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<DATE>2008-10-31</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>CHRISTS KINGDOME ON EARTH, Opened according to the Scriptures. Herein is examined, What Mr. <HI>Th. Brightman,</HI> Dr. <HI>J. Al&s;tede,</HI> Mr. <HI>I. Mede,</HI> Mr. <HI>H. Archer, The Glymp&s;e of Sions Glory,</HI> and &s;uch as concurre in opinion with them, hold concerning the thou&s;and years of the Saints Reign with Chri&s;t, And of Satans binding: Herein al&s;o their Argu|ments are an&s;wered.</P>
<LB>
<P><HI>Imprimatur; Ia. Cranford.</HI></P>
<P>Feb. 12. 1644.</P>
<LB>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Ric. Cotes</HI> for <HI>Stephen Bowtell,</HI> and are to bee &s;old at his &s;hop at the &s;igne of the Bible in Popes-head Alley. 1645.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>Chri&s;tian Reader,</HEAD>
<P>_DIvers are the Cau&s;es of Error in Religion. Ma|ny there are who will not re&s;t content with nece&s;&s;a|ry and &s;aving truths others are mi&s;led by Enthy &s;i|a&s;ms and their own private &s;pirit: &s;ome erre by rea&s;on of the weakne&s;&s;e of their judgments, and not attending to them that can better informe them: but above all, what Chri&s;t &s;aid to the Jews was and ever will bee true, <HI>men erre not knowing the Scriptures.</HI> Admit, will &s;ome &s;ay, what you affirme to bee mo&s;t true in the generall temper of the now d &s;ordered world, you may not lay the&s;e imputations on &s;uch whom you undertake to an&s;wer; they were men learned, mode|rate, cautelous, well-&s;tudied in Scriptures. It is granted: but the be&s;t may erre, and therefore let us &s;earch the Scriptures, as did the <HI>Bereans,</HI> and try whether &s;ide in the&s;e points maintain the truth. Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> was a man of va&s;t comprehen&s;ion, but had many Irons in the fire; Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> I leave to Dr. <HI>Coopers</HI> judgement, who &s;ayes that pretending to give us a Revelation of the Revelation hee hath &s;et forth an Ob&s;curation thereof. Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> was my worthy and learned friend, but not to bee preferred before truth. Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> was held to bee a pious and good Chri&s;tian: if hee bee not the Author of the Book in his name, let him beare the blame that fathered it upon
<PB REF="3">him. who &s;hould bee the penman of the <HI>Glymp&s;e</HI> I know not. With none of the&s;e deale I farther then they are ingaged in this di&s;pute. What I cite out of Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> is from the Engli&s;h Edition, more parable now then the Latin. What I crave of you good Reader is this; that you would read without prejudice, examine each matter throughly, and judge impartially.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Yours in all Chri&s;tian Offices of love to be commanded, T. HAYNE.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>The Contents of this Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM>Chap. I. <HI>WHether Chri&s;ts Kingdom on Earth bee yet begun or not? The Que&s;tion &s;ttated. The Affirmative proved.</HI>
Page 1.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. II. <HI>The chiefe and common Argument produced again&s;t my Tenent an&s;wered and confuted.</HI>
p. 4.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. III. <HI>The an&s;wer to many Objections of the Divines, who endeavour to prove, that Chri&s;ts famous Kingdom is not yet begun.</HI>
p. 9.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. IV. <HI>Mr.</HI> Th. Brightmans <HI>judgment of the Times in</HI> Da|niel <HI>and the</HI> Apocalyps <HI>particularly examined and refu|ted.</HI>
p 34.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. V. <HI>Dr.</HI> J. Al&s;teds <HI>and Mr.</HI> H. Archers <HI>and others ac|count, and Arguments about the &s;ame Times propounded and refuted.</HI>
p. 38.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. VI. <HI>The Arguments and authorities from the Rabbins urged by Mr.</HI> Mede <HI>on</HI> Rev. 20. <HI>an&s;wered.</HI>
p. 54.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. VII. <HI>Objections out of</HI> Rev. 21. <HI>and</HI> 22. <HI>cleared by other Scriptures and an&s;wered.</HI>
p. 66.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. VIII. <HI>Whether the binding of Satan for a thou&s;and years</HI> Rev. 20. <HI>be already pa&s;t. The que&s;tion &s;tated.</HI>
p. 71.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. IX. <HI>The famous and notable binding of Satan,</HI> Rev. 20. <HI>is already pa&s;t.</HI>
p. 72.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Chap. X. <HI>Objections an&s;wered, whereby it will further appear, that the eminent binding of Satan is already pa&s;t.</HI>
p. 74.</ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<PB REF="4">
<HEAD>Some faults e&s;caped are thus to be amended.</HEAD>
<P>PAge 9. Line 10. read as is, p. 121. 16. r. of Gods. p. 15 1. 13. r. crucif<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e him. p. 16. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> thou&s;and years, p. 23. 1. 5. r. any who&s;oever, p. 25. 1. 15. r. a peace which, p. 31. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> a&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ctions, p. 43. 1. 29. r. a time. p. 44. 1. 25. r. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">xtie dayes. p. 47. 1. 1. r. <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.8. is not Antichri&s;t. p. 48. 1. 29. r. dayes and nine<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e. p. 49. 1. 36. that is, uphold. p. 54. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> p. 55. 1. 28. r. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ude</HI> 14. p. 53.1.12 r. did and will. p. 64. 1. la&s;t r. <HI>Coch</HI> notes on p. 66.1.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> r. is <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> p. 70. 1. 27. r. <GAP DESC="foreign">. p. 75 <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">. r. up in the p. 77. 1. 16. r. twe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ft-twentieth, and 1. 28. r. h&s;t, p. 85.1.3. <HI>blot out</HI> &s;o.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>CHRISTS KINGDOME on Earth, opened according to the SCRIPTURES.</HEAD>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. I. <HI>Whether Chri&s;ts Kingdome be yet begunne or not? The Que|&s;tion &s;tated. The affirmative proved.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_THat we may rightly &s;et downe the &s;tate of the Que&s;tion, and cleerely deliver the truth concerning Chri&s;ts Kingdome, frequently mentioned in Scripture, wee mu&s;t know, That God is omnipotent, the fountaine and originall of all power and dominion: <HI>That his kingdome is ever la&s;ting and throughout all ages.</HI> P&s;al.145.13. <HI>That his Throne is in heaven.</HI> P&s;al.105.19. <HI>And that he rules not in Jacob onely, but even to the ends of the world: Selab.</HI> P&s;al.59.13. We mu&s;t al&s;o ob&s;erve concerning Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>That by him the world was made.</HI> Joh. 1.3. <HI>That what&s;oever the Father doth, the &s;ame doth the Sonne al&s;o.</HI> Joh. 5.19. <HI>And that the Throne of the Son of God, our Saviour, is for ever and ever.</HI> Heb. 1.8.</P>
<P>So that in regard of the Soveraigne power and dominion of Chri&s;t, it is undoubtedly true; that at all times hee rules, hath an ab&s;olute Kingdome in the World, and <HI>doth what&s;oever plea&s;eth him, P&s;al.</HI> 135.6. The rules and Laws of this Kingdome are
<PB N="2" REF="5">deli|vered to Gods people in the Scripture: and Chri&s;t according thereunto continues the admini&s;tration thereof on Earth, untill at the end of the World hee comes againe to the la&s;t judgement: and then <HI>hee delivers up this his Kingdome</HI> (as a faithfull Gover|nour of the &s;ame) <HI>to his Father,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.24. And ever after|ward <HI>&s;its in the Throne of his Father, Rev.</HI> 3.21. that is, <HI>in Heaven, which is Gods Throne,</HI> Mat. 5.34. Acts 7.49.</P>
<P>Of this extent is Chri&s;ts Kingdome; yet in regard that God hath &s;ometimes permitted Satan, and wicked men in extraordi|nary manner to domineere and exerci&s;e their worldly and un|godly power: And that at other times hee hath made his owne Soveraignty by remarkable mercies and judgments, in more e|&s;peciall manner to appeare, God and Chri&s;t, upon this more glorious expre&s;&s;ion of their over-ruling might, are then e&s;peci|ally &s;aid to have a Kingdome, and to Reigne; becau&s;e in &s;uch times their glory and Maje&s;ty doth more manife&s;tly &s;hew it &s;elf, <HI>Exod.</HI> 15.18.1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12.12. <HI>Obad.</HI> 21. <HI>Apoc.</HI> 12.10. and el&s;where.</P>
<P>Indeed the World, were its eye-&s;ight cleare, might well di&s;|cern Gods power to bee above all in many le&s;&s;e matters; but e&s;pe|cially, <HI>When hee removes &s;ome Kings, and &s;ets up others, Dan.</HI> 2.21. &amp; 4.14. VVhen <HI>Babels eminent Monarchy was pull'd down by the</HI> Medes <HI>and</HI> Per&s;ians, E&s;a. 13.17. <HI>The</HI> Medes <HI>and</HI> Per&s;ians <HI>Might queld by the</HI> Grecians, Dan. 7.7. &amp; 21. <HI>The</HI> Grecian <HI>Domi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ion bro|ken and divided between the foure chie&s;e Captaines of</HI> Alexander, Dan. 11.4. <HI>And then againe &s;ubdivided by two of</HI> Alexanders <HI>Captaines, the one in the South, the other in the North of</HI> Judea, Dan. 11. <HI>Who bat|tered one another, untill they bad no more &s;trength, then the two lea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the image, part of iron, part of clay,</HI> Dan. 2.41, 42. But &s;o dull is man of under&s;tanding, that in the&s;e Kingdomes earthly &s;ple<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|dor and glory obvious to the eye is admired, and <HI>Cyrus</HI> and <HI>Alex|anders</HI> great prowe&s;&s;e highly extold; but Gods indulging and ad|vancing their Empires, though very di&s;cernible by an attentive and heedfull minde, is pa&s;&s;ed over and unregarded.</P>
<P>But in this very ca&s;e God hath not left him&s;elf without witne&s;&s;e, but tels us, both how <HI>Jo&s;uab was famous through the World, for his victories,</HI> Jo&s;h. 6.27. The Heathen people could mark that. And tels how al&s;o <HI>it was God, who &s;ought for I&s;rael, Io&s;h.</HI> 10.42. This many could not &s;o well ob&s;erve. Scripture al&s;o declares, how <HI>Babel the glory of Kingdomes doth fall by the Medes, E&s;.</HI> 13, 17.
<PB N="3" REF="5">and how al&s;o <HI>it was the hand of God, that overthrew the might of that Kingdome, E&s;a.</HI> 14.22. Suppo&s;e the world negligent to ob&s;erve Gods power and goodne&s;&s;e in the&s;e and the like pa&s;&s;ages: can it po&s;&s;i|bly be &s;o blind, &s;o regardle&s;&s;e, when <HI>the Sonne of God was incar|nate, come to undoe the works of the Devill, &s;hewed his power by ma|ny miracles, and wrought mans &s;alvation, and divulged the &s;ame to all people?</HI> VVee mu&s;t needs &s;ee (what is &s;o often iterated) that <HI>then the Kingdome of God was at band, yea, was come to the people then li|ving,</HI> and <HI>that who&s;oever &s;ubmitted thereunto, was a &s;ubject of that Kingdome.</HI> 'Tis true that Satan in tho&s;e times brag'd, that <HI>all the Kingdomer in the World were his owne;</HI> and it is evident, that hee had long domineered among the Heathen, and u&s;urped power over the Jews, and va&s;&s;alled them in great part to his plea&s;ure. Yet by Chri&s;ts ca&s;ting out Devils out of many per&s;ons po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed, by his conque&s;t over Satan at his death, by his giving his Di&s;ciples pow|er to tread on Serpents and Scorpions and power over the ene|my, it clearely appeares, that <HI>the kingdome, power and glory</HI> (as the Church confe&s;&s;es, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. &amp; 5.) is truly his: and that <HI>hee is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Rev:</HI> 19.16. The wi&s;e men were by God directed to e&s;teem <HI>Chri&s;t a King,</HI> though found in a manger. <HI>Pilate</HI> adjudging to death <HI>the Lord of life,</HI> yet re&s;olutely gave him <HI>his due &s;tile:</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t him&s;elfe denyed not, but witne&s;&s;ed the truth; that hee was a King, and born &s;o to be, Iob.</HI> 18.37.</P>
<P>This Kingdome Chri&s;t began to expre&s;&s;e and make known, while hee lived here on earth. VVe can not but confe&s;&s;e it, when wee con&s;ider, that <HI>hee commanded windes, waves, di&s;ea&s;es, devils;</HI> that <HI>hee conquered death, and a&s;eended to his Throne in heaven:</HI> and yet hath <HI>his Throne of power in his Church, Apoc.</HI> 5.6. and hath been, is, and <HI>will bee, with the Apo&s;tles, and their Succe&s;&s;ors alwayes, e|ven to the end of the world,</HI> Mat. 28.20. Hee is &s;aid, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 6. <HI>To bee crowned as a King, and on a white hor&s;e to ride forth conquering, and to conquer:</HI> And therefore <HI>the great and famous Kingdome of Chri&s;t,</HI> that mentioned in <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.44. &amp; <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.13. &amp; <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. hath already long &s;ince begun, now is, and ever will continue, and is not (as mo&s;t Jews, and &s;ome Chri&s;tians too &s;arre herein con&s;enting to that deceived Nation, affirm) hereafter to take its beginning: much le&s;&s;e is it to bee a Kingdome of a thou&s;and years continuance, and no more.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="6">
<P>That Chri&s;ts Kingdom is long &s;ince begun, thus I punctually prove by the&s;e Arguments.</P>
<P><HI>Argument</HI> 1. The de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> and its Sanctuary was acted a thou&s;and and &s;ome hundred yeares agon, about the yeare of Chri&s;t 73.</P>
<P><HI>But Je&s;us Chri&s;t was to bee the Me&s;&s;ias or annointed Prince be|fore the de&s;ir<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ction of Jeru&s;alem and its Sanctuary,</HI> Dan. 9.25, 26.</P>
<P>Therefore Je&s;us Chri&s;t was the Me&s;&s;ias, or annointed Prince a thou&s;and and &s;ome hundreth yeares agon. And is not now to be|gin that Kingdome.</P>
<P><HI>Argum.</HI> 2. Princes upon, or pre&s;ently after their being declared to be annointed Princes begin their Kingdome. Scripture and com|mon experience confirm this.</P>
<P>But it was declared, that <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t was the Me&s;&s;ias, the annoin|ted Prince, before the end of the &s;eventy weeks, Dan.</HI> 9.24, 25, 26. which no Expo&s;itor extends further then the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and that was one thou&s;and five hundred yeares agon.</P>
<P>Therefore Je&s;us Chri&s;t began his Kingdome before the end of the &s;eventy weeks, one thou&s;and five hundred yeares agon:and is not now to begin it.</P>
<P><HI>Argum.</HI> 3. No good and lawfull King &s;ends out his com|mands, and requires them to bee obeyed, before hee hath begun his Kingdome.</P>
<P>But <HI>Chri&s;t &s;ent out his commands, and required obedience to them at his being here upon Earth,</HI> one thou&s;and five hundred yeares agon, <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.20.</P>
<P>Therefore his Kingdome then began, and is not hereafter to begin.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. II.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The chiefe and common Argument produced against my Te|nent, an&s;wered and confuted.</HI></P>
<P>AGain&s;t the Tenent above confirmed, this Objection is com|monly made;</P>
<P><HI>Chri&s;t comes not to that his Kingdome in</HI> Daniel, <HI>untill the fourth
<PB N="5" REF="6">Kingdome in that propbe&s;ie bee de&s;troyed, Dan.</HI> 7.11, 13.14, 27.</P>
<P>But the fourth Kingdome in <HI>Daniel,</HI> is that of the Romans, which is yet in being. Therefore that Kingdome of Chri&s;t is not yet begun.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In &s;peech of foure great Kingdomes, without reference to <HI>Daniels</HI> prophe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ie; the <HI>Babylonian Kingdome</HI> is the fir&s;t, the <HI>Medes</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> make the &s;econd, the <HI>Grecians</HI> is the third, and the <HI>Romans</HI> is rightly counted the fourth. But if que&s;tion bee about the foure great Kingdomes in Daniel, <HI>Alexander the Great,</HI> and <HI>his foure chiefe Captaines,</HI> who after his death were made Kings of &s;e|verall Nations, and were more famous then the re&s;t, are <HI>the third Kingdome in Daniel.</HI> Afterward, <HI>Sele<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">cus Nicator</HI> King of <HI>Syri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> and <HI>Ptolomie Lagides</HI> King of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and their po&s;terity became potent for a long time above all other Kings. They being two, and en|deavouring by marriage to agree in one, and by their frequent di&s;|&s;entions much mole&s;ting the Jews, who&s;e Country did lie between <HI>Syria</HI> and <HI>Egypt,</HI> make <HI>the fourth Kingdome in Daniel,</HI> expre&s;&s;ed by the two legs of iron, with feet, part of iron, part of clay, and by the fourth bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. which was more &s;avage and cruell to the Jews, then the three former Kingdomes.</P>
<P>That the Kings of <HI>Syria</HI> and <HI>Egypt</HI> are the fourth Kingdome in <HI>Daniel,</HI> is averred and &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">hciently proved by the&s;e learned, skilfull, and mo&s;t diligent &s;earchers into the &s;acred Text: Namely, <HI>Fr. Junius, Im. Tremelius, H. Broughton, Robert Rollocke, Am. Polanus, And. Willet, I&s;. Genius, Joh. Borelius, Joh. Scharpius, Joh. Woolebius,</HI> Mr. <HI>Diodate</HI> and &s;ome others.</P>
<P>That their judgement is &s;ound and good, and that the <HI>Romans</HI> bee not the fourth Kingdome in <HI>Daniel,</HI> I thus prove:</P>
<P><HI>Argument</HI> 1. The fourth Kingdome in <HI>Daniel</HI> was to be de&s;troy|ed before God gave Chri&s;t the great and mo&s;t eminent, and everla&s;t|ing Kingdome and Dominion, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.11, 13, 14, &amp; 27.</P>
<P>But the Romane Kingdome was not de&s;troyed before <HI>God gave Chri&s;t the great, most eminent and everla&s;ting Kingdome and Domi|nion,</HI> mentioned, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. For <HI>Christ had all power in Heaven and Earth given him,</HI> Mat. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">8.18. <HI>A Kingdome which la&s;teth for ever, Luke</HI> 1.33. And this Kingdome he had at, or neare his a&s;cen&s;ion, at which time, and a thou&s;and, and &s;ome hundreth yeares af|ter the Roman Kingdome &s;tood, and (as &s;ome affirme) yet &s;tands.</P>
<PB N="6" REF="7">
<P>Therefore the Roman Kingdome is not the fourth Kingdom in <HI>Daniel.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Argum.</HI> 2. <HI>The fourth Kingdome in</HI> Daniel <HI>is to bee de&s;troyed before Chri&s;ts Kingdome, to which all Nations,</HI> (and not the Jews one|ly) <HI>are to &s;ubmit, Dan.</HI> 7.14. not before a Kingdome of a thou|&s;and yeares (as &s;ome conceit yet to come) begins.</P>
<P>But the Roman Kingdome was not de&s;troyed before Chri&s;ts Kingdom began, to which all Nations were to &s;ubmit; <HI>for it began about the time when Chri&s;t &s;ent to all Nations to obey what hee commanded, Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> 28.20. At which time, and thence to this pre&s;ent the Roman Kingdome continues.</P>
<P>Therefore the Roman Kingdome is not <HI>Daniels</HI> fourth King|dome.</P>
<P><HI>Argum.</HI> 3. If the fourth Bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. expre&s;&s;es the Roman Kingdom, then the Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. to the 11. &s;ets forth the ve|ry &s;ame Kingdome, and not one like thereunto. For mo&s;t Expo&s;i|&s;itors hold (and that aright) that that Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. &s;ets forth the Roman Kingdom.</P>
<P>But the Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.8. to the 11 <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> expre&s;&s;es not the very &s;ame, bnt a like Kingdome to the foure Kingdomes, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>Therefore the fourth Bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. expre&s;&s;es not the Roman Kingdom.</P>
<P>That the Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. to 11. expre&s;&s;es not the very &s;ame, but a like Kingdome to the foure Kingdomes, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. I thus prove.</P>
<P>The chiefe my&s;ticall and figurative termes in the <HI>Revelation,</HI> having reference to &s;omething in the Old Te&s;tament, expre&s;&s;o &s;ome new matter like the Old, and not the &s;ame with the Old.</P>
<P>But the Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. hath in the figurative and my&s;ticall termes thereof reference to the Old Te&s;tament; namely, to the foure Bea&s;ts, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>Therefore that Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. expre&s;&s;es not the very &s;ame, but a like Kingdome to tho&s;e foure in <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.</P>
<P>What <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;firmed of the chiefe my&s;ticall and figurative termes in the <HI>Revelation,</HI> is evident: For <HI>Egypt, Babylon, the New Jeru&s;alem, the Wilderne&s;&s;e, Paradi&s;e, Manna,</HI> and other the like termes expre&s;&s;e new matters like the old, and not the &s;ame.</P>
<PB N="7" REF="7">
<P>And that there is a manife&s;t reference of that Bea&s;t, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. to the foure bea&s;ts, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. is mo&s;t manife&s;t. For</P>
<P><HI>In</HI> Dan. 7. The
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Bea&s;t is a Lion.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>A Beare.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>A Leopard.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>A Bea&s;t with ten horns.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>The Bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 13.1. <HI>Hath</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>A mouth like a Lion.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Feet like a Beare.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>A body like a Leopard.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>4. <HI>It hath ten hornes.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>And as the foure Bea&s;ts, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. have &s;even Heads: <HI>The Lion one, the Bear one, the Leopard foure, and the fourth Bea&s;t one.</HI> So <HI>the Bea&s;t, Rev.</HI> 13.1. <HI>Hath &s;even Heads.</HI> Thus the reference is most evi|dent.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> To this Argument is an&s;wered. Bee it granted that Chri&s;ts <HI>providentiall Kingdome</HI> over all things, and his <HI>&s;pirituall King|dome</HI> over his Church were admini&s;tred by him, when hee lived up|on earth, yea, even from the beginning of the world, and &s;hall continue unto the worlds end. Yet his <HI>Monarchicall Kingdome,</HI> in which hee &s;hall govern and raigne, as earthly Monarchs have done, univer&s;ally over the world is not yet begun. Mr. <HI>Archer.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Replicat. Chri&s;t</HI> in his <HI>Kingdome</HI> above mentioned, is <HI>the mo&s;t ab&s;olute King and Monarch</HI> that ever was, is, or &s;hall bee: and you much deba&s;e and vilify him and his Kingdome in comparing it, and counting it inferiour to earthly Monarchies and Kingdoms. For <HI>they ro&s;e out of the Sea or Earth, Dan.</HI> 7.3, &amp; 17. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1. &amp; 11. But Chri&s;ts Kingdome <HI>is &s;et up by the God of Heaven, and is of|ten called the Kingdome of Heaven in the Go&s;pel. Chri&s;t is the Lord from Heaven,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.43. <HI>and therefore is above all,</HI> Joh. 3.31. <HI>The kingdoms of other States were de&s;troyed.</HI> Dan. 2.44. <HI>But Chri&s;ts kingdome is everla&s;ting, and can never bee de&s;troyed,</HI> Dan. 7.27. O|ther <HI>great kingdomes</HI> of the world ruled <HI>over one hundred twenty &s;even Provinces,</HI> or the like. But <HI>Chri&s;t is to have all Nations to &s;erve him,</HI> P&s;al. 72.11. <HI>Even the uttermo&s;t parts of the Earth for his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;i|on,</HI> P&s;alme 2.8. In all things Chri&s;t hath the preheminence: And therefore Chri&s;t at the time mentioned was a more ab&s;olute Mo|narch, then any King ever was, is, or &s;hall bee; and had a law|full authority to give out his commi&s;&s;ion <HI>for all Nations to be taught to ob&s;erve his commands, Mat.</HI> 28.20.</P>
<P>But to come clo&s;e up to the Point, Thus <HI>I</HI> argue.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="8">
<P>Argum. 1. <HI>When Herod, Pila<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e, and the Jewi&s;h Rulers ro&s;e up a|gainst Je&s;us Chri&s;t, God &s;et him up to bee his King on Mount Sion his holy Mountaine, and gave him &s;o eminent a Kingdome, that to it, all Kings, Judges, and people must &s;ubmit, or el&s;e bee cru&s;ht with an iron Scepter,</HI> P&s;al. 2. Act. 4.26, 27.</P>
<P>Pnt <HI>Herod, Pilate, and the Jews rulers ro&s;e up against Je&s;us Christ</HI> one thou&s;and five hundred and moe yeares agon. This is unde|niable.</P>
<P>Therefore God &s;et up Chri&s;t his King on <HI>Sion</HI> his holy moun|taine, and gave him a Knigdome &s;o eminent, as above, one thou|&s;and five hundred and moe yeares agon.</P>
<P>What ever men conceive, <HI>W<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e must to the Law and te&s;timony,</HI> to the &s;acred authority of Scripture: and &s;eeing wee have good ground thence, &s;o to doe, wee may and doe averre, that (notwith|&s;tanding worldly potentates not &s;ubtle rea&s;onings onely, but migh|ty oppo&s;itions al&s;o agan&s;t Chri&s;t) God &s;et him up King on mount <HI>Sion,</HI> and laughed to &s;corn the vain and fru&s;trate de&s;ignes of his Adver&s;aries, agents for, and friends of <HI>Rome,</HI> the then mo&s;t potent Kingdome on Earth. So that it mu&s;t bee granted, that Chri&s;ts Kingdom then &s;et up, was more powerfull then <HI>Romes:</HI> which to this very day never could (though a&s;&s;i&s;ted by the Gates of Hell) ei|ther by might or policy prevaile again&s;t Chri&s;ts Kingdome.</P>
<P>Argum. 2. <HI>Christ in St. Johns time, was the Prince of the Kings of the Earth,</HI> Rev. 1.5. <HI>had all things given him by his Father,</HI> Luke 10.22. <HI>All power in Heaven and Earth, Mat.</HI> 28.18. before his a&s;cen&s;ion: &s;o that <HI>hee was the head of the Church his body; and in place farre above all principality, power, and Domination, and every ti|tle and name, that is named, not in this world onely, but in the world to come, Ephe&s;.</HI> 1.21, 22.</P>
<P>Therefore at Chri&s;ts being here on earth, or neere unto that time, he had an ab&s;olute and boundle&s;&s;e Soveraignty farre above all Monarchs and Kings that heretofore lived, or ever &s;hall here|after.</P>
<P>For though many of them had very large Dominions, and great pro&s;perity both in Peace and Warre, and &s;ubdued and va&s;&s;alled many other Kings to their Scepters: yet none of them had all power in heaven and earth committed into their hands by God. They were not capable of &s;uch honour, nor fit to be intru&s;ted with &s;o great a charge.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="9" REF="8">
<HEAD>Chap. III.</HEAD>
<P><HI>The An&s;wer to many Objections of &s;ever all Divines who would provetha Chri&s;ts famous Kingdome is not yet begun.</HI></P>
<P>TIs &s;ufficiently above proved, that Chri&s;ts emin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">nt Kingdome was long &s;ince begun: yet again&s;t this truth (as again&s;t diver<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> others) are many things objected. But the Sun retaines its light, how many clouds &s;oever bee interpo&s;ed. Wee will punctually ex|amine any thing that is worthy of An&s;wen.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> If Chri&s;t had about the time of his A&s;cen&s;ion<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;o ab&s;o|lute a Soveraignty, at is affirmed, how is it, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">that many Nations in tho&s;e times, many afterwards, many at this very day have not, or doe not yet yeeld obedience to him? Many Tyrans, many <HI>Hereticks</HI> have ri&s;en up again&s;t his Dominion and Laws.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Tho&s;e were no impeachment to Chri&s;ts <HI>ab&s;olute Soverdig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">|ty.</HI> The wickedne&s;&s;e of Sons takes not away the fatherhood and au|thority of Parents that is over them: nor doth a debauched Ser|vants ill carriage, argue his exemption from the Ma&s;ter&s;hip he is &s;ubject unto. <HI>David was, and continued King, though.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>and</HI> Sauls <HI>hou&s;e, though</HI> Ab&s;alon <HI>his own Son<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e, though</HI> Shebah a Benjamite, <HI>and many of I&s;rael ro&s;e up again&s;t, and &s;ubmi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ted <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> his Scepter.</HI> So Chri&s;t &s;its an ab&s;olute King on his Throne, bee the people of the world never &s;o unquiet, erroneous, rebellious. <HI>Hee rides on a crowned King conquering his enemies</HI> (more then ever <HI>Da|vid</HI> did) <HI>and &s;till to conquer. Rev.</HI> 6.2. And If any e&s;cape their due de&s;erved puni&s;hment in this life, they mu&s;t appeare at the great day of accounts hereafter, and &s;hall then &s;mart for all their mi&s;carri|ages.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Judge wee of Chri&s;ts Kingdome by what wee finde in &s;acred writ, and otherwi&s;e concerning him. When he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">came in|to the world, <HI>Hee was a man of &s;orrow, hee was in the forme of a Servant, rather a worm then a man, had no beauty in him that bee &s;hould bee de&s;ired.</HI> In all this what Royalty? What &s;ign of Ma|je&s;ty? <HI>Glimp&s;.</HI> 11.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> VVee are not to judge of matters according to their out|ward appearance, or mens e&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">em, but according to their true worth and excellency. Chri&s;t it his incarnation humi|lity,
<PB N="10" REF="9">but what&s;oever hee then appeared, <HI>hee was indeed the faire&s;t of ten thou&s;and,</HI> Cant. 5.10. <HI>Fairer then the Children of men,</HI> P&s;al. 45.2. and <HI>was God and man:</HI> and <HI>exalted by his Father above eve|ry name that is named.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object. Hee had a Reed put into his hand, in &s;tead of a Scepter, was bowed to in &s;corue: his Lord&s;hip and Dominion was much dark|ned, and appeared not to the world: his Crown and dignity were hid in a monnet: b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e was little knowne by the Name of God Omnipotent, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">or &s;hewed him&s;elf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> to bee Lord of Lords, and King of Kings,</HI> Glimp&s;. p. 9.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. If Chri&s;t was abu&s;ed and &s;corned, the greater was the peoples &s;inne, and his patience the more eminent. The more indignity hee &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ed, the greater did his love appeare to wards us, and his merit more prevaile for us.</P>
<P N="2">Such an Objection as this, might of old have been expected out of the mouth of a Phari&s;ee, or now from an unhappy Son of the Sy<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">agogue? A child of wi&s;dome cannot but know, that <HI>Chri&s;t by his by his <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word">, curing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ll di&s;ed&s;es; by bpening the eyes of the blind, &s;o born; by giving hearing to the dea&s;; by rai&s;ing the dead, by ri&s;ing him&s;elf from death,</HI> notwith&s;tanding Satans and wicked wretches malice a|gain&s;t him, <HI>&s;hewed him&s;elfe to bee the Sonne of God, to bee God e|quil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and one with the Father:</HI> and to have a power above all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ings and Potentates that ever ruled. <HI>My works,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>te&s;ti|f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e of mea.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object. No<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> onely him&s;elfe, but his Di&s;ciples and Followers al&s;o were injured and mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">thered by the bloody minded Jewi&s;h Rulers, and Re|m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">n Dop<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ties; yea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> his Subjects were but a company of poore di&s;tre&s;&s;ed forlorne people, wandring up and down, de&s;titute of all comforts.</HI> Glimp&s;. p. 9.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If <HI>Christ</HI> him&s;elf &s;uffered a &s;hamefull death, &s;urely <HI>hee had done all things well,</HI> and de&s;erved it not: but hee came into the world to die for us, and for our redemption hee died, and overcame death and all adver&s;e power. <HI>If his Apo&s;tler, their &s;ucce&s;|&s;ours, and mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">titudes of Chri&s;tians were injured and per&s;ecuted by the authority of Heathen Emperours, and many of them put to death, and &s;avagely butchered: yet dying for, and in the Lord, and in a good cau&s;e, they were &s;o &s;ary<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> from being for<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">orne or mi&s;erable, that they are pro|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">onced ble&s;&s;ed and happy,</HI> Mat. 5. Rev. 14. <HI>Christ by dying for them, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 span"> of death:</HI> So that their deaths were comforta|ble
<PB N="11" REF="9">to them&s;elves, and advantageous to the Go&s;pel, and Chri&s;ts Kingdome thereby was more and more propagated. They were of that number <HI>which overcame the Devill and his in&s;truments by the bloud of the Lamb, and by the word of their te&s;timony, and that loved <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> their lives unto the death, Rev.</HI> 12.11.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Christ hath not yet ruled, as earthly Monarchs did, univer|&s;ally over the known and e&s;teemed World: nor hath be had Soveraignty over all the Earth in a vi&s;ible and worldly manner for &s;plendor, riches, peace, &amp;c. what&s;oever is not &s;infull. Hee hath not &s;ubdued all the neighbouring Nations, as</HI> David <HI>had done. The fa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> on earth, P&s;al.</HI> 22.29. that is, great men for outward e&s;tate bowed not unto him. <HI>Ar|cher</HI> (if the booke bee his) <HI>p.</HI> 3.6.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If <HI>Christ</HI> did not rule, as the Earthly Monarchs for vi&s;ible &s;plendour, glory, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> the rea&s;on is ea&s;ily given: <HI>Solomon</HI> who excelled in abundance of all outward and royall accoutre|ments, found all to bee <HI>but vanity of vanity, and vexation of &s;pirit.</HI> If the wi&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t of all Kings e&s;teemed them &s;o upon his owne ju&s;t triall and experience, much more did Chri&s;t know their worth|le&s;ne&s;&s;e and emptine&s;&s;e. His Kingdom &s;erved to furni&s;h his Sub|jects with <HI>matters an hundred fold better in this life, and in the world to come with endle&s;&s;e happine&s;&s;e.</HI> VVhereas all that tho&s;e earthly Monarchs po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed was but as the beauty of a lilly, which &s;oon fades, and on the morrow is ca&s;t into the Oven. Nor did Chri&s;t intend to conquer the world by force of Armes, but in a more heavenly, peaceable, and glorious a manner. <HI>Hee</HI> (as a Learned man well &s;aith) <HI>&s;ent forth his Apo&s;tles, who though they were but a few mean men, yet were they more victorious, then the greate&s;t</HI> Alexander, <HI>and potent</HI> Cae&s;ars; <HI>and conquered by the word of their te&s;timony many oppo&s;ite Kingdomes; &s;ubdued many thou&s;and &s;pirits and con&s;ciences, and that in a &s;hort time without &s;hedding one drop of blood.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, Though <HI>not many noble, rich, wi&s;e,</HI> yet &s;ome of al the&s;e &s;orts were converted in the Primitive times: as, namely, <HI>Jo&s;eph of Ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">mat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ea an honourable Coun&s;ellor; &s;ome Saints in the tyrans Nero's hou&s;e the Aethiopian Queens Chamberlaine, &s;uch as came out of all Nations at Penteoo&s;t, Acts</HI> 2. (for mean men u&s;e not to be farre Travellers) <HI>the generous Bereans:</HI> and &s;eing the&s;e became followers of Chri&s;t, &s;o doubtle&s;&s;e did many others. For <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;peakes often of <HI>Kings,</HI> (who&s;e example draws a train of the be&s;t &s;ort after
<PB N="12" REF="10">them) overcome by the brightne&s;&s;e of the Go&s;pel. Be&s;ides the <HI>fat on earth, men like the plants of God flouri&s;hing with the fatne&s;&s;e of Gods grace,</HI> P&s;al. 92.14. <HI>fed with the marrow and fatne&s;&s;e of the Go&s;pel, E&s;a.</HI> 25.6. became members of Chri&s;ts Kingdom.</P>
