who are the Authors of the Annotations upon all the bookes of the old and new Testaments printed 1645. do plainely declare For in their argument of the Gospel according to Saint Iohn they say That in Domitians time he was banished into the Isle Pathmos where he wrote the Revelation after which under Nerva he was recal'd to Ephesus being aged about 97. yeares which was the 100. yeare of our Lord where he wrote his Gospel some say at the intreaty of the Christians of Asia for the refutation of Ebion Cerinthus and others who blasphemously denied the Deity of Christ This is their testimony of the ground of St. John's writing his Gospel wherein they tell us not as you doe that it was because of Cerinthus and others opinion of Christs 1000 yeeres reigne in Jerusalem But that it was as history reports because of his and others denying the Deity of Christ Your quotations follow whereof the first That the Son of man is now glorified was spoken by our Saviour when Judas was gone to betray him and doth signifie the glory which was then sudenly to follow both in his death and after his death as Piscator notes and will his comming againe or his reigning after his comming unglorify him thinke you certainely no but will manifest unto the whole world the glory which he hath received For he shall come in the glory of the Father as he saith Mat. 16. verse 27. And shall sit on the Throne of his glory when he is come as he saith Mat. 19. verse 28. which Throne the comparing of this text with the 28 and 29 verses of the 22. chap. of St. Luke doth shew to be meant of the Throne of his Kingdom The next words that he hath overcome the world he spake to comfort his Disciples against the tribulation which they should have in the world and they doe signifie that as in himselfe he had and could overcome the temptations of the world so hee would in them too by strengthning them to endure to the end for his sake what he had voluntarily resolved to endure for their sakes And how is this his overcomming of the world by patience in the time of his temptation any let or hinderance to his overcomming of it by power to his reigning over it at his next appearing The third text That his Kingdom is not of this world c. was his answer to Pilate when he askt him whether he was the King of the Jewes And it doth shew onely that he was not to receive his authority to reigne of men but of God as I observe in my reply This is your first file of proofes the second doth consist of such texts as shew that the faithfull most suffer persecution in this world as Christ did and doubtlesse they must till Christs comming againe at which time they shal be delivered from all their oppressions and pressures and become Rulers of the world themselves And so these texts doe make directly against the reigne of the Saints now while the tribulations of this world endure but nothing against the reigne of the Saints when the tribulations of it shall cease Your last file of proofes is brought to shew that when Christ comes the Saints shal be with him where he is and that their joy shal be immoveable And what repugnancy is there betwixt these things and our Saviours reigning on earth certainly they shal be ever with him on earth when he comes againe on this earth while he reignes and on the new earth of which St. Peter speakes 2. Epist 3. verse 13. after his reigne for to that earth the new Jerusalem in which the Saints shall live after the last Judgment shall descend as it is revealed Rev. 21 verse 2. and when Christ himselfe shal be their companion and sin and death have no more power over them how should their being on earth deprive them of their joy but yet the text chap. 16. verse 22. is by Piscator referred to the joy that the Disciples received both through the sight of Christ after his resurrection and through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost * which he then breathed on them and not to the joy which they shall receive at their owne resurrection when Christ comes againe And thus it appeares that you might as truly have said that all the new Testament was written against Christs personal reigne on earth as that the Gospel of St. John was Preface Sixtly After Cerinthus we read next of Papias of whom Euseb lib. cit Chap. 39. writes thus he reportes strange parables of our Saviour mixed with fabulous doctrine where he dreameth that the Kingdom of Christ shall corporally here on earth last the space of a 1000 yeares after the resurrection of the dead which error as I suppose grew hereof in that he receiv'd not rightly the true mystical meaning of the Apostles neither deeply weighed the things delivered of them by familiar examples for he was a man of small judgment as by his bookes plainly appeares yet hereby he gave unto divers Ecclesiastical persons occasion of error who respected his antiquity namely unto Irenaeus and others if there be any found like minded Then lib. 7. Chap. 22. 23. he writes of Nepos Coracion and others in Egypt infected with this error about the yeare 250. whom Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria did convince in a Synode by demonstrations and doctrine of the holy Scripture did reclaime them from their error Thus he speak's ever of these opinions as of errors contrary unto the holy Scriptures After Lactantius who lived about the yeare 320. this error was universally abhorred so that
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
