to stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion 〈◊〉 19 20. when the Sickle shall be thrust into the Harvest yea when the Wine-press shall be trodden without the City Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat 〈◊〉 3.2 12 〈◊〉 14. when the Lord shall plead and decide the Controversy of his People and thresh the Nations by his Thresher 〈◊〉 4.13 i. e. the Daughter of Zion viz. the Inhabitants of Jerusalem or Jews yea at that Day when the Lord shall set his Feet upon the Mount of Olives which you acknowledg to be at the Personal Coming of Christ â—â—ech 14.4 4. and Day of Judgment p. 101. Then Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem Reason 2 Your next Reason is Because there will not be any of Christ's Enemies in a Capacity to make Resistance or Opposition at his Personal Coming Ergo. Answer The Answer to this shall be short by denying what you have said and I tell you That Enemies may be in a Capacity to oppose though not to overcome yea 't is well known a Child may oppose a Man a Dwarf a Giant But you tell us They will be destroyed by Fire then I confess they will be then incapable indeed when they are burned to Ashes But pray what is this to the purpose Will they not be in a Capacity before Or 2dly Will all Christ's Enemies be burned up before his Coming that none shall be left to make Resistance or Opposition at his Coming You have brought no Text to prove it and I know not of any Text that will do it therefore I conclude none are bound to believe you Reason 3 Lastly You tell us The very Earth they inhabit and all the Works thereof shall be burnt up and consumed at whose Presence the Earth and Heaven flee away Ergo No room for such a Work Answer But pray where doth Holy Scripture tell us so i. e. That the Heavens and Earth shall be consumed Doth not your Second in his Treatise p. 5. tell us That the Scripture doth not express an Annihilation thereof c. Again what though the Scripture speaks of such great things to be done in that great Day of the Lord yet doth it not follow from hence that all these shall be done in the first Hour of that Day and that before the Enemies make opposition Thus much in answer to the Reasons brought to prove your second Argument Arg. 3 Because such an Apprehension would make three Personal Comings of Christ whereas we read but of two Heb. 9.28 Who will appear the second time c. because it is expresly said He sits at the Right-hand of God till his Enemies be made his Foot stool Answer What such an Apprehension make three Personal Comings Yes it may be so if such a skilful Artist as your self had it in hand who have got the knack of Distinction who can divide and subdivide till you have made ten Corporal Resurrections of one as may be seen in your 53d page For without making three of two or two of one I am sure it cannot be done Again if but two Personal Comings then you infer this at the beginning of the thousand Years cannot be the second Personal Coming because say you 't is expresly said He sits at the Right-hand of God till his Enemies be made his Footstool Here you think you have your Antagonist fast and are invincible I confess you are safe enough yet whilst you have not here told us where 't is thus expressed and since I must also acknowledg if my Memory fail not 't is expresly said so in all the Books that ever I read about this Subject and they are more than a good many I mean those Books written for a thousand Years Reign before the Coming of Christ to the everlasting Shame and Consusion of your Faces who have time after time affirmed That this is expresly written in the Holy Scripture as we well know you intend in this place and as you else-where in your Book affirm for this is three times at least affirmed by this Author in his Book by which you have miserably deceived your selves and others as some in my hearing have confest Be not offended for herein I must be plain with you take it as you please Is it not to be wondred at that ever any Men of Learning and Conscience should bear the Face to affirm such a thing when I dare be bold to say there is not one place in all the Bible that saith so To mistake at some times in the business of Interpreting of Scripture is an Infirmity we cannot help though Caution had need be had therein especially in Cases of this nature but to transgress in this kind looks too much like Presumption This may serve for an Answer at present till I meet with it again Arg. 4 This conquering fighting Work is not by Christ in Person at this time of his glorious and terrible Appearing Answer This I deny but I will now hear your Reason Reason Because the Execution then upon the Enemies will be say you sudden and speedy like Travail upon a Woman with a Child as a Thief in the Night like Lightning as it was in the days of Lot and Noah with sudden Destruction and as a Snare will he come upon all the Inhabitants of the Earth This Work at Christ's Personal Coming will be done at an instant suddenly at the Sounding of a Trumpet in the Twinkling of an Eye whereas this Work asks time gradually to be performed And you comprehend in the first the Preparation for and Judgment of the great Whore c. Answer First I must tell you You have comprehended more into the thousand Years than will be for this Judgment of the great Whore will be before the thousand Years and not executed by Christ's Followers 〈◊〉 17.