<P><HI>Object. At Chri&s;ts po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing his Kingdome (&s;uppo&s;e it to bee about his A&s;cen&s;ion) hee did not bring under all the earth, and haughti|ne&s;&s;e of people; that is, Kingly power,</HI> that he alone might be exalted, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 2.11. &amp; 17. <HI>Archer p.</HI> 22, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Christ was the Stone,</HI> Dan. 2.25. <HI>which did &s;trike, break, and de&s;troy the foure kingdomes there mentioned:</HI> and was avenged of them for their pride and Idolatry, which are the &s;innes for which God threatens in <HI>E&s;ay.</HI> As God in his due time puni&s;hed tho&s;e foure Kingdomes; &s;o when <HI>Romes</HI> &s;ins were come to ripe|ne&s;&s;e, hee &s;pared i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> not. For <HI>hee tooke peace from the earth, and left the Roman forces to kill one another,</HI> Rev. 6.4. And <HI>for being drunke with the blood of God people, when her &s;innes come in remembrance before God, (bee is fully to bee rewarded: and at length to bee left de&s;olate, and burnt with fire,</HI> Rev. 17. &amp; 18. How Chri&s;t at the comming to his Kingdome was and is exalted above all, I have formerly declared: how Chri&s;tian Kings are his &s;ub&s;titutes and nur&s;ing fa|thers of the Church: See <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 49.23. &amp; 60.3.11, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Antichri&s;t hath &s;et up him&s;elf as Lord and God, and pre|&s;cribed Laws to the con&s;ciences of men: &s;o that Christ hath been cast out of his Throne, and to this day hath raigned little outwardly. The Devill him&s;elf in regard of multiplicity of Subjects is a greater King then hee. For the greatest part of the world is beathen, Antichri&s;tian, or <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">isked, Glimp&s;. p.</HI> 9, 10.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Anitichri&s;t hath indeed magnified him&s;elfe, as much as po&s;&s;ibly hee could, and attempted to throw Chri&s;t out of his Kingdome. But <HI>Christs Throne abides firm for ever and ever,</HI> Heb. 1.8. <HI>Antichri&s;ts Babel fals,</HI> but <HI>of Chri&s;ts Kingdome there &s;hall bee no end, B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ke</HI> 1.33. And though the Devill hath many moe Subjects then Chri&s;t, if you account the faithfull alone to bee Chri&s;ts Sub|jects, and the re&s;t the Devils; yet if you judg aright, you &s;hall finde that Chri&s;t hath moe &s;ubjects then the Devill, and that Chri&s;ts power over all is greater then the Devils. For even the Devill him&s;elfe, and all his Subjects, (as you call them) are at Chri&s;ts command, and if they doe any good, 'tis by their true <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">orde exciting them; and evill neither can they, nor the Devill
<PB N="13" REF="10">their Lord by u&s;urpation doe, except Chri&s;t permit them. Be|&s;ides, every faithfull Servant of God, and &s;ubject of Chri&s;t is as deare to God, as the apple of his eye, <HI>is as David,</HI> Zach. 12.8. <HI>worth tenthou&s;and of the Devils &V;a&s;&s;als. If the least in the kingdom of Heaven bee greater then John Baptist,</HI> how much more pretious to God is any true Chri&s;tian then millions of Reprobates?</P>
<P><HI>Object,</HI> Kings have their royall Thrones, their Palaces, their Attendants; they appeare many wayes, both in the&s;e and other matters, what, and how great they are. Now, what I pray you, was there in Chri&s;t formerly an&s;werable to the glory, power, and Maje&s;ty of &s;ome mean Kings in the world in the&s;e times?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If you will further urge to a compari&s;on between Chri&s;t and Earthly Kings, I doubt not but that you will ea&s;ily di&s;cern your mi&s;pri&s;ion. For what Kings palace and Throne on Earth is comparable to Chri&s;ts which is in Heaven? 1 <HI>King.</HI> 9.27. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 11.40. VVhat Kings Attendants and me&s;&s;engers like in fidelity, agility, &s;trength and ob&s;ervance to the Spirits, holy Angels, who are at Chri&s;ts command? Kings have their potent and pui&s;&s;ant Ho&s;ts; but infinitely inferiour to <HI>Chri&s;ts Ho&s;ts,</HI> that is, <HI>all Creatures in Hea|ven and Earth;</HI> far unlike to <HI>the thou&s;and thou&s;ands that mini&s;ter un|to Chri&s;t, and ten thou&s;and thou&s;ands that &s;tand before him,</HI> Dan. 7.10. <HI>God gives to Kings great Maje&s;ty and glory,</HI> Dan. 5.18. <HI>But Chri&s;ts glory is above all Principalities and powers, and all names of created excellency: and into his hands God hath given all things, E|phe&s;.</HI> 1.21. <HI>Job.</HI> 13.3. &amp; 16.15. Kings &s;end their Edicts to the utmo&s;t parts of their Dominions: but Chri&s;t to all parts of Heaven and Earth. Kings command their Officers, and have them re&s;pon&s;able for their &s;ervices: but Kings them&s;elves are Chri&s;ts Vicegerents, and mu&s;t bee countable to him for all. Chri&s;ts laws are mo&s;t heavenly, mo&s;t perfect, far &s;urpa&s;&s;ing all humane inventions. The honours that any one receives from his King, are but mean and momentary in regard of the honours, which God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> gives. Kings can puni&s;h the bodies of their Sub|jects with pri&s;on and death; but God can ca&s;t both their &s;oules and bodies into the lake of fire and brim&s;ton. Kings &s;tand in need, and make u&s;e of their Subjects help and advi&s;e: but Chri&s;t nor needs, nor will u&s;e his &s;ubjects coun&s;el; and will u&s;e, though hee needs not, their &s;ervices. VVhat &s;hould I &s;ay more? Chri&s;t in all things doth <GAP DESC="foreign">, not onely &s;urpa&s;&s;e all that is in Kings, but even
<PB N="14" REF="11">all that can be &s;poken, or conceived of them. So great then is the glory and Maje&s;ty of Chri&s;t, that the Moon may bee aba&s;hed, and the Sun a&s;hamed (take the &s;peech literally, or el&s;e figuratively for Princes, and &s;uch as they lend their light unto) when Chri&s;t raigns on mount <HI>Sion,</HI> and &s;hews his power to bee above all created might what&s;oever. The Sun never &s;aw any King doe &s;uch wonderfull workes as Chri&s;t here on Earth did effect. If &s;ome &s;ubject bee ig|norant of a Kings Maje&s;ty and eminency, it is becau&s;e his mean|ne&s;&s;e hath not acce&s;&s;e to the Court, nor conver&s;e with &s;uch as can inform him: but a good chri&s;tian cannot but know Chri&s;ts kingly glory and highne&s;&s;e. For though hee cannot approach that light and Maje&s;ty, in which Chri&s;t now is: yet may hee &s;earch the Scriptures, which in excellent manner di&s;cover the &s;ame, &s;o far as it plea&s;ed the holy Spirit to de&s;cribe them, or is needfull for us to know.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> But Chri&s;t him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>My Kingdome is not of this World.</HI> Therefore there was &s;ome power and royalty, which was either denyed Chri&s;t, or which hee would not take upon him.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> A Kingdome may bee &s;aid to bee of this world in two re&s;pects: Fir&s;t, becau&s;e the admini&s;tration of it is by humane and worldly means, and tends to worldly ends; as, namely, to get a large extent of wordly Dominion, a glorious name among men, abundance of earthly matters, and there is terminated. In this &s;en&s;e, not <HI>Chri&s;ts,</HI> but <HI>Alexanders</HI> and the <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> kingdoms were of this world. Secondly, becau&s;e it is &s;o admini&s;tred, that Men conver&s;ing in this world may thereby take notice of Chri&s;t, u&s;e the things of this world in an heavenly manner, have on earth a conver&s;ation as it were in Heaven, each man in his &s;everall calling and place of worldly employment &s;erve God, and advance his king|dom of grace in this world, and &s;o &s;ubmit them&s;elves to Chri&s;ts go|vernment here, that they may bee heires of glory in a better world. Such a kingdom Chri&s;t both had, and hath, in, and over this world; &s;uch a kingdom hee affirmed him&s;elf to bee born unto. And as Chri&s;t governs this world and all things therein <HI>in ordine ad c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">le&s;tia,</HI> with reference to the world to come: &s;o <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> who was in Gods place, and his Deputy, to direct <HI>Aaron</HI> and the I&s;raelites; and <HI>David,</HI> who was Gods &s;hepheard to govern and feed the Jews, did <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>perform the be&s;t &s;ervice they could, for the
<PB N="15" REF="11">bringing the people in tho&s;e times of the world under them,</HI> to a more ble&s;&s;ed e&s;tate in another world.</P>
<P><HI>Replicat.</HI> But <HI>when the people would have made Chri&s;t a King, hee did not a&s;&s;ent thereunto, but went from among them, Joh. 9.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The people there, out of a &s;udden apprehen&s;ion of Chri&s;ts power, who miraculou&s;ly fed many thou&s;ands with five barly loaves and two fi&s;hes, were not fit in&s;truments; nor had a calling to fit them, for conferring on Chri&s;t &s;o great a dignity. <HI>Scinditur incertum &s;tudia in contrariavulgus,</HI> is a true and cleare ver|dict upon them, as the &s;chi&s;m, <HI>Joh.</HI> 10.19. plainly &s;hews; they which to-day would make Chri&s;t a King, will to morrow depo&s;e him: if not they, &s;ome others in a like, but contrary heat, upon &s;ome &s;leight di&s;ta&s;te will doe it. Their <HI>Ho&s;anna</HI> one day, their <HI>Cru|cifige</HI> &s;oon after &s;hew the mutability of their fancy.</P>
<P>Secondly, had Chri&s;t accepted of the kingdom at the&s;e few Jews in|&s;tance, this might have been an occa&s;ion of a grievous combu&s;tion in that &s;editious and di&s;contented people; becau&s;e the chief Rulers of the Jews con&s;ented not thereunto, and had much people blind|ly led by them. If the chiefe builders refu&s;ed the head corner &s;tone, and &s;aid, <HI>Wee will not have this man rule over us :</HI> and further con|&s;pired, &s;aying, <HI>Come this is the heire, let us kill him:</HI> Chri&s;t, who well knew Gods law for the government of that people, would not bee made King, unle&s;&s;e hee was orderly called thereunto by the chief Elders and Rulers of their Tribes.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Chri&s;t did not deny, or publikely gain&s;ay his being made a King, but perceiving their intention to take him, and make him a king, hee withdrew him&s;elf, and thereby both avoided civill di&s;&s;ention, to which that people were too too prone, and conti|nued al&s;o his humble cour&s;e of life, that as a Lamb hee might come to the &s;laughter and die for us. Hee well knew the time ap|pointed for his humiliation; and waited his Fathers good plea&s;ure for his exaltation.</P>
<P>Fourthly, when hee was &s;et as a king upon the holy hill of <HI>Sion,</HI> his purpo&s;e was to propagate his kingdom by other cour|&s;es, then &s;uited with the&s;e peoples plots and devi&s;es: <HI>Their thoughts and wayes, were not Chri&s;ts thoughts and wayes:</HI> For his mind was to demon&s;trate his glorious might and Sovereignty, and his Infinite and all-&s;eeing wi&s;dome by means in the worlds eye and humane e|&s;teem mo&s;t unlikely. This in his good time he accordingly pefor|med.</P>
<PB N="16" REF="12">
<P><HI>Object. The Saints are &s;aid,</HI> Apoc. 20 <HI>to raign with Chri&s;t a thou|and yeeres ;</HI> this is not yet fulfilled. Therefore there &s;hall be here|after a thou&s;and yeeres of Chri&s;ts raign, in which the Saints &s;hall raign with him on earth. For their raign with him in Heaven is everla&s;ting.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Ob&s;rve well, that 'tis no where &s;aid, that Chri&s;ts raign on kingdom is of a thou&s;and yeares continuance. His kingdom fore|told, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.14. begun long &s;ince, and continues for ever: hee ne|yer rever&s;ed his command of teaching all Nations. Ever &s;ince that edict, people of all Nations and languages have been called to Chri&s;tianity, &s;hewed their faith by their practi&s;e, and &s;ealed their Te&s;timony (&s;uch as have been called thereunto) by their deaths.</P>
<P>Secondly, for the &s;pace of a thou&s;and years after Chri&s;ts time, many were called in &s;everall Nrtions, and in every part of that thou&s;and yeeres, many lived and raigned with Chri&s;t, and <HI>the true doctrine of the Go&s;pel was held in &s;ome good mea&s;ure untill neare the end of the thou&s;and yeeres: at which time there was a declining,</HI> Mr. <HI>Fox Mart. Pre&s;. pag. 5. Then matters grew wor&s;e and wor&s;e, Fox. p. 215, vol.</HI> 1. <HI>Sylve&s;ter a Sorcerer about that time held the Popes Chair.</HI> And <HI>Hildebrand &s;oon after appeared to rule not by Gods, but by Satans &s;pi|rit, Id. pag.</HI> 237. So that &s;oon after the&s;e wicked beginnings, error and &s;uper&s;tition &s;pread very much in the Churches proceedings.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> When then did the thou&s;and years of the Saints raigning with Chri&s;t end? Tell us the time punctually.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> As wee cannot de&s;ign the very year and day of the begin|ning of Chri&s;ts famous kingdom, &amp; Gods &s;etting him up King upon the hill of <HI>Sion</HI> (nor doe wee hold it nece&s;&s;ary) but onely in gene|rall aver with Scripture that it was begun in Chri&s;ts life time on Earth. So for the end of the thou&s;and yeares of the Saints raign|ing with Chri&s;t, wee will not point out the very yeare and day <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> but wee &s;ay that about a thou&s;and yeers after Chri&s;ts time, Satan being loo&s;ed, did with the full height of his malice infu&s;e into the Pope and his in&s;truments, Pride, error, and other impieties: in|&s;omuch that by the Popes power and craft conjoyned, the Nations in al the kingdoms of this we&s;tern part of the world in great mea&s;ure yeelded to the Popes &s;upreme authority over all Kings, to his pre|tended infallible determinations, to many &s;uper&s;titious ob&s;ervan|ces, and were led blind fold into a multitude of fal&s;e and currunt doctrines. In this grand Apo&s;ta&s;ie, Chri&s;t had faith full &s;ervants who
<PB N="17" REF="12">&s;aw <HI>Romes</HI> declining from truth, and growth to an height of wic|kedne&s;&s;e. The&s;e as the re&s;t of the Saints formerly continued to in|habit the holy City, the new Jeru&s;alem, though they were a&s;&s;aulted with bloudy and mo&s;t violent per&s;ecution, and were extremely op|pre&s;&s;ed and tyrannized over untill <HI>Luthers</HI> time.</P>
<P><HI>Object. The Saints are &s;aid to reign with Chri&s;t the thou&s;and yeares, in which Satan is bound, Rev.</HI> 20. Their <HI>reigning with Chri&s;t</HI> imports more then when it is &s;aid, that <HI>Chri&s;t reigns in or with them.</HI> This their reigning with Chri&s;t hath never yet been performed. For Chri&s;t hath never yet vi&s;ibly and per&s;onally come again to the Earth, that they might reign with him, as the words import. And there|fore hereafter he mu&s;t &s;o come, and they reign with him. <HI>Archer.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. There is nothing &s;poken, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20. which may a&s;&s;ure us, or indeed give us any the lea&s;t warrant of Chri&s;ts per&s;onall and vi&s;ible comming again to reign here on earth. If &s;uch a matter had been, it might much better have been concluded from this: <HI>Lo, I am with you always to the worlds end, Mat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ult.</HI> Or from Chri&s;ts walking a|mid&s;t the golden Candle&s;ticks, <HI>Rev.</HI> 1. that is, the Churches of God. That hee then did perform, and in the &s;ame manner (which is there meant) he will ever do it to the la&s;t day. The&s;e &s;peeches and the like put together would &s;oonerafford (which indeed they do not) a per|&s;onall pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t &s;till on earth, then any &s;peech, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20.</P>
<P>And, 2. where tis &s;aid, <HI>The Saints reign with Chri&s;t on earth,</HI> how can that be more emphaticall, and imply more then this, <HI>Wee &s;hall &s;uffer with Chri&s;t? Rom</HI> 8.19. No man ever hence inferred that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> mu&s;t again come down from Heaven, that wee may &s;uffer with him. In both &s;peeches of <HI>reigning with,</HI> and <HI>&s;uffering with</HI> Chri&s;t, Chri&s;t is the chief, men are his members, and partake with him their head in both. Sometimes the frame of the like expre&s;&s;ions is different. As thus, <HI>Cornelius beleeved with his whole hou&s;e, Act.</HI> 10.2. even here <HI>Cornelius</HI> is the chief ; &s;o had hee been, had it been &s;aid, <HI>The whole hou&s;hold beleeved with him.</HI> And what can there bee more in this &s;peech, <HI>Wee work together with Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.4. then in this, <HI>Chri&s;t works together with us? Mar.</HI> 16.2. Chri&s;t is the chief in both. Let us not gull our &s;elves with niceties, and wre&s;t that from Texts, which was never intended. <HI>Wee &s;uffer, wee co-worke with</HI> Chri&s;t. and both the&s;e wee doe on earth: but may not hence conclude, that Chri&s;t comes down to us per&s;onally and vi&s;ibly for that purpo&s;e So neither can wee conclude Chri&s;ts vi&s;ible and per&s;onall pre|&s;en&s;e
<PB N="18" REF="13">on earth, becau&s;e it is &s;aid, that <HI>we on Earth &s;hall reign with him.</HI></P>
<P N="3">Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede,</HI> who hath laboured mo&s;t earne&s;tly in his proofs about this point of the thou&s;and years, never makes any conclu&s;i|on for Chri&s;ts vi&s;ible and per&s;onall comming down again to earth. Hee was a better Logician then to conceit that &s;uch an inference could bee wrought from the&s;e words, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20. The <HI>Glimp&s;.</HI> is un|re&s;olved, <HI>pag.</HI> 13. Mr.<HI>Cotton</HI> denies <HI>it. p.</HI> 4. Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> mo&s;t mode&s;tly and ingenuou&s;ly (as in his other writings, &s;o in his Comment on the <HI>Apocalyps</HI>) la&s;hes not out &s;o far: but keeps to generall termes. Onely Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> is bold, as to wre&s;t &s;ome other Scriptures, &s;o here: and to make Chri&s;t vi&s;ibly come from, and return to Heaven according to his fancy, rather then any text well under&s;tood.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> Bee it &s;o, that Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> &s;ayes not, that Chri&s;t &s;hall vi|&s;ibly and per&s;onally reign on earth as Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> doth: yet <HI>bee a&s;&s;erts the re&s;urrection of the Martyrs, who are to reign with Christ, to bee demon&s;trated <GAP DESC="foreign">, as clear</HI> (<HI>Apoc.</HI> 20.4.) <HI>as if our eyes &s;aw it. p.</HI> 8. But the Martyrs are not yet ri&s;en from their graves: therefore the Saints and Chri&s;ts eminent Kingdom is not yet pa&s;t. The &s;peech cannot bee of the Martyrs ri&s;ing from &s;in, but from their graves. For 'tis mentioned after &s;peech of their beheading. Therefore it cannot be meant of a ri&s;ing from &s;in in this life.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. Let it bee ob&s;erved, that <HI>the Thrones were &s;et,</HI> Apoc. 20. and 1. That wee mo&s;tly agree in this, that <HI>the Apo&s;tles and other godly per&s;ons are tho&s;e that &s;it on the Thrones.</HI> 2. It is al&s;o confe&s;&s;ed, that <HI>the&s;e were beheaded,</HI> or otherwi&s;e killed <HI>for their te&s;timony to the Go&s;pel:</HI> both the&s;e were fulfilled in the Apo&s;tles, and other the Saints life time: So <HI>&s;ay</HI> I, was al&s;o their Judging the world by Gods word preached, <HI>as the word preached by Christ judged it, Joh:</HI> 12.28.</P>
<P>Moreover, &s;econdly, it follows not, that becau&s;e their <HI>deaths and martyrdoms were &s;poken of first, Rev.</HI> 20.4. that the &s;peech after|ward of their <HI>ri&s;ing again,</HI> mu&s;t be meant of their ri&s;ing from death and from the grave, and not from &s;in. For after &s;peech <HI>of their martyrdom,</HI> it is &s;aid of them, <HI>that they wor&s;hipped not the Beast, nor his image, nor received his mark,</HI> as advancers of the Bea&s;ts kingdom with reference to their life time: <HI>but</HI> (<GAP DESC="foreign"> is here &s;o to bee rendred) <HI>lived and reigned with Christ,</HI> that is, as advancers of his king|dom, and partakers thereof, and that in their life times al&s;o. Mark
<PB N="19" REF="13">the context well, and of this there will bee no doubt. Mr. <HI>Cotton</HI> (<HI>pag.</HI> 20 <HI>l. pen.</HI>) grants, that even now <HI>there is a re&s;urrection of ma|ny pretious &s;ouls, and that they reign with Christ in their hearts and families, as much as in them lies.</HI> So <HI>the Apo&s;tles</HI> and all good Chri|&s;tians <HI>ro&s;e from the death of &s;in, as Christ from the grave,</HI> Col. 3.1. <HI>and on earth &s;ought things above and in Heaven, where Christ is: they</HI> lived with Chri&s;t, as <HI>Henoch walked with God,</HI> Gen. 5.22. <HI>they reig|ned in this life through and with le&s;us Christ, from whom they recei|ved abundance of grace, Rom.</HI> 5.17.</P>
<P>And, thirdly, I an&s;wer, that this reigning with Chri&s;t is an ex|pre&s;&s;ion like others denoting the excellent priviledges of Chri&s;ti|ans, and the great honours, which Chri&s;t confers on them. As namely, <HI>Christ treads Satan under his feet: true Chri&s;tians al&s;o tread on him,</HI> Rom. 16.20. <HI>Christ rules the Nations with a rod of iron, Chri&s;tians al&s;o doe the &s;ame,</HI> Rev. 2.27. <HI>Out of Chri&s;ts mouth went at we edged &s;word,</HI> Rev. 1.16. <HI>The word of God in the Mini&s;ters mouth is a two edged &s;word,</HI> Heb. 4.12. <HI>Christ treads on the a&s;pe, the lion, and dragon,</HI> P&s;al. 91.13. <HI>Chri&s;ts Apo&s;tles tread on &s;erpents and &s;corpions, and nothing &s;hall hurt them,</HI> Luke 10.14. <HI>Christ inherits the earth,</HI> P&s;alm 2.8. <HI>So doe good Chri&s;tians,</HI> Mat. 5.5. P&s;alm 37.9.11. E&s;a. 60.21. As <HI>Christ hath a kingdom here on earth,</HI> P&s;alm 2.6. Rev: 19.16. <HI>So the Saints are made Kings unto God,</HI> (not Kings over men, as <HI>David</HI>) <HI>and &s;hall reign on the Earth,</HI> Rev. 5.10. <HI>Thus as is the heavenly man, &s;uch are they that are heavenly,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.48, 49. <HI>True Chri&s;tians are the body of Christ, hee is their head,</HI> 1 Cor. 12.27. Col: 1.18: As they par|take of &s;ufferings like his: &s;o they have their &s;hare of honours, which Chri&s;t enjoyes: of his fulne&s;&s;e they receive in their mea&s;ure, as by the particulars here mentioned, and &s;ome other the like doth clearly appear. The &s;peech of reigning with Chri&s;t may not bee &s;tretched further.</P>
<P><HI>Repl. Sitting on Thrones,</HI> and <HI>having judgment given to the Saints,</HI> imports a far other matter, then you conceive: <HI>Beleevers &s;hall rule the world as Kings, and di&s;cipline mens &s;oules as Prie&s;ts. Christ will depute the Saints Governours upon Earth,</HI> Arch. p. 23. <HI>The wicked &s;hall bee ruled with a rod of iron, and bee Tributaries to the Saints, as the Gibeonites to the I&s;raelites,</HI> Arch: p: 22. <HI>The first part of Chri&s;ts kingdom &s;hall bee ruled by them. For they &s;hall &s;it on Thrones, &amp;c. Mat.</HI> 19.28. At la&s;t Chri&s;t <HI>will bee vi&s;ibly on the Throne, and con&s;tant|ly there &s;it and judg,</HI> Id. 23. p.</P>
<PB N="20" REF="14">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Nothing here &s;poken doth prove the Saints to bee Kings in any other manner, then I have above declared. <HI>They who continu|ed with Chri&s;t in his tentations,</HI> that is, were tryed by a&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">lictions as hee was: <HI>they that followed him in the regeneration,</HI> that is, ro&s;e from &s;in, as hee from death, <HI>&s;it upon twelve Thrones, and judg the twelve Tribes of I&s;rael,</HI> as the <HI>Presbyters,</HI> Rev. 4.4. <HI>&s;it upon Thrones,</HI> and preach the Go&s;pel to the twelve Tribes, as <HI>Peter a Presbyter,</HI> 1 Pet. 5.1. <HI>did.</HI> And <HI>to them Christ appoints a Kingdom, as his Father appointed to him :</HI> that as, they partake of the benefits of his kingdom: &s;o <HI>doe all the Saints converted by their and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors &s;ermons, Mat.</HI> 19.28. <HI>Luke</HI> 22.28, 29. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.9, 10.</P>
<P>And, &s;econdly, concerning the Saints judging others, wee know that it belongs to the office of a judg to bind or to loo&s;e, to acquit or condemn: which power that the Apo&s;tles might exerci&s;e <HI>Christ gave them the keyes and authority thereby to bind or to loo&s;e, to acquit or condemn in his name, Mat.</HI> 16.19. By this means they had a greater power then Earthly Judges, who pa&s;&s;e judgment onely upon mens bodies, liberty and goods: But <HI>Christ gave the Apo&s;tles power to remit and retain &s;ins, Joh.</HI> 20.23. and tels them, that <HI>what they hind or loo&s;e on earth, is bound and loo&s;ed in Heaven, Mat.</HI> 18.18. The Apo|&s;tles and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors were good and faithfull Judges, and indued with wi&s;dom, directing them to ki&s;&s;e the Son, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. and were not like <HI>Pilate</HI> and <HI>Herod</HI> and other Judges who oppo&s;ed him.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the Apo&s;tles (for I will not deny them any their ju&s;t titles) were <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>rulers</HI> under Chri&s;t, <HI>Acts</HI> 15.22. For <HI>Christ is, <GAP DESC="foreign"> the Ruler, Mat.</HI> 2.6. and hath his rule and authority, as hee is the great Governour above all, feeding his people I&s;rael, ex|pre&s;&s;ed by this title. Hence I &s;uppo&s;e <HI>the Apo&s;tles to bee called Prin|ces in all lands,</HI> or all the Earth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 45.16. for <HI>Christ &s;ent them to all Nations. They had their attendants, who mini&s;tred unto, and were directed by them. The&s;e &s;eeing and imitating the cour&s;es taken by the: Apo&s;tles,</HI> 1 Cor. 4.17. <HI>did work the work, of God as the Apo&s;tles had, done,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 16.10. What is &s;aid of <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Barnabas,</HI> and o|thers, <HI>Acts.</HI> 15.12. was true al&s;o of <HI>Peter, James, Matthias, Silas, Apollos</HI> and the re&s;t: they all had rule and authority given them by Chri&s;t, according to their places. And what authority <HI>Timo|thy</HI> and <HI>Titus</HI> had, wee read in the Epi&s;tles wri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> unto them. <HI>The witne&s;&s;es of Je&s;us Christ and of his Word, who did not wor&s;hip the
<PB N="21" REF="14">Beast, nor his image, neither took his mark in their foreheads, nor in their hands, they lived</HI> and <HI>reigned with Christ, and &s;at on the Thrones &s;poken of,</HI> Rev. 20.4. and ordered matters in the Chri&s;tian Church, acccording to the direction of Chri&s;t the great ruler of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Before the famous thou&s;and years, and the great and terrible day of Chri&s;ts conquering his</HI> enemies, and &s;etting up his kingdom, <HI>Elias must come,</HI> Mal. 4.5. <HI>and re&s;tore all things,</HI> Mat. 17.11. Now <HI>Elias</HI> is not yet come; nor are all things re&s;tored: nor could the time of Chri&s;ts incarnation and preaching bee termed a terrible day; for it was a mo&s;t joyfull day, <HI>Al&s;ted.</HI> 54. Therefore Chri&s;ts kingdom is not yet begun.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fir&s;t, Chri&s;t, <HI>who had no guile found in his mouth,</HI> tels the Di&s;ciples plainly, <HI>That Elias was come before him, Mat.</HI> 17.12. that is, <HI>John</HI> Bapti&s;t in the &s;pirit of <HI>Elias.</HI> The Di&s;ciples conceived aright, that Chri&s;t affirmed the Bapti&s;t to bee <HI>Elias.</HI> Why then &s;hould any doubt of this truth? Dr. <HI>Al&s;ted</HI> might well have &s;een a figurative &s;peech here, as el&s;where hee doth: when a new State of the old <HI>Babels</HI> and Edoms &s;pirit, is termed <HI>Babel</HI> and <HI>Edom, page</HI> 44. &amp; 53.</P>
<P>Secondly, the word <HI>Nora</HI> in <HI>Mal.</HI> 4. &s;ignifies not a day <HI>terrible,</HI> to affright, but <HI>a day with all diligent and reverend care to bee looked unto.</HI> Such a day was it, when Chri&s;t appeared in the fle&s;h, and publi&s;hed the Go&s;pel: <HI>Acts</HI> 2.20. a day of much comfort and joy: and therefore, <HI>Joel</HI> 2.31. it is called <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a glorious day;</HI> and <HI>Nora</HI> el&s;where is rendred by <HI><GAP DESC="foreign"> glorious. Deut.</HI> 20,21. The Lord did for I&s;rael great and <HI>glorious</HI> things: for &s;uch they were to I&s;rael at their comming out of <HI>Egypt.</HI> And hence it is, that <HI>Joreh Elohim</HI> is rendred, <HI>one that fears God, Job</HI> 1.1. and that <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> u|&s;ing the &s;ame word, &s;aith, <HI>I fear God, Gen.</HI> 42.18. not that God was terrible to him, but that hee had a filiall and religious fear of the divine Maje&s;ty.</P>
<P>And, thirdly, if you would know how <HI>Iohn</HI> Bapti&s;t re&s;tored all things; Fir&s;t, tell us, how <HI>all men beleeved that</HI> John <HI>Baptist was a Prophet in very deed,</HI> Mark 11. and how <HI>all men hon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">red Christ, Luke</HI> 4.15. And if you an&s;wer not your &s;elves, wee will a&s;&s;ay to find you an an&s;wer. It mu&s;t needs bee, that (all) in the&s;e and the like places admits &s;ome re&s;triction: and concerning <HI>Iohns</HI> performance,
<PB N="22" REF="15">wee find, that <HI>all things, which he &s;pake of Christ were true,</HI> Joh. 10.41. That <HI>hee told the Publicans and Souldiers and other people their du|ties,</HI> Luke 3.12. <HI>That the Phari&s;ees and Sadduces, and all Ieru&s;alem and the Region round about Iordan wese baptized by him, Mat.</HI> 3.5. His doctrine was, <HI>repentance for remi&s;&s;ion of &s;ins, and hee prepared the way for Christ, by whom all fle&s;h &s;hould &s;ee the &s;alvation of God, Luke</HI> 3.3, 4, 5. and many other matters he preached. Now I am a&s;&s;ured that no man will conceive that all things ab&s;olutely were to bee re|&s;tored by him<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for then what need would there bee of one greater then hee, to come after him? It is enough that hee taught &s;uch doctrine, as &s;et all matters in order, according to Gods will, for the approach of Chri&s;t the Saviour of mankind. But 'tis replied, Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> and others &s;ay, That <HI>Elias indeed &s;hall come and re|&s;tore all things,</HI> that is, <HI>confirm the Saints vexed with antichri&s;ts per&s;ecuti|ons. So that Malachies prophecy being once fulfilled in</HI> Iohn <HI>Baptist: yet may a &s;econd time hereafter bee fulfilled in &s;ome worthy in&s;trument of God,</HI> Al&s;ted p. 54. An&s;w. I acknowledge Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> to bee in his time an excellent and bright &s;hining light in Gods Church, &s;o other Fathers. But I beleeve Chri&s;ts expo&s;ition of <HI>Malachi</HI> to bee undoubtedly true, namely, that <HI>Iohn</HI> Bapti&s;t was that <HI>Elias</HI> &s;poken of by the la&s;t Prophet in the Old Te&s;tament: and to have appeared in the very porch of the New Te&s;tament; and that <HI>Malachies</HI> pro|phecy was by him perfectly fulfilled. Yet becau&s;e Gods dealings are often alike, I &s;ay, that God, who &s;ent <HI>Enoch</HI> to the Church of old declining, <HI>Noah</HI> to the old World, <HI>Elias</HI> to I&s;rael, <HI>Iohn</HI> Bapti&s;t to the Iews become wicked; may al&s;o &s;end &s;ome eminent per&s;on or per&s;ons to the world neare the end there of, who &s;hall give war|ning of Gods comming to his own people and &s;ervants in mercy; to his enemies in judgment before the la&s;t day.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> It is promi&s;ed, <HI>That all the ends of the Earth &s;hall bee &s;aved, and every knee bow to Chri&s;t,</HI> E&s;a. 45.22, 23. <HI>and every tongue confe&s;&s;e unto him,</HI> Rom: 14.11. Phil: 2.10. <HI>That all I&s;rael &s;hall bee &s;aved, Rom:</HI> 11.26. <HI>Mic:</HI> 2.12. But this hath not yet been per|formed: there was never yet an univer&s;all conver&s;ion of all Nati|ons, nor of all I&s;rael; therefore Chri&s;ts kingdom in which this is to bee fulfilled, is not yet come or begun: <HI>Al&s;ted.</HI> 89. <HI>Arch:</HI> 11. <HI>&amp;</HI> 28. <HI>Glimp&s;:</HI> 28.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w:</HI> The word (<HI>all</HI>) in many places of Scripture cannot (as was above &s;aid) bee extended to every particular, but mu&s;t be wari|ly
<PB N="23" REF="15">limited. It is &s;aid, that <HI>Chri&s;t healed every di&s;ea&s;e, Mat:</HI> 4.23. <HI>that hee is a light to every man that is born, Job:</HI> 1.9. That Saint <HI>Lukes Go&s;pel was written of all things which Chri&s;t had done, Acts</HI> 1.1. whereas, <HI>&s;o &s;hort a book could not po&s;&s;ibly contain each particular, Joh:</HI> 21.25. And Chri&s;t healed not all di&s;ea&s;ed people, but any what|&s;oever that came unto him, or &s;ought by others for cure: nor did the light of the Go&s;pel by Chri&s;t brought in, benefit each particular per&s;on. For it is pre&s;ently there added: That <HI>the world knew him not,</HI> that <HI>his own knew him not.</HI> So then the meaning of the&s;e &s;peeches here urged mu&s;t be limited according to other Scriptures. That is, <HI>all &s;hall be &s;aved by Chri&s;t, and all have eternall life, who&s;oever believe in him,</HI> Joh. 3.15, 16. <HI>Who&s;oever heare Chri&s;ts commands and obey them, Mat:</HI> 7.24. this limitation is warranted, <HI>Joh:</HI> 6.45. where fir&s;t it is &s;aid, <HI>They &s;hall bee all taught of God:</HI> there is the generall fully expre&s;&s;ed: but pre&s;ently the re&s;triction follows, <HI><GAP DESC="foreign">, every one that heares and learns of the Father, comes to mee.</HI> Tho&s;e are onely <HI>&s;uch as the Father gives unto Chri&s;t, ver&s;e</HI> 37. So then the &s;en&s;e of the texts produced, is, that an elect company out of all parts of the world, both of I&s;rael and every Nation and tongue, &s;hall be &s;aved: all that adore Chri&s;t as their Saviour, &s;hall bee ble&s;&s;ed in him. This is in good part accompli&s;hed already, and &s;hall &s;till more and more by Gods mercy, and good Chri&s;tians indu&s;try bee effected. Let no man conceive that hereby an eva&s;ion and &s;hift is made, to elude truth. The cour&s;e of Scripture is cleare; that <HI>there will bee tares among the wheat, fi&s;hes good and bad in the net of the Church;</HI> that <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters"> a remnant of the Jews &s;hall bee &s;aved.</HI> Hence it is, that Rev: 21. &amp; 22. <HI>When into the New Ieru&s;alem through the twelve gates they that are written in the Lambs book, enter; without this City</HI> (yet in this world, <HI>Archer p:</HI> 22.) <HI>are dogs, inchanters, murtherers, ido|laters, and &s;uch as love and make lies.</HI> Mr: <HI>Archer</HI> therefore very much mi&s;takes, who holds that <HI>in Chri&s;ts kingdom all things in the world &s;hall bee as perfectly &s;ubject to him, as to Adam in his innocen|cy; pag:</HI> 5. And el&s;where &s;eems to &s;ay, that <HI>then all people &s;hall bee holy, pag:</HI> 25. Thus hee over-la&s;hes: Therefore I marvaile not that el&s;where hee contradicts him&s;elf, and &s;ayes, <HI>That the armies of the wicked onely &s;hal be de&s;troyed by Christ in the beginning of his Kingdom: as Egypts armies at the red Sea: and that in the thou&s;and yeares there &s;hall bee left &s;ome wicked</HI> (fearing el&s;e that there would bee no ungodly per&s;ons in after times) <HI>for a &s;eed, whence the warriers</HI> of <HI>Gog &s;hould
<PB N="24" REF="16">&s;pring:</HI> The Glimp&s;: runs the like cour&s;e, and &s;ayes, that <HI>in Chri&s;ts kingdom all di&s;&s;ention &s;hall bee taken away, and all men &s;hall come and &s;erve God, and hee called by one name; &s;o that no one Church &s;hall di&s;&s;ent from another, p:</HI> 28. where &s;peeches in Scripture tending to this &s;en&s;e occur wee mu&s;t warily under&s;tand them. The learned Mr: <HI>Mede</HI> &s;aid very well, that (<HI>&s;hall</HI>) often denotes, <HI>actum &s;olitum aut debitum,</HI> not whati&s;hall doubtle&s;&s;e bee done, but <HI>what is wont on ought to bee done.</HI> So <HI>Exod:</HI> 30.29., <HI>All that come to the Altar &s;hall bee,</HI> that is, ought to bee <HI>holy:</HI> And <HI>Ier:</HI> 18.18. <HI>The Prie&s;ts lips &s;hall,</HI> that is, ought to <HI>pre&s;erve knowledg:</HI> And <HI>Rom:</HI> 14.11. <HI>Every knee &s;hall bow to</HI> Chri&s;t, that is, ought to doe it: for &s;o it is expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Phil:</HI> 2.10. <HI>God hath highly exalted</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>that every knew &s;hould bow to him.</HI> But this coun&s;ell of God many have rejected again&s;t them|&s;elves: and many now and hereafter will neglect. Or el&s;e, <HI>every knee &s;hall bow to Chri&s;t,</HI> may thus bee expounded: Every one &s;hall either willingly obey Chri&s;t and &s;erve him: or when Chri&s;t hath &s;ubdued all the Churches enemies, and brings them all to judg|ment at the la&s;t day they &s;hall yeeld to him, and acknowledge him to bee Lord of Lords and King of Kings.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> It is promi&s;ed that <HI>Jeru&s;alem &s;hall bee a quiet habitation,</HI> E&s;a: 33.20. <HI>That the people &s;hall break their Swords into plow &s;hares, and their &s;peares into pruning books,</HI> E&s;al 2. <HI>That Jeru&s;alem &s;hall bee again inhabited in Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and that <HI>then God will defend Jeru&s;alem, and de&s;troy all Nations that come against it,</HI> Zach. 12.6. that <HI>there &s;hall bee no more de&s;truction, but Jeru&s;alem &s;hall bee &s;afely inhabited, Zach.</HI> 14.11. Many the like Texts are produced by Dr. <HI>Al&s;ted</HI> and &s;ome others. And the&s;e promi&s;es &s;ay they, have not yet been fulfilled, but &s;hall in their due time be fulfilled: and therefore in the thou|&s;and yeers yet to come.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Dr. <HI>Al&s;ted</HI> in <HI>pag.</HI> 52. &s;ayes very well, that <HI>Zachary</HI> &s;peaks not of <HI>the old. Jeru&s;alem, which was after his time demoli&s;hed, but of the New Jeru&s;alem;</HI> the Chri&s;tian Church con&s;i&s;ting of Gods peo|ple, fir&s;t in the old Jeru&s;alem, and thence all the world over. So that the old Jeru&s;alem needs not to bee rebuilt, that wee may go to wor&s;hip God therein. For Jews and Gentiles, converted in all Na|tions what&s;oever, have a fre<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> acce&s;&s;e to God in their own Countries where they dwell. <HI>All families &s;hall mourn for their &s;ins, as of old the Jews are &s;aid to due,</HI> Zach. 12.11. Mat. 24.30. Even <HI>Egypt once &s;o wicked,</HI> Zach. 14.18. <HI>and A&s;hur</HI> once &s;o tyrannicall, <HI>E&s;.</HI> 19.23.