reference to the words in the 21. verse which are these They shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all Nations and Jerusalem shall be troden down of the Gentiles untill the time of the Gentiles he fulfill'd Untill then but no longer And because he would not tell them the precise time of the continuance of these times of the Gentiles and yet would have them know too when they were neer their expiration in the verses following he acquaints them with the signes immediately foregoing his own appearing their Redemption and the setting up of the kingdom of God And do the same signes betoken all this and yet can you say that our Saviour speaks not here of an earthly kingdom nor of the Jews conversion Doubtlesse in that they foreshew the Jews Redemption they betoken not onely their conversion but their deliverance out of captivity too and consequently their earthly kingdom even that kingdom of which the Apostle enquired And in that they foreshew our Saviour's appearing they shew him to be the Author of this deliverance according as the Apostles spake of him Lord wilt thou c. And in that they foreshew the Kingdom of God to be nigh at hand they shew this kingdom to be no other but the kingdom of Israel so call'd partly because the power of God shall mightily and wonderfully appear to the whole world at the erecting of it the fearfulnesse whereof the very signes foreshewing onely its neer approach may serve to evidence for great and unusuall signes shew great and unusuall alterations And partly because God shall be more generally more constantly and more purely worshipt in the time of this kingdom then ever he was since the creation of the world And therefore there is no cause why any spirituall minded man should be discouraged at the thought of such an earthly kingdom Neither therefore have we wrestled against our own fancies in concluding not onely the conversion but the restauration of the Jews also from the world Redemption seeing it is apparent to all that will not turn away their eyes that they may not see it that as this prophesie was spoken onely to Jews so both the misery at first and the mercy at last was spoken onely of the Jews We have no need then to find clearer texts in the New Testament for this earthly Monarchy for fear that any understanding Christian will reject what the Prophets have deliver'd so agreeable thereunto But both we and they have good reason to suspect that you care not what you say nor how you tamper with the Word of God if thereby you can procure belief And to this end you cry out against the clearnesse of the text when as it hath no darknesse but what you put upon it and speak any thing of your self as an undoubted axiome For you tell us that every ground of faith is revealed more clearly in the New Testament then the old which is indeed not oriously false for where is the Creation describ'd the moral Law deliver'd and our Saviour promised to be born in Bethleem of a Virgin of the seed of David c. And admit it were true of all such things as our Saviour was to fulfill at his first coming yet it could not be true of all such things as are reserved to be done by him at his second coming Amongst which the restoring of the Jews and his reigning on earth have place Israel's Redemption And with what testimonies can we better begin then with such as are of neerest affinity with our Saviours prophecy They shall smite saith Micah in his 5. Ch. and 1. ver the Judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek And at the third ver Therefore will he give them up untill the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth then the a Cap. ejusd v. 7 8. Isa 1.9 and 10.22 Matth 24.22 Rom 11.3.28 remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel What I pray is meant here by smiting the Judge of Israel but the * To this interpretation of the prophecy suiting so well with our Saviour's sufferings the very next verse which fore shâ—ws the place where Christ the Ruler of Israel should be born doth to my thinking directly lead us crucifying of Christ whom when they had blindfolded him they stroke on the face and asked him saying Prophesie who is it that smote thee Luk. 22. at the 64. ver And what by Vntill the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth but the whole time of the surrogated Gentiles vocation For blindnesse is in part happened to Israel untill the * Whether by fulnesse we understand the whole number of those Gentiles which were successively to be called before the Nationall conversion of the Iews or else the full universall and contemporating conversion of all unbeleeving Gentiles whatsoever at and through that extraordinary restauration of the Iews whose Tribes are wholly comprehended by this word in the 12. v. of the fame Ch Whether I say the first or last of these interpretations doth passe for currant with us and one of them must needs passe yet it comes all to one reckoning it doth noâ—hing preiudice the cause for which our Apostle's saying is here alledged which is to shâ—w that the giving up of the Iews must last untill the time whiâ—h is appointed for the calling of the substituted Gentiles be fully ended for if blindnesse be happened to Israel untill the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles in the last sense that is of all of them indifferently shall come to passe hen it must of necessitie continue untill the coming in of the Gentiles in the first sense thâ—t is of the substituted part of them be quite and clean finished seeing the totall conversion cannot take place before the partiall gives way unto it fulnesse of the Gentiles â—e come in Rom. 11. v. 25. From whence it