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
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
which he spak these Wordes Verily I say unto yow Heerafter shall yow see the heavens open and the angels ascending and descending upon the Sone of man Ans That these wordes shal be fulfilled or have been fulfilled it is most certane and it is al 's certane that they shall never be fulfilled in the proper acceptation of the words seing the bodie of Christ is not so tale as that it shal reach from heaven to earth for this cause some as Cyrill on this place have exponed unto for upon in this sense as if the heavens wer open the angels shall come doun and ascend unto my service so doeth Chrysostome apply these wordes to the angels ministring unto Christ in tyme of his passion and resurrection Others think it to be an exposition of that vision of Iacob Gen. 28 wherby wes signifyed that Christ is the Mediatour making way twixt heaven and earth Col. 1.20 and these expositiones for the mater doe aggrie with other Scriptures Inst That this may be fulfilled it is requisite that he be on earth whither these messingers may descend unto him and from whence again they may ascend Which argues too his continowance heer for a greater space of tyme than the judgement of the dead requires Ans A poor proof for as it is requisite that he be on earth whither that these messingers may descend unto him 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 wordes in that sense they may be fulfilled albeit he never wer on earth even as they may be fulfilled when he is on earth and not in heaven but according to the first exposition he wes on earth when they wer fulfilled farlesse is his continowance on earth necessarie for these wordes Pag. ead Although it be sayd that Christ shall reigne over the house of Iacob for ever and that of his kingdome shal be no end yet it is not meaned that he shall alwayes reigne as man or that the earthly Ierusalem the place of his throne as man shall alwayes stand Ans They will change the signification of the wordes when they please and so far as it makes for their purpose and no more but when they shall prove by Scripture that the earthly Ierusalem shal be the place of Christs throne we may aggrie on the exposition of the words for ever and shal be no end and till that be shewen I omitte further enquirie of them but as yet we have seen nether necessarie consequence nor evident expression for it Followes another point that the restauration of Ierusalem and resurrection shall concurre Pag. 6. Yow see that when our Saviour comes to reigne over all the earth he comes not alone bot bringes all the saintes with him Ans Wee see nether that he shall come to reigne after that maner over all the earth nether that he shall bring all his saintes with him and for this last point he alledges no text of Scripture but will have it to be taken on his bare word which we refuse to doe Wee read that when he shall come to judge he shall bring all the holy angels with him Mat. 25.31 and all nationes shal be gathered before him and that he shall send his angels to gather the elect from the four windes but that they shal come with him into an earthly monarchie we find no wher And nevertheles as if it wer unquestionable he addeth Which wordes as they doe establiso the lideral sense of the first resurrection mentionet Rev. 20 so they make the kingdome of Israel and the 1000 yeers reigne of the saintes to Synchronize and meet together for why shall the samtes come with him but because they have a share in this kingdome and ar to be his assistentes in it as he told his Disciples Ans The first resurrection of bodies importeth a second resurrection and so eiher these who ryse shall die again and rise again at the second resurrection or they who shall rise at the first shall not die at all and others shall rise again at the second resurrection This Authour makes it no wher manifest which of these two he holdeth and Mr. Archer holdeth the first opinion but neither of them hes any warrant from Scripture and the testimonies that ar cited here on the margine shew that ther shall not be such a resurrection of the richteous for it is sayd Luk. 20.35 they who shal be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead nether marrie nor ar given in marriage nether can they die any more for they ar equal unto the Angels being the children of the resurrection If they can die no more and be equal unto the Angels then they shall not rise at a second resurrection nether shall bey live an earthly lyf which in the best degrie is inferiour unto the lyf of the Angels Ioh. 6,39 This is the Fathers will that of all that he hes given mee I should lose nothing but should raise it up at the last day and v. 44. No man can come unto mee excep the Father who hes sent mee draw him and I will