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 14. but by them that afterward will give their Kingdom to the Beast and afterward make War with the Lamb. Secondly You say the Work of the beginning of the thousand Years asks some Time c. Ay And so will that also which will be done when Christ comes in Person for although 't is told us Christ shall come as a Thief c. viz. very suddenly and unexpectedly yet 't is not any where told us That Work that he shall then do shall be done as suddenly as a Thief cometh nay that very Similitude if you will follow it so far le ts us know the contrary for though a Thief in the Night comes suddenly yet he oft-times is long enough a doing his Work viz. Rifling and Robbing as some have sadly experienc'd So also tho Travail upon a Woman with Child cometh suddenly yet her Delivery asks some time and is not done in the Twinkling of an Eye â—en 7.12 7 24 â—hap 8 3. â—ompare â—hap 7 11. â—h Chap. â— 13 14. and so I may say of the days of Noah c. for though it was sudden yet you cannot but know the Waters were forty
THE Glorious Kingdom Of our Blessed Lord JESUS CHRIST on Earth RIGHTLY TIMED Proving it not to be till His SECOND COMING IN Answer to two Treatises The one Intituled Theopolis or The City of God By a nameless Author The other A Treatise of the New-Heavens and New-Earth By T. M. By W. S. a Servant of Christ Job 38.2 Who is this that darkneth Counsel by words without Knowledg Rev. 5.10 And hath made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign on the Earth Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father on his Throne Isa 57.14 Take up the stumbling Block out of the way of my People LONDON Printed in the Year 1693. The EPISTLE DEDICATORY To the Churches of Christ in this Nation Salutation Brethren I Cannot but lament the Disadvantages you lie under which not a little obstruct your Generation-work for certainly you are set to be the Light of the World Matth. 5 1â— but how little you have been so is too palpable 'T is also as certain that our Lord hath given a Ministry to his Church Eph. 4.11 12. for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ Yea every Scribe instructed into the Kingdom of Heaven is Matth. 13.52 or should be like a good Housholder which bringeth out of his Treasury things new and old True it is we have had new things brought forth often in this day both in Sermons and Books but how unsound unwholesom and unhealthful some of those have been we sadly experience This Nation is wonderfully deluded with those strange Pamphlets of the Quakers that seldom have any thing of Truth in them but a bundle of Delusions whereby many Souls are misled Lamenting therefore the State of this Nation upon that account what care ought to be had by others how they preach and write But now where lies the fault or on whom shall I lay the blame The Ministers I cannot excuse for I fear they have too much neglected that Charge given to Timothy and in him to all others in the like Capacity i. e. To give Attendance to Reading to Exhortation 1 Tim. 4.13 14 15 16. to Doctrine and not to neglect the Gift given to them and to exercise their Meditations upon the Oracles of God and Mysteries of Christ even the hidden Mystery and to give themselves WHOLLY to them that their Profiting may appear to all and to take heed unto themselves and unto their Doctrine continuing in them that in so doing they may both save themselves and them that hear them Without question this Neglect hath caused so many raw and undigested Sermons and impertinent Books But now alas how should it be much better Must they make Brick without Straw Can they give themselves wholly to this Service when the Care of their Families lies upon them and little care is taken by the Churches to set them free from those Incumbrances Do we not see they are forced to leave the Work of God Nehem. 