yow as Sheep among Wolves Of whom certanly many becam sheep of Christs folde which is a more proper effect of knowledge than the changing of beastes affectiones Pag. 41. By which sense I am sure that passage of Sa. Paul Rom. 8.21 is so wel explained c. Ans The trueth of God needeth not the boulstering of mans devises 2. the Apostle is speaking there of the final deliverance of the creature from the bondage of corruption which is not cleared by that cohabitation of beastes unlesse we will contente with a smal portion of deliverance for the general deliverance of the creature which kind of contentment these Authoures will not acknowledge in the accomplishment of the promises no noâ— in a fuller measure The Authour collecteth nothing particularly from that text of Esa 65.25 nether is ther any word there of the Iewish Monarchie and seing it bes the same allegorie with that former c. 11 we goe foroward Pag. 42. Another prophecie touching the renewed estate of the creatures is to be seen Esa 30.23 Then shall he give the raine of thy seed that thou shall sowe the ground withall Ans Here he shewes no argument for his purpose bot gives a buze for reconciling the 26 verse with c. 60.19 bot all this travel micht been saved if he had considered that Esaie in c. 30. hes a particulare warning for the Iewes in his own time he speakes not there of any returning of the people but in the beginning he reproveth them for their confidence into Egypt and for their contempt of the word and in the midst he foretelleth the mercies of God on them and lastly assureth them of the destruction of their enemies the Assyrianes by name all which wer accomplished in his own tyme as we may find in c. 37. and for these causes nothing in that 30 chap can make for the restauration of the creatures at that imagined monarchie Inst It is more lykly to be so here because the happynesse which the Iewes shall then be made â—…eives of shall never again be interrupted by any miserie for the ransoned of the Lord shall returne and come to Zion with songes and everlasting joy upon their heades they shall obtain joy and gladnesse and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Esa 35.10 And lest we should conceive that the judgement of the dead plainly described Rev. 20 11.12 shall either suspend or disturbe this joy Saint Paul 1 Cor. 6. hes told us that the saintes shall judge the world that is the wicked men that have been their opprâ—ssoures and judge the angels that is the evil spirits that have been their tempters and therfor shall not be thrust doun to the bar amongst them bot advanced to the bench aganst them An addition doutlesse to their happynesse and no abatement of it Aus Some word of that Esa 35.10 must be taken in another than the proper signification for if the word Zion be not taken for the Christian church bot for that hill within Ierusalem and the word Returne be meaned of bodily returning of the Iewes the wordes of everlasting joy being taken for worldly joy contradictes the tenete of the thousand yeers monarchie which shall end with an insurrection of the gentiles aganst the Iewes but if the redeemed of the Lord be exponed for the faithfull whom Christ our Lord hes redeemed with his bloud and their returning and coming to Zion be their repenting and joyning to the societie of the saintes then the everlasting joy is cleare by the wordes of our Saviour Ioh. 16.22 yee now have sorow bot I will see yow again and your heart shall rejoyce and your joy shall no man take from yow And as the judgement is unquestionable so it is justly douted whither the Apostle meaneth the Iewes 1 Cor. 6.2.3 seing our Saviour sayth Mat. 19.28 Yee who have followed mee in the regeneration when the sone of man shall site on the throne of his glorie shall site upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel Wher the 12 tribes ar not judges but the judged Bot certanly he meaneth not of their judging in the temporal monarchie seing the angels shall not be judged before the universall judgement and the Apostle sayth how much more thinges appertaining unto this lyfe wherby it appeares that in the first part of the verse he understandes a judgement not in this lyff And in both respectes these wordes of the Apostle ar a diminution doutlesse unto that imagined monarchie Pag. 44 is a protestation of God out of Ier. 31.35 and a complaint of Israel in Mic. 7.8 Ans We acknowledge both in their own sense and trueth bot nothing is in them nor collected out of them for proof of this purpose Pag. 45. And so I passe from the thing to be restored which is the kingdom of Israel to the persone by whom it is to be restored which is Christ the Lord at his nixt appearing Ans If the temporal kingdom of the Iewes could be demonstred out of the Scriptures the question anent the king micht more easily be resolued and neverthelesse these few Millenaries can not aggrie concerning the person of their king for Mr. Matoun thinkes that Christ shall continow visible king of this kingdome and M. Archer thinkes that Christ shall restore the kingdome unto the Iewes and returne into the heavens till the 1000 yeers be expired and in the mean time the Iewes shal be kinges Till these two questiones be decided we micht superside and nevertheles let us hear what they can say for a temporarie kingdome of Christ whither over Jewes and gentiles Pag. ead That our Mediatour Phath undergone the offices of a priest and prophet the gospel is our witnesse bot considering that the Iewes ar yet to receive askingdome a kingiome in which they shal hold them captives whose captives they ar and â—n which peace and richteousnesse shall floorish Isa 14.1.13 considering this we may justly dout whither our Saviour hath as yet executed the office of a king and so much the rather because he cook our nature on him as well to performe his kingly office herin amongst us as either his priestly or prophetical the glorie of this being indeed the reward of that contempt and torment which he suffered in the other and though it can not be denied that he hath alreadie spoiled principalities and powers that is the evil spirites and hes made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in his crosse nor that he is ascended up on high and hes led captivitie captive and given giftes unto men nor that he is become the head of all principalitie and power that is of the saintes and holy angels and â—s set doun at the richt hand of the throne of God so that he is able â—o subdue all thinges unto himself Yet that he doeth not now reigne in that kingdome which he shall governe as man and consequently in that of which he prophetes speake his own wordes in Rev 3 21. doe
querie the particle Then hes a relation to the wordes preceding and the word Comes is not in the original as yee may see by the diverse characters in the translation and it may alsweel be rendered Then or at that tyme is the end when he shall have delivered up c. so that the verie tyme when he shall deliver the kingdome is when they who ar Christs shall rise at his coming and therfor ther shal be no notable distance of time twixt the resurrection and the general judgement and consequently these wordes of Paul doe clearly prove that the reigne of Christ as God-man doeth not beginne after his nixt coming nor can without contradiction unto the Apostle any notable space of time be betwixt his nixt coming and the last subduing of all thinges The 25 verse proveth the same for when it is sayd For he must reigne till he hes put all his enemies under his feet therby is teached more clearly in the original language that now he reigueth and continewes reigning and consequently he is not to beginne his reigne even as it is sayd Heb. 2.8 Thou hast put all thing under his feet and when they who ar in Christ shal be made alive death the last enemie shal be destroyed and then is the end of administration Inst 6. Betwixt the time that now is and his kingdome our Saviour hes put an irreconciliable distinction calling this the tyme not of a kingdome bot of tentation that is of persecution for richteousnesse Ans What God by his word and experience hes conjoined let no man call irreconciliable for he sayth Psa 110.2 reigne thow in the midst of thy enemies and Rom. 8.37 in all these thinges that is in the midst of our sufferinges we ar more than conqueroures So that when the enemies doe rage and persecute even then doeth Christ reigne and the godly ar kinges or if there be any title more transcendent Inst 7. And shall not their bodies asweell reigne with Christ as their soules bot these we knowe ar and shal be yet captives to the grave Ans When Christ shall come the last enemie shal be destroyed and the bodies and not the soules which die not shal be made alive and both shal be with him for ever Inst 8. Ar the saintes that shal be found alive at Christs coming exemted from his coming for if he should reigne then and then give up his kingdome to his Father they ar exempted Ans He is king till then and governeth all who ar and shal be and when he shall come they who shal be found alive shal be caught up to meet him And because the clearing of this point may serve for clearing the whol mater I adde by way of explication As the sin of Adam wes committed aganst God the Father and his revolting or apostasie wes a diminution of the Fathers kingdome so the bringing of the faithfull into his obedience is the rendring of that kingdome It is true the offence wes aganst the Sone and H. Spirit bot the work of creation being the work of the Father in a special manner as it is intimate in the Creede the sin wes directly aganst the first persone When obedience wes not given the Father micht have execute his justice on the offendres as he did on the Angeles Now as when a part of an earthly kingdome rebelleth aganst the king directly and indirectly aganst his sone as a friend and heir of his fathers croon the sone may undertake to regaine the rebelles unto his father and the father may be wee l pleased to committe unto his sone that parte of the kingdome for that effect with full power which the sone acceptes and reigneth and prevailes powerfully so that albeit the archtraitour ganestand in malice to the honour of the king and his sone yet many of the rebelles ar reconciled with the king who by this meanes regaineth his king dome So the Sone of God hes undertaken for so many as it pleased him and beseeches men to be reconciled with the king of heaven and earth shewing that he hes appeased the