necessarily follows that this prophecy and our Saviours must be understood of one and the same time For the dispersion foretold by Christ was to happen after his passion and so was this as their smiting the Judge of Israel declares which is alledged as the main cause of it Again the captivity which our Saviour spake of is to last untill the * Though by the word tunes the dominion and power of the Gentiles over the Iews and their p ssâ—ssion of the Holy Land be in this place especially aymed at yet because the time of the Iews subiection to and captivity amongst thâ— Gentiles in generall is to be of equall though not immediately and primarily hereby imply'd times or calling of the Gentiles he fulfill d and so is this for when She which travaileth hath brought forth then saith the text the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel which is a plain interpretation of that which our Saviour doth somewhat covertly expresse by the word Redemption Mr. Petrie's Answer
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
Earth and together with Ephraim with the ten Tribes from Assyria which as i Joh. 7. ver 35. yet never came back and therefore this is not yet fulfil'd Mr Petrie's Answer 1. There is no mention of returning here but of recovering of the remnant of his people 2. Who be these his people Looke the tenth verse In that day there shall be a roote of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensigne of the people to it shall the Gentiles seeke and his rest shall be glorious And behold how the Apostles expones these words Rom. 15.12 Esaias saith there shall be a root of Jesse and he that shall rise to reigne over the Gentiles in him shall the Gentiles trust Now whereas the Apostle expones his people to be the Gentiles may they not be ashamed who will understand onely the Jewes so that there is meaned the recovery of Gods people or the Gentiles from Assyria Egypt or wheresoever they be Reply 1. There is mention of recovering the remnant of his people from Assyria Egypt Paphros Cush Elam Shinar Hamath and the Islands of the Sea and of smiting the River that men may goe over dry-shod and of a high-way for the remnant of his people that shall be left from Assyria like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the Land of Egypt And how much doth this recovering differ from a returning 2. Who the people be that are meant in this Prophecie the words Israel Judah and Ephraim doe shew and not the tenth verse where the Gentiles are mention'd For why should those things which concerne the Jewes here be understood of the Gentiles which are onely mentioned by the by as it were rather then that which is said of the Gentiles be understood of the Jewes of whom so much is spoken in this Chapter And where have you learned to take Judah and Ephraim or Israel for the Gentiles Surely the Apostle expounds not the Jewes by the Gentiles nor the Gentiles by the Jewes but rehearseth the 10. ver of this chapter to shew that Christ was to bring salvation to the Gentiles as well as unto the Jewes and this Prophecie of the Gentiles being mixt with that which concernes the Redemption of the Jewes is more likely to be meant of the coming in of the fulnesse of the Gentiles at Christs next appearing then of the comming in of the substituted part of the Gentiles in the time of the Jewes blindnesse And therefore seeing God hath made mention of the Gentiles by name in those Prophecies which concerne them and of the Jewes by name in those which concerne them it behoves us to give to the Jew the Prophecies that beare the Image and superscription of the Jewes and to the Gentile those which beare the Image and superscription of the Gentiles and not so needlessely so irrationally and so unjustly to give unto the Gentiles all that belongs unto the Jewes Whereas then the Apostle quotes this Prophecie out of Isaias onely as a testimony to prove that Christ came as well for the good of the Gentiles as the Jewes if you had any regard of what you say you would never have cal'd it an exposition nor have publish't it to the world as a rule to interpret the Prophecies which concerne the Jewes of the Gentiles The objections which you have alledg'd against your selfe out of the foresaid Prophecie are these The first objection It is said He shall assemble the out-casts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah Mr Petrie's Answer The Gospel which is Christs Standard hath been preached unto them Jam. 1.1 and so their assembling is into the bosome of the Church Reply And so you separate these words from the rest of the Prophecie and apply them to the calling of the Jewes at the first preaching of the Gospel of purpose to delude the Reader for the Prophecie speakes of their returne into their owne Countrey and not at all of the preaching of the Gospel unto them in other Countries as any one may perceive And yet although the Gospel was in the first dayes thereof preach't to the Jewes scattered abroad what effect had it amongst them surely St. Paul Act. 13. ver 45 46. and in the 1 Thess 2. ver 14 15 16. doth testifie that such was their malice against the Apostles for preaching of it that they laboured all they could to raise up enemies against them thereby to hinder the growth of the Gospel not onely amongst their owne Nation but amongst the Gentiles also so that even in this sense Israel and Judah the twelve Tribes are not yet assembled And it is observable how palpably you here contradict your former words for here you expound Israel and Judah properly of the Iewes onely as your quoting of the first chap and first ver of the Epistle of St. James doth shew and yet in the second part of your Answer you tell us that both the Prophet and St. Paul doe expound his people to be the Gentiles The second objection It is said the envie of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off c. Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. The meaning is whereas there had been contentions twixt the Tribes one against another and both against the Gentiles and Gentiles against them both under Christ shall be an end of that malice 2. In the citation of this Prophecie the 14. ver is omitted because they cannot see how it can be verified of the peaceable Kingdome which they imagine but seeing the words preceding and the words following containe one and the same Prophecy and these words in the middle part cannot be exponed of that Monarchy it is evident that no part of this Prophecie can be understood of that Monarchy but the meaning is plaine if they be exponed of the Christian Church thus The Apostles flee that is quickly preach unto other Nations and brought them in a short space unto the obedience of Christ not going in troopes from Province to Province but at the same time they went one by one into severeâ— Nations 3. This ver being omitted the 15. ver is quoted and out of it they doe imagine that a way shall be made for the Jewes through the Sea and all floods shall be dried up before them But if these words shall be exponed properly what kind of Miracle shall that be shall the Jewes who are scattered into all the corners of the Earth have a dry passage through every river and the Egyptian or Red-sea be destroyd Or is it not rather in a spirituall sense that the Lord will remove all impediments which may hinder the course of the Gospel and he hath opened a way into that Kingdome of Heaven from which we were exiled in Adam and spirituall Pharaoh is drowned or destroyed in the Red-sea or bloudy death of Christ and by a mighty wind of preaching the Lord hath made his power knowne every where even as sensibly as when he brought Israel
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
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
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
Answer If this be not to deceive with words I know not what it is to deceive One and the same throne is called the throne of God and of the Lambe Revel 22.5 and therefore his Fathers throne is his owne throne as he saith generally John 17.10 All my things are thine and all thine are mine and so both parts of the proofe fall to the ground Is one Kingdome is but one throne and that throne belongeth to the Father and to the Sonne and now befits on his owne throne as it is said expressely unto the Sonne Heb. 1.8 Thy throne is for ever and ever and he prayeth for no other glory but that which he had before the world was John 17.5 Reply It doth ill become a deceive to cry out against deceit Our Saviours words Revel 3.21 are very plaine they are no parable To him that overcometh saith he will I grant to sit with mee in my Throne loe here a Throne in which the Saints shall sit with Christ it follows Even as I also overcame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne Loe here a Throne in which no man can sit but himselfe and therefore here are two distinct Thrones But you object That one and the same throne is called the throne of God and of the Lambe and therefore say you his Fathers throne is his owne throne And therefore say we you are slipt from the matter in question for whereas you should prove that the Throne which Revel 3. Christ calls my throne is not a distinct Throne from that which he calls the Fathers throne you prove onely that the Fathers Throne is Christs owne Throne which no Christian will gainsay For it is his by proper interest as he is God and by purchased interest as I may say as the Lambe of God as a crucified Saviour and yet it is not that Throne which properly belongs unto him as he is man as he is the Sonne of David For this he is to receive on earth where others where they that overcome shall sit with him And in opposition to this Throne on earth it is that he calls the Throne in heaven the Fathers throne Revel 3.21 which Throne Revel 22.3 after the expiration of the time of his reigne on Davids Throne he calls the Throne of God and of the Lambe And so your argument being mistaken the scriptures alledged to confirme it are of no force to beare downe the truth of a double Throne mentioned Rev. 3.21 The 6. Particular He hath a throne which belongeth unto him as man and to the throne of the Father he hath no proper interest but as God Mr. Petrie's Answer Shew then any text that speakes of his two thrones yea if he have or shall have any throne as man and not as God it must be given unto him but it is now given unto him to sit on his Fathers throne and his given throne is the throne of his Father Reply You here fall backe to somewhat that you had left behinde but unlesse you had proposed a wiser challenge it had been more for your credit to have let it alone For is it not strange that one so well read in the scripture as you seeme to be should call on us to shew any text that speakes of Christs two thrones Surely we have shewed you already one unanswerable text Rev. 3.21 and yet you will not beleeve it To shame you then if not to satisfie you we will shew you others For what are the Thrones of which Saint John saith Rev. 20.4 And I saw thrones and they sate upon them and judgement was given unto them Are not these the Thrones in which they that overcome shall sit with our Saviour And are not the Thrones on which the Disciples shall sit judging the twelve Tribes of Israel some of these Thrones deubtlesse they are For as it is said Matth. 