13. â—0 11. and flee to their own Fields like the Levites in Nehemiah's time and none are yet found like Nehemiah to reform herein â— Tim. 2. â— 14 15. How then should they study to shew themselves approved unto God Workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth as they are charged to do Certainly the Churches must bear the Blame who are found guilty herein And now amongst other things of this kind which we have cause to bewail there is a Book extant printed 1672 intituled Theopolis or The City of God New Jerusalem c. wherein 't is asserted That the thousand Years Reign will be before the Personal Coming of Jesus Christ in a Comment upon the 20th and 21st Chapters of the Revelation by a Nameless Author The Consequence whereof is very sad tending to prompt Christians to that unchristian and unbecoming Service the Gospel no ways injoins them and to exasperate the Government against them a thing which all wise Men are as much as in them lies concerned to avoid and enter a Protest against The which erroneous Opinion I hoped had been worn out and relinquished by time that so no Man needed openly to appear against it since God Almighty hath given sufficient Demonstration of the contrary by things that do run in another way contrary to these Mens Expectations as also by what hath been writ on the contrary But now again I find this Error revived by Another in a Book printed 1680 intituled A Treatise of the New Heavens and New Earth by T. M. whereunto is added as the Author saith a true State of the thousand Years Time affirming it to be before the Second Coming of Christ Considering now the dreadful Consequence of these Mens Opinions thus published to the World in Print whereby some are already led into Error c. gives me now the occasion thus to appear that if it may be a Means to recover some that are unbiassed and not wedded to their Fancies and to prevent others from falling in with them to the great scandal of the Christian Religion and the prejudice of its Professors Which Holy Gospel is stiled the Gospel of Peace and no ways countenances the contrary Be it therefore ever remembred what our Blessed Lord said when in the hands of his Betrayers Put up thy Sword again into its place for all they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword which Experience hath hitherto proved true I say again If this be the fruit of these my Endeavours I shall rejoice for 't is not any Prejudice against these Authors for I know them not but their erroneous Tenets that I give my Testimony against Neither would I seem in the least to reflect upon any good Service they have otherwise done particularly that Part called the first Subject of the second or last Book I mentioned i. e. the Treatise of the New Heavens and New Earth which I would have all that read me take notice I oppose not but do heartily wish there were a more diligent Search after and a clearer Knowledg of it I will only mind the Author of one or two things as to that and so pass it In p. 3 4. he tells us That in the Renewed State or Glorious Kingdom of Christ there shall be no Sun Moon or Stars in their Courses and no Temple c. Now this at best is but an unwary Harangue He gives this further as a Reason Because saith he there will be no Night there But alas how short this is of proving that for which it 's brought will appear if we consider 1st The Text doth not say There will be no Sun c. But there will be no need of it 2dly Not in every place in that time neither but in that City Again in p. 5. for Answer to an Objection he makes it a Question Whether there
were so ignorant as to intend by such a Conversing that those Saints that shall remain alive till Christ comes should continue in a mortal State during the thousand Years But you further tell us That when Christ comes he must have all the Saints come with him who are raised c. You did very well to put in these words who are raised c. for who think you will oppose you here I say again certainly none will be so weak as to affirm that any of these shall be left behind But shall there be no other Men left behind is now the Question for satisfaction read Matth. 24.40 41. Luke 17.34 35 36. Zech. 14.16 Again Though all those that died and shall be found in the Faith when Christ comes shall be raised and changed yet this follows not that there shall be none converted at and after his Coming who will not then viz. at that instant be changed with whom those glorified Ones many converse But you come after with this Reason which you think cuts off all viz. Because Christ shall come in flaming Fire against them that know him not nor obey his Gospel the Day of Grace being then over and none to be converted after that Answer First take notice that although he shall come in flaming Fire c. yet the Holy Scripture no where tells you That all Men that are upon the Earth the glorified Saints here excepted shall be burnt up Neither doth it any where tell you that the Day of Grace shall be so over as that there shall be no Day of Grace to any after that time nor that none shall be converted at or after the coming of Christ neither is any thing like it in all the Book of God but the contrary And whereas you hint at the Parable of the Virgins Matth. 