Fathers wrath and hes power to receive into and exclude from the kingdome of heaven which power he hes received of the Father and he shewes that ther is a tyme determined fot receiving men into grace again so that if that time shall expire ther is no more grace to be she wed unto any Satan envyeth the glorie of God and mans reconciliation and therfor 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 repente and crave mercie and others not when the determined time comes these who have been received into mercie ar presented unto God the Father and as if they had not rebelled he acceptes them into his kingdome when the Sone sayth Here I am and these whom I have brought into acknowledge ment of their offenses I have satisfyed Justice for them Thou O Father hast thy own subjectes and let them have the kingdome prepared for them The Father will not say Thy reward is not in heaven bot on earth therfor let them goe again unto the earth and inherite glorie there for 1000 yeers Bot receives them into the inheritance reserved for them in the heavens Pag. 50. Of this kingdome also speakes Sa. Peter Act. 3.19.20.21 Wher if by the time of refreshing and restitution of all thing nought els be meaned bot the Iewes inhabiting again of their own land and the bringing of all other nationes into subjection to them then it is evident that Christs coming at this time shal be to accomplish this thing to Israel and consequently to receive his appointed kingdome bot that these wordes can have no other meaning a small acquaintance with the Prophetes will informe yow who as they speak of nothing more so they have nothing which can be applied to our Saviours second coming as a confortable effect so generally foreshewne but this Ans I am sure No man can imagine that these wordes in themselves importe that our Saviour shall reigne among the Iewes as an earthly monarch which is the pointe pag. 45 and therfor this if by the time c. is as if one wold say If I be a king I am a king 2. that the Prophetes have another meaning may be seen by all the Interpreters and partly by that is sayd here 3. it is a wonder if any Iew will say that the Prophetes speak of nothing more for if his meaning be They speak not more of any other thing it is question able seing ther is much spoken of Gods preceptes Bot if he doe meane as it seemes that they speak not of any other thing that can be applied unto our Saviours coming I will cite one Prophet for all Daniel 12.1.2 wher 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 bot to everlasting lyfe and of others at the same time unto shame and everlasting contempt And is not this a more confortable effect forshewn generally unto everie one that shal be found written in the book Now the cause why the Prophetes write so much of Ierusalem and that kingdome to be restored wes that the godly hearing of the destruction of that kingdome did greatly fear that that communwealth should never be restored wherin Christ our Saviour wes to be borne and performe the work of redemption we may justly think that their fear wes not so much the wante of bodily libertie as the not coming of our Saviour and therfor the Prophetes insist much upon that pointe for the confort of the godly that howsoever that kingdome shal be ruined yet it shal be restored and all nationes 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 micht be for a time Bot to imagine that the faithfull did expect and the Prophetes did speak of no other thing bot this earthly Monarchie is too grosse and directly contradicting the Apostles bearing another testimonie of them Hebr. 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 Prophetes have enquired and searched diligently who prophecied of the grace that should come unto yow c. Pag. eadem And here vve may call to minde our Saviours vvordes to Iames and Iohn vvhon they requeste that one micht site on his richt hand c. Ans We may call to minde too his wordes Yee knowe not what yee ask Math. 20.22 and the wordes of the Euangelist vers 24. when the ten heard it they were moved with indignation against the Brethren VVhich wordes shevv that howbeit Christ had spoken of his Kingdome yet at that tyme James and Iohn wer both ignoraut and ambitious Inst Bot his wordes following doe intimate that his kingdome is to be held on earth wher only this may be fulfilled for in heaven it can not be done unlesse we will grant that other men shal be as highly e xalted as our Saviour is Ans 1. Albeit never one shall site on his richt hand nor his left yet nothing in these wordes is for this purpose seing he sayth not there that any shall site bot only To site on my richt hand is not myne to give 2. Mat. 19.28 he speakes of sitting on the throne of his glorie which must be in heaven seing he speakes absolutely his glorie and his glorie is greater in heaven than can be on an earthly throne and he sayth unto his disciples When he shall site on that throne yee who have followed mee in the regeneration shall site upon 12 thrones And may not some of these thrones be on his richt hand and some on his left hand I enquire not now what these thrones may bee bot there yee see multitude of thrones in glorie as kinges in their State may have thrones for their greatell Peeres Inst 2. To site on a throne is to site at the richt of God which is a prerogative peculiar to the Sone alone which the chiefest of the angeles never enjoyed for to which of the angels sayd he at any tyme Site on my richt hand Ans Christ sitting on a throne sites on the richt hand of God bot to speak absolutely To site on a throne in heaven is not to sire on the richt hand of God no more than any Prince is advanced to the richt hand of a king albeit he site on a throne and inferiour to the king and his eldest sone Pag. 51. The Apostles wordes 2 Tim. 4.1 may not be forgotten I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdome Why should Christs appearing and kingdome be joyned together yea why should his kingdome be added as the end of his appearing unlesse both wer to contemporale unlesse his kingdome wer to beginne at his appearing and not before it Ans The mentioning of these two together and in that order doeth no more importe such a beginning than the end of glorie is the beginning of vertue because the Apostle sayth in the same order he hes called us unto glorie and vertue 2 Pet. 1.3 howbeit glorie be named before vertue glorie is after vertue Pag. ead And in my seeming that prophetical image Dan. 2.31 which representeth both the orderly succession and diverse condition of all the then following kingdomes of this world unto the kingdome of Christ shadowed there unto us by the stone that wes cut out without handes doeth give good licht unto this of Saint Paul for in what maner these kingdomes have succeeded each other in lyk maner is the kingdome of Christ to succeed them as appeares by the same phrase of speach which is attributed as well to the setting up of this kingdome as to any of them towit that it shall break in peeces and consume all these kingdomes Ans In the seeming of many milliones that image doeth not signifie a temporal monarchie of the Iewes which is the point in hand and the seeming of so many contrarie to the seeming of one micht satisfy for all that lohg discourse following nevertheles I adde albeit these four kingdomes did succed one another yet the kingdome of Christ did not succeed or wes the last of them or after them in time for it is written v. 41 In the dayes of these kinges not after them shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall never be destroyed and it shall break in pieces the iron the brasse the clay silver and the gold It shall break the silver and the gold then it shal be before the brasse and the irone And of what king can that be understood but of Christ who sayth Esa 10.12 I will punish the stoute heart of the king of Assyria and c. 37.29 because thy rage against mee I will put my hook in thy nose c. 2. Wheras it is alledged that the 35 verse does fully declare that succession in time and place certanly the 35 verse is not contrarie to the 44 verse which shewes plainly that this kingdome shal be in the dayes of these kinges and breake them in peeces and therfor these wordes Shall break them in peeces signify a conquest by power but nether by succession in tyme nor by force of armes Inst The falling of the stone upon the feet of the image upon the last and divided kingdomes of the irone empire does probably implie no lesse Ans The dream implyeth nothing contrarie to the exposition and therfor leave probabilities that ar contrarie to certanties Inst 2. If the kingdome of God there spoken of wer to be understood of a kingdome which should be so set up in the dayes of these kinges then doutlesse it
unles we understand the doughter of Sion spiritually And therfor this exposition not aggrieing with the text all that followes upon it hes no ground in this text 3. it is sayd v. 3 Then the remnant of his brethren shall returne unto the children of Israel here the children of Israel ar distinguished from his brethren and the brethren ar sayd to returne which is a plain interpretation that the prophet there speakes not of the Iewish monarchie bot that the gentiles shall adjoyne themselves unto the Church of God as they be called the brethren of Christ Heb. 2.11.12 Pag. 7. And this the next verse does confirme Which telleth us that at the tyme of this returne he that is the Judge of Israel before spoken of shall stand and feed or rule in the strenth of the Lord his God and they that is the Iewes shall abide for now that is at this coming of our Saviour he shal bee not as when he took our nature upon him of no forme nor comelinesse a man despised and rejected of men bot he shal be great unto the endes of the earth that is over all the world c. Ans 1. he is the ruler of Israel mentioned v. 2. and not the Iudge mentioned v. 1.2 They at not the Jewes bot rather the brethren of whose returne he spake in the wordes immediatly preceding 3 Nou signifyeth not the tyme of Christs second coming bot the time of the abiding or of the Christianes constant persevering in the faith and in this sense is our Saviour great over all the world seing all the gentiles prayse him and all people doe laude him as it is written Rom. 15.10.11 bot at his second coming men shall not built a throne to him bot he shall judge the quick and the dead 2 Tim. 4.1 Pag. ead Another prophecie much lyk unto this Amo. 9.8.9.10.11 Nou although this