raise him at the last day If the last day be the day of the generall judgement as certainly it is even supponing the temporal Monarchie for 1000 yeers and the elect shal not be raised til the last day as these wordes imply then ther shall not be a first second resurrection unles the second resurrection be after the last day and consequently ther not being a resurrection of the children of God till the last day the first resurrection mentioned Rev. 20 can not be understood of the bodies but rather a rising from sin wherof mention is made Eph. 5.14 and Col. 3.1 He cites also Phil. 3.11 If by any meanes I micht attain unto the resurrection of the dead These wordes name the dead generally and make nothing for a first and second resurrection bot v. 20 it is sayd Our conversation or freedome is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour who shall change our vile bodie that it may be lyke unto his glorious bodie If the freedome POLITTVMA of the godly be in heaven then they expect not a Monarchie on earth and if the bodies shal be lyke unto his glorious bodie they shall not live an earthly lyf nor die again He quoteth 1 Thess 3.13 and c. 4.14 c. but the first hes nothing of a second resurrection and c. 4.14 sayth Wee shal be ever with the Lord towit in another maner than nou nou by grace and then in glorie If we shal be ever with the Lord then we shall not die again and rise again unlesse the Lord die too which I think they will not say Lastly he cites Ezek. 37,12,13 which wordes certanly ar allegoricall and shew the returne of the Jewes from their captivitie not withstanding the extremitie of their miserie and
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
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
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
bot his subjectes ar not all yet called which forme is alyk with this Ferdinand shall not be Emperour till all his subjectes be borne and be victorious wher as some of his subjectes ar coming dayly into the world and it may be moe of them ar dayly departing This is a ridiculous reasoun and so is the other 2. Nether does that prayer of the saintes mak mention of his earthly kingdome bot of subduing or revenging their enemies which shal be without an earthly Monarchie towit by punishing them in hell 3. That text Rev. 11.15 speakes not of a proper kingdom of Christ and farlesse of an earthly kingdome bot of the kingdome of our Lord and his Christ if it had been sayd Of our Lord and Christ or of our Lord Christ if micht be thought to be the proper kingdome of Christ which he as man governes or shall governe bot when it is sayd Of our Lord and of his Christ we see a distinction of persones and unitie of power And therfor it is clear that the text Revel 2.26 is impertinently cited for proof of that thing which is not and is imagined to be on earth wheras that power is in heaven Inst 2. The lyke encouragement he gave also to his disciples before his passion Yee ar they sayd he who have continowed with mee in my tentationes therfor I appointe unto yow a kingdome c. Luk 22.28 Ans It micht been more for his purpose to have conceiled this text which makes the 12 tribes of Israel the persones judged and all the textes quoted on the margine speak of the kingdom of God excep that of Luk 24.42,43 wher is mention of no kingdome but of eating and drinking after Christs resurrection and if that be the kingdome wherof our Saviour speakes c. 22.29 that kingdom is come alreadie Inst 3. I know those wordes ar taken by interpreters for a metaphoricall expression of those joyes which he shall receive in heaven bot it is a current axiome in our schooles Non esse à litera seu propria Scriptura siguificatione recedendum nisi aliqua necessitas cogat Scripturae veritas in ipsa litera periclitari videtur Ans It may be douted whither this Authour hes been bred in schooles or what he calleth our schooles seing he so abuseth rhetorical termes as literal sense for proper sense metaphorical sense contradistinguished to figurative sense and keepes no logical canones in his arguing and I think he did never learne such interpretation of Scripture in any approved schoole As for this rule he may see pattly by that is sayd and shall see more heerafter that these wordes can not be understood of an earthly kingdome nether doe these forecited Scriptures compell us as he boldly sayth to stick unto the earthly senfe of this text in hand Inst 4. For besides that ther is litle analogie and resemblance betwixt a perpetual praysing and worshipping God and the businesse of a politike governement here spoken of besides this I say we ar alreadie informed that though out Saviour be now in heaven yet he sites not there on his own throne and consequently is not yet in the kingdome which the Father hes appointed him Ans What impudence is