25. as a Ground for this your Conception pray consider these were not only Persons that had the Day of Grace before allowed them to whom the Gospel was preached but were Members of the Church of Christ and therefore no marvel that it will be too late for such to get Oil in the Vessel when Christ comes But what 's this to the purpose respecting others not in that Capacity but under other Circumstances But now to your 3d Absurdity Abs That whereas Christ saith The last Enemy is Death Here the raised Saints after Death are to meet with another Enemy viz. the Gog-Magog Army Answer What though the Apostle Paul which I suppose you mean tells us The last Enemy is Death 1 Cor. 15. yet he doth not there tell you this Enemy of Christ shall be destroyed at the very instant when the Saints that died before Christ's Coming shall be raised Neither is it any where else so written but the contrary Read the 24th and 25th Verses from whence it is evident that this Enemy Death shall not be destroyed till the end of Christ's Reign And 't is as plain Rev. 20. that the Gog-Magog Army shall make that Attempt and be destroyed immediately before the last Resurrection or Destruction of Death True it is the Saints before-mentioned shall through Christ get the Victory over Death before so did our Lord at his Resurrection But I presume you will not say he did then destroy Death for Victory and Destruction are two things Thus I have shewed that this Opinion you contend against infers no such Absurdities I come now to your 10th Argument This cannot be the Corporal Resurrection because it is said expresly That during this thousand Years c. the Saints shall build plant marry and give in Marriage enjoy the Works of their Hands be liable to Death c. Which is utterly inconsistent with the Resurrection-State Luke 20.34 35. Answer Here you reason fallaciously for you cannot but know the word Saints is an ambiguous word and ought not to be disputed from unless explained for though our Lord tells us the Children of the Resurrection shall not marry viz. when raised yet he no where tells us that Saints shall not marry in the thousand Years viz. fuch as are in a mortal State Thus this Argument falls to the ground like its Fellows Therefore lastly It will follow that if it be neither the Corporal Spiritual nor Eternal Life that is here meant to the which the Saints are raised then must it be the Mystical or Civil Life c. Answer This last is built upon all the rest especially as it respects the Corporal Resurrection To which there needs no other Answer but this viz. If there be no weight in them then this must needs be too light also and that they are so let the Arguments and Answers be compared and I leave it to every unbiassed and impartial Reader to judg As for those five Arguments in your large Sheet or any elsewhere in the Book they are either the very same with some of these sixteen that I have answered or else comprehended in them and therefore I suppose need no particular Answer I shall therefore proceed to the second Author to answer his Arguments or Demonstrations as he calls them which are in number six A Brief ANSWER to Six Demonstrations as the Author calls them laid down by T. M. in his Treatise of The New Heavens and New Earth pag. 8. to evince this for a Truth That the thousand Years Reign of the Saints with Christ will be before and so without his Personal Presence on Earth Or before the Second Coming of Christ as Title-page Demonst THE thousand Years is set forth in Scripture and so generally understood to be a time of Peace Plenty Liberty and Rejoicing of the whole Earth But when Christ comes in Person it produces an universal Destruction and Astonishment to the World Rev. 6.15 Every Bondman and every Free-man crying to the Rocks c. so Rev. 1.7 Matth. 24.30 Answer This Demonstration is fallacious in that it unites where it should divide and is true in one sense and false in another As to your first Proposition of this Demonstration If by time of Peace c. you mean only and altogether without any War or Destruction as that 's your Meaning or else you give away the Cause And by the whole Earth you intend every Man upon the face of the Earth all the time of the thousand Years then I deny this Proposition and tell you That the Scripture no where sets out the thousand Years to be such a Time neither is it generally so understood as you affirm nay so far from being generally so understood that I know of none at all that understand it so Doth not your self hold that there shall be War in the thousand Years and therefore you frequently call the first part of that time The smiting part as may be seen in the first Author's large Sheet and frequently in his Book But now to your second Proposition of this Demonstration If by universal Destruction and Astonishment to the whole World you mean every Person in the World