prophecie took effect on the ten tribes at their transportation yet who is able to mantain that it wes fulfilled on the other two for not the house of Ioseph nor the house of Iudah only bot the house of Iacob wholy is here spoken of and why els is the tabernacle of David afterwards exprest as a prime agent in the restauration if it wer not before included as a succeeding patient in the dispersion of Israel who then I say is able to mantaine that this prophecie wes fulfilled on Iudah and Beniamin untill their overthrow by the Romane emperout Vespasian ever since which time they also remain forsaken scattered and dispised captives yea who dares affirme it when God hes sayd that at their returne from this universal captivitie he will so plant 〈◊〉 in their land that they shall no more be pulled out of it which yet should not be true if it had been spoken of any deliverance before our Saviours coming to suffer Ans It is alyk ground for such a kingdome 1 how can it be denied that the house of Iudah wes destroyed when their kinges and people wer caried out of their land 2 how can the tabernacle of David be called a prime agent in the restauration it is sayd I will raise up the tabernacle of David and not The tabernacle of David shal raise up it is a patient and not an agent and none denyeth that it is included in the dispersion of Israel and therfor that part of the prophecie wes fulfilled even before the overthrow by the Romane Emperoure and so before that overthrowe wes it restored againe and afterwards also wer they scattered Bot that promise of restauration is not of the house of Judah bot of the people of Israel v. 14 and who these be we have a sufficient interpreter Act. 11.16 wher the Apostle James expones these wordes of the enlarging Christs kingdome by the calling of the gentiles which wes begun at that tyme by the preaching of the Apostle And Ro. Stephanus in his notes on this text of Amos sayth Almost all the Hebrewes doe consent that this is meant of the tyme of Messias and especially of the calling of the gentiles and by bodilie houses and benefites the prophet understandes spirituall and these who ar begotten unto this lively hope ar keeped most savely throgh faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 so that the gates of hell shal not prevail against them Mat. 16.18 Wheras it is asked Who dares affirme it Zâ—charias hes not spared to affirme it Luk. 1.68 saying Blissed be the Lord God of Israel for he hes visited and redeemed his people and hes raised up an horne of salvation in the house of David his servant as he spak by the mouth of his holy prophetes c. Dare any Millenarie contradict this testimonie And here for understanding this and such other prophecies I adde these undouted rules 1 The land of Canaan wes a type of the kingdom of Christ and so wes Ierusalem and Sion and because these wer types of this kingdome so glorious thinges wer spoken of them Ps 46.4.5 and 48.1.2 and 87.1.2.3.5 Which textes ar more savelye understood of Christs kingdome than of that earthly Ierusalem and Sion yea verie hardly can they be understood of them 2 As the priestes wer types of Christ in respect of his priestly office so wer the kinges of his kingly and therfor as the kinges wer anointed so Christ is called David Eze. 34.23 which is exponed Ioh. 10.11 and wes typifyed by Solomon Ps 45. And he is sayd to site on the throne of David and not of Nebuchadnezar or of any other because â—hâ—ir kingdomes wer cursed kingdomes and wer not established on richteousnesse and knowledge of the true God as Davids throne wes and for this cause when he is sayd to site on the throne of David it is not to be understood that he hade or shall have the same earthly throne of David bot that whâ—ch wes typified so Mat. 2. he is called a Nazarite not that he did use their rites and customes for he drank wine and they did not bot because he wes typifyed by the Nazarite Samson for he slewe more by his death than by his lyf and wes severed from all sin and pollution 3 It is usual in the Scriptures to name the type and understand the thing signifyed by the type And therfor as it is sayd Heb. 8.2 Christ is a Minister of the sanctuarie and of the true Tabernacle that is of that which truely wes signified by the Tabernacle so he may be sayd the true David and his throne the true throne of David and his kingdom the true Jerusalem and the true Sion 4 As Christ is sayd to be the lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world Revel 13.8 not only in the decrie of God bot by vertue and efficacie seing by vertue of his blood at that tyme to be shed wer Adam and Abel reconciled unto God and delivered from the power of Satan So Christs kingdome began then for in Christ Adam Abel and we ar one bodie and members
clearly prove To him that overcomes sayth he will I grant to site wit mee in my throne even as I also overcame and am set doun with my Father in his throne From whence it followes that the throne which he calleth his own and which he hes not yet received Heb. 2.8 and 10.12.13 must needes belong unto him as man because the place wher he now sittes is the Fathers throne a throne in which he hes no proper interest bot as God Ans He grantes that Christ is now a king and that he hes execute the kingly office bot he denieth that he hes reigned in an earthly kingdome as man in all which we aggrie bot we disaggrie in two particulares 1. that the Prophetes have spoken of such a kingdome This remaineth as yet to be proved 2. that he sittes on a throne in heaven as man If these wordes as man be understood according to the Logical acceptation it may be granted for what aggrieth unto any man as man belongeth unto all man and indeed it belongeth not unto all men to site on the throne of Majestie And nevertheles Christ sittes at the richt hand of the Father as God-man or Mediatour and in this sense we denie this assertion as it seemes this Authour takes it And in this sense consider his considerationes wherof the first is that the Iewes ar yet to receive a kingdome in which they shall hold them captives whose captives they ar Ans Here a little change of a little word makes a great difference for the text sayth Whose captives they wer and now they say They ar The Prophet is speaking by name of the Assyrianes whose Monarchie is now destroyed and the Interpreters shew the accomplishment of that prophecie according to the Prophets meaning bot that prophecie speakes not of them whose captives the Iewes now ar nether know wee whose captives they ar seing they live as free subjectes whersoever they live Consider 2. He took our nature on him as wee l to performe his Kingly office amongst us as either his Priestly or Propheticall the glorie of this being c. Ans It is manifest that he reigneth in us seing the faithfull can say with the Apostle Gal. 2.20 the lyfe which now I live I live by faith in the Sone of God and Christ lives in mee bot that the glorie of an earthly kingdome is the reward of his contempt and torment we can not think seing such a glorie is not answerable unto his sufferinges who being equal with God made himself of no reputation and humbled himself even to the death of the crosse Wherfor his reward is not differed so long bot now God hes exalted him highly and given him a name which is above everie name Phil. 2 and he for the joy that wes set before him endured the crosse and is set down at the richt hand of the throne of God Heb. 12,2 which is a greater honour than of an earthly throne Consid 3. His own wordes doe clearly prove it Rev. 3.21 Ans Can any man see in these wordes any thing for an earthly kingdome for albeit the throne of the Father the throne of our Saviour wer diverse yet may they not both be in heaven Cons 4. That which he calleth his own throne he hes not yet receired Heb. 2.8 10.12.13 Ans The wordes Heb. 2,8 ar Thow hast put all things under his feet for in that he put all thing in subjection under him he left nothing that is not put under him but we see not yet all thing put under him Here is a twofold universalitie al thing is put under him nothing is not put under him What more wold yee have The last wordes say all thing is put under him If the last wordes say so they must be contrarie to the former wordes bot the wordes ar Wee see not all thing put under him nether is the word Receive there which is the point in hand Now these two ar far different Wee see not all thing put under him and he hes not received all thing to be under him So this text in stead of proof convinceth the foolish Tenete It may be this is more clear in c. 10.12.13 wher it is sayd He sate down on the richt hand of God There the hight of glorie expecting from hencefurth till his enemies be made his footestoole What is here for an earthly throne or another throne his enemies ar made subject unto him even his greatest enemies as it is granted before but so long as this world continowes new enemies shal be arising and can he not subdue them as he hes done others unlesse he erect and site on an earthly throne Consi 5. Seing he sittes now on his Fathers throne therfor nether is this the tyme nor that the place in which his throne is to be erected not the place because in one kingdome ther can be but one throne and not the time for then he should site on his own throne which now he doeth not Ans If this be not to deceive with wordes I knowe not what it is to deceive One and the same throne is called the throne of God and of the Lambe Rev. 22.3 and therfor his Fathers throne is his own throne as he sayth generally Ioh. 17.10 all my thinges ar thyne and all thyne ar myne and so both partes of the proof fall to the ground in one kingdome is bot one throne and that throne belongeth unto the Father and unto the Sone and now he sites on his own throne as it is sayd expressely unto the Sone Heb. 1.8 Thy throne is for ever and ever and he prayeth for no other glorie bot that which he hade before the world wes Ioh. 17.5 Consi 6. He has a throne which belongeth unto him as man and to the throne of the Father he hes no proper intereste bot as God Ans 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 bot it is uow given unto him to site on his Fathers throne and his given throne is the throne of his Father Inst The reasoun of it as is intimated in the first wordes is because the tyme in which all that shall overcome is to be called is not yet at an end and this also the answer which wes made unto the soules under the altare which cried for vengeance against their persecutiones does fully confirme for it wes sayd unto them they should rest yet for a litle seasoun untill their fellow-servantes also and their brethren that should be killed as they wer should be fulfilled Rev. 6.11 and when this is done Rev. 11.15 then shall Christ site on his throne an they that overcome shall site with him for he that overcomes and keepes c. Rev. 2.26 Ans The force of this reaseon is Christ shall not be a king till all his subjectes be called and overcome