here doeth not David say Psal 16.11 In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy at thy richt hand ar pleasures for evermore and Psal 17.15 I shal be satisfyed when I awake with thy lyknesse and Psal 36.8 they shal be aboundantly satisfyed with the fulnesse of thy house and thow shall make them drink of the river of thy pleasures These and many moe ar spoken of the joyes in heaven by resemblance with earthly kingdomes And we have alreadie shewed that he hes been misinformed or misinformeth of another throne and another kingdome Inst. 5. It is plaine from S. Paul 1 Cor. 15.22 that it shall not bee there after the judgement of the dead his wordes ar these as in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive bot everie man in his order Christ the first frutes afterwards they that ar Christs at his coming And on the margine he addeth They that ar Christs If ther wer not to be some distance of time betwixt the resurrection of these and other men it had been as casie for the Apostle to have sayd They that ar dead or all that ar in the grave Ans 1. Whither the Apostle micht have sayd so or so can any man gather necessarily out of these wordes so great a distance of time betwixt the resurrection of the godly and of the ungodly Here the Apostle nameth the godly not the ungodly not importing any notable distance of time but because he had sayd v. 22. In Christ all shal be made alive which wordes can not be properly and univocally meaned of the ungodly whose rising shal be for the accōplishment of their second death therfor here v. 23 he justly omittes the mention of the ungodly and speakes of the godly as also he does 1 Thess 4.16.17 wher we find expressely an order among the godly saying The dead in Christ shal ryse first then we who ar alive and remaine shal be caught up together with them in the cloudes to meet the Lord in the aire The Apostle in both textes speakes of the same coming of Christ as this Authour acknowledges applieth the wordes to the same purpose p. 50 as none will say that ther shal be any notable prioritie in tyme twixt the one and the other sorte meeting Christ so and far lesse doe these wordes speaking only of them that ar in Christ importe two resurrectiones different the one from the other the space of 1000 yeers Yea and the Apostle saying that we shal be caught up and meet the Lord in the aire and so shal be ever with him how can any imagine that we shal come doun again from the aire to abide so long a space on the earth and therfor he speakes there of the general resurrection when they who ar in Christ shal be ever with him not in a temporal but everlasting glorie And seing the Apostie speakes both there and heer of the same resurrection certanly he speakes not here of a resurtection before that time of the general judgement 2. page 49 after the wordes of Paul at his coming Mr Matoun inserteth and not the Martyres only Why inserteth he these wordes doeth any who denyeth this earthly monarchie say that the Martyres and no moe shall come with Christ no but some Millenaries say so here he wold marke a word aganst them Be it so 3 he wresteth the wordes thus Then comes the end what presently after his coming no bot when he hath delivered up the kingdome to God even the Father when shal that bee when he shall have put doun all rule and authoritie and power c. Here in stead of explication is a verie contradiction of the texte by inserting a negative and conueying it closely with a
the Apostle hes another purpose there for v. 4 he telleth of scoffers jeering at the promise of Christs coming because all thinges continow as they wer and so all thinges seem to have subsisting in themselves he refutes this imaginatione and shewes that the world both wes made and continoweth by the word of God who is able to destroy as somtyme he did and hes appointed a day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men Here he putteth the day of judgement and perdition of ungodly men fot that the scoffers say Wher is the promise of his coming so that at his coming he will judge and punish the ungodly which is contrarie to the opinion of the Millenaries Then v. 8 he answereth to that opinion of delay saying One day is with the Lord as 1000 yeers He sayth not One day is 1000 yeers as the Millenaries make the commentarie shorter than the text but is as a 1000 yeers and therfor here is no exposition but comparison as if he had sayd albeit a 1000 yeers seem a long tyme to us and so the world seemeth to have continowed 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 coming towit in longsuffering toward men awaiting the repentance of the last of them Wherby yow see another meaning and another purpose even contrarie to that conceit of the Millenaries The Apostle micht have named many milliones of yeers as one day in respect of Gods eternitie