<PB N="25" REF="16"><HI>&s;hall wor&s;hip God</HI> by &s;uch Rites as God appoints, <HI>as I&s;rael of old did in Jeru&s;alem at the feast of Tabernacles,</HI> Zach. 14.16. <HI>Mi|dian and Shebab &s;hall comes to Christ, and Kedar and Nebaioth and Thar&s;hi&s;h &s;hall call on Gods name, as the Jews u&s;ed at their offerings and &s;acrifices, E&s;.</HI> 60. <HI>Zach.</HI> 14.17.21. Other &s;peeches in the Prophets like the&s;e, are in the &s;ame manner to bee expounded. It is here &s;aid, the&s;e things <HI>&s;hall bee</HI> done, that is, as above, <HI>they &s;hould and ought</HI> to bee done: The&s;e and all other Nations were <HI>by the Apo&s;tles, to bee taught to doe what Chri&s;t commanded: the gates of the new Ie|ru&s;alem were opened to all people and Nations on each &s;ide of the City. And many per&s;ons in all Nations were of old, and &s;hall &s;till be called and redeemed, Acts</HI> 2. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5.9. Satan could not hinder the Go&s;|pel from being propagated: as I &s;hall hereafter &s;hew.</P>
<P>Secondly, concerning the quiet and peace of the Chri&s;tian Church: <HI>though it have a place which pa&s;&s;eth all under&s;tanding, Phil.</HI> 4.7. yet even in <HI>the Kingdom of Chri&s;t,</HI> there mu&s;t bee a <HI>patience and &s;uffering,</HI> Rev. 1.9. <HI>The Saints have a ble&s;&s;ed and quiet e&s;tate,</HI> but yet <HI>they fir&s;t were in, and then came out of great tribulation,</HI> Rev. 7.14. <HI>The witne&s;&s;es were kild;</HI> but <HI>revived, and were taken up to Heaven,</HI> Rev. 11. <HI>Gods &s;ervants cry; but teares are wiped from their eyes. They have &s;ores, but cured with the leaves of the Tree of life: they thir&s;t, but are &s;atisfyed with the waters of life; they undergoe &s;orrow, pain, and death: but the&s;e are the fir&s;t things;</HI> things that fir&s;t they mu&s;t &s;uffer; <HI>but &s;uch things as mu&s;t pa&s;&s;e away.</HI> Rev. 21. and 22. The Church is tryed, purged, whited by affliction (as Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> pag. 7.) Chri&s;t him&s;elf came from the cro&s;&s;e to the Crown: and what befell the green tree, the dry can not e&s;cape. <HI>They that will live godly, mu&s;t &s;uffer per&s;ecution,</HI> 1 Tim. 3.12. This is their portion in this life, as u&s;ually Gods Word de&s;cribes it. <HI>The godly are trees planted by ri|vers,</HI> P&s;al. 1.3. E&s;a. 14.8. and as trees endure many a &s;harp fro&s;t, and bitter &s;torm to make them take root the better: <HI>They are Vines,</HI> P&s;al. 80.9. but mu&s;t bee pruned, el&s;e they will bee luxuriant in boughes, deficient in fruit. <HI>What Son is there whom the Father cha|&s;ti&s;eth not?</HI> Heb. 12.7. Chri&s;t him&s;elf hath told us how the&s;e things may bee competible and con&s;i&s;tent. <HI>In the world,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>yee &s;hall have trouble, in mee yee &s;hall have peace.</HI> Joh. 16.33. So <HI>there may bee terrours within, and fightings without, but God is the comfort of his people,</HI> 2 Cor. 7.5, 6. The joy, the quiet repo&s;e, the happine&s;&s;e of the faithfull, is, <HI>to have God for their God,</HI> Rev. 21.3. And having
<PB N="26" REF="17">him they can want nothing needfull, <HI>things pre&s;ent and things to come, all are theirs,</HI> 1 Cor. 3.22. They &s;hall not want any thing that will work for their good, nor have any thing, which may procure their harm.</P>
<P>Thirdly, it is not alwayes conclu&s;ive; God hath promi&s;ed this or that: therefore undoubtedly it &s;hall bee fulfilled <HI>interminis,</HI> ac|cording to the expre&s;&s;e words. For, fir&s;t, many of Gods promi&s;es bee conditionall, free in the promi&s;er, and not de&s;erved by us, though by Gods work upon us wee obey him, and hee fulfill his promi&s;e; but many promi&s;es by mans neglect of the condition de|&s;erved to bee cut off from beeing fulfilled. God promi&s;ed that <HI>a man &s;hould not &s;tand before I&s;rael in battle,</HI> Jo&s;h. 1.5. yet &s;ometimes their &s;ins &s;o provoked God, that the <HI>Canaanites</HI> foyled them. God &s;aid that <HI>Elies hou&s;e &s;hould walk before him for ever: but now,</HI> &s;aith hee, (upon their offending him) <HI>it &s;hall not lee &s;o. They that honour me, I will honour,</HI> 1 Sam. 2.30. And &s;econdly, wee mu&s;t ballance the promi&s;es of God made to his people, with the threats again&s;t them. God doth &s;o, <HI>Lev.</HI> 26. <HI>Deut.</HI> 28. <HI>Rom.</HI> 2, 6. &amp;c. And makes both take effect, as to him &s;eems good. <HI>The&s;e good things,</HI> &s;aith Zachary, <HI>&s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, if yee obey the voyce of the Lord,</HI> Zach. 6.15. and by the rule of contraries, the evils &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, if they di&s;|obey.</P>
<P>Fourthly, many promi&s;es are made good to Gods people in heaven with greater advantage, then they could bee on earth: God promi&s;es <HI>length of dayes and pro&s;perity to &s;uch as keep his Laws,</HI> Prov. 3.1, 2. yet <HI>Henoch</HI> lived not half &s;o long as his fore-fathers, and <HI>Jo&s;ias</HI> had his years cut off in battle; though both Religi|ous. God made them a recompence in Heaven.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Temporall promi&s;es are often fulfilled in this life, with much advantage in &s;pirituall favours. God promi&s;es, that <HI>the wives of &s;uch as fear God, &s;hall bee as Vines on the hou&s;e &s;ide, their children as Olive plants about their Tables,</HI> P&s;al. 128.3. That <HI>the meek &s;hall in|herit the Land.</HI> Yet often good and faithfull men lo&s;e wives, chil|dren, brothers, lands, and the like: but God then gives them &s;pirituall graces in this life, <HI>Which are a hundred fold better for them;</HI> and in <HI>the life to come everla&s;ting ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e,</HI> Mark. 10.30.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Chri&s;t vi&s;ibly and per&s;onally came, fir&s;t, to bee incarnate: &s;econdly, he &s;o comes to receive his Kingdom: and thirdly, to judg all men at the worlds end. Some confound the &s;econd and third
<PB N="27" REF="17">comming of Chri&s;t, and think, there &s;hall bee no comming of Chri&s;t to judgment; but to the la&s;t and finall judgment. His comming to receive his Kingdom hath been overlookt &s;ince the fir&s;t hundreth years of Chri&s;t, <HI>Arch.</HI> 15. p.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede,</HI> who is mo&s;t zealous in your way, and ready to maintain your conclu&s;ion for the thou&s;and years, yet accords with many Expo&s;iters before him, and approves but of the fir&s;t and la&s;t vi&s;ible, and per&s;onall appearing of Chri&s;t. If a middle com|ming of Chri&s;t could have been ju&s;tifyed, hee wanted neither will nor skill to have a&s;&s;erted it. Here Mr. <HI>Archer,</HI> who cen&s;ures other<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for dim-&s;ighted and over-looking, what hee conceived hee &s;aw; will bee found not &s;ingle cied, but to have mi&s;taken and made three com|mings of two, as hee, who&s;e &s;ight failing him, &s;aid, <HI>Geminis con|&s;urgit men&s;a lucernis,</HI> that there were two candles, where in truth was but one. If the Texts hee brings for a &s;econd vi&s;ible and per|&s;onall comming of Chri&s;t at the beginning of the thou&s;and years yet to come, were in any lea&s;t mea&s;ure conclu&s;ive, I would particu|larly examine them. But that labour may well bee &s;pared. If hee demand;</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> Is there no comming of Chri&s;t to judgment, untill the la&s;t judgment?</P>
<P>I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> There is no vi&s;ible and per&s;onall comming of Chri&s;t to any other judgment. Yet Chri&s;t judges and puni&s;hes the wicked of the world, by blood&s;hed, famine, pe&s;tilence, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6. and 18.8. and 19.2. Many remarkable wayes hee hath judged and plagued the Churches enemies on earth by his in&s;truments, as a King pu|ni&s;hes his di&s;obedient Subjects by his Judges and Ju&s;tices, yet Chri&s;t leavs not, nor comes down from Heaven his Throne, no more the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> an earthly King from his palace.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> But there is a partiall judgment at the beginning of Chri&s;ts Kingdome. For after this judgment the Temple is opened, the Ark of the Covenant is &s;een, there are lightnings, thunders, &amp;c. <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.18. This Text is manife&s;t, and proves a judgment perfor|med by Chri&s;t, when his Kingdom to come begins, and before the Temples opening, &amp;c. <HI>Arch.</HI> p. 13.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fir&s;t, <HI>The judgment</HI> &s;poken of <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.18. is the la&s;t judg|ment, at the worlds end; for there <HI>the dead are judged, &s;mall and great,</HI> and therefore all of them. There Gods &s;ervants according
<PB N="28" REF="18">to Chri&s;ts promi&s;e are rewarded, and his enemies, de&s;troyers of the earth, de&s;troyed.</P>
<P>Secondly, I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> that that which followes of the Temples opening, the Ark &s;een, of lightnings and thunders, and the like, is but a preparation and pa&s;&s;age to the vi&s;ion next in place: And may much better begin the twelfth Chapter, then end the eleventh Chapter. This I prove, becau&s;e wee finde the like addre&s;&s;e to other vi&s;ions in this book: Namely Chap. 4.1. and 5. and Chap. 8.5. &s;uch a preparation was made at the giving of the Law, <HI>Exod.</HI> 19.16.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Chri&s;ts Kingdom is &s;aid to bee at the &s;eventh Trumpet, Rev.</HI> 11.15. and then all kingdoms in the world are &s;ubject unto him. <HI>Arch.</HI> p. 11. Likewi&s;e <HI>after the condemnation of the great Whore, and the a|venging of the Saints blood&s;hed by her, Chri&s;t is &s;aid to bee Lord of Lords and King of Kings.</HI> Therefore then towards the worlds end the e|minent Kingdom of Chri&s;t begins.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;ts eminent Kingdom began, as was &s;hewed above: and from his being upon earth, hee hath had the kingdom, power, and glory for ever. But as the <HI>Lord is evidently known, by executing judgment,</HI> P&s;al. 9.16. &s;o hee is e&s;pecially known and taken notice of by men, to bee King, when hee in evident manner &s;hews his power in defending his &s;ervants, and in plaguing his enemies. Hence it is, that <HI>when hee ruined Pharaoh and his Ho&s;t,</HI> Mo&s;es &s;aid, <HI>The Lord reignes for ever and ever,</HI> Exod. 15.18. <HI>When hee &s;mote the Phili&s;tins with Emeroids, and kept them under in Samuels time,</HI> no King leading forth the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> Armies, 'tis al&s;o &s;aid, that <HI>God is their King,</HI> 1 Sam. 8.7. and 12.12. <HI>When the fury of buls, dogs, lions, &V;|nicorns prevailed not over Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;o that hee conquered all power oppo&s;it unto him, <HI>David</HI> &s;ung, <HI>The Kingdom is the Lords,</HI> P&s;al. 22.28. When <HI>David him&s;elf overcame the enemies of his kingdom,</HI> which was a type of Chri&s;ts, 'tis &s;aid, <HI>The Lord reigneth,</HI> 1 Chron. 16.31. When Satan is conquered by <HI>Michael,</HI> then it is proclaimed: That <HI>the Kingdom is the Lords,</HI> Rev. 12.10. When Chri&s;t judges and plagues <HI>Rome, hee is &s;tiled King of Kings,</HI> Rev. 19.16. When at the day of judgment all his enemies are wholly ca&s;t down under his feet, and lie at his mercy and di&s;po&s;ure to bee judged: then 'tis &s;aid, <HI>That the kingdoms of this world are our Lords, even Chri&s;ts,</HI> Rev. 11.15. Hee that was fir&s;t &s;tiled Prince of the Kings of the Earth, Rev. 1.5. then plainly at la&s;t appears &s;o to bee: what the wicked out of their
<PB N="29" REF="18">pride would not before a&s;&s;ent unto, then they &s;hall to their &s;hame and confu&s;ion confe&s;&s;e, and finde mo&s;t true. This I touched before, and now have cleared fully and pa&s;t denyall.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> God hath promi&s;ed <HI>to put on his armour,</HI> E&s;a. 59.17. <HI>to make his &s;word drunk with the blood of the &s;lain, to make a great &s;laugh|ter in Edom and Bozra,</HI> E&s;a. 54.14. <HI>To powre out his indignation on the armies of the wicked, to fat his &s;word with blood,</HI> E&s;a. 34.2. <HI>To feed his enemies with their own fle&s;h, and to make them drink their own blood; to contend with them, that contend with his people,</HI> E&s;a. 25.25, 26. <HI>That wars moved again&s;t his Church &s;hall not pro&s;per,</HI> E&s;a: 54.17. <HI>That hee will wound Kings in his wrath, and fill all with dead bodies, and de|&s;troy the heads over divers Countries,</HI> P&s;al. 110. and <HI>&s;lay the wicked,</HI> E&s;a: 11.4. that is, &s;ome eminent oppo&s;er of Chri&s;t. That <HI>hee will make a City to bee an heap, and a &s;trong City a ruin,</HI> E&s;a: 25.1. <HI>And bring down them that dwell on high,</HI> E&s;a: 26.5. That <HI>when the Nations are ripe for the Harve&s;t, hee will fill the Winepre&s;&s;e of his wrath,</HI> Joel 3.9. That <HI>hee will destroy all the Nations that come again&s;t Jeru&s;alem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Zach. 14.11. The&s;e things are to bee fulfilled, when God reigns in <HI>Sion:</HI> and expre&s;&s;e the Churches happine&s;&s;e, and the wickeds mi|&s;ery, not yet fulfilled.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> From the&s;e Texts may bee inferred, Fir&s;t, that as the old <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> was cruelly a&s;&s;aulted, &s;o &s;hall the New <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> for in it <HI>Chri&s;ti|ans &s;uffer great tribulation,</HI> Rev. 7.14. <HI>The Dragon wars with the Wo|mans &s;eed,</HI> Rev: 12.17. <HI>The ten-horned bea&s;t bla&s;phemes Gods Tabernacle and the Saints in it, wars with them, overcomes them,</HI> Rev: 13.6.7. <HI>kils many of them,</HI> Rev: 6.11. And</P>
<P>Secondly, Though God &s;uffer his Church by the enemies there|of, &s;omtimes to bee thus u&s;ed, yet <HI>hee being armed, and riding on his white hor&s;e, goes on conquering and to conquer</HI> at his good plea&s;ure: and <HI>&s;ends the riders on the red, pale, and black hor&s;es to puni&s;h the great men of the earth, and their retinue;</HI> &s;o that <HI>they hide them&s;elves in caves and dens,</HI> Rev: 6. The&s;e things, &s;aith Mr. <HI>Mede,</HI> were don within four hun|dred years after Chri&s;ts birth. After this <HI>Chri&s;t powres Vials of wrath on the Churches adver&s;aries,</HI> Rev: 16. <HI>Hee makes Babel</HI> fall, ca&s;ts the bea&s;t and fal&s;e Prophet into the lake of fire, and &s;layes their rem|nant, <HI>Rev:</HI> 19. Hee &s;layes <HI>Gog</HI> and his Armies, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. Thus <HI>hee de&s;troyss them that de&s;troyed the earth,</HI> Rev: 11.18. The wicked may domineer for a time, yet &s;hall bee, not onely in the four hundred years after Chri&s;t, but oftentimes afterward foiled: and in the
<PB N="30" REF="19">end the victory &s;hall be on the Saints party; who are the inhabi|tants of the New Jeru&s;alem. They, it they live are the Lords, and if they die, they change a pilgrims and militant &s;tate here, into a glorious and perpetually &s;etled e&s;tate hereafter. Be&s;ides, they leave on earth a faithfull <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ucce&s;&s;ion of Inhabitants of the new and &s;pi|rituall Jeru&s;alem, again&s;t whom the Gates of hell cannot prevail; whence it is that this Jeru&s;alem cannot be de&s;troyed: and that all which maliciou&s;ly oppo&s;e it &s;hall b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e vanqui&s;hed and &s;ubdued, as all Nations were, who fought again&s;t the old Jeru&s;alem.</P>
<P>Thirdly, that God, not delighting in mens de&s;truction, lets the wicked eat the wickeds fle&s;h, and drink each others blood. Hee pulled down <HI>Aram;</HI> and the neigbouring Nations by <HI>Babel, Babel</HI> by <HI>Per&s;ia,</HI> the <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> by <HI>Alexander</HI> King of Greece and his chief Captains, the Greeks the po&s;terity of <HI>Seleucus</HI> and <HI>Ptolomy</HI> by the <HI>Romans;</HI> the chief <HI>Roman</HI> rulers, <GAP DESC="foreign">, by mutuall conflicts among them&s;elves, and by the <HI>Goths</HI> and <HI>Vandals,</HI> &amp; others: and at the la&s;t day will utterly de&s;troy and aboli&s;h that wicked State with the brightne&s;&s;e of his comming, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.8. What befell <HI>Babylon, Tyre, Dama&s;cus</HI> of <HI>Aram, Kir</HI> and <HI>Ar</HI> of <HI>Moab, Dumah</HI> of <HI>Edom, Zoan</HI> of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> will at length befall <HI>Rome.</HI> For among the wicked there is an eminent and &s;uperlative wicked State, <HI>called the wicked one, whom God will de&s;troy, E&s;a:</HI> 11.4. and this is, as <HI>Jo|nathan Ben Vzziel</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Armylus,</HI> the <HI>Roman</HI> power (&s;aith Mr. <HI>Broughton</HI>) by originall from <HI>Romulus,</HI> the word denotes him with no greater change then <HI>Armathia</HI> is put for <HI>Ramath.</HI> Nor can the <HI>Roman</HI> Bea&s;t fall alone, the heads of divers Countries, the <HI>ten Kings fall with him, Rev:</HI> 16.14. and <HI>their po&s;terity turn to Chri&s;ts &s;ide, ver&s;e</HI> 16. Thus Chri&s;t brings them low, that carry their heads full high, he quels their power, and demoli&s;hes their cities.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Chri&s;t who hath, and &s;till doth plague his enemies, ob&s;erves the time of their &s;ins <HI>being ripe for the harve&s;t, Rev.</HI> 14.15. and come to the full height: and then <HI>makes them drink full cups out of the winepre&s;&s;e of his wrath.</HI> Thus, to conclude, it is manife&s;t that the New Jeru&s;alem &s;hall &s;ub&s;i&s;t and prevail: and that the City, which in Saint <HI>Johns</HI> time ruled over the Kings of the Earth, and which would then have no King but <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> and now would have the Pope above all Kings (per&s;i&s;ting in one and the &s;ame fin of making lawfull Princes her va&s;&s;als) &s;hall &s;till boe decaying, and at la&s;t bee utterly de&s;troyed. But hence can not
<PB N="31" REF="19">be concluded that the Chri&s;tian Church &s;hall enjoy on Earth &s;uch, and &s;o long felicity, as Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> and &s;ome others plead for; and it is probable that &s;uch pro&s;perity would bring more da|mage to the Church, then could affection. The Churches experi|ence hath u&s;ually found it &s;o to doe: and on good ground hath contented it &s;elf with &s;ome &s;mall mea&s;ure of outward comforts, &s;weetned with plenty and abundance of &s;pirituall refre&s;h|ments.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> You take the term Ieru&s;alem in a my&s;ticall &s;en&s;e, and de|cline the corporall and outward felicity of the Church, with di|verting us to &s;pirituall ble&s;&s;ings. If thus you fly to Allegorizing texts, and turning plain evidences for corporall matters to &s;piritu|all, you may ea&s;ily put off any Scripture produced again&s;t your opinion. There is no &s;ufficient rea&s;on why thus you &s;hould doe.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There are in Scripture <GAP DESC="foreign">, &s;peeches Allegori|call, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. Chri&s;t often &s;pake by parables, and parabolically and &s;piritually expounded divers pa&s;&s;ages of the Old Te&s;tament in the New: as <HI>Rahels weeping for her Children, the Sheep &s;cattered, when the Shepheard was &s;mitten,</HI> and the like. And more punctual|ly to the matter in hand, in expre&s;&s;ing of this very allegory, it is &s;aid, <HI>Gal.</HI> 4. That the old Jeru&s;alem is in bondage with her children, the unbeleeving Jews; and that the new Jeru&s;alem, and all the faith|full her children are free from bondage, and thereupon are called the children of God. Let &s;uch as have gone too far in allego|ries an&s;wer for it. This Allegory hath &s;ufficient warrant.</P>
<P>Secondly, Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> him&s;elf confe&s;&s;es, and that aright, that by <HI>Moab</HI> &s;ometimes the Churches enemies are meant, <HI>page</HI> 44. by <HI>E|dom,</HI> fal&s;e brethren, <HI>page</HI> 44. by <HI>Bozra</HI> and <HI>Babel, Rome, page</HI> 44. by <HI>Sion,</HI> the Church of Chri&s;t, <HI>page</HI> 42. And in the <HI>Apocalyps</HI> neither is <HI>Manna,</HI> nor <HI>Paradi&s;e,</HI> nor the <HI>tree of life,</HI> nor the leafs therof literally, but figuratively to be under&s;tood. So are diver&s;e other terms in that book, as the mo&s;t and be&s;t Expo&s;itors grant.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Chri&s;t being ri&s;en from death, <HI>&s;pake many things to the Di&s;eiples concerning the Kingdom of God,</HI> Acts 1.3. and thereupon the Apo&s;tles jointly ask Chri&s;t: <HI>Lord wilt thou at this time re&s;tore the kingdom to I&s;rael? ver&s;e</HI> 6. Now the Apo&s;tles having both lately and formerly heard Chri&s;t often preach; were men of under|&s;tanding, and could not po&s;&s;ibly (in asking Chri&s;t concerning the re&s;toring the Kingdom to I&s;rael, &s;uch a Kingdom, as once I&s;rael
<PB N="32" REF="20">had, and as other Monarchs had on earth) bee deceived, and erre in a matter of &s;o great concernment to the whole Nation. See <HI>Ar|cher page</HI> 10.</P>
<P><HI>An.</HI> Fir&s;t, all that hold, that the <HI>Iews</HI> &s;hal again have an earthly king|dom, &s;uch as other Monarchs have had &amp; that the Di&s;ciples inquired of that Kingdom; and that the Kingdom, which God promi&s;ed Chri&s;t, is not begun one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred years &s;ince that que&s;tion, mu&s;t nece&s;&s;arily hold, that the Di&s;ciples both could and did erre about the time of that Kingdom: and therby make them not &s;o under&s;tanding as they de&s;ire to doe.</P>
<P>Secondly, I conceive that the Apo&s;tles did not erre about the time. <HI>John Baptist and Christ had taught them often, that the king|dom of Heaven,</HI> that <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.14.18. <HI>was at hand:</HI> and religious peo|ple among the Jews, even in that corrupt time, <HI>waited for, and ex|pected that the con&s;olation of I&s;rael, and the kingdom of God &s;hould appeare, Luke</HI> 1.25. <HI>Mark</HI> 15.43. And even about the time of that que&s;tion, in regard of Chri&s;t the head of that Kingdom, the king|dom was come: for to him are a&s;cribed Kingdom, Power and Glory for ever and ever, <HI>Mat.</HI> 6.13. <HI>Rev.</HI> 5. But in regard of the Jews and others, who &s;hould bee members and &s;ubjects of that Kingdom, &s;eeing it was to bee a Kingdom within them, <HI>Luke</HI> 17.21. it could not come <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>&s;o ob&s;ervably,</HI> that any one could &s;ay, this is the very time of mens becomming &s;ubjects of this kingdom; for &s;ome did partake of this kingdom &s;ooner, &s;ome la|ter; &s;ome with a weaker, others with a &s;tronger faith; all, even the be&s;t, might increa&s;e in faith: and in this regard all mu&s;t pray, <HI>Thy kingdom come,</HI> let it more and more daily rule in our hearts.</P>
<P>Thirdly, if <HI>the kingdom of God,</HI> Acts 1.3. <HI>and the kingdom of I&s;rael be all one,</HI> as indeed they are, the Apo&s;tles erred not much about the benefit of this kingdom, <HI>which &s;hould redound to the Saints,</HI> Dan. 7.22. and <HI>to the I&s;rael of God, Gal.</HI> 6.16. that is, <HI>to a remnant of the Jews, Rom:</HI> 9.27. and el&s;where often: and to the Gentiles, as <HI>Pe|ter was taught, Acts</HI> 10.35. to a multitude of them: <HI>Rev</HI> 7.9. For neither doth the &s;peech, <HI>In thee &s;hall all the Gentiles bee ble&s;&s;ed, Gal:</HI> 3.8. Nor the &s;peech, All I&s;rael &s;hall bee &s;aved, <HI>Rom:</HI> 11.26. com|prehend any more of each party <HI>obtaining peace and mercy, then &s;uch as walk according to Chri&s;ts rule, Gal:</HI> 6.16. which is, <HI>who&s;oever be|leeves in Chri&s;t &s;hall have life eternall, Job:</HI> 3.16. In this the Apo|&s;tles, remembring what Chri&s;t had &s;o often inculcated, erred not,
<PB N="33" REF="20">as I conceive: yet might they erre in &s;ome circum&s;tances of this Kingdom, e&s;pecially in &s;uch as concerned their mini&s;tery about the &s;ame: Chri&s;t therefore, who had given them commi&s;&s;ion <HI>to teach all Nations to doe what bee</HI> as a King (el&s;e what authority had he to &s;end out his Edicts?) <HI>commanded;</HI> tels them in effect, that hee indeed &s;hould have a kingdom over I&s;rael, and that <HI>them&s;elves &s;hould in due time (which the Father re&s;erved in his own power) receive power from the holy Gho&s;t to bear witne&s;&s;e of, and to propagate this kingdom of hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> their Ma&s;ter in all parts of the world.</HI> Chri&s;t at the time of his an|&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">er to the Apo&s;tles had many things to &s;ay to them, and they then, (for &s;o his &s;peech intima<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">s) could not (as in <HI>Joh.</HI> 16.13. hee likewi&s;e &s;ayes) beare them: And therefore <HI>hee refers them to the holy Gho&s;t, who</HI> (being &s;ent down to them at Penteco&s;t) <HI>&s;hould lead them into all truth:</HI> among which truths wee finde this to bee one; <HI>That Christ was by God &s;et up a King on mount</HI> Sion, <HI>above all Principalities and Powers; albeit the Jews and Heathen <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">entates raged again&s;t him. His power was &s;uch, that hee bound &s;ome of them in the ble&s;&s;ed chains of the Go&s;pel,</HI> P&s;alm 149.8. <HI>The&s;e bands of Chri&s;t were &s;uch as they could not break; &s;uch cords as they could not ca&s;t from them,</HI> P&s;alm 2. <HI>Wi&s;e Chri&s;tian Kings, &s;erving the Lord in fear, were ble&s;&s;ed: the Jews and Heatheni&s;h Princes rebelling again&s;t him were broken in pieces like a Potters ve&s;&s;el.</HI></P>
<P>Thus have I an&s;wered Texts produced again&s;t my Tenet. So that the con&s;iderate Reader will di&s;cern hereby how to blunt Arguments grounded on &s;ome other the like Scriptures. And if any one &s;urmi&s;e that he can put a better edge on any Argument here di&s;cu&s;&s;ed, or bring &s;tronger proofs again&s;t me; may he plea&s;e mo|derately and punctually to propound the &s;ame, and I &s;hall by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;tance &s;o an&s;wer him, that it &s;hall appeare, how I will not willingly boul&s;ter out any errour, nor &s;hamefully de&s;ert any truth.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="34" REF="21">
<HEAD>Chap. IV. <HI>Mr.</HI> Tho. Brightmans <HI>judgment of the times in</HI> Daniel, <HI>and the</HI> Apocalyps <HI>examined, and di&s;proved.</HI></HEAD>
<P>DIver&s;e learned men have imployed their time and pains about the times &s;poken of in <HI>Daniel</HI> and the <HI>Apocalyps,</HI> and in re|gard both of the excellency of their parts, and of their diligent per|u&s;all of what hath formerly been written thereof, may bee thought in all probability to have found out the truth, yet may perhaps have mi&s;&s;ed thereof. I will therefore briefly &s;et down their opi|nions, and examine, whether they on good ground di&s;&s;ent from my Tenet, and have happily attained the truth.</P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Tho. Brightman</HI> on Apo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">. 20. holds, Fir&s;t, <HI>that Satan, that is, the wicked Emper<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="3 letters"> did per&s;ecute the Chri&s;tian Church, untill</HI> Con|&s;tantine <HI>ruled: which was about the year of Chri&s;t,</HI> three hundred.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>That</HI> Con&s;tantine <HI>impri&s;oned Satan, that is, the wicked Emperours, and bound them a thou&s;and years, by &s;o &s;etling the government, that they could not domineer over the Church, as formerly: In this time,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>Antichri&s;t reigned, and the Saints lived and reigned with Chri&s;t, that is, embraced the Truth. This period of time,</HI> Rev. 20.2. la&s;t|ed one thou&s;and years.</P>
<P>Thirdly, That <HI>Satan was loo&s;ed. And then the Turk plagued the Roman Empire three hundred ninty five years: that hee likewi&s;e vexed the fal&s;e Church that of Rome, and the true Church, which began to appear out of the wilderne&s;&s;e in the year one thou&s;and three hundred, and for&s;ook Romi&s;h &s;uperstition, and opening her eyes to the truth, ro&s;e from death by the fir&s;t re&s;urrection. Three hundred years are now pa&s;t,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>&s;ince this began. Further the Turk &s;hall begin to fall in the year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred and fifty, and bee quite overthrown in the year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred ninty five; Antichri&s;ts or the Popes fall is in the year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred eighty &s;ix. After this, the Jews &s;hall bee called, and the Gentiles al&s;o come into the true Church. So that &s;even hundred years moe being added to the three hundred above, the Church &s;hall enjoy happy times, and the Gentiles continue in the truth. This period of time,</HI> Rev: 20.4. <HI>is of years,</HI> &s;aith hee, one thou&s;and.</P>
<P>The&s;e three periods of time extend to two thou&s;and three hundred years. <HI>How long after the Jews &s;hall continue to embrace the Truth, God,</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="21">&s;aith hee, <HI>hath not revealed, nor can any man tell. But at length the world &s;hall grow &s;ecure and wicked, and then Chri&s;t will come and put an end to the Saints &s;ufferings and patience, and to the malice and mi&s;ehievous pra|cti&s;es of the ungodly again&s;t them.</HI></P>
<P>Some truth is in the&s;e pa&s;&s;ages, to it I a&s;&s;ent. Fir&s;t, Tis true, <HI>that the wicked Emperours did per&s;ecute the Church, untill</HI> Con&s;tantines <HI>time.</HI> I adde, that &s;ome of them after his time did al&s;o vex the Church. <HI>Tis a truth al&s;o, that</HI> Con&s;tantine <HI>&s;etled Chri&s;tian government.</HI> But not &s;o, &s;ay I, that is continued one thou&s;and years from his time. For <HI>Rome</HI> infected the world with error, about one thou&s;and years after Chri&s;t. I approve al&s;o <HI>his expo&s;ition of Antichri&s;ts reigning, and of the Saints living and reigning at the &s;ame time with Chri&s;t:</HI> But I hold the&s;e things not &s;etled by him within their due limits of time. Tis true <HI>that ri&s;ing from Romi&s;h &s;uper&s;tition and errour is a fir&s;t re&s;urrection in &s;ome;</HI> but I adde further, that all ri&s;ing from &s;in in this life, is likewi&s;e a fir&s;t re&s;urrection. I grant al&s;o that <HI>the Turks have much plagued Rome, and that both Turks and Popes have don great mi&s;chief to the true Church, and that their tyranny &s;hall fall in due time.</HI> But the ju&s;t year of their fall, who can tell? La&s;tly, <HI>the Jews calling and the Gentiles fuller conver&s;ion may ju&s;tly bee expected and indevoured.</HI> But, <HI>Goe teach all Nations,</HI> expre&s;&s;es a command to us, and a duty for them, ever from Chri&s;ts time to the worlds end. What more I do approve will appear in other parts of this Di&s;cour&s;e, with my rea&s;ons thereof.</P>
<P>That many other pa&s;&s;ages herein are un&s;ound and groundle&s;&s;e, I will particularly &s;hew. Fir&s;t, Satan him&s;elf (and not the wick|ed Emperours his in&s;truments) is bound, <HI>Rev:</HI> 20.2. And le&s;t any &s;hould mi&s;take herein, bee that is bound, is expre&s;ly &s;et forth by four titles; <HI>the Dragon, the old Serpent, the Devill, and Satan;</HI> So al&s;o <HI>Rev:</HI> 12.9. And &s;econdly, <HI>bee that is bound, is tyed fa&s;t from deceiving the Nations.</HI> Now the old and grand deceiver is Satan him&s;elf; and <HI>Rev:</HI> 12.9. is called (as indeed hee was before Chri&s;ts time) <HI>the deceiver of the whole world.</HI> The Emperours cour&s;e was <HI>by the &s;word and violent meanes of war,</HI> not by wiles. Whence, <HI>Rev<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> 13.4. the brag is made: <HI>who can war with the Bea&s;t?</HI> Therefore Sa|tan him&s;elf, and not the Emperours, was bound.</P>
<P>Secondly, if <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> bound Satan, fir&s;t, it may as well bee &s;aid, that <HI>Maxentius</HI> a cruel Tyrant, <HI>Julian</HI> the Apo&s;tate, <HI>Maxi|mus</HI> and other Arrians, <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">as</HI> the murtherer of his predece&s;&s;our,
<PB N="36" REF="22">and other the like wicked Emperours let him loo&s;e again. Second|ly, how could <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> who ruled but thirty years, binde Sa|tan a thou&s;and years? it mu&s;t bee Chri&s;t, who by his Almighty and endle&s;&s;e power could binde Satan &s;o long a time. Thirdly, when Satan was ca&s;t down from heaven <HI>into the earth and Sea,</HI> Rev: 12, which are termed the <HI>Aby&s;&s;e, in which hee was bound,</HI> Rev: 20. <HI>hee gives his power and great autority to the bea&s;t,</HI> Rev: 13.2. that is, as mo&s;t Ex|po&s;itors hold, the &s;ecular power of <HI>Rome;</HI> 1. in the wicked Em|perours; 2. in the Popes arrogating the &s;ame. Satan therefore was bound, the wicked Emperours were loo&s;e.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Satan is not loo&s;ed, <HI>&V;ntill hee</HI> Rev: 20. <HI>in eminent man|ner deceive the Nations again.</HI> whom <HI>Chri&s;t commanded the Apo&s;tles to teach, what he commanded.</HI> This was don about a thou&s;and years after Chri&s;t. For then darkne&s;&s;e over&s;pread the face of the Church, Popes pride exalted it &s;elf above all called God, and tyrannized over Prin|ces: then were &s;uper<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">itious <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ites and humane inventions mixed with, and preferred before Gods ordinances: then nice and Scho|la&s;tick di&s;putes to little or no edification were agitated, and the milk and &s;trong meat of &s;acred Scriptures neglected.</P>