new licht reveled in this last age as yow have heard some teach but an old Jewish fancie and Cerinthian fable old erroures ar lyke old whoores that is the more to be abhorred What I have done here is for your good for 1 you have heard this errour preached in stead of the doctrine of Christ albeit it wes first broached by the enemies of Christ by some of the Authoures of the Apologeticall narration for Independencie who hade in their congregation not only Millenaries but grosse Anabaptistes and so their practise manifestly declares what they write obscurely in that Narration pag. 12 saying Wee took measure of no mans holynesse by his opinion whither adverse unto us c. Towit whatsoever Noveller is welcome unto them Their Dinah is libertie-of-cōscience their grand amunition is anarchie or no-discipline and they call it a bondage to be tied in the faith 2. the book of M. Maton called Israels redemption hes been oft put into your handes and upon several occasiones of my declaring the trueth in this point you have been intreated to put that book into my hand wherfor you had need of an antidote Peruse this plaine refutation of it wherby I hope you shall see that the reward of your serving Christ is not meat that perishes but everlafting lyf which the Sone of man shall give unto you Joh. 6.27 and that the kingdome of God comes not with observation or wordly respect and attendance but behold the kingdome of God is within you Luk. 17.20 and as the wicked can not have hope of long immunitie from just punishment of their bodies and soules in hell so our deliverance from the bondage of corruption into the glorious libertie of the childeren of God shall not be long delayed Walk you therfor in holynesse with sinceritie and cheerfulnesse 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 Monarchie but the everlasting kingdome of our Lord and Saviour IESUS CHRIST Auguste 1. 1644. THE PROMISES OF CHRISTS KINGDOME cleared THat Christ is alreadie come as a Prophet is the faith of the Christianes and the infidelitie of the Iewes bot that he shall come as a King to reigne on earth and restore again the Monarchie of Israel is the faith of the Iewes and infidelitie of Christianes Ans 1. What newe spirit is this whither be such persones Iewes or Christianes they oppose themselves unto all Iewes and Christianes 2. Whither doe they understand the differences twixt Iewes and Christianes It wes never yet heard that the Iewes doe believe that Christ Iesus shall come as a King they sayd away with him wee will not have him to reigne over us They say that the Messias shall come bot they speak not of his coming twyce or thrice look all the Iewish Rabbies and ask them who ar alive they will say bot once This conceit of Christs coming to reigne on earth is neither Christian nor Iewish seing Christianes believe not such a coming nor doe the Iewes believe in Christ and therfor it is abhorred of all Christianes and Iews so far ar they both from embracing it Pag. 2. and yet with submission to impartial judgements be it spoken I find not more voices for the one then for the other Ans Who ar these impartial judgementes on the one side ar Christianes and on the other ar Iewes it may be that he submittes unto Turkes bot the Turkes believe that Christ is come and will not say that he will come again These impartial judgementes then must be heathenes 2. If the Millenaries find not more voices for the one than for the other it is no meruell any who hes the jaundies findes everie thing yallow and who have an ague findes everie meat and drink bitter not that everie thing is such bot their senses ar distempered another who hath not distempered senses findes in the same thinges a diversitie of colour and relish 2. Why dout they here whither ther be moe voices for the one than for the other seing afterwards it is sayd pag. 50 as all the Prophetes speak of no thing more so they have nothing which can be applied to our Saviours second coming as a confortable effect so generally foreshewne bot this Any who is not distempered in brains may see the ground of this monarchie verie unsure to wit a meer quere the disciples asked him Lord will thou at this time restore the kingdome of Israel a querie nether affirmeth nor denieth and nevertheles how great a kingdome is built on it If they can find a surer ground why will they not chose it for their text better they have not and therfor they must be doing with this Pag. ead The subject comprehendes in it two asertiones 1. that the kingdome of the Iewes shal be restored again unto them 2. That our Saviour at his coming shall restore it Ans The querie comprehendes neither of the two because as I said it affirmes nothing And the asked mater comprehendes them not not the first because it is of the kingdome of Israel and not of the Iewes and as all ar not Israelites who ar of Israel Rom. 4.6 so neither ar they all Israelites or the children of God who ar of Israel according to the flesh bot the children of the promise ar counted for the seed therfor the kingdome of Israel mentioned there may be another than the kingdome of the Jewes Nether is the other assertion comprehended in the question because it askes not of his second or third coming bot of nou Will thou nou restore the kingdome Pag. 3 So evidently doe these wordes expresse an earthly kingdome I mean a kingdome only to be held on earth that no expositour which I have met wit doth denie it And therfor seing they could not bot embrace the sense mee thinkes they should not so rashly have rejected the consequence Ans Mee thinkes you speake nonsense Many expositoures expone these wordes otherwise seek and you shall find 2 Why may we not think that the Apostles meaned as Simeon did Luk. 2.30.31.32 or as the repenting thief did Luk. 23.42 or as Christ did v. 43. certanly these did not mean of an earthly monarchie nether is there any word in this text shewing that they meand otherwise 3. Albeit no expositour wold denie that the Apostles did understand an earthly kingdome yet it followes not They thought so therfor it shal be so No more than it followes The Apostles did not for a time believe the calling of the gentiles Act. 11.3 therfor the gentiles ar not called Bot the consequence hes reasounes sayth he wherof the first two ar to pical and by way of probabilitie pag. 5. When the authour sayth The reasounes ar probable and I may say childish will any Christian change his faith for them certane faith should have sure groundes lest the wind of tentation blowe
it away and therfor I micht leave these probabilities as not worthie of reading or answer nevertheles consider them Pag. 3 First because the authoures of this demand wer not babes either in yeers or understanding bot the Apostles themselves men who had followed our Saviour men to whom he had shewed himself after his passion and speaking to them of the thinges pertaining unto the kingdom of God And yet that these men should nou at their last conference with him be mistaken in a mater of such importance is as I believe and as I think you will all say a thing altogeder unlykly Ans 1. It is unlykly they could be mistaken and therfor it is lykly that they understood of the true kingdom of Israel as Christ did 2 And nevertheles seing after that last conference they wer mistaken in a mater of great evidence so many tymes foretold as the calling of the gentiles it is not unlykly that before Christs ascension they micht been miscaried with that opinion of the Iewish monarchie which was not a new opinion invented nor vented by the Apostles Pag. ead A second reason which makes mee distaste the censure here cast on our Apostles is because our Saviours answer is alleged as a sufficient ground for it wheras it will appear even to a weak judgement by that his answer the Apostels opinion is as much established as their curiositie is reprehended c. Ans This cause is a mistaking as if the question wer granted for albeit they did mean so yet Christs wordes have nothing of that point bot only taxeth the disciples of their curiositie and therfor the partaphrase following in this reason is vain Pag. 4. Another reason which makes for our Apostles is the answer our Saviour gave to the sones of Zebedee when they besought him that they micht site one on his richt-hand and the other on his lest in his kingdome or as Mark paraphraseth it in his glorie Yee know not what ye ask sayes he this reproof you will grant goes nearer to the quick than that before used to the Apostles and yet if yee mark what followes you shall find that the mater of the petition is allowed of and only the motives therof condemned and therfor seing this is all that these two wer rebooked for by such a sharp reply how can we mistrust that more than this should be included in a milder answer Ans These two spak of Christs kingdom in his glorie and therfor we may justly think that they meaned of his greatest glorie or of his kingdom in heaven and not of an earthly kingdome 2 if Christ in his answer had spoken of an earthly kingdome how wes it not in his power to choise his princes in that kingdome and seing they wer only taxed for their ambition unadvisednesse concerning the glorious kingdome of Christ and the Apostles wer taxed for their curiositie concerning the particulare time of that kingdome how shall we mistrust that they understood any other kingdome Pag. 5 That which seemes to me clearly to quite our Apostles from errour though not from obliuion from errour I say in the subject though not in the circumstance in the thing demanded though not in the season of its performance is because I find my text to be a lesson read to them by our Saviour before his passion For speaking of the destruction of the Iewes they shall fall sayd he by the edge of the sword Luk. 21.24 and v. 28. having before shewne what signes should immediatly foregoe his appearing he left them this cordial When these thinges beginne to come to passe then look up and lift up your heades for your redemption drawes nigh