19.28 That the Disciples shall sit on thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel which necessarily shews a government over others so it is said Revel â—0 4 That they sat on thrones and judgment was given unto them not on them that is They were made Judges over others not others over them And where should the Saints departed sit on seates exercising judgment over others but on earth and when but in the time of our Saviours Kingdome who shall bring them with him when I say but in the time of his 1000. yeares reigne as it is Luke 22.29.30 and Rev. 20.4 For in heaven they cannot sit judging any because there are none to be judged by them there are none but themselves and at the judgement of the dead they shall not judge any any otherwise then by way of approbation because this is our Saviours priviledge onely as his words John 5.22.27 and the single throne Rev. 20.11 doe declare and indeed it is not likely that the Saints who are saved onely by our Saviours righteousnesse shall pronounce glory to themselves and perdition unto others The time therefore in which our Saviours Throne shall be accompanied with the Thrones of the Saints must needes be the time of his 1000 yeares reigne on earth after which time and the little season of the selfe-ruining insurrection of the Nations that must follow it he is to sit alone on the white Throne spoken of Rev. 20.11 to give sentence on the dead and taking the full number of the elect with him into the new Jerusalem to sit againe in the Throne of God and of the Lambe in the height of glory Rev. 22.3 And thus we have laid before you other texts which shew that our Saviour shall have a Throne on earth and consequently that he hath another Throne besides that where he now siâ—s And that his Throne on earth is a Throne given unto him the words of the Angel Gabriel Luke 1.32 doe witnesse And the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David And his owne words John 5 27. And hath given him authority to execute judgement also because he is the Sonne of man But you by your wily if not rather weake arguing would perswade us to thinke that Christ cannot have another Throne given him because the Throne where he now sits is a given Throne Which is just as true a reasoning as this King James was first crowned King of Scotland therefore he could not afterward be crowned King of England Israel's Redemption And the reason of it as is intimated in the first words is because the time in which all that shall overcome are to be called is not yet at an end and this also the answer which was made to the soules under the Altar who cried for vengeance against their persecutours doth fully confirme For it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season untill their fellow-servants also and their brothren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled Revel 6.11 and when this iâ— done g Rev. 11.15.17 then shall Christ sit
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
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
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
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
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
44. And doubtlesse it is not nor ver 44. to such a setting up of our Saviours Kingdome as we hold For whereas you say That this Kingdome shall be set up in the dayes of these Kings and not after them It is as if you had told us That a King cannot overcome and succeed other Kings in their Kingdomes while they reigne but after their reigne When as indeed they cannot lose their Kingdomes but while they have them but in the dayes of their reigne and not after them And so you have not yet shewed us any reason why this phrase It shall breake in peeces and consume these Kingdomes should not as well be taken properly when it is attributed to the setting up of our Saviours Kingdome as when it is attributed to the setting up of the other Kingdomes And therefore we have still good reason to beleeve that the forcible and destroying fall of the stone upon the image doth betoken no lesse then a conquest and succession by force of armes Israel's Redemption And as the falling of the stone upon the feece of the image upon the last and divided Kingdomes of the iron Empire doth probably imply Mr. Petrie's Answer The dreame implyeth nothing contrary to the exposition and therefore leave probabilities that are contrary to certainties Reply Doubt lesse the dreame implyeth nothing contrary to the exposition but both dreame and exposition doe point out our Saours personall reigne on earth For the confirmation and manifestation of which truth we bring not probabilities onely but certainties too yea such certainties as all your wit and wiltnesse are not able to answer or obscure and therefore me thinks you have no cause to be offended with such variety of testimonies And had I said also that this which I called onely a probability had been more then a probability I had not overlasht For seeing God by this image foreshewed Nebuchadnezzar what Kingdoms should succeed his unto the second comming of Christ all which time the Jewes should remaine captives and tributaries And that the falling of the stone on the feete of the image did intimate both the second appearing of Christ for the first was when he was