<P>Fourthly, If <HI>the fir&s;t re&s;urrection bee the bringing of men from Popi&s;h errours to truth, and a rai&s;ing them from a &s;infull cour&s;e</HI> to an holy life, <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> qua pridem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">erant alieni,</HI> which was not in u&s;e with them before: as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> &s;ayes on <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20.5. then may it al&s;o bee termed the fir&s;t re&s;urrection, when many thou&s;and Jews and Gentiles were con|verted from heatheni&s;h &s;uper&s;tition and Jewi&s;h errours, and em|braced the Go&s;pel in, and pre&s;ently after Chri&s;ts time. This is rather the fir&s;t re&s;urrection, then that in which men abandoned Bomi&s;h &s;uper&s;tition three hundred years agon in the time of <HI>Mar|<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="5 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> John de Ganduno, John Wiclif,</HI> and others, as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> would have it.</P>
<P>Fifthly, Suppo&s;e it granted that three hundred years are pa&s;t, &s;ince popi&s;h errours were gain&s;aid (as indeed when ever did any er|rour manife&s;tly &s;pring, but God had his witne&s;&s;es of truth to op|po&s;e it?) what glound have wee to affirm <HI>that &s;ome Gentiles &s;hall held the truth &s;even hundred years moe, and the Jews no man knows how long after that?</HI> By this account the world &s;hould endure two thou|&s;and three hundred years after Chri&s;ts time: which &s;ome learned men deny, others will not define: nor hath Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> any found Argument to prove it. If hee urg from <HI>Apocalyps</HI> 20. the
<PB N="37" REF="22"><HI>thou&s;and years mentioned for the reigning of the Saints with Chri&s;t,</HI> and then the <HI>thou&s;and years before them, for Satans binding, hee may as well adde a thou&s;and years moe, in which the Saints &s;hall bee prie&s;ts of God, and reign al&s;o with him.</HI> For the thou&s;and years are a third time named; and by this means hee will make the world continue three thou&s;and three hundred years, from Chri&s;ts time. Hee may like|wi&s;e <HI>make the woman</HI> Rev: 12.6. and 13. <HI>fly twi&s;e into the wilder|ne&s;&s;e:</HI> becau&s;e there her flight is twi&s;e mentioned. In this way I think Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> will walk without company.</P>
<P>Sixthly, Concerning the Turks Mr. <HI>Medes</HI> opinion is more probable, fir&s;t, that <HI>their dominion began when</HI> Tangolipex <HI>was made King in the year</HI> one thou&s;and fifty &s;even, not in the year one thou&s;and three hundred, as &s;ales Mr. <HI>Brightman.</HI> Secondly, that from the year one thou&s;and fifty &s;even, count three hundred nine|ty &s;ix years moe, which come to the year one thou&s;and foure hun|dred fifty three, and then in this very year the Turks took <HI>Con|&s;tantinople,</HI> and ro&s;e to greater might: and not began to fall, as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> affirms they &s;hould after three hundred ninty &s;ix years. Thirdly, the Text is expre&s;&s;e, that upon the times mentioned <HI>A|poc.</HI> 9.13. <HI>they &s;hould kill the third part of man;</HI> whereas the Text hath not one word of their fall; <HI>nor is the ruin of the Turki&s;h Em|pire foretold in what year it &s;hould fall,</HI> &s;aith Mr. <HI>Mede.</HI> And again Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> &s;till holding his accu&s;tomed ingenuity, gives another &s;en&s;e of <HI>Apoc.</HI> 9.15. thus: <HI>The Turks will bee prepared for a fit time,</HI> to wit, <HI>for a day, a moneth, and a year, to kill the third part of men.</HI> And &s;urely this &s;en&s;e is more probable then the other, depending upon the expo&s;ition of each day for a year, which is not to take place, except &s;omthing in the Prophecy lead us thereunto.</P>
<P>Seventhly, If the ten horned bea&s;t, <HI>Rev:</HI> 13.1 bee not the Popes, as they are Clergy men, but the &s;ecular Rulers of <HI>Rome;</HI> then Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> erres in making this bea&s;t to expre&s;&s;e Antichri&s;t, or the Popes onely. Secondly, hee erres in &s;aying that this bea&s;t began in the year three hundred and &s;ix; whereas the <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> be|gan before, and were in Saint <HI>Johns</HI> time. For it is &s;aid of the &s;e|ven heads, that five are pa&s;t, that one is, <HI>Rev:</HI> 11.10. that is, the <HI>Ce&s;ars.</HI> And then thirdly, if this bea&s;t bee to rule two and forty moneths in Mr. <HI>Brightmans</HI> &s;en&s;e, they mu&s;t begin in or before Saint <HI>Johns</HI> time, and &s;o mu&s;t bee ended many years agon: though his account for the wounded bea&s;ts cure, bee taken in to make the
<PB N="38" REF="23">&s;umme &s;wel. Other exceptions again&s;t Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> will in part appear el&s;ewhere in this Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. V. <HI>Dr.</HI> J. Al&s;teds, <HI>and</HI> M. H. Archers <HI>accounts about the times in the</HI> Apocalyps <HI>and</HI> Daniel, <HI>propounded and refuted.</HI></HEAD>
<P>DOctor <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> layes his plot for the account of times thus: <TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Daniels</HI> &s;eventy weeks end at <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> ruine in the year of Chri&s;t</CELL>
<CELL>69</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Adde thereunto the dayes after this de&s;olation, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. that is, &s;o many years</CELL>
<CELL>1290</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The&s;e two &s;ummes make up the years of the Churches afflicti|on,</CELL>
<CELL>1359</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Then follow the dayes, that is, years, which make them happy who live unto them</CELL>
<CELL>1335</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The&s;e two &s;ummes reach unto the year of Chri&s;t</CELL>
<CELL>2694</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The la&s;t thou&s;and of the years in the &s;umme la&s;t above mentioned are the thou&s;and years in <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20. in which Satan is bound, and the Church flouri&s;heth: So that this thou&s;and years begin in the year</CELL>
<CELL>1694.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> thus frames his accounts of the&s;e times, page 47.
<TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Julian</HI> &s;et up the abomination of de&s;olation in the year of Chri&s;t,</CELL>
<CELL>366</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>To this adde the account of dayes, that is, years, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. at the end whereof the Jews &s;hall bee called to Chri&s;t</CELL>
<CELL>1290</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Then adde al&s;o 45 years moe, part of the 1335. <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.12.</CELL>
<CELL>45</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>The&s;e three &s;ummes amount to about years</CELL>
<CELL>1700</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Then in the year 1700. Satan is bound, and the Churches hap|pine&s;&s;e begins. After this follow the wars of <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog:</HI> So that the world ends not before, but &s;ome time after the year</CELL>
<CELL>2700.</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> brings us another account, page 51. that if one mi&s;&s;e, the other may hit. Thus it &s;tands:
<TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>The Papacy begun, and the ten Kingdoms aro&s;e in the year of Chri&s;t</CELL>
<CELL>406</CELL>
</ROW>
<PB N="39" REF="23">
<ROW>
<CELL>The Papacy continues years</CELL>
<CELL>1260</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>So that the Papacy is ruined in the year</CELL>
<CELL>1666</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL>Then begin the years of Satans binding, in which the Saints reign with Chri&s;t in much pro&s;perity. The&s;e are years</CELL>
<CELL>1000</CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE></P>
<P>Then follow the wars of <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog,</HI> after which the la&s;t and &s;inall judgement comes, &s;o that the&s;e wars are not before the year of Chri&s;t 2666.</P>
<P>The&s;e accounts of time I hold to bee many wayes faulty. Fir&s;t, <HI>Daniels</HI> weeks end not at <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> fall by <HI>Titus.</HI></P>
<P>Arg. 1. <HI>Jeru&s;alems wall is built, and the Me&s;&s;ias &s;lain after &s;even weeks, and</HI> 62 <HI>weeks. Dan.</HI> 9.26. and <HI>in the half of the one week remaining, the Me&s;&s;iah puts an end to &s;acrifice and oblation.</HI> There is the end of the &s;eventy weeks. But the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> was thirty and odde years, if not forty, after Chri&s;ts death; which did put an end to &s;acrifice and oblation. Therefore the &s;eventy weeks cannot end at <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> fall by <HI>Titus.</HI></P>
<P>Arg. 2. <HI>The Covenant with many,</HI> at which the &s;eventy weeks end, <HI>was confirmed in the half of the one week, which remained after the &s;even and &s;ixty two weeks, Dan.</HI> 9.27. But this Covenant was con|firmed by Chri&s;t at his death and re&s;urrection. Therefore the &s;even|ty weeks end at Chri&s;ts death, and not at <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> fall, above thir|ty years after.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Tis &s;aid, <HI>Dan.</HI> 9.27. That in the one week remaining af|ter the &s;even and &s;ixty two weeks, the abomination of de&s;olation &s;hall be powred on the City <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> Therefore the &s;eventy weeks end at the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;wer. The one week, the last of the &s;eventy ends</HI> (as in the Text is plain) <HI>when by Christ the Covenant is confirmed, and &s;acrifice cau&s;ed to cea&s;e by his death.</HI> That which is added <HI>concerning the abomination of de&s;olation powred on the City,</HI> &s;hews (as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> on <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. well &s;aith) <HI>the Jews puni&s;hment for killing the Me&s;&s;ias:</HI> and that Chri&s;t by confirming a new Covenant, and by his death put|ting an end to legall ceremonies declared, that there &s;hould bee no need of the old <HI>Jeru&s;alem.</HI> There is not, nor needed there to bee an expre&s;&s;ion of any time foretelling the ruin of the City. By &s;tory it fell forty, or neer forty years after Chri&s;ts death; and in this time the Apo&s;tles called &s;ome Jews to repentannce and faith in Chri&s;t: that Chri&s;ts blood might not bee upon them all to their eternall ruine.</P>
<PB N="46" REF="24">
<P>Secondlly, Dr. <HI>Al&s;iedes</HI> opinion fails in making the daies one thou|&s;and two hundred and ninty, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. to take place at <HI>Jeru&s;a|lems</HI> de&s;truction by <HI>Titus.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Arg.</HI> 1. <HI>Tho&s;e daies one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty take place upon the taking away of the daily &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">cri&s;ice, and &s;etting up the abominati|on of de&s;olation:</HI> But the&s;e both were do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> by <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes</HI> ma|ny years before <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> ruin by <HI>Titus.</HI> Therefore they may not bee referred to the de&s;truction of <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> after Chri&s;ts time by <HI>Titus.</HI> But here perhaps it will bee objected. <HI>The &s;etting up of the abomination of de&s;olation, &s;poken of in Daniel, is in</HI> Mat. 24.15. Mark. 13.14. and Luk. 21.20. <HI>expre&s;ly referred to the Romans and their Soldiers be&s;ieging and destroying Jeru&s;alem.</HI> Therefore the de&s;ola|tion &s;poken of, is that acted by <HI>Titus</HI> and the <HI>Romans,</HI> and not by <HI>Antiochus.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is a twofold de&s;olation &s;poken of by <HI>Daniel. The fir&s;t don by a King, that &s;peaks again&s;t Gods Saints,</HI> Daniels <HI>people, con|&s;umes them, and attempts to change Times and Laws, and this hee doth for a time, times, and half a time,</HI> Dan. 7.25. <HI>This is again mentioned,</HI> Dan. 12.7. <HI>and further explained</HI> ver&s;e 11. <HI>to bee one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty dayes after the taking away the daily &s;acrifice, and &s;etting up the abomination of de&s;olation.</HI> This was fulfilled by <HI>Antiochus,</HI> and was one part of the <HI>Jews mi&s;ery,</HI> which Dan. 12. is expre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Daniel</HI> &s;peakes of <HI>the over &s;preading of abomination and de&s;olating Jeru&s;alem after, and for Chri&s;ts death.</HI> This is in <HI>Chap.</HI> 9.26, 27. Of this the Go&s;pels are to bee under&s;tood; they expre&s;&s;e its performance by <HI>Titus</HI> and the <HI>Romans.</HI> This de&s;olation might make the Jews not mi&s;erable, but happy by taking them off from doat|ing on <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and their legall rites, and making them look to|wards Chri&s;t. That in <HI>Daniel</HI> 12. made them mi&s;erable: for it hindred the Jewi&s;h wor&s;hip, which in <HI>Antiochus</HI> his time was law|full.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Suppo&s;e <HI>Antiochus</HI> afflicted the Jews three years and an half, their afflictions were not accompli&s;hed and ended thereupon: for the Jews &s;uffered much by other of the <HI>Grecian</HI> Princes after <HI>Antiochus,</HI> as wee read in the <HI>Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es</HI> Hi&s;tory, and mo&s;t mi&s;era|bly in the times following by &s;everall Roman Captains and Go|vernours: but at the end of a time, times, and half a time, or daies, one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty, or at lea&s;t forty five daies after the Jews afflictions were to bee at an end, and they be|come
<PB N="41" REF="24">happy. And therefore the afflictions of the Jews, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. cannot bee tho&s;e inflicted on them by <HI>Antiochus. Brightman, Dan.</HI> 12.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> beeing him&s;elf out of the right way, by a fal&s;e light, &s;trives to hold on others in their &s;traying by-pathes, for companies &s;ake. Wee &s;inde that at <HI>the end of three years and an half, the Temple was clean&s;ed, and &s;acrifices renewed,</HI> Jo&s;eph. Bell. Jud. 1.1. Nor did <HI>Antio bus,</HI> or his &s;on, or any Prince of the Greeks ever prevail again&s;t the Jews, their Temple and &s;acrifices in like manner, as <HI>Antiochus</HI> had don. So that this kinde of mi&s;ery of the Jews was then accompli&s;hed and ended: and of no other mi|&s;ery, but that brought on them by <HI>Antiochus,</HI> is the &s;peech in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. There is not a word of the mi&s;eries that &s;hould befall them by the <HI>Romans.</HI> Secondly, the very words &s;poken of <HI>Antiochus</HI> time (as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> him&s;elf holds, <HI>Chap.</HI> 11.35.) are iterated in <HI>Chap.</HI> 12.10. <HI>Many &s;hall bee purifyed, made white, and tryed; but the wicked &s;hall doe wickedly: and none of the wicked &s;hall have under|&s;tanding, but the wi&s;e &s;hall under&s;tand.</HI> Iteration of the &s;ame &s;peech in &s;ub&s;tance, &s;hews the &s;ame thing to bee in&s;i&s;ted upon. <HI>So mention of judgement on the Saints behalf, and their po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing a kingdom is twi&s;e &s;poken of,</HI> Dan. 7.22. &amp; 27. <HI>in the expo&s;ition of the vi&s;ion.</HI> So the wo|man, Apoc. 12.6. and 14. <HI>is twi&s;e &s;aid to fly into the Wilderne&s;&s;e.</HI> So Apoc. 17.12. and 17. <HI>The ten Kings are twi&s;e &s;aid to give their power and authority to the Bea&s;t.</HI> Thus in the&s;e places there is a com|moration upon the &s;ame thing. To the very &s;ame purpo&s;e are the words above doubled in <HI>Dan.</HI> 11. and 12. As Mr. <HI>Broughton</HI> hath well ob&s;erved, and thence inferres that the &s;ame matter is in|&s;i&s;ted upon: and that the matters &s;poken of <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11, 12. belong to <HI>Antiochus</HI> time, and not to the time of <HI>Titus</HI> making <HI>Jeru&s;a|lem</HI> de&s;olate.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> The times limits will not agree with <HI>Antiochus</HI> dealings. <HI>For</HI> Antiochus <HI>his taking away the daily &s;acrifice, and &s;etting up the a|homination of de&s;olation was but from</HI> Ki&s;len 25. Anno 145. <HI>of</HI> Seleu|cus <HI>his kingdom to</HI> Ki&s;leu 25. Anno 148.1 Macc. 1.57. and 4.52. <HI>Onely before the&s;e three years, which are the preci&s;e time, there were ten dayes moe;</HI> in <HI>which the beginning of his wicked attempt was made known. Nor is it materiall that</HI> Jo&s;ephus, De bell. Judaic. 1.1. &s;aith, <HI>that the daily &s;acrifice was taken away by</HI> Antiochus, <HI>three years and an half.</HI> For tis &s;aid, 1 Macc. 4.54. <HI>that the &s;ame day that the Gentiles defiled
<PB N="42" REF="25">the Altar, it was again renued and c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ean&s;ed. And</HI> Jo&s;ephus <HI>a more re|ligious witne&s;&s;e el&s;ewhere &s;aith, That the &s;ame day three years that the Altar was pro&s;aned, the Jews &s;acrificed again on the Altar erected anew,</HI> Antiq. 12.11. Mr. Brightman on Dan. 12.7.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Mr. <HI>Brightmans</HI> mi&s;pri&s;ions beguile &s;ome others, el&s;e &s;hould I not &s;pend &s;o much time in an&s;wering him. To clear the whole matter, ob&s;erve that in <HI>Anno</HI> 145. of the Greeks, <HI>Antiochus first &s;ent an Ho&s;te to Jeru&s;alem,</HI> 1 Mac. 1.30. which &s;poiled and fired the City, captived and kild many, made others flye, and give place to &s;trangers, and laid wa&s;te the Sanctuary. Secondly, <HI>Hee &s;ent letters and Me&s;&s;engers,</HI> to enjoyn the Jews to follow the Laws of the Hea|then, to neglect their Sabbaths, Fea&s;ts, and Sacrifices (mark here the daily Sacrifice among&s;t the re&s;t hindred) to erect new Altars, and to &s;acrifice Swines fle&s;h thereon, to omit Circumci&s;ion on pain of death. Thirdly, <HI>In this very year the fifteenth of</HI> Ki&s;leu, <HI>the abomination was &s;et upon the Altar.</HI> And fourthly, on the <HI>five and twentyeth of</HI> Ki&s;leu, <HI>&s;acrifice was after the beathen manner offered</HI> on the Altar. Suppo&s;e now that both the books of <HI>Maccabees</HI> and <HI>Jo|&s;ephus</HI> &s;ay truely, that on what day of the year the Altar was hea|theni&s;hly &s;acrificed on, even on the &s;ame day, ju&s;t three years af|ter, the Jews in holy manner &s;acrificed on their purged and rebuilt Altar, yet the other tyrannous dealings of <HI>Antiochus</HI> over the Jews, and his inhibiting their &s;acrifices, his firing, killing, and other mi&s;chievous deeds may very well take up half a year more. And thus &s;hall <HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> bee <HI>as religious a witne&s;&s;e for the three years and an half,</HI> as for any other true pa&s;&s;age of Story. Becau&s;e this his wit|ne&s;&s;e accords with <HI>time, times, and half a time.</HI> And hence it may appear that <HI>Jo&s;ephus,</HI> better in his time under&s;tood <HI>Daniels</HI> prophe|cy in this point, then Mr. <HI>Brightman,</HI> and <HI>is wrong fully here charged to have corrupted the Story:</HI> Whereas hee living neerer tho&s;e times might either know the truth certainly from the common a&s;&s;ent of his Nation, or might, as a rea&s;onable man, judge, that the mi&s;chiefs done by <HI>Antoochus</HI> before the &s;acrificing on the Altar on the five and twentyeth day of <HI>Ki&s;len,</HI> might very well take up a full half years time.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Here I &s;hall produce one objection more then Mr. <HI>Bright|man</HI> thought upon: for hee is ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">enough to &s;peak for him&s;elf, what came into his minde, if not &s;ometimes more then is &s;ound and conclu&s;ive. This it is. Seeing that in the <HI>Apocalyps, time, times and
<PB N="43" REF="25">half a time,</HI> have corre&s;pondent to them <HI>dayes one thou&s;and two hun|dred and &s;ixty, and two and forty moneths,</HI> how is it, that here <HI>An|tiochus</HI> his dealings are bounded twi&s;e <HI>by time, times, and half a time,</HI> Dan. 7.25. &amp; 12.7. &amp; Chap. 12.11. <HI>by one thou&s;and two hundred and ninety dayes,</HI> and not as in the <HI>Apocalyps, by one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty dayes?</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1. I might here an&s;wer that <HI>Chet&s;z</HI> in <HI>Chap.</HI> 12.7. tran&s;lated <HI>half a time,</HI> is in Chap: 7.25. expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>Peleg</HI> a di|viding or <HI>part of time:</HI> and that <HI>Chet&s;i</HI> &s;ignifies not always aju&s;t half. Thus, and that truely, &s;aith the learned and painfull Dr. <HI>Willet.</HI> I prove this to bee &s;o. Becau&s;e the verb <HI>Chat&s;a</HI> (whence <HI>Chet&s;i</HI> comes) expre&s;&s;es a <HI>dividing into three parts,</HI> Judg. 9.43. and the dividing of <HI>Jacobs</HI> wives and children into four parts. Nor were the children equally parted, but with <HI>Leah</HI> were mo then with any of the re&s;t, <HI>Gen.</HI> 31. and <HI>Judg.</HI> 7.16. three hundreth men are divided (here al&s;o <HI>Chat&s;a</HI> is u&s;ed) into three parts. Nor is it ea&s;ie to prove, that <HI>the Idolater,</HI> E&s;a. 44.16, 19. <HI>made an image of one ju&s;t half of the block, and roa&s;ted his meat with the other ju&s;t half there|of,</HI> or that <HI>David</HI> did ri&s;e ju&s;t in the middle of the night to prai&s;e God, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.62.</P>
<P>But &s;econdly admit that the word <HI>Chet&s;i,</HI> &s;ignifies half of the year, and not a le&s;&s;e part, ten dayes or the like: I will endeavour by Scripture to &s;hew (for I may not here la&s;h out largely to make u&s;e of the learned di&s;qui&s;itions of <HI>Joh. Lalamantius, Jo&s;. Scaliger,</HI> and our Countryman Mr. <HI>Th. Lydiat,</HI> or of the lately produced, and learned Treati&s;e of Mr. <HI>Selden,</HI> much to bee honoured for his excellent skill in &s;everall kinds) what wee are to judge of the extent of a year in Gods account. Here fir&s;t, I &s;ay, that <HI>time, times, and half a tims, and two and forty moneths, and one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty dayes,</HI> terms u&s;ed in the <HI>Apocalyps,</HI> expre&s;&s;e the very &s;ame extent of time; and u&s;ually Expo&s;iters make them &s;o to doe. Now one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty dayes divided to two and for|ty moneths afford to each moneth ju&s;t thirty dayes. And that each moneth had &s;o many (and no moneth of five moneths together, had but nine and twenty dayes) we &s;ee <HI>Gen.</HI> 7.24. <HI>Where one hun|dred and fifty dayes are the ju&s;t extent of time from the &s;eventeenth day of the &s;econd moneth, to the &s;eventeenth day of the &s;eventh moneth,</HI> Gen. 7.11. &amp; 8.4. Therefore the u&s;uall year in Scriptures account con|&s;i&s;ted of twelve moneths, each of them having thirty dayes. So
<PB N="44" REF="26">that there are given to every year three hundred and &s;ixty daies by this account. And that by <HI>one time,</HI> a year is meant, wee finde by <HI>&s;even times,</HI> that is, &s;even years <HI>pa&s;&s;ing over Nebuchadnezzar,</HI> Dan. 4.29. Here again it may bee objected. If the&s;e things bee thus, <HI>how then,</HI> in Dan. 12.11. <HI>dee one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty daies an|&s;wer to time, times, and half a time?</HI> and &s;eeing God in difficulties, gives (where they are for our capacities and clearer in&s;truction) different expre&s;&s;ions, why are not two and forty moneths at any time in <HI>Daniel</HI> mentioned, where the Prophet diligently inquired after a punctuall expre&s;&s;ion of time?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In every year according to the cour&s;e of the Sun, are daies three hundred &s;ixty five. This generally all hold. The five odde daies are omitted in the account, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 11. where one thou|&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty <HI>daies, an&s;wer to two and forty moneths.</HI> But tho&s;e five daies overplus in &s;ix years make thirty daies, or a full moneth. And therefore to time, times, and half a time, or three years and an half in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.7. wee finde corre&s;pondent one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty daies, <HI>Chap.</HI> 12.11. for &s;o &s;ome|times it mu&s;t needs fall out, when the moneth or thirty daies made of the five odde daies in &s;ix years, are taken into the year. See <HI>Coch in Sanedr. pag. 9.</HI> Mr. <HI>Broughton in M. S. Sionen&s;. Colleg.</HI> And by this al&s;o wee &s;ee that this moneth &s;upernumerary, added in the three years and an half in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. could not admit the number of two and forty moneths: as the three years and an half did in the <HI>Apocalyps;</HI> where two and forty moneths, and one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty, are equivalent.</P>
<P><HI>Object. The little horn,</HI> Dan. 8.9. <HI>is Antiochus Epiphanes.</HI> But the <HI>little horn,</HI> Dan. 7.8. and 20. is not <HI>Antiochus,</HI> but it is doubtle&s;&s;e the Turk, and the number of <HI>time, times, and half a time,</HI> Dan. 7.25. and 12.7. are one and the &s;ame, and belong to the Turk. That they have re&s;pect to diver&s;e per&s;ons it is proved. Becau&s;e <HI>the vi&s;ion in Chap. 7. is &s;ten to come out of the Sea: the vi&s;ion Chap.</HI> 8. <HI>is by the Ri|ven &V;lai.</HI> The former vi&s;ion is written in Chaldee, becau&s;e it is a Prophecy concerning all men: the later in Hebrew, becau&s;e it pro|perly concerns the Jews. <HI>Brightman on Dan.</HI> 12.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Sea and Ulai can no more make <HI>the little horns</HI> of Chap. 7. and 8. to denote diver&s;e per&s;ons, then <HI>one appearing amid&s;t the &s;even golden Candle&s;sticks, and having &s;even &s;tars in his hand,</HI> Rev. 1.13. and <HI>one riding on a white hor&s;e with many crowns on his head, &amp;c.</HI>
<PB N="45" REF="26">Rev. 19.11. &s;et forth diver&s;e per&s;ons. Here de&s;criptions much different, expre&s;&s;e one Chri&s;t: and there expre&s;&s;ions a little diffe|ring, one and the &s;ame <HI>Antiochus.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The difference of the tongues can much le&s;&s;e doe it. For then <HI>the Bear,</HI> Chap. 7. and the <HI>Ram,</HI> Chap. 8. &s;hould not a|like expre&s;&s;e the Dominion of the <HI>Medes</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> becau&s;e the vi&s;ions are told in different languages. Adde thereunto that the one of the&s;e ro&s;e out of the Sea, the other was &s;een by the River Ulai. Wee &s;ee hereby how Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> doating on a fal&s;e con|clu&s;ion, u&s;es any &s;leight argumentation to boul&s;ter on the matter. The rea&s;on why the eighth Chapter is in Hebrew, is this. There the <HI>Medes</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> and Greeks are expre&s;ly named: whereby the Expo&s;ition of that vi&s;ion is a key to open all the re&s;t of the vi&s;ions: and therefore is in a tongue &s;trange to the Chaldees, fami|liar to the Jews: as Mr. <HI>Broughton</HI> mo&s;t judiciou&s;ly ob&s;erved.</P>
<P><HI>Object. The little horn</HI> Dan. 7. <HI>is belonging to the fourth kingdom;</HI> therefore to the <HI>Romans. The little horn,</HI> Dan. 8. comes out of one of the Goats four horns. But the <HI>little horn,</HI> Chap. 7. <HI>is one horn with the other nine, on the fourth Bea&s;t.</HI> And therefore denotes not one and the &s;ame <HI>Antiochus.</HI> Mr. <HI>Brightman.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I have above proved, that the Greek kingdom parted between the Syrian and Egyptian Princes is the fourth kingdom in <HI>Daniel.</HI> The little horn therefore on the fourth Bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. is of their race, and was <HI>Antiochus.</HI> And in Chap. 8. The Goat bucks fir&s;t horn is <HI>Alexander</HI> the great. The four horns on the &s;ame bea&s;t are <HI>Alexanders</HI> four chief Captains. Of the&s;e, two were of no long continuance: the other two <HI>Seleucus Nicator,</HI> and <HI>Proleme|us Lagides</HI> &s;ub&s;i&s;ted a long time mighty in them&s;elves and their po|&s;terity: and at length became weak, not long before Chri&s;ts time. The&s;e two and their &s;ucce&s;&s;ours make the fourth kingdom, and are expre&s;&s;ed by the two legs and feet of the Image, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2. and by the fourth Bea&s;t that had ten horns, Chap. 7. <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes,</HI> a King that rather de&s;ired to bee, then could attain to bee great, was one horn with the other nine horns, Chap. 7. And thus hee is the little horn in both, Chap. 7. and 8.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> But <HI>Antiochus</HI> cannot bee the little horn, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. becau&s;e when <HI>the reign of the little horn ends, the Son of man takes his kingdom o|ver all Nations,</HI> which Chri&s;t did not pre&s;ently upon <HI>Antiochus</HI> death. Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> on <HI>Dan.</HI></P>
<PB N="46" REF="27">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Mark the Text and you &s;hall finde, that <HI>Chri&s;ts Kingdom begins when, not onely the little horns Dominion is taken away,</HI> Dan. 7.26. <HI>But the body of the Bea&s;t</HI> (hornle&s;&s;e and harmle&s;&s;e in great part after <HI>Antiochus</HI>) is de&s;troyed, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. and the Dominion of &s;uch of <HI>his &s;ucce&s;&s;ours,</HI> as ruled after him, <HI>con&s;umed unto the end.</HI> Ver&s;e 26. Thus <HI>when the fourth Kingdom</HI> (not all the kingdoms of the world, (as &s;aith Mr. <HI>Brightman) was quite <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ut down:</HI> the famous kingdom of Heaven is &s;et up by Chri&s;t, the great King on mount Sion, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. Of this I &s;pake above.</P>
<P><HI>Object. There bee foure Bea&s;ts, Dan.</HI> 7.3. and 17. <HI>which denote &s;oure Kingdom.</HI> If you make the little horn to belong to the Greek Kingdom, though it bee on the fourth Bea&s;t, you make contrary to the Text, but three kingdoms, by making the third and fourth bea&s;ts to expre&s;&s;e the Greek kingdom. <HI>Alexander</HI> was the fir&s;t foun|der of that kingdom. The Kingdom of <HI>Antiochus,</HI> and the Kings of his line, and of the <HI>Ptolemies,</HI> and their race, is ever in the <HI>Mac|cabees,</HI> called <HI>the Kingdoms of the Greeks.</HI> Therefore if you make the third and fourth Bea&s;ts to expre&s;&s;e the Greeks, you make but three kingdoms, where <HI>Daniel</HI> maketh four in plain terms. Mr. <HI>Bright|man.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is fir&s;t, the <HI>Kingdom of the Greeks intire</HI> and whole in <HI>Alexander,</HI> and his four chief Captains, who for a while ex|pected &s;ome of King <HI>Alexanders</HI> kindred or children to &s;ucceed him. <HI>This kingdom beeing of &s;hort continuance is expre&s;&s;ed by the brlly of the &s;tatue,</HI> Dan. 2. and by the third bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. And &s;econdly, <HI>there is the Greek kingdom parted,</HI> which was of longer durance, and was fitly <HI>&s;et forth by the legs and feet of the &s;tatue,</HI> Dan. 2. and <HI>by the fourth bea&s;t having ten horns, Dan.</HI> 7. Of which horns <HI>Antiochus Epiphanes</HI> is one. That this Kingdom is counted di&s;tinct from <HI>Alexanders,</HI> is evident. <HI>Jo&s;ephus antiq.</HI> 12.7. &amp; 14. Where <HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> &s;ayes, as doth the Book of <HI>Maccabees, That the Temple was clean&s;ed in the hundred forty eight year of the Greeks kingdom, which,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>be|gan of Seleucus.</HI> Therefore the parted Greek Kingdom is by <HI>Jo&s;e|phus</HI> (who &s;eems to &s;peak the Judgment of his Nation, and tho&s;e times) counted a different Kingdom from <HI>Alexanders.</HI> The Goat in <HI>Dan</HI> 8. &s;hews how in &s;ome &s;ort the third and fourth kingdoms are Greeks: and the Leopard and bea&s;t with ten horns <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. &s;hew how in Gods, as well as in <HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> and other mens e&s;teem, they were two di&s;tinct kingdoms.</P>
<PB N="47" REF="27">
<P><HI>Object. That little horne, Dan.</HI> 8.8. is <HI>Antiochus,</HI> but the Turke, who&s;e dominion begins in the year of Chri&s;t one thou&s;and three hundred; <HI>To him Daniel gives a time,</HI> that is, a hundred years, <HI>two times,</HI> two hundred years, <HI>and hal&s;e a time,</HI> that is, fiftie years. Adde the&s;e three hundred and fiftie years to one thou&s;and three hundred, and by this it appears, that the Turk declines in his power in the year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred and fiftie. And <HI>Apocalyps</HI> 9.15. <HI>gives the Turk a year,</HI> which according to the daies it contains is three hundred &s;ixtie five years; <HI>and a moneth,</HI> which in the &s;ame &s;en&s;e is thirtie years. The&s;e three hundred ninetie five years added to the one thou&s;and three hundred years above amount to one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred ninetie five; <HI>Then &s;hall the Turks dominion bee quite ex|tinct;</HI> Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> on <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> If the fourth Bea&s;t, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. expre&s;&s;e the Roman State (as Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> holds) how comes the Turke to be an horne of the &s;ame bea&s;t? The Turks have had no joynt agreement and fellow&s;hip in their de&s;ignes and attempts with the Romans again&s;t the true Church, but rather mo&s;t deadly hate the Roman Church, as for other rea&s;ons, &s;o al&s;o becau&s;e it allows of Images in Gods wor&s;hip, which the Turks from the expre&s;&s;e words of <HI>Exod.</HI> 20. abominate. If one bea&s;t &s;hould expre&s;&s;e the Roman and Turki&s;h dominions, they &s;hould agree in &s;ingular amitie, a&s;&s;i&s;tance, mutuall defence, and Law, as did the Medes and Per&s;ians, who are typed by one bea&s;t. Or el&s;e they &s;hould by mutuall intermariages endeavour to make the like friend|&s;hip, though without &s;ucce&s;&s;e, as did the Seleucidans, and Lagidans, &amp; as the de&s;cription of the fourth kingdom, <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.43. expre&s;&s;es it. Se|condly, <HI>Time, times and half a time</HI> have a far different extent of time (as I above &s;hewed) then Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> would allow them. Thirdly, what I have &s;aid of the&s;e pa&s;&s;ages, applying them to <HI>Antiochus,</HI> will not by any one be ea&s;ily di&s;proved. Fourthly, <HI>The mi&s;eries</HI> expre&s;&s;ed, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. do <HI>befall Daniels people, Ver&s;.</HI> 1. that is, the Iews before Chri&s;ts time: not the Chri&s;tians vexed by the Turks after Chri&s;ts time, when <HI>there is nei|ther Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in Chri&s;t.</HI> Wherefore Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> here without any good ground talks of the Turks declining and fall.</P>