Behold here the casting away of Gods people for a time which we see at this day verified and their receiving again for ever which shall all certanly come to passe as planely foretold the redemption I say not only of their soul es bot consequently of their bodies too from their general captivitie to the repossessing of their countrie by a miracalous deliverance for if no more should be meant by the word Redemption bot the meer conversion of the Iewes in these places wher now they live it can not be conceived why this action should be accompanied with such wonderfull tokens and perplexitit of all nationes as is here mentioned c. Ans Who being richt in his witt will learne of that one word Redemption that the Iewes shall have an earthly kingdome over all nationes Our Saviour is not speaking there of an earthly kingdome nor of the Iewes conversion bot as he speakes and expones himself v. 31. knowe yee that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand and this is a mater of greater encouragement than any eartly kingdome can be unto spiritually mynded persones and therfor when they wrestle against the understanding of the Jewes conversion in these wordes they feight against their own fansies Now if they can not find clearer textes in the New Te. for this earthly monarchie everie understanding Christian will reject the misapplying of the prophetes seing everie ground of faith is reveled more clearly in the New T. than in the old Nevertheles let us hear the particulare proofes Pag. 6 The first is Mic. 5.13 What I pray is meant hereby smiting the Iudge of Israel bot the crucifying of Christ and what by untill the time that she that travelleth hath brought furth bot the whol time of the surrogated gentiles vocation And on the margine he sayth for proof To this interpretation of the prophecie suiting so well with our Saviours sufferinges the verie nixt verse which shewes the place wher Christ the ruler of Israel should be borne doeth to my thinking directly lead us Ans To the thinking of any judicious reader the wordes of the same verse may lead us unto another interpretation for he is speaking there not of the doinges of the Jewes bot of their enemies whom he calleth doughter of troupes and he shewes what these enemies shall doe they shall gather themselves in troupes and lay siedge against us sayth the prophet that is the Iewes and they shall smit the Iudge of Israel upon the cheek which is a proverbial phrase as ps 3.8 and signifieth to intreate shamefully Now seing the prophet speakes thereof the enemies laying siedge against the Iewes and smiting their Judge these wordes can not be under stood of the smiting of Christ albeit it be true that the lewes did smit him in the second v. he confortes the Iewes against the fear of that calamitie with a promise of a more powerfull Ruler Then by her that travelleth v. 3. the same prophet gives us to understand another thing than the calling of the gentiles c. 4.10 Be in paine and labour to bring furth O doughter of Sion lyk a woman in travell And who may not think that the same prophet repeting the same wordes in the same prophecie understandeth the same persones that is the Jewes and not the gentiles
of the same kingdome howbeit in extent and largenesse it did most floorish and appear since the incarnation in which respect it is sayd to begin at or after his incarnation 5 The promise made to Abraham Gen 13.16 I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth and c. 15.5 look towards heaven and tell the starres if thou be able to number them and so shall thy seed be These promises I say ar not to be understood of the children of Abraham according to the flesh bot as they ar exponed Rom. 4.15 not of that only which is of the lawe bot of them who ar of the faith of Abraham which is the father of us all as it is written I have made thee a father of many nationes and Gal. 3.28 ther is nether Iewe nor Griek nether bonde nor free nether male nor female for yee ar all one in Christ lesus and if ye be Christs then ar yee Abraham's seed and heires according to the promise And therfor the promises made unto the children of Abraham Isaak and Iacob ar not to be restricted unto the Iewes according to the flesh as the Iewes and Millenaries expone all these promises bot of the faithfull And hither belongeth that distinction of the Iewes Rom. 2.28 he is not a Iewe who is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh bot he is a Iewe who is one in wardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit And of such inwardly Iews must the promises be understood at least in part that mak mention of Iudah And therfor it is a great mistaking of the prophecies if we shall still make an opposition twixt Iewes and gentiles believing gentiles ar true Iewes as we see they ar called in the New Testament and unbelieving Iewes ar gentiles and so ar called Isa 1.4 and elswher 6 All the prophecies cannot be understood of the church on earth only For of both togeder or partly of the one and partly of the other and partly of both and so prudence must be hade in the application of the promises Yea and ther is a gradual performance of them and the accomplishment of them is in serveral pointes of time so much as shall give content to Gods children yet alwayes leading to a further and further performance As for exemple God shewed mercie to these Israelites when they wer in captivitie he brought them home again they wer a poor and afflicted people and wer much bettered by their bondage ther wes a degrie of performance Ther was another degrie in Christs tyme when he joyned the gentiles to them and both made one church Bot when it is sayd The remnant shall doe none iniquitie and a deceitfull toung shall not be found in their mouth Zeph. 3.13 These promises shall have their tyme when the people shal be more thorowly purged and certainly the full accomplishment shal be at the day of judgement and so long as we ar in this lyf we ar under an imperfecte and unperformed estate 7 Here that general rule is also to be remembred When the wordes of Scripture being properly taken teach any thing contrarie to the analogie of faith or honestie of maners or any thing frivolous that belongeth nothing to godlynesse or dissonant from the scope of the text or contrarie unto other clear textes of the same purpose these wordes must be exponed figuratively and a figurative sense is the literal or primarily intended sense of these wordes And contrarily unto this rule the Iewes and others expone the descriptiones prophecies of the glorie and power of Christ and his church after an earthly maner and so straying from the true meaning they transforme his spiritual kingdome into an earthly and temporarie 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 therfor these comparisones that ar taken from earthly kingdomes must be understood figuratively and in a spiritual sense at least it must be diligently observed what portion of everie passage is to be understood properly and what figuratively seing many tymes that which is spoken figuratively is exponed by the wordes preceding or following and all figurative speaches have some tokens of the use unto which they ar directed or another text may be found wher the same mater is more clearly handled These general rules being premitted it shal be the easier to expone all the promises of Christs king some and especially that text Amo. 9.15 They shall no more be pulled out of their land which I have given them sayth the Lord thy God For these wordes may be cleared by the wordes of Iere. 4.1 If thow will put away thy abominationes out of my sicht then thow shall not remove Wher we have the same promise bot expressed with a condition and it is usual in the Scriptures that earthly promises ar expressed somtyme with a condition and somtymes without it bot alwayes ar understood conditionally 2 by the acceptiones of the word land which as it is not alwayes exponed of the earth so somtymes it is put for the grave as Iob 10.21 the land of darknesse and shadow of death and for the heaven Ps 27.13 I had fainted unles I had believed to see the Lord in the land of the living And especially that land wes a type of the kingdome of Christ as is sayd in the first rule and of the true inheritance of the saintes and true gift of God Deut. 4.1.38 And so whither the word land be taken properly or typically the promise is manifestly true both before and after the coming of Christ to suffer for they wer brought againe into their land and they who wer brought wer not pulled out of their land and they ar planted in their true land whence they shall no more be pulled out and heerby the large note on the margine of page 9 is frustrated Pag. 9. The nixt propheeie shal be that of Ioel 2.28.31 and 2.14.15 Ans The Apostle Peter not only makes use of these wordes bot expones them and shewes the accomplishment of them in some degrie as it is sayd in the sixte rule before for Act. 2.16 he sayth This is that which wes spoken by the prophet Ioel And it shall come to passe in the last dayes c. And v. 22. Yee men of Israel hear these wordes Iesus of Nazareth a man approved of God among yow by miracles wonders and signes which God did by him in the midst of yow as yee yourselves knowe Inst 1. I am not ignorant that the darkning of the Sun and Moone is sometimes taken allegoricalley and by way of allusion bot that therfor it should be so understood heer it does not follow for what it is figuratively applied it signifieth the judgement it self bot wher it is literally used it is put only for a signe of an eminent destruction which shall suddenly follow it as the great