borne of a Virgine when he was cut out without hands and the expiration of the time allotted to the Kingdomes represented by the image It necessarily followes that when the stone should fall on the image when the Kingdome of God should be set up as it is expounded the Kingdoms prefigured by the image should be no longer should all be subdued and that the mountaine filling the whole earth the visible and Monarchicall Kingdome of Christ on earth should succeed alone Israel's Redemption For if the Kingdome of God there spoken of were to be understood of a Kingdome which should so be set up in the dayes of these Kings that their reigne should notwithstanding continue together with it as not onely these but all former Kingdomes also have done with the Church militant with the Kingdome of grace which therefore cannot be the Kingdome there foreshewne then doubtlesse it should have been represented by some part of the image it selfe as the contemporating Kingdomes of the divided Empire are by the mixture of iron and clay and not by a thing so different from it and adverse unto it by a stone I say so wonderfull for it beginnâ—ng operation and encrease For it was cut out without hands and when it had smote the image became a great mountaine and filled the whole earth Which the Churches as yet never did whose fall and growth too as they import a more powerfull speedy and generall conquest over these Kingdomes by this Kingdome then either the gold received from the silver the silver from the brasse or the brasse from the iron so they imply the utter extirpation and totall abolition of that mannâ—r of policy and government which these Kingdomes have usâ—d of which it is said That they became like the châ—ffe of the Summer threshing-flores and the winde carried them away that no place was found for them ver 35. And with this sense of the interpretation of the vision very well agreeth that in the second Psalme ver 8. Aske of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt bâ—eak them with a rod r Rev. 2.27 ch 19.15 of iron thou shalt dash them in peecâ—s like a pâ—tters vessel And thaâ— in Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine enemies The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through Kings in the day of his wrath He shall judge among the heathen he shall sill the places with dead bodies he shall wound the heads over many Countries He shall drinke of the brooke in the way therefore shall be lift up the head Yea and that too in Psal 149.2 Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Zion be joyfull in their King Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and a two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people To binde their f Sam. 1.9.10 Psal 47. Psal 99. Kings in chaines and their Nobles in fetters of iron to execute upon them the judgement written This honour have all his Saints Mr. Petrie's Answer 1. Then teach God how he shouldâ— eveale his will 2. It is revealed in expresse words ver 44.3 There was reason to expresse it by a different thing because the foure were of one quality and this was of another quality My Kingdome saith he is not of this world John 18.36 It is more wonderfull more powerfull and more generall then any of them and all the Kings who will not serve this King shall perish he shall breake them with a rod of iron Psal 2.8 he shall strike them though in his wrath Psal 110 5. and binde them with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of iron Psal 149.8 Reply 1. We leave this presumption to your selfe who have so boldly told God what is most for his glory pag. 15 16. and what is most to the praise of his mercy and bountifulnesse pag. 68. 2. It is revealed in expresse words ver 44. That God shall set up a Kingdome in the dayes of these Kings But not that these Kings and the Kingdomes which God shall set up are to continue together Yea the Kingdome of God could not breake in peeces these Kingdomes could not succeed them by conquest unlesse they should be in the possession of their severall Kings when the Kingdome of God is thus to be set up And seeing these Kingdomes are to be broken in peeces are to be consumed by the Kingdome which God shall set up how can you once imagine that their conversion and not their confusion that their instruction and not destruction that their amending and not their ending I meane onely in respect of
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
to be understood of a spirituall wrath doe indeed rather confirme then confute this exposition Seeing it is plaine that the Apostle in ver 28. speakes of such Jewes onely who for the Gentiles sakes that were to be received into their roome were become the enemies of the Gospell of Christ and consequently not of such on whom God had mercy or would have mercy any otherwise then in making of them instruments for the fulfilling of his promise made unto the Fathers touching that elect remnant of their posterity whom he purposed to call by a generall conversion Object 10 Tenthly you say That the estate of the Church is described such that the godly shall be mixed with the ungâ—dly even till Christ come and gather the tares from the wheat to be burned Matth. 