be any Hell now viz. any Place so called A needless Question in my Opinion and of bad consequence for by that Rule we may as well question whether there be any Heaven now And then whither shall we run at last even to question whether there be any God or Devil Therefore he had far better ne're undertook to answer such an Objection than left it so 3dly If this be true as to the New-Heavens and New-Earth as I grant in the main of what he there saith it is then how contradictory is this to the former Book and unhinges all that was said in it by the first Author That it is as contrary as Light is to Darkness consider these Instances In the first Book the Author tells us p. 164 That if these glorious things spoke of Rev. 21. of the New-Heavens and New-Earth and New-Jerusalem be taken in the Letter are but of earthly corruptible perishing and fading things The latter Author in his little Treatise frequently affirms the literal and perpetual Duration of these things Rev. 21. And his 11th Arg. p. 6. is this That the New-Heavens and New-Earth Rev. 21.1 are utterly inconsistent of any other Sense viz. than literal and eternal The first Author affirms this New-Heaven and New-Earth and New-Jerusalem Rev. 21. to be only Mystical and Spiritual and to be fulfilled before the Personal Coming of Christ as you may see p. 125 127. And the last Author affirms it to be literal material and to be after Christ's Personal Coming after the Day of Judgment as p. 2. Thus I have shewed the Contradiction 2dly That it unhinges all that the first wrote about his thousand Years Reign as to the time of it is also evident if you consider how he makes his Notion viz. Rev. 20 and 21 chap. an Allegory and the foundation of his thousand Years Reign I say all his Discourse is built hereon as you may see Title-page and p. 229. with the whole Discourse about it But see how much these Men have mistaken themselves arguing from false Premisses mistaking Scriptures making an Allegory of that which is spoke literally The first Author tells us p. 8. 'T is alike injurious to Truth to take a mysterious Allegory in the Letter as to make an Allegory of the plain Scripture Now by his grant 't is alone or alike dangerous How he quits himself of the latter let all Men judg when we have made a Trial. This Author proposes p. 10 11 12. First As necessary to the Exposition of the difficult things in these 20th and 21st Chapters of the Revelation as previous to all and of absolute necessity 1st Prayer 2dly Reading 3dly Meditation 4thly Conference 5thly Practice all very good As to the four first I hope I may say I have herein exercised my self long before this Vndertaking as many can bear me witness and to the last let my Work speak for me and not my own Mouth After these the Author lays down some Rules to go by in order to our understanding things aright herein 1. To compare any obscure Places with those that are plain 2. To consider what Vision or obscure Passage the Holy Ghost hath interpreted in the Revelation it self for of all such the Exposition is undoubted and infallible and so will the Revelation be the best Expounder of the Revelation and from those Expositions proportionably borrow Light for the discovering of other obscure Passages depending thereupon or relating thereto or contemporaneous therewith His 3d Rule is To observe diligently the Scope Order and Harmony of the Prophecies and further adds p. 43. That where there is no necessity to take a Scripture in a figurative Sense we are to take it in the Letter All which I approve and shall endeavour to observe But now how doth this Author vary from these Rules by him proposed as I hinted before In his 10 and 11 pag. he tells us what things are plain and amongst the rest for our better understanding this That Saints shall come forth in Vengeance He bids us compare Rev. 19.13 Isa 63.2 Rev. 19.15 with Psal 29. Isa 63.3 Now since by the word Saints he means Christ's Disciples or Believers as such and by coming forth in Vengeance he intends in this Life viz. before the Personal Coming of Christ as 't is evident p. 3. and from the whole of his Discourse Then I ask where this is plain in any of these Texts when there is not one word of it nor any thing like it in all the Texts unless confident Assertion shall pass for a plain Evidence Nay where is this found plain in all the Bible Is not this contrary to the Scope Order and Harmony of other Scriptures I am sure the contrary is plain yea so plain that he that runs may read it See Rom. 12.19 Dearly Beloved sure these spoken to are Saints avenge not your selves but rather give place unto Wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord. But no wonder when Men have got the knack to make hard things easy and easy things hard as I read an Author lately affirmed That the beginning-Principles of the Christian Religion were