never be taken away seing the church on earth is alwayes a mixte companie yet certanly it is taken away from the Iewes and all the nationes towit so many of them as turne unto the Lord which ar so many as the starres of heaven that is innumerable to men for the grace of God that bringes salvation hes appeared unto all men Tit. 2,11 and God who hes commanded the licht to shine out of darknesse â—ath shined in our hearts to give the licht of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ So writes a Iew unto the gentiles 2. Cor 4.6 Inst. 4. I know no reason why we should give more credite to the metaphorical interpretation of these prophecies than to the figurative exposition which some presume to put upon these wordes Zach. 12.10 although S. Iohn c. 19.37 hes alleged them as the only cause that our Saviours side wes peirced of which fact doutlesse ther had been no necessitie if the prophecie wer not to be understood in a literal sense c. Ans 1. He useth here Rhetorical termes but certanly it can not be conceived by his wordes whither he takes them properly or improperly bot we give no other interpretation of the prophecies than be literal that is chiefly intended as he confesseth pag. 37.2 The Euangelist shewes that prophecie of Zacharie to be properly fulfilled in that parte that the sides of our Saviour wer peirced and no interpreter sayth that the rest of that prophecie wes fulfilled at that instant but we may justly think that many of them who consented unto his death did mourne for that their fault seing our Saviour prayed unto his Father to forgive them Luk. 23.34 and the same Euangelist beareth witnes that they who had crucified him wer at the preaching of Peter pricked in their heartes Act. 2.23.37 Wherby we conceive that that prophecie wes not fulfilled in the disciples nether in respect of the peircing his sides nor of looking to him at that time for they all fled away excep Iohn but in the Iewes who indeed by wicked handes did crucifie him and looked upon him and afterwards did mourne for him as one who mourneth for his only sone and the mourning wes great when 3000 wer together pricked in their hearts Now consider whither this exposition be more consonante unto these wordes of the Prophet or that other werby it is alledged that all the Iewes who did not see him peirced shall after so many hunder yeers mourne for their fathers cruel and malicious contriuance the former is fulfilled in the same persones within the space of seven or eicht weekes and the other is not of the same persones nether within the space of 1600 yeers if at any tyme it shal be verified Inst 5. It is sayd there They shall mourne everie familie a part and their wyfes apart Ans It is sayd v. 11. ther shal be a great mourning in Ierusalem and v. 12 and the land shall mourne everie familie apart c. wherby is intimated a distinction of the mourning in respect of place and as thy did mourne at Ierusalem publikly so we may easily conceive that these who had resorted at these publik feastes unto Ierusalem did lykwyse mourne apart after their returning and wer not contented with one dayes mourning all factes that ar verie credible ar not written And therfor as this prophecie doeth concerne the Iewes bot not only seing even the gentiles may be sayd to have peirced his sides by their sines meritoriously and to look on him by faith and mourne for their guiltynesse c. and chiefly the persones that crucified their Saviour So doutlesse it is great impudence to affirme that the same Prophet c. 14.5 9 verses sayth Christ shall descend unto the Iewes to restore their kingdome for ther is not one word of restoring nor of the Iewes kingdome in these two verses Pag. 40. And this much of the felicitie of that remnant of the nationes who shall out live the rest at the Iewes returne now a word or two of the alteration of the sensitive and senselesse creatures at that time Esa 11.6 the Wolve shall dwell with the Lambe c. â— 65 the Wolve and the Lambe shall feed together c. Wher we may observe aganst such as understand by these expressiones the effectes of preaching on the heartes of cruel mynded men that they ar a part of these prophecies which concerne the Iewish deliverance and therfor can have no relation to the calling of the gentiles Ans As we have nothing as yet of the felicitie of the nationes at that imagined time so these ensuing prophecies make nothing to that purpose for in Esa 11.10 immediatly after the forecited wordes it is sayd In that day ther shal be a root of Iesse which shall stand up for an ensigne of the people to it shall the gentiles seek c. Marke 1 he sayth In that day so he conioyneth the preceding and following thinges in to the same time 2. he speakes expressely of the calling of the gentiles as it is also cited Rom. 15.12 3. in the wordes preceding v. 1. he speakes of the first coming of Christ a rod shall come furth out of the stemme of Jesse and a branche shall grow out of his rooles 4. in the wordes following that testimonie he speakes of the calling of the Iewes and gentiles together as wes exponed before And therfor this Prophecie concerneth not the Jewish Monarchie and these wordes may be better exponed allegorically than properly Inst. Is ther no destruction in all the Christian world that we should flatter our selves with such vaine fancies or rather when wes their none c. Ans Albeit this Author will not give glorie unto God in fulfilling his promises yet we see that others at not so ingrate as Act. 9.31 then hade the Churches rest throghout all Iudea and Galile and Samaâ—…a and in other tymes we find that the Christianes hade their halcyonian dayes twixt these ten great persecutiones and afterwards in the dayes of Christian Emperoures and godly Kinges 2. Nether doe the Prophetes or Revelation speaking of these tymes say Ther shall never be hurt nor shall ever man destroy ane another bot rather the propertie of the Church in this world is to be militante and nevertheles Wolves and Lyones forsake their cruelty in the persone of many convertes And therfor these hyperbolical complaintes micht wee l been spared 3. It does puzle the Authour that Esaie sayth c. 11.9 For the earth shal be full of the knowledge of the Lord and therfor he fancieth a private conceit for exponing these wordes of which he gives no reasoun bot we have given sufficient reasounes for the allegoricall interpretation which is confirmed by these wordes towit that the aboundance of the knowledge of the Lord is the cause why wicked men leave their wickednesse and adjoyne themselves unto the meek of the earth as our Saviour sayth Mat. 10.16 I send
should be represented by some part of the image it self and not by a thing so different from it and adverse unto it Ans 1. Then teach God how he should revele his will 2. it is reveled in expresse wordes v. 44. 3. ther wes reasoun to expresse it by a different thing because the four wer of one qualitie and this wes of another qualitie My kingdome sayth he is not of this world Joh. 18 36 it is more wonderfull more powerfull and more general than any of them and all the kinges who will not serve this king shall perish he shall break them with a rode of irone Ps 149.8 he shall strike them thorow in his wrath Psal 110.5 and bind them with chaines and their nobles with fetters of iron Ps 149.8 Inst 3. And that noucht els is meaned by the world to come Heb. 2.5 bot the kingdome of our Saviour it is evident by the authoritie there alledged out of Ps 8. Ans None denieth it Inst 4. If ther be yet a world which is yet to be put in subjection unto Christ as man then it must be a distinct world from that in which as man he shall give up the kingdome to his Father Ans The kingdome or the world wherof the Apostle speakes there wes then to come not in respect of Christ but of the Apostle for he meaneth the kingdome of heaven as appeares by these wordes wherof we speak which have relation of the wordes preceding v. 3 If wee neglect so great saluation Where he opponeth the euangelical promises unto the typical promises these wes an earthly Canaan and this is heaven Christ at the time of writing this epistle wes in possession of it and the Apostle did then hope for the house not made with handes eternal in heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 and therfor that world is not a distinct world but even the same in which as Mediatour he shal give up the kingdome to the Father Inst 5. That which is given up is alreadie past Ans That which shal be given is not past as yet nether shall it be given up altogether but in some maner as the Millenaries acknowledge it shal be at the end of their 1000 yeers Inst 6. It is no wher sayd that the new Ierusalem the citie of eternall glorie shal be subject to Christ as a creature but that he as a creature shall after the judgement of the dead be there subject to the Father Ans He as God-man sayth Mat. 28. To mee is given all power in heaven and on earth And thus all the consequences for proving the earthly monarchie of the Iewes ar naught Pag. 45. Yow shall hear it directly and expressely affirmed Luk. 1.31.32.33 Ier. 23,5.6 Zach. 6.12.13 Ezek. 34.22.23.24 and c. 37.24.25 Esa 9.6.7 and c. 52.13.14.15 Mic. 4.6.7 Ps 72.6.7.8.9.10.11 and 102.13.14.15.16 Now that these prophecies concerne the reigne of Christ alone I think no man douteth and that they ar alreadie fulfilled it can not be proved Ans These textes may prove some thing against your fellow Mr. Archer who thinkes that Christ after he hes put the Iewes in possession of their Monarchie shal ascend again into the heavens Iewes in the mean tyme shall reigne till his thrid coming But they prove nothing aganst us who hold that Christ reigneth on the true throne of David Inst. Nether did Christ at his first coming site on Davids throne nor any other of Davids Image for the scepter wes departed Ans He fittes on the richt hand of the throne of Majestie in heaven Heb. 8.1 which wes typified by the throne of David Inst 2. Nether wer Iudah and Israel then in the land together Ans Ther is neither Iew nor Griek nether bond nor fre nether male nor female but we ar all one in Christ Iesus and if ye be Christs then aryee Abrahamis seed heires according to the promise Gal. 3.28 Inst 3. Nether wes the temple then destroyed bot afterwards Ans Christ sayd destroy this temple and in thrie dayes I will raise it up again Then sayd the Iews Fourty six yeers wes this temple in building and will thou reare it up again in thrie dayes but he spak of the temple of his bodie sayth the Euang. Ioh. 2.19 So the true temple is Christs bodie which the Iewes destroyed and he raised it up again and in this sense the disciples did believe the Scriptures after the resurrection of Christ v. 22. And therfor the things spoken in these Scriptures ar accomplished at his first coming not only in heaven bot on earth according to the different portiones therof In heaven and on earth I say and in true Ierusalem and on the true throne of David for his feet stood in that day towit 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 of Olives hes been cloven in the midst therof toward the east and toward the west when not only the members of the church but all the world wes shaken at the powerfull preaching of the gospell even more gloriously than at the giving of the lawe Heb. 12.26 so that nothing could