<P>Having cleared our way by removing the rubs and blocks which &s;eemed to &s;top our pa&s;&s;age, let me now returne to make further ex|ceptions again&s;t the accounts of Time in Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> and others.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede,</HI> Mr. <HI>Mede,</HI> Mr. <HI>Archer,</HI> and &s;uch as concur in opinion with them, mi&s;take in placing the thou&s;and yeares of the
<PB N="48" REF="28">Saints reigning with Chri&s;t, the Churches puritie and happine&s;&s;e, in the fag end of the world, and dregs of time, which in all likeli|hood will bee wor&s;e and wor&s;e, as was the old world in <HI>Noahs</HI> time, and will now need &s;ire, as then water to purge it. See a true gla&s;&s;e of the la&s;t times, 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. where their mo&s;t wicked affecti|ons, words, deeds are &s;et forth.</P>
<P>Fourth<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> mi&s;&s;es the marke and &s;hoots extremely wide, where hee makes <HI>Julian</HI> the Apo&s;tate the &s;etter up of the abominati|on of de&s;olation &s;poken of by <HI>Daniel.</HI> This wretched Emperour doubtle&s;&s;e a&s;pired to the height of wickedne&s;&s;e, but was prevented of this inglorious achievement both by <HI>Antiochus</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> as I have already &s;hewed. Hee not onely came too late for the worke, but could effect nothing hee de&s;ired: and was &s;o far from taking away the Jewi&s;h &s;acrifices (which is one main thing, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. mentioned) that hee attempted to &s;et them up in contempt of Chri|&s;tians and Chri&s;t their ma&s;ter.</P>
<P>Fiftly, Both Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> and Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> and others of their opini|on erre in multiplying one thou&s;and two hundred dayes to the number of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;o many years. Tis true that dayes bee put for years, <HI>Ezck.</HI> 4. but tis not con&s;equent that in all other pro|phecies it &s;hould bee &s;o: Nor indeed in any can it bee &s;o: but where &s;ome circum&s;tances require it, or God plainly &s;ayes as to <HI>Ezekiel: 1 appoint thee a day for a yeare, a day for a yeare.</HI> To him the words are doubled, that wee &s;hould not mi&s;take. In <HI>Daniel</HI> wee find them not &s;ingle. And mu&s;t not of our owne heads devi&s;e, what was never intended. 2. The dayes two thou&s;and three hun|dred in <HI>Dan.</HI> 8.14. bee properly under&s;tood of dayes according to Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> and others: Why then may not one thou&s;and two hundred dayes, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. be &s;o likewi&s;e expounded?</P>
<P>Reply. <HI>Dayes</HI> one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixtie, <HI>and moneths</HI> fortie two, in the Revelation expre&s;&s;e a longer time then the bare words import. So may the &s;umme here. If you &s;ay <HI>that in the Apo|calyps is meant properly &s;o many dayes or moneths, you accord with the Pa|pi&s;ts, who hold that Antichri&s;t &s;hall reign but ju&s;t three years and a half.</HI></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I know well <HI>that Chri&s;ts &s;ervants,</HI> Rev. 11. <HI>witne&s;&s;e to his truth, that the bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 13.1. <HI>rages, that the woman clad with the Sun, Rev.</HI> 12. <HI>is pre&s;erved in the Wilderne&s;&s;e</HI> longer then three years and a half, though the limits of their times expre&s;&s;ed, properly &s;ignifie no longer a &s;pade: but I &s;ay further, that
<PB N="49" REF="28">phra&s;es and formes of &s;peech in the Revelation have often reference to former matters to which they have &s;ome re&s;emblance: So <HI>Babel</HI> and <HI>Egypt</HI> in the <HI>Apocalyps</HI> &s;ignifie not properly, but metaphorically places and States like them for mi&s;chiefs done to Gods people, and their ruine thereupon: So the three years and an halfe of the Saints preaching and per&s;ecution is not properly ju&s;t &s;o long, but hath a reference unto Chri&s;ts preaching and per&s;ecution, which was in proprietie of &s;peech ju&s;t &s;o long. This is to &s;hew that the Saints ca&s;e is like Chri&s;ts, and the time not properly, but by allu&s;ion un|der&s;tood of them: So in Scripture <HI>the Saints afflictions</HI> are called <HI>the afflictions of Chri&s;t, Col.</HI> 1.24. and <HI>the Saints are &s;aid to have <GAP DESC="foreign"> a &s;hare and part of Chri&s;ts &s;ufferings, Phil.</HI> 3.10. and <HI>to bee <GAP DESC="foreign"> partakers of Chri&s;ts &s;ufferings, Heb.</HI> 12.8. and <HI>to bee <GAP DESC="foreign"> comformable and like to Chri&s;t, Rom.</HI> 8.29. and Saint <HI>John and other Chri&s;tians are &s;aid to bee companions in tribulation, and in the Kingdome of Chri&s;t, Rev.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P>Thus Chri&s;t is the great and eminent both Teacher of and &s;ufferer for the truth; his &s;ervants imitate his actions, and are like to him in &s;uffering. Such was the cour&s;e of Chri&s;ts publick mini&s;tery, whil&s;t hee lived, &s;uch mu&s;t be theirs untill their deaths. As hee, &s;o they mu&s;t hold out and continue faithfull in their callings. His time was but three years and an half: theirs may bee le&s;&s;e, perhaps &s;omething more; but however, it will bee a momentary and &s;hort &s;pace in regard of the eternall weight of glory, which follows it, Againe, as the &s;even Churches of <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> &s;ome purer, &s;ome more cor|rupt, &s;ome in diver&s;e re&s;pects prai&s;-worthy, others in as many re|&s;pects ju&s;tly to bee blamed, &s;hew the &s;tate and condition of &s;even|tie and more Churches, and what Chri&s;t hath to &s;ay to them in re|gard of their like obedience or di&s;obedience unto him: So the teaching and &s;ufferings of Chri&s;t in three yeares and an halfe &s;hew, what &s;hall bee the ca&s;e of his &s;ervants in three times three or moe years of their mini&s;try? So that time is put for the condition of the time and things done therein. As, <HI>Act.</HI> 3.24. The Prophets foretold the&s;e times. And <HI>E&s;ther</HI> 1.13. wi&s;e men knowing the times: that is, things done in the times. And Chri&s;t &s;aith, Father keep me from that houre, <HI>Joh.</HI> 12.17. that uphold me in the &s;orrowes of that houre.</P>
<P>Thus then yon &s;ee apparently that I run not into the Papi&s;ts er|rour, who ab&s;urdly bound Antichri&s;ts per&s;ecution, and the Saints
<PB N="50" REF="29">&s;ufferings to three years and an half; <HI>Rome</HI> fir&s;t in its wicked and Idolatrous Emperours; &s;econdly, in its proud and &s;uper&s;titious Popes hath been an <HI>Egypt</HI> and a <HI>Babel</HI> to Gods &s;ervants, oppre&s;&s;ing them the&s;e one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred years, and not barely three years and a half: and in all this time God hath had witne&s;&s;es to his truth. The allu&s;ion both to the places and the time is mo&s;t elegant and comfortable. They that &s;uffer with Chri&s;t, &s;hall al&s;o reign with him.</P>
<P>Sixtly, If the &s;etling <HI>of the dayes</HI> one thou&s;and two hundred and ninetie, counting them &s;o many years, as above, bee faultie, then Mr. <HI>Archers</HI> addition <HI>of</HI> fortie five <HI>yeares unto them,</HI> (which are the overplus of one thou&s;and three hundred thirtie five dayes, by him counted yeares, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.12.) mu&s;t al&s;o be erroneous. Be&s;ides Mr. <HI>Ar|cher</HI> mi&s;takes by making tho&s;e fortie five years to be a time of great affliction to the Jews. For their welfare begins at the end of one thou&s;and two hundred and ninetie dayes, when <HI>Jeru&s;alems</HI> de&s;ola|tion is repaired, and the daily &s;acrifice renewed: and a further ac|ce&s;&s;e of happine&s;&s;e is made unto them fortie five dayes after. So that <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11, 12. &s;peaks of the Jews welfare, not of their mi&s;ery; and fits their condition in <HI>Antiochus</HI> time exactly; for about fortie five dayes after <HI>Judas Maccabeus</HI> had clean&s;ed the Altar, and &s;acri|ficed thereon, <HI>Antiochus</HI> became extreamly &s;ick, and confe&s;&s;ed how unju&s;tly he had tyrannized over the Jews, 1 <HI>Macc.</HI> 6.8.9, &amp;c. and &s;oon after in the next year died.</P>
<P>Seventhly, Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> affirmes that <HI>Julian</HI> was <HI>the &s;etter up of the abomination of de&s;olation</HI> &s;poken of <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> is of the &s;ame opinion on <HI>Dan.</HI> 12. Admit this to be true: then hee mu&s;t al&s;o bee <HI>the taker away of the daily &s;acrifice:</HI> for both the&s;e go toge|ther, and have the &s;ame time a&s;oribed unto them. Now <HI>Julian</HI> was &s;o farre from taking away the Jewi&s;h &s;acrifices, that <HI>hee indeavoured to &s;et them up, and did much countenance the Je<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">es again&s;t the Chri&s;tians. Socrate<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Eccl. Hi&s;t.B.</HI> 3.</P>
<P>Eighthly, there is no rea&s;on why Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> &s;hould hold that af|ter dayes or years one thou&s;and two hundred and ninetie, <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. the Jews &s;hould bee cal'd to Chri&s;tianitle. The Text faith no &s;uch thing: but tels how the Jews &s;hould bee freed from two mi|&s;eries; fir&s;t, <HI>from the de&s;olation of Jeru&s;alem,</HI> &s;econdly, <HI>from the taking away their daily &s;acrifi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</HI> Seeing the&s;e two are the mi&s;eries befalling the Jews untill the end of the time there de&s;igned, they mu&s;t nece&s;|&s;arily fall in the time that &s;acrifice was lawfull. And there|fore
<PB N="51" REF="29">they mu&s;t not bee in the daies of <HI>Titus,</HI> or of the Turk.</P>
<P>Ninthly, The&s;e learned men &s;werve from the truth, by not ma|king Chri&s;t at his being on earth, the &s;trong man, who bound Satan, and gave his Apo&s;tles power to tread on the Serpent, who&s;e head him&s;elf brok, and whom hee made as lightning to fall from Hea|ven : &s;o that from the time of Chri&s;ts A&s;cen&s;ion the devill could not prevail to deceive all Nations, as before hee had don: but was loo&s;ed about a thou&s;and years afterward, as hath been decla|red above.</P>
<P>Tenthly, There is not any pa&s;&s;age in the <HI>Revelation</HI> or el&s;e|where, that I know, from which it can bee proved, that the Papa|cy began in the year four hundred and &s;ix. Tis true, that about this time <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> left <HI>Rome,</HI> and made <HI>Con&s;tantinople</HI> his roy|all Seat: but the Bi&s;hop and Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> did not then &s;o a|po&s;tate, and degenerate from what they had been, that gro&s;&s;e po|pery and Antichri&s;tiani&s;m may bee laid to their charg. <HI>Con&s;tan|tine,</HI> who erected Churches, placed new Bi&s;hops in them, coun|tenanced other good Bi&s;hops already placed; &s;o held his Imperi|all autority, and Vicegerency under Chri&s;t, that the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome</HI> never in his time exalted him&s;elf above the royall Scepter, or chal|lenged an univer&s;all autority over all Churches. There were fault<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> in Churches, and errours in Bi&s;hops and teachers before <HI>Con&s;tan|tines</HI> time, and in it. But <HI>wee &s;ee by Chri&s;ts judgment upon the &s;even Churches in A&s;ia,</HI> Rev. 2. and 3. that &s;ome faults and errours do not pre&s;ently unchurch a people, as rank Popery and Antichri&s;ti|ani&s;m doe.</P>
<P>Eleventhly, If <HI>the ten Kings received their kingdom,</HI> Apoc. 17.12. and imployed their power in oppre&s;&s;ing the Church, together with the bea&s;t, namely, the per&s;ecuting Emperours, then they received that their power from the <HI>C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ars</HI> long before the year four hun|dred and &s;ix. And if it bee meant of receiving their power from the Popes, it is manife&s;t that they &s;ubmitted not their necks, nor took their Scepters from the Popes, untill many years after four hundred and &s;ix, namely untill about the year of Chri&s;t one thou|&s;and and odde. Herein therefore Mr. <HI>Archers</HI> ground-work fails him.</P>
<P>Twelfthly, How can the year one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ix|ty bee attributed to the Pope alone? Suppo&s;e &s;o <HI>many years given to the warring Bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 13.4, 5. that is, the Emperours, which
<PB N="52" REF="30">make the &s;ixth head, and <HI>the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> ruled in Saint Johns time:</HI> I finde nor the like time a&s;cribed to the bea&s;t with two horns, or to any par|ticular type, whereby the Popes alone are expre&s;&s;ed. Mr. <HI>Bright|man</HI> holds the bea&s;t, Rev. 13.1. not to bee the Emperours or ci|vill State of <HI>Rome,</HI> but the Popes: becau&s;e the Imperiall State was ri&s;en before St. <HI>Johns</HI> time; and <HI>Chri&s;t &s;hewed to Saint John, matters onely, which were to bee don after the giving of tho&s;e vi&s;ions,</HI> Rev. 4.1.</P>
<P>To this I <HI>An&s;wer,</HI> Chri&s;t did &s;hew St. <HI>John</HI> matters, which for the mo&s;t part were to bee don after the Vi&s;ion, <HI>Rev.</HI> 4. But hee &s;hew|ed him al&s;o, fir&s;t, &s;ome things ab&s;olutely don and pa&s;t: as name|ly, <HI>five of the heads of the Bea&s;t &s;een by John, were faln and gon,</HI> Rev. 17.11. Chri&s;t <HI>appeared to him as a Lamb that had been &s;tain,</HI> Rev. 5.6. This was don long before that vi&s;ion And &s;econdly, &s;ome things &s;hewed to <HI>John</HI> were formerly in part fulfilled, and were yet more and more to bee fufillled in and after his time. As the&s;e, <HI>God doubtle&s;&s;e before &s;at gloriou&s;ly upon his Throne, as hee is &s;aid to &s;it.</HI> Rev. 4.2. The Elders, namely <HI>John</HI> him&s;elf and the other Apo&s;tles, and the whole Church of God, before <HI>Johns</HI> Vi&s;ions, <HI>a&s;cribed prai&s;e, honour, glory, &amp;c. to the Lamb,</HI> as they doe, Rev. 4. &amp; 5. <HI>The New Jeru&s;alem &s;poken of,</HI> Rev. 21.10. was before <HI>Mother of the beleeving Galatians, and other Chri&s;tians,</HI> Gal. 4.26. Heb. 12.22. I might in&s;tance in diver&s;e other the like pa&s;&s;ages. Ob&s;erve this well, or els Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> will by a fal&s;e fire mi&s;lead you in diver&s;e other matters.</P>
<P>Thirteenthly, Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> and &s;ome others, though they decline the gro&s;&s;e millenary opinion of one thon&s;and years victory, plea|&s;ure, Joviality, yet in a&s;cribing to their refined thou&s;and years plen|ty of all things without &s;in, and making the Martyrs rai&s;ed from death, partakers thereof, &amp;c. palpably (as I conceive) mi&s;take. For <HI>the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink.</HI> nor (which is con&s;equent) other matters, le&s;&s;e nece&s;&s;ary. And to what end &s;hould the bodies of the Martyrs and Saints rai&s;ed up immortall and glorified (&s;uch they are de&s;cribed to bee 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 15.) live again on earth to make u&s;e of &s;uch poor accommodations, and not rather enjoy glory and immortality in heaven: for which the re&s;urrection fits them; as it did Chri&s;t ri&s;en from the dead, and a&s;cending into heaven?</P>
<P>Fourteenthly, See how they jar and differ in their judgment.
<PB N="53" REF="30">Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> to the &s;umme three hundred and &s;ixty in <HI>Julians</HI> time addes the one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty in <HI>Dan.</HI> 12.11. and the forty five years more there in ver&s;e 12. and &s;aies, that the Turks power will bee extinct in the yeare one thou&s;and &s;ix hun|dred ninty five, to which &s;umms tho&s;e numbers doe amount. Mr. <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">cher</HI> from three hundred &s;ixty &s;ix, and the other &s;ummes &s;aies, that in the year one thou&s;and &s;even hundred, the thou&s;and years begin. Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> to the year ninty &s;ix, in which, &s;aith hee, <HI>Je|ru&s;alem</HI> fell, addes the &s;ame one thou&s;and two hundred and ninty, and one thou&s;and three hundred thirty five, and affirms that the thou&s;and years, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20 end in the year two thou&s;and &s;ix hundred ninty four, which Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> ends about the year one thou&s;and three hundred. Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> to the year four hundred and &s;ix, when &s;aith hee, the Papacy began, addes the one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixty, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 11.3. and 12.6. And tels us, that the Papacy falls in the year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred &s;ixty &s;ix. Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> from the &s;ame &s;ummes and an addition of years, for the heads cure, which <HI>Apoo.</HI> 13 was wounded (which cure &s;ome others, that think them&s;elves Surgeons, not inferior to him, little thought of) makes the Pope-doms fall to bee in the year, one thou&s;and &s;ix hun|dred eighty &s;ix. See his Comment. on <HI>Apoc.</HI> 13.5. Hereby it ap|pears, what liberty is taken to di&s;po&s;e of the&s;e Propheticall ac|counts of time, rather according to humane fancy, then clear evi|dence of Scripture: whence their opinions become different, and leave us more uncertain, and unre&s;olved, then when wee con&s;ul|ted them: except wee will confide, and relie more on mens per|&s;ons, then on their proofs and arguments. In opinions thus di&s;|agreeing it nece&s;&s;arily follows, that &s;ome of them bee faulty: and tis not improbable (their grounds beeing &s;o &s;andy and weak) that all of them may bee fal&s;e. What Rea&s;ons I have here alledged to di&s;prove them, I humbly &s;ubmit to the cen&s;ure of &s;uch as are judi|cious in the&s;e matters.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="54" REF="31">
<HEAD>Chap. VI. <HI>The Arguments and autorities from the Rabbins, brought by Mr. Mede on Rev. 20. an&s;wered.</HI></HEAD>
<P>MR. <HI>John Mede,</HI> on <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. produceth diver&s;e rea&s;ons for his opinion about the thou&s;and years. And thus fir&s;t hee argues: <HI>Gori&s;ts kingdom is joyned with his appearance to judge the quick and the dead,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.1. But at Chri&s;ts la&s;t appearing to judg the quick and the dead, he is &s;o &s;arre from beginn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ing a new kingdom, <HI>that bee delivers up the kingdom to his Father.</HI> That kingdom therefore, which neither &s;hall bee before the appearance of the Lord, nor af|ter the la&s;t re&s;urrection, is nece&s;&s;arily between them. And <HI>this king|dom is &s;aid to bee for one thou&s;and years,</HI> Rev. 20.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ayes not, that Chri&s;ts Kingdom was not be|fore his appearing to judg the quick and the dead: and Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> him&s;elf grants, <HI>That Chri&s;t long before had a crown given him, and rode firth, conquering and to conquer,</HI> Rev. 6.2. This hee judges to bee in the beginning of the Apocalypticall times. And that it was &s;o, I have above proved. In the latter end of his Kingdom, <HI>Chri&s;t makes an ab&s;olute conque&s;t over the bea&s;t and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">al&s;e Prophet: and ca&s;ts them into the fiery Lake; and brings all men to judgment: and then delivers up his Kingdom</HI> of governing and defending his Church in this world, <HI>to his Father:</HI> And they reign together eternally with the Saints in a &s;etl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">d and ble&s;&s;ed e&s;tate.</P>
<P>Secondly, I conceive the terms at <HI>his appearing, and in or at his kingdom,</HI> to bee in &s;en&s;e, <HI>at his manife&s;t appearing to bee the great King.</HI> And that the form of &s;peech is <HI>duobus pro uno po&s;itis,</HI> by putting two expre&s;&s;ions for one. So <HI>Thunders and voices,</HI> Rev. 8.5. are put for <HI>thundring or loud voices,</HI> as both Mr. <HI>Mede,</HI> and Mr. <HI>Brightman,</HI> expound that place. The rea&s;on why I thus under|&s;tand it, is, becau&s;e Chri&s;t ever truly the great King then ap|pears manife&s;tly to bee the great King indeed by an ab&s;olute con|que&s;t over the Churches enemies, and by over-comming death, and by bringing, as the great and on<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">y King, the whole world to judgement.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> In <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.9. and Rev. 20.4. <HI>Thrones are &s;aid to bee &s;et up,</HI>
<PB N="55" REF="31">and <HI>judgment given to the Saints,</HI> (who are &s;aid to judg the world, 1 Cor. 6.2.) and <HI>the Saints to obtain the Kingdom,</HI> that is, to live and reign with Chri&s;t. Be&s;ides, in Dan. 7.13, 14. and Luk. 21.24, it is &s;aid, <HI>That Chri&s;t &s;hall appear in the clouds of heaven, and have power, glory, and kingdom given him: &s;o that all people, Nations, and languages &s;hall &s;erve him; and that the&s;e things &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e, when the times of the Gentiles &s;hall come to an end.</HI> That is, when <HI>the little born,</HI> Dan. 7.11. namely Antichri&s;t, is overthrown. Therefore Chri&s;ts glorious Kingdom, and the Saints reign with him takes not place untill the Popedom bee ruined.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In <HI>Dan. 7.9. the Thrones,</HI> that is, tho&s;e of the four bea&s;ts, are <HI>&s;aid to bee</HI> (&s;o our new tran&s;lation hath it) <HI>ca&s;t down: and the Antient of daies to &s;it on his Throne. Hee gives judgement to the Saints,</HI> that is, on their party, or inables them to maintain their party <HI>a|gain&s;t the little horn that domineered over them before for a time, times, and half a time. The Saints therefore in tho&s;e daies after</HI> Antiochus <HI>his ar|mies were defeated, &s;et up Gods wor&s;hip again,</HI> 1 Macc. 4. <HI>and main|tained th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ir cau&s;e again&s;t the body of the fourth Be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t, which was then hornle&s;&s;e,</HI> Dan. 7.11. and 26: <HI>So that it began to decay, and was con|&s;uming daily unto the end. This the Jews Gods people did untill the Son of man came in the clouds of heaven, and received the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ternall kingdom,</HI> Dan. 7.14. which began (as was above proved) one thou&s;and five hundred years agon.</P>
<P>Secondly, How Chri&s;ts Kingdom &s;o long agon begun, the Saints judged and reigned, I have likewi&s;e declared.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Chri&s;ts glorious comming to judgment is &s;ometimes to bee under&s;tood of vengeance and puni&s;hment in&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">icted on the world for their &s;ins. So the Lord is &s;aid, Judg. 14. <HI>To come with thou|&s;ands of his hely ones to give judgment again&s;t all men, and to rebuke the ungodly, &amp;c.</HI> when hee drowned the old world: So <HI>Chri&s;t comming with power and great glory,</HI> in the&s;e Texts of <HI>Daniel</HI> and <HI>Luke,</HI> may expre&s;&s;e his comming with vengeance again&s;t the Romans and Jews that kild him, and oppo&s;ed the Go&s;pel. For it is &s;aid, <HI>Luk.</HI> 21, 22, and 32. <HI>That that age and generation &s;hould not pa&s;&s;e, untill all tho&s;e things were fulfilled:</HI> Be&s;ides, it is not &s;aid, that Chri&s;t &s;hall not &s;o come, untill the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled, but <HI>untill Jeru|&s;alem bee trodden under foot by the Gentiles, and the power of heaven, Sun, Moon, and Stars</HI> (that is, the government of that people) <HI>bee &s;haken,</HI> This was don when <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> was overthrown.</P>
<PB N="56" REF="32">
<P><HI>Repl:</HI> The &s;en&s;e of <HI>Luke</HI> 21.32. may bee; <GAP DESC="foreign">, this people, Nation, kindred of the Jews &s;hall not pa&s;&s;e, or cea&s;e to be a Nation, or people, untill the&s;e things bee fulfilled. The word <GAP DESC="foreign">&s;o &s;igni|fies.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> The word <GAP DESC="foreign"> expre&s;&s;es <HI>Dor</HI> generation in the old Te&s;ta|ment a hundred times: It is &s;ometimes al&s;o put for <HI>Gnam, Mi&s;|pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">h, M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ledeth,</HI> people, nation, progeny: But then commonly it intends and denotes the <HI>Nation or family then living,</HI> which is all one in meaning with <HI>Generation:</HI> In this &s;en&s;e, <HI>The People and Nation, and race of men now living &s;hall not pa&s;&s;e,</HI> or be extinct, <HI>un|till all the&s;e things be accompli&s;hed.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Repl:</HI> If you deny the Texts, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.9. &amp; 22. &amp; <HI>Rev:</HI> 20.4. to expre&s;&s;e the great day of judgment, Chri&s;ts comming in the clouds with power and great glory, and the Saints with him to judge the Earth, and abolith Antichri&s;t with the brightne&s;&s;e of his comming in the thou&s;and years yet to come, you undermine the pillar of E|vangelicall faith, concerning the glorious comming of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w: God is known by executing judgment, P&s;alm</HI> 9.16. Not by the great and &s;inall judgment onely, but by other particular judgments al&s;o on mankind. Some Jews might mi&s;-conceive of Gods dealing towards them; and be per &s;waded, that they &s;hould in, or at Chri&s;ts time get their necks from under the yoak of their oppre&s;&s;ors. But when they &s;aw Jeru&s;alem in that age ruined, many Jews cruelly &s;lain, the re&s;t grievou&s;ly di&s;per&s;t: how could they but think, and you now conceit, that God then &s;ate gloriou&s;ly in judgment again&s;t them, who were grown <HI>as &s;ecure as they in the old world, Mat.</HI> 24.37. <HI>Luke</HI> 17.26. As this judgment was con&s;picuous; and &s;hewed the great power and glory of Chri&s;t, and verified <HI>Chri&s;ts &s;peech of &s;ome then &s;tand|ing by him, who &s;hould not ta&s;te death, untill they &s;aw Chri&s;ts kingdom come with power, Mark</HI> 9.1. So I verily believe, that <HI>Chri&s;t will come in the clouds,</HI> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>with clouds of witne&s;&s;es,</HI> Mark 14.62. <HI>and great power to judge and de&s;troy Antichri&s;t, and all his Churches enemies, Apoc.</HI> 20.9. Thus doe I endeavour to hold up the pillar of Evangelicall truth, and in no wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">e undermine it. Chri&s;t, I &s;ay, hath already by the brightne&s;&s;e of his comming in the word preach|ed given Antichri&s;t &s;uch a blow, that hee &s;hall never lick him&s;elf whole; and will in his good time bring him to utter confu&s;ion: What was done in the thou&s;and years, I have above &s;ufficiently un|folded.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="32">
<P><HI>Object. Ju&s;tin Martyr</HI> tels <HI>Trypho</HI> the Jew, that him&s;elf, and all Orthodox Chri&s;tians knew the re&s;urrection of the body, and the thou&s;and years, in which Jeru&s;alem &s;hould be re-edified, adorned, and inlarged, according as <HI>Ezekiel</HI> and <HI>E&s;ay</HI> had prophecied of a thou&s;and years, <HI>in which &s;hall bee a new heaven, and new earth:</HI> So that <HI>Jeru&s;alem is made to triumph, and the dayes of Gods people to bee as the dayes of the tree of life;</HI> In the&s;e words, &s;aith <HI>Ju&s;tin,</HI> we hold that the thou&s;and years are implicitly pointed at: He further &s;aith, that <HI>John</HI> in the Revelation prophe&s;ied, that Chri&s;tians &s;hould ac|compli&s;h that thou&s;and year in Jeru&s;alem.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Ju&s;tin</HI> beleeves <HI>the re&s;urrection of the body;</HI> wee deny it not. But <HI>Ju&s;tin</HI> a&s;&s;erts not two re&s;urrections, as &s;ome now doe, one a thou&s;and years before the other: <HI>Ju&s;tin</HI> &s;ayes, that <HI>Jeru&s;alem &s;hall bee re-edified, inlarged, adorned</HI> in &s;uch &s;en&s;e as <HI>Ezekiel</HI> and <HI>E&s;ay</HI> fore|told: it is mo&s;t true; A <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that in <HI>Rev.</HI> 21.10, &amp; <HI>Gal:</HI> 4.26: all the world over &s;hall bee made a place of Gods wor&s;hip (as was the old Jeru&s;alem) to the great joy of all people: <HI>the di&s;tinction of Jew and Gentile &s;hall bee taken away, and all true Chri&s;tians &s;hall bee the I&s;rael of God, and true Jews:</HI> and &s;hall have no need of the old Je|ru&s;alem. How implicitly in <HI>E&s;aies</HI> words, by <HI>Ju&s;tin</HI> cited, the thou|&s;and years &s;hould be pointed at, he is quick&s;ighted, that can di&s;cern. No man (I think) endeavours now to prove the thou&s;and years from that text in <HI>E&s;ay.</HI> It there were any &s;uch thing in <HI>E&s;ays</HI> words, Logick now, if ever, would work it out. Further, St: <HI>John</HI> &s;ayes not <HI>totidem verbis</HI> in expre&s;&s;e terms, what <HI>Iu&s;tin</HI> alledges: but that <HI>there &s;hall be a new Ieru&s;alem comming down from heaven,</HI> not built by man; and <HI>that the Saints &s;hall reign a thou&s;and years with Chri&s;t:</HI> and I will al&s;o grant, that this reign &s;hould bee in the new Jeru&s;a|lem. But that reign was in the beginning of the Go&s;pels times for a thou&s;and yeers, and &s;hall not bee towards the end of the world: <HI>This Ieru&s;alem is mother of us all, of all the I&s;rael of God, of all be|leeving Iews and Gentiles,</HI> in all times to the world end; and is not limited to old Jeru&s;alems &s;eat, and &s;ome certain time. That king|dom began long &s;ince, and was &s;uch, as hath been above &s;hewed, not &s;uch as the pleaders for the thou&s;and yeers to come, de&s;cribe it.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Divers of the Ancient Fathers, be&s;ides <HI>Iu&s;tin Martyr,</HI> as <HI>Ireneus, Tertullian, Lactantius, Nepos,</HI> and others, held the opini|on of the thou&s;and yeers reign. <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> him&s;elf &s;ometime inclined
<PB N="58" REF="33">to the &s;ame: and it &s;eems to bee <HI>Ieroms</HI> prime Argument again&s;t it, that it &s;avoured of Judai&s;m: to reject this opinion, is a neglect of an ancient Tradition of the Church. <HI>Papias</HI> recommended it to the Fathers above, they to us.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The antiquity of this opinion, will be little warrant to the verity of it: if wee con&s;ider that <HI>Ireneus</HI> &s;ayes, <HI>That</HI> Papias <HI>an Auditor of St.</HI> John <HI>a&s;&s;erted it:</HI> whereas <HI>Papias</HI> him&s;elf denies that e|ver <HI>hee &s;aw or heard the Apo&s;tles.</HI> And <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> B: 3. <HI>Hi&s;tor: Eccle&s;.</HI> &s;ayes, that <HI>Papias</HI> was too credulous, and of &s;hallow judgment, and by mi&s;-interpreting Apo&s;tolicall expo&s;itions led others into errour; as <HI>Ireneus</HI> in this very point; and as &s;ome conceive, in the opinion of Antichri&s;ts reign but for three years and an half near the worlds end. You &s;ee then, what a tottering and weak foundation this tradition hath. It is granted, that <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> had an inclination to like of it, but his <GAP DESC="foreign">&s;econd thoughts made him wi&s;ely to abandon tho&s;e Fathers faulty opinion, and to correct his own: as for <HI>Ierom,</HI> hee cen&s;ures the <HI>millenary conceit to bee a Iewi&s;h <GAP DESC="foreign"> fable;</HI> and &s;o incon&s;i&s;tent with the vi&s;ion, in <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20. jar|ring in it &s;elf, contrary to other Scriptures, and unworthy of the Chri&s;tian faith; See <HI>Ierom</HI> on the life of <HI>Papias.</HI> Hee had therefore Arguments &s;ufficient to confute it. <HI>Diony&s;ins a learned and judicious Bi&s;hop of</HI> Alexandria <HI>called together the chief abettors of this opinion, and argued with them about it three dayes, from morning till night, and examined</HI> Nepos <HI>Book in defence thereof: whereupon in conclu&s;ion his chief oppo&s;er yeelded, and promi&s;ed never to teach, or &s;o much as to men|tion the opinion again: and all the re&s;t there pre&s;ent &s;ubmitted to the truth,</HI> Eu&s;eb. Hi&s;tor. B. 7.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> Bee this opinion true or fal&s;e, or whether the Fathers held an errour herein or no; to bee of the &s;ame minde with the Jews is not alwayes culpable. The Rabbins tell us, that the &s;eventh mil|lenary is the great day of Judgment. That the world &s;hall continue &s;ix thou&s;and years, and in the &s;eventh thou&s;and bee de&s;troyed with fire, and purified: and <HI>the Lord alone &s;hall bee exalted in that day, E&s;a.</HI> 2. that is, &s;hall bee King over all the Earth. They &s;ay, that God in this millenary &s;hall break the wicked; and that it &s;hall bee a great Sabbath, or day of re&s;t. Other Rabbins hold, that the &s;ixt millenary &s;hall be the day of Judgment. Rabbi <HI>Elias</HI> &s;ayes, that the world &s;hould continue two thou&s;and yeers before the Law, two thou&s;and years under the Law, two thou&s;and under Chri&s;t.