hard to be understood notwithstanding the Apostle calls them Milk for Babes c. Thus we see oft-times Confidence supplies the place of Evidence Again he tells us p. 11. That Rev. 1.20 i. e. the Mystery of the seven Stars and seven Golden Candlesticks are interpreted by Christ and the Mystery of the Woman and the Waters are explained and expounded by the Spirit and 't is the Divine Key of the Revelation Now be it so that these are plain and to be taken literally why must not other things that are explained also be so accounted For instance Chap. 11.8 we read of a City where the dead Bodies of the two Witnesses shall lie three Days and a half It 's told us as plain as words can be spoken what City this is or at least as plain as either of the Authors explained things See them parallel'd at least in one of them The Woman which thou sawest is that great City which reigneth over the Kings of the Earth chap. 17. ult This the Author acknowledges to be plainly meant of Rome because Rome reigned then over the Kings of the Earth p. 11.17 As Rome is her literal Name Babylon is her mystical Name Their dead Bodies shall lie in the Street of the GREAT CITY which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was Crucified chap. 11.8 Now let the Reader judg whether there is not as much nay far more ground to take this according to the latter than the first viz. The Woman for Rome All that we have to know the Woman to be meant of Rome is but this one thing I deny not but 't is enough viz. She is that Great City that reigned over the Kings of the Earth But touching the other we have not only the same Description viz. That it is the great
City where our Lord was Crucified which is as well known at this time to the Churches to be Jerusalem by that Description as Mystery Babylon is known to be Rome by the Description given in that behalf But again we have more in this Case it 's told us That it 's the City which was spiritually called Sodom and Egypt Now we find Jerusalem so called Isa 1.10 Jer. 23.14 Perhaps you will say Rome's mystical Name was written in her Fore head Ergo She might be known by it also But pray hold John it 's true saw it so in the Vision but 't was not so plain but he still wondred and that with great admiration who this Harlot should be as you may see ver 6 7. And yet notwithstanding this at least equal nay more Plainness the Author makes this an Allegory as you may see p. 48 49 50. A mystical City mystical Prophets mystical Heaven And why not as well a mystical Christ and a mystical Crucifying in a mystical City viz. the Hearts of Men as William Pen the Quaker against Muggleton p. 58. and in his Vindication of George Fox p. 12. Sect. 6. But again Why must this City New-Jerusalem chap. 21. be an Allegory with this Author Is it because St. John had not so clear a sight of this City p. 17. 3. 21. 10. Certainly this cannot be supposed unless the Author imagines that the Wilderness will give a better Prospect of Mystery Babylon than a great and high Mountain will do of the New-Jerusalem which cannot lightly be supposed and 't is evident here 's as plain a Description of this as the other But he tells you p. 164. That it 's called an Allegory Gal. 4.24 Now whether New-Jerusalem be there so called I need give no other Answer but desire the Reader to see if he can find any such thing in that Text. 'T is evident to all that will not shut their Eyes 〈◊〉 11.10 That our God hath builded a City for his Saints and will one day bestow it upon Abraham and his Sons for a Reward of their Losses 〈◊〉 3.12 â—â—ap 21.2 and this City shall come down from God out of Heaven it 's for the Saints and therefore not the Saints as this Author affirms p. 156. The Saved Ones shall walk in it ver 24. Ergo Not the City it self There shall in NO WISE enter into it any thing that defileth c. ver 27. Which cannot be meant of the Church here in this mortal State before the Personal Coming of Christ in the primest and purest Age that ever was or shall be Further This Author will have the Dragon Rev. 12.9 and 20.2 to be allegorical or figurative viz. the Pagan Empire not any particular Person or Creature p. 14 15. although there 's none of those he calls plain things so plainly described He tells you of some places where some other are called the Devil Admit this to be true 't will not prove the other for not only in this Book of the Revelation but in the whole Bible there is not a plainer Speech And we may as well with the Quakers conclude that all the Scriptures that speak of the Devil are meant only of a mystical and figurative Devil And I dare say you may as soon find a Dolphin in the Wood as a Devil in Hell if this be not he for pray mark how our Lord describes him That old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole World If this can be applied to any other I must confess my self very ignorant therein But I rather conclude this Notion to be like W. Deusbery's Interpretation of Matth. 