hinder the course therof and the Iews have fled to that valey of the mountaines when they did embrace the gospell which is lowe in worldly mens estimation and of high esteeme before God and the valey of the mountaines hes reached unto Azal for the preaching of the gospell hes been an excellent stone-mark shewing the richt way as it is exponed 1 Sam. 20.19 on the margine of the late translatione to the kingdom of heaven yea they have fled lyk as they did flee from before the earthquake in the dayes of Vzzia king of Iudah towit they have been astonished at the wonderfulnesse of Gods workes and the Lord hes come and so furth as it followes in Zach. 14. wher he shewes the perpetual licht of the glorious gospell v. 6.7 and the continowall flowing of wholsome waters in the kingdom of Christ v. 9.8 and the removing of all impedimentes for the securitie of the electes conversion and salvation v. 10.11 Yow see here that our Saviour came not only to conquer death which is the last enemie that he shall destroy and therfor not to be destroyed till the last resurrection bot also to tak the kingdomes of the world unto himself and hes made them all acknowledge his authoritie and hes put down all contrarie power and authoritie for all nationes have praysed Christ and given laude unto him Rom. 14.9.10.11 that ther is one sheepherd and one sheepfold that the dominiones kingdomes and greatnesse of the kingdomes under the whol heaven have been possessed by the people and saintes of the most high that is as the gospell hes exponed it by the faithfull Israel Rom. 14.12 howbeit all hes not been possessed at the same periode of tyme. Pag. 58. This as I think is the tyme of
after these wordes he takes occasion to speak of the spiritual kingdom of the Church as is sayd before but nether first nor last speakes the Prophet of a first and second resurrection at or about the last day And so in all these testimonies nothing is to this purpose of the concurring of the Jewish Monarchie with the first resurrection Inst The elders Rev. 5.10 sayd in the hearing of Saint Iohn Thou cast made us unto God kinges and priestes and we shall reigne ou earth And on the margine he cites Rom. 4.13 Luk. 19.17,19 Ans That these wordes Rev. 5.10 signifie the honour and priviledges of the godly on earth it is out of dout bot the question is whither Iohn sawe these elders in heaven and whither they shall come from the heaven to the earth again or whither Iohn signifyeth by them the godly on earth If these wordes make any thing for this purpose these elders wer in heaven but all the Interpreters even the Authour of Commentat Apocalypt pag. 8. expone them to be the godly on earth The wordes Rom. 4.13 ar The promise that he should be the heir of the world wes not to Abraham and to his seed throgh the lawe but throgh the richteousnesse of faith Certanly albeit the land of Canaan wes promised to Abraham and his seed yet he never having possession of that land and his seed or the faithfull ar more properly called the heires of eternal lyf Tit. 3.7 and heires of that kingdome which he hes promised unto them that love him Jam. 2.5 and heires of God and joint-heires with Christ Rom. 8.17 which kingdome wes typified by Canaan and of this promise without dout speakes Paul there The wordes of Luk 19.17.19 ar a part of a parable and we knowe that everie part of parables is not argumentative These textes then serve nothing for this Monarchie On the margine is cited also a testimonie of Windelin bot we regard not the testimonie of parties in their own cause and far lesse doe we regard the consequences of that testimonie wherwith the nixt page is filled and with that question of the essential or accidental change of the elementes seing for one we may bring 5000 testimonies in this purpose Pag. 62. This will appear to a diligent ey out of the controversed place Rev. 20. for besides that the opposition betwixt the first and the second resurrection doeth impose the same sense on both besides this I say the vision represented not unto Saint Iohn perfect men at the first that is men that should be beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus bot soules only and that as of men alreadie beheaded which manifestly shewes that the resurrection after mentioned did follow their death and not goe before it Ans This forme of discoursing shewes manifestly that the Authour is a strange wrangler for 1. ther is no more opposition nor aggriement twixt the first and the second resurrection than is twixt the first and the second death but none will say that the first and second deathes ar in alyke sort bodily and therfor ther is no necessitie to expone the first and second resurrectiones in the same sense 2. what perfection of witt is it to imagine that men who shal be beheaded for the witnesse of Iesus ar more perfyte than the soules of them that ar beheaded 3. if by these soules he understandes the spiritual part of men ere they wer made perfyte then he must understand the soules ether before they entred into the bodies or after they entred the bodies before their regeneration but both these conditiones ar before the first resurrection 4. if the first resurrection be their forsaking of Antichristian erroures or as it is sayd there their not worshipping the beast and their not receiving the beasts marke as all Interpretors excep Millenaries expone it then the first resurrection followes not their death bot goes before it Inst It is sayd that they lived and reigned with Christ 1000 yeers bot how can it be that they should reigne after their resurrection or begin their resurrection all at once or continow it but 1000 yeers which thinges these wordes imply if by their resurrection should be understood their regeneration and by their reigne their being in heaven or if by the word they lived should be meaned only They wer converted how can they reigne so long as 1000 yeers seing the place of their reigne must be on earth Ans If by their living and resurrection be meaned their constant profession as is sayd and by their reigne their prevailing over these heresies all these mistes ar soon scattered towit they reigne before their death and not after their resurrection they began their reigne not all at once but in their severall ages even as the Millenaries doe imagine that the saintes in that conceited monarchie shall not live all at once but in their several ages die again and succeed one age to another for the space of 1000 yeers and so they reigne not everie one throghout the 1000 yeers and so long space have ever some opposed the erroures of the beast and they reigning on earth have been encompast with warre again as it wes foretold and Ecclesiastical Histories declare Inst 2. The reigne of Christ doeth not beginne till Antichrist is destroyed so that a metaphoricall interpretation of the first resurrection wold make good this conclusion that most of the saintes shall rise many 100 yeers before their reigne ther being no lesse distance of time betwixt the houre of their calling and Antichrists confusion Ans I have before made it clear that Christs kingdome is alreadie begun for he reigneth in the midst of his enemies not only by his power overruling disappointing and turning all their plotes upon their own pates but also in conforting the heartes of the godly so that they ar a terrour to the whol earth even to their enemies who ar many tymes more afrayed at the prayers of the godly than at the cannones of other enemies and subdue the spirites of the world and bind kinges in chaines stronger than iron And therfor that assertion falleth The reigne of Christ beginneth not till Antichrist be destroyed and that absurditie following that assertion is falsely imputed unto that interpretation Inst 3. The assumption he wold say assertion but it is marked before the Authour is not a Logician is grounded on Rev. 11.15 which shewes that till the time of the sevent trumpet with the beginning wherof the last vial does concurre the kingdomes of this world doe not become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Ans The wordes ar The kingdomes of the world ar become the kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ Here it is not sayd Our Lord and his Christ shall not reigne till this time bot this is all that the wordes importe Now is no kingdome but our Lord's and his Christ's And if it be objected It is no wher sayd so of Christ's reigne till this tyme
of the sevent trumpet and therfor it can not be true that our Lord and his Christ doe reigne till then I answer yee have heard before that in the midst of these kingdomes doeth Christ reigne even among them and over them but all their kingdomes shal be utterly destroyed and his kingdome shal be for ever for ever and ever sayth John and therfor not for 1000 yeers only â— That synchronisme of the seven viales with the last trumpet is confuted before Now if we lay together what is sayd of the Iewes reigne here and this answer we shall lykwyse see the vanitie of that observation on the margine upon these cited wordes which is It is not sayd the kingdome of heaven to wit of the thrid 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 yee remember what is sayd that here John speakes of the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ he speakes not of the kingdom of the Jewes on earth seing he makes a distinction of two persones our Lord and his Christs that is the Father and his Sone and that kingdome is for ever and ever Inst. 4. This also is intimated by the binding of Satan 1000 yeers with which the reigne of the saintes contemporates Ans He sayd before This chapter is controverted to wit by the Millenaries on the one part and all Christianes on the other and now he sayth This his conceit is intimated in the binding of Satan which is as if he had sayd It is all undouted what he sayth and all is false that all Christianes say wheras Christianes have given better warrantes of their exposition than Millenaries ar able to doe Inst. 5. This vision as it is nixt to that of the battle wherin the beast and the false Prophet ar taken so doutlesse it shall not till then receive its accomplishment for seing Antichrist is but the Deviles instrument we can not imagine that his power shall outlast the Deviles libertie especially if we consider that whil Satan is in hold ther shal be a general peace over all the world as the Prophetes say expressely Esaias 2.4 Mich. 4.3 and as it is here implyed in that as soon as he is loosed again