<PB N="59" REF="33">See the&s;e and other their opinions cited by Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> on <HI>Re|vel.</HI> 20.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> No man holds the Jews in all things culpable. They are mo&s;t carefull and vigilant pre&s;ervers of the originall Hebrew Text intire and uncorrupt: &s;o that had not the Jews and Greeks been kept di&s;tinct people untill the&s;e times, the knowledge both of the Hebrew &amp; Greek originals had peri&s;hed by the prevalency of Papi&s;tical dark|ne&s;&s;e. See my preface to <HI>Cognatio Linguarum.</HI> The Iews al&s;o, when they li&s;t to &s;peak out, &s;hew good skill in the &s;acred &s;tories. Be&s;ides many pa&s;&s;ages in their Talmuds about their rites and cu&s;tomes &s;erve better to open &s;ome difficulties in the New Te&s;tament, then our Latine Commentaries. What I attribute to the knowledge lockt up in the Hebrew tongue, &s;ee in my Book <HI>Cognatio Linguarum. Po&s;it.</HI> 9. The <HI>Rabbins</HI> have many truths: but like good corne in much chaffe; them&s;elves often times &s;o &s;peake, that they will tell you, <HI>Stultus credit omni verbo,</HI> it is &s;illine&s;&s;e to take all they &s;peak for &s;ad truth. <HI>Maimonid. part</HI> 1. <HI>chap.</HI> 62. <HI>Schick. Bechin. Happer. pag.</HI> 114. Some truths they hide under Enigmaes and Parables, and of them they &s;ay, <HI>I finding a Pomegranat did eat the Kernels and laid by the Rinde. P. Ga|latin.</HI> 1.7. Yet many &s;uch riddles they have not worth the cracking their &s;hell, and more like a deafe nut, then an whol&s;ome Pomegra|nat. The&s;e fall under <HI>Pauls prohibition of not giving heed to fables,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.4. Hee that will pro&s;itably peru&s;e them, mu&s;t <HI>try all things in them, and keep that which is good,</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.21. And whoever will hope to deale &s;oundly with them (which would bee a glorious and heavenly work) for their conver&s;ion, mu&s;t bee able to match and &s;urpa&s;&s;e them, as in &s;ound knowledge of the Scripture, &s;o in their own tongue and learning, as the Apo&s;tles and ancient Fa|thers did the Greeks. Herein Mr. <HI>Broughton</HI> did much, and had hee lived longer by good incouragement was both able and willing to have done far more.</P>
<P>Secondly, for the pre&s;ent que&s;tion ob&s;erve the Jews jarring opi|nions. <HI>Some of them hold the day of judgment, the wickeds breaking, and the Me&s;&s;ias his exalting to bee at the end of the fift millenary;</HI> which is fully pa&s;t: for I hold the world to be five thou&s;and five hundred &s;e|ventie one years old in this year one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred fortie foure; yet is not the one thou&s;and years by &s;ome conceived to bee begun. <HI>Some begin the great Sabbath at the end of the &s;ixt millenary:</HI> Such as live to it &s;hall &s;ee how neer they come to the mark. <HI>Elias
<PB N="60" REF="34">&s;eems to hold, that the fift and &s;ixt millenary &s;hall bee under Chri&s;t:</HI> and therefore, &s;ay I, by their own grounds, times of much happine&s;&s;e. I would they were &s;o humble as to make u&s;e of them. There can be but one truth, &s;ome of the&s;e (to pa&s;&s;e by others) mu&s;t needs mi&s;&s;e it, perhaps all of them: See how our writers vary from them. Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> begins the famous 1000. years in the three hundred year of Chri&s;t, Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> in one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred ninetie foure, Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> in one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred &s;ixtie &s;ix, or in one thou&s;and &s;even hundred. Others differ from the&s;e. This 'tis to grope after truth by a darke light, or no light at all; <HI>Maimonides</HI> &s;aies well, <HI>It is better that a matter of which no certain demon&s;tration can be made, &s;hould remain in doubt, then in vain to di&s;pute thereof.</HI> Mor. Neb. Part. a. Cap. 16.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> Wee Chri&s;tians u&s;e Jewi&s;h termes; <HI>Gehenna</HI> for hell, <HI>Para|di&s;e</HI> for heaven, <HI>the day of judgment</HI> for Gods finall judicature; yea Saint <HI>Peter</HI> may &s;eem to have confirmed the <HI>Rabbins</HI> tradition by <HI>his &s;peech of the day of judgement,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.7. and <HI>of one day being with the Lord as a thou&s;and years;</HI> Let us not ra&s;hly neglect their terms.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. Pau's</HI> rule is, <HI>not to u&s;e words, which mans wi&s;dom teaches,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.13. <HI>to avoyd prophane and vain jangling and oppo&s;ition of &s;cience,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 6.20. for there may bee wi&s;dom and &s;cience <HI>fal&s;ly &s;o cald.</HI> Hee injoyns us <HI>to &s;peak <GAP DESC="foreign"> the words of God,</HI> 1 Pet. 4.11. <HI>whol&s;om words of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, doctrin according to godline&s;&s;e,</HI> 1 Tim 6.3. <HI>and tending to godly edification.</HI> The&s;e rules wee may ob&s;erve, and yet <HI>&s;eeing Gods word</HI> &s;peaks <HI>linguis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ominum</HI> as men u&s;e to do, (&s;o &s;aid <HI>Maimonid. Mor. Neb. p.</HI> 1. <HI>c.</HI> 26.) and hath frequent <HI>Metaphors, Me|tonymies, Ellip&s;es, Metapla&s;ms,</HI> and other forms and frames of &s;peech u&s;uall in other tongues and forain writers; wee nor are nor need to bee nice in u&s;ing the <HI>Rabbins</HI> phra&s;es, e&s;pecially the&s;e, which the New Te&s;tament doth expre&s;ly and particularly war|rant by its own example, or in generall by examples of like nature; &s;o that wee ever take heed that they lead us not into errour. The holy Spirit is &s;o far from &s;crupulo&s;itie in this kind, that not onely it makes u&s;e of tho&s;e Rabbinick and Jewi&s;h terms above; but of Syriack al&s;o, as <HI>Abba</HI> Father, <HI>Maranaths</HI> the Lord comes; of Roman, as <HI>Legio</HI> a Legion, <HI>cu&s;todia</HI> a watch; of the Septuagints, as <GAP DESC="foreign"> poy&s;on, <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11.21. from <HI>Gen.</HI> 47.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">1. in which word the Seventie mi&s;took, and tran&s;lated <HI>Matteh</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> a &s;taffe, for <HI>Mittah</HI> a bed: And <GAP DESC="foreign"> it is a wonderfull thing, <HI>Matth.</HI>
<PB N="61" REF="34">21.42. (mi&s;took al&s;o by the Seventie in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 118.22.) for <GAP DESC="foreign">. In the&s;e and &s;ome other the ma&s;takes of the Seventie Interpreters, the New Te&s;tament follows them, where the errour might bee helped by recour&s;e to the Hebrew of the Old Te&s;tament. Yea the holy Gho&s;t hath made u&s;e of &s;ome Poets &s;peeches, <HI>Tit.</HI> 1.12. <HI>Act.</HI> 17.28. and declined not the names <HI>Ca&s;tor</HI> and <HI>Pollun,</HI> or <HI>Dio&s;curi, Act.</HI> 28.11. a terme &s;uper&s;titiou&s;ly u&s;ed by the Heathen: So that I conceive, that where God &s;ayes, <HI>yee &s;hall not name the Heathen gods, Jo&s;.</HI> 23.7. hee intends the naming them with honour and reverence, as the Hea|then did. Wherefore wee may u&s;e Jewi&s;h terms and forms of &s;peeches borrowed from other nations, &s;o that wee tre&s;pa&s;&s;e not again&s;t the rules above. Wee mu&s;t ever have a diligent care, as <HI>not to obey the commandements of man,</HI> &s;o not to u&s;e their terms, <HI>that turn from the truth, Tit.</HI> 1.14. wee mu&s;t bee carefull that we do <HI>not <GAP DESC="foreign"> teach other doctrine then that received from Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1.3. into which &s;traying by-paths, quaint and novell expre&s;&s;ions do &s;ometimes make men unawares to &s;lip.</P>
<P>Saint <HI>Peter</HI> hath the term, <HI>day of judgment,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.9. and 3.7. calling it the day, <HI>to which the wicked are re&s;erved.</HI> But hee rather hath it from <HI>Job</HI> 21.30. then from the Rabbins; See the place. As for Saint <HI>Peters</HI> &s;peech, which follows, <HI>One day with the Lord is as a thou&s;and years, and a thou&s;and years as one day:</HI> it &s;hews that perhaps men will count God &s;lack of his promi&s;e, as of that, <HI>Luk.</HI> 18.7, 8. <HI>God will avenge his elect, which cry day and night unto him, yea though bee long forbeare, hee will, I &s;ay, avenge them quickly.</HI> A little time may &s;eem long to a man: but in regard of God him&s;elf, there is no &s;lackne&s;&s;e; onely in mercy hee gives men time to repent. So that Saint <HI>Peter</HI> expre&s;&s;es the day or time of Gods long&s;uffering: and not the day of judgements continuance to bee for a thou&s;and years. as Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> and others conceive. Be&s;ides, Chri&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;eth, as this, &s;o many other pa&s;&s;ages of Scripture mi&s;con&s;trued by the Jews, yet needs not to refute the Jews mi&s;pri&s;ion. It is &s;ufficient that Chri&s;t applies them aright. <HI>Rectum e&s;t index &s;ui &amp; obliqui.</HI> The very propoun|ding of truth will ju&s;tifie it &s;elfe, and di&s;clo&s;e what is erro|neous.</P>
<P>But not to dwell longer on this matter, I hold that all phra&s;es or &s;peeches are to bee approved or di&s;allowed, according to the ground on which they be built. See what the <HI>Rabbins</HI> &s;ay for them|&s;elves in this regard; <HI>Rabbi Elias</HI> &s;aies, that the world &s;hall continue
<PB N="62" REF="35">&s;ix thou&s;and years; Why &s;o? Becau&s;e there be &s;ix Alephs in the fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">t Ver&s;e of <HI>Gene&s;is,</HI> where each Aleph &s;tands for a thou&s;and. This rea&s;on is &s;en&s;ele&s;&s;e: but if you di&s;like it, you &s;hall bee told from <HI>Rabbi Symeon Ben. Iaba. Woe bee to him that thinks the Law containes no more in it then the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">are words import.</HI> To this I &s;ay no more, then that <HI>as wee mu&s;t not take any thing from the Law,</HI> which on good ground may bee concluded thence, &s;o <HI>wee mu&s;t not adde thereunto, Deut.</HI> 12.32. that is, wee mu&s;t not infer from the Law, what the holy Spirit never intended. The learned Mr. <HI>W. Schickard</HI> hath well &s;haken &s;uch like Jewi&s;h tricks as this. <HI>Bechin. Happeru&s;h. pag.</HI> 146. &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> A tradition agreeing with <HI>Rabbi Ketina's</HI> opinion of the worlds de&s;truction in the &s;eventh millenary, gives us a better ground for its truth; thus. After &s;ix years the Jews land and peo|ple had a ce&s;&s;ation and re&s;t: &s;o after that &s;ix thou&s;and years bee pa&s;t, in the &s;eventh thou&s;and years the world &s;hall have a ce&s;&s;ation and re&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The u&s;e which God makes of the &s;eventh years re&s;t in <HI>Levit.</HI> 25. is much different from that of the <HI>Rabbins;</HI> Namely, <HI>that the Iews might know that the Land was Gods, and they but &s;ojourners with him, Ver&s;.</HI> 23. <HI>That they might ob&s;erve how God ble&s;&s;ed them,</HI> when they in the &s;eventh yeare labored not; and that it was hee that gave the encrea&s;e, when they did labour; and &s;o depend on his good|ne&s;&s;e to them: It &s;erved al&s;o to bring them to the &s;eventh &s;even, and &s;o come to the Jubilee, the famous year of re&s;t. So they might ra|ther conclude, that the world &s;hould &s;tand (but this al&s;o would bee but a &s;andy foundation) fortie nine thou&s;and years, and then have a great Jubilee and re&s;t, in which the la&s;t Trumpet &s;hould &s;ound, as in the Jubilee year the Jews Trumpets were wont to doe.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> The ancient Jews under&s;tood, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 2.11. and 17. of the great day of judgement: where it is &s;aid, <HI>and the Lord alone &s;hall be exal|ted in that day.</HI> The later Iews &s;peak &s;omething to the &s;ame purpo&s;e; and thence they &s;ay that the Lord &s;hall be King over all the earth.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> In <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 2. is an excellent prophecie of the preaching of the Go&s;pel, and of the calling of the Gentiles by the Word going out from <HI>Sion</HI> and <HI>Ieru&s;alem.</HI> This was fulfilled when God &s;et up Chri&s;t his King on mount <HI>Sion,</HI> as I proved above. Peru&s;e the Chap|ter, ballance each pa&s;&s;age, and particle thereof, and try whether there bee any the lea&s;t warrant for a day of judgment of a thou|&s;and
<PB N="63" REF="35">years continuance. It is true, that when the Go&s;pel began to bee taught, <HI>Chri&s;t was by all true beleevers exalted alone, and preferred above all the high looks and lo&s;tine&s;&s;e of men: many idolatrous and &s;uper|&s;titious per&s;ons then turned to Chri&s;t, and ca&s;t away their &s;ilver and gol|den Idols,</HI> as there it is foretold. And if any unbeleevers &s;aw not then Chri&s;ts glory, they were ju&s;tly to bee blamed. His glory was then &s;uch, and hath &s;o continued, that the gates of hell could ne|ver prevaile again&s;t it. It is true, that many worldly Potentates then &s;trove to exalt them&s;elves above Chri&s;t, and were highly exal|ted by others; &s;aying, Who is like this our Lord? who can war with him? But Chri&s;t in due time did manife&s;t that the&s;e brags were vain and fooli&s;h: Becau&s;e Chri&s;t by overthrowing them, will &s;hew his might to bee far above them, and that all their forces are incon&s;iderable. And at the day of judgment, when all quick and dead &s;hall &s;tand before him, all both &s;mall and great &s;hall &s;ee and con&s;e&s;&s;e him alone to bee exalted. But neither in <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 2. nor in the whole prophecie is there any ground for two re&s;urrecti|ons, and a day of judgment between them of a thou&s;and years continuance.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> The <HI>Rabbins</HI> think the title of <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 92. <HI>L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">jom <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">abat</HI> for the day of the Sabbath to bee the argument of the <HI>P&s;alme,</HI> and to be under&s;tood of the Sabbath of a thou&s;and years.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Wee find the <HI>Rabbins</HI> often extravagant in their opinions, therefore their bare affertion cannot bee a &s;ufficient warrant unto us, they &s;ay, <HI>that P&s;al.</HI> 92, <HI>is for the day, that &s;hall bee all re&s;t.</HI> On <HI>Talm. Sanedr. Ch.</HI> 11. and adde <HI>that a thou&s;and years in Gods &s;ight are but as ye&s;terday:</HI> from <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90.4. Wee mu&s;t attend more, why they thus &s;peak, then that they thus &s;peak, and try what they &s;ay: again&s;t their a&s;&s;ertion thus I argue. Fir&s;t, if the title of the <HI>P&s;alm</HI> import that it was onely for the Sabbath of the thou&s;and years, that is, then to bee u&s;ed: as the title <HI>Libnei Korch</HI> implies a <HI>P&s;alm</HI> to bee u&s;ed and &s;ung by the &s;ons of <HI>Kore<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">:</HI> how is it that &s;ome <HI>Rabbins</HI> &s;ay; that it was &s;ung by <HI>Adam</HI> in the evening before the Sabbath, after the promi&s;e made to him; and others &s;ay, it was &s;ung in the San|ctuary by the <HI>Levits?</HI> Secondly, If the title bee &s;o expounded that <HI>Lejom Ha&s;&s;h.</HI> meane concerning the Sabbath, as the objection inti|mates, by making this title the Argument of the <HI>P&s;alm;</HI> this cannot bee: For the <HI>P&s;alm</HI> intreats not of the thou&s;and years of Chri&s;ts reign, making it &s;uch as &s;ome now doe: Yea it &s;peaks of Gods be|ing
<PB N="64" REF="36">the mo&s;t high, and the King exalted above all (not for a thou|&s;and years, but) for evermore; and touches matters u&s;uall in the gracious cour&s;e of Gods governing the world, and his goodne&s;&s;e to man in the &s;ame. Thirdly, What day is all re&s;t? none, I think on this earth. Here the Church is militant. <HI>The dead that die in the Lord re&s;t from their labours, Revel.</HI> 14.13. The time of all re&s;t is in heaven onely. 4. The &s;peech <HI>of a thou&s;and years being but as ye&s;terday,</HI> in <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 90. hath no more reference to the title of this <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> then Harp and Harrow have each to other. Fiftly, The 90 <HI>P&s;alm</HI> &s;peaks <HI>of mans birth, his flouri&s;hing, his decay. If hee live three&s;core and ten or eightie years,</HI> (as men did in <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> in <HI>Davids,</HI> in our times) his dayes &s;eeme as &s;oon pa&s;t, as a thought. To it they are compa|red. <HI>If man could live a thou&s;and years</HI> (as <HI>Adam</HI> almo&s;t did) <HI>the&s;e in Gods &s;ight are but as ye&s;terday, as a watch in the night, that are pa&s;t.</HI> What are they to God that is eternall? Sixtly, what rea&s;on hath any one to refer the words of a thou&s;and years being as ye&s;terday more to the &s;eventh thou&s;and years, then to the fourth, &s;ift or &s;ixt thou&s;and years of the world?</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> Wee de&s;ire the conver&s;ion of the Iews, and is it not the ea|&s;ie&s;t way to deale with them for the &s;ame end, not to wre&s;t plain Prophecies, which pertain to the la&s;t and glorious comming of Chri&s;t, to his fir&s;t comming: So that wee hold the main truth, and prove to them, that Ie&s;us of <HI>Nazaret</HI> was the true Me&s;&s;ias, and that they ought not to expect any other?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Here Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> an&s;wers him&s;elf, &s;aying; <HI>That a Chri&s;tian mu&s;t con&s;ent no further to the Jews then</HI> his profe&s;&s;ion (rightly I &s;up|po&s;e, grounded on Gods truth) will give him leave. The rule is good. Now let us try what things hee holds to belong to the &s;e|cond comming of Chri&s;t, not to his fir&s;t, as others affirme.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t In&s;tance in Mr. <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">de,</HI> in <HI>Revel.</HI> 1.7. it is &s;aid, <HI>That Je&s;us Chri&s;t who bath wa&s;hed us from our &s;ins by his blood, comes in the clouds of heaven, and every eye &s;hall &s;ee him, even they that have crucified him, and all Tribes of the earth (hall mourn before him.</HI> The&s;e pa&s;&s;ages are verified onely at Chri&s;ts la&s;t and glorious comming.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The mourning of all kinreds of the earth in regard of their &s;ins, for who&s;e expiation Chri&s;t was crucified, is foretold, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24.30. and <HI>Luke</HI> 21.27. where it is al&s;o &s;aid, that hee comes with power and great glory, <GAP DESC="foreign"> or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>with</HI> or <HI>upon the elouds of heaven,</HI> that is, &s;ay the <HI>Rabbins, the Angels. Coch-Nathon
<PB N="65" REF="36">Sanedr. pag.</HI> 370. an&s;werable to <HI>Jude</HI> 14. <HI>Where God comes with thou|&s;ands of his holy ones; This was fulfilled before that generation pa&s;&s;ed,</HI> Mat. 24.34. Luke 21.32. Some that heard Chri&s;t preach, are told, that <HI>they &s;hould not ta&s;te death, untill they &s;aw the kingdom of God come with power,</HI> Matth. 16.28. Mark 9.1. and many of them might live, untill, what was &s;hewed to St. <HI>John Rev. 6 by the hor&s;es and riders upon them,</HI> was in &s;ome &s;ort fulfilled. <HI>The high Prie&s;t and his a&s;&s;i&s;tants might live to &s;ee the Son of man &s;it on the right hand of the power of God, and come in or with the clouds of heaven,</HI> Matth. 26.24. to puni&s;h the Jews, and ruine <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> as <HI>Henoch</HI> bid <HI>the old word behold God comming with thou|&s;ands of his holy ones or Angels to de&s;troy the old world,</HI> Jud. 14. In the &s;ame manner <HI>the Son of man is &s;et forth with a Crown on his head, and a Sickle in his hand, when bee comes to fill up the Wine-pre&s;&s;e of his wrath, Revel.</HI> 14.18. <HI>The mourning here &s;poken of was in part fulfilled,</HI> Act. 2.37. <HI>in the Jews, who &s;eeing, that is, pondering in their minds, how they had kild the Lord of glory,</HI> as <HI>Peter</HI> there told them, <HI>Were with griefe pricked at their hearts, repented and beleeved in Chri&s;t.</HI> Now what was done by them, was and is in like manner done by all converts of all Nations what&s;oever from Chri&s;ts time to the worlds end. Thus it appears that the pa&s;&s;ages above in&s;tanced in, may bee &s;aid to bee done at the Go&s;pels fir&s;t progre&s;&s;e, and yet mu&s;t continually be done by all who become Chri&s;tians in after times.</P>
<P N="2">In&s;tance of Mr. <HI>Mede.</HI> The royall Kingdome of Chri&s;t, <HI>who feeds the innumerable multitude that have palms in their hands,</HI> Revel. 7.17. and <HI>Chri&s;ts victory over the ten Kings, va&s;&s;als of the Bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 17.4. are better referred to Chri&s;ts la&s;t &amp; glorious coming, then to his fir&s;t comming.</P>
<P>An&s;w. <HI>The multitude with palms in their hands are converts of all nati|ons, kinreds, tongues, and people, who prai&s;e God for their &s;alvation,</HI> Rev. 7.10.11. The like is done, <HI>Revel.</HI> 5. where <HI>the redeemed out of all Nations acknowledge all power, riches, wi&s;dom, &s;trength, honour, glory, and prai&s;e to belong to Chri&s;t, who &s;its crowned upon his throne.</HI> This vi&s;ion in Chap. 5. Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> him&s;elfe holds to bee fulfilled in the beginning of the Apocalypticall times. The <HI>Palm bearing multitude</HI> (bee they in what time they &s;hall) <HI>continue the &s;ame cour&s;e of a&s;cribing all prai&s;e, ho|nour, power, &amp;c. to Chri&s;t &s;itting on his throne.</HI> And <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> Revel. 17.14. <HI>conquering the ten Kings, &s;hews him&s;elf to bee Lord of Lords and King of Kings.</HI> Now before the vi&s;ions here mentioned <HI>Chri&s;t was exalted far above all principalities, powers, and dominations, and every title and name that is named, not in this world onely, but in the world to come,</HI> Ephe&s;.