21. touching the Ass that Christ rode upon which he hath taken the Boldness to affirm That it was the wild Nature in all the Children of the Lord. Another saith That it was the Lord's People And G. W. a Quaker likewise upon Rev. 11.8 saith That City is the Rock of Ages And indeed if Men may take this Liberty in their interpreting Scripture then I may boldly say The plainest Scripture will not scape their Allegorizing Frames But now if this Book of the Revelation be the Key to unlock the whole Bible as this Author confesseth then 't is strange the Key should be made more difficult than the Lock for so indeed it is if the most part be an Allegory as this Man affirms it is It 's called not only A Revelation but The Revelation a wrong Name if this Man's Doctrine be true True it is that what is therein delivered as many other places of Scripture are is set forth by Metaphors but it follows not That therefore the Doctrine there delivered is in it self Allegorical or but Metaphorical For instance Chap. 1. The seven Churches are set forth by seven Golden Candlesticks and the seven Ministers or Messengers by seven Stars Now will any wise Man conclude these seven Churches and seven Messengers are but figurative Churches and Messengers and not really such And so Rome is set forth by a great and brave decked Harlot what then Chap. 17. must this be only a Figure viz. Rome and not a real City as some gether figurative and several others also but this Author acknowledges the contrary So of the Waters Again Chap. 12 chap. 20. the Devil is set forth by a great red Dragon a fit Similitude indeed But what then Must this Devil be nothing but a Figure still Sure in all such Figures there is something figured out that is really so â—â—p 11. So by the two Candlesticks and two Olive-Trees are set forth the two Prophets But what then Must these Figures be but a Figure of a Figure still although our Lord tells us plainly They are two Prophets set forth by these two famous Similitudes and describes their Work and the time of it with their Death how it shall be and by whom how long they shall lie dead and where and what shall be done to them in that time by their Enemies and also their perspicuous and dreadful Resurrection and Ascension All which cannot be applied to any thing else save two Persons 〈◊〉 his 48 49 Pages Yet this Author will have these two Prophets to be but figurative Prophets still viz. The Church of God and others of the same stamp with this Author Magistracy and Ministry by some the two Testaments c. O what strange stuff have we here Brave Interpreters of Scripture But let God be true though every Man a Liar True it is many things in this Book are delivered by Metaphors but not all and those that are so signify something that 's real Therefore according to this Author p. 3. the Consideration whereof calls for the greater Circumspection Wariness and Sobriety as indeed other Writings do wherein are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own Destruction Pet. 3.16 I commit all that I have said to the Blessing of God
and the Consideration of his Churches W. S. The ANSWER to the First Book Intituled THEOPOLIS c. SIR I Have impartially read and seriously considered what you have writ in your Theopolis c. weighing it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary according to the Rules proposed by you and find it greatly wanting insomuch that I cannot but wonder you should take so much pains to so little purpose for all that you have said in my Judgment proves nothing for which you urge it viz. That the Saints shall reign a thousand Years upon Earth before Christ's Second Coming And that you may see your great Mistake herein I shall give a brief and plain Answer to what may seem most material therein for that purpose not in the least denying but plainly acknowledging the glorious Kingdom of Christ on Earth And first you tell us page 97 98. That there is a five-fold Kingdom belongs to Christ spoken of in the Scripture viz. 1st A Providential 2dly A Spiritual 3dly A Mystical 4thly A Monarchial or Davidical Kingdom 5thly A glorious Mysphatical Kingdom viz. The Soveraignty that Christ in Person with all the Saints in their glorified Bodies with him shall upon their general Resurection and Judgment exercise here upon the Earth before all is given up into the Father's hands And for want of a right distinguishing herein proceed as you humbly apprehend all the mistaken Notions and Differences about the Kingdom of Christ treated of in your Book And truly I do acquiesce with you herein for I conclude your wrong Distinction or Misapprehension of a five-fold Kingdom of Christ as thus distinguished by you is the great cause of all those your mistaken