presently he shall gather all the rest of the world to fight against the saintes hot their malicious attempt shall find no better successe than that of the beasts c. Ans This vision is nixt to that battle in order of writing but it followes not that it shall not begin to be accomplished till the former vision be fully accomplished for albeit Antichrist be the Deviles instrument it may be understood as Histories doe verifie that his power may bee in the tyme of Satans imprisonement that is whil Satan is not permitted to rage and persecute openly as he did in the dayes of the heathnish emperomes in the mean tyme Antichrist may site in the Church of God and deceive the world with lies and fained miracles so that even when peace is in the world from warres ther be not peace from the children within as Bernard complaines in his time in Cantic ser 33. and wen he hes deceived the greatest part of the world or all the world excep some few persones in comparison of them who ar deceived then Satan may stirre up Antichrist to wage warre aganst the disclosers of his deceites as he did against the Albigenses and Tolosani about the yeer 1220 and against the Bohemianes about the yeer 1420 in the dayes of the Emperoures Sigismund Albert and others and so the malicious attempt of Satan may have the same successe with that of the beast I say not the lyke but the same both in place time and number And here adde that the fyst synchronisme in the second part of Clavis Apocalyptica is false which sayth The 1000 yeers of Christs kingdome and the last trumpet or space after the slauchter of the beast doe contemporate and the reasounes therof ar wrong for 1 he sayth doe not these wordes qui non adoraverant bestiam shew that this kingdome of Christ did succeed unto the kingdom of the beast his image and them that wer marked with his marke for why should it be sayd of the sones of that kingdome that they had not worshipped the beaste unles the beast had gone before and truely the good office goeth before the reward in tyme. Ans 1. Our former translation is more consonante unto the Griek which sayth They did not worship the beast which is not the plusquamperfect tyme but so that at the same tyme the beast is deceiving the world and the children of God doe not worship the beast 2. the reward of them who worship not the beast is in heaven and they follow the Lambe whithersoever he goeth Reas 2. This appeares yet more by the song of the elders and beastes sung at the destruction of Babylon c. 19.6 Haleluiah for the Lord God almichtie reigneth c. for I dout but ther is one kingdome in both Ans When the Bohemianes sawe the armies of the pope and the Emperoures turning their backes at the touck of Zisca's drumme hade they not just reasoun to sing Halleluiah for the Lord God almichtie reigneth let us rejoice c. And so may the godly at everie victorie over the popish armies even before the resurrection Reas 3. but most of all clearly in c. 11.15.16 wher at the sound of the sevent trumpet the dayes of the witnesses and the monethes of the beast and nationes being outrunne wer great voices in heaven saying The kingdomes of this world ar become the kingdomes of the Lord c. This is the consummation of the mysterie of God foretold by the Prophetes c. Ans This indeed is the consummation of all the promises foretold by the Prophetes and Apostles and therfor it is not to be understood of any earthly kingdome seing the full accomplishment of the prophecies is not on earth And so this synchronisme being false all the lyke synchronismes and all expositiones following upon them must faile with it But to returne unto our authour when he hes sayd all that he can alledge at least all his strongest proofes he will resolve the doutes against his conceites and me hopelsy with no better successe Pag. 64. Now against this which hes been sayd touching our Saviours kingdome his own wordes Ioh. 18.35 may be objected for there he sayth planely My kingdome is not of this world And Mat. 25.31 he sayth When the Sonne of man shall come in his glorie With which aggrieth that of 2 Pet. 3.7 but the heavens and the earth that ar now c. and many other places of the lyke nature But to these wordes of our Saviour I answer They doe only distinguish the time and condition of his
kingdome from the time and conditione of the kingdomes of this world at the setting up of whose kingdome ther shal be such an alteration c. Ans Our Saviour distinguishes not betwixt the time of his and other kingdomes for he sayth in the same verse My kingdome is not from hence that is my kingdome is at hand as he sayd unto his disciples Mat. 15.28 Verily I say unto you ther be some standing here who shal not taste of death till they have seene the Sone of man come in his kingdome that is reigning powerfully by the preaching of the gospell and Mat. 24.14 this Gospell of the kingdome shal be preached in all the world for a witnes unto all nationes 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 policie be the paterne therof 2. if he had sayd to that purpose as the Millenaries say that in tyme of his kingdome being so nigh the kingdome of the Romanes should be no kingdome they micht hade more pretext of lawe for condemning him wherfor he distinguishes the condition of the kingdomes and not the time of them so that Caesar micht been Emperour and Christ a michtly king both at once Non eripit mortalia qui regna dat coelestia Pag. 65. And to all such places that mention only the dissolution of the elementes and the last judgement I answer that these ar but a parte of these thinges which shal be done by Christ at his nixt appearing and that as other Scriptures shew that he must reigne on earth and what shal be done at the beginning of his reigne so these shew only what shal be left undone till the close of his kingdome when he shall deliver it up Ans This shift will not serve their turne for the Scriptures teach us that at Christs coming shal be the end and he shall deliver up his kingdome 1 Cor. 15.23.24 2. that he shall come in a time when men look not for him and all shall rise again both godly and ungodly and then is the shutting of heaven as the parable of the ten Virgines teaches Mat. 25. 3. that wher he is the faithfull then shall be with him Ioh. 14.3 4. that the heavens must conteen him till the time of the restitution of all thinges which God hes spoken by the mouth of all his Prophets since the world began But the Prophetes have foretold the last judgement and that he shall convince all the ungodly Jude v. 14.19 therfor he shall not returne till that tyme. And that is most plaine Psalm 110.1 Site at my richt hand till I make thy enemies thy footstoole That sitting at Gods richt hand is his reigning and it is not sayd His enemies shal be subdued and then he shall reigne but he shall reigne till then so that he reigneth conquering and he conquereth reigning 5. that his kingdom is an heavenly kingdome 2 Timot 4.12 and the reward of the godly is in heaven Mat. 5.10.11 as our Saviour spoke of it and never of an earthly kingdom unlesse by way of aversation Who made me a Judge sayth he Luk 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 Corint 5.1.6 Phil. 1.3 6. that God hes raised up Christ from the dead and set him at his richt hand in the heavens far above all principalitie and power and everie name that is named not only in this world but also in that which is to come and hes put all thing under his feet and gave him to be the head over all thinges Whence it is manifest that seing our Saviour governeth his Church and all spirites ar subject to him which autoritie is given unto him and so as God-man his kingdome is not to begin as yet 7. that when Christ shall deseend from heaven with a shoute and voice of the Archangel with the trumpet of God the dead in Christ shall rise first and they who ar alive and remaine shal be caught up together with them in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the aire and so shal be ever with the Lord 1 Thess 4. Here he is speaking of the same resurrection wherof he speakes 1 Corint 15 as appeares by the 52 verse 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 And that the saintes being raised shall not abide on earth to reigne with the Iewes in earthly pleasures it is manifest because the Apostles teaches us 1 Corint 15.42 they shall rise in incorruption v. 43. in glorie and in power v. 44 in spiritual bodies and when Christ shall appear we shall appeare with him in glorie Col. 3.4 but it is certaine that incorruptible glorious powerfull spiritual bodies can not live a natural lyf Nether can the faith of Christianes that Christ is come alreadie stand with that imagination of Iewes Chiliastes seing Iacob sayd The Scepter shal not depart from Iudah till Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people bec This place can not be understood of the departing of the scepter for a time as it wes in the captivitie of Babylon which because it wes but for a short tyme and the Scepter wes restored agine it wes not thought to be the accōplishment of the prophecie but nou seing the scepter is departed and the nations have been gathered unto Christ who should dout of the accomplishment therof and so that scepter can not be restored unto the Jewes 2 The Apostle sayth 1 Thess 2.6 wrath is come upon the Iewes to the uttermost This is not understood of spiritual wrath seing as yet the Lord hes mercie upon them as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 11.5.28 and therfor it must be understood of temporal wrath and consequently a temporal kingdome shall not be restored unto them Lykwyse the estate of the Church is descrived such that the godly shal be mixed which the ungodly even till Christ come and gather the tares from the wheat to be burned Mat 13.39 All these and lyk passages the Millenaries willingly passe over Pag. 66 In my conceit Saint Peter in the verie nixt verse does intimate as much for having before used the word day he warneth them not to be ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeers and 1000 yeers as one day as if he had told them that the day he speakes of wes indeed a 1000 yeers And indeed to what purpose had this sudden and serious advertisement been inferred if the Apostle had not heerby discovered unto them besids the largest definite and limited acception of the word such a spiritual relation of 1000 yeers to one day as could not belong to any other number Ans Whatsoever be your conceit you may see that