but according to the usual custome of speach he nameth a round great number for any number And nevertheles in the end of that page it is sayd This being so I see not but that Gods foreappointment of 1000 yeers to the world for each several day of its first week micht in all lyklyhood be the ground of this prophetical sense of the word wherin it wes afterwards delivered by the infallible penmen of the holy write Ans The certantie of all the appointmentes of God we acknowledge and the infallibilitie of his penmen but wher is it reveled that God hes appointed 1000 yeers continowance to the world for each several day of the first week On the margine he citeth R. Ketina and Comment Apoca. par 2. p. 287 wher ar some testimonies of the Rabbines to this purpose Let Iewes follow Iewish fables to us Christianes hes God spoken in the last dayes by his Sone Heb. 1.2 whom he hes bidden us here certanly with a limitation to hear none others Inst It is sayd Mat. 24.31 he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect at which tyme two shal be in the field the one shal be taken and the other left and Luk c. 17.34 recordeth two men shal be in one bed But if our Saviour at his coming presently shall give sentence on all that ar not written in the book of life if he shall make no stay on earth before he undertake this businesse then why shall the elect only be gathered together and the rest left behind seing that great Assise is to be held chiefly for condemnation of the ungodly men Ans Here is nothing to prove the monarchie of the Iewes 2. the two Euangelistes speak there of the gathering the elect and taking them up al 's also 1 Cor. 15.23 yet they speak not exclusively as if the ungodly shall not be judged nor raised but they speak of separation and therby of taking up the elect into the aire and heavens wheras the wicked shall not be taken up but left on the earth and be condemned and sent to hell Mat. 13.40.41 and it followeth v. 43. then shall the richteous shine furth c. The particle then shewes that the wicked shal be cast into the furnace of fyre as soone if not sooner as the richteous shall shine in the kingdome of their Father 3. If the richteous shal 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 dominion 4. if Christ at his coming shall hold that great assise chiefly 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 1000 yeers These thinges can not aggrie Now such suppositiones being layd it is no wonder that many doutes arise therupon as whither the good angels be able to gather the reprobates or whither they shal be fetched by the wicked angels and they shal be left either to perish in the general destruction that shall come upon the enemies of the Iewes or ey-witnesses of Gods wonders What can either good or evill angels doe without the Lords authoritie and what can they not doe when he willeth but certainly the wicked shal both be witnesses of Gods wonders and lykwyse perish in that general destruction that cause of their condemnation is touched before Pag. 67. For that by Christs judging the quick and the dead mentioned 2 Timoth. 4.1 can not be meant the last and compleat bot rather a former and inchoate judgement it appeares out of Revel 20. wher it is shewen that the saintes enemies shal be all slain before the last resurrection And we can not say that these who ar to be left shal be a part of that armie there spoken of because that Gog and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Saviours reigne that is immediatly before the last resurrection wheras these shal be alive at the time of that general distresse which shall light on the world at his entrance into that kingdome as the gathering of the elect who ar to reigne with him doeth declare Ans Here as before ar strange imaginationes 1. that text 2 Timoth. 4.1 can not be meant of the last bot a former judgement Who ever sayd before that Christ shall yet appear twyce to judge the quick and the dead For suppone that only the godly shal be raised at Christs coming yet they will not say that he will judge them seing they say that they shall not stand at the barre 2. The judging of the quick and the dead shal be before the tyme of the last resurrection as that forme of arguing importes wherby it followes that Christ shall judge the quick and the dead in a former and inchoate judgement Who shall remain then to be judged in the complete judgement at the last resurrection 3. I will say no more of that fancie concerning these that shal be left and the destruction at the entrance of that kingdom but mark that Gog and Magog is to be destroyed at the end of our Saviours reigne that is immediatly before the last resurrection or which is one after the reigne of the Jewes But that armie of Gog and Magog is the same with the armie mentioned Revel 16.14 as Napeir proveth Prop. 32. and Mr.