13.39 Sol. 10 And surely we say not that Christ shall reigne on earth before he comes to doe this but when he comes to do this And therefore also his Kingdome for so he calls it ver 41. shall not be a Kingdome of such carnall delight as you to vilifie the truth ascribe unto it It being the onely scope of this parable and anonother in the same chapter to set forth the righteousnesse thereof Your last words are All these and such like passages the Millenaries willingly passe over But let the reader judge whether you have not more cause to be ashamed of such arguments then we have to be afraid to answer them Israel's Redemption And in my conceit Saint Peter in the very next verse doth intimate as much for having before used the word Day he warnes them not to be ignorant of this one thing That one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares and a thousand yeares as one day As if he had told them that the day he spake of was indeed a thousand yeares the Holy Ghost alwayes using it in this sense when it is emphatically applied to our Saviours comming or the Jewes redemption Which as it is already proved shall happen at the same time And though God as he is eternall cannot be measured by time and as he is immutable feeles no alteration in time a thousand yea ten thousand times ten thousand yeares and one day houre or minute of a day being in this respect all one to him yet this shift cannot void the exposition already given seeing the apparent dependance of these words on the former doth clearely prove that Saint Peter intended not to shew what a thousand yeares and one day were to God in regard of his nature which it is like they knew before but only what is usually meant by one day in the word of God And indeed to what purpose had this sudden and serious advertisement been inferred if the Apostle did not hereby discover unto them besides the largest definite and limited acception of the word such a speciall relation of a thousand yeares to one day as cannot belong to any other number when as touching Gods immensity and immutability one day might as well have been compared with ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands or thousands as I said as with one thousand yeares Mr. Petrie's Answer Whatsoever be your conceit you may see that the Apostle hath another purpose there for ver 4. he telleth of scoffers jeering at the promise of Christs comming because all things continue as they were and so all things seeme to have subsisting in themselves he refutes this imagination and showes that the world both was made and continueth by the word of God who is able to destroy as sometimes he did and hath appointed a day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men Here he putteth the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men for that the scoffers say where is the promise of his comming so that at his comming he will judge and punish the ungodly which is contrary to the opinion of the Millenaries Then ver 8. he answereth to that opinion of delay saying One day is with the Lord as a thousand yeares He saith not one day is a thousand yeares as the Millenaries make the commentary shorter then the text but is as a thousand yeares and therefore here is no exposition but comparison as if he had said albeit a thousand yeares seeme a long time to us and so the world seemeth to have continued long yet it is not so with the Lord to whom all time is short or none And then he shewes the end why God delayeth that comming to wit in long-suffering toward men awaâ—ing the repentance of the last of them Whereby you see another meaning and another purpose even contrary to that conceit of the Millenaries The Apostle might have named many millions of yeares as one day in respect of Gods eternity but according to the usuall custome of speech he nameth a round great number for any number Reply You had no other shift to avoid the answering of my former answer but to call it a shift And here you have dealt no better with me then you have often done before to wit left out what was most unpleasing to your selfe and instructive to the read 〈◊〉 and made a flourish against the rest and yet all this will not serve your turne for first it is a manifest slander to say That Christs judging and punishing of the ungodly is contrary to the opinion of the Millenaries For doe not we say that the destruction of the Army in Armageddon is to be at our Saviours descending as it is plainely revealed Rev. 19. and alluded unto chap. 14. ver 19 20. and that there shall be then also a destruction of all obstinate and rebellious sinners as it is foretold in 2 Thes 1.7 8 9 10. and Rev. 16.20 21. and intimated in the parable of the tares and the net cast into the sea Matth. 13. and doe we not say likewise that when the new insurrection of the Nations shall be at the end of the 1000 yeares peacefull râ—igne fire shall come downe from God out of heaven and devoure them Rev. 20 And doe we not hold that all this shall be before the last act of the great day of the Lambes wrath in which the sentence of damnation shall be pronounced against all unbeleeving sinners at the last resurrection All this then being undeniable there can be no truth in your foresaid words And as in ver 5 6. the Apostle shewes the faithfull why the wicked should make a scoffe at the promise of Christs comming and in ver 9. gives them the reason of Gods putting off of his comming so long so in ver 8. hee makes no answer to the opinion of delay but puts them in minde of the meaning of the day of judgement spoken of in ver 7 which two verses doe seeme to be brought in by way of Parenthesis For though a 1000 yeares which seeme a long time to us be but a short time with the Lord as you say yet doubtlesse that which seemes a short time to us
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
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