<PB N="66" REF="37">1.21.22. and in the very entrance of the Revelation in &s;tiled, <HI>the Prince of the Kings of the earth,</HI> Revel. 1.5. Therefore the royall King|dom, and all power, and honour, &amp;c. begins to bee due to Chri&s;t at his fir&s;t comming, and mu&s;t in all times afterward, even to his &s;e|cond comming at the worlds end be a&s;cribed unto him.</P>
<P N="3">In&s;tance. <HI>The mariage of the Lamb,</HI> Revel. 19.7. <HI>The New Je|ru&s;alem,</HI> Revel. 21.9. <HI>The Lamb, the light of the new Jeru&s;alem,</HI> Ver&s;. 23. are better applied to the la&s;t and glorious comming of Chri&s;t, then wre&s;ted to his fir&s;t comming.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> To the&s;e In&s;tances I purpo&s;e to an&s;wer in their due place where now I come to &s;peak of divers pa&s;&s;ages in the two la&s;t Chap|ters of the Revelation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. VII. <HI>Objections out of</HI> Revel. 21. &amp; 22. <HI>an&s;wered.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AMong learned expo&s;iters many controver&s;ies and doubts are moved about the two la&s;t Chapters of the <HI>Revelation:</HI> I will briefly handle that which e&s;pecially concerns the matter here to bee di&s;cu&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> Many mo&s;t excellent and admirable promi&s;es are made unto Chri&s;tians, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 21. and 22. which mu&s;t bee made good at one time or other. Many of them have not yet been fulfilled: therefore they are to bee fulfilled hereafter: and that mu&s;t bee either in the thou|&s;and years of the Churches pro&s;peritie, in which the Church and Saints of God &s;hall reign with Chri&s;t before the end of the world, or el&s;e in the world to come in heaven. The promi&s;es are the&s;e, <HI>of new heavens and new earth, of a new Jeru&s;alem,</HI> of <HI>its being prepared and trimmed for Chri&s;t, the bus band thereof; of freedom from tears, death, &s;or|row, pain; of all things made new,</HI> and many other the like. Read the Chapters.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> I grant that the promi&s;es in the&s;e two Chapters are for this life. And thus by &s;everall arguments I prove it. Fir&s;t, the new <HI>Jeru&s;alem comes down from God out of heaven,</HI> and is on earth: if it were to bee in heaven, then it &s;hould a&s;cend from earth to heaven, which it is not &s;aid to doe. And this a&s;cending to God befals not Gods &s;ervants both in body and &s;oul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> untill the la&s;t judgment bee
<PB N="67" REF="37">pa&s;t: whereas in this life the <HI>Ephe&s;ians</HI> and other converts <HI>become fel|low Citizens with the Saints, Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.19. And &s;econdly, there <HI>can bee no tears in heaven,</HI> which need <HI>to bee wiped away from the Saints eyes.</HI> Thirdly, <HI>Tis on earth that the Saints thir&s;t,</HI> Revel. 21.6. and there <HI>Chri&s;t refre&s;hes them with the water of life,</HI> Joh. 4.14. In heaven they thir&s;t not, but are fully &s;atisfied with all joy and plea&s;ures for ever|more, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 16. Then fourthly, <HI>the Nations that are &s;aved,</HI> Revel. 1.24. <HI>walk.</HI> (a phra&s;e u&s;uall for conver&s;ing in this life) <HI>in the light of Chri&s;t, who is the light of the world, and glory of his people I&s;rael,</HI> Luk. 2.32. And tis on earth, that Kings doe their &s;ervice to God, and <HI>bring their people to the New Jeru&s;alem,</HI> or the true Church. On earth are civill di&s;tinctions of Kings and people, of ma&s;ter and &s;ervant: but in heaven a <HI>Lazarus</HI> is <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>in an Angelicall condition</HI> no le&s;&s;e then a great Monarch, <HI>all there re&s;t from their labours.</HI> Fiftly, <HI>Chri&s;t who is the wi&s;dom of the Father, is the Tree of life,</HI> Prov. 31.18. and 22. Rev. 22.2. and <HI>is the life of men in this world,</HI> 1 Ioh. 5.20. As hee is the &s;pirituall Manna, &s;o <HI>hee is the fruit of this tree every mon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">th fed upon by beleevers.</HI> Sixtly, The <HI>leaves of this tree &s;erve to heale the Na|tions,</HI> Rev. 22.2. Now in heaven there is no account kept by moneths, nor are there any &s;ores of the Saints to bee healed, or that need cure. <HI>The &s;oules of all faithfull are purified by faith in this life, Act.</HI> 15.9. And their bodies lie down, and leave, what was &s;infull and cor|rupt in them, in the du&s;t of the grave, and ri&s;ing glorious and immor|tall a&s;cend to heaven. Thus by the&s;e Arguments it appears, that the condition of Gods people in this life, is in the&s;e two Chapters declared.</P>
<P>Secondly, I will &s;hew, that many pa&s;&s;ages in the&s;e Chapters, which &s;eem to belong to the Saints &s;tate in heaven, expre&s;&s;e their happy condition not onely in the thou&s;and years from Chri&s;ts time, but in all the dayes of the Go&s;pel to the worlds end: and thus I prove it. Fir&s;t, <HI>Every one that is in Chri&s;t is a new creature:</HI> and not onely &s;o: but <HI>all things are become new,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.17. This is an&s;werable to Apoc. 21.5. And appears further thus. <HI>Chri&s;t is the &s;econd or new Adam: hee maks new matters; floods in de&s;erts; them that were not his people to bee his people; be makes a new Covenant; &s;peaks to people by new tongues, gives them new hearts and new &s;pirits; puts new wine into new bottles; gives beleevers a new name written in a white &s;tone; clothes them with new garments; puts a new &s;ong into their mouths; makes a new heaven and a new earth, and a new Jeru&s;alem,</HI> that is, a Church of all be|leevers
<PB N="68" REF="38">both Jews and Gentiles. The&s;e things began to bee perfor|med in Chri&s;ts life time, and have been, are and will bee continu|ally in fulfilling unto the worlds end. For all Chri&s;tians from the fir&s;t to the la&s;t have their portion herein. Secondly, the marriage of Chri&s;t with the Chri&s;tian Church began with the preaching of the Go&s;pel: for then <HI>God made a marriage Feast, and invited gue&s;ts unto it,</HI> Mat. 22.2. Joh. 3.29. Hee hath ever &s;ince, now doth, and will continue &s;till inviting them thereunto &s;o long as the world la&s;ts. <HI>Paul</HI> long &s;ince <HI>prepared the Corinthians a pure virgin for Chri&s;t their husband,</HI> 2 Cor. 11.2. The other Apo&s;tles and Religious Teachers ever &s;ince have endeavoured the &s;ame for other people and Nations. Thirdly, the <GAP DESC="foreign"> Tabernacle of God was among men at the Go&s;pels beginning. Then <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>bad his Tabernacle a|mong men, Job.</HI> 1.14. and became <HI>Immanuel</HI> God with us by a&s;&s;u|ming humane nature. This Tabernacle Chri&s;t took up with him to heaven at his a&s;cen&s;ion. Be&s;ides, as <HI>God had his dwelling or Taber|nacle among the I&s;raelites,</HI> in the wilderne&s;&s;e and in <HI>Canaan:</HI> &s;o <HI>Chri&s;t walks amid&s;t the golden Candle&s;ticks, the Churches</HI> here on earth, Rev. 1. <HI>and on his throne hee &s;its in the mid&s;t of the Rulers</HI> of his Church, Rev: 5.6. and <HI>all Chri&s;tians did, doe, and &s;hall acknowledge his glory, honour, dominion,</HI> to the worlds end; as <HI>they in that Chapter doe.</HI> Fourthly, the Covenant by which men of all Nations are Gods peo|ple, and hee their God, <HI>Rev:</HI> 21. was made at the beginning of the Go&s;pel, and continues to bee made with all converts to the end of time: For God dwelt among the Corinthians, and by <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aid unto them, <HI>I will bee your God, and ye &s;hall bee my people,</HI> 2 Cor: 6.16. and <HI>hee is the &s;ame to every per&s;on of any Nation, that fears him,</HI> Acts 10.35. <HI>This Covenant is made with all that bee taught of God, and hear him,</HI> Jer: 31.33, 34. Iohn 6.45. And fifth|ly, from the Chri&s;tian Churches beginning to the worlds end; <HI>All tears are wiped from the eyes of all beleevers, no death, &s;orrow, crying, pain doth re&s;t on them, but pa&s;&s;es away,</HI> Apoc: 21.4. So that <HI>if they weep</HI> (as men in affliction cannot but &s;ometimes doe) they (upon better con&s;ideration) <HI>will bee as though they wept not,</HI> 1 Cor: 7,31. <HI>They &s;uffer tribulation, but they come out of it, and by the Lamb of God are filled full of all joy and comfort,</HI> Rev: 17.14. There will bee wicked men, who <HI>with their tongues</HI> will calumniate, and <HI>with their weapons</HI> wound them: <HI>but their malice &s;hall not pro&s;per in the end: They them&s;elves &s;hall fall; becau&s;e Gods Covenant of mercy and
<PB N="69" REF="38">peace &s;hall never fail his people;</HI> E&s;a: 54.10. &amp;c: <HI>Hence the Saints are bidden, when perils are at hand, not to fear,</HI> Acts 27.24. <HI>not to fear the fear of the wicked,</HI> 1 Pet: 3.14. <HI>God being their helper, they need not fear what man can doe unto them,</HI> Heb: 13.6. Yea tears &s;hall bee &s;o wiped away, and pain &s;o allayed, that <HI>they &s;hall count it exceeding joy, that they fell into temptations and afflictions,</HI> Jam: 1.1. <HI>Their &s;orrow is in the i&s;&s;ue turned into joy, which no man can take from them,</HI> Joh: 16.20. This is of force &s;ufficient to wipe off all tears. For <HI>they &s;hall have a&s;&s;urance by their faith in the Lamb, and in his blood, and by their te&s;timony given unto Gods truth, to overcome,</HI> Mat: 28.8. Rev: 12.11.</P>
<P>I might goe on, and further in&s;tance in other particulars, which &s;ub&s;erve, and are fitted unto the&s;e already &s;poken of. In brief, I will collect them, and &s;ay no more, but what may point at them in gene|rall.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, &s;eeing the old Jeru&s;alem is ruined, <HI>God builds a new one the mother of all faithfull Chri&s;tians, both Jews and Gentiles; and this must needs bee a great and capacious City, having glorious foundations and walls,</HI> to bee &s;trong for defence, <HI>and have gates on each &s;ide of it,</HI> for acce&s;&s;e thereunto from the foure coa&s;ts of heaven.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>if the twelve Patriarchs of old had their names graven in pearls and jewels, and born by Aaron a type of Christ,</HI> the upholder of all the faithfull, for the comfort of each godly per&s;on in the twelve Tribes: much more <HI>may the names of the twelve Apo&s;tles bee &s;et upon the twelve foundations</HI> of this glorious City, for the comfort of all &s;uch, as are begotten children to Chri&s;t by them and their do|ctrine.</P>
<P>Thirdly, if <HI>Gods Law was e&s;teemed by David walking therein, above gold, above the fine&s;t gold,</HI> and thou&s;ands of it: then doubtle&s;&s;e, <HI>the &s;treets of the New Jeru&s;alem,</HI> in which all good Chri&s;tians walk, <HI>may very well bee compared to gold, as pure and clear, as gla&s;&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, <HI>the Tabernacle and Temple of old glittered with golden &s;ur|niture, and the choicest gems:</HI> the Chri&s;tian Church comes not &s;hort of either of them: but is, as every man mu&s;t needs grant, far more glorious in all re&s;pects, hath more excellent and &s;pirituall priviled|ges, and clear and comfortable doctrine far beyond all former times. As the Tents for Gods people are inlarged, and their curtains fur|ther &s;pread then of old, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 54.2. So are Gods favours more ex|tended to the Chri&s;tian Church, then formerly to the Jewi&s;h.</P>
<PB N="70" REF="39">
<P>Fifthly, If <HI>David was the light of I&s;rael,</HI> and by his high e&s;teem of <HI>Gods word the light to mens paths,</HI> made his people to walk &s;afely in that light: much more now is <HI>Chri&s;t the David,</HI> or beloved of God, and the light of the world, and directs Chri&s;tians to come out of dark|ne&s;&s;e unto the &s;aving Truth. The&s;e and other matters mo&s;t glori|ous, &s;poken of the Churches e&s;tate in <HI>Rev.</HI> 21. &amp; 22. are belonging to the Church of God in this life.</P>
<P>Nor need any man to admire that the high and heavenly ex|pre&s;&s;ions, in the&s;e two Chapters u&s;ed, concern the e&s;tate of the Chri&s;tian Church in this life.</P>
<P>For, fir&s;t, <HI>the faithfull in their life time have <GAP DESC="foreign"> an exhibition or &s;ub&s;i&s;tence of things hoped for,</HI> of the happine&s;&s;e promi&s;ed them for life to come. <HI>They have <GAP DESC="foreign"> a &s;ummary inventory of things not yet &s;een,</HI> Heb. 11.1. that is, <HI>of the inheritance immortall, and undefiled, and that fades not away, but is re&s;erved for them in Heaven,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.4. The eye of faith is quick&s;ighted, and beholds things afar off, as pre&s;ent. Hereby <HI>Abraham</HI> in his dayes &s;aw and enjoyed Chri&s;t, and redemption by him: and <HI>Mo&s;es (</HI> which is much more) &s;aw him that is invi&s;ible. Thus a Chri&s;tian may in this life by faith &s;ee, take comfort in, and rejoyce mo&s;t heartily in the glorious e&s;tate of the life to come, and (as wee u&s;e to &s;ay) have an heaven upon earth; whence it is, that the Church on earth is called Heaven. Of which hereafter I &s;hall &s;peak.</P>
<P>Secondly, the comforts, joyes, ble&s;&s;ings of Gods people in this life are exceeding abundant, <HI>his gifts <GAP DESC="foreign"> unutterable,</HI> 2 Cor. 9.15. <HI>their rejoycing for the &s;ame is <GAP DESC="foreign"> unexpre&s;&s;ible,</HI> 1 Pet. 1.8. <HI>They have peace <GAP DESC="foreign"> that pa&s;&s;es all under&s;tanding,</HI> Phil. 4.7. <HI>If they lo&s;e wife, children, brothers, lands, or the like, they receive in this life <GAP DESC="foreign"> things an hundred fold better,</HI> Mat. 19.29. And if <HI>Paul count all things dung in compari&s;on of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the enjoying of him:</HI> the old Jeru&s;alems richly beautified Temple, the re&s;plendent Jewels in the new Jeru&s;alems walls and gates com|po&s;ure, the gold tran&s;parent as gla&s;&s;e, with which the &s;treets are pa|ved; the Cry &s;tall rivers, the fruitfull trees, with which the City is furni&s;hed and adorned, cannot fully and to the life &s;et forth the won|derfull glory of Gods Church in this life. Let what can bee &s;aid <HI>of the Kings daughter, Chri&s;ts Spou&s;e, of the Churches excellency from outward matters,</HI> P&s;al. 45. in the Song of &s;ongs, and el&s;where, this addition, <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> is all glorious within,</HI> &s;urpa&s;&s;es all; So there is an
<PB N="71" REF="39">ward beauty, a &s;pirituall glory &s;uperadded to the outward excellen|cy of the Church that goes beyond the highe&s;t &s;trains that can by words bee uttered. Let but the &s;aving knowledge of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the enjoyment of his favour, the comforts of the holy Gho&s;t, which in this life mu&s;t bee gotten by them that hope to enjoy his pre&s;ence in the other world, bee put into the ballance again&s;t all worldly matters, to who&s;e lu&s;tre allu&s;ion is &s;o often made in the&s;e two Chapters: they are of more weight, and greater worth, then all &s;uch outward things. Wherefore the lofty and &s;tately expre&s;&s;i|ons in the&s;e Chapters, cannot be denyed to belong to the Chri&s;tian Church, of which Chri&s;t is the light, from his being here on earth, untill he give up his government of the &s;ame at the la&s;t day, and take up with him his &s;ervants to tho&s;e heavenly man&s;ions, which he hath prepared for them.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. VIII. <HI>whether the binding of Satan for a thou&s;and yeers bee al|ready pa&s;t. The Que&s;tion &s;tated.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THE Angels, which in the beginning of the world fell from their happy condition, <HI>were ea&s;t down into</HI> Tartarus, <HI>and were there re&s;erved in everla&s;ting chains under darkne&s;&s;e, to the judgment of the great day, Jude 6.</HI> Therefore they are at all times &s;o bound that they cannot work any mi&s;chief to man without e&s;peciall commi&s;&s;i|on from God; who gives them liberty, and loo&s;es their chain, &s;o far onely as to him &s;eems good. This &s;ometimes God doth, and that either <HI>for triall of the godly, as in Jobs ca&s;e;</HI> or for <HI>to humble them, as when Paul was buffeted by Satans Me&s;&s;enger,</HI> 2 Cor. 12.7. Or <HI>for puni&s;hment of the wicked,</HI> as <HI>when Ahab bent to believe fal&s;e Prophets, was deceived by a lying Spirit,</HI> 1 Kings 22. or upon &s;ome other the like ca&s;es. Of this re&s;traint and loo&s;ing of Satan the que&s;tion is not.</P>
<P>Scripture informs us further; Fir&s;t, of an eminent and notable binding up of Satan for a thou&s;and years after Chri&s;ts time, in the Aby&s;&s;e or bottomle&s;&s;e pit; wherein hee is &s;o fa&s;t &s;ealed up, that hee
<PB N="72" REF="40">cannot deceive the Nations. Secondly, of an eminent and manife&s;t loo&s;ing him, after the thou&s;and yeers are ended. After which time hee works much mi&s;chief again&s;t Gods people, and draws the Nati|ons in all coa&s;ts of the world into combu&s;tions of war.</P>
<P>The controver&s;ie here is, whether this notable binding up of Satan bee already pa&s;t, or yet to come? This I am now to di&s;|cu&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>Chap. IX. <HI>The famous and notable binding up of Satan is already pa&s;t, and is not yet to come.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THis po&s;ition I thus prove: <HI>Arg.</HI> 1. The famous kingdom of Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tians, and this notable binding up of Satan for a thou&s;and years begin both together. Dr. <HI>J. Al&s;tede,</HI> Mr. <HI>J. Mede,</HI> Mr. <HI>Archer,</HI> The Glimp&s;e joyntly hold this undeniable.</P>
<P>But the famous Kingdome of Chri&s;t and Chri&s;tians began moe years then one thou&s;and five hundred agon, as I have above pro|ved.</P>
<P>Therefore the notable binding up of Satan began one thou&s;and five hundred years agon, and therefore is pa&s;t long before our time.</P>
<P><HI>Arg.</HI> 2. Hee that did in eminent manner by the Spirit and finger of God ca&s;t out devils, and did <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>annul</HI> and undo the works of the devill, and &s;poyled him of his power, <HI>did fir&s;t eminently bind Satan, Matth.</HI> 12.29. <HI>Luk</HI> 11.20, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>But Chri&s;t at his being on earth above one thou&s;and five hundred years agon did in eminent manner by the Spirit and finger of God ca&s;t out devils, and annull and undo the works of Satan, and &s;poyle him of his power.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;t then bound Satan, as above, in an eminent manner.</P>
<P>Of <HI>Chri&s;ts ca&s;ting out of devils</HI> is often mention made in the Go&s;|pels: as <HI>Luk</HI> 11.10. and el&s;ewhere; and <HI>this hee did in &s;uch manner, that all man were a&s;tonied thereat,</HI> Matth. 9.33. Mark 1.27. <HI>and never &s;aw it in the like manner.</HI></P>
<PB N="73" REF="40">
<P>That Chri&s;t did annull and undoe the works of the devill, and take from him his power, is manife&s;t. The <HI>devill was the Prince of darkne&s;&s;e, Chri&s;t was the light of the world,</HI> Joh. 1.9. <HI>The devill blinded the minds of unbeleevers: Chri&s;t commanded light to &s;hine out of darkne&s;&s;e, and gave the Nations knowledg of him&s;elf, and the Go&s;pel,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.4. <HI>The devill caught men in his &s;nares: Chri&s;t by bringing men to repentance and faith freed them from tho&s;e &s;nares,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.26. <HI>Zacheus of a Publican and &s;inner,</HI> and lo&s;t man, <HI>was by Chri&s;t made a &s;on of Abraham,</HI> Luk 19. So were other the like converts. <HI>The Ephe&s;ians were children of wrath, as other Gentiles, and walked according to the Prince that rules in the ayre or darkne&s;&s;e: but Chri&s;t inlightned the eyes of their under&s;tanding, quick|ned them by grace, &s;aved them through faith,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.2. <HI>The devill drew men at fir&s;t into &s;in, and thereby brought</HI> (as other calamities, &s;o) <HI>death on mankind:</HI> but <HI>Chri&s;t by his death de&s;troyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devill,</HI> Heb. 2.14. <HI>and tooke away the &s;ting of death,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.55. So that <HI>Satan did but brui&s;e Chri&s;ts heele; Chri&s;t cru&s;hed Satans head.</HI> Thus Chri&s;t did overpower and conquer Satan in tho&s;e primitive times, as the Texts cited &s;hew.</P>
<P><HI>Arg.</HI> 3. <HI>Chri&s;t hath already become the head of all principalitie and power, and &s;poyled them and made a &s;hew openly, and triumphed over them,</HI> Colo&s;&s;. 2.10. and 15. <HI>and being rai&s;ed from death, &s;ate on Gods right hand, and was above all principalities, and powers and dominions, and had all things &s;ubject to him, and under his feet,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.20, 21.</P>
<P>Therefore Satan was then al&s;o conquered and triumphed over by Chri&s;t: for hee was the grand Boutifeu and chie&s;e enemie of Chri&s;t, and was by Chri&s;t impri&s;oned and laid fa&s;t up in chaines, as conquerors deale with the ringleaders of &s;uch as with ho&s;tilitie op|po&s;e them.</P>
<P><HI>Arg.</HI> 4. <HI>The 70. Di&s;ciples &s;ent forth by Chri&s;t &s;ubdued devils by Chri&s;ts name:</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t thereupon tels them, that hee &s;aw Satan fall from heaver as lightning:</HI> and <HI>then did Chri&s;t give to his di&s;ciples power to tread on Ser|pents and Scorpions, and all power of the enemy, &s;o that nothing could hurt them,</HI> Luk 10.18. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> To which purpo&s;e al&s;o wee read, 1 Joh. 5.18 that <HI>the evill one cannot touch them, that are born of God.</HI></P>
<P>Therefore in the primitive times one thou&s;and five hundred years agon the devill was bound, and in eminent manner re&s;trained by Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="74" REF="41">
<HEAD>Chap. X. <HI>Objections an&s;wered: whereby it further will appeare that Satans eminent binding for a thou&s;and yeers is already pa&s;t.</HI></HEAD>
<P>HOwever the arguments in the former Chapter &s;ufficiently con|firme the truth; &s;ome there are who will not be &s;atisfied there|with: I will therefore an&s;wer, what they produce to a&s;&s;ert the contrary.</P>
<P><HI>Object. How was Satan bound</HI> (&s;ay they) <HI>when all the Apo&s;tles were per&s;ecuted, Chri&s;ts &s;ubjects di&s;tre&s;&s;ed and de&s;titute of all comforts, and mo&s;t of them cruelly put to death? Gl. pag. 9.</HI> had not Satan a manife&s;t hand and plot herein, and indevored hereby to hinder, if not to extirpate the Go&s;pel?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Satan was long agon ca&s;t down by <HI>Michael</HI> or Chri&s;t, and &s;ubdued, as is above proved: and &s;eeing then hee could not doe the mi&s;chiefe hee de&s;ired to Gods Saints, and hinder the advancing of the Go&s;pel: hee Rev. 13. <HI>gave his power and throne and great authority to the ten horned bea&s;t,</HI> the Roman Tyrants, who by their agents and friends then murthered the Apo&s;tles and Saints of God. Secondly, though the &s;ervants of God were per&s;ecuted and put to violent deaths; yet Chri&s;t having conquered death, <HI>its &s;ting was taken away;</HI> &s;o that it was but a pa&s;&s;age for them to a better life, and to endle&s;&s;e bli&s;&s;e. Thirdly, Chri&s;t when it &s;o plea&s;ed him, did often deliver his &s;ervants from dangerous per&s;ecutions, and from death it &s;elf, As namely, <HI>Peter &s;trictly watcht in pri&s;on,</HI> Act. 12.7. and <HI>Paul, when fattie per&s;ons had &s;worn not to eat or drink untill they had kild him,</HI> Act 23.12. and then onely did God permit them to bee &s;lain, when they had fini&s;hed their cour&s;e, and might be&s;t glorifie God by their deaths, which they underwent willingly, couragiou&s;ly comfortably. So that as formerly their lives, &s;o now their deaths made the Go&s;pel greatly to bee taken notice of, and to bee glorified.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Satan is cold the Prince of the ayre, who works in the children of di&s;obedience,</HI> Ephe&s;. 2.2. Hee is <GAP DESC="foreign">, a ruler of the world in darkne&s;&s;e here beneath, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 6.12. The comming of the man of &s;in is by the works of Satan with &s;ignes and lying wonders, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.9. Therefore Satan was not in the primitive times
<PB N="75" REF="41">bound, chain'd, and &s;ealed up the bottomle&s;&s;e pit.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> That which in <HI>Rev.</HI> 20. is termed <HI>the bottomle&s;&s;e pit,</HI> is in other notions cald <HI>Earth and Sea,</HI> Rev. 12.12. and <HI>aire or darkne&s;&s;e;</HI> Ephe&s;. 2.2. <HI>The aire,</HI> &s;aith Philo Jud. <HI>is black and dark of its own na|ture, and is cald <GAP DESC="foreign"> darkne&s;&s;e.</HI> Hence the devill is &s;tiled the Prince of the ayre and of darkne&s;&s;e. The Sea and Earth al&s;o have no light of them&s;elves, but from above. When therefore it is &s;aid, the devill hath power in the ayre, earth, or &s;ea, by the&s;e are meant men of dark, earthly, and unquiet minds. In which &s;en&s;e it is &s;aid, <HI>Rev.</HI> 12.12. <HI>Woe bee to the inhabitants of the earth and Sea,</HI> for Satan being by Chri&s;t ca&s;t out of the heaven of the Church, hee came among&s;t the inhabitants of the Ayre, Sea, and Earth, that is, men who were not heavenly minded. The affinitie of the&s;e terms appears, fir&s;t, becau&s;e the <HI>Bea&s;t which</HI> Apoc. 13.1. <HI>is &s;aid to ri&s;e out of the Sea,</HI> is <HI>&s;poken of</HI> Apoc. 9.7. <HI>as a&s;cending out of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit:</HI> And &s;econdly, there is a <HI>Tehom,</HI> an Aby&s;&s;e or bottomle&s;&s;e pit, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 71.20. <HI>a&s;cribed to the Earth,</HI> as el&s;where to the Sea. Now <HI>when Satan was ca&s;t down from domineering in the Church, and had his &s;peciall abode a|mong wicked men, hee &s;et up, fir&s;t, the ten horned Beast,</HI> Revel. 13.1. <HI>to bla&s;pheme the name of God, to war with, to overcome and kill Gods people.</HI> And &s;econdly, <HI>hee &s;et up the Bea&s;t with two horns, Ver&s;.</HI> 11. <HI>who did the works of the fir&s;t Bea&s;t, and did al&s;o deceive the world with &s;ignes and ly|ing wonders, Ver&s;.</HI> 13,14. for this &s;econd Bea&s;t expre&s;&s;es fully <HI>the man of &s;in, who</HI> 2 The&s;&s;. 2.9. is de&s;cribed <HI>by his fal&s;e and commerfeit wonders:</HI> What mi&s;chief Satan bound by Chri&s;t could not then work by him&s;elf, hee endeavoured to act by the&s;e two his wicked in&s;tru|ments.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;t.</HI> Suppo&s;e it bee denied, that heaven in Scripture at any time &s;ignifies the Church, and that Earth, Sea, and Aire denote wicked, blind, and unquiet worldlings, how can the contrary bee proved?</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is thus proved; Fir&s;t, <HI>The di&s;ciples are called the lights of the world,</HI> Matth. 5.14. <HI>The godly Philippians mu&s;t &s;hine in the world as lights,</HI> Phil. 2.15. <HI>When the teachers of &s;acred doctrine in the Church were puld down, the Stars are &s;aid to fall from heaven,</HI> Dan. 8.10. Rev. 9.1. <HI>The Angels or chiefe teachers of the Church are cald Stars,</HI> Revel. 1.20. Therefore the Church is the heaven in which they move, and &s;hine, and from which their light and influence proceeds, to take men off from their worldly e&s;tate. Secondly, Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> &s;aith ex|pre&s;ly;
<PB N="76" REF="42"><HI>Sancti &amp; ju&s;ti coelum vocantur,</HI> holy and ju&s;t men are called Heaven, <HI>De civ: Deilib.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 21. and expounds that in Mal. 4. <HI>le&s;t I come and de&s;troy the earth,</HI> of the wicked upon the Earth, <HI>qui terrena &s;apiunt,</HI> who mind earthly things, <HI>Ib. c.</HI> 29. His judgment herein is &s;ound, becau&s;e wee finde the members of Chri&s;ts Church called heaven, <HI>Rev:</HI> 12.11. where <HI>the heavens and they that dwell there|in,</HI> that is, <HI>&s;uch as overcome by the blood of the Lamb, are bid to rejoyce.</HI> And on the contrary <HI>the inhabitants of the earth</HI> are expounded to bee &s;uch as <HI>have not their names written in the book of life,</HI> Rev. 12.9. Thus what was denyed, I conceive, is &s;ufficiently proved. Many learned Expo&s;iters give their a&s;&s;ent hereunto.</P>
<P><HI>Repl. The ca&s;ting down of Satan to the earth, and excluding him from heaven,</HI> Apoc. 12. and <HI>Satans binding, &s;hutting, and &s;ealing up in the bottomle&s;&s;e pit,</HI> Rev. 20. are &s;o far from expre&s;&s;ing one and the &s;ame thing in different notions (which &s;ome Expo&s;iters think they doe) that there is no one word the &s;ame in both, 1 The <HI>Angel binding Satan,</HI> Apoc. 20, <HI>came from heaven:</HI> but <HI>Michael</HI> in Chap. 12: <HI>fights with the Dragon in Heaven.</HI> 2 Concerning Satan, <HI>be is</HI> 1 <HI>taken,</HI> 2 <HI>bound,</HI> 3 <HI>&s;hut up,</HI> 4 <HI>&s;ealed up,</HI> Chap: 20. In <HI>Chap:</HI> 12. there is no mention of the&s;e matters at all, <HI>M: Mede Clavis Apoc. part</HI> 2. <HI>Synch.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Fir&s;t, in generall I an&s;wer, the &s;ame thing is often in the Revelation expre&s;&s;ed in a different manner. As namely, fir&s;t, <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> Rev: 1. <HI>appeares to St.</HI> John <HI>in</HI> Patmos <HI>after a glorious manner, a|mid&s;t the &s;even golden Candle&s;ticks.</HI> In Chap: 5. <HI>hee appears on a Throne in the mid&s;t of twenty four Elders, as a Lamb that had been &s;lain.</HI> And Chap: 6.2. <HI>hee is &s;een on a white Hor&s;e armed and crowned, and riding with conque&s;t.</HI> Secondly, u&s;ually when divers vi&s;ions run upon one matter in the Revelation, what is omitted, or not &s;o clearly expre&s;&s;ed in one, is more fully and plainly opened in ano|ther: that &s;o the whole matter intended may re&s;ult from the &s;eve|rall vi&s;ions compared together. Hence Rev: 1.7. <HI>the godly, com|ming to the knowledg of Chri&s;t crucified for their &s;ins, lament and waile.</HI> But Chap: 12.12. <HI>upon Chri&s;ts conque&s;t over Satan they rejoyce.</HI> And Chapter 15.2, 3. <HI>they harp and &s;ing as Mo&s;es and I&s;rael,</HI> having pa&s;&s;ed &s;afe thorow the red Sea in which the Egyptians were drowned. M. <HI>Mede</HI> him&s;elf grants that divers vi&s;ions in the <HI>Apoc.</HI> do <HI>relegere,</HI> run over again, and expre&s;&s;e one and the &s;ame thing in a different man|ner, <HI>Clavis Apoc: part</HI> 2. <HI>Proem:</HI> So Mr. <HI>Brightman</HI> on Apoc: 11.1. Many Expo&s;itors unanimou&s;ly agree herein.</P>
<PB N="77" REF="42">
<P>Secondly, in particular I an&s;wer, <HI>Chri&s;t is the Angell of the Cove|nant,</HI> Mal. 3.1. <HI>That came down from heaven,</HI> Joh. 6.38. Apoc. 20.1. Hee being on Earth, and the chief Ruler of the Heaven on earth, that is, his Church; (This expo&s;ition I have above confirmed) hee, I &s;ay, I <HI>fought with Satan,</HI> 2 <HI>conquered him,</HI> 3 <HI>excluded him from heaven,</HI> 4 <HI>ca&s;t him into the earth and Sea.</HI> This Chri&s;t doth under the name of <HI>Michael,</HI> Chap. 12. His fighting with and conque&s;t over Satan intimates that the Dragon was taken, and as a captive of mo&s;t malice bound, fa&s;t &s;hut up, and chained. The ca&s;ting of the Dragon into the Earth and Sea, and his exclu&s;ion from heaven fully expre&s;&s;e his binding and confining to the bottomle&s;&s;e pit. How Earth and Sea are an&s;werable to the Aby&s;&s;e or bottomle&s;&s;e pit, I have formerly &s;hewed. Evident it is, that the&s;e bee forms of &s;peech which <HI>humanitus loquendo,</HI> after the manner of men, &s;et forth one and the &s;ame thing, namely, Gods re&s;training Satan. And hence it appears how the twelve and twenty Chapters in divers manner, and &s;omewhat different notions expre&s;&s;e the &s;ame re&s;traint of Satan, and how each Chapter helps to the more clear under&s;tanding of the other. Many good Expo&s;itors judge them &s;o to do.</P>
<P><HI>Object. Satan was not bound in the time of the &s;ix former Seals, and &s;ix former Trumpets. For in the time of the &s;ix former Seals, hee was in B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="2 letters">tail with Michael: and when Michael had overcome him, then on|ly aro&s;e the ten horned Bea&s;t out of the Sea, and bad Satans power and Throne given him,</HI> which hee exerci&s;ed again&s;t the Church. Then al&s;o <HI>Satan ca&s;t a floud of water out of his mouth to overwhelm the woman, and prepared to war with the re&s;t of the womans children. Therefore Satan was not bound in the time of the &s;ix former Seals; and in the begin|ning of the Trumpets time. And in Trumpet five is not Satan loo&s;e? It the Angel of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit called</HI> Abaddon <HI>and</HI> Apollyon <HI>any o|ther but Satan, who was ca&s;t down from heaven by Chri&s;t? For none other in all the</HI> Apocalyps <HI>fell down from heaven to the Earth: nor can the title there u&s;ed well &s;it any other. However, Satan was not then bound, not the pit &s;hut, and &s;ealed, but open: for out of it a &s;moak i&s;&s;ued, &amp;c.</HI> Chap. 9.2. <HI>And out of the mouth of the Dragon; the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e Prophet came unclean Spirits of Devils,</HI> Apo. 16.13. How then is Satan bound in all this time? Mr. <HI>Mede Clav. Apoc. part</HI> 2. <HI>Synch.</HI> 4.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. &V;nder &s;eal one,</HI> (which Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> makes rightly to bee at or near the beginning of the Apocalypticall times) <HI>Chri&s;t appears
<PB N="78" REF="43">a Conquerer, and goes on more and more to conquer:</HI> And whom here did hee conquer, but his grand adver&s;ary the Devil? For <HI>Chri&s;t ri&s;en from death &s;at on Gods right hand, was about all principalities and powers, and had all things under his feet,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.20. and therefore the Dovils al&s;o among the re&s;t. Nor is it po&s;&s;ible that any created power can &s;o long, as Mi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Med<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> holds, maintain a combate with Chri&s;t, <HI>When he plea&s;es do <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ake all Dominion into his hand, and make all powers &s;ubject to him&s;elf.</HI> It hath been proved above that Satan at, or near Chri&s;ts Re&s;urrection and A&s;cen&s;ion was bound by Chri&s;t. Then <HI>Satan being &s;hut up, gave his power to the Bea&s;t with ten horns,</HI> Rev. 13.1, 2. that is, to the Roman &s;ecular power, which began its tyranny in the primitive times, and continued it again&s;t the Chri&s;tians many years: And therefore this Bea&s;t began not his devili&s;h per&s;ecution many hundreth years after St. <HI>Johns</HI> time, upon the end of the &s;ixth Seal, as Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> holds. And whereas it is &s;aid that <HI>Sat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;t a flood of water after the woman;</HI> the &s;peech is me|taphoricall, as is that of the Aby&s;&s;e or Sea, into which Satan was ca&s;t: and intimates that Satan going to pri&s;on him&s;elf, rai&s;ed what waves of trouble hee could again&s;t the woman. And whereas <HI>He for|merly &s;tood before the woman to devour her child,</HI> Apoc. 12.4. his mi&s;chief was prevented, and <HI>him&s;elf was ca&s;t into the Earth and Sea, or Aby&s;&s;e; and thither <GAP DESC="foreign"> hee went,</HI> Ver&s;e 17. yet by the ten horned Bea&s;t, Rev: 13. <HI>(Vicarius ejus,</HI> his Deputy; Mr. <HI>Mede Clav. Ap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">part</HI> 2. <HI>Synch.</HI> 4.) inve&s;ted with his great power, <HI>He made war with them that dwell in Heaven, or the Church,</HI> Rev: 13.6, 7. <HI>which had the Fe&s;timony of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, Rev.</HI> 12.17. What was done by the autho|rity of the Devill may bee &s;aid to bee done by him&s;elf. So what was done in Bapti&s;m by Chri&s;ts autority, is &s;aid to bee done by Chri&s;t: whereas <HI>not Chri&s;t, but the Apo&s;tles did Baptize, Joh:</HI> 4.1. So <HI>Solomon</HI> is rightly &s;aid to build the Temple, which his Subjects built by his autority, direction and charge.</P>
<P>To the &s;econd part of the objection I an&s;wer: 'Tis not materiall whether Satan bee at the fifth Trumpet loo&s;ed or no. His Deputy hath &s;eope enough to doe mi&s;chief, though hee bee impri&s;oned. <HI>Stars are the Angels of the Churches,</HI> Rev. 1. and a &s;tar faln from Hea|ven here denotes the Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome,</HI> who before were bright and &s;hining &s;tars in the Church: but at length by the height of their pride, and their declining to herefie, fell to the earth. This hath the a&s;&s;ent of many learned Expo&s;itors. To the Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome</HI>