Notions about the Kingdom of Christ in your Book for to say nothing of four of your five I cannot yet see by all that you have said that the Holy Scripture speaks of your fourth Kingdom as distinguished by you from the fifth Kingdom which fourth you call a Monarchial or Davidical Kingdom that is to take place here over the Nations before the Second Coming of Christ but rather that the Holy Scripture is wholly a stranger to it And now I shall answer your Arguments urged on that account The first sort you direct your Reader to â—0 31 32. as most fit to be taken notice of in the first place are in number five urged by you to prove at least consequentially or in the second place That Christ will not come in Person at the beginning of the thousand Years Arg. 1 Your first Argument is Because his Personal Coming is not to be till the Judgment-Day And that say you is not to be till after the thousand Years and after the Battel of God and Magog meaning Gog c. Rev. 20.8 Answer The first part of this Argument I grant viz. That his Personal Coming is not to be till the Judgment-Day But the two last Branches I deny viz. That the Judgment-Day is not to be till after the thousand Years after the Battel of God and Magog For 't is evident to all that will not shut their Eyes that the Judgment-Day begins at the beginning of the thousand Years Rev. 20.4 AND I SAW THRONES AND THEY SAT VPON THEM AND JVDGMENT WAS GWEN VNTO THEM c. with the Chapter before compared with Dan. 7. where the same thing is spoken of He beheld the little Horn viz. the Man of Sin or great Antichrist make War with the Saints till the Antient of days comes and one like the Son of Man came to the Antient of days yea near before him and until the Throne were set or PITCHED DOWN so it is in the Original not thrown down And the Antient of days did SIT ver 9. with his Son brought near before him or set by him with the Saints ver 10.22 THE JVDGMENT WAS SET ver 10.26 Arg. 2 Because when he comes in Person 't is not to such a Work as this viz. to fight and subdue Enemies with material Swords nor to put his People as the Lamb's Army and Followers upon any such Service at that time being then all to be in the Resurrection and glorified State made like himself in Glory and as the Angels of God Neither will any of his Enemies be in a Capacity to make Resistance or Opposition who in their own Persons shall be destroyed by Fire and the very Earth they inhabit and all its Works burnt up and consumed at whose Presence the Earth and Heaven flee away Answer If by those words not to such a Work as this you mean not at all then I deny it and tell you 'T is to do such a Work as that Reason 1 You reason First Because Christ's People will be all in the Resurrection and glorified State made like himself in Glory and as the Angels of God Answer Now this Reason of yours I also deny and tell you You are greatly mistaken herein for although all the Saints that died in the Faith and are found alive in it when Christ comes in the Clouds c. shall then be raised changed and glorified and so said to be in the Resurrection c. yet all Christ's People that shall stand with him Rev. 14.1 Zech. 14.4 and follow him in that Army when he shall come down and stand upon Mount Zion and upon the Mount of Olives will not then be in the Resurrection viz. raised and glorified c. For part of those People and Followers or Army will be of the Jews who will not be converted till after the Resurrection of the fore-mentioned Saints and therefore not raised and so changed with them 'T is conspicuous enough that their Conversion will not be fully wrought till the Deliverer viz. Christ comes to Zion Isa 59.20 Rom. 11.25 26. Then shall he turn Vngodliness from Jacob Or more fully thus Our Lord Christ appearing in the Clouds of Heaven and the Saints Resurrection and Ascension up to him together with the wonderful things that shall be wrought then and Christ's coming down with his glorified Saints and Angels to deliver the whole House of Israel then remaining from the hand of their strong and mighty Enemies Isa 59.19 Ezek. 38.9.16 Zec. 14.2 3. that will come in like a Flood a Storm and Cloud to cover the Land yea all Nations gathered against Jerusalem to battel These things I say will produce the Jews Conversion or be the means to bring forth that Nation and therefore not till these things be accomplished shall that Nation be converted Ergo Not raised and changed but still in their mortal State Therefore according to your own Argument may under Christ do such a Service as above specified We are likewise told the Jews the number of whom Rev. 7.4 to the 8 Verse Verse 9. even of all the twelve Tribes of Israel will be one hundred forty four thousand who are distinguished from the innumerable Company of glorified Saints as you may clearly see Chap. 14. 1. These are said