<PB N="79" REF="43">thus fallen was permitted by God, and given by Satan (<GAP DESC="foreign"> im|ports both, as if need bee &s;hall bee proved) the key of the bottom|le&s;&s;e pit. They having <HI>Satans power and depths of cra&s;t for lying &s;ignes and wonders</HI> (as the ten horned Bea&s;t had for war and &s;laughter) <HI>brought upon the world</HI> by Gods ju&s;t permi&s;&s;ion <HI>&s;trong delu&s;ion.</HI> Thus the Pope became <HI>Abaddon</HI> and <HI>Apollyon,</HI> the &s;on of perdition, the &s;on of the great father of perdition (cald u&s;ually in the <HI>Revelation</HI> the Dragon, the Serpent, the devill and Satan) and hee, the Pope, I &s;ay, <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>with damnable here&s;ies de&s;troyes both him&s;elfe and others.</HI> So that many of the be&s;t writers judge the Pope not unworthy of the&s;e unglorious titles. And therefore the learned and ever ingenu|ous Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> rather que&s;tions <HI>(Is not the Angel of the ba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">omle&s;&s;e pit cald Abaddon and Apollyon any other but Satan?)</HI> chen a&s;&s;erts the contrary: as &s;ome precipitate expo&s;iter would perhaps have don. <HI>The devill <GAP DESC="foreign"> was in combat thrown down fram heaven, Apov.</HI> 12. There are other fals thence, as fir&s;t <HI>of a &s;tar into the rivers and fountains,</HI> Ch. 8.10 which may perhaps denote the hereticks wre&s;ting and imbittering the &s;weet &s;treams of Scripture. There is &s;econdly al&s;o <HI>a fall of Rome,</HI> which being once an holy &s;pou&s;e of Chri&s;t, fell to bee <HI>the mother of fornication, and the notorious whore,</HI> Apoc. 17.2. &amp; 18.2. This in the Apocalyps language is a fall from the heaven of the Church to earthly profanene&s;&s;e: Such is the fall of the Star here, and mo&s;t fitly &s;uits to the Pope. Where|fore Mr. <HI>Medes</HI> arguments are not of &s;trength enough to prove, that Satans binding is yet to come. Come wee to other objections.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> Satan is &s;aid in the Apo&s;tles times <HI>to goe about like a roaring <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ion, &s;eeking whom hee may devour:</HI> and <HI>the godly are bid to hee &s;ober and watch, and to re&s;i&s;t him,</HI> 1 Pet. 5.8. and Revel. 2.10. <HI>Satan is &s;aid to ca&s;t &s;ome into pri&s;on for ten dayes,</HI> and to have his throne in <HI>Pergamus.</HI> Therefore Satan was then unbound, and not onely did mi&s;chiefe to earthly, unquiet, and darke minded men, but to faithfull men al&s;o, and &s;uch as were members of the Church.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w. There are &s;ome in the Church, who are not of the Church,</HI> 1 Joh. 2. <HI>&s;ome pretending to bee members of the true Church, which for the pre&s;ent might hee of the Synagogue of Satan,</HI> Revel. 3.9. <HI>In the tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> Church then there were fal&s;e Apo&s;tles,</HI> Revel. 2.2. and 2 Cor. 11.13. <HI>and fal&s;e Teachers,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.1. Hence it is that <HI>Satan in the Church &s;erks whom hee may devoure. True Chri&s;tians re&s;i&s;t him and per&s;i&s;t &s;ted&s;a&s;t in the faith, and hee &s;ties from them,</HI> 1 Pet. 5. <HI>But &s;uch at receive not the love of the Truth, are caught by Sataus wiles, believe lies and peri&s;h,</HI>
<PB N="80" REF="44">2 The&s;. 2.11. Thence it is &s;aid, <HI>wae to the Inhabitants of the Earths and Sea,</HI> that is, to prophane and wicked men. <HI>But the Heavens and all therein, all true Chri&s;tians rejoyce,</HI> Revel. 12.12. And whereas it is &s;aid, that <HI>Satan ca&s;ts &s;ome into pri&s;on,</HI> that is &s;poken of his in&s;tru|ments of Satanicall bent, who acted it; In which &s;en&s;e al&s;o <HI>Satan is &s;aid to have his throne,</HI> where ungracious and bloody per&s;ecutors bear &s;way and tyrannize. This was the rea&s;on, why <HI>Judas was by Chri&s;t cald a devill,</HI> Joh. 6.70. and <HI>others cald &s;ons of the devill: becau&s;e his works they did,</HI> Joh. 8.41. in calumniating and per&s;ecuting Chri&s;t and his &s;ervants. Wee mu&s;t di&s;tingui&s;h (as well as wee may) between mi&s;chiefs done by Satan immediatly, and tho&s;e done by his in&s;truments.</P>
<P><HI>Obj. Satan is not by Chri&s;t to bee bound for a thou&s;and years, untill the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e prophet bee ca&s;t into the lake of fire and brim&s;tone: for Saint John &s;aw the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e prophet, Chap.</HI> 19. <HI>ca&s;t into that lake, and then afterward Chap.</HI> 20. <HI>Satan bound.</HI></P>
<P>But the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e prophet are not yet ca&s;t into that Lake: the Secular and Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall power of Rome &s;till exi&s;ts and conti|nues in the Pope and his &s;ub&s;titutes. Therefore Satan is not yet taken, bound, &s;hut and &s;ealed up by Chri&s;t. This objection is Dr. <HI>Al&s;teds</HI> and the others joyntly.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> The Revelation declares, what <HI>John</HI> in order &s;aw, not what &s;hould in order continuedly and &s;ucce&s;&s;ively bee acted. This truth in generall Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> approves, though hee &s;tarts from it in this particular: <HI>Clav. part.</HI> 2. <HI>Synch.</HI> 4. The rea&s;ons which drew him to this mi&s;take are above an&s;wered: I &s;ay then, that Saint <HI>John</HI> &s;aw the vi&s;ion <HI>of Chri&s;ts conque&s;t over the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e prophet,</HI> and how <HI>they were ca&s;t into hell,</HI> before hee &s;aw <HI>the vi&s;ion of Satans binding and &s;ealing up, and of his loo&s;ing and ca&s;ting into the fiery lake.</HI> Yet might Satan bee bound in the Aby&s;&s;e, and therein incite the Sea Bea&s;t, the wicked Emperours; and Earth Bea&s;t, the fal&s;e prophet, (for both Sea-bea&s;ts and Earth-Bea&s;ts have their Aby&s;&s;e, as above) to doe mi&s;chief, and both they and hee bee at once ca&s;t into the lake of &s;ire. Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> judiciou&s;ly &s;ayes in the end of the <HI>Clavis, Corol. the</HI> 2. that <HI>as in hi&s;tories, &s;o in vi&s;ions divers matters don at one and the &s;ame time, are not told at one and the &s;ame time, but one after another: and that they will mi&s;pend their pains, who tie the events of matters mentioned in the Apocalyps to the &s;eries</HI> and order <HI>of the vi&s;ions.</HI> The ob&s;ervation is of very great u&s;e; and proves true often in the Revelation. Saint <HI>John</HI>
<PB N="81" REF="44">after that hee &s;aw <HI>the vi&s;ion of the &s;ealed book,</HI> Rev. 5. and 6. <HI>&s;aw the book open,</HI> Rev. 10. yet <HI>the prophe&s;ie of the open book</HI> (according to Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> and others) <HI>begins its accompli&s;hment at the very entrance of the Apocalyps times, where the &s;ealed books time al&s;o begins.</HI> So <HI>the vi&s;ion of the two witne&s;&s;es who prophecie one thou&s;and two hundred and &s;ixtie dayes, is related,</HI> Chap. 11. before <HI>the vi&s;ion, in which the Bea&s;t,</HI> Rev. 13.1. <HI>exerci&s;es the dragons power fortie two moneths:</HI> yet Mr. <HI>Mede</HI> rightly (though I approve not his &s;etling their beginnings) makes them contemporary. In like manner the Bea&s;t, fal&s;e prophet and the dragon may bee all at one and the &s;ame time ca&s;t into the lake of fire, and not Satans two chief in&s;truments a thou&s;and and moe years be|fore him&s;elf: though one in vi&s;ion bee related before the other. Nor indeed doth the originall, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 20.10. &s;ay, as &s;ome urge it, that the Dragon was ca&s;t into the lake, where the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e Pro|phet <HI>are</HI> or <HI>were;</HI> or <HI>are</HI> or <HI>were ca&s;t:</HI> but <HI>were &s;een to bee ca&s;t</HI> by <HI>John</HI> as in Chap. 19.19, 20. The words and context will bear this &s;en&s;e very well.</P>
<P>Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> pag. 20.1.7. &s;aith that after the thou&s;and years are ended, the great Antichri&s;t <HI>reflore&s;cet</HI> &s;hall flouri&s;h again, and have great power in the wars of <HI>Gog</HI> and <HI>Magog.</HI> But how can that bee? <HI>If the Bea&s;t and fal&s;e Prophet</HI> (by them the whole &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of them are under&s;tood) <HI>were ca&s;t into hell a thou&s;and years before the wars of Gog and Magog;</HI> and not they onely thus puni&s;hed, <HI>but the remnant of their people kild by him that rides on the white Hor&s;e?</HI> Rev. 19.21. Be&s;ides the Abetters of this opinion joyntly hold, <HI>that the Papacy or fal&s;e prophets, Romes power is extinct, before the famous kingdom of Chri&s;t begins.</HI> And if the fal&s;e prophet and all his retinue bee ca&s;t into hell before the thou&s;and years, I &s;uppo&s;e them in a pri&s;on, whence there can bee no e&s;cape, much le&s;&s;e a returne to a flouri&s;hing e&s;tate on earth.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> In the famous thou&s;and years the Nations &s;hall not bee &s;e|duced by Satan. But the Nations, yea both Jews and Gentiles were &s;educed very much in the thou&s;and years after Chri&s;ts a&s;cen&s;ion; for then ro&s;e <HI>Simon Magus, Nicolaitans, Menandrians, Valintinians, No|vatians, Anrians, Donati&s;ts,</HI> and &s;undry other hereticks. The&s;e won|derfully &s;educed the world before that thou&s;and years were ended.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Wee mu&s;t know, that when tis &s;aid, that <HI>Satan was ca&s;t down from heaven,</HI> the meaning is, that hee was ca&s;t out from deceiving heavenly minded men in the Church. <HI>They re&s;i&s;ted him, and abode &s;tedfa&s;t in the faith.</HI> And that when tis &s;aid, <HI>he was <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t down to the earth,
<PB N="82" REF="45">and fa&s;t bound in the bottomle&s;&s;e pit:</HI> then becau&s;e it is &s;aid al&s;o, <HI>wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> it to the inhabitants of the Earth and Sea,</HI> Revel. 12.12. hereby was de|noted, the devils prevailing over men of earthly and unquiet minds. Among whom was <HI>Simon Magus,</HI> who to bee accounted a great man deceived the people. Such al&s;o were the <HI>Nicolaitans,</HI> men of lu&s;tfull demeanour; &s;uch were <HI>Novatus</HI> and his followers, who out of their pride thought them&s;elves holier then all other men; &s;uch was <HI>Donatus,</HI> who mi&s;&s;ing of the Bi&s;hoprick of <HI>Carthage</HI> fell into here|ticall doctrines; many other hereticks in &s;everall nations were caught in the devils &s;nares, and led captive by him. But Satan could not then deceive the nations univer&s;ally as formerly. The Go&s;pel was &s;pread into countries far and near.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> There doth not appeare any con&s;iderable conver&s;ion of the Nations in the thou&s;and years after Chri&s;ts time, hee neither then nor &s;ince <HI>hath &s;ubdued all the &s;ons of Seth,</HI> Numb. 24.17. nor &s;hewed him&s;elf to bee <HI>the Prince to whom the people of the world &s;hould bee ga|thered and yeeld their obedience, Gon.</HI> 49.10. <HI>Al&s;tede pag</HI> 40.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Chri&s;t &s;hewed that hee &s;hould and ought to have a people gathered out of all Nations, when <HI>hee bad the Apo&s;tles and their &s;uc|ce&s;&s;ors, Go and teach all Nations, what hee commanded them.</HI> And &s;urely hee would not give &s;uch a commi&s;&s;ion in vain, or upon weak grounds, or out of its due time. <HI>The Apo&s;tles then al&s;o cau&s;ed the &s;ound of the Go&s;|pel to go out into all the world,</HI> Rom. 10.18. <HI>Paul</HI> wrote to the <HI>Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephe&s;ians, &amp;c.</HI> In Chri&s;ts name teachers came to <HI>Samaria, Antioch, Cae&s;area, Crete, Pamphilia, Pi&s;idia, Lycaonia, Baby|lon, Macedonia, Achaia, Dalmatia, Spain.</HI> Scripture mentions all the&s;e and moe Cities and countries, to whom the Go&s;pel came. And if &s;o many parts of the world, as Scripture mentions, were in&s;tructed by <HI>Paul</HI> and his fellow labourers, wee may ju&s;tly con|ceive (were &s;tories of the&s;e times &s;ilent) that many moe Cities and Kingdomes were taught by all the twelve Apo&s;tles, and tho&s;e that they &s;ent forth to &s;pread the Go&s;pell. This manife&s;tly appears <HI>by the &s;ong,</HI> Apoc. 5.9. where the redeemed acknowledge them&s;elves to bee of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Wee &s;ee hence therefore that Chri&s;t did <HI>exparietare</HI> (as Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> according to Mr. <HI>Broughton,</HI> whom hee calls his learned ma&s;ter for the Hebrew tongue, tran&s;lates, <HI>Numb.</HI> 24.17) <HI>unwall all the &s;ons of Seth,</HI> that is, all the Nations of the world, or <HI>rule over them,</HI> as the <HI>Rabbins</HI> &s;ay, <HI>Coch. pag.</HI> 377. for <HI>hee broke down the partition wall that kept out the
<PB N="83" REF="45">Gentiles,</HI> Ephe&s;.2.14. <HI>So that who&s;oever feared God in any Nation was ac|cepted,</HI> Act. 10.33. Of the far &s;preading of the Go&s;pel many fathers &s;peak: <HI>Prayer to God</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Ju&s;tin Martyr</HI>) <HI>was made in Chri&s;ts name in all parts of the world, Dial.</HI> with <HI>Tryph.</HI> The doctrine of Chri&s;t (&s;aith <HI>Tertullian</HI>) <HI>ubique porrigitur, ubique ereditur,</HI> was every where pro|pagated, every where beleeved. <HI>It was carried home by the converts of all nations, Act.</HI> 2. <HI>Tertul. lib. contr. Iudaeos.</HI> The Go&s;pel was taught <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>on the Theater of the whole world,</HI> Clem. Alex. Protrept. 2. <HI>It did <GAP DESC="foreign"> overcome all,</HI> Eu&s;eb. Hi&s;t. 2.14. <HI>The Go&s;pel preached at the fir&s;t did pre&s;ently <GAP DESC="foreign"> po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;e the whole world,</HI> Diod. Epi&s;c. Tar&s;en&s;. And <HI>Aretas</HI> Chap. 60. on the <HI>Apocalyps</HI> &s;aith, that <GAP DESC="foreign"><HI>the know|ledge of Gods will in all the world &s;hewed, that Satan was then bound.</HI> And I adde from <HI>Revel.</HI> 20. that if this bee &s;o, it &s;hews al&s;o that then the Saints reigned with Chri&s;t in all the world. Wherefore the &s;preading of the Go&s;pel among the Jews and Gentiles was a thou|&s;and five hundred and moe years agon accompli&s;hed: and is &s;till to bee more and more accompli&s;hed. Becau&s;e <HI>Chri&s;ts command of teaching of Nations</HI> is &s;till in force: and becau&s;e <HI>Chri&s;t then riding on his white hor&s;e conquered, and goes on &s;till to conquer,</HI> Revel. 6.2. Nor did the converts in all parts of the world leave their owne habitati|ons to go to <HI>Canaan,</HI> (as &s;ome conceit the Jews at lea&s;t &s;hould do) but did <GAP DESC="foreign"> dwell as formerly in their own countries. <HI>Idem Diod.</HI> in <HI>Photii Bibl. pag.</HI> 691.</P>
<P><HI>Object. The Jews have been more &s;educed in the years &s;ince Chri&s;ts a&s;cen|&s;ion, then before. They are extremely bent again&s;t Chri&s;tianitie, and wander &s;till in gro&s;&s;e darkne&s;&s;e of mind. The ten Tribes captived by A&s;&s;ur have heard nothing concerning Chri&s;t,</HI> Al&s;t.pag.38. <HI>They are all lo&s;t,</HI> Arch. 27. <HI>Tis a hard cen&s;ure utterly and wholly to exclude them from communion with Chri&s;t,</HI> Al&s;t.pag.39.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is mo&s;t true that many Jews were and are very much overwhelmed with errour and blindne&s;&s;e; yet did <HI>a great part of them beleeve the Go&s;pel at or neer Chri&s;ts time.</HI> The di&s;tinction of Jew and Gentile, much more of <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> was taken away af|ter Chri&s;ts death. So that the title (Jew) in tho&s;e times and after|wards comprehended all of that Nation of what Tribe &s;oever. Now it is &s;aid, <HI>Act.</HI> 2. that <HI>there were Jews of all nations under heaven at Jeru|&s;alem: The&s;e then learned the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t by the miraculous gift of the Holy Gho&s;t, and carried the &s;ound thereof into their own countries, into
<PB N="84" REF="46">Parthia, Media, Per&s;ia, Me&s;opotamia, Pontus, Cyrene, and the other places</HI> there mentioned, as <HI>T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">rtullian</HI> above truely &s;aid. <HI>Atone Sermon, Acts</HI> 2. <HI>were converted three thou&s;and &s;oules,</HI> and <HI>Acts</HI> 4.6. <HI>others in number five thou&s;and.</HI> The frequent Sermons of the Apo&s;tles doubtle&s;&s;e con|verted many moe. Wee read <HI>Act.</HI> 21.20. <HI>that many myriads or many times ten thou&s;and Jews beleeved.</HI> If the Apo&s;tles and others taught the Go&s;pel in all parts of the world, and it plea&s;ed God to worke wonderfully with them, as wee read in expre&s;&s;e Scripture hee did with &s;ome of them, doubtle&s;&s;e in all parts, where they came, many of &s;everall Tribes were converted. Secondly, more particularly for the ten Tribes. Fir&s;t, <HI>Many of Ephraim and Mana&s;&s;eh and Simeon fell to Judah from I&s;rael, 2 Chron.</HI> 15.9. <HI>Many were brought from Beer&s;he|bah and mount Ephraim to wor&s;hip God with Judah,</HI> 1 Chron. 19.4. <HI>The chie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> fathers of I&s;rael covenant with Jebojadah, as they of Judah did,</HI> 2 Chron. 32.2. <HI>I&s;rael helped Judah to repaire Gods hou&s;e,</HI> 2 Chron. 24.5. <HI>Hezekiah gathered the remnant of I&s;rael, who e&s;caped A&s;&s;urs rage,</HI> 2 Chron. 30.5, 6.11. <HI>The I&s;raelites that lived in Judah helpt to put down Idolatry, paid their tithes and otherwi&s;e &s;hewed their religious practi&s;e,</HI> 2 Chron. 31.1.5,6. Thus many of the ten Tribes, who&s;e kinred were carried away captive by A&s;&s;ur, heard much of Chri&s;t to come, and were of the &s;ame Religion with <HI>Judahs</HI> Tribe. Secondly, <HI>&s;uch of the</HI> 10. <HI>Tribes as were captived by A&s;&s;ur, were carried to Hala<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter"> and Ha|bor, and the Cities of the Medes,</HI> 2 King. 17.6. and 19.11. So that when the <HI>Med<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> and <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> ruled, <HI>they had libertie by Cyrus Edict to return to Canaan out of any country &s;ubject to his Scepter,</HI> Ezr. 1. And not <HI>Judah</HI> and <HI>Benjamin</HI> onely, but <HI>all of I&s;rael were in their Cities af|ter the return,</HI> Ezr. 2.70. and 3.1. and 6.16. Hence <HI>the returned offered twelve Goats for the &s;inne of all I&s;rael,</HI> Ezr. 6.17. And when <HI>He&s;ter</HI> and <HI>Mordecai</HI> by Gods &s;peciall mercy had brought the Jews nation into &s;o great e&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">eeme, <HI>that many of the people of the Lands turned Jews,</HI> He&s;t. 8.17. much more &s;ome of the ten Tribes captived before, would now al&s;o turne lews: when a King then ruling over <HI>A&s;&s;ur,</HI> in who&s;e countries they then re&s;ided, or in &s;ome neer coa&s;ts thereunto, did abundantly favour them. Thirdly, <HI>The Jewes and pro&s;elytes from all nations under heaven, from Media, Per&s;ia, &amp;c.</HI> Act. 2. (as above) divulged the Go&s;pel in the countries, where the ten Tribes capti|ved are &s;aid to bee, <HI>when Ra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ell wept for her children, and a woman com|pa&s;&s;ed a man, and God made a New Covenant;</HI> all which was done in Chri&s;ts lifetime; thereupon &s;aith <HI>Jeremy, the I&s;raelites turn to God.</HI>
<PB N="85" REF="46">ler. 31. The I&s;raelites were the &s;ons of <HI>Seth,</HI> as were all other Nati|ons, and <HI>were then unwalled with the re&s;t. The Apo&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s weapons were of force to pull down the &s;trong holds <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ppo&s;it</HI> to Chri&s;t among other peo|ple, and would not pa&s;&s;e by their brethren of the ten Tribes. <HI>For Saint Iames writes to the twelve Tribes &s;eattered in divers countries,</HI> Iam. 1.1. <HI>All which twelve Tribes &s;erving God day and night looked for the promi&s;e of God,</HI> Act. 26.7. Hence it is, that (as I conceive) many myriads of them beleeved (as above) though they had their weak|ne&s;&s;es. And when Chri&s;t had wrought our &s;alvation, then <HI>bee was not a Iew, who was one outwardly according to the fle&s;h: but bee was a Iew, that was inwardly a Iew, and circumci&s;ed in heart,</HI> Rom. 2.29. Like|wi&s;e when it is &s;aid, <HI>that Chri&s;t was &s;ent to the lo&s;t &s;heep of the hou&s;e of I&s;rael, Matth.</HI> 15.24. <HI>I&s;rael</HI> includes all the twelve Tribes, and in this &s;en&s;e is the name of (<HI>I&s;rael</HI>) often u&s;ed in the New Te&s;tament: as <HI>Blindne&s;&s;e is come in part upon I&s;rael,</HI> Rom. 11.25. that is, on <HI>Indah</HI> and <HI>Levi,</HI> as on the other ten Tribes. <HI>Chri&s;t gives repentance to I&s;rael,</HI> Act. 5.3. that is, to all of any Tribe what&s;oever. <HI>A remnant <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ely of I&s;rael is &s;aved,</HI> Rom. 9.25. that is, &s;uch of any Tribe, as did be|leeve in Chri&s;t; yea to &s;hew a larger extent yet of the term (<HI>I&s;rael</HI>) tis plainly &s;aid, <HI>that all the &s;eed of Iacob, or I&s;rael, are not I&s;rael,</HI> Rom. 9.5. But all <HI>beleevers</HI> (both of <HI>Iacobs</HI> &s;eed and of the Gentiles) <HI>are the &s;ons of I&s;rael, the I&s;rael of God,</HI> Gal. 6.16. <HI>and the &s;eed and &s;ons of A|braham,</HI> Gal. 3.7. And fourthly, I hope through Gods great mercy in Chri&s;t, that many moe of that Nation, yet ob&s;tinate in their er|rours, will in Gods good time bee converted to Chri&s;tianitie. And I do heartily be&s;eech all good Chri&s;tians both Rulers and Teachers and people to bee very cautelous of holding any error, which may give the Iews ju&s;t offence. For <HI>the Iews manner is to &s;uck p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;on out of Chri&s;tians mi&s;pri&s;ions, as &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ies from &V;lcers. Iu&s;tin Martyr Dial.</HI> with <HI>Tryph.</HI> ob&s;erved this in his time: nor are they much bettered in ours. Let us Chri&s;tians al&s;o &s;o &s;trive to be of one heart and mind, which is ful of|ten injoyned us: for not any one will willingly learn of them, who di&s;agree among them&s;elves. As <HI>Iu&s;tin</HI> al&s;o truly affirms <HI>Inorat ad Gra<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> If the one thou&s;and years of Satans binding began a|bout Chri&s;ts a&s;cen&s;ion, then they ended about &s;ix hundred years agon: at which time al&s;o Satan was Ioo&s;ed; that is, near unto the one thou&s;and and thirty. And then &s;oon after Gogs wars began. But Satan was not loo&s;ed &s;ix hundred years agon, nor did Gogs wars then begin. In the&s;e things Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> and the re&s;t agree. There|fore, &s;ay they, the thou&s;and years began not, as is affirmed, <HI>Al&s;tede,</HI> p. 53.</P>
<PB N="86" REF="47">
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Satan was &s;o bound and re&s;trained by Chri&s;t, that <HI>the Church from Chri&s;ts time to Pope</HI> Hildebrands <HI>&s;tood in &s;ome in|different e&s;tate of truth, and then began Religion to bee turned up&s;ide down,</HI> Mr. <HI>Fox Martyrol. Pref. p.</HI> 5. So that about &s;ix hundred years agon, Super&s;tition and errour &s;pread it &s;elf, the &s;acred Scriptures were laid a&s;ide, the originall Texts unregarded, niceties broached, con|trover&s;ies handled mo&s;tly by &s;chool di&s;putes without Scripture; the Popes Supremacy was advanced, the people were generally kept in darkne&s;&s;e, and made to &s;erve dumbe Idols, and wor&s;hip Images. The&s;e things could proceed from no other, but from the Prince of darkne&s;&s;e, who then being loo&s;e, incited the Angell of the bottomle&s;&s;e pit, the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> with gro&s;&s;e and thick &s;moak of Here&s;ies, to darken the &s;un and aire, which Chri&s;t had inlightned with clear truth. By this means the Leaders of the people being blind, led their blind followers into the ditch.</P>
<P>Secondly, about a thou&s;and years after Chri&s;t, <HI>Sylve&s;ter</HI> obtained the Popedome by Sorcery, and the finger of the Devill. About that time the Clergy of <HI>Rome</HI> began to wring from the Emperour the election of the Pope: then was <HI>Henry</HI> the fourth their Empe|rour accu&s;ed of Here&s;ie, and of dimini&s;hing the autority of the Sea of <HI>Rome. Robert Gui&s;eard</HI> was &s;et up Generall (the &s;pirituall Sword was not keen enough to maintain their cau&s;e) to conquer the peo|ple, and make them obedient to the Pope of <HI>Rome;</HI> In the&s;e times <HI>Hildebrand,</HI> or <HI>Helbrand</HI> (as &s;ome call him) &s;hewed the height of his proud heart, and over-ruled as Pope indeed, before hee was Pope in place or name: for hee did beat the Pope, and compelled him to do, whatever he plea&s;ed and ever &s;tood out again&s;t the Empe|rours autority. And when this <HI>Hildebrand</HI> had &s;etled him&s;elf in the Popes chair, hee depo&s;ed the Emperour <HI>Henry</HI> the fourth, and di&s;charged the people of their Allegiance. Hee made <HI>Otho</HI> Duke of <HI>Saxony,</HI> as al&s;o <HI>Rodulp</HI> King of <HI>Sweden</HI> to rai&s;e war again&s;t the Em|perour, and to attempt the depriving him of his Empire. So that Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That hereby this</HI> Hildebrand <HI>di&s;quieted the peace of all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">u|mane life: that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ee cau&s;ed &s;uch &s;tirs in the Church, as had never been. By his example his Succe&s;&s;ors were in&s;ected with ambition, pride, tyranny, &s;toutne&s;s, di&s;obedience to their Emperours lawfull Autority.</HI> So that Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That the Popes after this</HI> Hildebrand, <HI>imitated him, on the Kings of I&s;|rael did idolatrous Jeroboam.</HI> Whereupon the Clergy of <HI>France</HI> &s;aid, <HI>that Hildebrand ruled not by the Spirit of God, but of Satan.</HI> It &s;eems
<PB N="87" REF="47">that they &s;aw Satan loo&s;e in him and his practi&s;es. Pope <HI>Alexander</HI> that proudly &s;et his foot on the Emperour <HI>Fredericks</HI> neck, confir|med the wicked acts of this <HI>Hildebrand.</HI> Pope <HI>Adrian</HI> &s;aid, that this <HI>Frederick</HI> claimed homage of the Popes, required it of them that were Gods, and Sons of the high God. In brief the Popes in the&s;e times did &s;o domineer that Kings could doe little in their own Realms: becau&s;e the Popes exalted them&s;elves, and to get'a bound|le&s;&s;e autority, took away all unity and concord. Not <HI>England</HI> a|lone, but <HI>Germany</HI> and <HI>France,</HI> and mo&s;t parts of the we&s;tern world felt this to their &s;mart, had their E&s;tates impoveri&s;hed by large con|tributions, and heavy exactions at the Popes plea&s;ure, and their blood lamentably and profu&s;ely exhau&s;ted in the wars for the holy Land (as the Pope &s;tiled them) and in other combu&s;tions. So that Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> averres, that <HI>the&s;e cour&s;es were taken to weaken and bring low Princes, and to advance and inrich the Popes.</HI> And that the re&s;tle&s;&s;e &s;pirits of Romani&s;ts, and e&s;pecially of the later &s;prung brood of the Je&s;uites, more violent then ever, have rai&s;ed grievous combu&s;ti|ons in the Church, there is &s;carce any eye &s;o dim, that doth not clearly di&s;cern. Thus it appears that Satan was loo&s;ed about &s;ix hundred years agon, and then deceived the world, as of old: and that by the means of Romani&s;ts grievous Wars and bloud&s;hed have broken forth, which may well bee tearmed the wars of Gog. And &s;o the learned <HI>H. Bullinger</HI> e&s;teems them, and more &s;ully relates the mi&s;eries of tho&s;e wars. Of the &s;ame minde is the judicious D. <HI>Paraeus,</HI> and others. In tho&s;e Wars many of Gods Saints were vex|ed with the Popes pride, exalting him&s;elf above Chri&s;tian Princes, were much afflicted, injured and &s;lain: the like may bee &s;aid of other Wars, which have &s;ucceeded them for the holy Land.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> The expre&s;&s;e words, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.3. are <HI>that Satan &s;hall bee loo|&s;ed but for a &s;hort time,</HI> in which hee deceives the Nations, and pro|motes the wars of Gog, which compa&s;&s;e the holy City. Therefore it is an errour to make the wars of Gog of five or &s;ix hundred years continuance already pa&s;t. Whereas <HI>Gogs a&s;&s;ault will bee but a &s;ud|den <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">urry, and la&s;t but a little time, nor in tho&s;e wars &s;hall an hair of the Saints peri&s;h,</HI> Arch. 34. &amp; 41. <HI>So many years cannot bee counted a &s;hors time,</HI> D. <HI>Al&s;tede p.</HI> 36.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Five or &s;ix hundred years may in Scripture phra&s;e be ter|med a &s;hort time. For fir&s;t, Where <HI>the Saints Souls under the Altar, are bid to re&s;t a little &s;ea&s;on, untill their fellow &s;ervants bee killed, even as
<PB N="88" REF="48">they,</HI> Rev. 6.11. It is manife&s;t that the Saints of God have been <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">illed much</HI> more then &s;ix or &s;even hundreth years, as were the Chri&s;tians at or near the Primitive times, of who&s;e fouls, in that place is mention.</P>
<P>Secondly, Five, or &s;ix, or &s;even hundred years may bee termed a a &s;hort time of the Churches &s;ufferings, if they bee compared with the eternall bli&s;&s;e, that Gods people &s;hall enjoy after their mi&s;eries in this life are ended. In the like &s;en&s;e <HI>the afflictions of Gods Servants in this life, how great &s;oever, are termed light and momentary in regard of the mo&s;t excellent and eternall weight of glory in the life to come,</HI> 2 Cor. 4.17.</P>
<P>And, thirdly, &s;o many years in regard of the thou&s;and years of Satans re&s;traint are a &s;horter time, and may bee termed a &s;hort time with re&s;pect to the thou&s;and years: In this &s;en&s;e Dr. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> him|&s;elf and &s;ome others take them.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Chri&s;t him&s;elf &s;aith, <HI>Behold I come &s;hortly, or quickly, Rev.</HI> 22.20. and yet is not hee come to make an end of the world, as there of revealing matters from the Primitive times to the worlds end in which &s;pace one thou&s;and &s;ix hundred years are already pa&s;t. Thus &s;ix hundred years and moe may bee termed a &s;hort time: Mr. <HI>Archer</HI> here erres again&s;t plain Scripture, Gogs wars &s;hall not bee a &s;udden and &s;hort hurry, not much harmfull to Gods Saints; For God tells us, that <HI>Satans rage &s;hall bee fierce, becau&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">ee bath but a &s;hort time, Rev.</HI> 12.12. Gogs wars are in the four Coa&s;ts of the Earth, and are &s;o great and furious, that God comes down him&s;elf to put an end to them, and to vanqui&s;h and puni&s;h the Autor and In&s;truments of the War. Wherefore D. <HI>Al&s;tede</HI> more &s;oundly holds, that in the&s;e wars will be a grievous and lamentable afflicti|on of Gods people.</P>
<P><HI>Repl.</HI> If the wars of Gog and Magog have already la&s;ted &s;o long, as you conceive, then &s;urely they cannot bee far from their end, and the la&s;t and finall judgment mu&s;t be near at hand: But it is expe|cted that <HI>there &s;hall bee a time of great pro&s;perity of the Church in all matters not &s;infull, Arch. pag.</HI> 3. and that the &s;ame time &s;hould begin within &s;ome few years, and continue many hundreth years before the la&s;t day of judgment. And that the Jews al&s;o &s;hall be called, and enjoy tho&s;e happy times.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is very probable, that the day of judgment is neer. For fir&s;t, there <HI>hath</HI> been (as was foretold, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.) <HI>a departure front the true Religion,</HI> and that mo&s;t con&s;picuous and manife&s;t about a
<PB N="89" REF="48">thou&s;and years after Chri&s;t: and the man of &s;in, the &s;on of perdi|tion, the adver&s;ary of Chri&s;t, the <HI>exalter of him&s;elf above all that is called God, is di&s;clo&s;ed,</HI> and by good proof demon&s;trated. <HI>Luther,</HI> and <HI>many other Learned Writers,</HI> &s;ome in, many &s;ince his time have laid open to the world Antichri&s;ts wicked enterpri&s;es, <HI>by the work|ing of Satan, with all power and &s;igns, and lying wonders:</HI> and &s;hewed how in the ages before <HI>Luther, the world was gull'd by &s;trong de<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;i|o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">s, and beleeved lies.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, the <HI>new Babel,</HI> that is, <HI>Rome is fallen</HI> in her honour and repute. Her grand claim of univer&s;all vicar&s;hip, her power o|ver Kings, her unerring judgment in matters of controv<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;ie, her va&s;t chalenge of all power &s;pirituall and t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">porall, and her like ca|pitall errours are plainly by the writings of the Orthodox party confuted, and by religious Princes within their own Territories taken away in good part: and will daily more and more fall to the ground. At <HI>Cyrus</HI> conque&s;t of the old <HI>Babel,</HI> the Kings and their Nations &s;ubject to her Scepter, left her. So now <HI>England, Scotland, Denmark,</HI> a great part of <HI>Germany,</HI> the Prote&s;tant Churches in <HI>France,</HI> and others el&s;where, once under <HI>Romes</HI> yoak, have already abando|ned the Popes power, and cen&s;ure the Roman Church ju&s;tly, as condemned by God him&s;elf in the <HI>Apocalyps.</HI> And in truth the Pope is more honoured at a di&s;tance, which often beguiles the eye, then in &s;ome parts of <HI>Italy,</HI> and even in the territories near <HI>Rome.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, are not <HI>men become &s;elf-lovers, proud, covetous, boa&s;ters, bla&s;phemers, di&s;obedient to Parents, unthankfull, unholy, without natu|rall affection, truce-breakers, fal&s;e accu&s;ers, &amp;c.</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.1. &s;uch as <HI>Paul</HI> there &s;aith men would bee in the la&s;t dayes. Whereas Gods &s;ervants &s;hould bee endowed with righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, faith, charity, peace; and &s;hould bee gentle, apt to teach, patient, &amp;c. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.22. which are vertues &amp; graces in the&s;e days &s;omewhat rare. Let us there|fore not be &s;ecure, and cry peace, peace, and happy dayes, but <HI>remem|ber the worlds &s;tupiditie in the dayes of Noah and Lot, Luk.</HI> 17.27. how the world then feared nothing, till judgment &s;ei&s;ed on them. Let us rather watch and waite for Chri&s;ts comming and appearance, being confident that as Chri&s;t by the Sword out of his mouth, his heavenly word, &amp; the bright <HI>&s;hining light of the Go&s;pel hath made a great &amp; mani&s;e&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">m&s;umption of Antichri&s;t, &s;o by his glorious and la&s;t comming he will aboli&s;h him,</HI> 2 The&s;. 2.8. Matth. 25.31. <HI>And de&s;troy them that de&s;troy the earth,</HI> Rev. 11.18. among whom Antichri&s;t the Pope of
<PB N="90" REF="49">Rome hath been and is a chie&s;e actor. Then &s;hall all the world &s;ee mo&s;t clearly <HI>Chri&s;t to be</HI> (which in truth hee hath ever been) <HI>the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings,</HI> Revel. 19.16. Then even his enemies &s;hall &s;ee that his Kingdom was &s;uch as could not bee &s;haken, nor prevai|led again&s;t by all their malice, power and de&s;ignes: and hee thence|forth &s;halll reign in heaven with his faithfull &s;ervants in happine&s;&s;e for evermore, <HI>Rev.</HI> 11.15. Concerning the Jews calling to the Go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="pdcc" EXTENT="1 letter">el I have above &s;poken. Here onely I adde, that wee &s;hould take heed of any proud or contemptuous cariage towards them. They were broken off from the true Olive, and wee graffed in. God is able to graffe them into it again. It concerns us to u&s;e all good means to win them to Chri&s;t. If wee can trade to the <HI>Indies</HI> for worldly commodities, why &s;hould wee not take cour&s;es for reducing &s;ome at lea&s;t of that once beloved nation into Chri&s;ts fold?</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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